Lint was being led away by Hinata Hyuga, her small hand firmly holding his. As they walked side by side, he felt something unusual—his body was growing stronger.
Curious, he turned his senses inward and noticed that not only was Hinata's body changing too, but her chakra was becoming more refined. Even her Byakugan seemed sharper, stronger.
When did this start?
Lint traced it back in his mind… It must've been the moment she reached out her hand and he took it, his fingers wrapping around her soft, tiny palm.
Everything had changed from that simple contact.
If that much happened just by holding hands… what would happen if they got a little closer?
He glanced at Hinata. She looked back—and then nodded gently.
So they leaned in closer.
Their physical and chakra resonance immediately deepened, strengthening both of them at an accelerated rate.
Not far away, at Ichiraku Ramen, Teuchi watched the scene unfold. He'd just seen Lint being pulled away by none other than the Hyuga heiress—and he remembered what she'd said moments ago:
"I'll take care of you."
Teuchi's face twisted with astonishment, his eyes wide.
Back in his youth, he too had fantasized about bumping into a noble lady on the street. Meeting by chance, falling in love, starting a sweet romance...
But reality had slapped him down. Without chakra, without the ability to become a ninja, there was no way someone like him could ever reach the heights of those prestigious clans.
So instead, he inherited his father's ramen shop and lived a humble, ordinary life.
And now?
He was witnessing Lint—an orphan, a nobody—being taken away by the Hyuga clan's heiress right before his eyes.
How was this fair?!
Dammit!
He turned to the side—and spotted his daughter Ayame watching the pair fade into the distance. There was a faint sadness in her eyes, her delicate face tinged with quiet disappointment.
…What?
Teuchi's whole body trembled. He gripped the ladle in his hand tighter, as a terrible thought struck him:
His daughter… had taken a liking to that boy.
No wonder she was always bringing him free food… always offering him extra ramen…
He replayed Lint's face in his mind. Now that he thought about it, the kid was kind of handsome. The kind of soft, clean look that young girls liked.
…
Meanwhile, in the shadows nearby, a Hyuga branch family bodyguard who'd been secretly tailing Hinata was drenched in sweat.
The heiress had just brought home a street vendor several years older than her?
Was she… romantically interested in him?
This was serious. No—this was a crisis.
They had to notify the clan head immediately.
After a brief discussion, the two guards split up—one rushed back to inform the clan, while the other stayed hidden to continue guarding Hinata.
At the same time, others on the street had witnessed the same scene—Hinata, dressed in a formal kimono, holding Lint's hand in public.
Among the witnesses… were members of the Anbu.
Word spread like wildfire: the Hyuga heiress had taken a liking to a civilian boy and was bringing him home.
Over in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi received the report from the Anbu. Without delay, he had Lint's file brought to him.
After flipping through it, he saw the boy—and even his deceased parents—were all confirmed Leaf villagers.
Background: clean.
No criminal record. No foreign affiliations.
The only mark against him? No chakra. No ninja talent. He simply couldn't mold chakra at all.
That alone would make it impossible for Hiashi Hyuga—the head of the clan and Hinata's father—to accept him as a son-in-law.
After all, if they married and had children, and those children turned out to be unable to become ninjas… they'd be the laughingstock of Konoha.
No doubt about it. Today, the Hyuga clan was going to be in chaos.
Still, as Hokage, it wasn't his place to interfere in internal clan matters.
…unless it was the Uchiha, of course.
With that thought, Hiruzen lit his pipe and returned to his paperwork.
…
Back at the Hyuga compound, Lint followed Hinata through the gates—and was immediately greeted by a massive crowd.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of people had gathered in the courtyard.
At the front were two figures: Hiashi, head of the main family, and Hizashi, head of the branch family.
Together, they had assembled nearly half the clan.
All because of Hinata's bold declaration: "I'll take care of you," and her act of bringing a strange boy home.
This had to be dealt with.
If not, the Hyuga clan would become a laughingstock.
Hiashi's expression was cold and grim as he stared at his daughter, still holding Lint's hand.
He took a deep breath and said sternly:
"Hinata. Do you understand what you've done?"