"I will be responsible."
Yugito Nii turned her head abruptly, staring at Uchiha Hikaru with a strange expression.
"I am a shinobi of the Hidden Cloud Village."
Hikaru shrugged casually.
"It's okay. I don't mind."
"I'm also the Jinchūriki of Two-Tails Matatabi…"
Hikaru nodded lightly.
"Kushina was also a Jinchūriki, and Minato stayed with her. So it's not a big deal."
"That's not what I meant!" Yugito's voice tightened, anxiety leaking into her tone. "I mean I'm the Jinchūriki of Kumogakure."
Only then did Hikaru realize what she was implying.
"That's fine. Konoha and the Cloud are allies now."
"Besides—" he lifted his chin slightly, "even if they disagreed, they can't beat me anyway."
His words completely silenced Yugito. For a moment, she had no way to respond to the shameless confidence radiating from him.
Then—she suddenly recalled rumors she had heard. Rumors about Hikaru.
"I heard you have relationships with many women."
"Are those rumors true? And what are you planning to do about it?"
Hikaru's expression sharpened, seriousness replacing his usual relaxed smile. He looked straight into her eyes.
"Is that so?"
"Then I'll clarify it for you."
"That's not a rumor. It's true. But we get along well, and it's not chaotic like people say. They never fight with each other."
Yugito's eyes widened. Her hand flew up to slap him across the face—only for Hikaru to catch her wrist firmly.
"Then you still dare say you'll take responsibility!?"
"Fine—then I won't take responsibility. Does that make it better?"
"You—!" Yugito tried to retort, rage surging, but her lips were suddenly sealed by Hikaru's.
"Mm—!"
Their lips parted after a long moment. Yugito pushed him away, staggering backward until her back hit the door, eyes wary and flushed.
"You're a scumbag!"
Hikaru paused for two seconds, nodded thoughtfully—and then shook his head.
"No. You're wrong."
"A scumbag is a man who abandons women after sleeping with them."
"But I have always taken responsibility. It's called philanthropy. Don't slander me."
Yugito trembled, pointing at him with a shaking finger, cheeks burning bright red. She looked furious, horrified, flustered—and on the verge of laughing from sheer disbelief. (〃＞＿＜;〃)
"I just don't understand how any of them would accept someone like you!"
"It's okay. It seems you didn't quite understand last night~ You'll understand soon."
In an instant, Hikaru closed the distance and pinned her again.
Inside the sealed space, Matatabi had been observing the scene, eager to "study human behavior" again. Suddenly everything went dark.
"Meow?" Σ(°△°|||)
"The battles of shinobi are too brutal. You're only a thousand-year-old child. Don't watch." Hikaru's voice echoed in the seal.
Matatabi froze, then flopped flat onto the floor like a deflated cushion, both tails drooping pathetically.
"Tsk… I didn't even get to watch… stingy…"
The battle resumed.
Not long after, with her strength still not recovered, Yugito surrendered first.
"No more~! I can't take it~!" (///＞＜///)
"Now do you understand why they don't object?"
"I understand, I really understand! Please—let me go, I'll actually die—!"
Finally, after repeated pleas for mercy, Hikaru relented.
After all, a newborn calf fears no tiger—it was her first time, after all.
"I said I will take responsibility," Hikaru repeated softly.
This time, Yugito did not resist. Instead, she lowered her normally proud head and accepted her fate quietly.
"...Mm."
It wasn't until the afternoon, after she had rested and Hikaru used medical ninjutsu to tend to the bruises and marks on her body, that the two left Yunlei Gorge and headed toward the Raikage's Office.
Raikage A stared at Hikaru—and at the unexpected presence of Yugito Nii. Though visibly surprised, he set aside his concerns.
He laughed heartily and slapped Hikaru's shoulder.
"Brother Hikaru, how did the training go? You caused quite a stir yesterday. The entire village was shaken."
"I assume your power increased significantly."
Hikaru nodded, raising his right hand. Arcs of lightning crackled across his fingers.
"Thanks to Yunlei Gorge, my strength has improved. I appreciate your help, Brother A."
They exchanged a knowing smile.
Mabui, standing beside A, let out a quiet breath of relief.
Fortunately, Hikaru hadn't caused disaster. If anything had happened, those ninja who opposed the alliance with Konoha, opposed the Ninja Association, and supported the Daimyō's faction would have used it as fuel for chaos.
Her fear wasn't unfounded. After all, the Hidden Cloud was a village built on absolute strength. At the end of the First Shinobi War, a major coup broke out when Kinkaku and Ginkaku assassinated the Second Raikage—all because of opposition to peace with Konoha. The Cloud Village had suffered greatly since then.
Raikage A turned to Yugito.
"Yugito, how is your training progressing?"
After all, she was the Jinchūriki of Cloud Village. If she could become a perfect Jinchūriki, the Cloud would be second only to Konoha in military power.
"Lord Raikage, although I failed before using Lord Killer B's method," Yugito bowed slightly, "with the help of Lord Hikaru, I succeeded in the end. It's thanks to him."
A was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected Hikaru to help her overcome her greatest obstacle—nor for Yugito, normally proud and unyielding, to speak so calmly without a trace of arrogance.
He suspected something must have happened between them—and planned to ask later.
He guessed correctly… but reality was far beyond his imagination.
Yugito had not only been defeated.
She had been completely conquered.
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Send Power Stones
Bonus Chapter at 100 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 200 Power Stones
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