Konoha, Hokage Tower.
Tsunade rubbed her temples in exasperation as she looked at Hikari, who had come back yet again.
"I can understand you taking Naruto and Sasuke; those two have insane potential. But Hinata is the eldest daughter of the Hyuga main family. Why do you absolutely have to take her too? How about Neji instead?"
As Hokage, Tsunade knew all too well how troublesome the Hyuga clan could be.
A group of old stubborn men... plus a batch of young stubborn ones.
The elders were already rigid beyond saving, and even Hyuga Hiashi himself was a stiff board. Tsunade didn't believe for a second that they would obediently accept whatever she said.
Konoha wasn't just the Hokage's Konoha—there were many families of all sizes. As Hokage, she couldn't meddle too much in clan affairs.
Otherwise, it would cross a line.
"Neji's talent is good, but Hinata's is slightly above his!" Hikari said. He knew very well that Hinata's Byakugan was the purest within the Hyuga clan. Even if Neji weren't a caged-bird, he still wouldn't surpass her.
And Hinata's current personality—at the root of it, Hiashi's teaching methods were the true problem.
"You're not telling me you've taken a liking to that little girl and are just spouting nonsense, right?" Tsunade stared at Hikari in surprise.
Anyone with a functioning brain should know Neji's talent surpassed Hinata's. After all, Hiashi had already given up on Hinata and turned to training Hanabi.
Did that not make things obvious enough?
"You're thinking too much. I like mature women with elegance and charm. A little girl like that? I'm not a pervert. How could I possibly be interested?" Hikari replied helplessly.
"Right, the fact you can say that already puts you on the same level as Jiraiya. One is tasteless, the other is shameless." Tsunade snorted, scrutinizing him. "Kurenai was chosen after the Third Hokage considered the situation carefully. If you want to train Hinata now, you'd better go speak with Hiashi yourself."
It wasn't that Tsunade didn't want to help—she simply wasn't the right person to intervene in this matter.
If Hikari spoke to Hiashi himself, then even if Hiashi suspected Tsunade's bias, he wouldn't overthink it.
But if Tsunade went in person, Hiashi would be wary of her identity as Hokage. And since Kurenai was currently Hinata's jōnin instructor, her stance carried weight.
That would easily lead the Hyuga elders into unnecessary suspicion.
"Alright, I'll go visit Clan Leader Hiashi. I believe he'll understand and recognize my good intentions, and allow Hinata to train under me."
Tsunade rolled her eyes at his overconfidence. To her, Hikari was just blowing hot air.
The Hyuga clan was dutiful; they knew exactly what they should and shouldn't do.
They rarely interfered in Hokage affairs and usually kept a low profile.
But ironically, that only made them more rigid, with too many rules.
"If there's nothing else, I'll go visit Hiashi now. He probably hasn't gone to sleep yet." Hikari glanced out the window. The sun was dipping toward the west; it was only a little past three in the afternoon.
"You're leaving that fast?"
Tsunade looked at him with a hint of resentment.
"What is it?" Hikari asked, confused.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
Tsunade tapped the desk and glared at him seriously. "Let me ask you—do you still remember what your actual job is?"
His job?
That was a strange question. Wasn't he the instructor for the Ino-Shika-Cho trio? Wait...
Hikari turned his gaze toward the corner. The familiar chair sat there quietly, waiting for someone to bless it with their presence.
And his original job—was being the doorkeeper of the Hokage's office.
But... it felt like there was another meaning behind her words.
Hikari pulled his eyes away from the chair and looked at Tsunade.
Maybe his gaze was too intense, because Tsunade suddenly felt like she was standing there completely naked, making her shift back uncomfortably.
"What's with you?"
Was he going through some mental deviation?
Hikari laughed softly. "Nothing. I understand what you mean. I'll go visit Clan Leader Hiashi now. Tonight let's grab a drink at the izakaya. My treat."
Drinking!
Now that was something Tsunade would never refuse.
Her waist no longer hurt, her legs no longer felt sore—she suddenly felt energized.
"Good. I'll wait for you after work. Don't you dare ditch me!"
Since coming back to Konoha, Tsunade had quit gambling. Drinking was one of the few pleasures she still allowed herself.
But with the limited salary of the Hokage, she usually drank cheap and mediocre alcohol—just enough to satisfy cravings.
The izakaya served high-quality drinks, which naturally weren't cheap.
Since Hikari was paying, Tsunade decided she would absolutely drink him dry. Otherwise, she'd feel sorry for wasting his offer.
"Sure. Don't be late."
Hikari winked. He thought Tsunade understood his hidden meaning.
But Tsunade was already absorbed in the thought of drinking later and didn't notice anything strange about his expression.
To her, that wink was probably... a facial twitch or something.
---
Leaving the Hokage Tower, Hikari looked at the two branching streets at the intersection, then decided to visit Yūhi Kurenai's home first.
Since she was Hinata's instructor, telling her beforehand was the polite thing to do. If he talked to Hiashi first, even someone as mild as Kurenai would get upset.
It would be like completely disregarding her.
Anyone with a temper wouldn't tolerate that.
"Hikari-senpai, you're here so fast?"
The moment he stepped into Kurenai's home, Yakumo's voice reached his ears.
Looking up, he saw her sitting by the second-floor window, eagerly waiting.
"Um... I'm here to see Kurenai. Is she home?" Hikari understood the meaning in Yakumo's eyes, and unconsciously reached toward his lower back.
"You're not here for me..."
Yakumo looked a little disappointed, then said, "She's home. Come in. I'll go call her!"
Hikari stepped in just as Kurenai walked down from the upper floor.
Seeing him arrive, she looked slightly surprised.
"You're quite the important figure. What brings you here? Is it about Yakumo?"
"I'm far from important. I'm here because I've taken interest in the talent of one of your students. I plan to train her alongside Naruto and Sasuke. So I'm here to hear your opinion first." Hikari explained. Seeing Yakumo behind Kurenai, he felt that if he didn't leave soon, he'd be drained of energy again.
Normally, that wouldn't matter.
But he had another 'battle' tonight!
He had to conserve his strength—he absolutely could not afford to lose energy prematurely.
"You're interested in Kiba or Shino? No problem. Just make sure to inform their parents."
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