"That's talent. If you tried to eat as much as Hinata, your stomach would get ruined," Aoba found it a little funny.
'Forget about you, a little girl. Even the whole Akimichi family might not be able to out-eat Hinata.'
"Hanabi still has lots of delicious things she hasn't tasted yet," Hanabi's expression turned gloomy.
Aoba rubbed her hair with a laugh, "It's not like you can't eat them later. Next time you're on vacation, if I don't have a mission, I'll bring you here again, how about it?"
"Really? Aoba-nii, you're not just saying that to comfort Hanabi, right?", Hanabi, after being happy for a moment, suddenly became suspicious.
"Of course it's true. Let's pinky swear," Aoba hooked out his pinky toward Hanabi.
"Pinky swear!", Hanabi also happily stretched out her right pinky and hooked it with Aoba's.
"If you lie, you have to swallow a thousand needles."
"Alright, time to head back."
Aoba patted Hanabi's little belly lightly and said with a smile.
"I can't walk anymore, Aoba-nii, carry me on your back," Hanabi stretched out her arms toward Aoba.
Aoba didn't refuse, directly carried Hanabi on his back, and then set off together with Temari toward the Hyuga compound.
Leaning against Aoba's broad back, which felt very big to her, Hanabi hummed a little tune, swaying her body with the rhythm, her two short legs swinging back and forth.
She looked to be in quite a good mood.
"Hanabi, you haven't slacked off in your training lately, right?", Aoba finally remembered he still had the identity of Hanabi's teacher.
Hanabi's humming stopped, and Aoba felt her lightly pound on his back. Of course, to him it was no different from a massage.
"Of course not. Whether it's Gentle Fist or medical ninjutsu, I practice hard every day."
"How's your mastery of the Mystical Palm Technique?"
Aoba asked again.
"I can already easily revive fish now," Hanabi replied proudly.
"Then it looks like you've more or less mastered it. Hanabi, you really have talent."
Aoba praised her, "Next time we meet, I'll teach you another medical ninjutsu."
"Okay~", Hanabi looked even happier and started humming again.
Aoba turned his attention to Temari beside him and asked, "Temari, are you interested in learning medical ninjutsu?"
"Me?"
Temari froze, "I can learn too?"
"Of course. If you want to learn, I'll teach you," Aoba said.
Temari thought it over. She didn't have much to do anyway, and having the chance to improve herself wouldn't be bad. So she simply nodded and agreed.
"Then I'll trouble you, Aoba."
"It's no trouble at all. Didn't I already say, we're family now?"
Just as Aoba finished speaking, he suddenly felt a pair of small hands grip his neck.
"And what about Hanabi?"
Aoba said helplessly, "Hanabi is family too."
Looking at Hanabi's happy expression, Temari suddenly got a mischievous idea.
"After all, Hanabi is Hinata's little sister. That makes Aoba her brother-in-law."
"Ugh!", Hanabi's face puffed up visibly.
Seeing this, Temari didn't know why, but her mood improved a lot, and the corners of her lips curved up slightly.
Hanabi decided to ignore this blonde big sister and just lay quietly on Aoba's back.
Slowly, she actually fell asleep.
After walking around so much in the afternoon and eating a lot, it was natural for a kid her age to get drowsy.
Aoba slowed his steps a bit, and the two of them fell silent for a while.
They arrived at the Hyuga compound.
As soon as they entered, they saw Hinata standing up on the stone steps that were much higher than the road.
She was wearing a white yukata, her hair still slightly damp and loosely hanging behind her. She looked very cute.
As they got closer, Aoba could clearly smell a faint fragrance.
She must've just come out from a bath.
"Hinta, were you waiting for us?"
"Mm."
Hinata was a little embarrassed. She hadn't expected Temari to come along, "Do you want to come in and sit for a bit?"
Aoba shook his head, "No, it's late already. We still need to go back for dinner."
"Alright then."
Hinata couldn't hide her disappointment.
Aoba turned his back toward her and said with a smile, "Looks like Hanabi fell asleep. Could I trouble you to carry her back?"
"Asleep?", Only then did Hinata notice the little sister lying on his back, mouth slightly open, a bit of shine glistening at the corner of her lips.
"Aoba-kun, your clothes…", Hinata suddenly felt embarrassed and hurried forward to take her sister into her arms.
But Hanabi was holding on tightly, and Hinata couldn't pull her off at once.
At first Hinata tried gently, worried about waking Hanabi, but in the end she simply lost her patience and smacked her little butt.
"Yah!", Hanabi yelped in pain, sat up straight, and looked at Hinata with teary eyes, "Big sis, why did you hit me?"
"You dirtied Aoba-kun's clothes!", Hinata pulled Hanabi over and pointed at the damp spot on Aoba's back.
Hanabi's little face flushed red, and she apologized shyly, "Sorry, Aoba-nii."
"It's fine. I'll just wash it later."
Aoba wiped the shine from the corner of her mouth, "Besides, it's not really dirty."
Hanabi blinked her bright eyes and suddenly said, "When Aoba-nii and Big Sis are together, do you eat a lot too? Do you eat?"
"...", Aoba didn't reply, he already knew how this was going to end for Hanabi.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Hinata's face turned red-hot, and she tucked Hanabi under her arm and started smacking away.
"WAAAAH! BIG SIS, I WAS WRONG!"
Hanabi cried loudly, begging for mercy.
Hinata said nothing, just kept spanking.
Aoba was used to this, but Temari, watching the scene, was left with her mouth slightly open.
She had only met Hinata a few times and thought she was a gentle, graceful noble lady.
She hadn't expected her to have this side.
Still, what Hanabi said just now was a bit deserving of a spanking.
Hinata's pretty face was now scarlet. With Hanabi saying things like that, how was she supposed to face people in the future?
And Temari was right there too.
"Alright, Hinata, if you keep spanking, Hanabi's throat will give out from all the yelling," Aoba stopped Hinata's hand.
Hinata hadn't been using much force, but Hanabi's wailing was pitiful.
At this rate, her butt would be fine, but her throat might go hoarse first.
Hearing Aoba plead, Hinata finally let Hanabi go.
As soon as she touched the ground, Hanabi ran to hide behind Aoba.
"Actually, what Hanabi said wasn't wrong," Aoba suddenly spoke again.
"Eh?", Hinata froze.
Aoba leaned close to her ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Hinata is sweet."
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