Chapter 30: Returning to School
Early the next morning, Haruko held Kin's hand and arrived at the Konoha Ninja Academy.
Kin had specially put on new clothes today, and her hair, which was usually worn loose, was tied into a ponytail, making her look particularly spirited.
However, the girl was as stiff as a board, and her little hand gripping Haruko's was covered in cold sweat.
"Relax, breathe." Haruko pinched her cheek with amusement. "Don't act like you're heading to the execution ground. Just treat this like a slightly larger playground."
Kin pursed her lips and muttered softly, "But... I heard this place is very strict..."
"Strict, my foot." Haruko rolled his eyes. "I started skipping class in my first year here... ahem, I mean, I often engaged in personal extracurricular practice, and I still graduated, didn't I?"
"Haruko? Why is a problem child like you back at school?" They ran into a teacher who looked surprised to see him.
"Long time no see, teacher. This is my younger sister, Kin Tsuchi. I'm here to enroll her."
"Oh, welcome to the academy." The teacher leaned over to Kin, lowering his voice. "Study hard. Don't learn from Haruko, who spent all day either sleeping in class or climbing over the walls to skip school..."
"Ah—Teacher, we need to hurry and handle the paperwork, excuse us."
Haruko grabbed Kin's hand and fled as if escaping.
"Pfft..." Kin was amused and giggled, her nervousness dissipating quite a bit.
The registration process was unremarkable.
With money paving the way, the Chunin teacher in charge was extremely amiable.
After dropping Kin off at the classroom door, watching the little girl look back every few steps before finally taking a deep breath and walking inside, the stone in Haruko's heart finally fell to the ground.
Sending Kin to the Ninja Academy wasn't just to let her learn skills; it was also a form of insurance.
The Ninja Academy teachers were relatively responsible. In case something happened while he was away, Kin would have someone to turn to for help.
Plus, there was an unexpected bonus...
Haruko recalled the class roster he had glimpsed.
" Hyuga Neji, Tenten, Rock Lee. Kin was actually assigned to this class."
Haruko rubbed his chin, the corners of his mouth curling up involuntarily.
'Pretty good. If she can get on good terms with Tenten, it would be even better to learn how to do business."
...
Leaving the school gate, Haruko didn't rush off. Instead, he used Earth Release to create a rocking chair by the gate and lay on it, waiting for the target to appear.
He needed to see Hyuga Hinata.
The afternoon sun shone warmly on him, and Haruko squinted his eyes.
"Uchiha, the Third Hokage, Danzo... so annoying. You guys can fight among yourselves, why do you have to drag me into it... Hmm?"
Three short figures snuck out of the school gate—the blonde hedgehog head, the fatty, and the pineapple head.
"Yo, what a coincidence?" Haruko greeted them lazily.
"Whoa!" The three of them were startled, only then noticing Haruko lying there.
Uzumaki Naruto scratched his head, looking a bit awkward: "Big Brother Haruko, what... what a coincidence. Hahaha..."
"Seriously, don't scare people like that. It's bad for the heart," Nara Shikamaru complained, patting his chest.
"It's not my fault. A big guy like me is standing right here and you didn't see me, so you blame me?"
Akimichi Choji smiled and greeted him: "Brother Haruko, long time no see. That mission must have been quite troublesome, right?"
"It was alright. In any case, I managed to handle it." Haruko brushed it off casually. "By the way, the things you helped me get earlier were put to use, and they were indeed effective. How about I treat you to BBQ tonight?"
"BBQ!" Akimichi Choji's eyes lit up instantly.
Nara Shikamaru raised an eyebrow: "It's rare for you to be this generous... You aren't going to make us do something troublesome again, are you?"
Haruko put on a heartbroken expression: "Shikamaru, where is the trust between people? You really helped a lot last time, just consider this a return gift."
"Me, me, me, I want to go too!" Uzumaki Naruto raised his hand.
"Sure, come along." Haruko nodded. "See you at the riverside in the evening, at my usual fishing spot."
Watching the trio walk away while bickering, Haruko lay back down and waited for school to end.
The faint sound of lecturing drifted out, carried by the breeze into Haruko's ears, making his eyelids heavy...
It wasn't until the school bell rang and students poured out of the gate in groups that Haruko was awakened by the noisy sounds.
He quickly got up and scanned the crowd, soon locking onto that timid figure.
"Hinata."
Hyuga Hinata was walking home with her head down, startled when she heard the voice, and looked up to see Haruko.
"Brother Haruko?"
Haruko didn't waste time and got straight to the point: "I have a favor to ask. Is it convenient?"
"Eh? W-what is it?"
"I went on a mission a while ago and got hit by someone's genjutsu. Although I dispelled it at the time, I'm not sure if there are any lingering effects. Can you use your Byakugan to check for me?"
"Um, um!" Hyuga Hinata nodded vigorously, her little face very serious. "Byakugan!"
As she performed the hand signs, the veins at the corners of her eyes bulged slightly, and those pure white eyes stared at Haruko.
Hyuga Hinata's gaze swept over Haruko, carefully and thoroughly, not missing a single corner.
"Brother Haruko's Chakra flow is very stable, there are no abnormalities. But..."
Her body leaned in involuntarily, as if she wanted to see more clearly.
"...Maybe I saw wrong? Inside Brother Haruko's bones, there seem to be Chakra meridians?"
'This girl is quite serious... She even saw the Shikotsumyaku but didn't find anything abnormal, so it should be fine."
Although Haruko wasn't too worried about Hyuga Hinata going around talking, he still chose to change the subject.
"Ahem, that's not the problem, don't mind it. As long as there's no residual genjutsu, that's good. Compared to that, I have something else I want to ask you about."
Hyuga Hinata deactivated her ocular jutsu, only then noticing that she was almost in Haruko's arms.
"Ah, wow..."
A visible blush spread from her neck to the top of her head, turning into steam.
She stepped back a few paces, covered her face with her hands, and turned her head to the side.
"Er..." The steam-emitting girl in front of him didn't seem to be in a state to talk, but Haruko still wanted to try his luck. "Do you know about the Kaguya Clan in the Land of Fire?"
Hyuga Hinata thought for a moment while maintaining that posture: "It seems... Father has mentioned it. The Kaguya Clan has some dealings with our Hyuga Clan."
"Hmm, do you know roughly where they are located? Oh, if it's classified information, just pretend I didn't ask."
"It's not a secret. There is a Taketori Village in the northern part of the Land of Fire, near the Land of Hot Springs. But I haven't been there, so I don't know the specifics... However, I can ask Father when I get home!"
"Then I'll trouble you with that." Haruko smiled. "I'll treat you to something delicious another day; I tried making some new desserts that you should like."
Hearing the word "alone," Hyuga Hinata's face, which had just recovered, turned red again.
"L-leave it to me."
After leaving those words, she turned and ran away as if fleeing. She looked back after taking a few steps, then ran away even redder in the face.
Haruko watched her back and rubbed his chin.
'Actually, I wanted to invite her to the BBQ too... Never mind, that girl is shy when there are many people, better to invite her separately."
As for whether today's matter would attract the attention of the Hyuga Clan? If it's not a secret, it shouldn't, and there was no better choice anyway.
'If it weren't for the Uchiha's mess... Sigh..."
He stretched, and strolled slowly toward the market—he had to go prepare for the evening meal.
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