Chapter 95

In the lounge, a silent stillness dominated the space.

Shirakawa sat in a chair in the lounge, racking his brain to figure out what to do next.

He looked in the direction of the entrance to the women's bath. At least ten minutes had passed since Ruri entered there.

However, up until now... nothing had happened.

No matter how he thought about it, Shirakawa felt that this was not normal.

An explosion or a terrifying scene of a fire engulfing the entire hot spring would have made him feel more at ease.

What was happening inside?

Could it be that Ayane had already left?

After all, he had deliberately spoken loudly to alert Ayane, who was still soaking in the hot spring, to prepare for her escape.

If that were the case, it wouldn't be hard to imagine why it was so quiet inside...

But Shirakawa had a feeling that things were not that simple.

Restless in his chair, Shirakawa held an unopened bottle of milk in his hand, not drinking it but just gripping it.

It was precisely this abnormal silence that was the source of his unease.

Another twenty minutes passed, and footsteps came from the entrance to the women's bath. Shirakawa looked up to see Ruri and Ayane, both wearing only white yukatas, walk out.

Huh?

What's going on?

Why didn't they fight?

This isn't normal.

"This hot spring is really comfortable. My shoulders have been aching lately, but now I feel much better."

Ayane entered the lounge, stretching lazily, and the heavy, full shape was prominently displayed on her white yukata.

It's no wonder her shoulders ached; with such a full figure, it would be more normal for her to feel that way.

Even in battle, her large chest might affect her performance.

"Who made you eat so much? That extra part is completely unnecessary."

Ruri glanced at Ayane's chest and delivered this pointed evaluation.

"I also find it strange. The growth wasn't as rapid before, so it might really be related to my appetite."

Ayane seriously considered whether her large chest, compared to her peers, was due to her strong appetite.

Shirakawa had no chance to interject as Ruri and Ayane exchanged words like intimate friends, making him almost think it was an illusion.

Had he unknowingly fallen under Ruri's genjutsu?

After all, he knew that Ruri's genjutsu didn't necessarily require the Sharingan to be released.

In fact, from the beginning, Ruri's genjutsu wasn't released through the Sharingan.

But... after Ruri returned, there was no contact, and it was impossible for the genjutsu to control him for so long without him noticing.

"Hey, you two... everything's okay in there?"

At this point, Shirakawa couldn't help but ask.

"No, what's strange is you, Shirakawa-kun."

No, what's strange is you two. This was what Shirakawa could only think to himself.

Despite the oddity, the scene before him, where they interacted like close sisters, seemed off.

"Not only that, we even helped each other wash our backs. They were so white and smooth."

Ayane pointed to her chin and gave Shirakawa a meaningful smile.

"Is that so?"

Shirakawa opened the bottle of milk in his hand, took a sip to calm his nerves, and to cool down his inner agitation.

Ayane must have deliberately described the scene in such an enticing way, making him imagine things.

And Shirakawa did indeed think along those lines.

The restless body of adolescence was truly troublesome.

"Well, I'm about to leave after soaking in the hot spring."

After drinking a bottle of chilled milk in the lounge, Ayane felt even more comfortable and prepared to return inside to change her clothes.

"Are you not staying for lunch?"

Ruri naturally invited Ayane.

"No, there's still a lot to do at the clan."

Ayane walked inside and, a few minutes later, reappeared in her traditional-style ninja outfit.

"Then, I'll take my leave. Let's play again sometime."

"I'll see you off."

Shirakawa stepped forward to offer.

"No need to trouble yourself. I'm not a child, and I know the way back. Your work is more important, Shirakawa-kun."

Ayane left without hesitation, closing the door behind her.

The last excuse to escape was gone.

This was a woman who, after satisfying herself, left the man behind, not wanting to take any responsibility.

It seemed that next time, he needed to show her who was in control.

She was becoming increasingly disobedient.

"How long are you going to stay here? The research on senjutsu isn't complete, right?"

Ruri's sudden words echoed behind him.

"Y-Yes, there's still a part left, but most of it is done. Didn't you have something to ask me, Ruri, and asked me to wait here?"

Shirakawa scratched his head.

Forget it, he should apologize sincerely.

After all, this was ultimately his mistake.

As long as he took full responsibility, Ruri would forgive him.

Because of this, Shirakawa had become adept at instinctively reacting without thinking.

"Upon reflection, it wasn't anything particularly important. Just get me some tools to suppress chakra flow. The three genin in my team are too weak in taijutsu, and I need to train them."

"Is that all?"

"Or what did you think?"

Seeing Shirakawa's awkward movements and wandering eyes, Ruri asked in a calm tone.

"I thought it was about Ayane..."

"What does Ayane have to do with it?"

"Not really, as long as it's fine, I'll go back to work. I'll have the tools you need ready by today. I'll bring them to you tomorrow morning."

Ruri's team had three genin, so he only needed to make three tools that could significantly suppress chakra flow.

Seeing that Ruri didn't bring up Ayane again, Shirakawa found it strange but thought it best not to disturb her at this moment.

Even after leaving the hot spring, he didn't hear any commotion.

No, something was very off.

This wasn't like Ruri.

Why was there no sound of fire jutsu or brute force destruction?

This was not Ruri's usual style.

At this moment, even a little commotion would have made Shirakawa feel more at ease.

But the complete silence was the biggest anomaly.

There must be some special reason he didn't know about.

What did Ruri and Ayane do in the hot spring?

Just like close sisters, helping each other wash their backs?

Or was their relationship... not as bad as he imagined?

With this uneasy feeling, Shirakawa returned to the laboratory, and his mind was preoccupied with Ruri throughout the afternoon.

What was she thinking?

On the other side.

Ayane, on her way back to the Hyuga clan, was also frowning.

What's going on? Why didn't that Sharingan woman attack me?

Recalling the scene in the hot spring where they helped each other wash their backs, Ayane's frown deepened.

This wasn't normal.

Whether in the ninja school or after joining the Shugomaru team, she and the Sharingan woman had never been this intimate.

What was she thinking?

Why didn't she attack me then?

I was ready for battle, but...

For some reason, Ayane felt that the Sharingan woman was more difficult to deal with than before.

Not just in strength, but also in her depth.

"Where have you been, Ayane?"

At the entrance to the Hyuga clan's territory, a male ninja in traditional Hyuga attire stood waiting for Ayane to return.

"Fuyuma-senpai, what are you doing here?"

Interrupted from her thoughts, Ayane felt a bit annoyed but smiled warmly.

She responded politely to the male jounin of the Hyuga clan, maintaining a perfect balance of neither being too close nor too distant.

This elusive feeling made Fuyuma feel that no one in the Hyuga clan was more terrifying than this girl under twenty.

"You've been missing since this morning, for two and a half hours. Where did you go?"

Fuyuma knew that to dominate the conversation with Ayane, he couldn't follow her lead.

"Although I'd like to answer Fuyuma-senpai's question, this was a confidential mission assigned by Hiashi-sama, so..."

Ayane put on a troubled expression and showed a sincere look of regret to Fuyuma.

"...You should know your responsibilities."

"It was allowed by Hiashi-sama."

Seeing Ayane use Hiashi as a shield, Fuyuma knew this matter would end without resolution.

Since her actions didn't cross the Hyuga clan's limits, even the elders would only scold her verbally and take no real action.

Such a valuable fighter couldn't be easily destroyed, which would be a significant loss for the Hyuga clan.

With the Caged Bird seal as a restriction, the elders wouldn't care about minor details.

"If there's nothing else, Fuyuma-senpai, I'll go to work now."

She prepared to leap past Fuyuma.

"You'd better not give me any reason to catch you."

"Reason? What reason? Fuyuma-senpai, you're strange."

"You can fool anyone, but not my eyes. Every move you make is under my surveillance."

"Fuyuma-senpai... you really are a strange person."

Really, it's so troublesome.

While she didn't mind working with such a person, if a fly buzzed around her ear all day, Ayane would find it annoying.

She really wanted to swat this buzzing fly away.

Dinner also ended in a calm atmosphere.

Ruri's eyes, expression, and behavior were no different from usual.

This made Shirakawa even more certain that Ruri's current normalcy was the greatest abnormality.

He thought that by dinner, he would face Ruri's angry outburst, but the calm continued, making him increasingly uneasy.

This unease wasn't because Ruri didn't show anger, but because he suddenly felt an unexplainable sense of guilt.

"I've made the tools you asked for."

"Understood."

"How does it feel leading genin on missions?"

"Nothing special."

"Be careful on missions. Like this time, the client lied about the mission level."

"Understood, I'm not reckless."

A very ordinary conversation, Ruri responded with her usual expression.

Shirakawa ate distractedly and, unable to contain his curiosity, asked Ruri, "Ruri, don't you have anything to ask me? Like about Ayane coming here this morning..."

"Why ask? You're too sensitive. Friends visiting isn't strange, is it?"

If that's what she really thought, Shirakawa would feel better.

"Alright, I'm full."

Ruri left this statement and walked out before Shirakawa could speak again.

It was already late, and the sky outside was dark. The place she went wasn't the bedroom but seemed to be the training ground.

Finishing his meal quickly, Shirakawa didn't bother to clean up, as Ruri's current state was more concerning.

When he found Ruri at the training ground, she was indeed practicing taijutsu on a wooden post.

Ruri's strikes were very powerful, and the wooden post, harder than usual, showed alarming cracks with each punch.

So, she started venting here?

The calm demeanor during the day and before must have been a pretense to suppress her feelings.

After all, a proud person like her wouldn't show her vulnerable side to anyone.

Shirakawa sighed.

"Ruri, I..."

At this moment, he decided to face the issue head-on.

He couldn't avoid it with vague attitudes.

In response, Ruri's fierce punch suddenly came at him.

The intense killing intent made Shirakawa's hair stand on end.

He knew he wouldn't be Ruri's match in battle, but the overwhelming aura from her body was even more powerful than he imagined.

To respond to Ruri, Shirakawa had to mobilize natural energy.

Though his defense was flawless, for someone skilled in breaking through enemy defenses head-on, Ruri didn't need to use any tricks to expose weaknesses but directly overwhelmed him.

Like a relentless storm, the continuous attacks lasted only half a minute, leaving Shirakawa panting.

Ruri, dressed in a tight black outfit, her black hair flying in the wind, landed from the air, her gloved fist causing a loud boom on impact.

The ground shook, and the sound of atmospheric pressure lasted for a while.

Shirakawa looked at the large crater Ruri's punch created and broke out in a cold sweat.

Is she trying to kill me?

If hit by that fist, even the toughest body wouldn't withstand it.

"Where are you looking? Distracting yourself during a fight with me?"

A cold voice came from behind.

Oh no!

Shirakawa turned, crossing his arms in front of him to block Ruri's punch.

Boom!

His body flew out, crashing into the wall surrounding the training ground, leaving a dent. Shirakawa sat on the ground, breathing heavily.

Ruri came to Shirakawa, naturally brushing her black hair behind her ear, then placed her hand on her hip, her expression clearly dissatisfied.

"You've gotten weaker. A year ago, you weren't this weak. This level doesn't satisfy my fighting spirit."

"There's no help for it. I've focused on research for over a year, with few training sessions and no real combat, so my strength and speed have naturally declined."

Shirakawa took it in stride, no longer clinging to Ruri's back as he used to.

Ruri stared at his face, sighed, and extended her hand to help him up.

Shirakawa also reached out, recalling similar scenes from their ninja school days.

As the defeated one, he was always pulled up by Ruri and pursued her.

But this time, he wouldn't let her slip away again.

Their hands met, and just as Ruri was about to pull Shirakawa up, he used more force, causing her to stumble forward.

Caught off guard, Ruri looked confused.

"What are you—"

Ruri's voice caught in her throat.

Her lips were sealed, and the rest of her words were swallowed.

Realizing the situation, Ruri struggled to break free from Shirakawa's embrace.

But her resistance only made Shirakawa hold her tighter.

Gradually, Ruri forgot everything, experiencing the feeling of their first kiss.

A sweet yet bitter taste.

The initial awkwardness turned into familiarity.

Her body grew warmer, and the troubles and grievances of the day were released and satisfied in that moment.

Ruri's black, tight-fitting ninja outfit was very light, accentuating her slender figure, radiating a strange beauty.

The softness of her skin.

Her body temperature.

Her scent.

"Idiot..."

After letting go, Ruri muttered.

But for some reason, despite the satisfaction from the kiss, this state felt more like a hollow satisfaction.

She wasn't really satisfied yet.

This bastard!

"Sorry, I didn't mean to force you."

"I know, but if you forced me, I couldn't resist anyway."

Shirakawa smiled at Ruri's awkward words.

"That's right, I forced you."

Shirakawa reaffirmed this.

Taking all the blame on himself.

This was his mistake, and he needed to take responsibility.

He knew that Ruri had been very restrained during the day, holding back her impulses.

This had never happened before.

The Ruri of the past would have already used a fire jutsu to burn him and Ayane to ashes.

This was because Ruri cared about his feelings.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have become someone who bore grievances alone.

She was never one to compromise.

This was where Shirakawa felt guilty and remorseful.

"Still angry?"

"A little..."

"Want to continue?"

"Don't ask me. No matter what I say, you won't follow my words, right?"

Ruri felt her emotions become incredibly complex. She wanted to resist, but her body always made its own decisions, letting this man of lies dominate everything.

She looked forward to what would happen next.

She looked forward to how things would change after today.

She looked forward to whether this would last forever.

Strange, Ruri felt her heart beating intensely.

More intensely than when she activated her Sharingan.

She felt like she was no longer herself.

Is this... love?

Do people in love also compromise with each other?

Both sides fitting together perfectly.

Or is this just possessiveness under the guise of 'strength'?

Regardless, she wanted to enjoy it all.

Even knowing this man was full of lies, she couldn't help but fantasize—this man is only like this with her.

Because as long as she thought that, the happiness called 'love' or 'possessiveness' welled up from within.

...

Both had given up something important.

As proof of being dominated by each other.

So-called 'love' means becoming part of each other, and at this moment, Shirakawa and Ruri deeply understood this.

An hour later—

Ruri sat on the grass, touching her lips, a faint, sweet smile on her face.

The taste and feeling were so perfect and fulfilling.

A new, strange feeling she had never experienced before, a determination to never lose and protect this 'love'.

So, she needed to pursue greater strength to protect it.

This unprecedented resolve was as strong as the determination to protect her parents.

No matter who or what, if they dared to harm it, they would all die.

Shirakawa had already left, and she wanted to stay alone for a while.

Not only because they had further confirmed their relationship, but also because of the sense of achievement from defeating a long-standing rival.

She wanted to savor this victory alone.

This sense of achievement was something only she could truly understand.

Because Shirakawa's actions were all within her expectations, but the 'love' she experienced was even more beautiful and sweet than she imagined.

She was also lost in it.

"Hyuga Ayane, this time, you lost the battle..."

The three-tomoe Sharingan began to glow, facing the full moon in the night sky, emitting a pure and beautiful light like a ruby.

The evil and coldness had vanished.