Years passed in the blink of an eye.
Konoha had rebuilt itself after the Kyūbi's attack. Children played in the streets, the shinobi went on missions, and life moved on. But for a certain boy with snow-white hair and striking blue eyes, every single day was calculated.
Gojo Kirato sat beneath a tree near the Academy courtyard, eyes half-lidded, pretending to nap. His classmates ran around noisily, some sparring with wooden kunai, others chasing each other.
To them, Kirato was an enigma. Too pretty to be ignored, too calm to be understood. Girls whispered about him, boys glared at him. But he never cared.
Inside his head, a faint ding echoed.
> [Daily Sign-In Complete]
Reward: Chakra Refining Technique (Advanced)
Bonus: +10 Chakra Control
Kirato smirked faintly. He'd been signing in at the Academy every day since he'd enrolled. The system rewarded patience, and patience was something he had in abundance.
"Hey, white-hair freak!"
The sneering voice broke his thoughts. Kirato slowly opened his eyes. Across the yard, a small group of boys had cornered someone. His gaze sharpened the moment he saw who it was—Hinata Hyūga.
The timid girl stood there, clutching her books tightly to her chest, eyes downcast.
"Oi, don't ignore us! What's the point of having those fancy eyes if you can't even fight?" the leader jeered, shoving her shoulder.
Hinata stumbled, her lavender eyes trembling. "P-Please… d-don't…"
The other kids laughed.
Kirato's jaw tightened.
—So it begins. The infamous Hyūga bullying.
He remembered this from the anime. The fragile girl, looked down on by her own clan, bullied even by outsiders. Naruto had tried to help her once, but back then he was just another lonely kid.
Kirato pushed himself up slowly, brushing imaginary dust from his clothes. His blue eyes glinted under the sun.
"Oi."
The boys turned.
"What do you want, pretty boy?" one spat.
Kirato strolled over lazily, hands in his pockets. His calm smile was sharp enough to cut. "You know, it's kinda pathetic when three weaklings gang up on one girl."
"What did you say!?"
The leader charged forward, wooden kunai raised.
Kirato sighed. With a flick of his hand, he caught the boy's wrist mid-swing, twisting just enough to make the kid yelp and drop the weapon. His other hand patted the boy's head mockingly.
"There, there. Playtime's over."
He released the wrist and lightly shoved him back. The boy stumbled two steps, face red with embarrassment.
"You bastard!" another yelled, but none of them dared to rush him again. Something about Kirato's gaze—cold, endless, confident—froze them in place.
"Scram," Kirato said simply.
The bullies cursed but eventually scattered, dragging their leader with them.
Silence followed. Hinata stood frozen, staring at him with wide lavender eyes.
Kirato turned, meeting her gaze. For a moment, she flinched, expecting mockery… but instead, he smiled. Soft. Warm.
"You okay?"
Her lips trembled. "Y-Yes… t-thank you."
He crouched slightly so his eyes were level with hers. "Next time, don't lower your head, Hinata. If you do… they'll think they won."
She blinked, stunned that he knew her name.
Kirato tapped her book with a finger. "Study hard. One day, you'll be stronger than all of them."
And with that, he walked away, hands in pockets, leaving the girl staring after him—her heart pounding for reasons she couldn't understand.
At the edge of the courtyard, Kirato's smirk faded.
—Step one, complete. Now she won't walk that lonely path alone.
The system chimed in.
> [Special Event Triggered: First Heroic Intervention]
Reward: Gentle Fist Adaptation Scroll
Bonus: Favorability with Hinata +20
Kirato's blue eyes gleamed as he slipped the invisible scroll into his inventory.
—Perfect. Slowly but surely, I'll shape my place here. Just enough power to matter, just enough mystery to keep them guessing. But never enough to draw Hiruzen or Danzō's full attention… not yet.
The white-haired boy walked on, blending into the crowd of children.
And behind him, a shy girl touched her chest, whispering softly to herself.
"Gojo-kun…"