pertwk Page 186
Page 186
"Excuse me."
Hinata Yuzuru looked at her curiously, wondering if she had any other questions.
"Why did you do this?" she asked intently, not wanting to miss a single change in his expression.
Hinata Yuzuru simply looked at her and smiled slightly.
"In this world, some people will seek the truth behind everything, while others will follow the trends and rules of the world."
But for me... I dislike neither the truth of this world, nor its trends, nor its rules.
"Is it really that simple?" she murmured.
"It's that simple," Hinata Yuzuru replied calmly.
"And so, how do you view the existence of the Daimyo? Even if you dislike certain rules... but..."
She lowered her head.
Hyuga Yuzuru simply rested his chin on one hand: "So-called rules are for those who can't survive without following the rules. I don't need them. The weak adapt to the world, the strong change the world. In this dog-eat-dog ninja world, the so-called rules, regulations, and laws are just game rules that can be changed at any time."
What you're worried about isn't how important these rules are, but rather what will happen if you become the one who breaks them.
If all you want to know is what the consequences will be, then I can tell you my thoughts in advance...
Even if I end up on the opposite side of the vast majority, I will still win. This is not a matter of probability, but a scenario that will inevitably unfold in the future.
Whether you believe it or not, I will do it all, change it all—for the rest of your life.
Mei Terumi savored each word, and in the end, she could only murmur in surprise, "Is that so..."
"If you're still worried that Konoha has ambitions to dominate the world... there's no need to worry."
Mei Terumi looked at him, his face propped up on his hand, looking slightly lazy and unruly. Her gaze was fixed on his captivating blue eyes, watching the light flow within them.
"To me, there is no point in dominating the world, nor is there any point in Konoha becoming the sole power."
Humans are a sophisticated yet cruel species, capable of killing one another because of their desires.
Even if only Konoha remains as a power in this world, it will eventually fall apart due to desires.
All I need to do is set new rules and give the ninja world a new structure.
As long as the world becomes less hateful, that's fine.
What happens next is none of my business.
After he finished speaking, Terumi Mei remained silent for a long time. She was silent for a moment, then chuckled.
"What an amazing man."
"You're not bad either, woman."
He stood up and leisurely left: "Oh, right, I forgot to mention... if you need to find a spouse, give me a heads-up beforehand and get on the waiting list—there aren't many high-quality single men in Konoha these days. If you get snatched up by girls from other Hidden Mist Villages, don't blame me for not warning you."
“She’s my friend,” she said without changing her expression.
"Yes Yes."
Hyuga Yuzuru drifted away.
Terumi Mei sat sullenly in the reception room, speechless for a long time, before letting out a desolate sigh.
Requesting a day off to summarize last month and plan for this month.
I haven't had a break for over two months. My two younger brothers are back from their National Day holiday these days, so I'll spend a good day with the family. I'll update as usual tomorrow (October 3rd).
Last month I had perfect attendance for 30 days and updated 330,000 words. I wasn't very satisfied with that, not because of the word count, but because of the quality. There were too many miscellaneous things to do, so I couldn't increase the quantity or the quality of my updates, and I was exhausted.
Fortunately, the book is almost finished, and everyone can read it. There's not much left to write. Pushing through the main plot probably won't even take 100,000 words. But I still plan to write a little more, mainly to wrap up what I've started.
This includes resolving the emotional connections between various characters, whether friendships or family ties, and arranging a relatively happy ending.
Everyone felt that the previous descriptions of what the protagonist was going to do in the ninja world, such as economics and business, seemed a bit redundant and padded. But personally, I think that I don't plan to write about the specific process of these things.
Because if I were to write it down, it would be too long-winded, and I'm not confident that I can write it particularly well. That's why I want to say more here, so that even if some parts of the plot are omitted later, everyone will know, "Oh, this is it," instead of spending a lot of words summarizing what happened later like a diary.
To put it simply, you'll understand. Then, it's cleverly interspersed within the plot for transition. That's roughly it. The main issue is that I wasn't in a good state of mind, so the writing felt very rambling and dry, even to myself. But there's not much else to say.
The pace of this month's chapters will be a little faster, but correspondingly, the word count will be less. This is partly because the current book is nearing completion, and partly because I need to free up some energy for things like thinking about what to write for the new book, how to write it, how to end this book, what needs to be written, and what doesn't...
Actually, what I was most dissatisfied with last month was the Chunin Exams storyline. The buildup was very thorough, but the writing was very rough, and the climax didn't come through. But I don't have the energy to revise and rewrite it. I haven't even been active in the reader group for a long time. I'm really exhausted and numb.
Fortunately, with the house and other grounds in place, the basic renovation process will begin in November, and I can go back to my hometown in Inner Mongolia in December. Then I won't have to worry about the renovation every day, nor will I have to take care of the kids during the holidays. I can stay for five or six months, and by then I'll be in the middle to late stages of writing my new book.
My writing ability should be better back home, at least the environment is much better. This is really a time of anxiety and chaos.
The main reason is that my mother kept nagging me to buy a house and stop wandering around aimlessly. So, she arranged this place for me, and I'm expected to cover the mortgage and renovation costs. I'm feeling very anxious.
Let's leave aside the everyday stuff for now—in short, I hope to update more than 200,000 words in October, writing 4,000-8,000 words a day, which should be a relatively stable word count for me, and it can guarantee quality.
When I'm not in a good state, I can manage 4K words to survive; when I'm in a good state, I can manage 10,000 words. I originally thought I could finish the book by writing 10,000 words a day, but I really overestimated myself. Without a stable environment and mindset, it's hard to do that.
My biological clock is constantly on fire. Sometimes I feel like I just finished writing at 6 a.m. and lay down to sleep for three hours before I have to go out again. As soon as I open my eyes, I go for a run and come home, I'm out of breath. Damn it, I have to write again. In a word: amazing!
In short, this is the update plan for October. You can take your time reading it, but you don't need to wait too long. My plan is to finish the book in November. If I write quickly this month, it will be at the beginning of the month; if I write slowly, it will be at the end of next month. It will be a little over one million words, which is in line with the plan.
That's all~ Love you all, Happy National Day~ Have a good rest for a few days~
Chapter 136 Hinata: No way?
The day after the conversation, the document sent by Hyuga Yuzuru arrived on the desk of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
"Look, all of you, let me see!"
The daimyo of the Land of Fire, enraged, threw the document in his hand to the ground, and laughed in fury, saying, "He wants me to cooperate with his schedule and finish things that day... What does he take the daimyo for, and what does he think of himself?!"
"Please calm your anger, Your Excellency..."
The courtiers below sat in two rows, and upon hearing this, they hurriedly bowed and advised the daimyo. However, their words of advice to him not to be too angry only made the daimyo more furious. He slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and roared, "Tell the Fifth Hokage of Konoha that I will never give him an official appointment from the daimyo's residence!"
He had expected the courtiers below to be excitedly in agreement with him, but to his surprise, the moment the lord uttered those words, a sudden, deathly silence fell over the crowd.
The lord was taken aback and looked at the two ministers he relied on most, but saw that their eyes were darting around. After a while, one of them spoke hesitantly.
"But what if the Fifth Hokage uses this as a reason to force Konoha to secede from the Land of Fire...?"
"He dares!? I'd like to see if Konoha can leave the Land of Fire..." The Daimyo was about to shout angrily, but suddenly stopped. He stood there thoughtfully, then slumped down without saying a word.
Seeing their daimyo suddenly fall silent, the courtiers below remained silent, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The minister who had just given the warning twitched slightly at the corner of his mouth. At this moment, everyone around him, including the daimyo, was watching him without making a sound.
So, he could only helplessly whisper again, "Konoha is currently riding high, and the village's morale is soaring. Even if he intends to leave the Land of Fire now, I'm afraid a large number of people will follow him. And if the Land of Fire loses Konoha, I'm afraid the other ninja villages will not miss the opportunity either..."
"I'm so angry!" The daimyo of the Land of Fire slammed his hand on the low table in front of him in a fit of rage. Everyone around him looked on in fear, but when the anger on his face subsided, all that remained on the daimyo's face was mockery.
He stared coldly at the crowd before him, his voice hoarse: "Then tell me... should I cooperate with him?"
No one uttered a sound, and Daming rested a weary hand on his forehead.
In fact, since the emergence of the ninja villages, the status of the daimyo's country has been declining. However, the country cannot do without these ninjas. Not only can it not do without them, but in order to ensure its own safety, it also has to spend a lot of money and try every means to increase the number of ninjas in order to deal with the hidden villages of other countries.
When the weapon that had always belonged to him suddenly turned into a sharp blade pointed at him, the daimyo of the Land of Fire finally realized just how powerful that blade truly was.
What's most terrifying is that he has absolutely no means of defense. He asked in a low voice, "How many of the wandering ninjas from other Fire Clan families have gathered here now?"
"However, only a few hundred... Forgive my bluntness, but Konoha's army is now stronger and more powerful than it was during Hashirama Senju's time. The ninjas we've gathered... to be honest, I'm afraid the Fifth Hokage alone could..."
"Enough!" the daimyo interrupted him irritably. The minister lowered his head and remained silent, while the daimyo could only stare dejectedly at the ground. After a long while, he whispered, "Agree to his terms. In July, do as he says."
The courtiers were deathly silent.
"Bring the wine."
The sudden voice of the daimyo startled the courtiers for a moment, but when they looked up again, they saw the daimyo with a calm expression.
"Summon the musicians and imperial chefs to prepare a banquet. Today, I will hold a grand feast for all my officials—we shall not leave until we are drunk!"
The maids below were stunned until the daimyo gave them a cold look, then they hurriedly bowed their heads and replied, "Yes!"
...
While the daimyo was indulging in a life of debauchery, Hyuga Yuzuru was also at a banquet, albeit a family banquet.
Beside him sat five people: Hanabi Hyuga, Hinata Hyuga, and the couple Hiashi Hyuga, around a low table. The sumptuous dishes on the table were still steaming.
"Yuzuru-sama, please try this!" Seeing her family members acting rather awkwardly, Hinata Hanabi smiled brightly and used her own chopsticks, which she hadn't used yet, to pick up a piece of fried pork cutlet for Hinata Yuzuru.
Hyuga Yuzuru took the bowl and chopsticks, then smiled and said, "Thank you, Hanabi."
Seeing him smile at her, Hinata Hanabi was excited and happy. She said with a beaming smile, "I usually tell my classmates that Yuzuru-sama is my older brother... but they don't believe me!"
"Hanabi..." Hinata reached out and tugged at her sleeve, but Hanabi turned to look at her in surprise, completely unaware of what she had done wrong.
Hanabi had absolutely no recollection or knowledge of what had happened between the Hyuga main family and the branch family. In her memory, Hyuga Hizashi had always been the head of the family, and Hyuga Yuzuru was the pride and glory of the Hyuga clan.
He was the first member of the Hyuga clan to become Hokage, the Fifth Hokage whom everyone now praises, and also the son of his father's brother, his older brother...
Hanabi silently tilted her head, her long hair brushing past her eyes, looking at Hinata with some confusion. Hinata, however, lowered her head stiffly, saying, "Calling me 'brother' is... a bit too impolite..."
"No." Hyuga Yuzuru smiled frankly and said softly, "Actually, you feel the same way. At home, I still hope that you can see me as an older brother, a member of the clan, not as the Hokage."
"It's...Yuzuru...brother." Hinata changed her words with some difficulty, while Hanabi's eyes lit up: "Really!?"
"Ah."
Hyuga Yuzuru tasted the fried pork cutlet and said to Mrs. Hyuga, "Your fried pork cutlet is delicious. It's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the juices bring out such a savory flavor. It's so good even without any side dishes or sauces..."
"Right! Mom usually finds it troublesome and doesn't want to do much. This time, I'm just benefiting from Yuzuru-nii's help, hehe..." Hinata Hanabi laughed, but she noticed that her mother and father's emotions still seemed to be unable to rise. As a girl who was only five years younger than Hinata but was relatively precocious, she vaguely sensed that something was not quite right.
Her excited expression softened slightly as she gazed thoughtfully at her loved ones beside her. It wasn't until Hiashi Hyuga realized that he and his wife seemed to be behaving somewhat coldly that she calmly and gently tried to start a conversation: "Lord Yuzuru..."
"Just call me Yuzuru." Hyuga Yuzuru smiled, put down his chopsticks, and seeing the different expressions on their faces, he could only explain his purpose: "Don't overthink it. I just came because I haven't been able to chat with my family in a long time... Hinata, after graduating and becoming a ninja, is there anything you're unhappy about?"
"No! My comrades are all very kind to me, and Kakashi-sensei is very responsible..." Hinata hurriedly shook her head, but as she spoke, she couldn't help but lower her head and whisper, "I have no complaints..."
Hyuga Yuzuru nodded, picked up his chopsticks, and began chatting casually with Hyuga Hiashi, just like eating at home.
Having not spent much time alone with Hyuga Yuzuru for a long time, the image of the Fifth Hokage in front of him, with his white hair and blue eyes, dressed in a divine robe, gradually began to merge with that of Hyuga Hiashi, the boy who had personally changed his life's destiny on a rainy night.
Some changes don't refer to appearance, but rather to... attitude.
Although such internal monologues seemed somewhat inappropriate, Hiashi Hyuga genuinely felt that the man before him, despite appearing the same as he had back then, behaving both gentle and easygoing, gave him a sense of... authenticity.
Originally, even when looking at Hyuga Yuzuru's smiling face, he always felt a vague chill in his heart that he couldn't get rid of. But now, although Hyuga Yuzuru looks more spirited and sharp than before, it makes him feel more at ease.
For some reason, as the dinner continued, Hiashi Hyuga's attitude quickly became more lenient. He took the initiative to find topics to talk about, and although it was still somewhat 'deliberate', it was clear from the conversation that everyone had relaxed a lot.
For so many years, Hinata Yuzuru had ignored him, and Hizashi's attitude towards him remained the same. Although some estrangement might be difficult to completely resolve, he gradually got used to his current identity and quietly became the 'older brother of the former clan leader' and 'older brother of the current clan leader'.
After the dinner ended, Hinata Yuzuru turned to Hinata and Hanabi, seemingly casually asking, "Since we have some free time today, how about we go to the training ground together?"
Hanabi exclaimed enthusiastically, "Great!"
Hinata nodded silently, while Hiashi, lost in thought, simply smiled and saw them out. Only after Hyuga Yuzuru and the two girls had disappeared through the doorway did the lady whisper in confusion, "Lord Yuzuru, what's going on...?"
"It's probably Hinata's recent behavior that has made him realize something," Hiashi Hyuga said with a complicated expression, sighing softly, but also nonchalantly adding, "That's fine. Hinata has indeed been a bit lax lately. If Lord Yuzuru could give her some guidance, it might be more helpful."
“I’ve heard that nowadays ninjas don’t necessarily have to go to the battlefield like you…” Mrs. Hyuga had only just begun when Hiashi Hyuga fell silent for a moment, shook his head, and sighed noncommittally: “We’ll see.”
He no longer had high expectations for Hinata.
He only hoped that Hinata and Hanabi could live their lives peacefully and happily without suffering.
When Hyuga Yuzuru arrived at the training ground, he didn't say much. He simply had the two sisters each perform a set of Gentle Fist, and then had them practice against each other.
Hanabi is still studying at the Ninja Academy, but Hinata has already participated in the Chunin Exams. Even though Hanabi performed exceptionally well, she was still somewhat inferior to Hinata. However, during the battle, Hanabi showed great eagerness and fighting spirit, while Hinata always let her younger sister have her way. From time to time, she would secretly glance at Hyuga Yuzuru, trying to observe his expression.
When Hanabi was a little out of breath, Hinata Yuzuru stopped the match. With Hanabi's eyes sparkling with longing, he pointed out the shortcomings and problems of the two. Hanabi listened very attentively, while Hinata, as always, behaved gently and obediently.
After instructing the two for a while longer, Hyuga Yuzuru finished training and sat with the two panting sisters on the wooden corridor outside the martial arts hall. A maid brought them warm tea, and the three of them rested there for a while.
Hanabi wasn't used to drinking much, so she put it down after a few sips and started asking all sorts of questions about Hyuga Yuzuru. According to her, any news related to the Fifth Hokage was very popular at school, especially among the girls.
These girls were not only curious about his past experiences, but also about his height, weight, ideal type, favorite foods and drinks, hobbies, etc.
It's fair to say they truly idolized him like a celebrity.
Hinata Yuzuru remained patient and answered all the questions he could. In just over ten minutes, he gained a loyal fan who called him "Yuzuru-nii" (Brother Yuzuru) with great affection, making him feel as if he had returned to his childhood.
Once she calmed down a bit, Hinata Yuzuru glanced at Hinata, who remained silent and lost in thought, and asked softly.
What kind of people do you want to become in the future?