"Let's prepare for the New Year festivities! May this year be a memorable one!"
With cheers all around, everyone dispersed to begin the preparations.
"Aoba? Aoba?"
Hinata wanted to ask Aoba for some snacks, but the latter stood frozen.
Unlike the others, she found herself in an impossible position.
She had insulted Naruto, driven him away...
And now, she had become the laughingstock of the clan.
"Hinata, get along well with Naruto-kun."
Hiashi gently stroked his daughter's hair, secretly hoping the Hyūga could grow attached to Naruto.
"Naruto-kun, you must be tired..."
Tsukiyo approached him, radiant.
Aoba, snapping back to her senses, quickly moved to guide them.
But Naruto, while chatting with Tsukiyo, completely ignored her.
Under Hiashi's questioning gaze, her heart tightened.
"I must make it up to him... no matter what."
Night.
As the New Year approached, the streets of Konoha were lit with lanterns and decorations.
The Hyūga clan was no exception.
This year, the traditionally rigid clan had unusually chosen bright colors.
It marked both the celebration and a shift within the Hyūga clan.
Standing on a ladder, Hoshigaki hung the final red lantern.
"Aoba~!"
Looking down, he saw his childhood friend walking by in small steps.
"Aoba~~~!" xN.
The next moment, multiple voices echoed loudly throughout the courtyard.
Among the younger members of the Hyūga clan, many were around the same age.
They all greeted Hyūga Aoba.
This was normal: among their peers, only the most talented girls were chosen to serve the main family.
In other words, to them, Hyūga Aoba was admired by almost everyone.
At that moment, Hyūga Aoba, heavy-hearted, looked up at the sound of their calls.
Her gentle face turned stern in an instant.
"No fooling around!"
With those words, she continued on her way, carrying some belongings.
Once she had crossed the now-silent courtyard, chatter resumed among the clan members.
"Aoba looked at me when she spoke earlier — that means she likes me!"
"Liar! She spoke to me!"
"No, me!"
"It was me...!"
Unlike the cheerful and carefree members of the branch family, the farther Hyūga Aoba walked, the heavier her heart felt.
In her hands were the new clothes for the New Year.
Lady [Hyūga Uzuki] had asked her to personally deliver them to Naruto.
It was already 10 p.m.
The sky was filled with stars.
Moonlight and artificial lights reflected off the ground, illuminating the Hyūga compound.
The New Year celebrations would begin at midnight.
Lady Hinata, still a child, had gone to bed — little ones struggle to stay up late. She wouldn't be coming.
Aoba's task was to wake Naruto, ensure he was ready before midnight, and then bring him to the main hall to celebrate with everyone.
Thinking about all this, Hyūga Aoba found herself, without realizing it, standing in front of his door.
...
Inside.
Naruto was lying on the tatami, propped on one elbow, looking bored.
His half-blinking eyes flickered now and then.
A secret conversation was taking place within his mental space.
"You've made an enemy of that man, Danzō Shimura... You'll face the consequences..."
The ominous warning of the Nine-Tailed Fox!
Danzō Shimura was the worst ninja in the current shinobi world.
To offend him meant endless trouble.
— And on top of that, you dragged me into this mess!
So... why provoke him? We can't stay on guard forever.
"Every problem has a solution. Every obstacle, a way around."
Naruto didn't care in the slightest.
"Besides... even if I hadn't offended him, do you think he wouldn't have come after me eventually?"
Naruto lazily spat out a watermelon seed.
In this world, artificially grown watermelons could be eaten even in winter. Big clans really had money. What a luxury...
"You really think it wasn't Danzō who spread the rumor that you were a 'fox demon'...?"
In the official story, it was clearly stated that Danzō had spread the demon fox rumor.
"You mean..."
The Nine-Tails understood immediately.
At the meeting with Konoha's four elders, the reactions of Koharu Utatane and the others had already revealed their stance.
So the problem stemmed from that old man Danzō.
"Hmph! I haven't even settled the score with him yet."
Even setting aside the falsehoods about the demon fox that had made his life miserable, Danzō had secretly plotted against the Hyūga, the Uchiha, and finally, against him.
To prevent the coming tragedies, to save Sako and Aunt Mikoto, he would inevitably have to confront that old snake Danzō.
Naruto growled and got up.
"Someone's coming..."
Knock, knock, knock.
"Naruto-kun..." Hyūga Aoba's shadow appeared against the paper door.
"Who's there?" Naruto called.
"..."
A long silence.
Even through the paper door and her slightly trembling shadow, her state of mind was obvious.
"L-Lady asked me to bring you your new clothes... Once you're ready, we'll go celebrate the New Year together..."
Hyūga Aoba added a few more details, trying to sound gentle and polite.
Naruto: "Hmm, come in."
Whoosh.
The sliding door opened.
Hyūga Aoba slowly lifted her gaze and only relaxed once she saw everything was normal.
She entered, carefully carrying the clothes.
Moonlight spilled over the tatami, dimly lighting the dark room.
Normally, at this point, Hyūga Aoba would have turned on the lights.
But this time, her expression was strange, as if she were struggling internally.
Maybe she was thinking of apologizing.
None of this escaped Naruto.
And the Nine-Tails, curled in the mental space, sensed the shift in the air.
Nine-Tails: "It's gone dark in here..."
"..."
Naruto's gaze swept over Hyūga Aoba in an instant.
Up close, he closely observed the pretty servant from the branch family.
Was it because of the moon?
The beast inside him... began to stir.