"Wait a sec," she said, stopping dead. "You were coming from that way—the Hyuga side. What were you doing over there?"
Souta blinked, caught off guard. He scratched the back of his neck, keeping his tone casual. "Oh, that? Just visiting. Had some business with one of 'em."
"Business?" She crossed her arms, stepping closer, her stare drilling into him. "What kind of business? Spill it."
He smiled, leaning in just a little. "Teaching a Hyuga lady how to make tea. She's hopeless at it—needed a pro."
Kushina's mouth opened, then snapped shut. She stared at him, her eyes widening, then narrowing into slits. The air shifted—silent, tense, like the calm before a storm. Souta's smirk faltered. He knew that look. He'd seen it right before she'd chucked a spoon at his head last week.
"Tea," she said, voice flat, dangerous. "You're teaching a Hyuga woman how to make tea."
"Uh, yeah?" he said, stepping back. "What's the big—"
Before he could finish, her hand shot out, grabbing his ear and twisting hard. He yelped, flailing as she yanked him down to her level, her face inches from his, red hair practically sparking with fury.
"You've got some nerve!" she shouted, loud enough to scare off a nearby bird. "You're out here playing tea master with some fancy Hyuga girl, and you never once thought to teach me? Me, who's been slaving over your stupid kitchen, feeding your ungrateful ass, and you're—what—sharing your 'skills' with her instead?!"
"Ow—Kushina, let go!" He grabbed her wrist, trying to pry her off, but she held firm, her grip like iron. "It's not a big deal! She asked, I said sure—ow, damn it, that hurts!"
"Not a big deal?!" She twisted harder, her voice rising. "I've been stuck making stew while you're sipping tea with some pale-eyed princess? What's next, you gonna knit her a scarf too? Huh?!"
"It's just tea!" he protested, wincing. "She's bad at it—worse than you! I was doing her a favor!"
"Favor my foot!" Kushina snapped, finally letting go but shoving him back with both hands. He stumbled, rubbing his ear, and she loomed over him, fists clenched. "You're a jerk, Souta. A total, selfish, tea-hoarding jerk. I oughta—ugh!" She turned away, arms crossed tight, muttering under her breath about "stupid boys" and "Hyuga snobs."
Souta groaned, straightening up. "You done? It's not like I'm her personal chef. She just wanted a lesson."
Souta rubbed his ear, still throbbing from Kushina's twist, as she stood there, finger jabbing the air like a kunai. Her eyes burned, red hair wild in the evening breeze, her threat hanging heavy between them.
"You're teaching me next time, got it?" she barked, loud enough to bounce off the trees. "No excuses. And it better be good tea, or I'm burning your house down for real."
"Alright, I hear you," Souta said, hands up, keeping his tone easy. "You'll get your tea lesson."
Kushina huffed, arms crossing tight, but her glare softened a notch. "Better happen. I'm not letting some Hyuga girl outdo me." She muttered something about "tea-stealing jerks" under her breath, then kicked at the dirt, her temper simmering down. "Who is she, anyway? This Hyuga woman you're playing teacher for?"
Souta scratched the back of his neck, shrugging. "Her name's Hana Hyuga. Just some lady who can't make tea to save her life. Asked me to help her out."
Kushina's eyes widened, then narrowed again, her head tilting like she'd just heard something unexpected. "Hana Hyuga? Wait—the Lady Hyuga? Her?" She paused, frowning, like she was digging through her memory. "I've seen her around, I think. Quiet type, dark hair, pale eyes—typical Hyuga look. Met her once or twice, maybe, but we never really talked much. She's one of those Hyugas?"
"Yeah, I guess," Souta said, leaning against a tree, hands back in his pockets. "Didn't seem all high-and-mighty to me, though. Just kinda… shy. Bad at tea, too."
Kushina snorted, stepping closer, her arms still crossed. "Shy, huh? That's what they want you to think. Those Hyuga types—they've got that whole 'noble clan' thing going on. Big status, big egos, even if they don't show it right away." She squinted at him, like she was sizing him up. "You sure she's not playing you or something?"
Souta raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Playing me? For what? I'm not exactly swimming in secrets or cash. She just wanted tea tips—nothing sneaky about it."
"Yeah, well," Kushina said, her voice dropping, suspicious. "You never know with clans like that. All proper and polite 'til they're not. Thought she'd be too stuck-up to ask some random guy like you for help, though. Guess she's weirder than I figured."
"She's not stuck-up," Souta said, shrugging again. "Kinda nice, actually. Just doesn't know her way around a teapot. I didn't mind."
Kushina stared at him, her frown deepening, then shook her head. "Nice, huh? You're too trusting. She's still a Hyuga—big clan, big pull. If she tries anything funny with that status of hers, like pushing you around or pulling some power play, you come to me, got it?"
Souta blinked, caught off guard by the shift. "What, you gonna fight her for me?"
"Damn right I will," Kushina snapped, stepping even closer, her finger back in his face. "If that Lady Hyuga tries to mess with you—use her fancy name or those creepy eyes to pull some crap—I'll march right over there and beat her into next week. No one screws with my—" She stopped, catching herself, then coughed, looking away. "I mean, no one screws with you while I'm around. That's all."
Souta grinned, leaning in a bit. "Your what? Finish that sentence."
"Shut up!" she barked, shoving his shoulder, her cheeks flushing. "You know what I mean, jerk. I'm just saying—if she pulls anything, I've got your back. Don't need some Hyuga thinking she can walk all over you 'cause she's got a fancy compound."
"Appreciate it," he said, still grinning, hands up again. "But I think I can handle a tea lesson without starting a clan war. She's harmless."
"Harmless my ass," Kushina muttered, turning to pace a few steps, her arms uncrossing as she waved a hand. "You don't get it—those clans, they're all about control. She might seem nice now, but if she decides she doesn't like you, or you step on her toes, she's got the whole Hyuga machine behind her. I've seen 'them pull rank before. Creepy eye tricks and all."
Souta watched her pace, amused. "You're really worked up over this. Jealous or something?"
She whirled on him, fists clenched. "Jealous? Of her? Please! I just don't trust her, that's all! You're too laid-back—someone's gotta watch out for you." She pointed at him again, voice firm. "And don't think this means I'm dropping the tea thing. You're still teaching me, and it better be soon."
"Yeah, yeah," he said, nodding. "You're first on the list. No house-burning required."
"Good," she said, finally relaxing a bit, her hands dropping to her hips. "But seriously—who's this Hana to you? Just some random Hyuga who popped up, or what?"
"Just a random Hyuga," Souta said, keeping it simple. "Bumped into her a while back, saved her from dropping some herbs or something. She asked about tea after that. That's it."
Kushina raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Saved her herbs? What, you're her hero now? That's how it starts—next thing you know, she's got you running errands for the whole compound."
He laughed, shaking his head. "Nah, nothing like that. She's not bossy—just quiet. Kinda weird for a Hyuga, like you said."
"Huh," Kushina said, mulling it over. "Still sounds fishy. But fine—if you say she's okay, I'll let it slide. For now." She stepped back, smirking faintly. "Just don't come crying to me if she pulls some clan nonsense and you're stuck bowing to her."
"I'll keep that in mind," Souta said, smirking back. "But if she tries, I know where to find you. You'll scare her off with one glare."