Konoha: Start from untying the caged bird

Page 207

Izumi reached out and touched his face with concern: "I can't quite put my finger on it... but I always feel that Yuzuru seems to be getting more and more... distant."

Hinata Yuzuru opened his eyes. He couldn't pretend he hadn't heard her. He sat up halfway, propped himself up with his arms, stretched, and then sat up straight, facing her.

"why?"

Uchiha Izumi simply shook her head, leaned forward, and nestled into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder: "I don't know..."

Hinata Yuzuru gently embraced her, lowered his head to smell the fragrance of her hair, seemed lost in thought, but could only smile and gently kiss her forehead: "I won't go anywhere."

"Mmm." She murmured softly, her eyes closed, and snuggled against his shoulder. "I wish it could always be like this."

Hyuga Yuzuru thought for a moment and said, "How about I stay at your place occasionally..."

"Really?" She opened her eyes, her eyes filled with barely suppressed joy.

Hyuga Yuzuru chuckled and said, "Kaoru needs to rest for a day sometimes too..."

For her, this must be even more unbearable than working overtime.

Uchiha Izumi looked at him amusedly, but then reached out and hugged him tightly: "Okay..."

Actually, Izumi Uchiha could tolerate most things, but the fact that she had so little time to spend alone at home with Yuzuru Hyuga made it hard for her to bear.

She's not a clingy girl, but sometimes she does want to cuddle and act cute with her boyfriend... Of course, she can't let anyone else see that.

Ever since she was hailed as the 'Ice Princess of the Uchiha Clan,' she's developed a bit of an idol image to maintain—cough, Hyuga Yuzuru would never admit this, but in any case, he felt that Izumi was somewhat constrained by her image; the soft, spoiled little girl from her childhood had never truly left her heart, only...

That side of her was only shown to Hinata Yuzuru.

This made him feel both flattered and warmed, but also somewhat indebted.

But to put it bluntly...

"It's better to retire early," Hyuga Yuzuru couldn't help but complain. "This damn Hokage just keeps getting into more trouble the more he gets involved."

"...Then what?"

She looked up and asked.

"Once we retire, we can travel the world freely—when we get tired of traveling, we can find a place we like and stay for a while, and when we get tired of staying there, we can leave again..."

Hyuga Yuzuru spoke of his long-awaited retirement life, and Uchiha Izumi listened quietly until the very end, when she asked in a low voice, "So... when are you getting married?"

A sudden silence fell, and then Hinata Yuzuru rubbed his chin against her forehead in distress: "Ah...yes..."

"I wouldn't mind... going together... never mind... we'll see..."

As she was talking, she suddenly seemed a little listless. She nestled in his arms, squinting her eyes like a curled-up cat. Hinata Yuzuru reached out and gently touched her cheek. After a while, he lowered his head and gently pecked her lips.

"Thank you, I'll think about it carefully."

He didn't say what he wanted to think about, but Quan just hummed in response, then smiled, closed her eyes, and tilted her head back to kiss him. After a while, she reluctantly pursed her lips, pulled back, and sat up.

"Let's go, Auntie is getting impatient."

She stood up and extended her hand to Hinata Yuzuru.

Hinata Yuzuru stood up, gave a soft "hmm," and reached out to take her hand. The two walked out of the room, and she and Hinata Yuzuru walked in wooden clogs through the wooden corridor and through the snow-covered courtyard, finally stopping in front of the lively main house living room.

"Brother's here!"

Neji, who was the sharpest of them all, finished speaking and then grinned smugly. This kid was getting bolder and bolder as he got older. Hyuga Yuzuru snorted, glared at Neji who was peeking out from the living room, turned his head, looked at his mother sitting in the living room with a resentful expression, and obediently let go of her hand. He walked over and hugged his mother's arm.

"Mom, what's wrong? Did that brat Neji make you angry again? I knew it..."

His mother gently tapped his head with her finger and said angrily, "You're the one who's best at making me angry in the family."

"How could that be?" Hinata Yuzuru retorted confidently, "I'm successful in my career, I have two girlfriends, I'm in my prime, healthy, and I take good care of my parents..."

"You still have the nerve to say that..." His mother patted his arm harder, then smiled at Quan: "Quan, come and sit down! Dinner will be served soon."

Hyuga Yuzuru then glanced at Neji with a smile.

Little brat, have you learned it yet?

Neji's handsome face showed a slight smile, but Hyuga Kaoru, who was holding a tray behind him, stepped on his foot without him noticing: "Hey, sorry, Neji, are you alright? Move aside, the chicken soup is ready."

Neji hissed, but his expression remained unchanged as he said, "It's alright, Kaoru-nee, it was me who blocked your way."

Hinata Yuzuru glanced at the two of them with a half-smile. Xiao Xun then secretly stuck out her tongue at him and winked, indicating that she had vented her anger for him. The steaming chicken soup was placed on the table, and her mother complained again, "Where's your father? Why is he still so busy on New Year's Day?"

"It's time to hand out bonuses today. The Hyuga family has so many companies now, it's quite complicated when you add them all up." As Hyuga Yuzuru spoke, footsteps echoed down the corridor again. Hyuga Hizashi arrived late. His hair was now streaked with gray, but he looked just as energetic as before.

"Looks like I'm not late." After saying that, he sat down at the head of the table with a smile, ignoring his wife's resentful look. "Quan, you're here too."

"Yes, Uncle!" Izumi stood up straight, quite nervously, and then knelt down to offer a New Year's greeting, wishing him a happy new year. Hyuga Hizashi simply smiled and said, "Happy New Year... When will you be able to offer me the New Year's greeting?"

"Hyuga-sama..." Hyuga Kaoru's gentle voice sounded from the side, and Hyuga Hizashi laughed awkwardly, "Kaoru is the same."

In Hizashi, everyone was quite informal, or rather, they didn't adhere to certain rigid rules. After Izumi took the lead, the younger generation knelt down to wish each other a Happy New Year, and Hyuga Yuzuru was no exception. Everyone happily exchanged New Year greetings, and then the mother and Kaoru began setting the table.

Quan was a little clumsy, but he tried his best to participate, leaving only the three grown men looking at each other.

“Father, you seem to have gained quite a bit of weight lately.” Hyuga Yuzuru spoke first, and Hyuga Hizashi couldn’t help but glare at him: “Nonsense, I’ve been so tired lately that I can’t even eat, how could I have gained weight?”

“Father, I saw you last night…” Neji ran out laughing and interrupted, but Hyuga Hizashi waved his hand and said, “You ate a few tempura snacks on your way home from work, does that count as a meal?”

Hyuga Hizashi, not to be outdone, retorted to Hyuga Yuzuru, "As for you, when are you finally going to give your mother a straight answer? She wants a grandson, and she's even come to me with all this fuss. She talks about it every night, saying Kaoru is nice, but Izumi isn't bad either..."

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table perked up their ears, including the women who were setting the table.

Hyuga Yuzuru's expression remained unchanged: "Having children isn't in a rush... I think, instead of looking forward to me, Mom should look forward to Neji—I remember that kid's been getting really close to his female companion lately..."

"Nonsense!" Neji's face turned red.

"Really? Then wasn't it you who went to the movies with Tenten last time?" Hinata Yuzuru teased.

"Xiao Li was there too! He went with our team..."

As Neji spoke, Hyuga Yuzuru couldn't help but laugh. He chuckled and said, "Does Lee also watch movies like 'The Love Manual'?"

"You think... that guy saw the male and female leads finally hugging in the finale and burst into tears in the movie theater saying that this is youth..." Neji sighed, but everyone could imagine the scene just from a few words, and couldn't help but laugh.

But his mother clearly took it to heart. She reasoned that as Hokage, Hyuga Yuzuru couldn't rush things; he had to respect his own wishes and not force him. But Neji...

It's time!

almost!

Seeing his mother looking at him, Neji's expression changed slightly. He first looked at his older brother in disbelief, while Hyuga Yuzuru simply nodded to him calmly, indicating that he was right. Hyuga Hizashi, on the other hand, happily held up his teacup and used the TV remote to change the channel.

"When will you call Tiantian and come over for a visit? It's been a long time since I've seen your friends." The mother smiled gently.

Neji, however, felt extremely uncomfortable. He gave an awkward smile and said, "It's not appropriate, Mom. We're just ordinary friends..."

"Really? Then how come I heard from the old lady next door a few days ago that she saw you and that little girl in the cheongsam sitting and chatting by the river?"

Neji was chilled to the bone by his mother's words.

How come everyone in this house knows what I do all day?!

Hyuga Yuzuru watched with a smile as Neji became the focus of his mother's disheartened attack, while he leisurely waited for the girls to set the table and sit down beside him before exchanging a glance with his father.

"I'm starting to eat."

The New Year's table was laden with delicious food. Hyuga Hizashi ate with great appetite, watching the New Year's relaxation special song concert on TV, humming along from time to time. As soon as his wine glass was empty, Hyuga Kaoru and Izumi rushed to refill it, making him nod in satisfaction, but he looked at his son with a conflicted expression.

I'm conflicted because I'm worried about him. How can we find a way to satisfy both sides?

Hyuga Yuzuru just kept eating in silence. When he was full, he coughed lightly, and the two girls beside him immediately understood.

"Mom, let's not talk about Neji for now—there's a fireworks display at nine o'clock tonight, do you want to go see it?"

As expected, Hinata Yuzuru's suggestion piqued his mother's interest. She smiled and said, "Of course we have to go! This is the first time Konoha has held a New Year's fireworks display, and there's also a night market... Are you going too?"

"Of course, it's rare to have time for a date..."

As soon as Hyuga Yuzuru finished speaking, Neji, with his eyes downcast and seemingly oblivious to his own thoughts, asked in a low voice, "With whom?"

His original intention was to let his older brother also experience the pain of being tortured that he had just endured, but he never expected that Hyuga Yuzuru would say so confidently: "Of course, it's the three of us together."

Neji was astonished, but Hyuga Yuzuru had already stood up, holding Izumi's hand with his left and Kaoru's hand with his right. Neji subconsciously looked at the two girls' expressions, only to see Izumi calmly letting him hold her hand, while Kaoru was even hugging his arm.

"Then we'll head out now, Father, Mother."

After Hyuga Yuzuru finished speaking, his mother urged, "Go quickly, come back later, or it's okay if you don't come back at all."

She was too lazy to ask him what he was thinking. If he was capable, she would marry him as soon as possible; if he wasn't, she would just get pregnant sooner rather than later so they could settle things.

Instead of that, his mother suddenly became interested: "Neji, aren't you going to see the fireworks with your friends?"

"Uh..." Neji remained strangely silent for a moment. Hyuga Yuzuru stopped and looked at his expression. He raised an eyebrow, let out a soft "oh," and chuckled teasingly. He winked at Neji before quickening his pace and slipping away.

He truly never expected that Neji would end up with Tenten... Perhaps it's because he no longer needs to bear so many deep-seated hatreds and entanglements in this life, so he has the leisure to indulge in philandering?

However, Neji was already quite good-looking. Although he was a bit arrogant, he was relatively calm and composed compared to his peers, making him the kind of man that girls nowadays like because he provides a sense of security.

If we take the initiative every day... it doesn't seem impossible.

But soon, Hinata Yuzuru put his younger brother's matter out of his mind. Right now, he just wanted to spend the day quietly and happily with the people around him.

Instead of taking them to the crowded night market, Hyuga Yuzuru leaped several times and arrived at the Hokage Rock.

This place isn't open to the public at night, but Hyuga Yuzuru doesn't need to follow that rule. Izumi and Kaoru sat on the edge of the Hokage Rock, gazing at the bustling city of Konoha Shinkyo and the starry sky, until fireworks soared into the sky, displaying a variety of colorful patterns, quietly nestled together.

The fireworks display lasted for a full half hour, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder. However, the ninjas quickly used a large-scale wind release technique to change the direction of the wind, and in just over ten minutes, the thick smell of gunpowder drifted into the distance.

Hyuga Yuzuru first took Izumi home. Even though she seemed a little reluctant to leave, it was New Year's, and the fact that she ate dinner at the Hyuga's house instead of at home already spoke volumes. If she didn't go home that night...

In short, when Hyuga Yuzuru looked at Izumi's parents, he still felt a little guilty.

Fortunately, the other party simply welcomed him with a smile, showing no sign of awkwardness because he had Hinata Kaoru by his side, which made him somewhat relieved.

As they parted, Quan hesitated, but in the end, she could only reach out and hug him with a melancholy expression before closing the door.

Only now did Hinata Kaoru, who had been behaving calmly, yieldingly, and peacefully, begin to show a hint of barely suppressed joy.

"Yuzuru-sama."

"Ok?"

Hinata Yuzuru took her hand and led her home.

She seemed to simply want him to respond, smiling as she hugged his arm tightly. When they got home, she went into his room, and as usual, first showed him the bathroom, prepared his change of clothes, and then left as before.

Without giving it much thought, Hinata Yuzuru changed his clothes and went to the bathroom in his backyard, where he soaked comfortably in a spacious bathtub large enough for four people to share.

He opened the window, and light snowflakes began to fall outside again, but the water in the bathtub was warm. On the wooden board floating in the bathtub, chilled drinks were placed. The TV on the bathroom wall was on, playing a music channel that played on a 24-hour loop. This somewhat luxurious bath was his most leisurely pastime most of the day.

Hinata Yuzuru closed his eyes in enjoyment, occasionally taking a sip of an iced drink, listening to the increasingly diverse and modern music, and humming along randomly.

Then suddenly there were two soft knocks on the door.

"Yuzuru-sama?"

"what happened?"

Hinata Yuzuru asked without opening his eyes, but the next moment, he suddenly heard the bathroom door click open. He opened his eyes with a start and turned his head. As expected, Hinata Kaoru was only wrapped in a bath towel and poked her head out from the bathroom. Her face was flushed, whether from cold or embarrassment, he couldn't tell.

Her hair was a little wet, and there were still some water droplets on her skin. She probably took a good shower in her own bathroom, changed her clothes, and then came in wrapped in a towel.

"Shall I help you scrub your back?"

"...Can...I refuse?" Hinata Yuzuru reluctantly averted his gaze, while Hinata Kaoru feigned a wronged expression: "If you don't like it, I'll leave..."

Even so, she deliberately pretended to be shivering.

Since Hinata Yuzuru isn't afraid of the cold at all, he keeps the windows in the bathroom and the outer changing room open, wanting to enjoy the contrast between the hot and cold. For Hinata Kaoru, having the windows open on a snowy day is a bit of a hardship.

Hinata Yuzuru was silent for a moment, then leaned against the edge of the bathtub with one hand and said softly, "...Come in."

She swiftly slammed the bathroom door shut, then knelt on the edge of the tub, blinking at him with a pitiful look that made him both helpless and amused: "It's like I'm the one bullying you... You're all wrapped up so tightly, isn't it just because you want to take a bath together?"

Looks like you took a shower outside beforehand... It's so cold, don't catch a cold!

"Really?!" she asked, but she had already stood up, chuckling and shamelessly—but her face was getting redder and her fingers were trembling slightly.

It's hard to imagine that after spending so much time with him, Xun has always maintained a consistent and stable performance in this aspect: emphasizing high offense and low defense.

Even though she often takes the initiative to try to get closer to Hinata Yuzuru, a simple hug, which has now become a habit, can make her heart pound as if it's about to burst out of her chest.

Hinata Yuzuru pointed to the opposite side, to the spacious bathtub, where the two of them could sit facing each other with plenty of room.

Hinata's face was flushed, and she slowly sat down, clutching the towel tightly with one hand. She let out a soft, cute moan and closed her eyes comfortably, but quickly looked at him with her white, almond-shaped eyes and smiled foolishly.

"So that's why you never hinted at what I had prepared for my New Year's gift this year... Turns out you were waiting for this."

Hyuga Yuzuru smiled, not feeling there was anything wrong with it. He was wrapped tightly in a bath towel, so he couldn't see anything. It was just that he looked a little dazed at first glance.