Ch 76 : Scent

Makoto stood on the second-floor loft, watching the children below in the hall practicing taijutsu under their teacher's guidance.

At this moment, Nonou approached, holding a file in her hand.

These children were selected from the orphanage.

They adapted quickly, and their training and learning progress were much faster than that of the ninja academy.

Reality didn't allow them to take their time.

Nonou wasn't sure what would happen to these children once they were eliminated from here, but she cared deeply for them.

However, she could only be as strict as possible, ensuring that each one of them met the standard.

Coming from Root, she was very skilled in training ninjas.

Makoto took the file from her and glanced through it.

It recorded the children's performances, their strengths, personalities, and so on.

He saw the information about Yakushi Kabuto.

The notes mentioned that he had performed quite well.

Makoto looked through the file and said, "It seems like the progress is going smoothly."

Nonou replied, "The children are working very hard."

Makoto, however, said, "I think the standards I've set are too low. Since they're progressing so easily, we should make it more stringent. Otherwise, some of their potential won't be fully realized."

Nonou wanted to argue in response but, facing Makoto, she didn't have the courage to refute him.

She worried that if she angered him, he might take it out on the children.

Makoto then asked, "Have you been back to the orphanage?"

Nonou nodded.

Makoto continued, "The children there really like you. You should visit them more often. Next spring, the ninja academy will expand its enrollment. Let those children give it a try."

Nonou replied, "...I understand."

Seeing her in this manner, Makoto said,

"It's just becoming a ninja. Why resist so much? Most of those children's parents sacrificed themselves to protect the village. Isn't it better for the children to inherit their parents' will? Plus, the peaceful era has already arrived."

Nonou simply lowered her head and remained silent.

Makoto turned to glance at her again.

After changing out of her oversized orphanage uniform, Nonou was now dressed in a pale yellow knitted sweater and long pants.

Though her outfit was plain, it highlighted her curvaceous figure even more.

She was a woman with a lot of charm.

In the evening, Makoto returned to the Hyuga clan's grounds and went straight to Ayari's place.

Ayari had grown accustomed to Makoto visiting her place in the evenings, and sometimes she would even prepare a meal for him.

Of course, she always claimed it was because she accidentally made too much, never admitting that she was making it for Makoto.

However, Ayari's cooking skills had not improved much, and in this area, she was already not as good as her sister.

The two chatted for a while at the dinner table, with Ayari sharing some daily trivialities.

They laughed and spoke, no longer feeling as awkward as before.

After dinner, Makoto lay down on the sofa to rest, and Ayari didn't make him wash the dishes this time.

When Ayari finished in the kitchen and came back, she found that Makoto had actually fallen asleep on the sofa, with Spi quietly lying on his chest, completely still.

"This guy, how did he fall asleep so fast..."

She was worried he might get cold, so she ran to the bedroom and brought out her own blanket, covering him with it.

With nothing else to do, Ayari took the sofa cushion, placed it on the floor, and sat beside the sofa.

She rested her chin on her hand and quietly watched Makoto.

When he was asleep, his facial features looked much softer, and the childishness in his brows had long faded away.

Ayari didn't know how long she had been watching him, but suddenly, she muttered to herself,

"Do you like me that much…"

"Of course I do."

To her surprise, Makoto, who had been asleep, softly replied.

Ayari froze for a moment, then saw his eyes slowly open, his face breaking into a smile as he looked at her.

Her face visibly flushed with embarrassment.

"Y-You…"

Makoto pulled the blanket that had been covering him up to his nose and took a deep sniff.

"It smells so good."

After the initial shyness, Ayari's face turned to one of anger.

"You pervert!"

She reached out with both hands, intending to scratch Makoto's face, but he tightly restrained her with his hand.

Flustered and angry, she exclaimed,

"Bastard! You were pretending to be asleep!"

Makoto calmly responded, "I wasn't pretending. I really fell asleep just now."

Ayari retorted angrily, "Bullshit! I don't believe you!"

As Makoto defended himself against her erratic attacks, he said,

"I'm telling the truth, everything I said earlier was sincere."

Hearing this, Ayari remembered Makoto's words of liking her, and the anger in her heart faded significantly.

However, she still felt incredibly shy, as if all the dignity she had maintained up until now had been shattered in that moment.

How could I have said something like that...

Makoto laid sideways on the couch, propping his head up with his hand as he looked at Ayari with a smile and said, "Don't you like me too?"

Ayari huffed angrily, "Only a dog would like you."

Makoto responded, "Then call out a couple of times, I'll have Spi translate for you."

Ayari, frustrated and helpless, realized she couldn't win against this bastard.

So, she stood up, yanked the blanket off of him, and carried it back to the room.

Seeing this, Makoto couldn't help but say, "I'm cold."

"Serve you right, freeze to death! Now get the hell out!"

Ayari came out of the bedroom, her anger slightly calming down.

She looked at Makoto sitting on the sofa and said, "Why aren't you leaving yet?"

Makoto sighed, "It's so cold outside, and I fell asleep. It's too uncomfortable to get out of the blankets."

Ayari sneered, "What, do you want to stay here overnight?"

Makoto even pretended to think for a moment, "Well, it's not impossible..."

Ayari, growing even more irritated, quickly walked over and grabbed Makoto, intending to drag him outside.

"Don't pull me, you're going to rip my clothes."

"Wait a minute."

Makoto was pushed to the door, and he blocked it with his foot before it could be closed.

Ayari thought he had something to say and stopped her actions, looking at him.

Makoto gazed into her eyes, and suddenly smiled, "How about a goodbye kiss?"

Bang!

The door was slammed shut.

"..."

The evening wind outside began to pick up, and Makoto, just waking up, felt a chill.

He tightened his thin clothing and knocked on the door.

"My coat is still inside."

After a moment, Ayari's impatient voice came from within:

"So annoying, come get it tomorrow."

Tomorrow...

Makoto chuckled silently, then slowly turned around and left.

By the time he returned to his own place, the cold wind had him shivering.

The bedroom light was still on.

He opened the door and saw Ayano lying on his bed, warming his blankets.

Upon seeing him, Ayano pulled the blanket up slightly and gazed at him with bright eyes, her lips pressed together, softly saying, "You're back..."

The chill from his body melted away instantly.

He casually closed the door behind him.

.......

Ayari had turned off the lights and was lying in bed, but she couldn't fall asleep, tossing and turning, her mind constantly replaying the scene from earlier.

She felt that she had completely lost face, which made her so embarrassed that she was nearly driven mad.

She rolled around in bed, punching the pillow in frustration.

It wasn't until she had exhausted herself a bit that she finally calmed down.

With her eyes wide open, she stared at the dim ceiling.

She gently lifted the blanket and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent lingering on them.

The smell made her feel weak all over, and her heart raced.

In the darkness, she blinked rapidly.

Then, she took another breath.

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