Konoha: Start from untying the caged bird

Page 187

Hanabi said without hesitation, "I want to become a ninja as good as my sister!"

"Eh?!" Hinata was completely taken aback by Hanabi's response. She stared at Hanabi blankly for a moment, then glanced at Hyuga Yuzuru in a flustered manner before her eyes darted away at the ground.

"So, what kind of ninja do you think Hinata is?"

Hyuga Yuzuru pressed on, and Hanabi replied without hesitation, "Hmm... a ninja who is gentle, strong, and kind."

"I..." Hinata's cheeks flushed red. She really couldn't accept being praised like that, but Hanabi said matter-of-factly, "Neji once said that in the Hyuga clan, besides Yuzuru, only Hinata can be called a genius—I also want to become a genius ninja of the Hyuga clan!"

I'm hardly a genius...

Hinata sighed inwardly, but then she saw Hyuga Yuzuru nod and say, "Hinata is indeed a genius."

Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at Hinata Yuzuru in disbelief, only to meet his gaze. She then hurriedly looked away.

"However, I don't think that a ninja's talent, or rather, their life goal, should be limited to so-called strength."

In my opinion, every dream—to become an outstanding painter, an outstanding musician, an outstanding scientist—deserves respect.

Even if you are born into the Hyuga clan, there is no need for you to aspire to become an outstanding genius ninja.

I hope that everyone in Konoha in the future can do what they love. Hinata, what do you want to do in the future?

Hinata Yuzuru turned to look at her, and Hinata lowered her head, bewildered, saying, "I...I don't know..."

"Then think it over carefully." Hinata Yuzuru, after a long time, placed his hand on her head and gently rubbed it: "Even if you want to find a good boy to marry early and be a qualified wife, I will support you."

"I, I, I..." Hinata blushed and couldn't speak. She seemed to be thinking of someone, and steam was rising from her face as she stammered. Hyuga Yuzuru, on the other hand, just smiled and got up: "Hanabi is the same. If you have any questions, you can come to me anytime. I usually have plenty of time after get off work."

"Really!?" Hanabi's eyes lit up.

Hinata Yuzuru nodded with a smile.

He glanced at Hinata, whose face was still flushed and who remained silent with her head down. He raised an eyebrow and thoroughly searched her social circle. Finally, no matter how he thought about it, it seemed that only Naruto Uzumaki could have made Hinata like this...

what...

How about we act as matchmakers?

Thinking about it carefully, if he doesn't put in some effort, that idiot Naruto will probably end up like Mei Terumi or Jiraiya, unable to get married even at thirty.

Hinata Yuzuru seemed lost in thought, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"Speaking of Naruto Uzumaki..."

He said Naruto's name, and Hinata listened intently, her ears twitching slightly involuntarily.

Hyuga Yuzuru chuckled softly: "Hinata, what do you think of him?"

Hinata Hyuga never expected him to ask her that question. She panicked and didn't know how to answer. Then, she saw that even Hanabi was staring at her thoughtfully.

"I don't mind if a child from the Hyuga clan marries a child from outside the clan."

"I...I didn't, I..." Hinata's face turned completely red. She could only manage a series of whimpering sounds, a mixture of shame and panic. Finally, she lowered her head and whispered silently, "I didn't..."

"Really? Then I'll go and explain it to Naruto, so he won't be disappointed."

Hinata Yuzuru casually mentioned this and was about to leave, but Hinata stood there, suddenly reaching out to stop him. She racked her brains for a reason, stammering, "I... I just haven't thought about marrying him yet..."

He was rambling on and on, but only one thought was in his mind: Why was Naruto disappointed?

"Hmm?" she asked, puzzled.

"Huh?!" Hinata's face turned bright red as she stared wide-eyed in shock and disbelief, shocked by the amount of information in Hyuga Yuzuru's words and by the fact that she seemed to have said something extraordinary.

Hinata Hyuga, however, with a smug smile on her face, reached out and tapped her head before leaving with Hanabi, leaving Hinata standing there, speechless, crouching helplessly on the ground, nearly unconscious.

No way!?

What did I just say?!

Chapter 137 The Sixth Hokage!?

On the streets of Konoha, Naruto Uzumaki, dressed in a black and red tracksuit, is jogging in the morning.

He's been growing taller lately, and his old orange tracksuit is no longer a good fit. Luckily, now that he's a ninja, he finally has some savings, so he bought himself a tracksuit in the style of Hyuga Yuzuru's shrine robe—and he does look much more mature than before.

He ran around Konoha several times, his breath coming in long gasps, seemingly tireless, before finally stopping to catch his breath, stretch his legs, and stand in the training field, looking around: "Seriously, where has Jiraiya-sensei gone again!"

After Jiraiya returned to Konoha, he continued to share the responsibility of being Naruto's teacher with Kakashi.

On days when he wasn't on a mission, Naruto would train with Jiraiya for half a day every day. Occasionally, he would pester Kakashi to teach him in the afternoon, but sometimes he would just train by himself.

After waiting impatiently for a while, Naruto Uzumaki let out a helpless groan: "Seriously..."

Just as he was complaining, Jiraiya, sporting huge dark circles under his eyes, yawned and arrived late: "Good morning."

"What do you mean 'early'? Jiraiya-sensei...you didn't stay up all night again to finish your manuscript, did you?" Naruto Uzumaki looked at Jiraiya's bloodshot eyes with a teasing expression.

Jiraiya laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head: "Hey, when it comes to writing, there's no such thing as rushing to meet a deadline. Inspiration just strikes, inspiration strikes!"

"I heard Konoha is going to launch a new four-wheeled vehicle soon... Jiraiya-sensei, are you sure it's okay?" Naruto said with a sympathetic look, while Jiraiya was taken aback, then asked in a low voice with a troubled expression, "When did this happen?"

Yesterday.

That thing, I heard, is called a 'car,' and it's several times more expensive than a motorcycle.

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei said that you could probably buy one by completing an S-rank mission."

As Naruto spoke, he eagerly prepared for training.

Jiraiya's face darkened, and his hand instinctively reached for his wallet, his mind rapidly calculating the accounts—including Tsunade's gambling debts in the Land of Earth, the loan on her new house in Konoha, and the loan on the motorcycle he'd given her...

Or should we just go and get a mission from the Fifth Hokage?

I shouldn't have listened to Yuzuru's talk about "guaranteed appreciation" and bought that house near the Hokage Rock...

But just thinking about Hinata Yuzuru's sales pitch of "the best choice for a wedding home" and "a top-tier school district property" made Jiraiya sigh. Oh well, he'd already bought it.

"Alright, training!" Jiraiya, his heart bleeding, rolled his eyes and watched as Naruto Uzumaki returned to his serious training. A thoughtful look crossed his face: "Haven't you gone to ask the Fifth Hokage about you yet?"

"Uh... He was busy when I went last time, so I didn't say anything... I heard that Yuzuru-nii is about to officially become the Fifth Hokage, so I'll just wait until he's done with his work before saying anything."

Naruto Uzumaki was talking nonchalantly when he suddenly realized something. He turned his head and saw a figure walking towards him from a distance. He first widened his eyes, and then excitedly shouted, "Yuzuru-nii!"

Wearing a divine robe, Hyuga Yuzuru approached and smiled, "Good morning, Naruto, Jiraiya-senpai."

"Fifth Hokage, is there something you need?" Jiraiya asked, his expression puzzled. In his memory, even if Hyuga Yuzuru had something to say, he would usually send someone to his office to find him, and he rarely came out on his own initiative.

Hyuga Yuzuru smiled and said, "You have to let me slack off sometimes... Also, Jiraiya-senpai, you need to be careful."

For Jiraiya, a bachelor in his thirties or forties, this joke really hit the nail on the head. He blushed, a rare sight for him: "Fifth Hokage, I'm just, uh, I've been writing a little later lately."

"Any progress with Tsunade-senpai?" Hyuga Yuzuru struck Jiraiya's vitals again with his sword, then laughed awkwardly, glancing at Naruto; "What are you talking about..."

“Men should take the initiative, right? Tsunade-senpai isn’t young anymore. If they don’t hurry, Naruto’s baby might be born soon.” After Hyuga Yuzuru finished speaking, Jiraiya stammered, unable to speak, while Uzumaki Naruto’s eyes widened, pointing at himself with one finger: “Me!?”

His face flushed with embarrassment: "How could that be!"

Hyuga Yuzuru smiled leisurely: "Why not? Don't you have someone you like?"

Naruto Uzumaki fell silent, scratching his head, unsure of what to say. Yuzuru Hyuga glanced thoughtfully at Jiraiya: "You've come out for a while... come chat with me? Jiraiya-senpai should probably go back and catch up on some sleep. Remember to leave a signed copy for Kakashi when it's published—that guy's a hidden millionaire, you know."

Jiraiya nodded and said, "Kakashi is my biggest fan after all, so I'll definitely save one for him."

But in his heart, he was thinking—if he borrowed some money from Kakashi, it would be enough for a down payment on a car once he got his royalties. A motorcycle was too small, sorry, but a car would be nice so he could ride in it with Tsunade...

Jiraiya, lost in his own fantasy, let out a strange, chuckling smile. After a moment of clarity, he glanced around and saw Hyuga Yuzuru with his arm around Uzumaki Naruto's shoulder, the two whispering to each other as they walked away into the distance.

"Jiraiya-senpai, that new coffee and cake shop in Konoha has a limited-edition vanilla flavor in the morning..."

Hyuga Yuzuru left behind only a nonsensical sentence before leading Naruto away into the distance, while Jiraiya stood there stunned for a while before scratching his cheek in confusion.

Seriously...

I, the mighty hero Jiraiya, am actually being mocked like this by a junior...

only...

Tsunade usually gets up very late, so who knows, she might not have even tried that vanilla cake yet... I wonder if the coffee is any good, maybe...

He was itching to try, and finally made up his mind. His eyes, which were covered in dark circles, shone brightly as he took a step forward.

In fact, Jiraiya was not a timid person. It was just that he had carried too much burden in the past and knew about Tsunade's pain. Unable to be certain of the future and unable to settle his mind, he did not want to change the current situation under any circumstances.

But now, Konoha is thriving, and the chosen one that the Toad Sage spoke of seems to be right beside them. Although it is still uncertain whether it is that idiot Naruto or Hyuga Yuzuru, for the time being, everything is moving in a good direction.

Tsunade resolved her inner conflict, and he himself finally found a long-lost sense of peace in Konoha. Perhaps...

Should I have been more proactive?

Jiraiya left with mixed feelings.

Meanwhile, Hyuga Yuzuru and Naruto wandered aimlessly through Konoha. Both of them were extremely familiar with Konoha, and after a casual stroll, they found a secluded spot to chat. This place used to be a riverside promenade, but due to Konoha's rapid development, it had gradually become deserted and sparsely populated.

After all, the new roads in Konoha are all clean, tidy, and flat asphalt or cement roads, so fewer and fewer people walk on the dirt roads.

"Alright, now that no one's here... Tell me, I remember you used to really like that pink-haired girl in your class."

Hyuga Yuzuru spoke with a smile, while Uzumaki Naruto blushed and said, "You mean Sakura? I... I'm not... uh..."

He reached up and scratched his short blond hair in a flustered manner: "Anyway, it's not like I like him! But we're still good companions."

"Oh? When did you change your mind?"

Hinata Yuzuru chatted and laughed as he sat down with him on a stone bench.

Naruto sat down as well, and the two sat close together, having a long-awaited private chat.

He chuckled sheepishly, looking awkwardly at the ground: "It's not that I changed my mind, it's just that back then, I didn't really know what liking someone meant... Besides, Sakura didn't like me."

Although Naruto said that, Hyuga Yuzuru tilted his head and saw that he was not entirely sincere. He guessed that Naruto's statement that he did not like Sakura was only related to the second half of his sentence.

Maybe...

Is it because Sakura likes Sasuke, and as Sasuke's friend, he feels he shouldn't steal her away?

In short, looking at Naruto's expression, Hyuga Yuzuru could somewhat understand the unease in his heart.

Hyuga Yuzuru reached out and ruffled his blond hair: "Stop saying such useless things... If you like something, go for it. Even if no one believes you can do it, you will still do your best to prove them wrong. That's the Naruto I know."

"That's really not how it is!" He stuck out his neck and glared angrily at Hinata Yuzuru. After a while, he chuckled and said, "Compared to me, Yuzuru-nii's situation is much more troublesome. Kaoru-nee and Izumi-senpai, what are you going to do?"

"How did you know?" Hinata Yuzuru raised an eyebrow.

"Kakashi-sensei said that in Jiraiya-sensei's books, characters like Yuzuru-kun don't all have good endings, and he told us not to follow his example...hehe."

As he spoke, he observed Hinata Yuzuru's expression. Seeing that he wasn't unhappy, he relaxed and chuckled, "So, Yuzuru-nii, what are you really thinking?"

"Only children make choices... I want them all!" Hyuga Yuzuru said calmly, words that shocked Uzumaki Naruto. However, after saying that, he just shook his head and smiled.

He said casually, "Who knows? Let's wait and see. Maybe some of them will quit? Or maybe it'll just stay like this, which isn't so bad..."

"Wow...scumbag." Naruto muttered to himself, seeing him reach out and flick his own head in annoyance. He didn't dodge, but instead let out a cry of pain, his eyes smiling as he thoroughly enjoyed his verbal sparring.

But Hyuga Yuzuru didn't refute it, only said softly, "Don't follow my example, it will make girls sad. I can't help it, I don't want to either. Maybe this is the price of becoming a handsome Hokage."

After he finished speaking, he couldn't help but laugh, but Naruto thoughtfully stroked his chin: "What if I could become someone who surpasses Yuzuru-san..."

"Impossible! I won't lose to a brat like you! Being able to become the next Hokage would be a great achievement for you!" Hyuga Yuzuru gave him a hard flick on the forehead, then snorted at Naruto, "Keeping my word is my ninja way!"

"I hope you're aiming to surpass the right people," Hyuga Yuzuru said, to which Naruto laughed heartily, "Of course, I won't be as bad as Yuzuru-nii..."

He braced himself for a tap on the forehead from Hinata Yuzuru, but when he turned around, he saw the other man just smiling inexplicably, watching the leaves rustling in the wind in the distance without a care in the world. After a moment of silence, Hinata Yuzuru finally asked.

Do you have any questions you'd like to ask me lately?

Naruto Uzumaki was silent for a moment, then turned his head to look at him cautiously before lowering his head and saying, "Yuzuru-nii, am I... an unqualified Jinchūriki?"

"Why do you say that?" Hyuga Yuzuru looked at him calmly, but Naruto's face showed a hint of disappointment as he lowered his head.

“A qualified Jinchuriki is one who can use the tailed beast within him to fight for the village at any time, like Gaara of Sunagakure… As for me, I have no idea how to use the power within me. Jiraiya-sensei said that it would be best if you decided on this matter.”

Hyuga Yuzuru reached out and ruffled his blond hair. After a moment's thought, he laughed and said, "I thought it was a big deal... You want to use the power of the tailed beast within you? Well, you're about the right age to deal with that guy."

Just remember one thing: Tailed Beasts can be your friends, your allies, or they can be your enemies.

It possesses intelligence and can communicate, but because it has been sealed and manipulated by humans for many years, its heart is now filled with rage towards humanity... If you want to master the power of a tailed beast, besides having unwavering faith and rationality when using that power, you must also understand what you need.

"What do I need?" Naruto frowned slightly, but Hyuga Yuzuru said bluntly, "If you only pursue power for the sake of power, sooner or later you will lose yourself in power."

In addition to that, you should also know what your true ideals and goals should be.

"Of course I know..." Naruto Uzumaki looked down on him, but Yuzuru Hyuga gently pressed his forehead: "No, you don't know..."

Naruto Uzumaki only felt a light flashing in the blue eyes of Yuzuru Hyuga before him, and the next moment, the world before him changed as if the earth were spinning.