76. A New Role, Someone finnally makes an appearance

Snap! With a crisp sound, Hinata snapped her fingers and waved her hand, while Ino and Sakura, standing behind Naruto on either side, clenched their fists with mischievous intent:

"Don't worry~ We'll make sure to give this heroine a proper makeover~"

"Yamete~ Kudasai~~~"

(TL: damm)

Tears streaming down his face, Naruto clung to the floor as Ino and Sakura dragged him away by the legs with wicked grins. The long skid marks left behind on the floor would go perfectly with a tragic soundtrack—like something straight out of Doujinshi.

After Sakura and the others left the hall, the atmosphere shifted slightly. Kakashi and Asuma, seated inside, instinctively sat up straight. Clearly, now that Naruto was handled, it was their turn.

"Well then~~ Honorable Jōnin, don't you think it's time to explain yourselves?"

Hinata turned to them with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Her pale eyes gleamed with undisguised sarcasm.

"Perhaps... about your real identities, for example?"

"Well… how should I put this…"

Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads as both Asuma and Kakashi felt incredibly awkward. Though they were older and stronger than Hinata in terms of ninja rank, within her group, they were essentially her subordinates.

"It's just that… ninja life is tough, so~ when we heard Hinata-sama was planning to invest and make money, we thought we could join in for a little profit…"

Scratching his head, Kakashi came up with a flimsy lie to cover up the truth—that the Third Hokage had sent them as undercover agents.

"Ah... same here. Since the one I like finally agreed to date me, I thought I'd try to earn some money for our future before we get married. But… ahem… as a ninja, I can't publicly engage in business, so I had to use a fake identity…"

Asuma, palms pressed together in a half-hearted smile, also tried to spin a story. Having invested heavily in the Konoha Publishing House, neither of them could just walk away. They had to play along under Hinata's command.

"Even so, it's quite shocking to find two Jōnin in our production crew."

Shikamaru rested his head on his hand, unbothered. Given his intelligence, it didn't take long for him to guess the truth. With so many descendants of Konoha's noble clans gathered, it made sense to assign undercover bodyguards.

"Hmph~ Boring~"

Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, Sasuke sneered. Yet, his eyes were locked onto Kakashi. Clearly, he hadn't forgotten this white-haired scarecrow who had provoked him last time. So that's where he came from…

"There's no point in excuses. While I understand your circumstances, since you've damaged our trust, you both have to be punished."

Flipping through her freshly written script, Hinata looked up and glanced at Kakashi and Asuma:

"Choose. Do you want to join Naruto in cross-dressing? Or play a role in our production?"

"I'll pass on the cross-dressing~~ I'll just take a role, thanks."

Scratching his head, Asuma awkwardly declined. No way was he going to wear women's clothing while dating Kurenai. Besides, a bearded man in drag would just be terrifying.

"Alright~ Then you'll play the monster. Only three lines: 'Roar,' 'Howl,' and 'Whimper'—representing appearance, getting hit, and being knocked out. Just memorize those."

Hinata nodded without pressing further. After all, these were Jōnin, soon to be squad leaders. Pushing them too hard would do more harm than good.

"Hmm~~ Those lines are manageable~"

Asuma, sweating slightly, cast a sympathetic glance at Kakashi. He had a bad feeling Kakashi's punishment would be harsher.

"Now~~ it's this silver-haired fellow's turn~~"

Hinata looked at the sweaty Kakashi with a mischievous glint:

"So? Cross-dressing or a supporting role?"

"Uhh~~ I think… a supporting role is better?"

Sensing a trap, Kakashi opted for the latter. The shame of cross-dressing was just too much.

"Oh~~ a supporting role, huh~~ Great. Then at least show us your face. How about taking off your mask, mister?"

Propping her chin up, Hinata smirked maliciously. In the original story, Kakashi never showed his face. But now? He was in her grasp. No way was she letting this chance slip by.

"Well... isn't that a bit much? Can't I just be a minor monster with three lines too~~"

Kakashi, drenched in sweat, scratched his head as Hinata shook hers evilly:

"Too bad~~ That role's taken. Your casting depends on your looks now~~ Don't be shy! A middle-aged man being shy isn't cute at all! Just show us your face!"

---

As an elite Jōnin, Kakashi had fought through countless bloody battles and faced near-death situations. But today's situation was unlike anything he had ever experienced.

"Yeah~ come to think of it, you've worn that mask since joining the crew."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. He wasn't too interested, but still curious.

"Ah~~ It's due to some... special reasons~~"

Still stalling, Kakashi tried to think of a way out—when suddenly, a shy voice trembled from the hall entrance.

"Umm... is it really okay... for me to look like this?"

Huh?!

Everyone's attention turned. At the door stood an incredibly beautiful blonde girl, with sun-kissed tan skin, a flowing dress, long twin ponytails down to her calves, and a bashful expression. She was stunning.

"Oh~ So you've also trained your voice to sound feminine after cross-dressing?"

Hinata's gaze swept over Naruto's current look. Technically, all he'd done was put on a dress and a wig—but the effect was startlingly charming. At this age, before puberty, their bodies still lacked obvious male features. Plus, Naruto had already trained in feminine mannerisms to perfect his Sexy Jutsu. This felt... natural.

Ino and Sakura, who had helped dress him up, were now facepalming. Clearly, they had realized something painful:

Even without transformation jutsu, Naruto's natural looks... might just surpass theirs?

"Using a man's voice with this look… would just be more embarrassing..."

Tears welled in Naruto's eyes as he wiped them away. Thankfully, his feminine mannerisms made the disguise convincing. The shame of being seen as pretending to be a girl is far worse than successfully pretending.

"Hmph~ Whatever, come sit next to me."

Hinata patted the seat beside her, clearly enjoying the scene. Naruto flinched, but still sat beside her. His head hung in embarrassment, hands clutching the hem of his skirt like a shy schoolgirl.

'This guy is seriously dangerous~!! That presence… it's oddly terrifying!'

In perfect unison, every male in the room thought the exact same thing.

"Now then~ Back to our discussion—about Kakashi's mask…"

Just as Hinata turned her attention back to Kakashi, satisfied with Naruto's performance, a lively voice suddenly rang out from the entrance.

"Hey hey~ Anyone here? I'm here as invited~!"

The energetic voice clearly belonged to someone young and brash.

"Hmm~~ sounds like Kiba. We sent him an invitation yesterday. Looks like he's here."

Hearing the voice, Shino stood up and left the hall. Soon, a familiar figure entered.

"Yo~! So many familiar faces. How mean of you to invite me only now."

It was Inuzuka Kiba, the last of the Konoha 12 to show up. Just like in the original manga, he wore a gray coat, his loyal white dog Akamaru perched on his head, and greeted everyone confidently.

"Hah~ You're lucky. But this place is a handful. You'd better be ready~"