Hinata Hyuga stood calmly, her voice as gentle as ever.
"Yes, I brought him here. There's no better place for him to stay than my room."
"I do not approve!"
Hiashi Hyuga shot to his feet, his tone fierce.
The thought of his daughter so young sharing a room with Romon, this blonde stray with no clan or status, was unthinkable.
Hinata, unfazed by her father's outrage, tilted her head slightly and said softly, "Father, did you forget? I have my own reasons for this."
Hiashi froze.
Yes... how could he forget that his daughter was not just any child? A true prodigy.
At just five years old, she had independently mastered chakra control, tree walking, and water walking all without a mentor. She had even recreated the A-rank Rasengan, developed by the Fourth Hokage, through sheer observation and persistence with balloons.
After mentally repeating this reassurance to himself, Hiashi sighed inwardly but still muttered, "Even so, I can't approve of this."
"Uncle—Father—I mean…"
Romon, who had been spiritually synchronized with Hinata up to now, finally spoke up, fumbling over the title and nearly calling Hiashi "Dad."
"I'm just a kid, and Hinata is only five. I'd never… do anything inappropriate."
Hiashi's expression turned thunderous.
That slip of the tongue calling him "Father" only confirmed his worst fears: this kid had real feelings for Hinata.
If not, he wouldn't be so flustered.
Hiashi took a deep breath, steadying himself before speaking again.
"I said I don't agree. If you want to stay under the same roof as my daughter, you'll need more than a pretty face. Strength prove your strength."
"For now, I'll arrange a guest room for you. That's final."
With that, he turned and left the room.
Outside the door, Hyuga Fuyu Hinata's personal bodyguard was waiting silently.
"Keep a close eye on the young lady," Hiashi ordered coldly. "If anything happens to her, it's on your head."
"Yes, sir," Hyuga Fuyu said, kneeling slightly in acknowledgment.
Hiashi nodded and walked away, thoughts churning.
With Fuyu guarding Hinata, that boy Romon shouldn't dare to step out of line.
But still… intelligence on Romon was needed. The Hokage's tower would surely have his records.
Hiashi clapped his hands.
Swish—!
Several members of the Hyuga branch family appeared instantly, using the Body Flicker Technique.
Hiashi removed the clan leader's official seal and handed it to a trusted ninja.
"Take this and go to the Hokage's office. Request Romon's personal file from the Third Hokage."
"If he asks why, tell him the truth."
"Yes, sir."
The ninja accepted the seal and vanished in a blur of chakra.
Hiashi then realized he hadn't yet arranged the guest room.
He summoned another ninja, giving instructions to prepare a room as far from Hinata's quarters as possible.
But just as the words left his mouth, he remembered Hinata's own mysterious motives for bringing Romon home.
He paused, then amended:
"Actually, place his room near Hinata's. Not too far."
"Yes, sir."
Swish—!
The ninja disappeared into the night.
Hiashi stood there alone in the quiet hallway and let out a heavy sigh.
But before he could relax, he remembered there were still elders, his younger brother Hizashi, and even his wife waiting for an explanation.
His head throbbed.
Still, the matter had to be addressed.
He would reveal that Hinata, at only five years old and without access to the clan's secret scrolls or advanced training, had mastered the Fourth Hokage's Rasengan an A-rank technique.
He'd make it clear to the entire clan: Hinata is the Hyuga Clan's greatest hope.
She might even become the second Hyuga Tenjin.
Surely, the elders and Hizashi would be able to accept her bold behavior for now.
Tap. Tap.
Hiashi made his way toward the clan meeting hall, ready to convene the council.
Meanwhile, back in the clan leader's bedroom…
Romon exhaled in relief.
"That was intense. For a moment, it felt like the entire Hyuga clan showed up. I really thought your dad was going to kick me out."
Hinata replied softly, but firmly, "If he dared kick you out, I would've stepped in."
Her voice was childish and sweet, but her tone held unwavering conviction.
Romon looked at her, stunned.
"You'd fight your own father… for me?"
"Don't underestimate me," Hinata said with a serious face. "I'm not the same Hinata from the original story. I'm a reincarnated soul and this time, I'm not timid at all. And I eat very well now."
She patted her little belly and then raised both hands.
"Look."
In an instant, a swirling blue chakra sphere materialized in her palm the Rasengan.
Romon admired the technique with quiet awe.
He already knew from her memories that Hinata had recreated the Rasengan thanks to her reincarnated knowledge. But even knowing that didn't dull his envy.
To be reborn as the heiress of the Hyuga main family the clan's princess what an advantage.
"Are you jealous?" Hinata asked, locking eyes with him.
She felt it the emotion in his heart. As soul fragments of the same being, their emotions and thoughts resonated naturally.
Thinking of Romon's life ten years alone, living as an orphan Hinata gently took his hand.
"No need to envy me. You are me. From now on, the Hyuga clan will treat you just like they treat me."
"You'll live here. Be well-fed, well-dressed, and protected."
Romon looked at her. "So I'll be… living off you?"
Hinata giggled.
"Exactly. Call it what you want. You can mooch off me all you like."
She pointed at herself, then at him.
"Because you're me. I'm you. And once I grow up and marry you officially, I'll be your full-time provider. I don't mind at all."
"…You serious?"
Hinata didn't answer.
Instead, she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Her face flushed slightly as she pulled back.
"I'm still a kid, so that's as far as I can go right now… but you should understand how I feel."
Romon didn't speak.
He touched the damp spot on his cheek, then stared at his fingers, stunned. He glanced at Hinata, now adorably blushing.
My soul fragment… has reincarnated as Hinata Hyuga.
And not only is she letting me stay in the clan compound, feeding me, protecting me she's promising to marry me when she's older? This is too unreal. Is this some kind of genjutsu? Did I fall into the Infinite Tsukuyomi?
Hinata caught his thoughts through their shared spiritual link and grinned.
"If you want to be sure, just pinch yourself. Or me. At this distance, not only can we read each other's thoughts we can even share sensations."
She lifted the sleeve of her kimono, revealing her smooth, pale forearm like polished jade.
Romon swallowed hard, as if under a spell, and reached out.
"Hey—ouch! That hurt! You pinched me way too hard!"
"Sorry! Reflex here, I'll rub it for you."
Romon muttered under his breath. Wow… that feels really nice.
Hinata stared at him with her pearly Byakugan and said in a sweet but knowing voice:
"I can hear your inner voice when you don't block it. Like when you just thought, 'That feels really nice.' I heard it word for word."
"…Ahem."