"That was really terrifying," Aoba patted his chest, still shaken.
Just now, he had been subjected to the piercing gazes of three fathers filled with killing intent, and the pressure he felt was no less than what Tenten and the others experienced.
This couldn't help but remind Aoba of the first time he went to Tenten's house for dinner.
Back then, he thought it would be just like eating at a friend's house, nothing too serious. But when he got there, it felt like he was on trial.
Throughout the entire meal, the couple never took their eyes off him.
Especially when they saw Tenten constantly putting food onto his plate. He started to worry if he would be able to leave Tenten's house in one piece.
Fortunately, he didn't ride a Ghost Fire motorcycle.
Otherwise, he might have had to leave in pieces.
As expected, when it comes to their children, fathers can be truly terrifying.
However, Ino's personality hadn't changed much from when she was a child, while Tenten and Sakura had matured quite a bit as they grew up.
Aoba shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it anymore.
Now that the three girls had left, Aoba turned around and headed inside, finally able to let out a breath of relief. The house was quiet at last.
But he couldn't help sighing again. His heart felt a little empty. The house was too quiet.
Although he had long been accustomed to the life of an orphan, he still occasionally yearned for a complete family.
Bang!
Suddenly, Aoba bumped into something soft.
The next moment, he found himself in a warm embrace.
"Honestly, those noisy little brats have finally left," Uzuki Yugao murmured into Aoba's ear.
Aoba asked in return, "Yugao-nee, aren't you going back yet?"
"Hm? Is little Aoba trying to kick me out?", Uzuki Yugao seemed a little displeased, but then she couldn't help teasing, "Then how about this? If I don't leave tonight, will little Aoba sleep with me?"
As she spoke, she leaned in very close to Aoba's ear.
The warmth of her breath and the soft tone of her voice tickled his ears like a little cat scratching at him, as if trying to burrow straight into his heart.
He couldn't help but shiver.
Hurriedly, he wriggled out of Uzuki Yugao's embrace, covering his burning red ears.
It wasn't shyness. It was just a natural physiological reaction, like getting goosebumps.
Seeing Uzuki Yugao's amused smirk, Aoba twitched the corners of his mouth, deciding not to respond. Even if he wanted to, it would be pointless.
His hardware didn't support it. [T/N: 🤣]
"If you're not leaving, then fine. The old man isn't back yet, and it's still early. I'll go practice my taijutsu for a bit," Watching Aoba return to the courtyard, Uzuki Yugao smiled softly.
She followed him outside, and under the moonlight, the two of them sparred.
Uzuki Yugao had been trained by Shirakumo Hayame. Her swordsmanship was exceptional, and her taijutsu was just as formidable.
———
"Shirakumo Jonin, I never expected you to treat us to drinks with your personality."
Inside a small tavern, four men sat around a wooden table, sipping on their drinks.
A few plates of braised meat and small side dishes were spread across the table as appetizers.
The one who had just spoken wore a black trench coat, his long blond hair tied up in a simple high ponytail, with a Konoha forehead protector fastened on his head.
His stern face carried a hint of coldness, an effect of his role in Konoha.
This was Yamanaka Inoichi, the head of Konoha's Analysis Division and Ino's father.
At this moment, the four men around the small table each had their own distinct attire.
There was Yamanaka Inoichi in his black trench coat, Tenten's father in a white kimono with red trims, and Haruno Kizashi in a light blue yukata.
And finally, Hayame, who maintained his usual stern expression.
Hearing Yamanaka Inoichi's deadpan remark, Hayame felt a headache coming on.
He hadn't wanted to invite these men for a drink.
Hayame had a straightforward personality. Other than sword training, he had no interest in socializing. Most of the time, he only exchanged nods with his fellow Jonin.
But tonight, this drinking session was unavoidable.
On his way back from sword training, he saw these three men approaching his house with murderous intent.
Their expressions were so fierce that even he, a veteran who had survived countless life-and-death battles, felt a bit frightened.
He immediately knew something had happened with Aoba.
To prevent the last bloodline of the Shirakumo clan from being severed, Hayame gritted his teeth and intercepted the three men.
He decided to treat them to a meal and have a proper discussion.
After all, these three fathers weren't as terrifying as their daughters' mothers. Hopefully, things wouldn't escalate.
"Shirakumo Jonin, we're all straightforward people. Just say what you need to say."
"Yeah, my Sakura still hasn't come home. I'm really worried about her."
Although Tenten's father and Haruno Kizashi were angry, they were at least trying to stay composed.
Hayame's brain momentarily stalled. Since he had stopped these three men on impulse, he wasn't sure what to say.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to talk up Aoba's strengths in front of his potential future in-laws.
"To be honest, my Aoba has quite the talent. He's even stronger than I was at his age. In my opinion, even Hatake Jonin at that age might not be able to match him."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Hayame's self-praise immediately piqued the interest of the other three.
Their daughters often mentioned Aoba, but it was usually about daily activities and play. They never really talked about him as a ninja.
Only Tenten's father knew a little, since Aoba was Tenten's throwing instructor. But being a non-ninja himself, he only understood that Aoba was good at throwing and nothing else.
Now, suddenly hearing a comparison to Kakashi, the three men had to take a serious look at the boy their daughters were so fond of.
Kakashi had set the record for the fastest graduation from the Ninja Academy and was once Konoha's youngest Jonin. He had countless battlefield achievements and was currently ranked as Konoha's number-one Jonin.
Most importantly, he was a former member of Minato's team and had a real chance of becoming Hokage.
For Hayame to say Aoba wasn't weaker than Kakashi, and given his strict personality, the three men were truly surprised.
Seeing their stunned expressions, Hayame couldn't help but smirk.
"Aoba extracted chakra a year ago, and his chakra reserves are already comparable to an average Genin's."
In the ninja world, chakra reserves were one of the most direct indicators of talent. At five years old, having chakra reserves rivaling a Genin's was indeed impressive.
"Additionally, I recently started teaching him the Vacuum Sword technique, and he's already begun grasping chakra nature transformation."
"Given a little more time, once his chakra reserves grow, Aoba's strength will soon surpass an average Chunin's. It won't be long before he might even break Hatake Jonin's record."
The three men fell into silence.
If Aoba truly had such talent, combined with his commoner background, and given that their daughters liked him so much, he was indeed an ideal son-in-law candidate.
But now, there was still one major issue standing in their way.
The three fathers exchanged glances…
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