"Isn't that right, Natsu-san?"
Kiyoshi looked at Natsu and flashed a smile.
Natsu's body stiffened for a moment. She forced out a strained smile and replied:
"That⊠that's true, Kiyoshi-kun."
Listening to the harmonious dialogue between the two, Ginka Hyƫga relaxed considerably.
From the look of things, it wasn't impossible that Kiyoshi Uchiha would forgive her for her previous transgressions.
Afterward, Ginka Hyƫga made small talk with Kiyoshi for a while before finally bringing up her true purpose, hoping Kiyoshi would forgive the unpleasantness of the past.
"However, my agreed-upon time was after the Chunin Exams, right? Though it's still that period now, don't you think it's a bit too late?"
Kiyoshi held his teacup with one hand, feeling the textured friction of the porcelain.
"Natsu came to find you, but you were out on a mission at the time."
Ginka Hyƫga blinked in surprise.
She hadn't expected Kiyoshi to actually nitpick over this.
"It's not like I went on the mission immediately. I thought Lady Ginka didn't take it seriously and had already told others."
"!"
Ginka Hyƫga's heart skipped a beat, and a look of panic instantly crossed her beautiful face.
Natsu Hyƫga, sitting beside her, also widened her eyes.
Her understanding of Kiyoshi's lack of a lower limit had reached a new low.
Didn't he say last time that he'd be lenient and willing to let Ginka come over?
Yet the moment she arrived, he changed his tune, bringing up one thing after another.
This kind of person⊠she was seeing one for the first time.
She peeked with her Byakugan at the equally shocked Ginka Hyƫga and quickly buried her head.
*This has nothing to do with me,* she thought.
After a few breaths, Ginka Hyƫga composed herself, having prepared for the worst.
She asked:
"Does this mean the clansman Fugaku already knows about this?"
"No, Lord Fugaku doesn't know for the time being."
Kiyoshi's answer allowed Ginka Hyƫga to breathe a small sigh of relief.
At least things hadn't reached an irreversible point yet.
"Could it be you told your⊠teammates?"
Ginka Hyƫga asked hesitantly.
Generally speaking, squads were four-man cells consisting of one JĆnin leader and three members.
The bonds between teammates were usually quite strong.
"No, it's a clansman. Hmm, a female senior who is a bit older than me."
Kiyoshi blew gently on the tea and took a sip.
This was something he had completely made up.
From beginning to end, he hadn't breathed a word of this to anyone.
However, Ginka Hyƫga had no way to refute him.
If she truly tried to seek confirmation from other Uchiha, wouldn't she be exposing herself?
"I wonder which Uchiha that is? What are her thoughts on the matter?"
Ginka Hyƫga probed indirectly.
"That's private. What if Lady Ginka gets angry and decides to take action against me and her? I need to keep some insurance, don't I?"
"YouâŠ"
A flash of annoyance crossed Ginka Hyƫga's beautiful eyes.
What kind of woman did he think she was?
"Then what should I do?"
Ginka Hyƫga inquired, wanting to know exactly what Kiyoshi wanted.
"That is something to be felt, not spoken."
Kiyoshi shook his head.
Watching this once-haughty and arrogant woman try to guess his intentions, looking terrified of messing up, Kiyoshi felt a surge of pleasure.
Who told everyone to enjoy viewing people through stereotypes so much?
Saying the Uchiha are inherently evil?
Then he'd just have to live up to those rumors; otherwise, it would be a waste of Ginka Hyƫga's words.
Seeing how vaguely Kiyoshi spoke, Ginka Hyƫga was at a loss.
Usually, it was Branch House members who tried to guess her thoughts to avoid annoying her.
Since when had the roles reversed, and she was the one trying to guess someone else's mind?
This status reversal was difficult for Ginka Hyƫga to accept for a moment.
Furthermore, it was clearly Kiyoshi's own timing that was the issue, yet he was being so argumentative, claiming she had come late.
She wanted to defend herself, but the words died in her throat.
Now, besides Kiyoshi, there was a second Uchiha who knew of the matter.
And she didn't even know who that Uchiha was.
She pondered for a moment, said she would head back first, and asked Natsu Hyƫga to stay and keep Kiyoshi company.
As she left, she patted Natsu on the back.
The meaning was clear: she wanted Natsu to continue trying to persuade Kiyoshi, playing the emotional card.
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out."
Once Ginka Hyƫga left, only Kiyoshi and Natsu were left in the room.
"It seems Lady Ginka's sincerity this time was quite high."
Kiyoshi smiled faintly.
One really couldn't find much to complain about.
It had to be said that the elite education of the Hyƫga Main House was effective; she was much better at handling social situations than Hazuki Uchiha.
"Lady Ginka truly said those words unintentionally that day; she has already realized her mistake."
Natsu Hyƫga spoke sincerely, looking up into Kiyoshi's eyes.
Ginka HyĆ«ga's final intent was definitely for her to convince Kiyoshi. If she failedâŠ
"Is that soâŠ"
Kiyoshi finished his cup of tea and set it on the table.
"Really."
Natsu Hyƫga straightened her posture and carefully picked up a pastry with both hands.
It seemed she wanted to present it to Kiyoshi to show him how expensive these pastries were.
Just as it was about to be placed in front of him, Kiyoshi grabbed the pastry⊠and also grabbed the hand Natsu used to hold it.
Natsu's eyes widened, and she tried to pull back.
Then she heard Kiyoshi say:
"Lady Ginka's sincerity is indeed decent, but I hope she can bring even more sincerity next time."
Kiyoshi gently squeezed the back of Natsu's hand.
It was soft and smooth.
It didn't feel at all like a hand that frequently practiced Gentle Fist.
Or rather, the Gentle Fist is more physically nurturing than the Strong Fist.
One inflicts internal injuries and focuses on the cultivation of chakra points; the other inflicts external injuries, constantly training the toughness of the skin and the hardness of the bones.
Kiyoshi wanted both.
He was curious: once he got his hands on the Gentle Fist, could he get a Gentle Fist Ninja Trait?
Maybe it would provide some Traits related to chakra control.
When practiced to the extreme, the Gentle Fist reaches the divine realm of the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack, which only Kaguya could touchâcapable of shattering Six Paths Sasuke's Complete Body Susanoo.
As for the Strong Fist, Might Guy and Might Duy's Eight Inner Gates Formation spoke for itself.
With such great physical talent, he naturally had to practice both.
However, for now, the Gentle Fist was easier to get his hands on.
"Ki⊠Kiyoshi-kun, please don't do this."
Natsu Hyƫga felt goosebumps all over her body.
It made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"In that case, how about Natsu-san lends me the Hyƫga clan's Nintaijutsu to read? Without the Byakugan, it's impossible for me to learn it anyway."
Kiyoshi said indifferently.
The Gentle Fist wasn't some top-secret technique; it fell within the category of Nintaijutsu.
However, everyone knew it required the Byakugan as a supplement; otherwise, learning it was useless.
Therefore, except for the Hyƫga clan, no one else in the ninja world used the Gentle Fist.
"No, this is a secret of our clan. It is strictly forbidden to share it externally."
"Then Natsu-san is asking for too much."
Kiyoshi released his grip.
He tapped on the table and gestured toward the door, saying:
"Please leave, Natsu-san. Come back when you have more sincerity next time. Otherwise, I can't guarantee my clanswoman won't let it slip. After all, not every Uchiha has as good a temper as I do."
***
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