Huh?
So this is the "newcomer" her man brought home?
Haruno, the wicked little fairy, curled her lips into a faint smile.
She looked Sae over from head to toe and had to admit it. The woman really did cut a striking figure.
There were more clothes in the house than anyone could ever wear, so the moment Sae arrived, she was told to go change into something else.
Sae went along with it without hesitation.
She was fairly confident in her looks.
Still, clothes make the person. No matter how pretty your face is, without the right styling, your charm takes a serious hit.
So she changed without a second thought, even tweaking the outfit from her original world.
A fitted teacher's suit, a skin-tight ultra-short skirt, black stockings, high heels.
Every curve of her full, perky figure was put on display.
Haruno's eyes narrowed despite herself.
A sense of crisis crept in.
This woman gave off a strong, assertive vibe, not the type to quietly take second place.
But with her man right there, Haruno wasn't about to start throwing shade the moment they met.
Instead, she welcomed Sae with conspicuous warmth.
Mm.
Kangetsu was pretty satisfied with it all.
Whether they were truly harmonious or just acting harmonious, he didn't particularly care.
As long as nobody made a scene, Kangetsu wasn't going to intervene.
So.
No favoritism, then.
Sae's eyes gleamed.
As long as her future man didn't play favorites, she was confident she could take the "main wife" seat in the household.
After all.
Back in her own world, she'd been the homeroom teacher at a top-tier advanced high school.
She had plenty of stamina, and plenty of methods.
Not far away.
Yukine's hand slowed slightly as she ground the tea, then she gave a calm smile.
She was just a harmless housewife with no strength to speak of. If Sae had something to say, she could take it up with that unfilial daughter of hers who loved chugging milk.
Besides, a cool, lovely Yukino would be arriving sooner or later, too.
Yukine wasn't worried in the slightest.
With the three of them working together, was there any way they'd lose to a single teacher in black stockings?
So Yukine very considerately made space, leaving time for her man.
As she passed Sae, Yukine smiled gently.
"Please."
Just one word, and the smile on Sae's face slowly faded.
That effortless, in-control attitude.
Not a friendly visit…
"Thank you."
Sae chose not to give even an inch.
Tonight was her time.
Kangetsu simply nodded.
Sure, sure.
Yours. It's all yours.
Don't take it off.
That's the whole point of this look.
There was a sharp rip.
The black stockings tore.
Sae genuinely couldn't understand her man's logic.
Wouldn't taking them off make things more convenient?
No. No.
That kind of thing "adds attack speed."
You really don't get it, do you…
Kangetsu made his move.
And at that point, the rest of the night was left behind a closed door, with only muffled voices and the occasional sharp intake of breath drifting into the hallway.
…
…
How outrageous!
Hyuga clan compound.
The Hyuga main family's senior elder, one of the clan's old guard, slammed the table as he stood, his face twisted with fury.
"Clan Head! I object!"
Hanabi had already been born. She should have the Tori no Kago (Caged Bird) Seal engraved on her as a matter of course.
But you did this for her, and personally sent Hinata-sama away?
How can you exploit a loophole like that?
And what boy is worthy of the Hyuga clan's Hinata-sama?
By his estimation, there wasn't even an appropriate match among Hinata-sama's peers right now.
"Exactly!" the second elder snapped, equally furious.
The rules handed down by our ancestors cannot be broken!
Faced with the elders' collective condemnation, all of them rising in righteous anger, Hiashi didn't panic at all.
He already had a plan.
"Kangetsu-san is a very fine man. I'm sure you've heard a certain rumor about him."
Huh?
At a time like this, why bring up Kangetsu—!
In an instant, the senior elder's face tightened.
As if something clicked, his eyes widened.
Don't tell me…
Don't tell me you mean…
A walking cash god.
They really had heard of him.
As Hyuga elders, they were used to a life of luxury.
Now it wasn't even about luxury. Even basic food and shelter were becoming a problem.
The Hyuga clan was simply too big. So big that daily operating expenses alone were enough to make you choke.
Naturally, they were hypersensitive to one word: money.
So the senior elder froze for a beat, then turned thoughtful, then lit up with a pleased expression.
Then he sprang up in outrage again.
Outrageous!!
"Clan Head! How can you be so negligent! We must maintain a strong relationship with Kangetsu-dono properly!
Therefore, I propose this: let Hinata-sama temporarily stay at Kangetsu-dono's home!"
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire hall erupted.
What a shameless beast…
To squeeze a little money out from between Kangetsu's fingers, you'd even say something like that?
Even Hiashi's expression stiffened for a split second.
Then, stone-faced, he looked at that bastard.
He did have thoughts along those lines, but not now.
But nobody present was an idiot.
They all knew what the name "Kangetsu" meant in Konoha right now.
Money.
A lot, a lot of money.
To relieve the Hyuga clan's finances, to let the main family keep some dignity, how could they care about anything else?
"That's right, Clan Head! You can't act on impulse!"
"It's just the Tori no Kago (Caged Bird) Seal, isn't it? If Hinata-sama marries out, that doesn't count as breaking the rules!"
"Exactly! The urgent priority is to build ties with Kangetsu-dono. It eases our finances and eases tensions with the Hokage's faction, killing two birds with one stone!"
Hiashi, his head pounding from the noise, looked grim.
He very much wanted to plant a fist in a few of those old shameless faces.
But he couldn't.
Because whether or not they were motivated by selfishness, at least their words were genuinely "for the clan."
And he obviously understood what they were thinking.
Send Hinata out, and bring a moneybag back into the clan.
A deal too good to pass up.
Spit.
The second elder's face burned with humiliation, like the clan's dignity was being thrown into the mud. He couldn't stand being associated with these dogs.
So he raised his hand and spoke with stern righteousness.
"Clan Head! I propose we hold Hinata-sama and Kangetsu-dono's engagement ceremony immediately!
Let Hinata-sama suffer a little. I, this old man, will bear the infamy!"
"..."
In the end, Hiashi couldn't hold back anymore, and he hit several of the shameless old dogs with Hakke Shō (Eight Trigrams Palm).
Where's your face?
You've thrown it away!
Fools!
The senior elder, both eyes swollen into dark bruises, glared with a look of bitter disappointment.
At a time like this, who cares about face?
The Hyuga clan was an empty shell now!
Clan Head, you go about your days smiling like you know nothing, but every time we old men look at the accounts, we nearly pass out from rage.
"If the Clan Head agrees, we guarantee this: Hanabi-sama will never receive the Tori no Kago (Caged Bird) Seal! She will be our next clan head!"
The instant those words fell, Hiashi's grim expression smoothed out at once.
Oh.
So you're the ones saying it.
I didn't force you…
(End of Chapter)
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