Chapter 155: This Girlfriend is a Keeper—She Really Does Pay!

Although the night had already fallen, it wasn't too late yet. It was roughly around 8 PM, so the streets of Konoha were still bustling with activity. Many villagers, after a long day's work, were out enjoying a drink or gathering with friends, taking a moment to relax.

Walking down the main street, Uchiha Akira encountered quite a few familiar faces. He saw Kakashi, Jiraiya, Shikaku Nara, and even some of Hinata's classmates. Each of them, upon seeing Akira and Hinata holding hands, gave knowing smiles.

Akira didn't feel the least bit embarrassed. After all, dating at his age was perfectly normal, wasn't it? Hinata, however, was a different story. Every time someone spotted them together, she would blush and lower her head shyly, though she never once tried to pull her hand away from his.

"Hey, Hinata, Akira! So, you two are together now, huh?" A familiar voice called out, cheerful and loud. It was Naruto Uzumaki, striding over with his usual wide grin.

"Naruto!" Hinata greeted him softly, her head still bowed. Today had been quite the day, running into so many people she knew. By now, everyone must have realized she was dating Akira.

Akira glanced over at Hinata as Naruto approached. Even though they had just bumped into Naruto, Hinata still didn't pull her hand away. This reassured Akira. He had been a bit worried that, like in the original storyline, she might still harbor feelings for Naruto.

"Yep, Naruto, we're together now," Akira replied, nodding.

"Wait, but you've been out of the village for seven years! Were you and Hinata close before?" Naruto asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Well, we only really got to know each other yesterday," Akira answered honestly after a moment of thought. It was true—before yesterday, he hadn't even spoken a single word to Hinata.

Naruto's grin widened, and he leaned in closer to Akira. "Wow, that's impressive! You met her yesterday, and you're already a couple today! Akira, you've got to teach me some of your moves!"

Naruto's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, "There's this girl I like—Sakura Haruno. But she's always so cold to me. What should I do?"

Akira gave Naruto a sidelong glance and replied bluntly, "Well, if it's mutual, great. But if she knows you like her and still isn't interested, then maybe she's just not the right one for you."

With that, Akira gave Naruto a casual wave and continued walking with Hinata, leaving Naruto standing there, lost in thought.

"Mutual feelings? If she doesn't like me back, maybe she's not the one?" Naruto murmured to himself, watching Akira and Hinata walk away. The more he thought about it, the more sense it seemed to make.

Could it be that Sakura really wasn't right for him?

"Hinata, you and Naruto seem pretty close," Akira remarked as they continued on their way.

"Once, when we were younger, he helped me out," Hinata explained, shaking her head slightly. "But he only spent two years at the Academy before graduating early, so we didn't really have much interaction. I just know that he's always had a crush on Sakura."

"I see," Akira said, understanding dawning on him.

He had been somewhat concerned that, like in the original story, Hinata might secretly be in love with Naruto. But it seemed the situation was better than he had feared.

In the past, Naruto had indeed helped Hinata, so her gratitude towards him hadn't changed. However, it was clear now that she didn't harbor any romantic feelings for him. After all, Naruto had graduated early, meaning he had left the Academy shortly after Akira had gone to Ryūchi Cave.

Without much interaction over the years, it made sense that Hinata wouldn't have developed the same feelings for Naruto as she did in the original story. Given her explanation, Akira believed her. Hinata wasn't the type to lie, especially about something as important as feelings.

Unlike Sakura in the original story, who constantly chased after Sasuke while turning to Naruto whenever she needed something, Hinata was sincere and honest. She wouldn't deceive someone about her feelings.

Satisfied with this new understanding, Akira felt a sense of relief. He even gave himself a mental pat on the back. Back when he went to the border, he had taken Naruto with him and trained him thoroughly. Thanks to that, Naruto had no need to return to the Academy once they were back in the village. Instead, he was under Jiraiya's tutelage, which meant less time around Hinata—allowing her feelings to remain focused on Akira.

It was truly an unintended but fortunate outcome.

Feeling pleased with how things had turned out, Akira walked Hinata all the way to her doorstep.

"Goodnight, Akira-kun," Hinata said softly as they arrived. There was a faint blush on her cheeks as she paused for a moment, gathering her courage. "I really enjoyed spending today with you."

For Hinata, who was naturally shy, saying something like that was a big deal.

Akira smiled warmly at her words. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, beautifully wrapped box. "I have something for you."

He opened the box to reveal a hair clip, adorned with a stunning sapphire gemstone. It was a gift he had carefully chosen just for her. The shopkeeper had recognized Akira and had given him a significant discount, so he'd managed to purchase it for 800,000 ryō—a hefty sum and the most he'd ever spent on a gift since arriving in this world.

In fact, it might have been the first time he'd ever spent money on a gift at all.

Taking the clip, Akira gently secured it in Hinata's soft, flowing hair. The sapphire contrasted beautifully with her dark locks, making her look even more lovely.

"Thank you, Akira-kun," Hinata murmured, her heart racing. She felt shy but also deeply happy as Akira finished placing the clip in her hair.

Sensing the moment was right, Akira lightly tipped her chin up with his finger and placed a soft, fleeting kiss on her forehead.

"All right, you should head inside and get some rest," he said, pulling back with a smile.

Hinata's face turned a bright shade of red, and she hurriedly dashed inside, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Well, that went well," Akira thought to himself, watching her go. "For a first date, that was pretty successful. Maybe I have more of a knack for this than I thought!"

Inside the Hyuga compound, Hinata's father, Hiashi, was waiting for her return. He wasn't one to go to bed early when his daughter was out on a date with Uchiha Akira. Though he hadn't seen everything, he knew that Akira had walked Hinata home, and if he had activated his Byakugan, he would have even seen the kiss at the doorstep.

Of course, he wasn't constantly using his Byakugan inside his own home.

"You're back," Hiashi said as Hinata entered.

"Yes, Father. I'm home," Hinata replied, lowering her head in respect as she addressed him.

Hiashi's eyes immediately noticed the new hair clip in her hair. "What's that in your hair?" he asked.

"It's a gift from Akira-kun," Hinata explained, carefully removing the clip and handing it to her father, though she did so with a hint of reluctance.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to keep it," Hiashi said with a chuckle, amused by her attachment to the gift.

As the head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi had a good eye for quality. He examined the hair clip closely and smiled. "This clip is made of fine materials and excellent craftsmanship. Its market value is likely over a million ryō."

"For me, it's not about how much it costs," Hinata said as she took the clip back, holding it close. "As long as it's a sincere gift from Akira-kun, that's all that matters."

"You're right, but there's something you might not know about Akira," Hiashi said, his tone growing thoughtful. "He's quite… fond of money. I heard that yesterday, he lost a bet with Jiraiya and owed 1 million ryō. He couldn't pay it and had to borrow the money from the head of the research department."

"But even so, he still spent that much on a gift for you," Hiashi continued, smiling warmly at his daughter. "It seems he really does care about you."

Though Hiashi had always hoped Akira would become his son-in-law, as a father, it was more important to him that his daughter was with someone who truly cherished her.

Now, Hiashi felt reassured. There couldn't be a more perfect son-in-law than Akira. Knowing how much Akira valued money, the fact that he was willing to spend such a large sum on a gift for Hinata spoke volumes about his feelings.

Hinata, hearing that Akira had chosen to spend money on her instead of paying off his debt, held the clip even closer, her heart filled with warmth and happiness.

Later that night, Hinata returned to her room and took out the money she had saved from completing missions over the past two years. Without a moment's hesitation, she made her way to the Konoha Research Department, where she was able to meet with Orochimaru.

"This is the money Akira-kun owes you," Hinata said, handing over the full amount. "I'm paying his debt on his behalf. Please accept it."

*********

Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 207 at patreon.com/Emik01.

*********Don't forget to pay with the power stone.*********