An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

As he crouched, Hajime caught a glimpse of someone's hakama from the corner of his eye. Unable to comprehend the other person's attacking stance, he unexpectedly followed up with a smooth sweeping kick from below.

Hajime dodged the kick by jumping to the side, and at the same time did a handstand somersault, landing on his feet. In front of him, the new attacker was retracting his attack.

"Hello, Hajime. Welcome. Take your time and sit down."

"...Hello, Mr. Toramasa. Excuse me."

Yaegashi Toramasa. He is Shizuku's father and also the acting master of the Yaegashi-ryu school. He is a middle-aged man with a fierce appearance. The three parallel scars on his cheeks are very impressive, and it is unknown how they got there.

He said the same welcome words expressionlessly as his biological father, Washizo, and turned and walked away as if nothing had happened.

Suddenly, a wooden sword flew towards Hajime from beside him. Hajime moved his head slightly, completely avoiding the blow. Then, a smacking sound was heard from behind a nearby stone lantern.

And that's not all. With a loud splash, the water erupted, and the uncle-like student hiding in the pool leaped out like a ferocious eagle, shooting countless needles from his mouth.

He moved his feet smoothly, avoiding all the flying needles, then noticed something new and did a backflip on the spot.

Then, a wooden sword and a young disciple covered in mud emerged from the ground. "Tsk, I missed!" he said disdainfully.

Hearing this, Hajime landed with a wry smile, then raised one hand to catch the incoming object, and with the other hand, shot down another object flying from the opposite direction.

Hajime clutched an arrow. Though the tip was made of rubber, it was undoubtedly an arrow. Looking in the direction it came from, he spotted a student crouching on the eaves of the main building, bow in hand. In the opposite direction, above the main gate, another student stood with his arms crossed, clearly having just thrown something.

Hajime nodded deeply, and although he was almost convinced, he still asked:

"Mr. Toramasa...is your Yaegashi-ryu actually a ninja school?"

"Hajime, what are you talking about? There can't be any ninjas in the modern world. You must have read too many manga. Becoming Shizuku's partner is a bit disturbing."

“I-I see. But…”

"And it's not 'ninja', the correct term is 'ninja', don't get it wrong."

"Aren't you just admitting your guilt?"

Looking around, the uncle who had been hiding in the pool had already taken off his dao robe. Under the dao robe, he was wearing a set of black clothes...

Looking at the object on the ground that Hajime had just knocked down, it looked like the stick-shaped shuriken he had seen in the museum before. At the same time, a disciple ran over with a forward-leaning posture - commonly known as the ninja run - and in the blink of an eye, he snatched up the stick-shaped shuriken on the ground.

The students on the eaves used special ropes with iron claws tied to the front to easily descend to the ground.

When Hajime pointed at them and turned his gaze to Tomasa, they disappeared without a trace without anyone noticing... Although he still saw someone's back hiding in the main house, it was really fast.

And there was no sound of footsteps at all. No one made any sound.

Hajime took a deep breath and forced himself to suppress the gloomy feeling that was welling up in his heart.

At this time──

"Hajime, you're here! Welcome!"

A voice exclaimed with joy. On the main house's porch, Shizuku, dressed in a gorgeous kimono, waved at him.

Hajime raised his hand in response to Shizuku and walked towards her. Shizuku smiled even more brightly.

She even wore a little makeup, as if she had dressed up specially for Hajime's visit.

Shizuku was still as attentive and lovable as ever, which made Hajime feel less depressed.

"Shizuku, you prefer Western-style clothing, right? Are you dressing like this just for me?"

"Y-yes. I was just saying I haven't shown you yet..."

"Is that so? Thank you. My fatigue has completely vanished. You're truly beautiful."

“…! Thank you~!”

Shizuku, wearing a kimono and smiling shyly, has an astonishing destructive power.

Shizuku usually looked like a majestic female knight, but today she looked like an ordinary girl in love, which made Hajime smile involuntarily.

Instantly, he reached into his arms and summoned a silenced Mini-Donar. Without revealing his hand, he hid the gun deep under his armpit and fired continuously to his left. Countless sparks and metallic sounds exploded in the air!

Shizuku looked towards the source of the noise with a startled look, noticing a slight bulge in the ground there, invisible to the naked eye. And from that bulge, several small bamboo-shaped objects were sticking out...

It seems that there are other disciples lurking underground.

There must be a tunnel underground there. Someone from inside slightly lifted the cover disguised as the ground and attacked Hajime through the tiny gap with a hidden weapon such as a blowgun.

"You, that's enough! Why are you doing this again?! Come out here!"

Shizuku roared, her face flushed. However, they didn't listen to her. The bump on the ground trembled slightly, shifted, and seemed to disappear somewhere.

Shizuku was trembling all over. Hajime looked at her with a somewhat sympathetic gaze and raised the question that still bothered him.

"Hey, Shizuku, I see your family is actually descended from ninjas or something, right? Isn't that right?"

"...No, I don't think that's possible."

Before being summoned, Shizuku herself had never seen anything like this. It wasn't until Hajime's first visit to this house after returning from the other world that Shizuku learned of the unique structure of her home and the Yaegashi-ryu techniques she was completely unaware of.

The one who was most surprised was Shizuku herself.

"Then why don't you ask me next time you get a chance? 'Could it be that I've been training as a kunoichi without even realizing it?'"

"I've pressed my family to find out what the Yaegashi-ryu is."

"So what did they say?"

"Ordinary swordsmanship and a bit of acrobatics—that's what it seems."

"You have to keep it a secret even from your daughter..."

"What exactly is my family..." Shizuku muttered, staring blankly into the distance. Hajime looked at her with even more sympathy.

After finally returning from a world beyond common sense, I unexpectedly discovered that my family, besides my own, also has a side that goes against common sense and is unknown to others...

It seems that Shizuku is destined to worry about all kinds of things.

“…Hajime… Don’t, don’t hate me for this.”

Shizuku covered her mouth with the sleeve of her kimono and pleaded nervously. Hajime's expression tightened involuntarily. This was completely unfounded worry on her part.

"Of course not."

"But... judging from what you did just now, Grandpa and Dad must have been giving you trouble again, right? I've told you several times not to do such a thing..."

"They are your father and grandfather. I can understand how they feel when they think about their precious daughter being taken away by a man like me. If I were them, I would have shot them long ago."

"No, that's wrong. The same goes for you. Attacking is wrong."

What Shizuku said was absolutely correct. However, if one were to be honest, Hajime actually thought that Washizo and Toramasa were the ones who were right in terms of their feelings. Therefore, although he felt heavy-hearted when he came here, he wasn't really opposed to it.

"As long as you consider it a test necessary to obtain the daughter of the Yaegashi family, I will be more motivated and happy to accept the challenge."

“…! You’re so annoying, so slick…”

Shizuku shyly raised her sleeves to cover half of her face.

She didn't want Hajime to see her smirking mouth, but her red face and ears, and her eyes full of joy, still revealed her true feelings. This look was so adorable that it made him want to forcibly remove her hand.

"Anyway, please come in first. Take shelter in my room first."

"Is it necessary to take shelter in my own room in my own home..."

"Stop talking."

Shizuku's shy look is really cute. Hajime smiled cheerfully and walked around the entrance.

The two of them snuggled together, chatting happily as they walked along the corridor.

However, it would be naive to think that this was possible. The corridors along the way were simply a huge maze.

Hidden spears pierced through cracks in the wall. The corridor floor was burrowed with traps. The ceiling would collapse. A hidden door in the wall flipped open, and from within emerged Tiger, expressionlessly wielding his katana and unleashing a swift double slash! Turning the corner of the corridor, someone muttered, "Ah! My hand slipped!" in a completely inarticulate voice, and a kusarigama, pivoting on a pillar, shifted its trajectory and swung towards him.

Hajime dodged appropriately, while looking at Shizuku with eyes full of care.

"Shizuku...just admit it. Your house is a ninja house. Your family is a ninja family."

"This is clearly my own home, yet I've never seen these mechanisms at this age. What on earth am I… By the way, Grandpa! You can't use the kusarigama! Look, it's stuck in the wall! It's obviously a real sword, right? Where do you keep things like this before!?"

Shizuku lifted the hem of her kimono and ran to the corner of the corridor, shouting angrily. However, no one was there.

Shizuku knelt down on the spot.

"Shizuku, I think it's best not to go to your room. Go to the living room instead. I've already dealt with all their tricks, and it seems like they'll only get worse... If we go to your room, your precious stuffed animals (collection) might get affected."

“… Ugh, my room is supposed to be a safe zone… Anyway, if you guys mess with my room, I’ll really not let you off! I was already pissed off just because you attacked Hajime. I’ve really been pissed off!”

Shizuku roared at her family and students who were probably hiding on the ceiling and under the floor.

The lurkers seemed to understand that Shizuku was truly angry, and the sounds gradually faded away.

"Alright, Hajime, let's go! Don't let anyone disturb us!"

"Uh, okay. A-Are you giving up on yourself a little?"

Shizuku held onto Hajime's arm tightly and hurried to her room.

Hajime had been invited to Shizuku's room twice already, and it was still filled with cute elements.

There were a large number of stuffed animals, a cat-patterned calendar, pale pink curtains and sheets, and cushions with bunny ears.

It’s really a very cute girl’s room, so cute that it’s even a little artificial.

Shizuku brought a flat raccoon-shaped cushion and placed it in front of the small round glass table.

As soon as Hajime sat down, the cushion began to make a "puffing" sound. If his classmates and his friends from the other world (especially a certain emperor) saw the Demon King, who had returned from another world, sitting on a character-shaped cushion that made sounds, they would surely burst into laughter.

"Wait here for a moment. I'll prepare tea and snacks."

"No, don't bother. Actually, I don't want to be alone in this house..."

"Ugh... No, it'll be fine! I've already warned you sternly, and I've checked my room thoroughly. There's definitely nothing strange going on—"

Despite Shizuku's assurance, there was a knocking sound from the ceiling, as if mocking her.

"Welcome, Mr. Hajime. Please enjoy your meal. You're welcome."

Kirino appeared with tea and snacks and said this.

Rather than appearing, it would be more accurate to say that she slightly moved the ceiling and swiftly jumped down from the gap.

In one hand, she held a tray filled with delicious-looking yokan and teacups. The small bamboo stick she used to hold the yokan didn't waver at all, and the steaming tea didn't spill a single drop; her movements were remarkably steady.

"Mom!? H-How could this happen? I checked everything carefully..."

Shizuku looked up at the opened ceiling in astonishment. Despite her reaction, Kirino's mother remained nonchalant, smiling the entire time.

She placed tea and snacks on the table, her movements elegant and flawless, her whole body exuding a resolute aura, giving people the impression of a "strong woman." Although she was very beautiful, it was her handsomeness that made people admire her even more.

"Mom, Mom, are you actually a kunoichi? Is that really the case?"

Unlike her father and grandfather, after Shizuku returned, Kirino had remained the same in front of her and had not attacked Hajime. However, the skill she had just displayed was truly...

Although Shizuku didn't say it explicitly, her expression clearly said, "Mom, as expected, you too..."

Seeing her daughter's empty eyes, Kirino's mother pretended to be stupid and said, "Oh my, Shizuku, you are such a troublesome child. I really can't do anything about you."

"Mr. Hajime, I'm so sorry. It seems this girl is so excited about your visit that she's racking her brains to come up with such a joke... But, she's a very serious person by nature, so she's not very funny, is she? Even so, please continue to look after her."

"...Don't worry. This situation is actually quite interesting from a certain perspective."

“Wow, even Hajime says that, that’s too much…”

Shizuku's cheeks puffed up, tears welling up in her eyes. Hajime took her hand, caressing it gently and soothing her.

Shizuku felt her hands and heart itchy, and she twisted her body slightly, immediately showing a happy smile.

Seeing her daughter and Hajime being so affectionate, Kirino smiled happily and said, "Oh, Shizuku, you're really like this in front of your mother. Okay, mother will leave right away and won't disturb you anymore." Then she left the room.

Of course, her way of leaving the room was by quickly jumping onto the ceiling.

Seeing the ceiling being covered silently as if nothing had happened, Shizuku's expression inevitably turned into emptiness again.

"Uh... how should I put it... he, they're planning to slowly let you in on the secrets of this family. I guess."

“Is that so?”

"Hmm. Speaking of which, the Yaegashi family really took on a lot of responsibility during our absence and the turmoil after our return. Honestly, that alone proves they're no ordinary family."

Of the members of the "Family Association," the Yaegashi family was the one who pushed the hardest to expand their search. Their connections were truly impressive, encompassing a wide range of industries, and their vast reach astonished both Cho and Sumire.

Furthermore, the Yaegashi family also provided martial arts instruction to the local police. Honestly, the uncle who had just leaped out of the pond in the front yard like a ferocious eagle was the chief of the local police station.

When the returnees were being investigated and their statements were being recorded, the reason why it was possible to cover up everything by simply inflicting cognitive interference on the investigating police officer and a few related people was because the director made the most appropriate arrangements after learning the truth about the returnees.

"That man has been coming in and out of my house as a student since I was a child. To me, he's just like a kind relative or uncle. I don't think too much of it."