Chapter 15 (Patreon)

The three members of Team 8 followed Kurenai Yūhi out of the Academy.

She led them through the village until they reached a quiet clearing surrounded by trees. Few people seemed to visit the area, and several wooden training posts stood nearby. It appeared to be an abandoned training ground.

Kurenai turned around to face the three genin.

“Since this is our first meeting, let’s begin by introducing ourselves. Tell us your name, what you like, what you dislike, your hobbies, and your dream for the future.”

A friendly smile appeared on her face.

“I’ll start.”

She placed one hand on her hip.

“My name is Kurenai Yūhi. From today onward, I’ll be the jōnin in charge of Team 8, so you can call me Kurenai-sensei. My specialty is genjutsu. I like shōchū, vodka, and takowasa. I dislike cake, and my dream is to become a great kunoichi like Tsunade-sama.”

After finishing her introduction, Kurenai looked toward Mihawk.

“What about you?”

Mihawk spoke without hesitation.

“My name is Nerona Mihawk. I specialize in swordsmanship. There are many things I like and many things I dislike.”

He paused briefly.

“My dream is to become a shinobi capable of standing on his own.”

That was the end of his introduction.

Kurenai’s expectant smile slowly stiffened.

She had been curious to hear what the top graduate would say, only to receive an introduction that revealed almost nothing about him.

Hinata covered her mouth and quietly laughed.

Mihawk-kun was as reserved as ever.

Kurenai sighed inwardly before turning toward Hinata and Shino.

“What about you two?”

“Yes!”

Hinata immediately straightened.

“My name is Hinata Hyūga. I specialize in taijutsu. There are many things I like, but my favorite hobby is pressing flowers. I don’t really have anything I hate.”

When she reached the final part, she suddenly became hesitant.

“My dream is…”

Hinata remained silent for several moments, trying to gather enough courage to say what was truly in her heart.

“I want to become a housewife.”

What she really wanted to say was something else.

She wanted to remain beside Mihawk-kun forever.

However, she still could not bring herself to say those words in front of everyone.

“A housewife?”

Kurenai did not know what Hinata had left unsaid.

When she looked at the gentle, shy girl standing before her, her expression softened.

Finally, her gaze turned toward Shino, whose presence was almost as quiet as Hinata’s.

“My name is Shino Aburame,” he said in his usual calm tone. “I specialize in my clan’s secret insect techniques. I like vegetable salad and winter melon. I dislike food with overly strong flavors. My hobby is observing insects, and my dream is to discover a new species.”

“Very good.”

After learning more about all three of them, Kurenai nodded.

“We now have a basic understanding of one another, but I still need to evaluate your individual abilities and your teamwork.”

Her expression became slightly more serious.

“Meet me here tomorrow morning at nine. We’ll be conducting a survival exercise.”

Kurenai was naturally a gentle person, so she did not threaten them by saying they could lose their right to graduate.

Two of the three students before her came from prominent clans, while the third was the top graduate of his year.

She had only recently become a jōnin, and she already valued the exceptional team placed under her command. She had no desire to frighten or deliberately make things difficult for them.

Other jōnin might have considered her approach inexperienced and overly soft.

However, it left Mihawk, Hinata, and Shino with a favorable impression of her.

Mihawk was not like Kiba Inuzuka, who might look down on a female shinobi simply because she was a woman.

Without Kiba’s loud and impulsive personality, Team 8’s atmosphere would probably be the calmest among the three main rookie teams.

Mihawk possessed more than enough strength to become the center of the team.

Hinata trusted and listened to him more than anyone else.

Shino was calm by nature and had no interest in forcing himself into the position of leader.

As long as Mihawk displayed enough strength, Team 8 would naturally begin following his decisions.

After Kurenai dismissed them, Mihawk and Hinata left the training ground together and started walking home.

“Mihawk-kun,” Hinata said as they walked, “what do you think the purpose of Kurenai-sensei’s survival exercise is?”

She tilted her head slightly.

“Does she only want to understand our strength and teamwork, or do you think there’s another reason?”

It sounded as though she was simply searching for a topic to continue their conversation.

Mihawk shook his head.

“I don’t think there’s anything else. She didn’t seem like she was lying.”

Of course, he already knew the true purpose of the exercise.

The bell test was one of the most memorable events from the beginning of the story.

Its purpose was to teach newly formed genin that teamwork mattered more than individual success.

However, Kurenai would probably be disappointed.

Mihawk had no interest in wasting too much time playing along with such an obvious lesson.

This was also his first opportunity to test his strength against a genuine jōnin.

He wanted to see what level he had reached.

When they arrived at the main street, Mihawk and Hinata separated for a short time.

Mihawk returned home and began washing rice for lunch.

Not long afterward, Hinata entered the house carrying the ingredients she had gone to collect.

The two stayed in the kitchen and prepared lunch together.

As they worked, they talked about small and amusing things.

Mihawk did most of the speaking, while Hinata answered softly. Whenever he said something that amused her, she pursed her lips and smiled.

Once lunch was finished and everything had been cleaned away, Mihawk continued the unusual kind of training he had been giving Hinata for years.

Hinata had always been extremely shy.

When they first met, even having Mihawk step slightly closer could make her face turn red. Steam would seem to rise from her head before she eventually fainted.

It had taken Mihawk a long time to help her overcome that reaction.

Over the years, he had also learned to judge her condition from the warmth of her face and hands, allowing him to recognize when she was approaching her limit.

After six years together, their closeness had naturally gone far beyond that of ordinary childhood friends.

They held hands often, and Hinata had gradually become comfortable enough to let Mihawk hug her.

Even so, sudden affection could still leave her completely flustered.

Whenever they cooked together, Mihawk occasionally approached her from behind without warning and lightly wrapped his arms around her waist.

He would continue their conversation as though nothing unusual had happened, speaking close enough for his breath to brush against her ear.

Hinata’s body would immediately stiffen.

Her temperature would rise, her thoughts would scatter, and she would completely forget whatever she had been doing.

Just before she became too overwhelmed, Mihawk would calmly release her and step away.

By the time Hinata recovered, her entire face would be red with embarrassment.

At least she no longer fainted.

Watching her stand there like an overheated kettle was still surprisingly entertaining.

There was one other thing worth mentioning.

Hinata’s first kiss had already gone to Mihawk.

It had happened around noon one day during the previous year.

Hinata had taken a rare nap at Mihawk’s house after training.

At some point, Mihawk sat down beside her.

Although Hinata kept her eyes closed, she had not truly fallen asleep.

Mihawk knew that as well.

For several quiet moments, neither of them moved.

Then Mihawk slowly leaned closer, giving her more than enough time to turn away.

Hinata’s face became warm, but she remained still.

Their lips touched briefly.

The kiss was soft, hesitant, and over almost as soon as it began.

Afterward, Hinata had been far too embarrassed to open her eyes immediately.

Mihawk said nothing and simply remained beside her.

Neither of them ever spoke openly about what had happened that afternoon.

Even so, both of them understood.