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“Karin, Hanabi, come here for a moment. I need to ask you something.” Shin called Karin and Hanabi over.
Both Karin and Hanabi looked apprehensive, exchanging glances. Did he find out about their eavesdropping yesterday?
Hanabi, quick-witted, already had a plan. She’d blame everything on Karin. After all, she was just a child—Shin wouldn’t punish her.
Thinking this, Hanabi put on an innocent expression…
Karin was still unaware that Hanabi was already planning to throw her under the bus.
“What were you two doing yesterday?” Shin looked at them with a half-smile.
Alright, hearing Shin’s question, any lingering hope Karin and Hanabi had vanished. It seemed they truly had been discovered.
“Shin-nii, IT WASN’T ME! Karin dragged me there! I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on anything!”
Hanabi decisively threw Karin under the bus. Her quick thinking was impressive.
Karin was utterly stunned, staring blankly at the Little Loli Hanabi. She never expected this little girl to be so cunning and ruthless.
Yesterday, it wasn’t Karin who dragged Hanabi along. Karin had been eavesdropping when Hanabi saw her and joined in.
“THAT’S A LIE!” Karin angrily grabbed Hanabi and pinched her small face forcefully. This was slander! She wouldn’t tolerate such an attack on her reputation.
“AAH! LET GO OF ME! I’LL BITE YOU!” Hanabi struggled, but she was no match for Karin. She could only resort to biting.
“I was prepared. I knew you little puppy would bite me. Can’t bite me now, can you?” Karin looked triumphantly at Hanabi. She held Hanabi from behind, pinching her small face, making it impossible for Hanabi to bite.
“Damn it! YOU MEANIE! Let me go if you dare, let me bite!” Hanabi roared in impotent fury.
“Hehe. Do you think I’m an idiot?” Karin rolled her eyes at Hanabi. Does this little girl really take her for a fool?
“Alright, you two stop fooling around. I haven’t even decided how to punish you yet.” Shin interrupted them, causing Karin and Hanabi’s expressions to freeze.
Shin had discovered them eavesdropping at the door yesterday. But he had been busy with important matters at the time and hadn’t had a chance to discipline them.
“Shin-sama, I admit my mistake. I’ll accept any punishment Shin-sama deems fit. Any punishment at all,” Karin said, winking at Shin.
Shin, seeing her implication, mentally face-palmed.
Thwack!
“Ouch!” Karin clutched her small head, looking pitifully at Shin. That’s not the kind of punishment she wanted!
“He’s not going to hit my head too, is he?” Hanabi, seeing Karin’s pained expression, immediately took a few steps back. The little girl was afraid of pain, so she wanted to escape now.
“Don’t even think about running. If you run away, I’ll put you through hellish training later.” Shin threatened Hanabi, who was trying to flee. This instantly made Hanabi freeze, looking pitifully at Shin.
“Fine! I won’t do it again! I promise!” Hanabi pouted, looking extremely wronged.
“We didn’t even hear anything…”
If she had heard something, it might have been worth it. But she heard nothing, and now she was being punished. Hanabi felt incredibly aggrieved.
“You actually wanted to hear something?” Shin was speechless.
‘Don’t you two have any shame? If only your personalities could complement Hinata’s…’
Thwack!
Hanabi didn’t escape either.
Shin tapped her small head, causing Hanabi to crouch on the ground, holding her head, tears welling up in her eyes, looking adorable.
“Alright, I won’t punish you further. But remember, don’t let there be a next time. Or else…” Shin felt it necessary to remind them properly, lest they forget.
However, Shin felt his warning probably wouldn’t be very effective. Though they appeared meek and submissive now, they were actually quite bold.
“UNDERSTOOD! There will absolutely be no next time!” Karin and Hanabi promised in unison.
Shin sighed, glancing at Karin and Hanabi. He felt he shouldn’t let Hanabi hang out with Karin anymore. Hanabi wasn’t like this before.
Previously, Hanabi was at most a slightly tsundere Little Loli. Now… Hiashi Hyūga probably wouldn’t even believe this was his daughter.
“Alright, you two go reflect on your actions.”
Shin sent them away to reflect, then went to the courtyard. Tsunade and the others were sitting there.
Tsunade, Kushina, and Mei Terumī were playing cards. Konan was doing origami. Hinata was watering flowers with Mikoto.
“Mikoto, I need to leave for a bit,” Shin said to Mikoto.
“Where are you going?” Mikoto put down the watering can and turned to ask Shin.
“To Mount Myōboku. I have some business to attend to. I probably won’t be gone long.”
“Mount Myōboku? Isn’t that the toad sage’s sanctuary? How are you getting there?” Tsunade put down her cards, peeled a paper strip from her face, and asked Shin.
They had been playing cards, and the loser had to stick a paper strip on their face. Tsunade had never won; her situation was quite pitiful.
It was normal. It would be strange if Tsunade’s luck ever allowed her to win.
“I have my ways. I’m leaving now.” Shin didn’t explain to Tsunade.
It was a bit complicated to explain, starting from Jiraiya and Orochimaru’s battle. Too troublesome.
“He sure runs fast.” Tsunade watched Shin’s figure disappear and couldn’t help but mutter. However, Tsunade wasn’t desperate to know.
“Tsunade, are you going to keep playing? If you’re afraid of losing, you can just give up,” Kushina asked Tsunade.
“That’s right, that’s right. We absolutely won’t laugh at you,” Mei Terumī nodded.
“…”
——
Shin, using the Flying Thunder God mark he had left, sensed the space of Mount Myōboku and arrived at one of the three great sage regions.
“Much better than Ryūchi Cave…”
Arriving at Mount Myōboku—Shin felt this place was far superior to Ryūchi Cave. Unlike Ryūchi Cave, whose environment felt repulsive, Mount Myōboku was pleasant.
Among the three great sage regions, Mount Myōboku probably had the best environment.
As for the remaining Shikkotsu Forest, where slugs resided… though Shin hadn’t been there, just the name suggested it wasn’t a nice place. Besides, slugs disliked light; one could imagine what Shikkotsu Forest was like.
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