Chapter 123 (Patreon)

Another ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

July 25 was an entirely ordinary day for Konoha and the rest of the shinobi world.

For Nerona Mihawk, Hinata, and Hanabi, however, it was a day of great significance.

They were moving.

After living in the commercial district for more than two months, the three of them were finally moving into their new home.

Construction had taken ten days to complete.

Technically, the house itself had been finished eight days earlier. However, they still needed to let the smell of fresh paint and wood fade before giving the entire building a thorough cleaning.

When everything was finally ready the previous day, Hinata and Hanabi could barely wait to move in.

Their previous home held many years of precious memories with Mihawk.

However, that house had originally been inherited from Mihawk’s parents. No matter how long Hinata and Hanabi lived there, part of it would always feel like Mihawk’s family home rather than something the three of them had created together.

This new house was different.

It had been built with the mission rewards earned by Mihawk and Hinata. It would become their home after Mihawk and Hinata married, as well as the place where the three of them would continue living together.

For Hinata and Hanabi, its meaning went far beyond that of an ordinary house.

Early that morning, the two sisters dragged Mihawk into the commercial district for a rare shopping trip.

The district contained everything they could possibly need for their new home.

A dining table, sofas, beds, a refrigerator, wardrobes, wall cabinets, and other essential furniture all had to be purchased.

After that came the remaining appliances, curtains, bedding, decorations, and even several sets of new clothes.

By noon, the items purchased by the three of them could almost have been piled into a small hill.

Fortunately, none of them lacked money.

Mihawk had not accepted many missions over the past three years, but the rewards earned by an elite jōnin were considerable. Even after paying for the construction of the new villa, he still had plenty of money remaining.

When Hinata’s savings were included, furnishing the entire house placed no financial burden on them at all.

Once they finished shopping, the three of them did not need the stores to deliver anything.

They sealed the furniture and other purchases inside several large storage scrolls before placing those scrolls inside one final storage scroll.

After taking care of that, Mihawk found the landlord, paid the remaining rent, and returned the key to the villa.

Shortly after two in the afternoon, the three of them finished packing their remaining belongings and set out for Konoha.

The village had already returned to normal.

The civilian district had also been fully restored.

There had never been any need to build temporary housing or decide whether the clan compounds should be repaired before the civilian streets. The damage had been limited enough for every affected area to be repaired at the same time.

Instead of construction materials, the carts passing through Konoha now carried weapons, medicine, military ration pills, and other supplies for the coming war.

The civilians willingly assisted with those preparations. They understood that if another enemy threatened Konoha, the village’s shinobi would be the first to stand between them and danger.

After returning to Konoha, Mihawk, Hinata, and Hanabi headed directly toward their new home.

Beyond the open iron gate stood an elegant two-story villa surrounded by walls that separated the property from the nearby streets.

The moment they stepped through the gate, they were greeted by several cherry trees planted throughout the garden.

The grounds also contained a carefully maintained lawn, a small pavilion, a pond, and a private dōjō.

The villa combined traditional Land of Fire architecture with modern conveniences, giving it an elegant appearance without making it feel old-fashioned.

“Even though we’ve visited several times already, it still looks amazing!”

Hanabi threw both hands into the air.

“Our new home is the best!”

Mihawk raised a hand and gently rubbed her head, smiling without saying anything.

Beside him, Hinata covered her mouth and laughed softly, her eyes curving into crescents.

The three of them opened the front door and stepped inside.

The rooms were still empty, although a chandelier already hung from the ceiling of the main hall. The electricity had also been connected.

Mihawk removed the storage scroll from his back and took out the smaller scrolls sealed inside it.

The three of them immediately got to work.

They began by taking out the furniture and arranging the living room on the first floor.

After that came the master bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and the remaining rooms.

Once all the furniture had been placed in its proper position, Hinata and Hanabi wiped down every surface and cleaned the floors again.

The three of them continued working until dusk.

By the time everything was finally finished, their clothes were dusty and their hair was dishevelled.

Nevertheless, as they looked around their completely furnished home, all three of them smiled with satisfaction.

After working for most of the day, they were eager to wash away the dust and sweat.

Hanabi used the new bathroom first, followed by Hinata and then Mihawk. Taking turns had been their usual routine at the rental villa, so they naturally followed the same order in their new home.

The bathroom was far larger than the one in the villa, and its deep bathtub could easily accommodate several people. Each of them took the opportunity to relax in the warm water after the exhausting move.

When Mihawk finally emerged wearing a clean house robe, Hinata and Hanabi were already waiting in the living room with tea and warm towels.

“You carried most of the heavy things, so Hinata-nee and I will help you relax,” Hanabi announced.

Before Mihawk could answer, she pushed him toward the sofa.

Mihawk sat down and leaned his head back, placing a warm towel over his face.

Hinata and Hanabi stood behind him and began massaging his shoulders.

Two pairs of hands moved across his shoulders, upper back, and scalp. Hinata’s movements were gentle and steady, while Hanabi carefully imitated everything her sister did.

With the new living room being much larger than the one in the rental villa, the three of them finally had enough space to relax comfortably.

For a while, Mihawk quietly enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere.

Before long, however, he suddenly removed the towel from his face.

He first glanced at Hanabi, who was wearing an unusually serious expression, before turning toward the puzzled Hinata.

Noticing his movement, Hinata stopped.

“Mihawk-kun, is something wrong?”

“No. It’s nothing.”

Mihawk shook his head and placed the towel over his face again.

Without looking back, he reached behind him and lightly tapped Hanabi’s hand.

She had been deliberately pressing the same spot harder each time, clearly trying to see whether she could make him react.

Hanabi was not discouraged after being caught.

Instead, a mischievous smile appeared on her face as she pressed down even harder.

Ten minutes later, Hanabi suddenly turned toward her sister.

“Hinata should get a turn too!”

She then looked at Mihawk.

“Mihawk, it’s your turn. Help Hinata relax.”

Hinata quickly waved her hands.

“No, I’m fine. I don’t need it.”

“You worked all day too,” Mihawk said as he removed the towel. “Sit down and relax.”

His voice had become slightly hoarse from exhaustion.

“All right.”

Since Mihawk had already spoken, Hinata softly agreed.

She accepted the warm towel he handed her and placed it over her face without hesitation.

Mihawk moved behind her and began gently massaging her shoulders.

Watching them, Hanabi concealed a snicker, took a quick sip of tea, and quietly slipped out of the room before either of them could make her take another turn.