Chapter 4
"Ugh, here I am, back in sixth grade," I muttered, staring at the building adorned with the kanji for "Fire." It's the place where I'm supposed to learn how to become a ninja, but something feels off about all of this.
"Let's go inside, Hinata-sama," Ko said, leading me to the Academy.
I guess it makes sense since it's part of the Hokage building complex, right in the heart of the village.
A few moments later, I met my homeroom teacher, Umino Iruka. "Thank God you made it, Hinata," he greeted me with a smile. But I couldn't help but be slightly horrified by the deep gash running across his nose. I hope he's okay.
"Thank you," I replied, trying to hide my unease.
"Hmm? In that case, since it's time for class to start, Hinata, better find your seat quickly." Iruka's expression momentarily hinted, 'This kid looks different.' But he brushed it off, and our short conversation came to an end.
"Okay." I got up from my seat and added, "Ah, thanks for bringing me here." I couldn't forget about Ko.
I mean, come on, don't I look like a rich kid now? Having a jounin escort me to school, how fancy is that?
He nodded respectfully and vanished with a 'whoosh!' His body blurred and disappeared.
"Holy shit..." I couldn't help but exclaim. That was my first time witnessing something like that.
"That must be Body Flicker," I muttered to myself, amazed yet also mocking my own fascination. I felt like a foreigner in awe of the shinobi techniques that jounin effortlessly performed. Well, can you blame me? I've never seen anything like this in my whole life. Even Spiderman would be jealous. Does that mean I'll have a Peter Parker-like moment of my own? Guess we'll have to wait and see.
Long story short, I got lost a couple of times, but I eventually made it to class as my face filled with the embarrassment of entering the wrong rooms too often.
"Hm... looks like most of the benches are taken," I observed, scanning the room.
The back seat caught my eye, and I quickly made my way toward it, hoping that the seating arrangement was flexible.
Why the back seat? Well, the design is supposedly ergonomic, allowing everyone to have an undisturbed view of the whiteboard. But in my case, I just wanted to avoid the spotlight, forgetting that my classmates would still notice Hinata's drastic transformation.
"Hey, what's up with Hinata?" I overheard the whispers as I settled into my seat. The entire class seemed curious about the sudden change in Hinata's demeanor.
"Bother," I sighed, feeling overwhelmed by the attention.
"Yeah, I agree," a lazy-faced guy sitting next to me chimed in, his friend munching on potato chips beside him. It was none other than Shikamaru. "Yawn. What are you doing? Practicing chakra control so early in the morning?"
Shikamaru shot me a queasy look that seemed to say, 'Ugh, I hate people like this.' I guess my classmates were intrigued because I spent my mornings doing chakra control exercises by attaching leaves to my cheeks. Maybe that's why I'm the center of attention.
Should I respond to him? but it feels like if I speak, these leaves might just fall off.
"Don't mind me. I... am... air," I replied, trying to play it cool.
Surprisingly, the leaves stayed put. Does that mean I'm successful? Not bad.
"Sigh... troublesome," Shikamaru muttered before settling into his morning nap.
-Crunches!
The sound of chewing broke the silence at my table, and it continued until Iruka arrived to start the class.
---
"Okay, everyone, it's time for a break before our practice class starts in 15 minutes."
"Yes! Finally finished!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping up in excitement.
Iruka closed his book with a tired expression and left the room, glancing at Naruto, who seemed thrilled that the theory class was over.
But wait, he mentioned that the next class would be a practice session.
Shit, I'm in trouble.
"Hey, Sasuke-kun, want to grab lunch together?" Sakura asked, her eyes shining with stars.
"No."
Sakura sighed, a bit disappointed. "Come on, don't be so cold. It just so happens that I brought too much food because I'm on a diet."
Right in front of my desk.
Sakura tried to offer Sasuke his lunch, but he was lost in his own daydreams, his gaze sharp and distant.
"Am I like that too?" I pondered, closing my eyes. I don't think I'm that obsessed at this age.
"Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan, let me help you out. I'm hungry too, you know," Naruto chimed in.
"Huh? Get away from me, you idiot," Sakura snapped back.
I let out a long sigh. How many times have I sighed today? I took out my lunch box and noticed that the maid had prepared a sandwich.
"Hey, just eat this if you want," I said, standing up from my chair and handing it to Naruto.
"Wha...? You're giving this to me?" Naruto asked, his eyes filled with disbelief.
What's with that touching expression? It feels like a sad soundtrack is playing in the background.
"Hinata speaks that calm... also did she talks to Naruto?" Sakura muttered to herself, looking at me as if I'm some kind of oddity.
That's right.
Since Hinata is different, it's like forced character development or something.
"Whoa! Thank you, Hinata!"
Naruto exclaimed, his eyes welling up with tears as he grabbed the lunchbox from me like lightning.
"Thank you for the food! Nom... nom..."
[Turn Point Event]
[Rewards: 2 Achievement points]
Who knew such a small act would earn me some points? Heh, lucky me.
I'll let go of the incident with the spilled paint. It's in the past now, Naruto.
With a smug smile, I left the classroom, ready to head to the training ground.
---
The classmates exchanged puzzled looks as they watched Hinata, a normally reserved girl, grinning mischievously. A leaf was hilariously stuck to her cheek as she obliviously left the classroom.
"Does Hinata not realize she has something stuck to her face?" one of them whispered.
Ino, unable to control her volume, shouted, "No, wait! That's not it! But is she okay?"
"I know that Ino-pig! Don't scream neart my ear."
Sakura shot Ino a sharp glare, standing near Sasuke's desk.
Annoyed, Sasuke got up abruptly and stormed out of the classroom.
"Sasuke-kun, where are you going?" Sakura called out, concerned.
"Hey, wide forehead! Where do you think you're going?" Ino joined in, determined to follow Sasuke.
"Huh...? Of course, I'm going to follow Sasuke-kun," Sakura responded.
"That's what I meant! Don't think you're going to seduce 'my' Sasuke-kun," Ino retorted.
Both Sakura and Ino remained oblivious to the fact that their argument had driven Sasuke away.
"Sigh... how clueless," Shikamaru muttered under his breath, watching the scene unfold.
He wondered, 'Do I have to deal with this when I'm married?' His eyes wandered to the window, gazing at the serene blue sky, lost in his thoughts—though he wouldn't admit it.
Being a lazy person who loved dozing off in class didn't mean Shikamaru wasn't observant.
He had noticed a change in Hinata's behavior ever since their conversation earlier. As the successor of his own clan, Shikamaru realized that the expectations placed on the Hyuga clan were even more higher.
'Did she finally break?' the thought crossed his mind. It seemed the clan's pressure had pushed her to the extreme.
'But can someone change so dramatically?' he wondered, intrigued by Hinata's change.
Hinata, known for her gentle nature, had become like an open book.
Anyone, except... maybe Naruto, could easily read the new confidence radiating from the Hyuga Princess.
"Hey, Shikamaru, what's going on in that lazy head of yours?" Chouji asked between bites of his potato chips. Shikamaru absently reached for the snack, responding, "Something troublesome."
---
[Kunai Art (F) has been learned.]
[Shuriken Art (F) has been learned.]
As the system notification popped up, Hinata felt a surge of excitement and struggle.
"It's hard... but maybe I got a bit lucky. Could it be because of talent?" She pondered for a moment, then made up her mind to practice on the field.
The target shooting practice involved kunai and shuriken aiming at bullseyes.
After 15 minutes of focused training, Hinata let out a breath and glanced around. The training ground was abuzz with excitement, likely due to the upcoming class. Her eyes landed on the Taijutsu training area, and she headed there.
"Ah... Hinata! Over here!" Sakura waved her hand, inviting Hinata to join her.
Hinata approached Sakura, who asked curiously, "Where are you going?"
"Kunai throwing practice," Hinata replied.
"You're practicing kunai? You're so diligent," Sakura remarked, trying to recall Hinata's recent behavior.
She knew Hinata had always been busy following Naruto around, and Sakura couldn't help but wonder if Hinata still had a crush on the stupid blonde.
Hinata noticed Sakura's thoughtful expression and chuckled inwardly.
Sakura's assumptions were partly true, but she didn't care about Sakura's thoughts.
[Fatigue: 49]
"Looks like I overdid it," Hinata murmured, glancing at the fatigue indicator in the system. Realizing her body felt heavy, she decided to prioritize stamina points for her next upgrade. "It's fine; I'll focus on stamina next time."
"Alright, kids! The next lesson is Taijutsu!" Iruka's voice cut through Hinata's thoughts, bringing her attention back to the present.
Fortunately, Hinata had received a short lesson on Taijutsu from Ko during her daily quest. She had practiced the basic movements of the Gentle Fist technique he showed her, and now it was time to put it to the test. However, she hoped her opponent wouldn't be too strong.
"Okay, let's see who gets to fight first." Iruka reached for a rolled sheet from a box he had prepared. "Uchiha Sasuke! Please step forward."
The announcement was met with thunderous applause from the girls. Naruto, ever the rival of Sasuke, couldn't resist protesting, "You show off! What's so good about him?" Meanwhile, Shikamaru lounged lazily on the grass, looking at the clouds as if he were an old man. "Could you please calm Naruto down? I'm trying to enjoy the clouds."
"Are you not annoyed by that arrogant face, Shikamaru? I hope I get to face Sasuke. I'll smash that damn face," Naruto declared.
"Noms... noms... I thought you were no match for Sasuke," Chouji chimed in, reminding Naruto of his position as the class's "dead last."
"Woof! Woo!" Akamaru barked as Kiba laughed seemingly agreeing with Chouji's remark.
"Shut up, Kiba!"
Hinata observed the lively interaction between her classmates and couldn't help but find them incredibly animated.
"They feel so alive, like real people," she thought, amused.
Suddenly, she noticed a bug crawling near her shoe and instinctively swung her leg to squash it.
"Stop. Don't hurt it."
"Huh?" Hinata's eyes widened as she saw a person wearing a hooded jacket standing in front of her.
She couldn't make out their identity, and then... the bugs on his jacket slowly crawled onto the surface, and her face turned pale.
'B-bu-bu-bug...'
Frozen in fear, she couldn't utter a word.
Deep down, she knew who it was. Christine had just encountered the character she wanted to avoid the most in this series.
"Hey, did you know I found the rarest kind of flower in Senju Park? Want to see it?" The person continued speaking, seemingly oblivious to Hinata's distress. "What's wrong, Hinata? Your face is pale..."
Ino, who had been talking at length, suddenly became confused when she noticed Hinata's horrified expression. She followed Hinata's gaze and shrieked, "K-Kyaa! There are so many bugs!"
Ino hurriedly brushed the bugs off Shino's jacket, trying to slap them. "No! Don't kill my precious bugs!" the owner cried.
"Great job, Pig Ino! Just kill them all!" Sakura chimed in, teasingly.
"Don't shout at me, and help me get rid of them!"
Iruka's face grew veiny as he realized that the students were more preoccupied with their own matters than paying attention to his class. "Silenceee fools!!!" In his heart, he couldn't fathom why his students didn't appreciate his efforts.
Letting out a long sigh, Iruka continued, "Ahem! For Sasuke's opponent... Hyuga Hinata."
Unlike the earlier excited announcement, Iruka called Hinata's name in a hushed voice, questioning if it was alright.
Hinata's heart skipped a beat, not out of love but due to the earlier dangerous insect encounter. She had been so frightened that she couldn't move when she saw the bugs on Shino's back.
With determination in her eyes, Hinata stepped forward, even though she wasn't entirely sure what was going on, after all she didn't want to end up behind Shino.
As she saw Sasuke, her mind raced, she wasn't the only one taken aback by the match-up.
'Fuck... I have no other choice,' Hinata thought.
Since Kaguya was the final boss, this duel might be a good opportunity for her to test her abilities.
"Hinata, if you're still feeling unwell, you can sit out. I can choose another opponent for Sasuke," Iruka offered, concerned about her well-being.
Hinata shook her head, dismissing Iruka's concern. "It's okay, Iruka-sensei."
Iruka nodded and declared, "Alright then, the aim of today's class is to hone Taijutsu skills. You two are only allowed to duel without using chakra. I will intervene if either of you can't continue. Please begin with a seal of confrontation."
"Yeah! Finish him, Hinata!" Naruto shouted, eager to support Hinata now that she had given him supplies. His encouragement stemmed from their rivalry with Sasuke.
Sasuke, with an expressionless face, made a hand seal to confront Hinata. 'I'll finish this quickly,' he thought, remembering their encounter earlier at the shuriken training ground. 'This Hyuga is weaker than me.' Observing Hinata's clumsy kunai and shuriken throws, he believed her abilities would be no match for him.
Unbeknownst to Sasuke, Hinata had a different agenda.
She wanted to measure her own abilities and assess the stats of the system. With a similar hand seal, she saw this duel as an opportunity to understand the relationship between Strength, Agility, Sense, Stamina, and Intelligence.
[Stats]
[Strength: 3.2 (F)]
[Agility: 2.2 (F)]
[Sense: 1.2 (F)]
[Stamina: 1.2 (F)]
[Intelligence: 1.1 (F)]
***
[Achievement Points: 2]
'I was saving my points for later, but... my opponent now is him. I should increase my strength and agility stats. Maybe I made a mistake by not investing in stamina, but I'll address that next time,' Hinata contemplated. She adjusted her stats accordingly.
[Stats]
[Strength: 4.2 (F)]
[Agility: 3.2 (F)]
[Sense: 1.2 (F)]
[Stamina: 1.2 (F)]
[Intelligence: 1.1 (F)]
***
[Achievement Points: 0]
Seeing both fighters ready, Iruka gave a nod. 'Come to think of it, I've never seen this pair fight before,' he mused, realizing the significance behind the rivalry between an Uchiha and a Hyuga—the power of their respective eyes.
"Okay, start!" Iruka's command echoed through the training ground.
-Swish!
With that, Sasuke initiated the first move toward Hinata.