didn't win the race...

Fifteen days had passed, and nothing significant had happened. Currently, I was looking at beautiful yellow flowers in the park that had bloomed under a big tree.

"Hinata, what are you doing under that tree?" a voice called out to me, lifting my head. I looked at my pink-haired best friend, her big green eyes looking directly at me.

"Sa..ku..ra.. Come here, let's watch the flowers."

"Coming." With a short run, she sat beside me, gazing at the flowers.

"Why are you looking at the flowers?" she curiously asked.

"I don't know, but I like to see beautiful things, and seeing them how they bloomed gives me pleasure."

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"Haha, you are talking weird again, Hinata. But that aside, look, I brought lunch. Let's eat; I have prepared it myself," she said.

In the last six months, I had met her many times, playing secretly, and teaching her some stuff. She hadn't told anyone that I was her friend, but I knew playing in the park couldn't go unnoticed. Still, I let her think that she was secretive.

Taking a bite from the food, I commented, "You're a really good cook, Sakura. This food is amazing."

"Really? I am happy that you like it," hearing my praises, she was visibly smiling.

.

We quickly finished the food. Then, looking at her, a smile started to form on my lips. "Why don't you spend a night at my home tonight?"

"What?" She was shocked by my sudden question.

Putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, I spoke, "If you're worried about your parents, I will send someone to inform them."

But before she could speak, "Ritsu, inform her parents," I said, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared. With a respectful bow, he responded, "Yes, Lady Hinata," and as quickly as he had appeared, he disappeared, leaving no traces.

.

"Whooh! Who was he?" she asked.

With a smug smile, I replied, "My father has given me two bodyguards. They go wherever I go, and protect me so no one could touch me. And now you're with me, so you're also safe."

"I didn't know that," she said.

"Now see, I am amazing, and I have amazing things to show you in my room." With a grin, I grabbed her hand and dragged her to my clan.

"Really, what amazing things do you have?" she curiously asked like a child.

'A living corp wanna see,' musing inwardly, I spoke, "You will see when we reach."

.

Chatting about random things with her, soon after we reached the clan gates. It was already evening, and by the time we reached home, it was about to be night.

As soon as we entered the clan, tens of pairs of eyes gazed at little Sakura, making her nervous as if she had just entered the den of big, bad wolves.

Chuckling sinisterly, I said in an eerie tone, "You're going to love this, Sa..ku..ra…" making the poor girl shudder.

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Seeing her pale face, I just laughed, patting her shoulder, "I was just kidding; they are not used to seeing someone in the clan compound."

With a wave of my hand, everyone went back to their previous state.

"Why do you always do this to me?" she complained.

"Because you are too cute to tease," I teased her more before eventually reaching my home.

---

"Look, Mommy, I brought my friend home," I enthusiastically exclaimed, showing how happy I was.

My mother gazed at me before looking at Sakura, and with a warm smile, she asked, "What is your name, child?"

"Sakura," she said, looking at the ground and fidgeting with her fingers.

'This seems somewhat familiar,' I thought, looking at her shy expression.

.

"Did my daughter bully you? You can tell me," she asked.

"No, she is very good to me," she quickly responded.

With a smug smile, I looked at my mother. "See, I have a friend."

"We are playing in the room, so don't disturb us, okay, Mommy?"

"Okay, okay, I will ask someone to send food to your room," she said.

"No, I will do it myself."

.

Telling Sakura to go straight to the last room of the house, I quickly prepared some snacks.

Sakura was walking towards the room when suddenly she heard a voice that froze her steps, "Hey, who are you, and where do you think you're going?"

Neji stepped out of the corridor and looked at Sakura with his cold eyes, making her shiver.

Squinting his eyes, "Wait a minute, you're from that group of maggots. What are you doing here?" He slowly started to walk towards her.

Sakura took some steps back in fear. She started considering it a bad idea to come here in the first place.

.

"Big brother, when did you start scaring little girls? It's creepy," I asked him, appearing behind him with a plate of snacks in my hand.

"Creepy, you say? I didn't come close to you," he replied.

With a hurt look, I spoke, "Y-you are hurting me with your words, brother."

He just sighed, "You know what… forget it. Why is she here?" he asked.

"I just wanted to play with her, brother," I replied, a glint passing through my eyes, which didn't go unnoticed by him.

"I see," he looked at Sakura, and with a smirk he left.

.

She was far enough not to hear our conversation, but when she looked at his smirk, she curiously asked, "Why did he smile like that?"

"I don't know what you are talking about. Let's go to my room," feigning ignorance, I walked towards my room.

Reaching my room, I opened the door, "Go inside," I indicated for her to go in first. Without hesitation, she entered, and following her behind, with a truly demonic smile, I closed the door with a haunted creak.

.

Sakura looked at the still-hanging toys with a thread, some books, and broken mirrors, scratches here and there on the walls, some portraits hanging on the walls, but when you look into their eyes, they seem to hypnotize you.

With a bed in the corner and a lamp beside it, truly made this place for someone like me to stay.

"This is your room," she nervously asked, not feeling the good vibes from it.

"Hehe, don't you like it, Sa..ku..ra," I placed my hands on her shoulders and whispered in her ears as demonically as I could.

.

"You're scaring me, Hinata," she said with shaky legs and tried to jump away.

"Really," I whispered, not letting her go.

*crack*

Suddenly a toy fell to the ground, in front of her eyes, shattering it into many pieces.

"Ahhh…" she shrieked in horror and jumped away, falling to her butt.

"Stop it, Hinata," she pleaded.

.

"Sorry for that, Sakura. I thought you would like it," giggling in ecstasy after giving her a heart attack, I approached her with an innocent smile.

Suddenly, all the bad vibes vanished from the room. "See, it's fine, right?"

"Yes, it's good now," she too nodded.

"Let's read a book," I said, grabbing a book from the shelf and the lamp.

Switching the lights off, and placing the lamp on the floor whose flame flickered from time to time, Sakura and I sat in front of it, with the book and snacks in front of us.

"This book looks expensive," she said as she opened the first page of the book.

"You're going to love this; I have saved this for this moment. I also haven't read this," I lied through my teeth. I was the honorable writer of this book.

.

"Really, let's start," she said and started to read it. This book was about how a man and a woman fall in love with each other, facing many hardships on their journey.

Looking at Sakura, 'I much I love to corrupt a pure soul, damn this guilty pleasure.'

.

The story reached the point where the man and woman were stuck in a hut, lightning, and thunder happening outside, the cold winds hitting their bodies.

Sakura was too immersed in the story to notice a red hue on her cheeks. "Then they came closer to each other, embracing each other, giving the warmth to each other that they needed on this chill night.

Her blue eyes started to become hazy with unknown desires her body was feeling. He too looked at the same unknown fire in her eyes. Their bodies moved on their own, their lips met, savoring the juicy taste of each other," she read.

And then she flipped the next page, and all of her hopes shattered when she found out that the next page was blank.

.

"What," she yelled and looked at me, "where is the next part? I want to know what happened next."

I looked at her red face; this girl sure gets some dirty thoughts in her head.

"I don't know; I just accidentally found this book," I said.

"But why are you eager to find out what happened to them? Are you thinking something, Sakura?" I leaned forward and looked directly into her eyes.

'Did she know about these things?' I could feel in her eyes that something was off here.

'Did she want me to know what happened next in the story? Is she thinking that she is corrupting me, Me?' I was perplexed.

'Maybe I am wrong.'

.

Feeling my gaze on her, she commented, "Snacks are finished."

"I see, do you want more?" I asked.

"No, I am full," she said with a yawn.

"If you're feeling sleepy, let's end here," I said, to which she nodded.

I looked at her for some more moments, 'I was wrong; she is a curious child.'

"Let's sleep; it's 12 in the night," saying this, she got in the bed and immediately fell asleep.

—

I sent Sakura to her home with Ritsu; I can't risk her safety.

"She wants to come again," I chuckled, remembering her excitement.

And soon, days started to pass; I trained as usual. And in the blink of an eye, 15 days passed.

Me, Neji, my uncle, and my father were standing in front of a door.

My father was nervous, circling around us with visible sweat on his forehead.

"Calm down, brother; everything will be fine," my uncle reassured him.

*creak*

The door opened, revealing a smiling old lady who had treated me and Neji when we were injured due to the training.

"Congratulations, clan head; both mother and baby are fine," she informed.

My father heaved a sigh of relief and rushed into the room.

.

When everyone went inside, I too took steady steps and approached my mother.

Holding her hands, I asked, "Are you okay, Mommy?"

With a weak smile, she replied, "I am fine, baby."

Looking at my father's bright smile, I asked, "Can I see the baby?"

"Of course, princess, here."

I raised both hands, taking the baby in my cradle. Soon, a frown appeared on my face as I looked at the baby.

'The sperm didn't win the race in the end.'

The baby I was holding was not Hanabi. "It's a...…"

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a clifhanger for the first time, what do you want a boy or girl....