The sudden contact surprised them both.
Hanabi's hands braced against Shoi's chest, and for a brief moment, they were standing impossibly close, their breaths mingling in the confined space.
The warmth of Shoi's touch sent a shiver down Hanabi's spine, and she looked up at him, her eyes wide with a mix of surprise and something else—something neither of them could quite name.
Shoi's heart raced as he gazed down at Hanabi, the intensity of the moment catching him off guard.
Her face was mere inches from his, and he could feel the rapid beat of her pulse under his fingers.
"Hanabi, I—" he began, his voice barely a whisper.
But before he could finish, Hanabi quickly regained her composure and stepped back, breaking the contact between them.
She cleared her throat, her cheeks flushed with a faint blush. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice a little too formal. "lost my balance."
"No need to apologize."
There was an awkward silence between them, both unsure of how to proceed after the unexpected closeness.
Finally, Hanabi managed a small smile. "Goodnight, Shoi. I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight, Hanabi," Shoi replied, watching as she turned and left, the door sliding shut behind her.
As Hanabi walked away, she placed a hand over her chest, feeling the lingering warmth where Shoi had held her. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions—curiosity, confusion, and a strange, unbidden sense of longing.
She couldn't help but reflect on the situation her father had put her in.
The thought of being married off had always felt like a distant, almost abstract concept—something arranged for the sake of the clan, without much consideration for her own feelings.
she had imagined her future husband to be someone serious, perhaps even overbearing, or worse, someone completely unsuitable.
But Shoi seems… different.
Her thoughts raced as she recalled their earlier encounter, how gentle and attentive he had been.
there was a sincerity in Shoi that she found unexpectedly comforting.
He wasn't the type of person she'd ever imagined herself with, yet the idea didn't seem so unappealing.
In fact, it made her smile.
"Maybe this arrangement won't be so bad after all," she mused to herself, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"I wonder what his expression will be like when he finds out about it."
A month passed by in the blink of an eye. During this time, Shoi's focus was mainly on training, with Hanabi's guidance being particularly strict.
With his improved chakra control, Shoi could now walk on water, though not yet with complete efficiency.
If his focus slipped, he would still find himself splashing into the water below.
"Hanabi, how much longer do you think it will take for me to fully master chakra control?" Shoi asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.
"It depends," she replied calmly.
"Depends?" Shoi echoed, confused.
"Yes, it depends on how hard you train. With your current habit of lazing around and trying to avoid real effort, it might take centuries," she added, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm golden glow over the training grounds, Shoi and Hanabi decided to take a short break. They sat by the edge of the pond, watching the ripples on the water slowly fade away.
They didn't realise they were sitting too close to each other almost touching...
For a moment, they simply sat there, the silence between them comfortable. The air around them seemed to grow warmer, and Shoi felt an unfamiliar tension—a tension that was both exciting and nerve-wracking.
Just as he was about to say something, a voice called out from the distance.
"Hanabi?"
Both Hanabi and Shoi turned their heads sharply towards the sound.
Standing at the edge of the training grounds, dressed in her Ninja attire, was Hinata.
Her eyes were wide with surprise, and a hint of confusion crossed her face as she took in the scene before her.
"Hanabi…?" Hinata's voice was hesitant, her gaze flickering between Hanabi and Shoi, clearly trying to make sense of the situation.
Hanabi quickly stood up, her usual composure faltering for just a moment as she processed the unexpected arrival of her sister. "Sister, you're back…"
"Yes, I just returned," Hinata replied, her eyes narrowing slightly as she focused on Shoi, who was still seated by the pond.
There was a mixture of curiosity and concern in her expression, her mind racing to understand why her sister was so close to this unfamiliar man.
Shoi, sensing the sudden shift in atmosphere, got to his feet and gave a respectful nod. "You must be Hanabi sister. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Hinata nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving Hanabi. "It's… nice to meet you too," she said, her tone polite.
"What's going on here?" she asked in low voice so only hanabi could hear it.
Hanabi quickly regained her composure, stepping forward to explain. "umm Actually.. i was training him..."
Hinata eyes became suspicious. "Can you come here for a second hanabi and you shoi can you wait a second i want to talk about something with my little sister."
Shoi nodded internally he was laughing he could guess what was Hinata thinking in her mind, he felt pity for hanabi (●'◡'●)
As Hinata walked away with hanabi on quite distance where shoi coudent hear them
"You Little sister You Tell me honestly what is going on!"
Hanabi hesitated, sensing the unspoken questions in Hinata's tone. "It's… not exactly like that. Shoi is… well, he's—"
///
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