Chapter 144: Over Such Little Jealousy
Yu observed Sasuko's determined eyes, remaining silent momentarily before nodding lightly.
The experiments truly weren't urgent—after all, he'd already spent over a decade this way.
Naruko watched Yu change his mind once again because of Sasuko's single sentence, involuntary envy rising in her heart.
Yu's favoritism seemed forever reserved exclusively for Sasuko.
She suppressed that small twinge of jealousy, raising her smile. "That's wonderful!"
The three departed from the tranquil Uchiha estate, proceeding along Konoha's bustling streets before finally stopping before an elegant establishment named "Bamboo Pavilion." Unlike the lively restaurants most ninja frequented, this place exuded a serene atmosphere.
"This is it!" Naruko introduced enthusiastically. "I heard their kaiseki cuisine is famous—I've always wanted to try it." She stole a glance at Yu. Actually, she personally preferred lively fare like ramen or barbecue.
When the waitress slid open the private room's door, the scene before them left those at the entrance momentarily stunned.
Kaguya, dressed entirely in white, knelt by the window, her pure white eyes calmly observing. She appeared slightly surprised by Yu's presence. Yoya sat obediently beside her mother. Seeing Sasuko, she immediately displayed a sweet smile, softly calling, "Sister Sasuko!"
Hyuga Hinata was taking small sips of tea. Upon seeing Naruko, her face had just begun flushing when she noticed Yu behind her, immediately choking on her tea, nearly knocking over the cup in her panic. "Y-Yu-sama?!" She hastily attempted to rise and bow, her pale cheeks flushing bright red.
As the Hyuga clan's eldest daughter, she understood clearly the intentions behind her father arranging her placement in Team Seven.
Unions between Uchiha and Hyuga had always produced exceptionally gifted offspring.
This was a reliable conclusion drawn from decades of dozens of Uchiha-Hyuga pairings. Father hoped she could approach this strongest Uchiha through proximity to Sasuko.
After all, given Uchiha Yu's age, he should have married long ago. Yet this most powerful man had no romantic entanglements over these years, spending days at home. This made Hyuga Hiashi feel opportunity existed. Since Sasuko had expressed desire to become a ninja anyway, he'd simply arranged Hinata into this squad, fantasizing that the purest Byakugan bloodline combined with the strongest Uchiha could produce the most perfect offspring.
But though Hinata had agreed to join the squad, she harbored different thoughts. She raised her head to steal a glance at Naruko.
Seeing this, Naruko hastily explained, "I thought since we're celebrating a promotion, I'd invite the whole Team Seven..." She hadn't expected Hinata to react so strongly.
Sasuko glanced at Yu beside her.
Yet Yu remained composed, saying gently to Hinata, "Miss Hyuga needn't be so formal. Today is a private gathering—I'm just joining the fun. Everyone please be at ease." His voice carried calming power, helping Hinata settle somewhat.
He then nodded acknowledgment toward Kaguya and her daughter. "Miss Kaguya, Yoya."
"Hello, Uncle Yu!"
Yoya's address made Sasuko's lips twitch—calling her "sister" while calling Yu "uncle."
Yu found it perfectly natural. Yoya appeared only about seven years old; calling him uncle was normal.
Kaguya nodded lightly in response.
Yu naturally walked to a corner seat, casually pouring himself tea and taking a light sip.
This behavior considerably eased Hinata's tension. She carefully reseated herself, though still didn't dare look directly at Yu.
Naruko sighed with relief, pulling Sasuko to sit beside Yu. "Everyone's here! Let's order!"
Dishes arrived quickly—indeed as Naruko said, ingredients were fresh and presentation exquisite. Under Naruko's lively encouragement, the atmosphere gradually warmed. She recounted amusing mission incidents, teased the shy Hinata, and occasionally attempted conversation with the quiet Kaguya.
Sasuko ate quietly, her gaze frequently settling on Yu.
She noticed Yu sampled every dish with focused expression. When Naruko joked, his lips curved slightly upward. When Hinata was teased into blushing, amusement flashed through his eyes. This Yu carrying everyday warmth was one she rarely witnessed.
Though she couldn't tell if it was genuine or performance to match the atmosphere.
Kaguya maintained elegant detachment throughout, while Yoya showed curiosity toward each dish, as though tasting these delicacies for the first time.
The topic returned to chunin promotion.
"Speaking of which, everyone really broke records this time!" Naruko said excitedly. "Promoting so quickly and directly—you're all amazing!"
Naruko raised her cup high, cheerfully proposing, "Everyone, cheers!" They raised cups in response—even Kaguya lifted hers slightly at Yoya's reminder.
After celebrating, Naruko began implementing this gathering's other purpose.
She quietly observed Yu's dining preferences, noticing he only sampled the grilled sea bream briefly but reached twice for the matsutake steamed dish. This discovery made her eyes brighten as she silently committed it to memory.
"By the way," Naruko mentioned seemingly casually, "I heard this shop's red bean mochi is also famous. Want to try some?" She remembered that when encountering him on the street last time, Yu hadn't seemed to reject sweets.
Sasuko glanced at her, keenly detecting what scheme this little blonde was plotting.
But before she could speak, Yu had already responded warmly, "Since we're here, let's try everything."
Naruko immediately summoned the server. When ordering desserts, she specifically added, "The dumplings should be crispy outside and soft inside, with red bean filling not too sweet." These details were all things she'd silently observed and noted.
Hinata added softly with flushed face, "Naruko-san really understands fine cuisine..."
"I know a little." Naruko smiled, though her peripheral vision secretly glanced toward Yu, wanting to see if he'd noticed her thoughtfulness.
When desserts arrived, Naruko deliberately turned the most exquisitely plated portion toward Yu.
This subtle gesture was caught by Sasuko's eyes. She hummed lightly, also pushing the dumpling plate before her toward Yu. "Try this one too—it looks good as well."
Yu looked at the two plates of dumplings suddenly appearing before him and blinked.
Out of courtesy as a guest, he first sampled the portion Naruko recommended, nodding with praise. "The cooking is indeed perfect."
Naruko's face immediately bloomed with a radiant smile.
Victory.
She barely restrained herself from showing it too obviously, turning instead to enthusiastically encourage others. "Everyone try some quickly!"
Sasuko narrowed her eyes slightly without speaking.
Throughout the meal, Naruko always found appropriate opportunities to converse with Yu. When discussing ninjutsu training, she seemingly shared experiences with Sasuko and Hinata while actually showcasing these years' growth in every sentence.
"Recently while practicing chakra form manipulation, I discovered..." She demonstrated an intricate chakra control technique, palm manifesting an elaborate chakra dumpling. "This allows more precise chakra flow control."
This demonstration appeared both professional and unforced—even Kaguya cast a glance. Naruko's surface conversation was with everyone, yet her attention remained concentrated on Yu's reactions.
How could Sasuko miss her intentions? Under the table, she lightly pinched Naruko's waist. Naruko's expression paused momentarily yet maintained her smile, turning instead to serve Hinata vegetables. "Hinata, eat more—you're too thin."
This celebration banquet approached its end amid subtle atmosphere.
Though Naruko hadn't spoken much with Yu, being able to watch him share pleasant times with everyone at such close distance already satisfied her completely. Particularly when Yu expressed approval for her recommended dessert, that small joy was enough to savor for a long while.
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