The Hearing Trumpet

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With a cold tone, Itachi spoke and stepped forward first. Kisame, following behind him, simply shook his head slightly, unfazed by Itachi's attitude. He then caught up with his companion, still curious about the rest of the story in that picture book.

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Meanwhile, in the Land of Rivers, inside a cave—

"Hey, hey~ Sasori no danna, have you had enough rest yet? Lately, it seems like the one taking his time is you, yeah!"

The one speaking was a blond young man in a black cloak with red clouds. His high ponytail and the eyepiece over his left eye made him look sharp and confident. However, at this moment, his face was slightly wrinkled with impatience and curiosity.

"Urusee, Deidara. I'm searching for inspiration for my next work."

Leaning against the cave's fire pit was a red-haired young man, dressed in the same Akatsuki cloak as Deidara. These two were members of the organization—Sasori of the Red Sand and Deidara of the Explosive Art. The former was an S-rank rogue ninja from Sunagakure, and the latter from Iwagakure.

In Sasori's hands was a picture book, and from the cover, it was identical to the one Kisame had picked up earlier—Tales of the Fox.

"Hah? Come on, Sasori no danna, have you been obsessed with that thing lately? You're carrying that old book around all day, yeah!"

Seeing that Sasori still showed no intention of moving, Deidara sighed and walked back into the cave, sitting down beside him. As someone who also pursued art, Deidara was now genuinely curious about what kind of book could hold Sasori's attention.

"Is it really that good? Yeah?"

"Shut up and see for yourself."

Sasori's brown eyes reflected the flickering firelight as he stared at the golden-haired fox spirit in the book, his gaze intense and unreadable.

"Hah? That blonde, big-breasted chick? Didn't think you were into this kind of thing, Sasori no danna. But wait—can you even… do anything with that body of yours? Yeah?"

Deidara smirked as he followed Sasori's gaze, teasing his partner. After all, as the ultimate puppet master, Sasori no longer had a human body. The idea that he'd be interested in a woman was pretty amusing.

"Baka. Looks like you're the one who's hit mating season, coming up with something that childish."

Unfazed by Deidara's teasing, Sasori's eyes remained fixated on the illustration, filled with a different kind of intensity. "Look closely. She's not human. She's a fox spirit that has lived for a thousand years. And yet… even after all that time, she's still beautiful, still youthful… Is that the difference between yokai and humans?"

"Ohh~ So she's not human, huh? An immortal being with eternal youth… No wonder you're interested, Sasori no danna. Yeah."

Deidara finally understood what had caught Sasori's eye. As someone who pursued eternity, Sasori was completely obsessed with the idea of permanence. This fox spirit wasn't just some short-lived human—she had lived for a thousand years and still looked young and beautiful. It made sense why Sasori would be drawn to such a concept.

"Alright, let's go."

Just as Deidara was getting into the book, Sasori suddenly closed it and stood up. Deidara immediately protested.

"Oi, oi, oi! Sasori no danna, I was just getting into it! Yeah!"

"This is only the first edition. The release date was over a month ago. That means newer volumes should already be out. I need to collect them."

Sasori's voice, now slightly distorted by his puppet body, was calm as he climbed into Hiruko. "If you want to keep reading, find your own copy. I remember there's a mid-sized town nearby."

Hearing this, Deidara's face lit up as he smacked his hands together.

"Ohh, I see how it is! Alright then, let's go get them! I was getting bored anyway! Yeah~!"

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Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Even for Hinata, the changes during this time felt a little strange—like she was becoming a part of this world.

Her hair had gotten longer.

Sitting in front of the mirror, Hinata examined her reflection. She had already known what the character "Hyuga Hinata" looked like from watching the anime, but now, after nearly four months of living in this world, she could feel the traces of the original Hinata slowly fading away.

Not just in the way she dressed—her hair, once short, now draped over her shoulders. Her thin lips pressed together instinctively, and her pale eyes, with the slight furrow of her brow, now carried a sharp, determined look.

It was currently April in the world of Naruto, and the weather was getting warmer. In mid-June, the Academy's graduation exams would take place. That meant in just two months, Hinata and the others would officially become Genin.

"…This really feels like some kind of forced role-playing game. But at least the story is still in my hands. At least, I hope… it is."

Hinata leaned in closer to the mirror, carefully examining the reflection of the white-eyed girl staring back at her. She hadn't forgotten about that strange sleepwalking incident from two weeks ago. Even though Ino had brushed it off as simple exhaustion, Hinata couldn't quite bring herself to trust that explanation.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. She had more important things to do.

Today was a special day for her—because the custom-made gloves she had ordered from Tenten's ninja tool shop were finally ready. The payment had been settled as soon as she received her manuscript royalties, and now all that was left was to pick up the gloves and see if her plan had worked.

Tenten, usually full of energy, was a little more nervous than usual today. She stood behind the counter, staring at the three pristine ninja tool cases in front of her with a hint of anxiety.

And for good reason—this was the largest transaction she had ever handled. A deal worth a full one million ryo. Even though the payment had been completed a few days ago, the sheer amount of money involved made her, a 13-year-old girl running a ninja tool shop, feel the weight of responsibility.

A calm yet slightly cold voice suddenly echoed from the entrance—

"Good day. I'm here to pick up the three pairs of gloves I ordered two weeks ago."

Hinata stepped into the shop and got straight to the point.

Tenten, startled for a moment, quickly straightened up. "Ah! Yes! Right here—your three pairs of ninja gloves!"

She hurriedly opened the three tool cases in front of her, pushing them toward the counter so that her valuable customer could inspect them with ease.

Hinata stepped forward and carefully examined the gloves inside the cases. She had waited two whole weeks for these, spending a million ryo in the process. Now, she was finally about to see what they were really like.

The gloves gleamed with a metallic sheen, woven from fine strands of metal wire. The back of the hands and fingers were reinforced with armor plates, making them resemble the gauntlets worn by medieval knights. Cold, solid, and undeniably lethal—these were not designed for warmth, but for battle.

"Not bad… This is excellent craftsmanship."

Hinata picked up the pair in the middle, admiring the long protective guards extending from the gloves. It was clear they were designed to fit securely, preventing them from slipping off. Despite their reinforced structure, they were sleek enough to be hidden beneath her sleeves, keeping them inconspicuous.

"Of course! The craftsmen from the Land of Crafts said these were some of their finest works recently. Are you satisfied?"

Seeing that Hinata seemed pleased, Tenten let out a small sigh of relief. She reached out to help Hinata put on the gloves, her voice gentle as she explained, "Since the craftsmen knew your arms are still growing, the inside of the gloves has adjustable elasticity. If they ever feel loose, you can tighten them using the knob on the arm guard."

"Oh? That's a thoughtful design. Let them know—I'm very satisfied."

Hinata flexed her right hand, feeling how the gloves responded to her movements. Surprisingly, despite being made entirely of metal, they weren't as heavy as she had expected. The craftsmanship was flawless—smooth, polished, and comfortable to wear.

"Well then, could you sign here? If everything's good, we can finalize the transaction."

Tenten beamed, pulling out the receipt. A slight blush of excitement colored her cheeks—if this deal went through, she could brag about it forever. After all, closing a million-ryo deal at just 13 years old was definitely something to be proud of.

But Hinata didn't reach for the receipt. Instead, she gave Tenten a small, knowing smile.

"No need to rush, dear shopkeeper-san. We haven't tested them yet."

She spread her right hand open, her white eyes narrowing slightly. This was the most important moment—the moment of truth.

Could these gloves help her manifest her fire chakra?

Fifty days. That's how long she had endured this training—fifty days of pure agony.

The Iron Sand Training had been nothing short of hell. The pain, the suffering—Hinata could still feel it vividly. The searing heat melting her skin, the blistering flames scorching her muscles, the searing agony even deep within her bones.

She could still remember the way it felt—the way fire tasted.

"Shopkeeper-san," Hinata murmured, her gaze locked onto her open palm, "do you know the taste of fire?"

Tenten swallowed nervously. She wanted to keep calm, but there was something unnervingly intense about the way this white-eyed girl spoke. The air around them was suddenly getting hotter—and Tenten knew exactly where the heat was coming from.

"U-uh… you mean, like… grilled meat?" she tried to joke, forcing a shaky smile.

Hinata chuckled softly. "No, no. You're talking about food—but I'm talking about fire."

Then, her voice dropped to a whisper, filled with something deep and powerful.

"I know the taste of fire. It's pain, struggle, resistance, rage, and…"

Hinata's voice suddenly surged, along with the chakra flowing through her arm. The gloves hummed, vibrating as they absorbed the chakra—

And then—

"Power!"

BOOM!

A sudden explosion of heat erupted from Hinata's palm.

Tenten's eyes went wide as a blinding flash of fire burst out, sending a wave of heat surging through the shop. She let out a startled yelp, instinctively stumbling back several steps before she could steady herself.

Her heart pounded.

Hinata just stood there, calm and collected, her right hand wreathed in flames.

Bright orange-red flames danced in Hinata's right palm, their intense glow and radiating heat proving they were far from harmless light—they were real, searing flames capable of burning through anything.

Hinata's pale eyes widened slightly with joy and satisfaction. She could feel her right hand clearly. Though the heat was strong, it wasn't unbearable anymore. That meant her hand had completely adapted to this level of temperature.

Without a doubt, this was the result of her Fire-natured chakra being transformed through the ninja tool. Compared to ordinary fire, it was purer and far more dangerous. Her chakra was its fuel, yet from what she could tell, the energy consumption was surprisingly minimal.

"Mm… Perfect. We can sign the receipt now."

Hinata abruptly clenched her right hand, crushing the flame in her palm into scattered embers. A rare, bright smile appeared on her face. "Sorry for making you wait so long."

"N-No… Not at all, this is our job…"

Tenten stammered in response, feeling utterly drained. Even though this pale-eyed girl had never shown her any hostility, the sheer intensity of her presence was overwhelming.

Just as Hinata was about to sign the receipt, an unexpected voice suddenly rang out at the entrance of the ninja tool shop—cold and sharp.

"So it's true. Looks like the rumors weren't lies."

The voice was clear, but the disgust and lingering resentment behind it couldn't be hidden.

Tenten's head snapped up in surprise, and when she saw who it was, her shock deepened. "Neji? What are you—"

Huh? Looks like I've run into something annoying again.

Hinata's right hand, holding the pen, paused briefly. But then she calmly finished signing her name before slowly turning around to examine the boy standing at the door.

He had the same signature pale eyes, long hair, and a sharp yet almost delicate face—so refined it barely seemed fitting for a boy. But his gaze held a piercing coldness, and his arms were crossed with an air of arrogance and hostility.

And there it was—clear hatred, directed straight at her.

Hyuga Neji. Hinata's cousin.

The son of Hyuga Hizashi, who was the younger brother of her own father, Hyuga Hiashi.

Or rather…

Hinata's lips curled slightly. She could feel it—the twisted pleasure, darkened by malice, rising in her heart. Because of the way this white-eyed boy was looking at her.

"Well, well. Look who it is. The Hyuga Clan's genius? No…"

"The poor, miserable caged bird of the Hyuga branch."

For a moment, the entire ninja tool shop seemed to freeze.

The sound of teeth grinding echoed sharply in the tense air.

Neji's eyes instantly flared with rage, his once-composed expression twisting slightly.

"…What did you just say?"

His voice carried a hollow edge, like someone barely holding back an explosion of fury.

The air around them grew thick with killing intent—tangible, suffocating. The kind of hatred so intense it could kill.

"Oh? So not only do you have bad eyesight, but your hearing is failing too?"

Hinata chuckled lightly. She truly enjoyed provoking Neji. At the same time, her right hand lowered slightly, fingers casually curling. The surface of her gloves glowed faintly red as chakra concentrated within them—ready for battle at any moment.

"Neji!! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Before things could escalate, Tenten snapped out of her daze. In a flash, she moved between them, blocking Hinata from Neji's line of sight.

Her right hand dipped toward the pouch at her waist. As a graduated genin, she could feel the killing intent radiating from Neji.

This was her ninja tool shop, and Hinata was her customer. Protecting a guest was a basic rule of courtesy in the ninja world. And on top of that, both she and Hinata were girls—Hinata wasn't even a graduate yet. That only strengthened Tenten's sense of responsibility.

"Move. Now."

Neji struggled to control his emotions, but his voice still trembled with anger. That only made Hinata look down on him even more.

She understood why Neji resented the main family—it was because of his father's death. But to her, his behavior was nothing but cowardly.

If he was truly willing to risk everything for revenge, then he should have the resolve to fight the main family head-on, even if it meant his own death. There was no need for him to keep living as a Hyuga in the Hidden Leaf Village.

And if he had decided to endure it, then he should act like it. Accept his place and live obediently, like a dog on a leash.

But instead, he walked around acting high and mighty as the so-called "Hyuga genius" while taking every chance to mock and crush the weak—especially the original Hinata from the past, who had already been struggling.

That kind of attitude? The current Hinata had nothing but contempt for it.

"Neji!! Calm down!! Are you really going to attack a girl who hasn't even graduated yet?!"

Tenten's grip tightened on the kunai inside her ninja tool pouch. She didn't back down as she faced Neji head-on. Her scolding must have reached him at least a little because he clenched his fists tightly, then, with great reluctance, stayed in place.

"Hmph… Forget it. A failure like you isn't worth my time. Especially one who has already abandoned the family's traditions."

Neji shot one last sharp glare at Hinata from behind Tenten before turning and leaving the shop.

Once she was sure he was gone, Tenten let out a huge sigh of relief and turned to Hinata with a mix of frustration and curiosity. "Ugh… That scared me. What's going on? Aren't you two cousins? Why does Neji hate you so much?"

Hinata simply smiled. "It's not something worth knowing. Well then~ Thank you for protecting me, shopkeeper-san. See you next time."

She picked up the box containing the other two pairs of gloves and left, ignoring Tenten's confused expression and unspoken questions.

After all, to these characters from the original story, the things they cared about were nothing but trivial matters to her.

But…

Neji's last words were worth noting.

"A failure who has already abandoned the family's traditions," huh?

It seemed the Hyuga Clan wasn't completely clueless about her recent actions.

It made sense. She had been hanging around both Sasuke and Naruto—two highly sensitive figures. Even if they wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble, the Hyuga Clan would still keep an eye on her actions.

But judging from how things were now, they must have concluded that she wouldn't cause any real problems.

In the end, she was just a branch family member that the clan head had already given up on. She wasn't worth too much attention.

Whether she abandoned Gentle Fist or gathered a group of people to make movies, the Hyuga Clan wouldn't bother getting involved.

And for Hinata, that was actually good news—genuinely good news.

"At least I don't have to deal with those stern-faced elders scolding me like in those cliché romance novels. And besides… I prefer keeping a low profile until I've built up enough strength."

Looking down at the Holy Fist gloves in her hands, Hinata felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

For now, she had already made full use of whatever little value the Hyuga name had to offer her.

Her film crew was assembled, and within the group, she had absolute authority.

Her training in Holy Fist was progressing smoothly, and the results were already showing a level of martial prowess similar to the legendary Kusanagi-style.

Honestly, if she hadn't been born into a prestigious clan like the Hyuga, getting her hands on certain Naruto-related "source materials" at the very start would have been much harder.

With that thought, she headed straight for the Uchiha training grounds.

As expected, Naruto and Sasuke were already there—looking more than a little impatient.

"You're so slow, Hinata! Why'd you wake us up so early? I thought the film crew wasn't supposed to start working until tomorrow?"

Naruto yawned, his eyes still half-closed from sleep.

Not that he had been out partying like some rich playboy—he had been training hard all night, which was why he was sleep-deprived.

It was obvious. After getting beaten down repeatedly by both Hinata and Sasuke, this so-called dead last had finally found his motivation to train seriously.

"This better not be something boring. Is it a new technique? Or a new training method?"

Sasuke casually tossed a small river stone up and down in his hand.

Then, without warning, his fingers clenched tight.

Crack!

The stone shattered into pieces.

Like Naruto, Sasuke had also been training relentlessly these past few weeks.

He could feel his strength growing rapidly, and he had only recently realized that he was now strong enough to crush stones with his bare hands.

"Of course, it's a new present."

Hinata lifted the two ninja tool boxes in her hands.

"Boys, I believe I mentioned this half a month ago—we have a test today."

Without hesitation, she tossed the boxes toward Naruto and Sasuke.

"Put on what's inside, and let's see if you've really started to grasp the essence of Holy Fist."

The two boys exchanged glances.

In each other's eyes, they saw the same mix of tension and excitement.

Since the technique's scrolls had always been in Hinata's hands, neither of them knew what exactly counted as "mastery." They had only been able to gauge their progress through their sparring matches.

But now, it seemed like Hinata had brought them an actual standard to compare against.

At the same time, both of them opened their respective boxes.

Inside, they saw a pair of Holy Fist gloves.

Unlike Hinata's black gloves, these two pairs had different colors—one was sky blue, the other a fiery orange-red.

It seemed that the craftsmen who made them had offered different colors as options.

"Gloves? Are these ninja tools? I've never seen them before!"

Naruto blinked, clearly confused.

"This thing… is it related to Holy Fist?"