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Normally, at school, Sasuke would have his hands stuffed in his pockets, wearing an aloof "I'm too cool for this" expression that practically screamed, I don't even know what a rival looks like.
People always moved out of his way—never the other way around.
But today, something was off.
"You go first."
"Huh?"
Hinata froze in confusion.
The entire class gaped at the two of them, disbelief written all over their faces.
Is this really Sasuke?
Are we sure he hasn't been swapped with someone else?
Though he stepped aside, Sasuke was seething internally.
What the hell? She's just a classmate, but now she's some elder's fiancée—and might even become my teacher's wife!
This sudden shift in their relationship was hard for him to swallow.
And yet, he had to accept it.
Because both Itachi and Mikoto had explicitly warned him. At school, give Hinata some leeway. If she runs into trouble, you step in and help.
All morning, a sleep-deprived Hinata moved through the day in a daze.
What shocked her even more was that every Uchiha in the school would immediately make way for her the moment she approached.
Plenty of people noticed this odd behavior. Some of the more mischievous students, thinking the Uchiha had suddenly turned soft, tried to mimic Hinata—expecting the same courtesy.
Instead of getting a free pass, they got beaten up.
When lunch break arrived, everyone pulled out their packed meals. Sasuke, red-faced and visibly struggling with himself, finally gritted his teeth and stood up, marching toward Hinata.
A group of girls who had been about to invite him to eat together stopped dead in their tracks when they spotted the adorable pink bento box in his hands.
No way…
First, he lets her pass in the morning, and now he's carrying a bento?
Is he about to ask Hinata to eat with him?!
Under the stunned gazes of the entire class, Sasuke plopped the bento box onto her desk.
"Mom told me to give this to you."
The moment the words left his mouth, he bolted.
Ugh, why did Mom have to make me do something so embarrassing?
"Is that really the Sasuke we know?" Choji nudged Shikamaru, who sat beside him, deep in thought.
Ino looked like she was on the verge of a meltdown, convinced her crush had fallen for Hinata.
Sakura, another die-hard Sasuke fan, wasn't far behind.
"I heard from my dad that the Uchiha and Hyūga might've arranged some kind of marriage alliance," Shikamaru mused, resting his chin on his hand.
"Hard to imagine two clans that never got along would go that far, though."
Nearby, Naruto, who'd been eavesdropping, suddenly jumped up.
"Wait—so you're saying Sasuke and Hinata are engaged?!"
"WHAT?!"
The classroom erupted.
Every pair of eyes locked onto Hinata and Sasuke. Shikamaru groaned, rubbing his temples.
'That's NOT what I meant! If this gets misinterpreted, I'm dead. Naruto, why'd you have to drag me into this?!'
"THAT'S BULLSHIT!!!"
This was the worst possible misunderstanding. If people actually believed it, he was finished.
Just thinking about how Kazuki would educate him over this made Sasuke's knees shake. Furious, he pointed at Naruto and outright cursed.
"You're the one full of crap!"
Naruto, never one to back down, fired back.
"Then why've you been letting Hinata have her way all day? Even brought her a bento—in a cute pink box, no less!"
"You—!"
When it came to arguing, ten Sasukes combined weren't a match for Naruto.
Under the barrage of taunts, Sasuke snapped. He lunged at Naruto, and the two started brawling right there in the classroom.
"STOP FIGHTING!!!"
Sakura and Ino flailed in panic. No one had expected things to escalate so fast.
Luckily, Shikamaru had the sense to bolt for the teacher's office.
---
Meanwhile, at the Akimichi clan's barbecue restaurant, Kazuki sat with representatives from various ninja clans.
Even Akimichi Chōza, who'd been enjoying retirement, had shown up—representing the Ino-Shika-Chō trio.
"Kazuki, let me get this straight," Chōza began. "The Hokage's office drafts the proposal, we clans invest in building the new commercial district, and once it's operational, profits are split based on contribution?"
"Correct."
Kazuki nodded.
"Given Konoha's population and economic growth, a second commercial district is viable. The only hurdle is funding."
He let the implications hang in the air.
"What this means for everyone here, I trust you all understand. That's why the Hokage sent me to discuss it."
"The proposal will be finalized soon, but the village's finances are tight. Hence, we're seeking investments from the clans."
"This is purely business—no political strings attached. Even if some choose not to participate, there'll be no hard feelings from the Hokage."
The room collectively exhaled in relief.
A normal investment was manageable. What they'd feared was Kazuki showing up with what amounted to a tax disguised as a request—where refusal might offend Tsunade.
Now reassured, the clans' interest was piqued. A new commercial district meant profit, and no one would foolishly pass that up.
Yet, despite their eagerness, no one spoke up immediately.
The unspoken tension lingered. Why were certain clans not invited?
Dozens of families, even minor ones with only a handful of members, had received invitations.
But conspicuously absent were the Sarutobi, Shimura, and other clans aligned with the Third Hokage.
Read between the lines.
"Kazuki, isn't this exclusion a bit… inappropriate?" Chōza finally voiced what others dared not.
"Why?"
Kazuki smiled, his tone deliberate.
"The Hokage authorized me to handle this. That includes deciding which clans participate. If I deem certain families unsuitable, that's my prerogative. Is there an issue?"
Was there an issue?
No.
Even if they accused him of mixing personal grudges with duty, so what?
He was.
Some clans just wouldn't get a seat at the table.