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Chapter 284: Sisterly Warmth
Hanabi looked into her sister's gentle eyes, thought about it for a moment, and decided it made sense, so she didn't press the matter.
She broke into a grin. "Alright then! Then Sister, hurry and help me wash!"
With that, she stripped off her pajamas and stood stark naked in front of Hinata.
Hinata chuckled, gently tapping the tip of her sister's nose. "Okay, Sister will wash you."
She picked up the showerhead, adjusted the water temperature, and let the warm stream cascade over Hanabi's black hair.
Hanabi happily squinted her eyes, like a content little kitten.
After Hinata integrated the Six Paths Level seed the previous night, her purplish-black hair had also turned silver-white. The same went for Shion, Samui, and the others.
However, under Alex's overnight fusion assistance, they had successfully mastered the Six Paths Level power and could freely control their hair color.
They all agreed that their original hairstyles and hair colors were better. After all, if they all had long silver-white hair, they would look far too identical.
"Sister," Hanabi suddenly spoke up.
"Hmm?"
"Are we going to live here from now on?"
"Mhm, probably for a very long time."
"Then… is that Lord Alex a good person?"
Hinata's hands paused slightly.
Glancing down at the faint red marks on her body, and recalling the events of last night… her face flushed. Thankfully, the dense steam in the bathroom made it hard to see clearly.
"Lord Alex is… a very, very good person…" she said softly, then subconsciously bit her lip, adding, "And he is incredibly powerful. Powerful in every way."
"Better than you?"
Hinata smiled. "A different kind of good."
Hanabi nodded as if she half-understood, then asked, "Then how strong is Lord Alex?"
"How strong…?" Hinata murmured, gently tapping Hanabi's small head. "All you need to know is that Lord Alex is no different from a god."
She wasn't exaggerating or trying to trick Hanabi with that statement. She was merely stating a fact.
As for exactly how strong, even she didn't have an accurate concept.
Hinata was at the Six Paths Level now; she understood the power and methods of that realm. Yet, she still couldn't fathom Lord Alex's true strength.
At first glance, he seemed like an ordinary person with no discernible chakra fluctuations. But catching even a single wisp of his aura felt like staring into an endless abyss. It was a power and dimension entirely beyond her comprehension.
"Will he teach me skills then? I want to become super strong like you too!" Hanabi looked up at Hinata, her face full of expectation.
"He will." Hinata gently rubbed her hair. "But for now, you focus on growing up."
"I'm not a little kid anymore!" Hanabi puffed out her cheeks.
"Yes, yes, yes, Hanabi is a big girl now," Hinata played along, her movements becoming even gentler.
She pumped some shampoo and gently massaged it into Hanabi's hair. The white foam spread, coating the black locks, glistening softly under the warm yellow bathroom light.
Hanabi hummed comfortably, then spoke again. "Sister, your skin looks even fairer and smoother now. It's so pretty."
Hinata gave a soft "Mhm."
Reaching the Six Paths Level meant an evolution of one's fundamental life essence. The body, soul, and everything else were enhanced. Their aura, skin, and posture had all become more perfect.
"Sister?" Hanabi's voice rang out again.
"Hmm?"
"You said I won't have to do Morning Practice anymore, is that true?"
"And I don't have to learn those complicated Gentle Fist forms either?"
Hinata tapped Hanabi's nose with a finger. "No, you don't. From now on, you can do whatever you want. If you want to sleep in, sleep in. If you want to play, play. If you want to cultivate… if you still want to cultivate, I will personally teach you."
"Really?!" Hanabi's eyes sparkled. "You'll personally teach me? Even better than Father did?"
"Mhm." Hinata nodded gently. "Even better than Father."
Besides, Hanabi would eventually fuse with a Six Paths Seed as well. Whether she cultivated now or not was entirely up to her.
Hanabi was so excited she almost jumped up, but Hinata quickly held her down. "Don't move, you'll get soap in your eyes."
Hanabi obediently sat still, but the excitement on her small face was impossible to hide. "Yay! Sister is the best! I knew following you was the right choice! The clan was too scary. Having to wake up early every day, practicing those boring forms every day, I was so sick of it!"
Listening to her sister's complaints, the curve of Hinata's smile grew even gentler.
She picked up the showerhead and carefully rinsed the suds from Hanabi's head. The warm water slid down the black strands, washing away the last bits of white foam, revealing clean, smooth hair.
"Alright, all rinsed out." Hinata turned off the water, grabbed a towel nearby, and gently wrapped it around Hanabi's hair. "Come, let's dry off so you don't catch a cold."
"Didn't you just say that catching a cold has nothing to do with being strong, Sister?" Hanabi mumbled, but she dutifully let her sister dry her.
Hinata blushed and chuckled. "We still have to be careful."
After drying her hair, Hinata helped lather Hanabi's body with soap, meticulously washing every corner.
Hanabi enjoyed her sister's pampering like a little princess, occasionally letting out content hums.
After the final rinse, Hinata wrapped Hanabi entirely in a large bath towel and carried her out of the bathroom.
"Sister hug~" Hanabi nestled into Hinata's arms, like a lazy cat.
Hinata set her down on the edge of the bed, brought over clean clothes, and helped her dress piece by piece.
Looking into her sister's gentle eyes, Hanabi suddenly broke into a wide smile. "Sister is the best!"
Once she was dressed, Hinata carried her over to the vanity, picked up a comb, and meticulously brushed through that long head of hair. Stroke by stroke, her movements were as tender as if she were handling the world's most precious treasure.
Looking at her sister through the mirror, Hanabi suddenly asked, "Sister, will you stay with me forever?"
Hinata's hand paused slightly before she resumed combing.
"I will," her voice was gentle but firm. "Sister will always stay with you. No matter what happens, Sister is here."
"We are going to be together for a very, very long time."
It would absolutely be an incredibly long, yet incredibly beautiful time.
Hanabi smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescents. "It's a promise, then!"
"It's a promise."
Hinata leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Hanabi's forehead.
Outside the window, the sun was shining brightly.
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