Ryosuke came to Hinata's house for dinner.
This was actually just an ordinary family meal.
There were no outsiders.
Everyone present was family.
Hinata and Hanabi sat on either side of Ryosuke.
Hiashi and his wife sat on the other side.
Since Ryosuke had visited many times before, Hiashi and his wife were already quite familiar with him.
"Ryosuke, you and Hinata aren't too young now. It may be early for marriage, but how about an engagement first?"
While chatting, Hiashi casually brought up the topic of engagement.
Hearing Hiashi's words, Hinata uncontrollably blushed.
Her father had already mentioned this to her.
Hinata's stance on this matter was simple—it was up to Ryosuke.
Hiashi, well aware of his daughter's personality, knew this was something that needed to be discussed with Ryosuke.
If Ryosuke agrees, then the engagement can proceed.
After all, Hinata is the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan.
Such an engagement can't be taken lightly.
There would have to be a grand banquet for guests.
Not only would all the dignitaries of Konoha attend, but even wealthy businessmen from outside the village who had ties with the Hyuga clan would be invited.
At that time, it would have to be done properly.
Not just because of the Hyuga clan's status and identity, but also because of Ryosuke's standing.
"Engagment?"
Ryosuke put down his chopsticks, then turned to Hinata and asked, "Hinata, what do you think?"
Hinata whispered, "I'll listen to you."
Receiving her answer, Ryosuke nodded and replied to Hiashi, "In that case, we'll follow the customs of your clan, Uncle Hiashi."
Hearing this, Hiashi and his wife exchanged happy smiles.
They were worried that Ryosuke wouldn't want to commit so early.
Or, perhaps, Ryosuke wouldn't truly want to stand by Hinata.
Setting that aside, there was also the question of whether they would accept Ryosuke.
But now—
The real question was whether Ryosuke was willing to accept the Hyuga clan.
This was a matter of status and power dynamics.
Next, Hiashi shared some of his engagement plans with Ryosuke and asked if he had any opinions.
Ryosuke only made a few minor suggestions, but Hiashi still took them seriously.
He planned to incorporate them when the time came.
...
After 10 PM
Ryosuke left the Hyuga clan's compound.
Hinata and Hanabi accompanied him to the gate.
"Alright, go back and rest, it's already late." Ryosuke told them.
Hinata said, "Okay, then you should rest early too."
Hinata nodded, still thinking about the engagement conversation over dinner.
"Goodbye, brother-in-law!"
Hanabi waved her small hand as she bid Ryosuke farewell.
Then, holding her sister's hand, the two returned to the clan grounds.
Ryosuke slightly smiled, then turned and left.
Engagement.
Before he realized it, he had reached this stage of life.
At 14 years old, in the Naruto world, he is no longer considered a child or even a teenager.
Going to the battlefield at 6 or 7 is normal in this world, and many marry at 12 or 13.
Of course, for those of high status, marriage doe happen quite so early.
But usually, they still marry by 15 or 16.
At 14, an engagement isn't considered too soon.
'However, if I'm getting engaged, I might as well do all of them together.' Ryosuke thought to himself.
Getting engaged only to Hinata would inevitably make Ino and the others feel left out.
Ryosuke had always believed in keeping things fair.
So, now that he had agreed to Hiashi's proposal regarding Hinata—
It was time to make arrangements for Ino and the others too.
For Ino, the Yamanaka clan had their own customs, so it would be best to follow their traditions when the time comes.
As for Yugao and the other two older sisters?
Ryosuke couldn't be certain.
They might not want anything extravagant, perhaps just a small gathering with close family and friends.
That was something he would need to ask them directly.
In any case, Ryosuke planned to finalize all these engagements this year.
This would be his most important task of the year.
Next day
When Mizuki heard the news that her son was going to be engaged to Hinata, she showed a happy smile.
To be honest, Mizuki had long been looking forward to the day when her son would start a family.
She had imagined the scene of holding her grandchildren countless times.
Thinking that her son was finally getting engaged to Hinata, Mizuki was delighted.
Mizuki asked, "By the way, what about the others?"
After Mizuki's happiness settled, she thought of her son's other girlfriends.
This was her own son.
If it were someone else, she would have complained about how this man was so playful, being promiscuous everywhere—a classic scumbag.
But when it came to her son?
Mizuki could only say "Son, you're amazing!"
"I'll ask them for their opinions in the next two days, and then we'll see how things go." Ryosuke said, taking a sip of soup.
Mizuki advised, "Well, as long as you know what you're doing, it's okay. Women are emotional, so remember to be fair. Even if you don't say it, make sure you keep it in mind."
After all, she was a woman herself and she understood other women well.
So, she reminded her son not to lose sight of one thing and neglect another.
Ryosuke said with a smile, "Don't worry, Mom. A love triangle disaster will never happen to your son."
Hearing this, Mizuki gave her son an annoyed look.
But… this kid's ability to charm women is as strong as his power.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to have so many girlfriends so openly.
At this point, Mizuki often wondered who he took after.
Neither she nor her late husband had such a personality.
Could it be from the previous generation?
...
After 9 AM
Ryosuke found Anko.
Among all of his girlfriends, Anko was the most free.
The others, like Kurenai and Yugao, all had things to do.
In a whole week, they only got one or two days off.
Anko, on the other hand, had five rest days a week.
Even Genins didn't have this much free time.
Hmm…
But it seems like a certain Hokage is even more idle than her.
Of course, Tsunade does have work, but she deliberately pushes it away.
Sometimes, she even sneaks off.
This left Nara Shikaku and Shizune helpless, feeling guilty about having such a Hokage.
But Anko?
She was genuinely free!
Every day, she would just eat, drink, or train.
And even in training, she wasn't particularly diligent.
It was more like two days of effort followed by three days of slacking off.
A very laid-back lifestyle.
When Ryosuke brought up engagement, Anko immediately refused.
"Forget it! It's too troublesome!"
Anko looked reluctant.
"How about we just invite some friends over for a meal and briefly talk about it?"
As expected!
Just as Ryosuke had thought, Anko didn't want anything too formal.
Ryosuke said, "That's fine, but when we get married in the future, you can't be this casual."
An engagement was one thing, but for marriage, there had to be a proper ceremony.
A simple gathering wouldn't cut it.
Anko said with a carefree attitude, "Okay, okay. The wedding is up to you. But engagement? Honestly, it doesn't even matter if we have one or not!"
Anko didn't care much about things like this.
...
Evening
"Engagement? Sure."
Ryosuke invited Yugao, Karin, and Kurenai over to discuss the engagement.
"I spoke to Anko earlier. She doesn't want to make a big deal out of it—just invite some friends and inform a few people."
"But Hinata and Ino will probably want something grand."
"What do you guys think?"
Ryosuke asked the three.
He had 6 officially confirmed girlfriends.
Of course, there were some women he had ambiguous relationships with.
But honestly, managing a relationship takes time and energy.
Six were already enough to keep him busy.
If all seventeen or eighteen of them became official, then…
To be honest, Ryosuke felt like even 24 hours wouldn't be enough for his girlfriends.
He wouldn't even have time for himself.
So, some relationships stayed ambiguous.
But there's no rush.
He is only 14.
His life span is already infinite.
There's plenty of time so he can take things slow.
As for his girlfriends?
Don't forget, Ryosuke's Lord of Reincarnation ability.
It could easily solve the problem of life expectancy for them.
No need to worry.
Kurenai said, "My thoughts are the same as Anko's."
She wasn't someone who liked big ceremonies.
And there weren't many people in her Yuhi clan. So, there was no need to make a huge scene.
Just inviting close friends and letting them know would be enough.
"I agree." Yugao nodded.
"Yeah, I don't want a big event either." Karin quickly added, following the lead of her two older sisters.
Honestly, for Karin, as long as she could be with Ryosuke, nothing else mattered.
A title wasn't important to her.
"You guys!"
Ryosuke shook his head.
"I figured you'd say that. So, how about we just invite some friends over for a meal and announce it then?"
"Sure!"
Kurenai nodded.
"And really, you don't need to ask again and again—just do it all at once."
Yugao and Karin agreed.
This saves time and effort!
Ryosuke: "…"
Other men struggle to avoid grand ceremonies, but here he was, dealing with women who didn't want one.
Even…
They wanted to hold all four engagements at once.
Because doing them separately was too much trouble?
Ryosuke was speechless.
But…
He knew that they were thinking of him.
Plus, they really didn't want a big event.
Unlike Hinata and Ino, their families weren't that influential.
Even if they didn't personally care, Hinata and Ino's parents wouldn't allow a simple engagement.
But Kurenai and the others were different.
They had the freedom to decide for themselves.
Now that they had agreed on a simple gathering, Ryosuke started making arrangements.
Who to invite?
What date to set?
These things had to be finalized in advance.
But it wasn't complicated.
Ryosuke discussed the details, and they quickly settled on a plan.
...
Next day
For once, Ryosuke didn't assign his Wood Clone to take the Team Ten on a mission.
He gave them a day off and went to Ino's house to discuss the engagement.
As expected!
The Yamanaka clan planned to hold a grand event.
And they had already heard that Ryosuke was getting engaged to Hinata.
Likely, the Hyuga clan had spread the news.
So when Ryosuke mentioned the engagement, they were already prepared.
Ryosuke listened to their plans and saw no problem with it, so he agreed.
***
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