SS018

"Have you completely lost your mind!?" exclaimed Ino, unable to wrap her head around Seikun's decision to work for the Hyuga Clan after what they had put him through.

"I understand why you're angry, but as Ninja, we rarely get to choose our clients..." responded Seikun, his voice calm and soothing as he extended his left hand, prompting Ino to frown but ultimately relinquish her own for him to hold. He did the same for Sakura, but as she was considerably less angry, it was more for fairness than anything else.

Adopting a reassuring smile, Seikun explained, "Most importantly, the pay is incredible. With 200,000 Ryo, I'll no longer be forced to take the two of you on cheap dates or leave you to foot the bill. You know how much that bothers me..."

Unable to endure Seikun's soft tone and his bright-eyed, entreating look, Ino began to relent but not before frowning deeply as she asked, "Are you sure this isn't just a convenient excuse for you to spend time with Hinata? We know you're not over her..."

"If that were the case, I wouldn't have stood my ground against Lord Hiashi and ensured you could accompany me..." assured Seikun. "I won't lie and say I'm over Hinata, but I'm already beyond fortunate to be dating two incredible girls. I won't push my luck by going for a third..."

"I want a kiss..." muttered Ino, her expression and tone serious as she squeezed Seikun's hand. The latter's brows creased at the demand, but as he could tell that Ino wanted reassurance and wasn't simply looking to take advantage of the situation, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before opening them to respond, "Fine...but this will be an exception, not the new norm..."

"It will be...sooner or later..." asserted Ino, closing her eyes and leaning forward with her lips puckered and slightly parted. Seikun's body tensed as she did so, but since he had already acquiesced, he briefly shifted his gaze to Sakura to find she was staring at him with an intense, fiery-eyed look that suggested she expected to be next.

'It's just a peck on the lips...' Seikun told himself, closing his eyes as he leaned forward to, very briefly, press his lips to Ino's. She frowned and opened her eyes when he pulled away, but instead of demanding a do-over, she firmly asserted, "One of these days, I'm going to break down your resistances until nothing remains, Seikun. Mark my words...."

"I honestly don't doubt that..." conceded Seikun, smiling as he added, "But, for today at least, that's where things end."

Without waiting for Ino's retort, Seikun shifted his gaze to Sakura. Her face had become considerably redder than it was seconds before, but since she knew Seikun was only going to give her a peck, she sported a slightly disapproving frown before leaning forward with her eyes closed. What followed was exceptionally fleeting, but as it was her very first kiss, Sakura couldn't help feeling at least a little happy, causing her to cup her cheeks and issue a goofy laugh...

...

..

.

After ensuring that Ino and Sakura had permission from their parents to go over to the Hyuga Clan Compound, Seikun led the way, carrying a trio of gym bags full of spare clothes and equipment. Once there, two guards, a male and a female, carefully searched both them and their bags before they were guided to the training hall where Hinata and Neji were already sparring under the watchful eye of the former's guardian, a Jonin named Hyuga Ko.

Noticing Seikun, Ino, and Sakura entering the hall, Hanabi, observing the fight from the sidelines, perked up and exclaimed, "Big brother~!" before getting up from her seiza and running over to him. Then, to the surprise of everyone, Seikun, most of all, she gave him a firm hug, wrapping her arms around his waist and nestling her head against his diaphragm.

'Did I miss something...?' Seikun asked himself, a cold sweat breaking out across his body as he felt the presence of two demons materialize behind him. Strangely, when he looked back to see what terrors had appeared, all he found were Ino and Sakura smiling at him.

"And who's this little cutie~?" asked Ino, her smile radiant to the point of being hard to look at.

While still holding on to Seikun's waist, Hanabi looked past him, frowning as she stated, "I'm Hyuga Hanabi..." before adding, "And I remember you. The two of you were at elder sister's birthday celebration..."

Since Hanabi was quite a bit younger than them, Sakura's expression softened as she bent down slightly, extended her right hand, and said, "Hello, Hanabi. My name is Haruno Sakura. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Why are you here?" asked Hanabi, getting more to the point by asking, "Why are you with big brother...?"

"It's because we're his girlfriends," responded Ino, crossing her arms as she added, "And, starting today, we'll be helping him whip you, your sister, and your cousin into shape."

Hearing Ino refer to herself and Sakura as Seikun's boyfriends, Hanabi's expression morphed into a fierce pout, the veins around her eyes bulging slightly as her Byakugan activated on its own. Then, releasing Seikun and backing away from him, she looked up, meeting his gaze as she asked, "Is what she says true, big brother? Are they really your girlfriends...?"

"That's right..." affirmed Seikun, his expression calm and voice soothing as he gave a curt nod. Hanabi's face scrunched up, and tears began swelling in her eyes, but before she could instinctively step forward and strike one of Seikun's Tenketsu, Ko appeared in front of her, arms crossed and tone calm as he said, "Lady Hanabi, calm yourself. These two are here with the approval of the Clan Head to assist with your training. You will show them the same deference as your other teachers..."

Though she continued glowering, the veins around Hanabi's gradually receded as she willfully deactivated her Byakugan. Ko was one of their clan's seven Jonin, so she would receive a lecture from her father if she disobeyed him and made a scene.

"Is everything...okay...?" asked Hinata, breathing a little heavily as she had just extricated herself from sparring with Neji.

Turning around and looking up at her sister, Hanabi asked, "Elder sister, Hinata...did you know big brother had two girlfriends?"

Though her brows creased slightly, Hianta didn't hesitate to respond with a curt nod, affirming, "Yes. I was aware."

Inhaling deeply through her nose, Hanabi gave everyone the impression she was about to scream, but instead, her expression softened. She still sported a frown, but as she had mostly been upset on her sister's behalf, her anger gradually subsided...

...

..

.

With Hiashi's request being for him to train Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji how he would himself, Seikun kicked things off with an explanation regarding the importance of cardio and core strength. Following that, he had them perform running drills, firstly running from one end of the hall to the other and then side lunges to improve their thigh strength and ability to change direction quickly.

As the Academy mostly had them run, perform kata, or navigate obstacle courses, even Neji struggled when Seikun introduced him to planking and ten-count bodybuilders. Then, while they were winded, he had them sit in a lotus pose and circulate their Chakra, drastically reducing the time they needed to recover and gradually getting them acclimated to channeling it at all times.

"There's no way...you train like this...all the time..." panted Neji, caked in sweat and sprawled out on the ground. The outside temperature was a balmy 32°C, so the interior of the training hall felt like a sauna due to the lack of ventilation and the fact the Hyuga training attire consisted of a thick black bodysuit over a two-layer chainmail shirt with a porous inner layer that absorbed sweat and prevented the chainmail from moving too much and pinching their skin.

Contrasting the Hyuga trio, Seikun, Ino, and Sakura wore relatively light and breathable clothing. Seikun wore somewhat baggy pants with bands at the waist and ankles, a simple white tee, and, when he really wanted to sweat, a black and white sports hoodie. As for Ino and Sakura, both wore spats under short shorts, the former purple and the latter white. Ino's top was a spaghetti-string crop top with a Seikun-mandated sports bra, while Sakura, ever the more sensible of the two, wore a sleeveless red vest that had a zipper beneath her ribs that allowed the lower half to be removed if she started to overheat. In essence, they were prepared to sweat, but not to the point of inducing heat stroke.

"You're right," affirmed Seikun, the only person in the group still standing, his breathing deep but not labored as he teased, "It's shameful to admit, but I don't train like this when attending classes or while sleeping. During those times, I focus on breathing and circulating my Chakra."

Catching Seikun a little off guard, Ko, who had been observing the nearly three-hour training session with crossed arms from the side, nodded and affirmed, "Even before he entered the training hall, Takahashi Seikun has been circulating his Chakra with very little variation in its flow. Even many Jonin cannot achieve this."

Shifting his gaze to Sakura, Ko added, "And he's not the only one. Though not as refined, this young girl with pink hair possesses exceptional Chakra control. The two of you would excel as Medical Ninja."

"That's actually what we aim to become," affirmed Seikun. "Though, in my case, I plan to specialize in massage therapy while Sakura hopes to focus on triage and field care."

"I will be sure to relay that to Lord Hiashi," said Ko, surprising Seikun as he revealed, "The practice has fallen out of favor, but the Hyuga Clan has many scrolls related to traditional massage and acupuncture. Without the aid of a Byakugan, however, you may struggle to employ them efficiently."

"That would be a tremendous help..." professed Seikun, his eyes wide in wonderment. It made sense for a clan that could peer into the body and see the flow of Chakra to specialize in massage and acupuncture, but as he had never seen or heard about them employing such methods, it came as quite a shock.

"Do not misunderstand," said Ko, his expression and tone firming. "While they have fallen out of favor, the techniques detailed within the scrolls are a part of the Hyuga Clan's legacy. If you are permitted to learn them, you would be obligated to utilize them in service to our clan. Furthermore, you would not be allowed to pass the methods to others without the approval of the acting Clan Head."

"I suppose that makes sense..." responded Seikun, his smile cramping as he scratched the back of his head. Clans such as the Hyuga didn't remain in power by sharing their secrets, so if he wished to learn them, he would presumably need to resume his Custodianship. Unfortunately, not that he was complaining, his relationship with Ino and Sakura made that difficult. That, and the fact he never wanted to be in a position like the one he had been forced into previously...

...

..

.

With their morning training session ending at 11:40 AM, Seikun ate with Ino and Sakura at a food stall before escorting them to their respective homes. The two were exhausted after doing their best to set an example for Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji to follow, so Seikun left each of them with a kiss on their cheeks before returning to his apartment for a shower and a nap. That afternoon, he would be baptizing at least Hinata and Neji in the ancient ways of leg day, so he wanted to rest and give his body a chance to recover to its peak. Coincidentally, what he dreamed about in that brief period was how incredible Ino's, Sakura's, and Hinata's asses would be as adults. Unfortunately, Neji also made a guest appearance, causing Seikun to awaken in a cold sweat a few minutes before his alarm went off...

...

..

.