"Hehe, old man, I was just in too much of a hurry, that's all."
Kyusei grinned at Hiruzen Sarutobi, scratching his head like nothing had happened.
Hiruzen looked at him for a long moment, then said flatly,
"Alright. Tell me—how did you get the Byakugan back?"
Kyusei had already plopped himself down on the sofa without asking. Worse, he casually opened the drawer of the tea table and fished out the Third Hokage's long-hoarded premium tea leaves.
Hiruzen's eyebrow twitched.
"Hehe, well… that's a long story."
"Then make it short."
Seeing the obvious displeasure on Hiruzen's face, Kyusei cleared his throat, organized his thoughts, and raised four fingers.
"First—killed the Three-Tails."
He folded one finger down.
Hiruzen's eyelid jumped.
"Second—killed four members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
Another finger went down.
The corner of Hiruzen's mouth twitched.
"Third—punched through the Kirigakure shinobi forces."
A third finger folded.
Hiruzen's heart rate noticeably spiked, his eyes narrowing.
"Fourth—captured the Mizukage."
The final finger dropped.
The room fell dead silent.
Hiruzen stared at the boy in front of him. His once-cloudy eyes were now frighteningly sharp.
"You did all that… alone?"
His voice came out hoarse.
"To be precise," Kyusei corrected cheerfully,
"Little Nine and I did it together."
Hiruzen closed his eyes.
After a few seconds, he waved his hand.
"Enough. You can go."
It was very clear—he didn't want to see this brat anymore.
"Alright then, old man, I'm off!"
Kyusei laughed, scooped up every last bit of the Hokage's treasured tea leaves in one smooth motion, and vanished.
Hiruzen's eyelid twitched again.
He chose to ignore it and turned his gaze toward the window.
Outside, Konoha bustled with life, thriving and bright.
Hiruzen let out a slow breath.
That brat might be unreliable at times—but today, the return on his investment had finally come.
A single man breaking an army.
Facing a nation alone.
Slaying a tailed beast.
Capturing a Kage.
And judging by Kyusei's condition… he hadn't even been pushed to the limit.
Chaotic, troublesome—but undeniably, the strongest pillar Konoha now possessed.
Seeing Kyusei in the distance, laughing and waving back at the tower, Hiruzen couldn't help but smile.
Noisy… but unexpectedly dependable.
Fine.
Let him be.
—
When Kyusei returned to Hyūga Naori's room, Tsunade was already gone.
He knocked lightly on the door. After receiving a response, he stepped inside.
The first thing he noticed was that both of Naori's eyes were now covered in bandages.
Kyusei paused, puzzled.
Still, Tsunade was the top authority in medical ninjutsu—if she did this, she had her reasons.
"Is that you… Kyusei?"
The room was dim. Sunlight poured in through the open door, illuminating the girl sitting on the bed.
Her complexion was pale—almost too pale in the light. Combined with her delicate features and the bandages over her eyes, she looked fragile, like a porcelain doll.
A sickly beauty.
"It's me."
Kyusei leaned closer, peering at the bandages as if he could see through them.
"What are you staring at?"
Naori asked softly, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.
"How'd you know I was looking at you?"
Kyusei shot back instinctively.
Naori fell silent.
…This guy really hadn't changed at all.
An awkward stillness settled between them.
"Well, uh… if you're fine, I'll head out first—"
Kyusei shifted uncomfortably.
It felt strange.
Really strange.
In the past, Naori would've already pressed her fists into his temples with a fake smile and said, "What are you looking at, brat? Try staring again, I dare you."
But the pale girl in hospital clothes in front of him was nothing like the Naori in his memories.
Just as he stood up—
A hand grabbed his.
Her palm was cool, slender, and soft.
Kyusei turned back in confusion.
"Can you… tell me how you got my eye back?"
Naori asked gently.
That gentle tone made Kyusei's scalp tingle.
"Speak."
"Who are you, really?!"
"You're definitely not Naori!"
Kyusei jumped up in alarm, staring at her suspiciously.
Yet with Kagura's Mind Eye, there was no mistaking it—this chakra was undeniably Naori's.
…Did the trauma mess with her head?
That thought flashed through his mind.
Naori couldn't see him, but she could clearly imagine his panicked expression. A vein popped on her forehead.
"Idiot brat, do I have to be mean to you for you to feel comfortable?!"
Yep.
That was her.
Kyusei finally relaxed, letting out a breath.
"Haha… it's just that you suddenly got all gentle and quiet. It didn't suit you at all."
"Sit."
Naori patted the edge of the bed.
"Oh."
Kyusei sat down, still confused about what she was planning.
Sensing his movement, Naori's ears flushed red. Her voice turned awkward.
"Th-thank you… for getting my eye back."
"Aren't we friends?"
"And we've known each other forever. No big deal."
Kyusei grinned.
Then—
His eyes widened.
Arms wrapped around his neck.
The loose hospital gown slid slightly with the movement, revealing smooth, jade-like forearms.
Naori leaned in close.
Kyusei froze.
"W-What are you—mm—!"
Before he could finish, her soft, pink lips pressed against his.
His mind exploded.
He stood there, stunned, unable to move.
He wanted to push her away—but his body refused to listen.
This wasn't right.
Wasn't she… basically his future in-law?!
Why—why would this happen?!
Kyusei's thoughts were a complete mess.
—
By the time Kyusei returned home in a daze, his head still spinning, he realized someone was already there.
A blonde girl stood before him, smiling warmly.
"Welcome home, Kyusei."
He stiffened.
Looking at her gentle expression, Kyusei suddenly felt incredibly guilty.
"X-kaoru…?"
"Why… why did you suddenly come back?"
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