Early the next morning, the Namikaze estate welcomed Hiashi for a second visit.
Unlike yesterday's grim resolve, today he wore a deliberately relaxed expression with a hint of barely noticeable expectation.
A small figure followed behind him.
Hinata.
She wore a pale purple kimono, her little face so fair it was almost translucent. She clung tightly to the wide hem of her father's robe.
When the mansion's great doors swung open before them, Hinata instinctively shrank back half a step.
Kushina came out warmly to greet them. The moment she saw Hinata, her face blossomed into a bright smile.
"Oh my, Clan Head Hiashi and young lady Hinata! Please, come in, come in!"
Kushina's enthusiasm only made the already-nervous Hinata more at a loss. She tucked her head even lower, all but trying to hide inside her father's shadow.
Hiashi gave a helpless smile and explained to Kushina, "Lady Kushina, my daughter Hinata is shy by nature and afraid of strangers—please forgive her. Yesterday we received great kindness from you and the Fourth, so I've brought her today to thank Lord Shinju in person for saving her life."
That respectful "Lord Shinju" made Kushina smile even wider.
By the stone table in the courtyard, Shinju sat quietly, paging through a lone fūinjutsu (sealing technique) volume salvaged from Danzo's estate.
Hearing voices, he looked up and his gaze fell on the small, timid figure.
So this was Hinata.
The future princess of the Hyuga—gentle and kind to the core.
Shinju closed the book, hopped down from the stone stool, and walked over of his own accord.
His movements weren't fast, his steps were light, and a mild smile rested on his face.
As he drew closer, Hinata's body tensed even more. She could feel the boy called "Lord Shinju" looking at her. She didn't dare raise her head; her two pale fingers twisted together anxiously in front of her, poking and fidgeting again and again.
It was the habit she fell into at the height of her nerves.
Hiashi saw it and sighed inwardly. His daughter had every good quality—except that her temperament was too soft.
He was about to speak up to rescue her when Shinju had already reached her.
He didn't speak from on high; instead, he squatted slightly, bringing his line of sight level with Hinata's.
That small gesture loosened the stiffness in Hinata's shoulders a little.
"You're Hinata, right?" Shinju's voice was gentle.
Hinata dipped her head with a tiny nod and hummed a mosquito-soft "Mm."
"I'm Namikaze Shinju. It's nice to meet you."
Shinju didn't mention last night. He didn't bring up "saving a life." He simply introduced himself like an ordinary friend.
The consideration made Hiashi silently approve.
This boy's heart and mind were far beyond his years.
Just then, a loud, bouncing voice shot over from not far away.
"Big bro! We got guests? Is there food?"
Naruto came barreling in like a little cannonball. He spotted Hinata hiding behind Hiashi at a glance.
"Whoa! A white-eyed little sis!" Naruto's eyes lit up—he was born curious about new friends.
Ignoring Hinata's nerves entirely, he dashed over in a few steps and grabbed her hand.
"Hi! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! What's your name? Let's go play!"
His palm was warm and strong—but to Hinata, that enthusiasm was as terrifying as a flood beast.
A strange boy had grabbed her hand; Hinata's mind went blank.
Before their eyes, her cheeks turned from pale to pink to bright red.
She could even feel steam about to puff from the top of her head.
"I…I…" She stammered and couldn't get a word out. Her eyes swam, and she looked about to faint.
"Naruto!"
Kushina's crisp bark cut in, stopping her silly son's "assault" in time. Half laughing, half scolding, she hauled Naruto aside for a heart-to-heart.
Shinju, for his part, had already stepped forward the instant Naruto grabbed Hinata and gently pried his brother's hand away.
"Naruto, be gentle with girls."
He turned to the near-petrified Hinata, his tone still kind.
"Don't be afraid. This is my brother Naruto. He means no harm—he's just a little… 'enthusiastic.'"
She looked up at the boy before her. He had golden hair like the Fourth, but his eyes were a deep black, as if they could see through the heart.
There was no pity or condescension in his gaze—only pure calm and warmth.
That look gave Hinata a peace she had never felt before.
"With me and Naruto around, no one will bully you," Shinju said seriously.
Since childhood she had heard her father's stern instruction and her clansmen's disappointed sighs. No one had ever said something like that to her.
Protect me…
Hinata's heart thudded wildly out of her control.
She looked at Shinju and, for the first time, summoned the courage to raise her head fully and see his face.
Clean, refined, and carrying a steadiness beyond his age.
"All right, no more standing around," Kushina said with a smile after finishing Naruto's education. "I've prepared tea and snacks. Let's sit inside."
She took Hinata's small hand. This time, Hinata didn't resist.
In the reception room the adults chatted, while Naruto hopped around trying to get Hinata's attention. But Hinata's gaze, again and again, drifted of its own accord to the quiet boy sipping tea.
After a while, Shinju stood and stepped to Kushina's side, whispering a few words.
Kushina listened, then smiled and drew from her pouch an exquisitely crafted little charm, polished from some unknown white crystal.
Shinju accepted the charm and walked to Hinata.
"This is for you."
Hinata froze, staring blankly at the charm. The crystal body was clear and bright, and on it were painted red markings—strange sigils she couldn't read, yet which felt warm to the heart.
"These were shaped from the offcuts of a special stone," Shinju explained. "The symbols are hand-drawn by my mother—they're an Uzumaki-style peace-ward sealing. Wear it and it will calm the mind and ward off certain malicious spiritual attacks."
The gift was too precious.
Hinata instinctively wanted to refuse, but at Shinju's quietly resolute look, she swallowed the words back down.
"L-let me help you put it on," Shinju said.
Hinata went rigid; heat crept back into her cheeks.
Holding the red cord, Shinju stepped behind her.
To fasten it, he needed her to lower her head a little.
Hinata obeyed, revealing a slim, porcelain-white nape.
As his warm fingertips tied the cord, they unavoidably brushed the cool skin of her neck.
The touch ran through her like a current, racing from that point across her whole body.
She trembled.
Her cheeks flushed scarlet.
She could hear her own heartbeat pounding like a drum.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Shinju tied the charm and stepped back, satisfied with his handiwork.
"It suits you."
Hinata kept her head down, clutching the charm to her chest. Words failed her; she could only nod hard.
The two "house elders" nearby took in the scene completely.
Hiashi wore a smile from the heart.
Kushina cupped her cheeks, eyes sparkling with gossip, beaming an auntie's grin.
She was already sketching in her head a happy future with her two sons and a certain future daughter-in-law.
The visit ended in a warm, harmonious atmosphere.
As Hiashi led his daughter away, Hinata couldn't help turning back at the door.
In the courtyard, the golden-haired boy was smiling and waving.
Hinata's cheeks flared again. She whirled around and hurried off after her father.
But in her heart, she had already etched that name deep.
Namikaze Shinju.
And that line that soothed her soul—
"With me and Naruto around, no one will bully you."
A seed of admiration had been quietly planted.
And after they left, the Namikaze's influence had only just begun to ferment among Konoha's upper echelons.
The Cloud's humiliating reparations; the Hyuga's complete swing of allegiance—
Two depth charges that sent shockwaves through every great clan.
A new round of choosing sides had, inevitably, begun.
(End of Chapter)
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