"Interesting..." I said quietly, looking at... a portal? If my reading experience, based on Miyabi's tastes, is accurate, then it really is a portal.
At the moment, I was under the mountain, at the roots of the Sakura tree, as I had grown bored of sitting at the shrine and listening to Yae Miko complain about how some novels aren't selling well, even though they're not... And I can't leave the mountain and explore the other islands... well, I can, but I'm constantly being pursued by the shogun's samurai... And all because I refused Kujou Sara's offer...
In any case, I had nothing better to do, so I set off to explore the entire mountain where the Narukami shrine was located. Yae Miko went into town on business, something about the release of a new novel and other such nonsense, leaving me alone with myself.
And so, I had to decide whether to go through the portal or not. Although I was confident in my strength, which I'd grown accustomed to over the past few weeks, that I could even defeat the shogun, as Yae said, this certainly surprised me, but not for long.
"Okay, whatever!" I said and stepped through the portal.
Unlike the long walk I'd expected, I immediately found myself on the other side of the portal, as if I'd simply opened a door.
All around me was only forest, with large trees, and... thank goodness, the portal hadn't disappeared, meaning I could return...
"Is someone crying?" I wondered, and indeed, even though it was quiet, I could hear crying that a normal person wouldn't have heard.
Intrigued by this mysterious crying, I followed its sound and soon came to a clearing where a little girl, who looked about five years old, was standing.
Approaching her, I asked.
"Little one, why are you crying?" Apparently, she hadn't expected anyone to be there; she was startled and fell.
"W-who... are you?" the girl asked, her voice trembling, and then I saw her eyes.
White eyes...
Hinata...
I smiled and sat down, kneeling, touching her cheek with my hand, brushing away a tear.
"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you," I said, smiling, and apparently that was the trigger for the girl. She clung to me and burst into tears, and I, in turn, simply stroked her back.
After about five minutes, she calmed down a bit and asked in a quiet voice.
"Why?" the girl asked quietly.
"Why what?" I asked, still hugging the girl.
"Why are you so kind to me? Even my…" she couldn't finish as she started sobbing.
"Hush, hush, I'm here… Everything will be okay," I said, and she only tightened her embrace, crying into my chest, wetting my clothes. But I didn't care; I just wanted to comfort the sweet girl.
"Why can't I be kind to such a sweet girl?" I asked, stroking her back.
"But…" she stopped short as she saw my long ears.
"Do you want to touch me?" I asked, to which she nodded timidly.
I took her hand and placed it on one of my ears.
"So soft..." she said quietly.
I just smiled.
"So, what's your name?" I asked, as she stroked my ears.
"Hinata Hyuga..." she said, not taking her eyes off my ears.
"And my name is Yae Sakura," I said, smiling.
"Hinata-chan, why are you crying here in the forest?" I asked, after which she stopped and looked at me.
"Nobody needs me..." she said.
"That's not true! I'm here and I need you!" I said, to which Hinata blushed.
"Hinata-chan... do you want to be my daughter?" I asked, and maybe it was a hasty decision, but I wanted to protect this little girl. I was only superficially familiar with the world of Naruto, and only from fanfiction, but I know Hinata quite well, and about her family... A family where this ray of happiness has no place...
"But... my..." she couldn't finish, as I hugged her again.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you, you're safe with me," I said.
"Then... I want you to be my mother..." she said quietly.
Poor Hinata...
I wonder how Miyabi will take it that we have a daughter... Well, of course, I have to confess my feelings to her first, and only then tell her we have a daughter...
Heh-heh, I can already imagine the look on her face, but I also know she wouldn't mind, and she'll absolutely adore Hinata-chan.
"Hinata, stand behind me," I said, breaking out of my reverie. I felt a presence, and more than one.
Hinata quickly hid behind me, holding my leg, and I, in turn, drew two katanas, ready to protect the little one at all costs. Although in this world, practically nothing threatens me, except perhaps the rabbit goddess, and that's debatable.
And soon, several people in strange masks appeared in the clearing. I knew they were some kind of village army or whatever they call it, but as I said, I'm only superficially familiar with this world.
"Who are you? And get away from the Hyuga heiress," said one of the guys in charge.
"It doesn't matter who I am! And I won't leave the girl either! Now she's not Hyuga, but Yae." - well, until I marry Miyabi and take her last name.
I saw them all tense, ready for a fight, until the leader motioned for them to stop.
"Hokage-sama wants to speak with you," the man said.
I merely raised an eyebrow.
"Well then, lead the way, I'll be right behind you," I said, to which the masked man nodded and led the way.
I decided to pick up Hinata, since she clearly wasn't able to walk properly...
I wonder what the old man will say...
Pretty soon we reached the well-known village...
Hidden Leaf Village...
Even though I'd never been to Japan, I recognized the Japanese buildings. Of course, the faces carved into the mountain in the background spoiled the Japanese atmosphere.
Of all the options to immortalize their leaders, they chose to carve faces into stone? It was pretty creepy...
Miyabi didn't like it, and she would have simply blown up the mountain...
Heh-heh...
Pretty soon, I was brought to their head Hokage, and as I understood it, the leader of those masked guys was Kakashi, a name I knew from fanfiction...
At that moment, I entered a room where an old man in white clothes was sitting at a table, reading something.
"Hokage-sama, I brought you as you requested," Kakashi said, to which the old man put down the paper and looked at me, who was holding Hinata in my arms.
"Well then... Let's talk..."