"Listen, Nawaki, I'm not against whoever you choose to be with. Though I'll admit, I'm surprised by your choice... But you have to understand, the Hyuga don't marry outside the clan. Are you sure about this?"
Moved by his sister's concern, Nawaki felt a wave of emotion.
"Sis, I'm sure. I won't back down!"
"You really are my brother. Let me think this through." Tsunade patted his shoulder, offering reassurance, though her mind was racing with how to convince the stubborn elders of the Hyuga clan.
"Ahem," Xin, still watching from a distance, interrupted.
"I think you're getting ahead of yourselves. He's only seen her once, barely knows her name, and this is still a one-sided crush."
Tsunade, still deep in thought about her brother's future, glanced over at him, her eyes asking if that was true.
"Sis, I..."
"Get lost. You're getting all worked up for nothing," Tsunade huffed.
"I thought you and this girl had mutual feelings! And yet... it's just this?" Frustrated, she gave Nawaki a kick, sending him stumbling, clutching his arm in pain.
"You're killing me here."
Tsunade stormed out, leaving behind a confused and dejected Nawaki, and a thoroughly amused Xin, who was now laughing so hard he'd collapsed onto the couch.
"You traitor!" Nawaki whined.
"I can't believe you called my sister over!"
Nawaki, still rubbing the spot where Tsunade had kicked him, continued to complain about Xin's "betrayal."
Wiping the tears from laughing so hard, Xin leaned back, clutching his stomach and said, "How was I supposed to know your sister would support you like that? I thought she'd talk you out of it."
"I don't care! You set me up, so now you've got to help me."
"Help with what? Giving you tips on how to date? I'm not sure I can help, honestly. Girls have always been the ones chasing me."
"....."
And with that, Nawaki stormed off in a huff.
Barely two minutes after he left, Tsunade swung over the balcony again, effortlessly jumping from her side to Xin's place. She headed straight for the fridge.
"That dumb kid finally left. I have no idea what he's thinking, trying to pursue a girl from the Hyuga clan..."
"Hey, where's the bottle of sake I left in here last time?"
"Drinking at night isn't good for your health, so I put it away," Xin replied without even looking up from his spot.
Honestly, he couldn't figure out why Nawaki was so fixated on this. That's why he hadn't agreed to help.
If it had been any other girl, Xin would've been on board, but Hyuga Meiko? It was better to just forget it, go to bed, and dream about something else.
With her sake gone, Tsunade wasn't thrilled. Left with no choice, she poured herself a glass of water instead.
"You think Nawaki's really going to give up on this?"
"Who knows? It's not like it's set in stone yet."
Even if Nawaki didn't give up, who was to say Meiko would even like him back? Besides, the Hyuga clan had notoriously strict traditions, and they were known for being uptight.