Chapter 10

"—he's someone Father has taken an interest in," Hanabi finished.

"Father?" Hinata's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why would Father be interested in him?"

Hanabi took a deep breath. "Father believes Shoi has potential and wants him to be trained by someone he trusts. That's why he asked me to take charge of Shoi's training."

Hinata crossed her arms, still not entirely convinced. "But why here, Hanabi? Why so... privately?"

Hanabi bit her lip, her heart racing. She knew she couldn't keep deflecting forever, but she also wasn't ready to reveal the full truth about their father's intentions—especially not the part about a potential arranged marriage. 

"I thought it would be better for Shoi to train in a more secluded area, where he could focus without distractions," she replied, hoping her explanation sounded plausible.

Hinata studied her sister for a long moment, the suspicion in her eyes gradually softening. 

"I suppose that makes sense," she finally said, though there was still a note of unease in her voice. 

"But Hanabi, you know you can tell me anything, right? If there's something more going on—"

"Of course, sister," Hanabi interrupted quickly, forcing a smile. "But there's really nothing else to it. I promise."

Hinata sighed, clearly sensing that Hanabi was hiding something back but choosing not to press further for now. 

"Alright. I will go and see Father. He'll want to hear about your progress with Shoi, and besides, you've been working hard. You deserve a break."

Hanabi nodded, grateful for the chance to redirect the conversation. "You're right. I'll go see him. You should too, Hinata. I'm sure he's eager to hear about your mission."

"I will," Hinata replied, her expression softening into a small smile. "But, Hanabi... just be careful, okay? You know how Father can be when he's set his mind on something."

"I will," Hanabi said, returning her sister's smile with one of her own.

As Hinata turned to leave, Hanabi watched her go.

As Hinata walked away, Hanabi let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. 

She turned back to where Shoi was waiting by the pond, his expression unreadable but his posture relaxed, as if he hadn't been listening to the intense conversation that had just taken place.

She started toward him. 

As she approached, her foot caught on a loose stone, and before she knew it, she was stumbling forward. Shoi, noticing her sudden lurch, reacted quickly, reaching out to steady her.

Their bodies collided as his arms wrapped around her to prevent her from falling. 

The impact was soft but firm, and Hanabi found herself pressed against Shoi's chest, her hands instinctively gripping his shoulders. For a moment, the world seemed to stand still.

Hanabi's breath hitched as she felt the warmth of his body through his clothes, her face inches from his. 

She could feel his heart beating against her, steady and strong, and the closeness between them sent a rush of heat to her cheeks. 

her own heart skipped a beat.

"I'm sorry," Hanabi whispered, her voice barely audible, but she made no move to step back.

Shoi was more than happy its exactly these movements he wants to continue developing his relation with hanabi

Shoi's hold on her was gentle but secure, his expression a mix of concern and something akin to amusement. 

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low and soothing.

"Y-Yes," Hanabi stammered, suddenly hyper-aware of how close they were. "I just... lost my balance."

"Good thing I was here to catch you," Shoi said with a small, teasing smile. 

But there was something in his tone—something that hinted at the same tension she had felt earlier.

Hanabi's mind raced, trying to find a way to diffuse the situation, but her body seemed unwilling to cooperate. 

Instead, she found herself lingering in his embrace, drawn to the warmth and comfort it provided. 

She had trained her whole life to be composed, to remain in control, but in this moment, she felt completely off balance—both physically and emotionally.

She is very noob in the matter of man and women..

Finally, she managed to gather her thoughts enough to pull back slightly

Shoi's arms loosened around her, but his gaze remained locked on hers. 

As Hanabi began to pull away from Shoi, her foot slipped on the same loose stone that had caused her to stumble in the first place. 

This time, however, her movement was too sudden, and she lost her balance entirely.

With a startled gasp, she grabbed onto Shoi to steady herself, but the sudden weight caused him to lose his footing as well. 

Before either of them could react, they both tumbled backward, landing with a loud splash into the pond.

The cool water engulfed them, the shock of it making Hanabi gasp again, this time for air as she surfaced, her hair plastered to her face. 

Shoi emerged right beside her, spluttering and wiping water from his eyes. 

Then, as the initial shock wore off, Hanabi couldn't help but laugh. The entire situation was so unexpected and ridiculous that she couldn't hold it in.

Shoi blinked at her in surprise, then grinned, a warm, genuine smile spreading across his face as he joined in her laughter. 

"Well, I guess that wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I offered to catch you," Shoi said, his tone playful as he pushed his wet hair out of his eyes.

Hanabi chuckled, shaking her head. "I think we both ended up needing to be caught this time," she replied, trying to wring some of the water out of her soaked clothing.

They waded through the shallow pond together, making their way back to the edge. As they climbed out, dripping and still smiling, Hanabi felt a strange sense of relief. 

The accidental plunge into the pond had broken the ice in a way she hadn't expected, easing the tension between them and allowing her to relax in his presence.

 ...

Hinata made her way through the corridors of the Hyūga compound, her thoughts still on the scene she had just witnessed between Hanabi and Shoi. 

She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her chest, even though Hanabi had assured her that there was nothing more to the situation than training. 

Something about it all didn't sit right with her.

Reaching the door to her father's study, Hinata paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. 

She hadn't seen her father since returning from her mission, and she knew he would want a full report. 

But there was also the matter of Shoi—she needed to understand why her father had taken such an interest in him, and whether it was connected to the strange tension she had sensed between Shoi and Hanabi.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked softly on the door.

"Enter," came Hiashi's commanding voice from within.

Hinata pushed the door open and stepped inside. Her father was seated at his desk, a scroll unfurled before him. 

"Hinata," Hiashi said, his tone neutral. "You've returned. How was the mission?"

"It was successful, Father," Hinata replied, bowing slightly before stepping closer. "We managed to secure the intel as planned. I was just debriefed by the Hokage."

Hiashi nodded, his expression showing neither approval nor disapproval. "Good. I expected nothing less."

Hinata hesitated, then decided to address the other matter on her mind. "Father, may I ask you something?"

Hiashi's eyes flickered slightly, indicating his mild curiosity. "What is it?"

"It's about Shoi," she began. "Hanabi mentioned that you've taken an interest in him and asked her to train him. I was wondering… why?"

Hiashi leaned back in his chair.

"Shoi possesses something that could make hyuga bloodline more powerfull that I believe could be valuable to our clan. His potential is considerable, and I want to see him develop under the right guidance."

Hinata frowned slightly. "But why Hanabi? Why did you specifically ask her to train him?"

Hiashi's gaze hardened slightly, as if considering whether to reveal more. "Hanabi is skilled and capable, but there is another reason. Shoi's future is of particular interest to me… and to the future of our clan."

Hinata's heart skipped a beat. "You Mean..?"