Chapter 67: Morning at the Hyuga Clan

"Yaaawn~~~"

Early in the morning, Naruto stood by the grand gates of the Hyuga household, leaning against the wall while yawning repeatedly. His expression was one of clear exhaustion.

"Father, I'm heading out," said Hinata, who had already prepared for school. She glanced at Naruto's tired state and quickly called out to her father, Hiashi Hyuga, who was training in the courtyard. Hinata then waved at her younger sister, who was still drowsy and wobbling from just waking up, before dashing over to Naruto's side.

As Hinata joined Naruto, Neji, who had been waiting by the side, followed them at a short distance, maintaining a respectful gap.

Hiashi Hyuga watched the trio leave but continued his morning exercises with the clan members, his expression calm and composed.

"Hey, have you noticed something odd about the clan head lately? He used to always follow the young lady to ensure her safety. But now, he doesn't leave the house himself and even insists that she waits for Naruto to pick her up before going to school," whispered one of the clan guards.

"You don't get it, do you? He even called off our secret surveillance," another guard replied in a low voice.

"Yeah, what's the reason behind that?"

"Are you dense? Secret surveillance means we might see things we shouldn't. The boss wants us to leave the young couple alone to nurture their relationship! Get it?"

"Huh? Is that really it?"

"Of course! Previously, the young lady was always the one seeking out Naruto. Although that kid is talented, the Hyuga clan is one of the great clans of Konoha. The boss probably wants the young lady to act with more dignity, to be a bit more reserved. By having Naruto take the initiative to pick her up, it makes him value her more. Understand?"

"Oh, so that's it. I thought it was because Naruto is way stronger than us, and the boss felt we were useless as guards," said the first guard sheepishly.

"You're hopeless! It's because you have zero experience with romance."

"Yeah, right! As if you've got a girlfriend! But wait, if that's the case, why did the boss send Neji along with them?"

"Hmm, good question... I guess it's to make sure the young couple doesn't get too close too soon. Neji's there as a... uh, chaperone."

"Ichita, Kosuke! Step forward!" Hiashi Hyuga's voice boomed suddenly. Unable to tolerate their chatter any longer, he called the two out from the training group.

"You seem energetic this morning. Then how about this—since you two seem so lively, go spar with each other until one of you is out cold. No breaks until one of you passes out!"

The two guards, Ichita and Kosuke, exchanged glances, their faces pale. They knew disobeying the clan head was not an option, and today, it seemed like a battle to the death awaited them.

The duo gave each other a knowing smile, sharing the same thought:

"We'll have to go all out from the start. Sorry, Ichita (Kosuke), but I won't hold back!"

"Yaaawn~"

Naruto stretched lazily and let out another long yawn.

"Naruto-kun... did you not sleep well last night?" Hinata finally couldn't help but ask after seeing Naruto yawn for the fifth time.

"Hinata, it's not just that I didn't sleep well... I didn't sleep at all! It kept talking my ear off all night; my head feels like it's going to explode. I didn't even have time to change my clothes before coming here..." Naruto muttered, half-asleep, his eyes barely open.

"Kept talking all night?" Hinata blinked in surprise. She had noticed Naruto was still in yesterday's clothes, but she knew about his background and was certain he lived alone after leaving the orphanage. So who could have been talking to him all night? Her first thought was Sasuke coming over to vent.

"Oh, right, Hinata," Naruto suddenly remembered. "We won't be going to the training grounds after school today. Can you come to my place instead? Uh... I thought about it for a long time and felt you're the most suitable. I need your help with something tonight."

Boom!

Hinata's mind went blank at his words. Behind them, Neji, who had been eavesdropping, activated his Byakugan in anger, ready to confront Naruto, but held back after realizing he couldn't win against him. He decided to wait until after school to gather reinforcements.

"U-uh... y-your place... t-tonight?" Hinata stammered, her face turning beet red. Her fingers nervously tapped against each other at a rapid pace, almost causing sparks to fly.

"Huh? Yeah, after school. It's pretty important and might be a bit complicated. Is that inconvenient for you?" Naruto asked innocently, still yawning.

"I-I... I'm okay with it," Hinata managed to nod, her face flushed as if she had made a monumental decision.

"Great! Since it's for training, we can't slack off. I'll count on you tonight, Hinata!" Naruto grinned, forcing himself to stay awake.

"Y-yes... training? Wait, what?" Hinata was taken aback.

"Yeah, training. What's wrong?" Naruto tilted his head, confused.

"N-no, it's nothing... Training... Y-yeah... Let's hurry to school!" Hinata blurted out, covering her face in embarrassment before sprinting ahead. Naruto, still half-asleep, blinked in surprise before running after her, calling out, "Hey, Hinata! No need to rush; we still have time before class starts!"

Meanwhile, Neji, who had been lost in thought, was debating whether to report this situation. After all, he wasn't sure how long their "training" would take, and what if it ran late?