Wait—had she said she hated him just now?
Would he really think she meant it?
No, it didn't matter. Let him cool off for a bit. That was fine too…
While Wuqianling was still overthinking, Hyūga Shigeo was already lying comfortably in bed, relaxed and satisfied, ready to sleep.
He'd assumed Wuqianling wouldn't show up for at least a month. Yet the very next morning, she appeared at his house early, preparing breakfast for him as if nothing had happened.
Shigeo noticed her lower lip was still bruised. He stepped forward, lifted her chin, and leaned down—kissing her directly.
What was that supposed to mean?
People always said women's hearts were hard to read, but lately Wuqianling was beginning to think she couldn't understand him at all.
"Fool," he said, smiling as he pulled away. "You get jealous over such little things. If you're this bad now, how are you going to survive later?"
She froze. He was right.
There were plenty of women who admired him—within the Nanmo Ninja Village, the entire Nanmo Nation, even in the capital itself.
To many girls, Hyūga Shigeo was like a god descending to earth. Yesterday evening, when Wuqianling arrived at the village, a few of them had even asked her to deliver love letters to him.
She'd refused them all in anger. But what could she really do?
Give up? Never.
And when she looked at him now—eating quietly, composed and calm—she couldn't stop her heart from softening again.
She'd sworn last night not to see him until he apologized, yet here she was, making breakfast first thing in the morning.
Before their fight, she could go days without seeing him.
But after it, the idea of distance suddenly scared her—what if she lost her chance forever?
"Shigeo," she asked suddenly, sitting beside him. Her eyes were bright and burning. "Do you like me?"
He didn't even look up. "Hmm. You're all right."
"What?!" she exclaimed. "You kissed me just now!"
"Oh, right," he said, smirking. "And last night, I bit you, didn't I?"
He burst into laughter and kept eating, completely at ease.
After breakfast, Shigeo went to the administrative office.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw a massive bouquet of red roses sitting on his desk.
He frowned and stepped closer—there was a card. It was from Miko.
He had already heard rumors on his way there.
Apparently, last night at the training grounds, Miko hadn't just confessed her love in front of everyone—this morning, she'd gone around the village repeating it to anyone who would listen, as if afraid someone might not know.
The Anbu also reported that she had been seen last night near the southern coast, wandering alone before returning to the village.
That coastline was where Jyakin and Magu trained their sound-based techniques.
But those two had been dispatched on a secret mission recently…
So what had she gone there for?
Then Shigeo remembered something—
When he'd probed Jyakin and Magu's memories with Shin Sōsen no Jutsu (Deep-Mind Extraction), he had seen the image of a woman who looked strikingly similar to Miko.
Could she have been their senpai?
According to schedule, that day was also Shigeo's visit to the Ninja Academy.
During the previous joint chūnin exams with Konoha, Nanmo's students had performed impressively, but the Konoha Crush Plan had interrupted the event.
He had promised to hold their promotion review afterward—so today was the make-up examination for genin promotion to chūnin.
He had expected a serious day of testing and discipline.
Instead, one woman turned it into a farce.
"Shigeo-sama! I love you! I want to have your children!" Miko shouted from the audience stand, beaming with no hint of shame.
The children burst out laughing.
The teachers and administrators looked mortified.
Of course, Shigeo was young and single; admiration was understandable.
But this was the academy—filled with students, most still children.
There were standards to uphold.
Shigeo's brow twitched. As she drew breath to shout again, Doton (Earth Release) surged beneath her feet.
This time, the earth didn't just restrain her—it sealed her mouth too.
He didn't use Jiton (Magnet Release).
He was waiting—waiting for her to drop the act and reveal her true strength.
The chūnin exams began. Compared to the jōnin trials, they were simpler, but still demanded effort: scouting ability, ninjutsu control, taijutsu combat, strategy, teamwork.
It would take the entire day.
Off to the side, Miko stood like a mud statue, her eyes glaring furiously from within her earthen prison.
And yet, even angry, she couldn't help but think he looked even more attractive.
As time passed, students performed their exams one after another.
But eventually, nature called—and Miko couldn't endure it any longer.
Her mouth sealed, her body encased, her face turned pale from strain.
At her current level—a genin's chakra—she had no hope of breaking Shigeo's jutsu.
He was a Kage-tier shinobi. Even a mid-level Doton from him was beyond what most could escape.
"I can't hold it anymore!" she thought in panic.
Chakra burst out from her body, shattering the earthen prison.
Before the Anbu could react, she bolted.
Moments later, Jinshi returned, covered in dust.
"Shigeo-sama… apologies. She just needed to use the restroom."
A pause. Then another report: "Anbu are monitoring her location."
Not long after, she was caught and brought back—to the principal's office.
"I only suppressed my chakra because I love Hyūga Shigeo!" she shouted, struggling against her restraints. "I'm his biggest fan! I thought if you saw how weak I was, you'd reject me! You have to believe me!"
Her voice rose, wild and shrill, waving her arms and kicking at the floor like a tantrum-throwing child.
"Speak clearly," Shigeo said flatly, stepping closer. "What's the real reason?"
"I already told you—I love you—!"
Before she could finish, his hand was already on her head.
"You don't have to say it," he said coldly. "I can see for myself."
His fingertip touched her forehead. "But understand this—everyone who's ever been inside my mind… lives with fear of me forever. Are you sure you want that?"
The deep blue of his Rinnegan began to spiral in his eyes.
A wave of oppressive power filled the room, pressing down until Miko could hardly breathe.
Her lips trembled. Her chest tightened.
Finally, she gasped out, "I… I actually…"
(End of Chapter)
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