"Sis, the doctor just said you don't have any co—"
"Hanabi! Sis is getting ready to get up now, you… you take Kage-kun and go out first," Finally finding an excuse, Hinata definitely didn't want Hanabi to ruin it.
'If Kage-kun really finds out I am a lewd, shameless woman, then I won't even have the right to stay by his side and look at him…'
"Oh," Hanabi didn't understand why her sister suddenly got so shy.
But just now, seeing sis biting her finger like that, he also felt it was a little strange.
"Big Brother Kage, do you want to have breakfast with Sis?"
After pushing the slightly dazed Uchiha Kage out of her sister's room, Hanabi finally remembered that she had rushed to call him so early, it might've been a little impolite.
However, things indeed went as she expected. As long as she brought Big Brother Kage over, sis's "illness" would heal on its own without medicine.
"No need, I've already eaten."
These past few days, Kushina hadn't stopped feeding him.
Even now, his mouth was still full of milky fragrance.
———
"Kage… do you think the Hokage-sama might have some other intention?"
Still the same reception room from last time.
But this time, without Kurenai and the others, only Uchiha Kage, Hinata, and Hanabi sat opposite.
Wanting the Hyūga Clan to form the Konoha Security Force, this wasn't exactly a good job…
"What other intention? Using the Byakugan to guard the village couldn't be more suitable, right?"
'So it is just a small matter like this.'
Uchiha Kage casually replied to the troubled-looking Hyūga Hiashi while rubbing the little Hanabi sitting in his lap.
For some reason, ever since being 'kidnapped' home and 'curing' Hinata, little Hanabi seemed to enjoy sticking to him.
As if she really saw him as a big brother.
"Big Brother, want some cookies?"
Stuffing a piece of pastry into her small mouth, Hanabi held another cookie up over her head.
"Hanabi! Kage-kun is discussing things with Father right now, don't interrupt…", Seeing her little sister actually sit in Uchiha Kage's lap right in front of her, Hinata panicked.
'Why is Hanabi so inconsiderate?'
'Even I haven't been this close to Kage…'
Hinata was both worried that Hanabi might make Uchiha Kage feel annoyed, and also feeling an unclear tinge of jealousy.
"What's the big deal, Big Brother Kage doesn't mind," Seeing Uchiha Kage eat the cookie she handed over, Hanabi looked proud and satisfied.
'Big Brother likes sis, and I also like sis, so we'll be one family in the future.'
"Mm, it's fine," Uchiha Kage also handed a pastry to the Hanabi sitting in his lap.
Whether little sister-in-law, little sister, or daughter, Hanabi could fill the role.
"Alright then…",nSeeing that Uchiha Kage didn't dislike her little sister, Hinata sighed in relief.
But she still shot her sister a look saying, "You'd better behave yourself."
"Kage, I'm worried the security force might be resented by people in the village…",nThe elder daughter sat closely beside the youth, and the younger one was actually on his lap.
This scene made Hyūga Hiashi's eye twitch repeatedly.
He even began to feel like his clan's white eyes were about to be dyed red by this Uchiha youth.
But he couldn't get angry, after all, ever since his brother Hizashi died, he really had no one left to consult.
A vast Hyūga clan, especially the main house, if not all useless drunkards, then all just plain incompetent.
"Just like the Uchiha before."
Especially the Byakugan, this surveillance tool. Even if the village was quiet, seeing those white eyes constantly sweeping the village would eventually cause discontent.
The Uchiha clan's end was a cautionary tale.
Hyūga Hiashi didn't know if the youth before him truly didn't understand or was pretending not to.
Clearly, he performed so well in the Hidden Mist Village, so why, after returning to Konoha, was he now…
"Then let the branch house form the security force. If the village people resent them, it won't affect the main house," Uchiha Kage thought Hiruzen must be getting desperate, hence wanting the Hyūga's Byakugan deployed.
Too bad even the Byakugan might not catch…
"This…"
'Isn't this a rotten idea?'
To outsiders, branch house and main house are still all Hyūga, who would distinguish them that clearly?
Hyūga Hiashi began to feel that discussing things with Uchiha Kage might've been irrational.
'Young people are still young people after all…'
'Wait, during Neji's situation before, he already sensed something, could this Uchiha be deliberately stirring up conflict between the Hyūga main and branch houses?'
Last time, he spent a lot of effort explaining to Neji, even telling him the truth about Hizashi's death.
But Neji only said he understood, without having the great awakening he'd hoped for, nor pledging full loyalty to the main house.
That made him deeply worried.
"If you don't want to do it, you could also refuse the Hokage's order."
Anyway, war was about to break out. By then, Hiruzen probably wouldn't be able to worry about this stuff.
"How could I refuse…", It was just that he was too embarrassed to refuse, or didn't dare to, Hyūga Hiashi only now realized why he was so anxious.
"Hiashi-senpai, you could suggest that the Byakugan alone isn't comprehensive enough, and ask all clans to send people to form the security force. If other ninja clans refuse, wouldn't that give you an excuse to decline?"
No helping it. After all, he was still holding the man's daughter. Uchiha Kage had to offer some practical advice.
He could no longer keep brushing it off.
"Kage, you're right. Forming the security force really shouldn't be one clan's responsibility…", Hearing this, Hyūga Hiashi finally relaxed his brow.
This Uchiha had clearly already thought of a solution, but just had to mess with him a little first.
Really…
While complaining in his heart, Hyūga Hiashi also looked at Uchiha Kage surrounded by his two daughters, and sighed even more heavily.
If only Neji were my son, he even found himself thinking that for a moment.
At least, with one more son by his side, he wouldn't feel this miserable.
———
"Tomorrow, besides spectators, everyone in the village must participate in an evacuation drill…"
[Hokage Building]
Before the "decisive battle," Hiruzen held a ninja meeting.
Even though the army was ready, the Hidden Sand Village would definitely sneak some people into Konoha to cause trouble.
To minimize village losses, Hiruzen planned to evacuate the villagers in advance.
"I'll be relying on you jonin and chunin to handle the evacuation and participate in the drill."
"Yes!"
Though they didn't understand why they had to do an evacuation drill on the most crucial day of the chunin exam exhibition, the ninjas exchanged looks and said nothing.
"Kakashi, Yamato, tomorrow you'll lead all Anbu members in handling the chunin exam's security."
After dismissing the regular ninjas, Hiruzen gathered all the Anbu members.
"Yes."
After assigning tasks to Kakashi and the others, Sarutobi Hiruzen left Uchiha Kage behind alone.
"Kage, I have a special mission for you."
The Flying Thunder God scroll he gave Uchiha Kage before, he didn't know if he had studied it, or mastered it?
'Forget it, even Kakashi haven't succeeded. A teenager like Uchiha Kage surely can't either.'
Shaking his head, Hiruzen suppressed the hope he shouldn't have, then looked at the youth in front of him.
"Tomorrow, when the exam ends or is interrupted… I want you to do whatever it takes to detain…"
The Fourth Kazekage was already dead, but his three children were all in this chunin exam.
Once they defeated the Hidden Sand Village, they would surely need to use the Kazekage's children.
Now that Danzo was under house arrest, this kind of "dirty job" could only go to someone else.
And the best candidate was Uchiha Kage, loyal, strong.
Most importantly, he hadn't awakened the Sharingan.
"All the genin present will follow your orders then."
"…Got it," Uchiha Kage showed a bit of surprise to reassure Hiruzen.
'The Sand Siblings, huh?'
Uchiha Kage couldn't help recalling the 'NPC Temari' from his dream space, and the scene from that night where he caught her changing clothes.
'This princess from the Hidden Sand Village really should stay in Konoha a bit longer. Preferably with a study companion like me.'
———
"What's Hokage-sama up to again?"
"Sensei?"
Just stepping out of the Hokage building, Uchiha Kage saw Kurenai waiting for him.
After a few days apart, this teacher seemed to have finally come out of that shy episode.
The look in her eyes was no longer bashful, back to normal.
"Don't tell me Uchiha Itachi is planning to cause trouble in the village again?"
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