Hyūga Aoba slowly placed the new clothes down, her lips trembling slightly before she forced a smile.
But it looked terribly stiff.
"Naruto-kun, about what happened earlier… I'm truly sorry!"
From hesitant, she became resolute.
From slow and awkward, her tone turned into rushed apologies.
Then, she bowed deeply.
For her, this was the ultimate mark of humility.
She had to summon all her courage just to go through with it.
"An apology?"
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees instantly.
Naruto's voice turned icy cold.
His blue eyes shifted into vertical red pupils, sharp glints flickering in the darkness.
"I don't see any sincerity in you."
Once, you ignored me. So now I return the favor?
Naruto didn't think in those terms.
Because the attitude of this servant from the branch family went far beyond simple indifference.
It was raw hatred, contempt, and violent rejection—
that's how she had truly treated him.
Did this morally corrupt servant not know how deeply such treatment could scar a child like him?
If one day he grew twisted, who would be to blame?
He, Uzumaki Naruto, was destined to inherit the Will of Fire!
Hyūga Aoba: "!"
Without giving her a chance to speak, Naruto continued:
"If simple words were enough to erase wrongdoing, then what's the point of the Military Police?
I, Uzumaki Naruto, can certainly be magnanimous and choose not to take revenge.
But don't tell me…
that an apology lacking sincerity deserves my forgiveness?"
"D-D-Desolé…"
Hyūga Aoba abruptly looked up and met his piercing gaze.
She gasped for breath.
Never had she seen Naruto in such a state.
Recalling his status as the Nine-Tails' host, she assumed this was a manifestation of his power—
and fear took hold of her.
She vividly remembered the devastation caused by the Nine-Tailed Fox's rampage that year.
If Naruto lost control…
She would be held responsible for provoking the transformation of the Jinchūriki.
"No… Naruto-kun, I mean… I'm really sorry~!"
Moreover,
being exposed up close to the Nine-Tails' chakra pressure wasn't something just anyone could endure.
Seeing the branch family servant falter like that,
even the Nine-Tails almost felt a bit of pity.
To him, Naruto looked more like a demon at that moment.
Eloquent, logical, persuasive—
he crushed his opponent with frightening ease.
Was this… another kind of Kekkei Genkai?
Its name… "Art of Persuasion"?
"Ah, I'm not really good with speeches. I'm not made for sermons."
Naruto gave a naive smile, then returned to a chilling expression in the blink of an eye.
"So then…"
His glowing red eyes, demonic in nature, locked onto the pretty servant before him.
---
"What? You disagree?"
Without giving her time to respond, Naruto took an aggressive stance and followed up with ruthless logic.
"Your clan head even knelt before the entire Hyūga family to show his gratitude to me. And I'm only asking you for one tiny thing… and you find it humiliating? Huh?"
By invoking Hiashi Hyūga's authority, he instantly reestablished the gap in status between them.
"Mmmh…"
Though she stood taller than him, Hyūga Aoba felt like she was the one being looked down upon.
She clenched her teeth, her body trembling slightly, as if caught in an intense inner struggle.
Too naive, the young servant quickly gave in to Naruto's demand.
"I-I understand…"
She managed to force out the words through clenched teeth.
It's nothing… I'm not losing anything…
A compromise began to form in her mind.
She reassured herself that a small sacrifice was better than prolonged conflict…
And so.
Under Naruto's watchful gaze.
The pretty servant of the branch family… slowly raised her hands.
A faint rustling could be heard.
Her cheeks were visibly starting to redden at high speed.
Her expression, however, was strange.
For though she chose to submit, the disgust she felt deep down still lingered.
Still unaware of Naruto's identity as the Fourth Hokage's son,
her mask of submission and her true emotions clashed—
forming a most intriguing expression.
Disgust and contempt were clearly visible on her lovely face.
And to Naruto…
"What an excellent expression~."
Naruto stretched his lips into a demonic smile, his glowing red eyes casting a sinister light over his face…