Konoha: Start from untying the caged bird

Page 194

When has this world ever been at peace?

He left behind only one sentence that left people speechless.

"A short pain is worse than a long one."

"This time, if we're going to fight, I'll fight until the world is turned upside down and everything is changed."

Hyuga Yuzuru said, a hint of mockery in his eyes, "If I were you, I would be considering buying a few properties in Konoha recently. Who knows, you might need them in the future, right?"

The daimyo forced himself to stand up and forced a smile: "Fifth daimyo, are you tired? I've prepared food and lodging. Why don't you stay at the daimyo's residence for the night? Please allow me to think about your proposed conditions and decide on them tomorrow."

Hinata Yuzuru turned to look at him. The silence lasted only a few seconds, but it sent chills down one's spine. In the end, he simply nodded: "Okay, let's decide tomorrow morning. I have to go back to the village."

"If the Daimyo and you all have nothing to do these days, I sincerely invite you to participate in my Hokage inauguration ceremony on July 20th."

Hyuga Yuzuru smiled slightly and walked out. The daimyo, looking tired, bowed and said, "Alright... Fifth daimyo, please."

The servants took Hyuga Yuzuru to rest, and the banquet became deathly silent.

The minister who had spoken out against Hyuga Yuzuru remained silent for a long time before suddenly kneeling down and kowtowing, saying, "I have failed in my duty. I beg the daimyo to grant me death."

“That’s enough…” Daimyo waved his hand and slumped to the ground.

He raised his glass and took another sip.

He let out two bitter laughs.

"Anyway, he doesn't care."

The scene was deathly silent.

Looking around, Da Ming saw that everyone below had their heads bowed.

He dared not speak to Hyuga Yuzuru, nor did he dare speak to himself.

These people are all high-ranking nobles from the Land of Fire!

Every household has retainers, ninjas, and samurai guards, yet at this moment, they dare not even utter a single word about fighting to the death.

Daming looked up at the ceiling, and after a long while, let out a mournful cry.

"The daimyo of the Land of Fire, I shall end it all!"

After speaking, he swayed and fell backward.

"Daimyo!"

"Daimyo!?"

"Quick, get a doctor!"

...

The noise behind them was naturally not unnoticed by the ninjas, but neither Hyuga Yuzuru, nor Hyuga Kaoru, nor Uchiha Izumi cared. Guided by the maids, they passed through the corridor and courtyard and arrived at the guest room prepared by the daimyo.

Even though it's called a guest room, in Hyuga Yuzuru's opinion, it's luxurious enough. At least, it's more spacious than his house in the Hyuga family home. The dry landscape garden has a rustic Japanese aesthetic, and the fine wood is simple yet elegant. The spacious rooms are independent of the main house and can be called a masterpiece.

"There are hot springs too?"

As soon as she entered the courtyard, Hinata Kaoru's nose twitched slightly, and her eyes lit up.

"Yes, the bathroom is in the southeast corner of this courtyard. The hot spring inside is prepared just for you, so you don't have to worry about being disturbed by others."

The maid said respectfully, "Should we prepare some dinner now?"

"Prepare some," said Hinata Yuzuru, and the maid immediately went to prepare them.

The two sat casually around the table in the living room. Uchiha Izumi stood dutifully at the door, but Hyuga Yuzuru waved his hand and said, "Izumi, you should rest too."

Uchiha Izumi hesitated as if she wanted to refuse, but when her eyes fell on Hyuga Kaoru, she immediately nodded.

Her steps faltered, but then she walked straight to Yuzuru Hyuga's side, took off her mask, sat down, and revealed her beautiful face.

Hinata Yuzuru unconsciously straightened his previously relaxed posture.

Wait a minute...

He glanced left and right. To his right, Hyuga Kaoru was smiling at Uchiha Izumi, while Uchiha Izumi sat calmly to his left, speaking softly in a cool yet warm voice, "Lord Yuzuru, may I sit here?"

broken.

Did I... carelessly create a chaotic situation?

Chapter 144 A Fire Breaks in the Harem, But Who Knows It Might Be a Blessing?

The wind is quite noisy tonight.

Hinata Yuzuru sat on the veranda, wearing a bathrobe, enjoying the cool breeze and admiring the moon in solitude.

He could faintly hear the splashing water from the hot spring in the bathroom behind him. He kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, restraining his gaze, his mind as calm as still water.

I dare not look, nor dare I listen.

If he wasn't mistaken, it would be better for him to know nothing about the conversation inside the hot spring.

And just as he had thought, the only person Hyuga Kaoru and Uchiha Izumi, who were still in the hot spring at the moment, could talk to was Hyuga Yuzuru.

With her black hair tied up in a bun and only two long strands falling naturally down her forehead, Hinata Kaoru casually rested one hand on the stone platform by the hot spring. Her fair skin had a pinkish hue from the hot spring water, and the water rippled brightly, just level with her collarbone. Her slender fingers, as delicate as white jade, gently caressed the water.

"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've spent time alone with you, Koizumi."

Hinata Kaoru's voice was gentle, and a faint smile graced her face. Beneath the surface of the water, one could vaguely see her legs, lazily crossed, which, when viewed on the rippling water, resembled two pieces of white jade stacked on top of each other, forming a striking contrast with the black stone-paved bottom of the hot spring.

Across from her sat Uchiha Izumi, her short hair tied in a small ponytail, a white towel folded into a square on her head in a somewhat childlike manner. She sat properly by the hot spring, her usually cool, simple, and unadorned face now flushed with two rosy cheeks. Her phoenix eyes were comfortably narrowed, but the black pupils in her eyes reflected the soft moonlight.

"Yes." She answered simply, her gaze lingering slightly as she looked at Hinata Kaoru's skin, before she unconsciously glanced at her own hands.

Years of experience in the underworld and rigorous training, coupled with a somewhat immature and closed-off mindset during her formative years, led her to neglect her self-care. As a result, her skin appeared slightly rough in comparison.

The calluses on the tiger's mouth from frequent sword practice, and the faint yet noticeable scars on his skin, made Uchiha Izumi silently sit down and bury his body in the hot spring.

"Oh my~ It seems like just yesterday Izumi was a little kid who didn't know anything, but today she's already a beautiful young woman~"

No wonder Yuzuru-sama agreed to go on a date with you. Izumi, I really want to go out with you too~

Hinata Kaoru wasn't surprised at all by her simple answer; she just smiled and spoke in a lazy tone.

Uchiha Izumi said calmly, "Once Yuzuru-sama gets off work, I can rest too. If Kaoru-nee wants to go out and play together, we can do so after get off work."

However, I'm not very talkative and not very interesting, so going out with me probably won't lead to any fun places.

"Really? But I saw that Yuzuru-sama seemed quite happy after your date~" Hinata Kaoru didn't seem jealous or anything like that at all, just looking genuinely curious, tilting her head: "What did you two do that day?"

Uchiha Izumi spoke simply, as if reporting a mission: "I went to a barbecue restaurant, ate barbecue, bought clothes, ate a lot of snacks, then went shopping, sat and chatted in the park for a while, and then went home."

Hinata Kaoru listened with envy: "Really? It seems like Yuzuru-sama has never gone shopping with me before. Every time I want to buy clothes, I don't know if he'll like them."

“Xiao Xun looks good in anything,” said Uchiha Izumi sincerely. “After being in the Anbu for so long, I no longer know what kind of clothes girls in Konoha should wear.”

Hinata Kaoru smiled and said, "How could that be? The lipstick that Izumi used last time was the best-selling one in Konoha."

Lipstick?

Uchiha Izumi didn't immediately realize how she knew what lipstick she was wearing that day. Her eyes, which had been narrowed, widened slightly, and her mouth opened slightly as she looked at Hyuga Kaoru thoughtfully. After a few seconds, she put on a faint smile.

Her gentle smile looked incredibly happy, which caused Hinata Kaoru's hand under the hot spring to unconsciously clench into a fist before relaxing.

"Is that so...?" Uchiha Izumi didn't seem inclined to say anything more about it.

Hinata Kaoru looked at her lazily, her white eyes reflecting the ripples of water in her half-open almond-shaped eyes: "You should be careful next time. Lord Yuzuru meets a lot of people. If someone sees you with lipstick on your lips, it won't look good."

"I recommend the lipstick from that beauty shop on the north side of the village. It's pretty, smells great, and doesn't stain easily. Even if it does, a quick lick will remove the stain." Hyuga Kaoru's smile remained unchanged, while Uchiha Izumi's smile faded, and she returned to her calm demeanor.

She rested her hands on the edge of the pool, leaning against the stone platform, tilting her head, her phoenix eyes quietly gazing at Hinata Kaoru sitting opposite her. Her posture exuded a domineering aura, but the towel still on her head looked out of place, which ironically made her appear somewhat cute. Yet, her mature and calm expression made her look completely natural.

"So this is what a kiss is like..."

"Next time, I'll remember. But I usually just ask the shop assistant for recommendations... If Xiaoxun understands these things, she can come with me to buy it; maybe we can find the one Yuzuru likes." Uchiha Izumi said, seemingly very seriously, but her address changed from "Yuzuru-sama" to "Yuzuru."

Hinata Kaoru could hear this subtle change. She lowered the arm that had been supporting her cheek and put it into the water. She curled up in the hot spring, the water pressure reaching her chin. Her pink lips curved slightly as she whispered, "Okay."

Uchiha Izumi nodded, and the conversation ended there. The two looked at each other from opposite sides of the hot spring, neither of them showing any sign of losing their composure.

After waiting a while, Hinata Kaoru said with a smile, "After all, I know Yuzuru-sama so well."

Uchiha Izumi raised an eyebrow, looking at Hyuga Kaoru with an unusually serious expression. She tilted her head back, gazed at the starry sky for a while, and then lowered her eyes: "Yes... you do understand Yuzuru very well."

Hinata Kaoru smiled slightly.

"Then tell me... what kind of girl does Yuzuru like?" Izumi Uchiha asked calmly, but Kaoru Hyuga suddenly fell silent.

If I had known what kind of girl he liked, wouldn't I have become like that by now?!

"I don't know, he seems to like all pretty girls." Hinata Kaoru said, sticking out her tongue playfully, "Don't tell Yuzuru-sama that."

“Hmm.” Uchiha Izumi nodded, surprisingly agreeing with her point of view. After a while, she smiled and said, “That’s good.”

The two fell silent again.

After a while, Uchiha Izumi sat up, the sound of running water filling the air. She picked up a towel, draped it over herself, and let out a soft sigh: "I'm done showering."

"Really? I want to soak a little longer. This is a rare hot spring." Hinata Kaoru said with a smile, and Izumi nodded: "Okay, then I'll go change my clothes first."

Hinata Kaoru nodded and saw her tall figure wrapped in a bath towel as she walked towards the changing room.

After a while, in the hot spring where only one person remained, Hinata Kaoru raised her head expressionlessly and gazed at the night sky. After a long while, she let out a soft sigh that sounded slightly restless. She then sank into the hot spring, water near her lips, and mumbled something indistinctly.

"It was...me... who..."

Annoying guy.

I'm the only one who has stayed by the young master's side all these years, unwaveringly following him.

She snorted, threw two muffled punches in the water, and as if she had vented all her anger, she stood up. Water droplets spread across her body and dripped down. She casually brushed them off, and as if she had thought of something, a slight smile appeared on her face.

But it doesn't matter. As long as Master Yuzuru still accepts her and she still has a place to stand... she will never be able to drive her away.

Compared to patience and persistence, Hyuga Kaoru doesn't think she'll lose to the Uchiha clan's stubbornness.

Moreover, although the other party did not reveal their true feelings...

Hmph, I've been mentally preparing myself for years, how could you possibly beat my heartbeat!

However, Xiang Xun's expression changed after she stepped out of the bathroom that day.

Under the moonlight, along the corridor, Uchiha Izumi's pretty face was flushed pink, her bathrobe slightly slipped off her shoulder, and she leaned against Hyuga Yuzuru's side, her lips slightly parted, slowly raising her head from beside Hyuga Yuzuru's face.

"...Thank you, Xun. Just like you said, a gentle lick, and this time, there's no lipstick mark."

You just took a shower and didn't put on any lipstick, did you?

Hinata Kaoru's first reaction was surprisingly to find the loophole in her words. Then, she gripped the hem of her bathrobe tightly with her fingers, and her smile became slightly stiff.

"Yuzuru... young master?"

Hyuga Yuzuru's eyes widened slightly: "It wasn't you who made her..."

He turned his head to look at Uchiha Izumi, who was simply taking off her ponytail, tossing her short hair, and looking calmly at Hyuga Kaoru: "I just said that you told me the correct way to kiss... It seems that I didn't express myself very clearly and made Yuzuru misunderstand."

Hinata Kaoru was incredibly clever; with just one sentence, she understood why this woman was able to successfully launch a sneak attack—was it right to deceive and ambush the naive and lustful Yuzuru? It was very wrong!

When did I teach you the correct way to kiss? I just told you about lipstick... damn it...

Hyuga Kaoru didn't get angry; instead, she laughed, her laughter clear and crisp. After a while, she nodded and said, "Mm."

She strode over to the man who looked innocent but was actually full of wicked intentions. She chuckled and put her arm around his waist. "I didn't see how you kissed him, but it's okay. Watch closely. This is Master Yuzuru. Hmm, Master Yuzuru taught me how to do it."

Without a word, she moved her face closer, and Hyuga Yuzuru, unable to show favoritism, became the demonstration tool, his four lips pressed against Uchiha Izumi's breathless, deathly gaze.

Under the moonlight, along the long corridor, Uchiha Izumi watched everything unfolding before her in silence from a very close distance, her worldview deeply shaken.

Hello!?

I'm avoiding people!

After a while, the sound disappeared, and Hyuga Yuzuru calmly wiped his mouth: "Alright, let's rest. We have to go back to Konoha tomorrow."

Under the strange gazes of the two girls, he remained calm, quickly opened the master bedroom door, pushed it open, and slammed it shut. A moment later, the window also slammed shut.

The two girls looked at each other, and a strange sense of shared hatred appeared in their eyes.

no...

You really don't refuse anything?

Then why don't you leave the door open?! Let's see how far you can go in pretending to be stupid and acting like a wooden stake!