"Yeah, I'm here to see Hinata, and I thought I'd drop by to see you too.” Naruto said with a smile, not bothering to hide his intentions.
Neji was not surprised by this, as they had known each other for many years. Ever since Naruto had convinced him to remove the Caged Bird, his goal had always been Hinata.
To others, it might seem strange, manipulating a noble Shinobi Clan just for a woman? But when it came to Naruto, it made perfect sense.
Neji knew very well that Naruto had no interest in the Hyuga Clan, or even in Konoha itself.
By now, Naruto had grown into a Shinobi of the same caliber as the Sannin. Combined with his strained relationship with the village, it was even less likely that he would dedicate himself to serving Konoha.
In other words, Naruto was incredibly powerful, but his ideals didn't align with the village's. Twenty years ago, the Sannin had left the village, and the current situation was no different.
If there was any distinction, then aside from bonds, it was that Jiraiya and Tsunade had deep feelings for the village. But for Naruto, he had no emotional attachment to Konoha… only the bonds he shared with his friends.
These thoughts flashed through Neji's mind and then vanished just as quickly. He looked at Naruto and said, "I'm getting married the day after tomorrow."
“So soon?”
Naruto remembered Neji mentioning it before, but he hadn't paid much attention at the time. So many of his friends are getting married one after another, and he might not have time since he was away all the time.
"Yeah."
"Alright, I'll definitely be there." Naruto agreed directly.
The two chatted for a while longer, and Neji found a polite excuse to gracefully end the conversation.
Then, naturally, he invited Hinata over and excused himself, leaving the space for the two lovebirds.
Neji is a reliable teammate and a responsible Clan Head. He didn't interfere in Naruto and Hinata's relationship, he only knew where his stance as the Clan Head should lean.
The Hyuga Clan operated under a patriarchal system, with the Clan Head and elders acting as the clan’s heads.
In other words, they had authority over all matters, big and small. Neji had no intention of meddling in his cousin's personal affairs and preferred to act as a mediator.
Whether from the perspective of the Hyuga Clan or as a friend, Neji hoped that Naruto and Hinata could have a good outcome.
"Would you like to try this tea? I brought it from home." Hinata knelt on the tatami and looked at Naruto meekly, "You mentioned last time that you liked the flavor."
"Sure." Naruto actually couldn't remember clearly, maybe it was just a casual compliment at the time.
But Hinata remembered. She pulled a tea box from her small bag and placed it on the table. Naruto glanced at the bag and couldn't help but marvel.
If one ignored the expensive price tag, the bag was indeed unassuming. Only Hinata would use such a simple bag to carry a tea box.
"Hinata, I remember this tea seems to be very rare, right?" Naruto seemed to remember something, and suddenly froze, his expression became strange as he looked at her.
"You brought the entire box out? Doesn't Hiashi-sama have any objections?"
If he recalled correctly, the last time he had casually tasted this tea and complimented it, Hinata had stammered that it was from her father and that there wasn't much left, so she couldn't give him any.
Naruto hadn't actually wanted it, and he just praised it casually. It took a lot of explaining before Hinata finally believed that he didn't really want it.
But now...
"Um... Father doesn't know." Hinata blushed and said in a low voice.
Hearing this, Naruto felt a pang in his chest. He then thought to himself, ‘Hinata, you're really your father's little troublemaker. Does Hiashi know how filial you are?’
"Just bringing a little to try would've been enough. You didn't need to bring the whole box." Naruto's heart was beating fast. He felt Hinata was really too naive. He wondered if his future father-in-law had noticed the missing tea box yet.
"It's fine. Father has another box. The head of the Egawa Family gave him one." Hinata looked up and explained, "I told him I wanted one, and he gave it to me."
The Egawa Family is one of the four noble families of the Land of Fire's capital. Recently, thanks to Naruto's efforts, they had been reduced to three. Among them, the Egawa Family has a close relationship with the Hyuga Clan and has the best attitude.
Naruto blinked his eyes, ‘What kind of rare tea could make a super noble family give away only one box?’
Naruto didn't believe that Hiashi would just hand it over so easily just because Hinata wanted it.
"You didn't... steal it, did you?" He looked at Hinata cautiously and asked nervously.
‘I thought I already act pretty extreme, but Hinata, don't tell me you're even more extreme than me.’
"No." Hinata shook her head and said with a red face, "No, Father really gave it to me. He told me to take good care of it."
"I thought you would like it, Naruto, so...that's why I brought it here."
After she finished speaking, she paused, then quietly raised her head and looked at Naruto. As if she was afraid that he would not accept it, she quickly stretched out her hand and pushed the tea box over to him.
"Do you like it?"
Naruto looked at the precious tea box now sitting in front of him. The wind whistled through the courtyard, brushing past his ears. It was as if he had just snapped out of a daze. He looked up and met Hinata's gaze.
"I love it so much."
She suddenly let out a small sigh of relief and a smile appeared on her face.
"I'm glad you like it."
Everyone expresses love differently. Hinata had grown up in a relatively closed-off environment. The main family rarely took on dangerous missions and seldom left the Hyuga Clan’s compound.
Her world was like a small, narrow well, and she sat at the bottom of the well named ‘Hyuga’, looking up at the sky.
Tradition and confinement could trap the body, but not the soul.
Perhaps this was Hinata's way of expressing affection. What others saw as a priceless treasure, she saw as a small token to bring a smile to someone's face.
"Are you going to leave the village again soon?" She asked cautiously.
"Hmm? No, I might stay for a while." Naruto drank the rare tea, feeling relaxed and happy.
"I'm not sure how long, but I'll definitely be here for Neji's wedding the day after tomorrow."
"Naruto... is it because of missions that you can't stay in the village?" Hinata asked, biting her lower lip, looking a little hesitant, "Because I see you seem to be very busy all the time."
"It's not that I'm particularly busy, I just don't like staying in the village." He rested one hand on the table, leaning his head sideways, looking at Hinata with a smile.
"Why not?" Hinata asked, looking a little upset.
Sunlight spilled in through the window, making her skin glow with a delicate whiteness. Her collarbone peeked out from the neckline of her plain short-sleeved shirt, and her chest rose and fell gently, like a deer hidden in the wild.
"This village and I just don't get along." He answered perfunctorily.
Hinata didn't understand what ‘not getting along’ meant in this context, but she could sense Naruto's dissatisfaction with Konoha from his tone. It was clear that he had issues with the village.
After Naruto finished speaking, he looked down at the little girl who was still looking at him stubbornly without saying a word. He couldn't help but find it amusing, so he leaned in closer to meet her gaze.
"Alright, I'll tell you the truth. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly and said.
"Yes!"