After being scolded by Hikari, Hiashi couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
Even now, he still couldn't accept it—his adorable little daughter was actually a bottomless pit when it came to food.
Good heavens, what kind of world was this?!
What Hiashi was worried about now wasn't the cost of the food Hinata ate.
For a great clan like the Hyuga, feeding a few extra people was never a problem.
What he was truly worried about was Hinata's figure. The moment he thought about the Akimichi clan's plump physiques, Hiashi couldn't help but feel anxious for his daughter.
This was the Hyuga clan, not Akimichi!
"Hikari, shut up for a second!"
Tsunade stopped Hikari first. She was genuinely afraid that if Hikari said a few more words, Hiashi might get so angry he'd faint on the spot.
Judging from how anxious he looked now, he was clearly unable to face reality and was just looking for someone to vent at.
But did Hinata really eat that much?
With doubt in her heart, Tsunade felt that as Hokage, she should pursue the truth instead of blindly following rumors.
"Clan Head Hiashi, if there's something to say, let's talk it through calmly. Since this has already happened, as a shinobi, you should learn to control your emotions."
With Tsunade's persuasion, Hiashi took two deep breaths. When he looked at Hikari again, his expression was a little better than before.
Though only a little.
"Hokage-sama, it's not that I want to get angry, but I suspect this Kamizuki brat did something to my daughter. Otherwise, there's no way she could eat more in one meal than I do in three days."
That kind of appetite... Was he sure she wasn't an Akimichi?
Thinking of Hinata's Byakugan, Tsunade felt reassured that Hiashi's hair was still pitch black.
The Hyūga and Akimichi clans had nothing to do with each other, so Hiashi was probably safe for now.
"Well, maybe Hinata is in a growth phase. It's normal for her to eat a bit more than usual. It should return to normal in a few days," Tsunade could only comfort him like this. The reason was a stretch, but she felt Hiashi just needed an explanation right now.
"Don't worry, Hiashi-dono. I have pretty high standards when it comes to girls. Though your daughter is decent, she's not my type."
"What?! You're saying my daughter isn't good enough for you?!" Hiashi's eyes bulged wide, his massive Byakugan making him look like a vengeful ghost that refused to pass on.
Absolutely terrifying!
"Hiashi, what exactly are you trying to do today?!"
Hearing the implication that Hiashi wanted Hikari to take responsibility, Tsunade couldn't sit still anymore.
"Cough, cough, that's not what I meant. I mean that Kamizuki Hikari has impure intentions!"
Hiashi regretted it deeply now. Although his daughter was a bit slow, her looks were still excellent. In the future, she could surely marry someone.
But with her appetite this enormous, if one day she ate herself into an Akimichi-like figure, how could he not worry?
"What do you mean, impure intentions!"
Hikari looked at Hiashi with contempt. He never expected this usually upright and proper clan head to harbor such dirty thoughts.
He, Kamizuki Hikari, known as a righteous gentleman, was not someone who could be slandered so easily.
"Originally, I planned to observe Hinata's situation myself. But since Hiashi-dono is here, you should bring her to Konoha Hospital. I need to examine her physical condition."
"Wait, Hinata isn't sick, so why..." Hiashi didn't understand.
"She's not sick, that's true. But there's one thing I hope you understand. Hinata eating so much should be because her body is craving energy. Yesterday, Chōji ate thirty bowls of ramen and his stomach visibly swelled, yet Hinata was completely fine. Does that make any sense to you?"
Even though this world didn't have the law of conservation of mass, when a person ate too much food, it would inevitably affect their body.
Take the Akimichi clan for example — they weren't born fat. They ate their way there starting from childhood.
"Then what exactly is her condition?" When it came to taijutsu, Hiashi was an expert. He also had experience managing the clan. But a situation like Hinata's had never occurred in the Hyuga clan.
"Now you've piqued my interest too!"
Tsunade stroked her chin. Listening to Hikari's words, she also noticed how unusual this was.
"According to Hikari, Hinata's current state is as if her body is seeking nutrition. But what's the underlying cause... that should be a secret, right?"
If possible, Tsunade would very much like to put Hinata on the operating table and examine her thoroughly.
As a top-tier medical-nin, don't think Tsunade's medical techniques were all innate talent.
Everything she had now was something she painstakingly learned step by step.
This kind of special case like Hinata's was the first she had ever encountered. What kind of secret it carried made her extremely curious.
"I have a theory, but it still needs to be verified."
Since Hiashi had already laid everything out, Hikari had no choice but to reveal a bit.
"What theory? Does it have to do with Hinata?" As soon as Hiashi finished speaking, he saw Hikari looking at him as if he were an idiot.
"Obviously. We're talking about Hinata's condition. If Hiashi-dono wants to get to the bottom of it, I think it's best to let Tsunade-sama personally examine her. What do you think?"
Although Hikari also wanted to do it himself, considering that Hinata was a girl — and that a hidden daughter-con like Hiashi was right here — if he dared to say that out loud, Hiashi might directly greet him with Gentle Fist.
"I can just take Hinata to Konoha Hospital myself. There's no need to trouble Hokage-sama, right?"
For something as minor as this, bothering Hokage seemed unnecessary to Hiashi.
Tsunade waved it off. "Hiashi, go bring Hinata to the hospital. I happen to be free today anyway. I'll examine her while I'm at it—consider it practice so I don't get rusty with the medical equipment!"
Since Tsunade, a legendary medical-nin, had personally offered to help, Hiashi couldn't refuse even if he wanted to.
The people at Konoha Hospital were all Tsunade's disciples or grand-disciples. With the founding master herself taking action, how could Hiashi possibly trust anyone else's skills?
Watching Hiashi leave in a hurry, Tsunade took the Scroll of Seals from the side and handed it to Hikari. Then she asked curiously, "What kind of secret does Hinata have that's worth this much of your attention?"
Now she was certain — Hikari's decision to take Hinata under his wing was definitely not a spur-of-the-moment thing.
Or rather, he had already anticipated Hinata's condition.
"The exact details are hard to explain. But one thing's for sure — whatever is happening to Hinata shouldn't be a bad thing."
"That makes sense. I'm free anyway. I'll examine her later. To be honest, this is the first time I've ever seen a case like this."
For a normal person's appetite to suddenly skyrocket for no reason, there was definitely some kind of change occurring in the body.
Could Orochimaru have done something to Hinata?
That thought flashed through Tsunade's mind, but she immediately dismissed it.
If Orochimaru dared to make a move against the Hyuga clan while Hikari was here, Hikari would definitely notice.
Since it wasn't Orochimaru... then things got interesting.
The Hyuga clan's kekkei genkai was the Byakugan. Could it be that Hinata was experiencing some kind of atavistic awakening?