"You just enjoy messing with me."
Mangetsu puffed up like a water balloon in frustration. He reached up and touched his own face—it was still burning hot.
"I'm telling the truth. Kirigakure shinobi don't lie to their own."
Yagura chuckled. "There's another reason, too. My grandfather is home. If I went back right away instead of coming here first, he'd definitely be angry and make me suffer through another lecture."
Mangetsu poured himself another glass of water, taking a sip to cool down before plotting his revenge.
"If I kicked you out and sent you home right now, what would you do?"
Like a kid who used to sneak-watch TV while timing their parents' return, Yagura expertly calculated,
"He'd be furious. If I go back now, I'd walk straight into his wrath."
Mangetsu blinked, unknowingly letting a spark of curiosity show on his face.
"Then… when would it be safe?"
"Never."
Stretching lazily, Yagura stood up. "Forget it. I'm going home."
Mangetsu gawked. "Huh? Just like that?"
With his hands tucked behind his head, Yagura glanced at him with a teasing smirk.
"What? You don't want me to leave? I don't mind staying."
"..." Mangetsu had learned his lesson. Say too much, and he'd end up getting played again.
To be fair, Yagura had been at the Hozuki estate for quite a while—since morning, and now it was already afternoon.
If he delayed any longer, his grandfather would probably point at the eternally gloomy Kirigakure sky and scold him for coming home so late, as if the sun had set hours ago.
Time worked differently for elders.
Like how your mom wakes you up at 8 AM on a weekend, claiming it's already "almost noon."
Besides, he was hungry.
His stomach reminded him that it was time to go home.
The two walked side by side toward the main gate of the estate. Yagura didn't see the Hozuki clan head—he must have returned earlier with the other three representatives sent to the Chunin Exams by the Third Mizukage.
"Speaking of which, your father hasn't come back?"
"He did, but he disappeared early this morning. When I woke up, he was already gone."
Mangetsu took another sip from his water glass before suddenly asking, "By the way, what about your parents? I've never seen them before."
"They were stationed at an outpost on the Sunagakure border. Not long after I was born, they were assigned there, so I've mostly lived with my grandfather."
Yagura answered casually, reminiscing as he spoke.
"I haven't spent much time with them."
"But I like them."
Unlike those isekai stories where the protagonist starts as an orphan, Yagura had been blessed with a complete family in both lives. His parents were good to him.
During his first few years in this world, though, he had struggled with the fear of being born into a dark and brutal future as a Kirigakure shinobi. He had felt distant from his family and clan.
But over time, the love and care of his grandfather and parents slowly dissolved that barrier.
Thinking back, there was even a rather funny memory—
As a child, he rarely spoke, preferring to stare at the stars at night or hide underwater to escape reality and ponder his existence.
His family thought he was sick.
In their panic, they ran around seeking medical ninjas for advice.
"Pfft—!!"
Mangetsu choked on his water, nearly spitting it out.
Yagura?
Silent? Depressed? Anti-social?
What part of that description fit the Yagura he knew?
Mangetsu was utterly dumbfounded. "You're messing with me, right?!"
"Do I get free meals for lying?"
Yagura avoided going into too much detail and brushed it off.
"I was really… quite introverted as a kid."
Mangetsu's eyes widened with sheer disbelief, his expression practically screaming: Are you sure you know what 'introverted' means?!
Just moments ago, weren't you flirting with me—
Ahem.
Mangetsu quickly turned back to his drink, pretending he hadn't been thinking nonsense.
...
Knock, knock!
Just as they reached the front gate, someone knocked from the outside.
"Huh? What a coincidence," Mangetsu mused.
The same thing had happened earlier when he had been passing by and opened the door for Yagura and Ringo Ameyuri.
Swoosh—
Yagura instantly flickered five meters away. "Go ahead, you can open it."
"Oh~ Scared it's someone from your family here to catch you?"
For once, Mangetsu had the upper hand, so he seized the moment and opened the door with a grin.
"Coming!"
Unlocking the latch, he pulled open half the door, revealing a man and a woman he didn't recognize.
Not his father. Not the Karatachi clan leader he had met before.
Standing partially behind the door, Mangetsu asked, "Who are you looking for?"
"Hello. You must be Mangetsu-kun."
The woman leaned down slightly with a warm smile.
"Is Yagura here? We're looking for him."
Her long, silky black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her pale complexion made it hard to believe she was nearly thirty and a mother. Her striking amethyst eyes studied him with gentle curiosity.
"He's here." Mangetsu responded blankly, then asked, "And you are…?"
Before the woman could answer, an excited voice rang out behind him.
"Dad?! Mom?!"
Yagura's father, Karatachi Natsuhiko, raised an eyebrow at his son.
Thud.
Yagura practically launched himself forward. Natsuhiko caught him with ease, chuckling as he lifted him slightly.
"You came home, but didn't come see us first? Hm?"
Yagura buried his face into his father's arm, voice turning soft.
"I didn't know you were back~"
...
"Oh, so you'll only come home if Grandpa isn't the only one there?"
Yagura shot him a glare. "You know that's not what I meant."
Mangetsu blinked, observing the family interaction with intrigue.
When his gaze met Karatachi Hiyori's, he suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. No wonder—they were Yagura's parents.
His eyes were inherited from them. His tea-blue hair came from his father, while his mother's hair was black with hints of chestnut.
"Enough, don't nitpick at our son," Hiyori playfully scolded Natsuhiko, then turned to Yagura with a gentle smile.
Yagura immediately looked up at her, flashing a sweet, obedient grin. "Mom's the best."
Natsuhiko scoffed, already knowing his son's cunning nature.
"You're too old to be acting cute."
Mangetsu, meanwhile, shuddered at the scene, rubbing the goosebumps on his arms.
Why didn't I bring a recording scroll? This moment deserved to be documented and played back in front of Zabuza and the others—broken up into four episodes for maximum effect!
"Mangetsu-kun, sorry for interrupting. We'll be heading back now."
"Ah, oh, sure."
Mangetsu snapped out of his thoughts and nodded, catching Yagura's warning glare.
Hiyori smiled. "Thank you for being such a good friend to Yagura. It makes me so happy."
Mangetsu blushed at the praise. "I-it's nothing! If anything, I'm the one looking after him."
Yagura quickly cut him off before he could ruin his reputation.
"Alright, let's go home."
And with that, the three left the Hozuki residence together.
...
On the way home, Natsuhiko ruffled his son's hair before pinching his nose.
"You're covered in dust. Bath first, then food. Don't rub it on me."
Yagura smirked and deliberately rubbed against him even more.
Natsuhiko smacked him lightly. "Brat."
"I'm easy to please. As long as I get fed."
"When have we ever starved you?"
"Never."
"All that food's gone straight to your face."
Yagura deadpanned. "Really? Here, feel for yourself."
"No thanks. You're filthy."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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