SS008

'Precociousness is terrifying...' thought Seikun, plopping face-down on his bed the moment he reached his apartment. Nothing untoward happened, but if he had been alone, he could easily imagine Ino proposing things like practice kissing or provoking everyone to play a far more risque version of the traditional King's Game.

'It's probably a quirk of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, but things are going a little too well for me this time around...' thought Seikun, specifically referring to his success in befriending his class's three madonnas. He never went out of his way to approach or interact with them, outside of choosing to sit in the seat next to where he knew Hinata would sit, but his...favorability with the trio seemed to be increasing by the day.

'I couldn't possibly date all three of them...could I...?' Seikun wondered, rolling onto his back and covering his eyes with his right forearm. There were no laws compelling monogamy in the world of Naruto. In fact, most noble Lords and Ladies took on multiple wives or husbands. However, as Seikun was no Lord and the girl he was principally aiming for happened to be the next leader of a noble lineage, it was difficult to imagine a realistic scenario where he could both have his cake and eat it.

'Let's not be too greedy...' Seikun told himself, affirming his decision to be or, more accurately, remain monogamous. He had never dated more than one girl at a time, and even that could be tedious. Trying to manage three or more girls with varying degrees of inter- or independence...just thinking about it made him feel exhausted...

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Though his monthly allowance had been increased in acknowledgment of his results in the Academy, Seikun had nowhere near enough funds saved up to procure Hinata a proper present. She would probably appreciate any gift he got, especially if he drew or created it himself, but if he wanted her to cherish his gift, he would need to give her something she could wear or make use of in her daily life.

With such thoughts in mind, Seikun carried his portfolio, a flat, rectangular carrier made from leather, to the Center for Foreign and Domestic Affairs, colloquially known as the Hokage's Tower. The first floor, housing a library and other public facilities, was accessible to all of Konoha's residents, but Seikun had his sights on one of the seven offices located on the building's uppermost level.

Seeing Seikun enter the lobby, the receptionist in charge, a portly lady with brown hair, initially raised her brows before adopting a broad smile and greeting, "Well, hello there, Seikun. Are you here to get a head start on your essay by perusing the village's historical records?"

Leaving the receptionist a little taken aback, Seikun calmly responded, "Good morning, Mrs. Nakamura. I'm here to request a meeting with Lord Third."

After blinking several times, the portly receptionist, Nakamura Kiyone, raised her brows and carefully explained, "Lord Third is a very busy man, Seikun. If the matter is pressing, I can pass it up the chain of command. If not, you should bring it up with Mrs. Fubasa. If I'm not mistaken, she's the one handling your case."

Knowing full well that Hiruzen would rather entertain a thousand curious children's concerns than deal with his never-ending backlog of reports, financial statements, and administrative requests, Seikun remained firm and said, "Please pass on my request. I am willing to wait however long it takes."

Without waiting for a response, Seikun turned, walked away, and made himself comfortable on one of the many chairs arranged in the typically empty waiting room. Most external commissions/requests were processed directly at Konoha's checkpoints, and since the Civilian Council and Board of Trustees dealt with the majority of intra-village issues, very few people visited the Center for Foreign and Domestic Affairs without an invitation or direct orders.

Leaving the portly Kiyone at a loss, Seikun pulled out a portable easel and began preparing a blank canvas. He knew it would likely take hours before he was granted an audience with Hiruzen, so he decided to pass the time sketching the reception area and waiting room. Doing so was fairly risky, as there were bylaws that prohibited recreations and artistic depictions of military and government facilities, especially their interiors, but as a nine-year-old wasn't expected to know such things, Seikun fearlessly sketched away...

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"I see you've been steadily refining your talent as an artist..." remarked a wisened, grandfatherly voice from behind Seikun. In response, a genuine smile developed across Seikun's face as he stood up, turned around, and bowed low, expressing, "Thank you for permitting my selfishness..."

"It is a Hokage's duty to address and ally the concerns of their citizens..." responded the man, Sarutobi Hiruzen, caressing his pointed beard with an amused smile on his face. His body was willowy, and his features gaunt, sunken as a result of his advanced age, but despite having more wrinkles than topographical lines on a map, he exuded incredible wisdom, power, and confidence. As one would expect from a man once touted as the 'God of Shinobi.'

"Now, why have you come here, Seikun...?" asked Hiruzen, his somewhat beady black eyes imperceptibly darting between Seikun, the easel behind him, and the rectangular carrier he positioned between two chairs.

Since it would be too much to ask to speak in private, Seikun unhesitantly revealed, "The heiress of the Hyuga Clan is celebrating her ninth birthday three days from now. I was fortunate to receive an invitation, so I came to request a job or shamelessly petition Lord Third to purchase my artwork directly..."

"Hoooooo...?"

Amused by Seikun's candor and honesty, Hirzuen tugged on his beard and exhaled a gravelly chuckle. Then, as he was well aware of Seikun's talents and how hard he worked to improve, he gave a curt nod and said, "Very well. Let this old man see what a talented young man like yourself has created. If any of your pieces catch my eye, I'm sure we can reach a settlement that leaves you satisfied."

Though he was planning to purchase one of Seikun's pictures regardless, Hirzuen was taken aback when the former pulled out a full-sized portrait of him and his deceased wife on their wedding day. Photography was still in its infancy when the original photo was taken, so the details had faded with time, just like his strength and memories. When he looked at Seikun's portrait, the memories of that blessed day came surging back all at once, causing his ancient tear ducts to awaken and compelling him to close his eyes, give a slight nod, and mutter, "Well played, Seikun...but I never took you for sly, conniving type..."

Adopting a faint smile, Seikun calmly asserted, "I'm sure even Lord Third has done at least one or two reckless things for the people he cherishes. I'm not yet old enough to fully understand things like love and romance, but if it's to ensure the girl I like can smile more than frown, I'm willing to be as shameless as needed..."

Instead of speaking to Seikun, Hiruzen softly called out, "Cat..." in a faint but firm tone. In response, a woman wearing a matte grey flak jacket and a white cast mask with three red stripes appeared kneeling behind him in the blink of an eye, almost like she had teleported.

Looking back at the woman, Hiruzen added, "I am tasking you to take our young friend here around the village's markets to purchase an appropriate gift for the Hyuga Clan's heiress. Bring the invoice directly to me once you are finished."

"Understood..." responded the woman, rising to her feet and performing the hand seals for the Transformation Technique. A burst of white smoke briefly enveloped her body, and when it cleared away, a fairly innocuous-looking woman with a pear-shaped figure and matte purple hair appeared in her place. Then, after Seikun handed over the portrait he had spent the past two weeks refining to near-perfection, she led him around to various jewelry, craft, and clothing stores until he picked out what he believed to be the perfect gift: a silver pendant and the tools to modify it...

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Since Hinata's name roughly translated to 'vibrant sunflower basking in the sun,' Seikun spent the better part of two days carefully carving the image of a sunflower into its surface. He could have had the store owner do it for him, but by modifying it himself, Seikun believed it would change from an ordinary expensive trinket into a genuine keepsake.

Fortunately for Seikun, refined silver was one of the materials with the best Chakra conductivity. By inserting his Chakra into it, he could freely modify its shape and repurpose the material he shaved off to add details. The end result couldn't be called a masterpiece, but Seikun was proud of his effort and enjoyed the process. He loved using his hands and making crafts, so while he preferred sculpting over delicate metalwork, he came away from the experience feeling it was a skill worth improving...

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tok tok tok

As he hadn't gotten to sleep until a few hours prior, Seikun was startled awake by someone knocking on his door. He hadn't gotten a single visitor since moving into his apartment, so he certainly wasn't expecting a knock at 6:43 AM.

Slipping on the black and white hoodie he kept near his bed, Seikun tried to comb down his somewhat spiky black hair while hurrying to answer the door. What awaited him when he opened it was a man wearing the olive-green jacket of a Chuunin with a black, standard-issue Konoha forehead protector. More notably, his eyes resembled the tell-tale orbs of a Hyuga Clan member, albeit infinitely less refined than Hinata's. Rather than white with a hint of lavender, they were closer to what one would expect from a dead fish left out to rot.

"Takahashi Seikun..." said the Hyuga clansman, narrowing his eyes and grimacing slightly as he revealed, "I am under orders from Lord Hiashi to escort you to Hyuga Clan Compound. Ready your things."

"Understood," responded Seikun, leaving the door open as he turned to grab his overnight bag and Hinata's neatly wrapped gift. He hadn't known someone would be coming by to escort him, but since he didn't like doing things last minute, he made sure to prepare for his stay at the Hyuga Clan Compound before going to bed. He also slept mostly clothed, just in case something happened throughout the night, so after quickly slipping on his snow boots and mittens, he was good to go.

Not expecting Seikun to return so quickly, the Hyuga clansman raised his right brow, his tone monotone but full of disdain as he asked, "Have you grabbed everything you'll need? If you recall something halfway, we will not be turning back..."

"If Lord Hiashi sent you, we should depart as soon as possible," retorted Seikun, slipping his pack onto his shoulder with an expression like he was prepared to go to war. The Hyuga clansman found this peculiar but chose not to dwell on it as he turned around and said, "Very well. I'll meet on the street below..." before casually leaping over the apartment's handrail.

Expecting to be waiting for at least a minute or two, the Hyuga clansman made no effort to hide his disdain for Seikun and the residential district he lived in, muttering, "How is a vermin who lives-"

Before the man could finish his utterance, Seikun landed beside him with a similar degree of ease. His apartment was on the third floor, but since it was only an 8-9m drop to street level, he didn't even need to reinforce his body with Chakra.

"Mind if I set the pace...?" asked Seikun, causing the Hyuga clansman to close his mouth, an awkward silence briefly hanging between them before he offered a nod and responded, "Very well..." As a result, what the Hyuga clansman expected to be a tedious, several-hour stroll concluded in less than twenty minutes...

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