"Tell me quickly, what else are you hiding from me?" Bulma immediately rushed over and threw herself into Ryoha's arms after settling Karin. Her slender jade fingers playfully traced the soft flesh around Ryoha's waist, but unfortunately, this level of force couldn't cause any pain to Ryoha. Nevertheless, Bulma still wanted to vent her jealousy or dissatisfaction through these instinctual actions towards the man she loved.
"I didn't hide anything from you. In fact, if you hadn't mentioned her, I almost forgot about her. I only encountered her during the Chunin Exam and found her abilities interesting, so I observed her secretly. Saving her was just a passing encounter in my life."
"If you hadn't spoken up, I might have forgotten about her entirely. I simply fulfilled your request. Besides, Bulma, nothing happened between her and me. Perhaps she even thinks I'm a womanizer. How could she love me as much as my dear wife, Bulma?"
Ryoha knew how to calm Bulma down. Dealing with women, especially someone like Bulma, required a gentle approach. Sure enough, his honest confession, praise for Bulma, and the mention of "dear wife" instantly made Bulma's pouted little mouth slowly calm down.
"It was too easy for him to resolve it. Bulma is so easily appeased. A few cliché words, and she's delighted," Tsunade remarked in the hall, sipping her drink. She seemed to think that Bulma wasn't worth the trouble. However, it was unclear whether it was because Ryoha resolved Bulma's jealousy so easily or if Tsunade herself felt displeased for some reason.
"Tsunade-sama, don't try to deceive me. In reality, I can tell you're a bit sour and uncomfortable too." Shizune whispered, laughing softly from the side.
"Shizune, I can't believe you're making fun of me now too. It seems that you've been corrupted by that brat Ryoha." Tsunade mockingly retorted. In the past, Shizune would never have said such things, but under the influence and instigation of Ryoha and the others, Shizune had also regained her true nature.
No longer as reserved as before, which often annoyed Tsunade, if one paid attention, they would notice the delight in Tsunade's eyes. It was evident that she was quite satisfied with Shizune's current demeanor, preferring her to express her true self rather than behaving like a servant.
"No, I'm not." although Shizune knew Tsunade was pretending to be angry, she still felt a bit embarrassed. In the past, even though she knew Tsunade needed her to speak up and be direct, she didn't dare to say such things. Now, although she dared to speak, she still felt a bit embarrassed, especially when Tsunade teased her like that. She even displayed a hint of Hinata's ostrich-like behavior.
The next day, when Ryoha woke up, he noticed that Hinata, a girl who appeared gentle on the outside but had a strong inner resolve, was already sitting in the garden, practicing gentle punches. After explaining the principles of leveraging strength and borrowing force to her, Ryoha saw that Hinata seemed to benefit greatly from it. The new taijutsu she had been creating, different from the traditional techniques of the Hyuga clan, suddenly gained new insights. In these few days, Ryoha noticed that Hinata's progress was faster. Her new taijutsu became increasingly refined, each move resembling the flow of water in the depths. Her movements were extremely slow, but upon closer observation, it was clear that she was using gentleness to overcome strength and stillness to control motion.
It was as if she was walking like a cat and exerting force like pulling a thread. It had a certain resemblance to Tai Chi, but it was also different since Ryoha himself didn't know Tai Chi. He only knew the principles of leveraging strength and borrowing force. He had just shared it with Hinata as an experiment, but he didn't expect her to benefit so much. She had even gained many insights from it.
"Clap, clap, clap..."
After Hinata finished her practice, she heard applause coming from behind, which startled her slightly. She turned around and felt a bit embarrassed. Although she didn't faint like she used to when she was young, she still easily blushed and felt shy in front of Ryoha. When she realized that it was Ryoha applauding, Hinata felt a hint of joy and satisfaction.
Who said that only men liked it when their women admired and looked up to them or acknowledged them? Women also enjoyed being recognized and appreciated by the men they loved. Hinata was in such a situation now. Ryoha's applause was the best reward and support for her. It made her feel excited and thrilled as if she had taken an adrenaline shot.
"Hinata, you're becoming more and more like a grandmaster. It won't be long before you become someone even more remarkable than the first head of the Hyuga clan. You've created a new taijutsu just like her. I told you, those narrow-minded people from the Hyuga clan could never discover your exceptional talent."
Ryoha walked up to Hinata and gently wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead. This intimate gesture made Hinata's face instantly turn red. She looked as rosy and tender as a ripe apple, making it hard for anyone to resist taking a bite.
"Hinata, you're becoming more and more beautiful," Ryoha said as he looked at Hinata's fair and translucent skin, her watery eyes reflecting shyness and joy, her delicate nose, cherry-like lips, and her gentle and tender temperament. Hinata had always been a budding beauty, and now she was growing even more beautiful.
"N-No, not at all. Compared to Bulma, Kurenai-sensei, I'm far behind," Hinata said, although she spoke those words, Ryoha's praise still made her lips curl up slightly. It was evident that Hinata was very happy about Ryoha's compliments.