"Yagyu-kun, Hinata, you're back!"
As soon as Yagyu entered the Hokage's office, he was greeted by a flash of vibrant red.
Karin, who was preparing to leave with Shizune and a pile of documents, lit up upon seeing Yagyu.
Had it not been for the documents in her arms, she would have jumped into his embrace.
Three years had passed, and Karin had undergone a significant transformation.
Her long red hair, now smooth and well-groomed due to proper nutrition and a comfortable life, was no longer the frizzy mess it once was in the original story.
Her face, much like Hinata's, had lost all traces of immaturity, now appearing delicate, beautiful, and healthy with radiant white skin.
She wore red-framed glasses and a black suit, looking more like Tsunade's assistant than even Shizune did.
Unfortunately, her figure was quite ordinary. Whenever she stood next to Hinata, her old feelings of inadequacy resurfaced.
"Hinata, Sister Shizune, let me help you," Hinata said with a gentle smile, taking some documents from Shizune.
"Thank you, Hinata," Shizune replied, smiling as she, Karin, and Hinata left the Hokage's office in good spirits.
"Lady Hokage, here are the mission reports and the summary scroll for our latest mission."
Yagyu respectfully placed two small scrolls on Tsunade's desk, accompanied by Shino Aburame.
Both scrolls were sealed with a large "S," indicating that the mission was classified as S-rank, one level below the most dangerous "Super S-rank" missions.
Given the significance of this mission, Tsunade took it seriously, her expression becoming more severe as she read the reports.
If one looked closely, they would notice that Tsunade hadn't changed in appearance over the past three years. In fact, her skin seemed even more youthful, thanks to her Yin Seal, making her resemble the version of herself from the Second Great Ninja War.
Even when she used up all her chakra, she barely showed any signs of aging.
Of course, Yagyu deserved the credit for this.
As he had promised back then, Yagyu had mastered the technique to transfer life energy from the Gelel Stone to others.
This technique was similar to Jugo's ability to release cells but also fundamentally different.
Yagyu had combined this technique with Karin's healing powers. Now, by allowing someone to bite him and absorb the special energy of the Gelel Stone, Yagyu could channel natural energy to strengthen their life force and improve their physical condition.
Thanks to this, Yakumo Kurama had acquired the qualifications to become a ninja over the past two years.
And Tsunade, after biting Yagyu once to study the energy, had become addicted to it. The ancient kingdom that built an empire with the Gelel Stone had been right: this life force could indeed extend one's lifespan.
"You did well on this mission. The client was extremely satisfied," Tsunade said with a smile after finishing the reports. "Stealing confidential documents and erasing traces—there's no one better for the job than your team."
After stamping one of the scrolls, she signed and stamped a new document, handing it to Yagyu.
"Go collect your payment."
"Yes," Yagyu and Shino replied respectfully.
As Yagyu received the scroll and document, Tsunade gestured toward him with her hands. Understanding the meaning, Yagyu smiled and nodded slightly.
Then he and Shino left the Hokage's office.
Coincidentally, they ran into Hinata, Karin, and Shizune returning with more documents.
"Hinata, I'll wait for you at the door," Yagyu said, waving the scroll in his hand.
Then, he turned to Karin with a smile. "Karin, just go home with Sister Shizune after work."
"I got it, Yagyu-kun," Karin nodded eagerly.
Shizune's eyes also brightened—she'd be able to enjoy Yagyu's cooking tonight.
After handing over the stamped scrolls and documents to the finance department, Yagyu quickly received three envelopes filled with large bills.
"All right, I won't intrude on your time together," Shino said coolly, hands in his pockets, as he took his payment and left.
Yagyu smirked as he watched him walk away.
At the Hokage building's entrance, Yagyu soon saw Hinata jogging toward him.
Fortunately, she was wearing her tight-fitting Jonin uniform and green vest. Otherwise, the scene might have been too much for the men nearby to handle.
"Yagyu-kun, sorry to keep you waiting," Hinata said softly, her cheeks flushed as she approached.
In front of others, Hinata had shed her timid demeanor, exuding the sharp, commanding presence of a Taijutsu master. But when alone with Yagyu and her close friends, she was still the same Hinata as always.
"No worries, I just got out too," Yagyu smiled as he gently brushed her hair aside. Together, they left the Hokage building.
As they walked, Yagyu handed Hinata an envelope. "Here, this is your share of the payment."
"Yagyu-kun, you keep it," Hinata shook her head, pushing the envelope back. "You always pay for everything, whether we're outside or at home. I can't take this."
"Silly, have you forgotten how much I'm worth?" Yagyu chuckled as he patted her head and slipped the envelope into her pocket. "Besides, we're not in the same situation as before. This S-rank mission's payment could buy us a lot of groceries. Even a rich young lady like you needs some personal funds."
"...Okay," Hinata responded softly, smiling sweetly.
Seeing how cute Hinata still was, Yagyu glanced around. Finding that there weren't many people nearby, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and whispered in her ear, "Hinata, it's been a while since we sparred. Want to come over to my place?"
Hinata's face immediately flushed deep red, steam practically rising from her head.
Embarrassed, she lowered her head, nervously tapping her fingers together.
In the past few years, Hinata's ability to handle Yagyu's teasing had improved, and she hadn't fainted from embarrassment in a long time. But now, she seemed overwhelmed.
"Hinata, please, teach me..." Yagyu leaned closer, his tone almost playful.
"...Okay," Hinata finally answered, her voice trembling.
"Let's buy some ingredients first. After we practice, we'll head to Lady Tsunade's for a feast," Yagyu said, taking Hinata's hand and leading her to the market.
During the shopping trip, Hinata kept her head down, her face still flushed. Even when friendly vendors teased her about how well she matched Yagyu, she didn't seem to hear them.
After purchasing a pile of groceries, they returned home, Hinata still carrying the bags in a daze.
Once inside, Yagyu could even hear Hinata's heartbeat in the sudden quietness of the room.
"Don't be nervous, Hinata. This time, it's just a regular spar," Yagyu reassured her with a smile.
"R-really?" Hinata looked up at him, her eyes misty.
"I swear," Yagyu raised four fingers solemnly.
Unaware of the joke, Hinata sighed in relief, though a small part of her felt disappointed.
After putting the groceries away, Yagyu changed in his room while Hinata went to a room shared with Ino and Sakura to change into a white martial arts uniform.
"Ha!"
Thuds and grunts soon echoed from the training hall on the first floor.
Yagyu, true to his word, sparred with Hinata using only basic techniques. He didn't resort to the claw-style moves he'd developed over the past two years, nor did he use the technique Hinata both feared and anticipated—his "Dragon Claw Hand."
Because of this, Hinata seemed distracted. Did Yagyu not like her anymore?
As her mind wandered, she made several mistakes during the sparring session, but Yagyu didn't exploit them.
An hour later, the sparring ended.
Hinata, dripping with sweat, entered the bathroom absent-mindedly.
Seeing her like this, Yagyu grinned, quickly changing his demeanor.
Once the sound of running water began from the bathroom, Yagyu, wearing only a towel, suddenly burst in.
"Hinata, let me take a look!"
——
Zzz...
Thud!
In the Land of Fields, within Orochimaru's underground base, the sound of crackling electricity and weapons piercing flesh suddenly rang out.
Orochimaru, with a spear of lightning thrust through his right chest, glared angrily at Sasuke Uchiha, whose body was surrounded by lightning chakra.
"Sasuke, are you breaking our agreement?" Orochimaru growled.
"That's right," Sasuke replied calmly. "Three years haven't even passed, and you have nothing left to teach me. So why should I hand over my body to you?"
"Heh..." Orochimaru laughed angrily. "Didn't you ever consider that I saw this coming and withheld my teachings on purpose?"
"It doesn't matter," Sasuke smirked confidently. "You're not the only one teaching me."
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