"..." TenTen was completely petrified.
Brother, I really misjudged you! her inner monologue screamed. What hero saving the damsel in distress, what having a good impression of someone's little girl? You clearly saw that this little girl was well-dressed and from a big family, and you wanted to fleece her ruthlessly!
One thousand Ryo right off the bat?! That's enough for an ordinary person to live on for a month! This little girl is only five years old, how could she possibly have one thousand Ryo? Do you think she's a princess?!
And in the very next second, Hinata's actions made TenTen's jaw drop completely.
"Only... only one thousand Ryo is enough?"
From the pocket of little Hinata, she obediently took out ten banknotes and presented them with both hands towards Ren. Although she didn't know the use of the kunai, one thousand Ryo wasn't much for Hinata's pocket money. If it could help Ren-kun, then she would be very happy. Her face was full of innocence, and in a childish tone, she said, "For example, if Ren-kun needs more... I, I still have..."
"No need." Ren readily took the thousand Ryo bill from Hinata's hand. Then he placed the Clone Kunai he held into hers.
"Here, this is my special Clone Kunai." Ren smiled gently. "Although the price is a bit expensive, it's definitely good value for money~~"
"As long as you inject chakra into it, you'll understand the mystery of this Clone Kunai. While its function isn't a supernatural power, it's enough to help you avoid being bullied by those brats like just now."
Although a thousand Ryo was a lot, what Ren gave was definitely a fair price. If this kind of kunai were sold elsewhere, even for two thousand Ryo, a large number of people would rush to buy it. It was definitely a priceless good. It was just that Ren was unwilling to casually sell the items he forged to unrelated people, which was why he hadn't been in a hurry to complete the tasks issued by the system. He happened to meet Hinata this time, and she could afford the price, so Ren was kind enough to sell it to her.
---
With that said, Ren and TenTen escorted Hinata back to the Hyuga clan compound.
"Well then, we'll see you here!" Ren and TenTen stood at the entrance of the Hyuga clan, bidding farewell to Hinata.
Little Hinata bowed deeply and respectfully, saying politely and sincerely, "Thank you, thank you, TenTen, and Ren-kun."
TenTen said with a straightforward smile, "You're welcome, because we're friends!"
"Goodbye, Hinata! Next time, we'll have a chance to play together!"
Hinata froze for a moment. Then she whispered softly, "A friend?"
So this is a friend! It seemed that getting lost today wasn't a bad thing after all, because she was very lucky to have gained two good friends, Ren-kun and TenTen! That was truly wonderful!
"Hinata!"
At that moment, a cold snort broke the air. The sweet smile on Hinata's face suddenly froze. Hyuga Hiashi, Hinata's father and the current patriarch of the Hyuga clan, walked in front of Hinata. With a serious expression, he reprimanded her with a stern face, "As an important heir to the clan, why did you act without authorization?!"
"I..."
"How many people have sacrificed themselves for you, for the Main House? You should be more sensible, Hinata!"
"Sorry..." Hinata's head bowed again, her eyes immediately dimming.
"Hey, Uncle," Ren said, turning around even though he hadn't gone far. He retorted towards Hiashi, "It's not right for you to say that!"
"Where is this brat from, daring to meddle in our Hyuga clan's affairs?!" Hiashi snorted coldly, completely ignoring Ren.
Hinata quickly explained, "Father, Lord Father, they are my friends! They were the ones who brought me back just now."
Hiashi suppressed his impatience and said, "Given that you brought my daughter back just now, I will not hold you accountable for what happened."
Ren didn't appreciate the condescension. Even in the face of an elite ninja like Hiashi, he was neither humble nor arrogant, and said sternly, "Patriarch Hyuga, what I said just now is not wrong. Hinata was not at fault in this matter."
Hiashi was a little annoyed. Glaring at Ren, his voice was cold and stern, "What did you say?!"
Ren did not flinch and continued to speak righteously, "The people of the Hyuga clan sacrificed themselves to protect Hinata. That's just because the people of your Hyuga clan aren't strong enough. These mistakes, they're not Hinata's fault!"
!!!
Hinata's eyes suddenly widened. She froze in place, her heart fluctuating violently. She had been educated since childhood on how to become a qualified heir of the clan, how many sacrifices of the clansmen she had carried on her own shoulders. This was the first time someone had told her that these faults were not caused by her and should not be borne by her! Although she wasn't sure if what Ren-kun said was right, at this moment, she felt that someone finally understood the fear and anxiety she had been suppressing in her heart as the heir of the clan!
Thank you, Ren-kun!
"Hmph, he's just a brat, what do you know!" Hiashi shouted loudly. It may have been that a sore spot was touched, or perhaps he was simply too lazy to argue with a six-year-old. Hiashi took Hinata's hand and walked towards the Hyuga clan compound without looking back, ignoring Ren and TenTen outside.
---
Leaving the Hyuga clan compound, Ren and TenTen didn't dwell on what had just happened. As usual, they went to the training ground and did physical training under the guidance of Might Guy.
In Ren's system, there was a sound confirming the task completion.
[Ding! The "Sell a Special Kunai" quest has been completed! ]
[System Reward: The blueprint of the Primary Grass Pheasant Sword has been distributed! ]
Grass Pheasant Sword! Ren was instantly revitalized. This could be regarded as a secondary artifact-level weapon in the Naruto world! In Ren's mind, he recalled the three Grass Pheasant Swords that had appeared in the Naruto world. These three swords were: the Kusanagi Sword of Kusanagi (Orochimaru's Empty Sword), the Totsuka Blade (Itachi Uchiha's Ten Fist Sword), and the Chidori Blade (Sasuke Uchiha's Chidori-infused sword).
Each of these three Grass Pheasant Swords possessed quite unique functions. Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword was made of the hardest material in the world. It could extend from the mouth of a small snake, able to be long or short, and was extremely sharp. The Totsuka Blade, which existed within Itachi's Susano'o, could only be obtained through the Sharingan's Mangekyo abilities, and it had the power to seal everything. The Chidori Blade, when infused with the Lightning Release: Chidori, doubled its power and sharpness, increasing its lethality, paralyzing and immobilizing any stabbed opponent.
All three of these Grass Pheasant Swords were incredibly powerful. Although Ren's hand held only the blueprint of the Primary Grass Pheasant Sword, he estimated that the power of the Grass Pheasant Sword he created would not be weak!
Coming home that night, Ren immediately accessed his system, preparing to absorb the contents of this Primary Grass Pheasant Sword blueprint. This was something Ren placed great importance on. This was, in addition to the kunai equipment, the first weapon he would build with full combat capability in the true sense! This would play a vital role in enhancing his future combat power!