Chapter 149: Hinata, Shall We Have Dinner Together?

"I'm not going!" Uchiha Akira immediately shook his head after hearing the Uchiha clan member's message.

He had just returned to Konoha and barely started to get a grasp of the village's current situation. Akira felt that his next priority should be to meet with the Hokage. On one hand, he needed to deepen his understanding of Konoha's current state, and on the other, he wanted to find out more about the current status of the Akatsuki organization.

Seven years had passed without contact—neither Uchiha Itachi nor Fugaku had reached out to him. Plus, he was also interested in researching his Dragon Transformation state or the Hashirama Cells in his body, which he could discuss with Orochimaru. These matters seemed far more pressing; only after they were all resolved would he consider having dinner at the Hyuga clan's residence.

"Go. You must go!" Just as Akira was about to refuse, the old man beside him intervened with a tone that left no room for negotiation. "Aside from the Uchiha, the Hyuga is Konoha's second most powerful clan. Now that the Hyuga clan head has personally invited you to a banquet, if you refuse, it could disrupt the internal harmony of Konoha."

The old man's reasoning was sound.

Back when the Third Hokage was in power, both the Uchiha and Hyuga clans were prestigious families in Konoha, often in competition with each other. Akira still remembered how, during his graduation exams, he had been pitted against a Hyuga clan member for exactly this reason.

However, since Akira's successful coup and his ascent to the position of Hokage, his perspective had shifted from being Uchiha-centric to being Konoha-centric. As such, the relationship between the Hyuga clan and the rest of Konoha had become quite important.

Refusing an invitation from the Hyuga clan head might indeed have negative repercussions.

"Grandfather, you don't understand Hiashi's intentions. He's trying to poach me to be his son!" Akira complained. "How can you bear to let your beloved grandson go off to be someone else's son? Even for the sake of Konoha's peace, you wouldn't want to sacrifice your own grandson, right?"

"What? The Hyuga clan head wants you to be his son? That's impossible!" The old man's face changed at Akira's words, finding it hard to believe.

Even if the Hyuga clan produced an exceptional genius, he wouldn't consider bringing someone from the Hyuga clan into the Uchiha as his son. Why would Hiashi want something like that?

"Why is it impossible? Didn't you hear? Hiashi is hosting a banquet with his daughter, waiting for me!" Akira explained earnestly. "He's been trying to match me with his daughter ever since seven years ago! He's hoping we'll get along well enough to marry. You know the saying, 'A son-in-law is like half a son.' He's not trying to poach your grandson—he's trying to make me his son!"

Considering that a son-in-law is often seen as half a son, Akira's claim that Hiashi was trying to recruit him as a son wasn't entirely unreasonable.

Hearing this, the old man's eyes lit up.

When Akira fell victim to Naruto's Sexy Jutsu earlier, the old man had already started thinking about which family's daughter might be a good match for his grandson. Now, hearing that Hiashi was interested in pairing his daughter with Akira?

After all, the Hyuga clan was indeed the second most prestigious in Konoha after the Uchiha, and Hiashi was its head. It was well known that he doted on his younger daughter, Hanabi, more than anyone else. If anyone could match Akira, it would be Hiashi's daughter.

"You're going. If you don't, I'll break your legs!" The old man quickly made up his mind, his expression serious as he gave Akira no choice.

"Grandfather, you're selling me off!" Akira protested, dismayed that his argument about being poached had only made the old man more determined to send him to the Hyuga clan. He felt utterly defeated.

"This isn't selling you off," the old man countered. "Think about it—if you become the son-in-law, you'll still be half a Uchiha. But what if you really get together with the Hyuga princess? Just imagine, if you have ten or eight children together, what then? Then we'd have ten or eight great-grandchildren! That's like trading half a grandson for ten or eight great-grandchildren—any fool can see that's a good deal!"

"So, this isn't selling you off. At most, it's like fishing. You're the bait, and we're hoping to catch ten or eight fish! And if your children inherit both the Sharingan and Byakugan, ha! Then the Uchiha clan will have hit the jackpot!"

The old man explained enthusiastically, bursting into laughter. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that pushing Akira and Hanabi together would be nothing but beneficial.

Ten or eight children? That's over the top, isn't it?

"Grandfather, do I really have to go?" Akira pleaded, his face full of despair as he realized the old man's determination only grew with every word.

"What do you think?" The old man gave Akira a sharp look, clearly signaling that if Akira refused, they might as well sever all ties as grandfather and grandson.

"Fine, I'll go take a look," Akira finally sighed in resignation, nodding in agreement. What else could he do when faced with such determination?

At this point, the Three Legendary Ninjas and Naruto had already left the Uchiha compound. After a bit of preparation, Akira set off for the Hyuga residence.

Upon arriving, he found Hiashi waiting at the gate, along with a young girl around twelve or thirteen years old. She seemed to have put some effort into her appearance and looked quite pretty.

However, Akira, now fourteen and considered a young adult, couldn't help but notice that Hanabi, at twelve, still looked like a child. Although only two years separated them, at this critical age, those two years made a noticeable difference.

"Is that you, Akira?" Hiashi's face momentarily stiffened as he saw Akira approach, unsure if he was seeing correctly.

It wasn't Akira's change in height or appearance that surprised Hiashi—it was the dragon horns on his head! This look was almost inhuman. What had Akira been through in the past seven years to grow horns?

Similarly, Hanabi also stared at Akira curiously, her eyes filled with wonder.

In the world of Naruto, relationships between boys and girls often matured early. Hanabi was well aware of the purpose behind her father's invitation to Akira today.

So this is the legendary Uchiha Akira? Has he grown this much in seven years?

The Uchiha clan was known for its handsome members, and Akira seemed to be one of the most striking among them. And those dragon horns, though unusual, had a certain appeal to them. Perhaps it was the difference in male and female aesthetics, or maybe it was the inherent majesty of dragon-like traits. Hanabi found the horns attractive, just like how some men might find bunny girls or cat-girls appealing. In her eyes, the dragon horns made Akira look even better.

While snakes, like Orochimaru, lived in dark and damp places and had a somewhat sinister aura, dragons were creatures of power and light. Orochimaru might be considered handsome, but his beauty had an eerie, sinister quality, almost androgynous. Akira's handsomeness, on the other hand, was all masculine strength.

"What? You don't recognize me just because I've grown some dragon horns? Or do you think I'm some kind of monster and don't want me here?" Akira asked, touching his horns, his tone implying that if he wasn't welcome, he'd leave immediately.

"Akira, why so hasty? I'm just surprised to see you. Come on in!" Hiashi quickly stepped forward, blocking Akira and warmly inviting him inside.

Hiashi and Akira had once shared life-and-death experiences, and given Akira's status in the Uchiha clan, rejecting him could have severe repercussions for the Hyuga clan. If word got out that he had insulted Akira and sent him away, the Hyuga could face a united boycott from the entire Uchiha clan. Their previous precarious situation under the Third Hokage's rule might then become the Hyuga's new reality.

Reluctantly, Akira allowed himself to be ushered inside by the enthusiastic Hiashi.

As he walked through the Hyuga's courtyard, something caught Akira's eye—a girl with long hair, about fourteen or fifteen, practicing gentle fist techniques. Her youthful beauty and, more notably, her impressive figure stood out to Akira.

If he married her, not only would there be no worry about their children going hungry, but he wouldn't go hungry either.

At that moment, the girl was practicing, her sweat-soaked face flushed with a healthy, rosy glow, likely from the exercise. This sight made Akira pause, and as he watched, he began to suspect her identity.

"This is my eldest daughter, Hinata. Unfortunately, she's not very gifted, and she's quite shy and introverted," Hiashi explained when he noticed Akira had stopped.

"So, it is her," Akira thought, nodding slightly as Hiashi introduced her.

With the Byakugan's ability to see nearly 360 degrees, Hinata was well aware that Akira and Hiashi were watching her practice, even with her back turned.

Hinata quickly stopped her training, her face flushing even more as she shyly greeted them with her head bowed, "Father."

"Hinata, you know, we were in the same class. How about we have dinner together?" Akira suggested, greeting her warmly.

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<Next 3000 goal is power stones>

Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 201 at patreon.com/Emik01.

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