Chapter 168 (Patreon)

Two days later, at Konoha Cemetery.

Every shinobi who had participated in the Fourth Shinobi World War gathered for the memorial service, along with the families of those who had fallen. All of them were dressed in black.

Nearly fifty thousand shinobi had lost their lives in the war.

Yet only two days had passed between its beginning and end.

On average, one life had been lost every few seconds.

The scale of that tragedy had taught the entire shinobi world a brutal lesson. The fear left behind by the war would not disappear for many years.

Perhaps only when the next generation—or even the generation after that—forgot the horror of the Fourth Shinobi World War would someone dare to ignite the flames of conflict again.

For those living in the present, however, peace had truly arrived.

Because of Uzumaki Naruto, the shinobi world had begun taking its first steps toward mutual understanding. It was entering an era of peace that bore some resemblance to the dream once pursued by the First Hokage, yet had been born through entirely different means.

After the second day of memorial services, Konoha gradually emerged from its grief and returned to its usual lively state.

For its newest heroes, however, the brief respite from the troubles brought by fame had also come to an end.

The three hailed as the saviors of the shinobi world—Nerona Mihawk, Hyūga Hinata, and Uzumaki Naruto—had become celebrated heroes not only in Konoha, but throughout the entire shinobi world.

People from countless countries and villages arrived in Konoha every day, hoping to meet them.

The village eventually had no choice but to establish additional checkpoints at its gates, turning away visitors who had no legitimate reason to enter.

Fortunately, Konoha’s villagers had already lived through Pain’s assault. They had long since grown accustomed to treating Mihawk and Naruto as heroes.

The only difference now was the addition of Hinata.

Hinata had gained no shortage of admirers herself, particularly among Konoha’s young men, who had begun referring to her as the “Byakugan Princess.”

At the same time, Mihawk and Hinata’s relationship had been revealed to the entire world.

Once everyone learned that the two were together, they were met with almost nothing but praise. In the eyes of most people, they could not have been better suited for one another.

They had grown up side by side, and the bond between them had gradually grown into love. Their story left countless people envious.

Several writers had even begun turning their relationship into novels, hoping to sell their own versions of the tale.

Their fame was already beginning to create ripples of its own.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Sasuke had been brought back to Konoha and confined for a time. His previous charges were eventually cleared, his status as a rogue shinobi was revoked, and he was released.

Having regained his freedom, Sasuke chose to leave the village and travel across the shinobi world. His goal was to investigate the mysteries surrounding Kaguya, whom the Sage of Six Paths had mentioned.

Uzumaki Naruto remained in Konoha and began cooperating with the medical-nin at Konoha Hospital as they prepared to attach a new right arm.

This particular day, however, was significant for an entirely different reason.

It was neither Mihawk’s nor Hinata’s birthday.

It was the day of Mihawk’s first formal visit to the Hyūga clan.

Mihawk and Hinata’s relationship had been known to Konoha’s leadership and the village’s major clans ever since the Konoha Crush several years earlier.

For reasons known only to them, the Hyūga clan had never formally invited Mihawk into their compound. Even so, their silence had always amounted to tacit acceptance of the relationship.

Now that the entire shinobi world knew about the two of them, there was no longer any reason to avoid the matter.

They had also reached an age where marriage was no longer a distant subject, and after everything they had been through together, no one could deny how well suited they were.

At last, the Hyūga clan extended Mihawk an invitation.

Early that morning, Hanabi dragged him out of the training hall.

She hauled him into the bathroom, washed his hair, scrubbed his back, and then marched him into the bedroom before planting him in front of the full-length mirror.

For once, she did not even attempt any of her usual mischievous pranks.

Bare from the waist up and wearing only a pair of shorts, Mihawk watched Hanabi fuss over the suit laid across the bed.

“Do we really need to go this far?” he asked helplessly. “Isn’t my usual kimono formal enough?”

“No!” Hanabi answered without even looking back. “This is your first formal visit to our home, Mihawk-nii. You have to dress properly today.”

“All right…”

Mihawk released a resigned sigh and walked over to her.

“Give it here. I’ll put it on myself.”

The shinobi world’s technological development had always followed a strange and uneven path, yet it advanced at a remarkable pace.

Cameras, for example, had already appeared elsewhere two years earlier, although Konoha had yet to adopt them. Mihawk and Hinata had encountered them several times during their travels.

Clothing was similarly varied, with modern suits existing alongside traditional kimonos.

In truth, Mihawk’s usual kimono was already considered formal attire. There would have been nothing inappropriate about visiting the Hyūga clan while wearing it.

Hanabi had simply seen him dressed that way too many times. In her eyes, his kimono had become no different from the clothes a shinobi wore while carrying out missions.

That was why she had specially purchased a suit for him.

This was Mihawk’s first time wearing one.

Fortunately, with his tall, well-proportioned frame, almost any outfit looked as though it had been tailored specifically for him. Combined with his striking features and composed presence, the white suit suited him almost unfairly well.

It softened his usually sharp presence, giving him a gentler and more mature appearance, along with a refined, almost scholarly air.

“Wow… You look so handsome!”

Hanabi’s eyes lit up. She cupped her cheeks with both hands as she stared at him.

Smiling faintly, Mihawk raised two fingers and lightly tapped her forehead.

“Let’s go.”

“Mm-hm!”

Hanabi nodded eagerly, took hold of Mihawk’s left hand, and skipped out of the house beside him.

The two began walking toward the Hyūga clan compound.

Along the way, every villager who recognized Mihawk greeted him enthusiastically.

Several young women were unable to contain their excitement and actually squealed when he passed.

It was the same kind of fervor people showed toward an idol.

Even though Hanabi knew perfectly well that none of them had any chance of being with Mihawk, she still pouted in dissatisfaction whenever she heard their voices.

Mihawk responded to each greeting with a slight nod.

Before long, the two arrived at the entrance of the Hyūga clan compound.

Hanabi opened the gate and led Mihawk inside.

As they made their way through the grounds, Mihawk saw numerous members of the Hyūga clan.

Every person they passed stopped and bowed to him.

Their pale eyes followed him with fervent admiration and respect.

By the time Mihawk and Hanabi approached the main residence, Hyūga Hiashi and Hinata were already waiting outside.

Hiashi wore a traditional kimono, while Hinata was dressed in a pure white one.

Mihawk glanced at them before giving Hanabi’s small hand a pointed squeeze.

She had tricked him.

Hiashi, Hinata, and Hanabi were all dressed in kimonos. Mihawk was the only one wearing a suit, making him stand out from the three of them.

“Hehe…”

As expected, Hanabi looked up at him and flashed a mischievous smile.

Mihawk silently returned her gaze with a look that promised they would be discussing her little trick later.

When he reached them, Hinata bowed gracefully.

“Mr. Nerona, welcome to the Hyūga residence,” she said with a sweet smile.

Mihawk gave her a slight nod before turning toward Hiashi and bowing respectfully.

“Thank you for having me, Uncle Hiashi.”

Hiashi maintained his usual stern expression, but his voice was surprisingly gentle.

“Welcome, Mihawk.”