Chapter 889

Yes, there was one more person who was stunned — that was Xiaomei.

"Wait, wait, wait! Holding hands and stuff?" She tried to stop them, but the words reached her lips and she didn't know how to say them. Lin Cheng turned his head to look at Xiaomei's mouth-agape, about-to-speak expression, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, but immediately returning to normal, and his grip on Young Yuanzi's hand tightened even more.

"I heard that up ahead is the famous Chestnut Field Town, the dumplings there are really delicious!" Xiao Jue also came bouncing over to join the fun. For some reason she was acting very excited — more excited than at any point along the entire journey since leaving Konoha.

"Well then, let's go try some." Lin Cheng's soft little hand made Young Yuanzi's thoughts wander a little. Logically speaking, she, who was wholeheartedly thinking of Kaguya, shouldn't have this kind of strange flutter.

But right now she just couldn't calm her heart. Could it be because Lin Cheng and Kaguya were similar in certain ways? Young Yuanzi took a deep breath, comforting herself with this thought.

"Perfect timing… after fighting for so long my stomach's hungry too, right Jiraiya?"

"Uh, hahaha, that's right… but if we change the route…" Suddenly the topic shifted from advancing to going into the town, and Jiraiya guiltily averted his gaze, refusing to meet Young Yuanzi's eyes.

"I said it just now, Jiraiya-sensei — the enemy won't come attack again anytime soon." Hinata said with a smile.

In the temporary lodging, Young Yuanzi and Lin Cheng, who had been arranged to share the same room, were currently having their ears cleaned.

"Ah! You need to keep your mind focused!"

"Don't worry, I do have the technique for ear-cleaning, I absolutely won't damage them for you — this is my specialty."

Although Lin Cheng said this, he still slowed his movements, gently patting Young Yuanzi's head as comfort. Feeling Lin Cheng release her, Young Yuanzi shifted into a more comfortable position lying down, eyes squinted, face full of enjoyment, just like a cat sunbathing and napping, mumbling about imperial-level enjoyment.

"Don't squirm, it's not done yet." Lin Cheng once again raised the cotton swab in his hand while brushing aside the hair that had covered Young Yuanzi's ear from her fidgeting, then continued the unfinished task — ear-cleaning.

Strangely enough, the two hadn't had much interaction before. Especially Young Yuanzi — outwardly appearing to be a child, but in reality an existence whose age far surpassed the ordinary. One could say that before Lin Cheng was even born, Young Yuanzi had already rarely returned to Konoha. Although her influence remained far-reaching, in the eyes of this generation of children, her existence should more properly be equated with figures like the First and Second Hokage on the Hokage Rock.

Even when Young Yuanzi introduced herself, she didn't hide anything at all — those who didn't know would simply think it was a coincidence of shared names. But for Hyuga Lin Cheng, the meaning was entirely different. She clearly knew Young Yuanzi's identity, and even understood more about her than the adults in the village.

Princess Kaguya's will not only manipulated and influenced Lin Cheng's behavior, but also brought many memories that didn't belong to Hinata. Even whether the Byakugan had some secret unknown even to the Hyuga clan — Princess Kaguya seemed able to see different things through her own eyes. This Princess of the Moon's intense will told herself that this was the person she had been waiting for over a thousand years.

She felt as if she were a bridge existing solely for them — this strange thought wouldn't go away, and Lin Cheng subconsciously began to doubt the meaning of her own existence.

· ·······Seeking flowers····· ·····

Moreover, this perception became more deeply rooted with time. Even knowing clearly that this was Princess Kaguya's doing, it was like a butterfly fallen into a spider's web.

She could only let the predator watching hungrily from the side wrap her in ever-tightening layers of silk — no matter how she struggled, it was all in vain.

And now, having completely accepted Kaguya's will, Lin Cheng had even less reason to refuse getting close to Young Yuanzi. Even though she had clear awareness in her mind, knowing that was the person the Princess of the Moon had waited a thousand years for, she simply couldn't stop the flutter in her heart, couldn't help wanting to get closer.

It really was strange — it was as if there was something about Lin Cheng that drew her attention, making her always unable to resist focusing her gaze on her. Especially the longer they spent together, the stronger this feeling became. Could it really be that the Hyuga clan's Byakugan had stirred up memories buried deep in her heart?

Being able to become fast, open-hearted good friends with Lin Cheng so quickly wasn't only because of Lin Cheng's good personality, but also because of the astonishing compatibility between them. Young Yuanzi was also very happy — especially lying on the other's lap like this, enjoying the ear-cleaning service.

Knock knock knock!

"Who is it?" At this kind of moment, whoever came knocking didn't need to be guessed — it was obviously Jiraiya. But Young Yuanzi, too lazy to even lift a finger, had no desire to go open the door at all.

"After resting a day, we should probably continue on our way. The Leaf Anbu who lost contact earlier have also caught up — there's a small situation." When Jiraiya wasn't being a clown, his voice was quite serious. Since the Leaf Anbu had already arrived, it meant there must be new intelligence. Perish.