Chapter 40
From childhood to adulthood, she had never experienced anything like this.
Born into the rigid Hyuga Clan, she had always been instilled with conservative education.
To make such a move was simply scandalous!
A tremendous sense of shame enveloped her, blood rushed to her brain, making her head buzz.
It was as if a long-standing confinement had been broken.
The new world she had never faced gave her a feeling of liberation.
This feeling transformed into a huge stimulus, making her body tremble incessantly.
"Forgive? I never said..."
Naruto's cold words rang out, instantly extinguishing the warmth in her heart from head to toe.
With her blood having cooled considerably, Hyuga Natsu glanced her head back in disbelief, meeting Naruto's gaze.
His expression, which had been one of disgust and disdain, turned into astonishment.
"You...!"
The moment she uttered a single word, her vision blurred.
Whoosh!
The shoji door closed in a second, and her vision was immediately plunged into darkness.
Immediately after, she felt a sharp pain in her knee.
Thud!
Her knee hit the floor.
She was forced to her knees.
Before she could react, Naruto, who was now level with her as she knelt, reached out... and harshly grabbed—
"Ah~~~!"
Hyuga Natsu's cry of pain instantly echoed through the dark room... Chapter 32: Hyuga's Steamed Buns ~ Pastries
At the same moment, in the Main Family's room.
"Hinata, Hinata..."
Her mother, Hyuga Hazuki, gently called her daughter's name.
"Mama~..."
Hinata, still sleepy-eyed, opened her eyes, and her mother's beautiful appearance in a new dress came into view.
To prepare for the New Year.
Every member of the Hyuga Clan had bought or custom-made new clothes.
The mother and daughter were naturally no exception.
Gazing at her dignified, beautiful, and gentle mother, Hinata's small face flushed slightly, filled with longing.
If... she could also become as beautiful as her mother when she grew up... As she thought, Hinata's mind began to wander.
She even thought about marrying Naruto.
Fortunately, she was still young, so she hadn't yet thought about what her children would be named.
On Hyuga Hazuki's side, gazing at her daughter's expression, she knew exactly what her daughter was thinking.
She gently helped her daughter up from the covers and said to her, "Hinata, it's time to change into your new clothes to welcome the New Year..."
As long as she wore new clothes, she would definitely become even cuter.
Under this suggestion, Hinata quickly sprang into action, aiming to... show her best side to Naruto.
Changing into new clothes, combing her hair, getting dressed, and pinning a light-colored flower to the side of her head.
"Hinata, look in the mirror."
Hyuga Hazuki, having finished dressing her daughter, held her daughter's shoulders and turned her around.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Hinata's eyes couldn't help but tremble.
Naruto-kun would surely praise her cuteness when he saw her later.
"Mama, thank you..."
Hyuga Hazuki gently stroked her daughter's head: "Hinata, let's go to the hall..."
...The clock pointed to 11 o'clock.
One hour felt as long as a year to Hyuga Natsu.
"Huff... huff..."
She lay on her side on the floor, her thin lips parted, panting continuously.
Two lines of hot tears streamed down her still-wet tear tracks.
Her usually stern white eyes were now slightly dim, even a little dazed... This bullied appearance made her a pitiful sight.
However, Naruto's expression revealed cruelty... or rather, ruthlessness.
It was as if a human child seeing a butterfly with broken wings found it amusing, without any trace of pity.
This was the innocent cruelty unique to children.
"Get up."
Gazing down at the fallen maid, Narutocommanded in an undeniable tone.
"W-woo~..."
Hyuga Natsu's body, dressed in a maid uniform, trembled slightly. Her eyes slowly regained their spirit.
"You haven't even finished changing my clothes, and you've collapsed? And you call yourself a professional maid? Hmm?"
Naruto gestured with his eyes, looking towards the neatly folded new clothes nearby.
These new clothes were bought from the Shopping Street that morning.
Of course, the money was paid by Hinata's mother, Hyuga Hazuki.
"..."
Slowly pressing her thin lips together, Hyuga Natsu struggled to push herself up from the floor with her arms.
However, this tugged at her injured areas.
Her tormented, bruised skin was wailing in protest.
In a kneeling posture, she slowly turned to Naruto.
Gritting her teeth, enduring waves of pain, she began to change Naruto's new clothes.
And then.
Naruto's hidden secret appeared before her eyes for the third time.
The pitch-black room was illuminated only by the faint light cast through the shoji door from outside.
In the dim environment, Hyuga Natsu clearly saw... a monster slowly rising.
When the terrifying monster appeared before her, she couldn't help but be slightly startled.
Her body, which had been trembling from pain, now trembled even more violently.
She forcefully suppressed the urge to flee.
Her trembling hands instead picked up the new clothes placed on the tatami mat.
However, it was this turn of her head.
Her side hair brushed past the terrifying monster.
This seemed to startle the monster.
The awakened companion monster became even more ferocious, terrifying... and scorching hot.
Hyuga Natsu lowered her head, immediately not daring to look at Naruto.
She fumbled, doing her best to put the new clothes on Naruto.
"W-woo~!" At one point, Hyuga Natsu groaned in pain, or perhaps gasped.
Naruto completely ignored her.
Instead, he lowered his head, wantonly playing with and admiring... the exquisite steamed buns and pastries of the Hyuga Clan before him.
"Huff... huff..."
Hyuga Natsu's breathing gradually became rapid.
Perhaps it was due to fear, or perhaps other reasons.
Time passed by minute by minute.
After much difficulty, she finally helped Naruto put on his new clothes.
And as the pressure suddenly lifted, he finally let her go.
Naruto turned to look at himself in the mirror, dressed in a light blue Japanese kimono, and nodded slightly in approval.
"Japanese style... Yosh~..."
Nine-Tailed: "..."
The Nine-Tailed, failing to decipher the meaning of the phrase, decided to give up thinking.
After all, this kid always came up with things it couldn't understand, and it didn't know who he learned it from.
And what this kid had just done to this human female was already devilish enough.
Her former arrogance had vanished without a trace in this short hour and a half.
Then, Naruto looked at his right hand.
As the saying goes, give warmth to others, and your hand retains the fragrance.
"That's really nice..."
Saying this, Naruto met the eyes of the pretty maid.
The meaning contained within made Hyuga Natsushiver.
From that look, she knew that the forgiveness she hoped for... would probably not be so easily obtained.
"Next time..."
As Naruto began to speak, footsteps sounded in the hallway outside the door.
By the sound, it should be Hinata's footsteps.
"!"
Hearing there would be a next time, Hyuga Natsucouldn't help but shiver.
However, the matter was already decided, and the established fact was beyond her control.
She couldn't help but feel remorse, regretting that she had provoked someone she shouldn't have.
Naruto took in Hyuga Natsu's expression completely. With just one glance, Naruto saw through her thoughts.
Just like those bad guys who are caught all regret it immensely, in reality, they only regret their mistake of getting caught, and are not truly repentant