Neji now understands that this person is simply a scoundrel, perfectly willing to sacrifice others to save his own skin.
By reason or emotion, Naruto had done him a favor, and the relationship between him and Hinata was a matter of mutual consent.
As the saying goes, 'Even an honest official finds it hard to settle family disputes'. Matters between a couple were not something Neji, as an older cousin, should interfere with.
Besides, Naruto wanted nothing but Hinata, so there was no reason for Neji not to help. It was for his own sake as much as for Hinata's.
"Alright, wait here. Let me think of something." Neji said after some deliberation.
Hearing this, Naruto wasn't in a hurry. He casually pulled over a chair and sat down. Then, he leisurely looked around Neji's Clan Head's office, even crossing his legs and closing his eyes for a nap.
Before long, Neji seemed to have come up with a plan and walked straight out the door.
There was no helping it. Dealing with this troublemaker forced him to take matters into his own hands. Neji realized that whenever a Shuraba happened, that guy was always the most relaxed one.
This is very ridiculous. Where was the justice in this?
Watching Neji leave, Naruto didn't react much. Instead, a faint smile appeared on his lips. All the gifts of fate had already been secretly marked with a price, and now Neji had been dragged onto this pirate ship against his will.
…
At Hiashi's residence.
Neji met his uncle smoothly, but he was not in a hurry to tell his purpose. He chatted in circles for a while, discussing various clan's affairs and seeking advice on certain matters.
On the other side, Hinata was also a little stunned when she heard that Neji was coming.
Coincidentally, Hanabi was keeping her sister company, and she curiously looked at the barely-started scarf on the table. The previous one had been taken away by Obito and thrown to Naruto.
With a smile, Hanabi asked Hinata why she was knitting a scarf when winter hadn't even arrived yet, but she suddenly heard someone say that Neji was coming. Hanabi immediately gave Hinata a knowing look and said, "Oh, he's here."
Hinata naturally knew what Hanabi meant by 'he', as she's definitely not referring to Neji.
She also knew that Neji's purpose for coming was probably to pass on a message for him or...
But recalling her father's stern warnings, Hinata still felt hesitant. She lowered her head and took another look at the barely-started scarf with a complicated expression.
"Nee-chan?" Hanabi waved a hand in front of her face, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Hinata shook her head.
"Then, are you going later?" Hanabi asked tentatively. The gears of fate had started turning many years ago and had begun to show a bias.
…
On the other side, Naruto was napping on two chairs pushed together, and he had already let go of all the pressure in his heart onto others. This guy was an expert at roping people into his schemes, and what might have seemed like casual actions years ago were, in fact, carefully laid groundwork for the future.
This Shuraba had been simmering for years, but it had never been boiling over. Though things occasionally spiraled beyond his expectations, it was generally developing in a good direction.
Back on a certain summer day six years ago, when he'd decided to get both, he had already done a lot of things step by step, both overtly and covertly.
It was also in his plan to break Hyuga Clan's Caged Bird the Hyuga clan, which directly tied his future brother-in-law, Neji, to his pirate ship, forming an unbreakable bond of interests.
Moreover, the gifts he purchased in the sealed space every year weren't for nothing. Every holiday or special occasion, if there was even the slightest opportunity, he made sure to send presents to the others.
Aside from troublemakers like Kiba and Choji, whom he hadn't wasted much effort on, almost everyone close to Hinata had received gifts from Naruto, the generous benefactor.
He didn't even need to lift a finger, and his 'tools' will come running on their own.
"Nee-chan, Neji-nii asked you to go to the Clan Head's residence. There's something he can't handle alone." Hanabi said innocently, peeking into the room.
"Father agreed too. He said you should go."
"Now?" Hinata swallowed and asked with forced calmness.
"Yes, Neji-nii is already waiting outside." Hanabi blinked her eyes, looking completely innocent, and urged, "Nee-chan, are you going?"
Hinata knew the reason Neji called her was probably because Naruto was waiting for her there.
"Yeah." She nodded softly, and the struggle in her heart disappeared.
"Okay, I'll go tell Neji-nii." Hanabi's eyes curved into crescents and she ran away with a smile. She could still vaguely hear Hiashi's scolding in the distance.
Outside the gate, Neji stood quietly, feeling extremely speechless.
"Ningji-nii!" Hanabi ran up to him, panting slightly as she waved, "Nee-chan agreed! She'll be here soon."
"Okay." Neji nodded, then looked at Hanabi again and frowned slightly.
'This guy's got eyes everywhere, huh? Even Hanabi's been recruited?' Neji thought, feeling somewhat exasperated, 'What kind of shady character is he?'
Hanabi knew that Neji was also Naruto's pawn, and her eyebrows curved immediately. For her, she was happy to see Naruto and Hinata together.
As for Ino, she had also met Ino and didn't hate her at all. Anyway, the real problem lay elsewhere, and Ino was innocent.
Hanabi was on Hinata's side and would never push her sister into a pit of fire. She just thought about all the possibilities one by one and finally compromised.
Not long after Naruto woke up, Hinata walked in alone. This time, Neji didn't show up at all. Perhaps he felt the frustration of being a tool, so he just fled.
At this time, Naruto was lazily flipping through some documents, his eyelids drooping as if he were about to doze off again. Sunlight streamed through the open windows, filling the room with bright, clear light.
Standing at the doorway, Hinata wore a light cotton dress and white stockings. There was a slight trace of flesh on her calves, and under the sunlight, her skin seems almost translucent.
"Cough." She coughed lightly.
"Hinata? What brings you here?" Naruto feigned surprise, his acting was flawless, "Don't just stand there. Come in and sit down first, I'll make you some tea."
Seeing this, Hinata couldn't help but laugh, and she was no longer angry.
"No need, I can do it myself." She said in a gentle voice, as if everything she said was so gentle, and there was infinite tenderness hidden in the soft corners of her eyes.
Naruto naturally wouldn't let Hinata lift a finger. Obito's actions had been utterly outrageous. Although it was beyond his expectations, the sudden eruption of the Shuraba was ultimately his fault.
Compared to both families meeting and subtly sensing something amiss, Naruto would much rather have Ino and Hinata openly clash in Shuraba. At least that would've been simpler.
But now, the parents from both sides had caught onto Naruto's intentions, and their opinions of him had plummeted. Hinata and Ino had also belatedly realized the truth, and now, both girls had fallen into silence.
This was far worse than a mere Shuraba, as it's a double-layered Shuraba, with both the younger and older generations involved.