The Color Purple

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Hinata suddenly had a thought. Just like how Naruto's massive chakra reserves and strong healing ability turned the risky Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu into his greatest weapon, could she take this seemingly useless Soul Transfer Jutsu and make it her own special technique?

"Okay, I've memorized the hand seals and the important details. Now, I just need training."

Rolling up the massive scroll of the Sealing Jutsu Book, Hinata looked at the two boys beside her. "Besides, it looks like none of us are planning to practice in front of each other, right?"

"Hmph, I'm learning this jutsu specifically to defeat you. Of course, I won't show it so easily," Sasuke scoffed, turning his head away.

Naruto scratched his ear, trying to think of something equally cool to say but came up blank. So, he just nodded confidently. "That's right! Next time we meet, you guys are gonna be so shocked!"

"Brave words," Hinata shook her head, unimpressed. "But right now, we have a bigger problem."

She casually tossed the scroll back to Naruto, her voice calm as ever. "For example—how are you two planning to cover up what you did tonight?"

After all, stealing the Sealing Jutsu Book was no small crime. And Hinata had no intention of taking the fall for it. Even if this was all just an act, she wasn't about to let herself get dragged down. At the same time, she couldn't let Naruto or Sasuke take the blame either.

That meant they needed someone else to be the scapegoat.

"Huh? But no one even saw us! We can just return the scroll, and that's it, right?" Naruto tilted his head, completely missing the point.

Hinata smirked. "Oh? No one knows? Think carefully—who told you to steal the book in the first place? Isn't he the only one who knows?"

"Uh—!"

Naruto froze, gears in his brain struggling to turn. After a long pause, he finally managed to squeeze out, "But... Mizuki-sensei was just trying to help me..."

"You idiot~"

Hinata stepped forward and suddenly threw an arm around Naruto's shoulders, pulling him close. She wagged a finger in front of his face.

"What if—he was trying to set you up?" Her voice lowered into something almost hypnotic. "What if he's always hated you, and this was his plan all along? He tricks you into stealing the Sealing Jutsu Book, then secretly reports it to the Anbu. And then~~ you know what happens next, don't you?"

She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "He gets to be a hero for exposing the 'thief,' and as for you—if you're lucky, you'll just be thrown in prison for life. If not..."

Hinata let out a chilling chuckle. "Hehe, I heard the Anbu are a bunch of heartless killers with twisted minds. In a fight, they might just pretend you attacked them first. Then—snap!"

She raised her right hand and brought it down sharply like a blade, stopping just an inch from Naruto's neck.

"GAH!!"

Naruto jumped, eyes wide with terror. His teeth actually started chattering. Without a doubt, Hinata's eerie, mafia-boss-like intimidation had successfully burned itself into his brain.

"T-Then... w-what do we do??"

Naruto was trembling so much he looked like a vibrating line on the edge of a drawing.

Before Hinata could continue her little scare session, an annoyed and slightly out-of-breath voice cut in.

"Hinata~~! I didn't know you'd become a bully!"

Iruka stood not far away, fuming. As someone who genuinely cared about Naruto, he was the first to track them down. And what did he hear? Hinata delivering a perfect intimidation speech straight out of a gangster movie.

"Oh my~ Iruka-sensei, out for a nighttime stroll?"

Hinata casually let go of Naruto, looking completely unfazed. She was actually kind of enjoying this. Back when she used to watch the anime, she always wanted to shake some sense into Naruto whenever he did something dumb. And now? She finally got her chance—and it was working perfectly.

"You three—what the heck is going on?! Why did you steal the Sealing Jutsu Book?!"

Iruka wasn't angry, at least not in a you're-my-enemy kind of way. That made Sasuke hesitate for a moment before he lowered his hand, which had been hovering near his ninja pouch. Instead, he coolly turned his head away. "Hmph. Mizuki told us to. He said we'd be able to learn better jutsu if we took it."

As expected of Sasuke, his quick thinking turned their defense into an attack. He wasted no time throwing Mizuki under the bus.

Iruka's expression twisted in disbelief. "Mizuki? But—he knows how serious stealing the Sealing Jutsu Book is..."

"Of course he does~!"

Right on cue, an ominous laugh echoed through the trees.

A sharp whistling sound cut through the night air. A volley of kunai and shuriken came flying straight at them!

"Look out!!"

Iruka didn't even hesitate. Unlike in the original story, he didn't have time to push anyone out of the way. Instead, he instinctively crossed his arms and shielded the three students behind him.

Metal cut through fabric and flesh. Bright red blood splattered into the air.

The sight of blood blooming before his eyes made Naruto freeze instantly. As a boy who had never witnessed real violence, he couldn't even begin to process what was happening.

Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed slightly. When he saw Iruka take those shuriken for him, his pupils suddenly turned red. Clenching his teeth, he reached for the kunai in his pouch, ready to charge forward.

But just as he was about to move, Hinata, standing beside him, raised an arm and blocked his path without a word. The cold look she gave him made Sasuke shudder involuntarily. For a moment, he felt like he was staring into those same emotionless eyes from that bloodstained night years ago—the eyes of a beast wearing human skin.

Mizuki stepped out of the shadows with a cruel smile. Now that he had seriously wounded Iruka, the only Chunin present, he seemed convinced that his plan had succeeded.

"Urgh… Mizuki… Why…?"

Clenching his teeth, Iruka pulled a kunai from his arm and forced himself to stand in front of Naruto, shielding him. The blonde boy, still in shock, could only mutter, "Why… Mizuki-sensei…"

"Why?" Mizuki sneered. "Of course, to use you! Naruto, you did a great job bringing the Scroll of Seals to me!"

His twisted grin widened as he continued, "Oh, and those two outcasts from the noble clans—what perfect timing. Tonight's the perfect night to clean up some leftover trash."

"Shut up, Mizuki!! Don't you dare say another word!"

Realizing what Mizuki was about to reveal, Iruka desperately shouted to stop him. But Mizuki just let out a cruel laugh and shook his head.

"Oh, come on now! As a reward for helping me steal the scroll, I should at least give Naruto a little truth, don't you think? Like—Naruto, do you even know who you really are? Or what about your two little friends?"

"M-me…? And Sasuke, and Hinata?"

Naruto's voice trembled as he barely managed to get the words out. "What… what are you talking about?"

"It's simple, really." Mizuki spread his arms wide, as if enjoying the moment. "Haven't you ever wondered? Why does the whole village hate you? Why was Hinata always bullied by kids her age? And why...why was Sasuke pushed away by the people around him?"

Naruto's breathing quickened.

Iruka, realizing what Mizuki was about to say, threw a kunai at him with all his strength. "Shut up, Mizuki!!"

"Heh! It's because—" Mizuki dodged the kunai effortlessly, his voice turning ice-cold.

"Because, Naruto—you are the Nine-Tailed Fox that attacked Konoha eleven years ago. The monster that nearly destroyed the village. The demon that killed so many people!"

Naruto's pupils widened as his whole world seemed to shatter in an instant.

Beside him, Hinata's face remained unreadable, but Sasuke's eyes went wide with shock. He had always known the village looked at Naruto differently, but he never imagined the reason would be something like this.

Mizuki laughed cruelly at Naruto's stunned face before turning his attention to Sasuke.

"And your two little friends—do you know their stories?" His grin twisted. "Uchiha Sasuke, do you even understand who you are? Years ago, a traitor in the Uchiha Clan murdered everyone—your parents, your entire family. The only one he left alive… was you."

Sasuke's hands clenched into fists. The moment Mizuki spoke, his crimson Sharingan flared up, the single tomoe in his left eye spinning as raw hatred surged through him.

"Oh, and that traitor who slaughtered the Uchiha?" Mizuki added with a smirk. "I think his name was… Uchiha Itachi. That's right—your own beloved older brother."

Sasuke's entire body trembled as the name echoed in his mind.

"And last but not least…" Mizuki turned to Hinata, his tone dripping with mockery. "The Hyuga Clan's little failure."

He let out a low chuckle. "The Hyuga Clan respects strength above all else. You were supposed to be their next head—until you turned out to be a complete disappointment. Even your younger sister, who's years younger than you, surpassed you. The clan gave up on you a long time ago. Isn't that right?"

With his hands on his hips, Mizuki sneered, "So there you have it! The three of you—one is a demon no one wants, one is a pathetic survivor left to rot, and one is a failure tossed aside! No wonder you stick together. Birds of a feather, am I right?"

Naruto stared at Sasuke and Hinata, his chest tightening. His mind was drowning in shock from the truth about himself—but now, hearing the pain the other two had endured, he couldn't ignore it.

"We're… the same?"

Same.

That word made Sasuke freeze.

A bitter feeling rose inside him, something impossible to put into words.

It was the same loneliness he had known all his life—the quiet, suffocating pain of standing alone against the world. A poison that seeped into the soul, turning the heart into sand.

And now, these two people beside him… were they just like him? Were they… the same?

"Heh, don't make me laugh. This isn't some kind of competition about who has it worse. What does it even matter if we're the same? If someone isn't strong enough to keep up with me, then they'll eventually be left behind—no matter how similar our pasts might be."

Hinata blew lightly on her nails and shook her head indifferently. "But you know… there's actually something I'm glad about right now. Do you know what it is?"

Her pale eyes lifted, and under the shadow of the moonlight, a cold, piercing glint flashed through them.

"It's that I don't need an excuse anymore. You… will be my answer to the village."

The grin on Mizuki's face froze instantly. His eyes widened in shock, as if he had just witnessed a monster revealing its true form.

A gentle night breeze swept through the treetops, rustling a few fallen leaves before the forest returned to complete silence—except for the foul stench lingering in the air.

Mizuki's body slumped weakly to the ground. His arms hung limp at his sides, and his face was gripped tightly by a black-gloved hand, lifting him off the ground like a dead fish. His entire face was burned beyond recognition, charred black and unrecognizable. His lower body… well, judging from the mess, he had completely lost control of himself.

"....."

Hinata held him up with one hand, gripping his face without a hint of emotion in her white eyes. She remained motionless, as if searching for something in his ruined body.

Iruka was completely stunned. He had watched it all happen with his own eyes—Mizuki had been reduced to this half-burned, broken mess in less than thirty seconds. And the one who did it… was this white-eyed girl who used to be so quiet and obedient.

"Tch..."

Sasuke scoffed, clearly annoyed that Hinata had stolen his punching bag. Naruto hesitated for a moment, then walked over to Iruka and helped him up, his voice carrying a trace of guilt. "I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei. Let's go to the hospital."

Naruto's voice brought Hinata back to reality. With a casual flick of her wrist, she tossed the unconscious Mizuki aside like a bag of trash. Though her expression remained cold, the fact that she was forcing it only meant one thing—she had been affected.

So… she had been angry just now.

She knew that Mizuki was only mocking the "old" Hinata, the weak and timid girl she used to be. But when she heard those words, inherited memories resurfaced in her mind, stirring an anger she couldn't quite describe.

Being forced to recall a past that wasn't even hers—and an unpleasant one at that—was truly irritating.

Shaking her head, Hinata turned around and spoke coolly.

"Alright. Iruka-sensei, now that we've found the real traitor, there's no need for us to stay here. Naruto, take Iruka-sensei to the hospital. Sasuke and I will go home. If anything happens, you know where to find us."

Iruka sighed and shook his head, feeling a pang of concern. "Don't worry, Hinata, Sasuke, and Naruto. You're all children of this village. This wasn't your fault. You'll be fine."

Even though he now understood that these kids could protect themselves, Iruka still did his best to reassure them.

That's why he became the academy teacher who raised the most outstanding shinobi in Konoha's history.

Because of Iruka's kindness, Naruto and Sasuke's expressions softened slightly. Even Hinata felt a small sense of relief. With a final shake of her head, she turned and left the forest.

After all, tonight, she had gained the most out of everyone.

The chaotic night passed, but for most of Konoha, last night's events would forever remain unknown. The village greeted a new day, peaceful and prosperous as always.

"The medical report on Mizuki is in. Severe burns on his face, affecting his left eye. Multiple rib fractures. Spinal injuries. He's expected to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair."

Holding a report from the Konoha Hospital, the Third Hokage's expression was heavy. "It's hard to believe… Mizuki was among the top-ranking chunin. But he lost so miserably to just a few kids."

Unlike the village's peaceful morning, the Hokage's office was filled with elite shinobi who had the qualifications to speak with the Hokage directly. Among them were Kakashi and several other jonin.

"No," a voice corrected the Hokage. "Not 'a few kids.' Only one person made a move. In other words, Mizuki was completely defeated by just one—Hyuga Hinata."

The one who spoke was Ibiki, Konoha's head of the Torture and Interrogation Unit. Even in broad daylight, his presence was unsettling. The deep scars on his face and the cold look in his eyes made him seem more like a machine than a man.

"Oh~~ now this is interesting. Taking down a Chūnin-level enemy before even graduating? That kid has talent. But burns? Was it a Fire Release jutsu? Or explosive tags?"

A female Jōnin standing next to Kurenai spoke with clear amusement. She had a pineapple-styled haircut, sharp, mischievous eyes, and a slightly wild charm that contrasted sharply with Kurenai's elegance. Her fishnet innerwear beneath a loose jacket only added to her dangerous allure. She was none other than Anko—one of Konoha's most feared female Jōnin.

"No, it was Taijutsu. And not just any taijutsu."

Ibiki responded coldly, his voice as emotionless as a machine. His words instantly made the surrounding shinobi tense up. Even Anko raised an eyebrow in surprise, though a smirk soon crept onto her lips. Her gaze shifted toward a silent figure standing in the corner of the office.

"Taijutsu?? Oh, right, she's from the Hyūga clan, after all. But what kind of taijutsu could cause severe burns?"

Her question made everyone instinctively turn their attention toward the man she was referring to. Unlike the others in the room, he wore a simple kimono, his long hair falling neatly down his back. But the distinctive Byakugan in his pale eyes left no doubt about his identity— Hiashi, the current head of the Hyūga clan and the father of both Hinata and Hanabi.

"Hiashi, no need to be nervous. You already know about last night's events—Mizuki turned traitor, and your daughter, Hinata, took him down by herself. So we just want to confirm—was it the Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist that defeated him?"

The Third Hokage adjusted his hat slightly, then gestured to an Anbu member, who handed a set of injury reports to Hiashi. Glancing at the photos briefly, Hiashi shook his head without hesitation.

"No. The Gentle Fist causes internal damage, attacking the organs and chakra network. But these wounds—these were caused by external force, a Hard Fist technique. The Hyūga clan has never developed anything like this."

"Then I formally request permission to interrogate Hyūga Hinata," Ibiki stepped forward without the slightest hesitation. "While she may have stopped Mizuki, this unknown taijutsu must be investigated. A mere Academy student taking down a Chūnin of Mizuki's level is not something we can overlook."

"I object," Kurenai said flatly. Standing beside Asuma, her voice carried quiet strength. "First, she just protected the village by stopping a traitor. Second, she is still an Academy student. If we interrogate her now, what message does that send about Konoha's justice?"

"Exactly! Come on, Ibiki, I know how you work. Even people with no guilt end up terrified under that grim face of yours."

Anko, ever the wildcard, naturally took Kurenai's side. The other shinobi wisely kept their opinions to themselves—after all, with Kurenai and Anko already at a two-to-one advantage, there was no need to get involved.

"I agree. No matter what, they are still children. We aren't accusing Hinata of anything—we just wanted to understand her taijutsu. If the Hyūga clan isn't responsible for it, then so be it."

The Third Hokage stepped in at the right moment, diffusing the tension. "That settles it. We'll drop the matter here. Ibiki, focus on interrogating Mizuki. Find out what his true objective was. The rest of you—dismissed."

With that, the gathered Jōnin slowly began to disperse. However, as he walked alone through the village, Hiashi's expression grew unusually serious.

The Hokage may have said to let it go, but Hiashi could not ignore the reality—his eldest daughter, the one he had once given up on due to her supposed lack of talent, had secretly gained enough strength to defeat a skilled Chūnin. And all of this… before even graduating from the Academy.

Looks like it was time to reevaluate his daughter.

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In the quiet courtyard of the Hyūga estate, Hinata sat at her desk, carefully writing on a scroll. She had promised to stay home in case anyone came to question her, so she was taking advantage of the free time to refine her personal taijutsu techniques.

No matter the origins of her "Nantō Seven Sacred Fists," the sheer power they had displayed against Mizuki proved their value.

The concept was almost laughably simple:

A well-trained, resilient body + chakra-forged "sacred gloves" that enhanced elemental attacks + standard taijutsu techniques that any trained fighter could perform = Nantō Seven Sacred Fists.

In other words, it was a style of ninja taijutsu that combined elemental chakra transformation with physical strikes—though it required specialized ninja tools to achieve its full potential.

It wasn't complicated at all. It was pure hardware reliance. A perfect system for rich and determined idiots to grind their way into power.

Basically, it was like those pay-to-win games—where even if you sucked at strategy, as long as you dumped enough money and effort into maxing out your gear and stats, you could bulldoze so-called "talented" players with ease.

Honestly, this was the most straightforward and rewarding path to strength.

You could spend months refining your technique, but who knew if it would actually make you stronger? On the other hand, if you invested in better tools and training, your progress was instantly visible.

"Hmm~ I do prefer this kind of power-up method. Feels more reliable."

Hinata chuckled to herself, her expression both amused and slightly smug. Satisfied, she picked up the scroll she had been working on. This was her next training plan.

Her "Flame Execution Fist" had already been tested on Mizuki, and the results were clear—he didn't last a single hit. If she hadn't held back and reduced the chakra output at the last moment, his head might have been roasted like a baked potato.