Chapter 7: The Bell Test
"Ah... grabbing the bell seems so difficult..." Hinata wrung her hands together nervously, her gaze flickering between Ryouma and Kiba. A familiar worry crept into her heart—was she just going to be a burden and hold them back?
Ryouma, seeing her expression and knowing her character all too well, understood exactly what she was thinking. He walked over, placed a hand gently on her head, and softly ruffled her silky hair.
Hinata took a small, shy step back, then tilted her head up to look at him. She was met with his warm, encouraging smile.
"Don't overthink it. You can do this. And... I'm here with you."
A breeze stirred the strands of hair across her forehead, making her eyes seem brighter for a moment. Then, her cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of red.
"Ryouma-nii seems so reliable... but... he said I can do it... can I really?"
The thought immediately twisted her features back into an expression of deep concern.
Watching her shift back into worry, Ryouma scratched his head, a little exasperated but fond. He thought for a moment before speaking again. "If you want to earn others' recognition and protect the people you care about, then you have to learn to be strong."
He didn't know if a twelve-year-old Hinata could fully grasp the meaning, but he hoped it would at least give her a little more courage.
"Begin!"
Kurenai, watching Ryouma's earnest, almost teacher-like demeanor with the blushing Hinata, decided to break the awkwardly sweet moment by starting the test.
"Hmph, if you two won't make a move, I will!" Kiba snorted arrogantly. He pushed off the ground, charging at Kurenai with the raw speed of a wild animal. The distance between them wasn't great, and in the blink of an eye, he was upon her. He suddenly dropped low, twisted his body, and launched a sharp kick aimed at her midsection.
Kurenai simply reached out with one hand, caught his ankle, and used his own momentum to lift him from the ground and fling him away.
Kiba twisted in mid-air, landing in a controlled, half-crouched stance. There was no frustration on his face, however; instead, he looked like his plan had just begun.
Before Kurenai's confident smile could fully form, a flicker of surprise crossed her face. She dropped her gaze just in time to see Akamaru, who had been lying low, spring up from the ground, his mouth open wide as he lunged for the bell tied at her waist!
So that's it, she realized. The high kick was just a feint to distract me, letting the dog get into position. A clever bit of misdirection, but still not enough.
Smack!
With a casual but precise swing of her hand, Kurenai sent Akamaru tumbling through the air. She then took a few quick steps back to reassess.
Seeing Akamaru swatted away, Kiba's heart clenched, relaxing only when he saw the little dog land unharmed. He frowned, his eyes darting towards Ryouma and Hinata. He hesitated for a split second, his competitive pride warring with common sense. Gritting his teeth, he charged forward again without a word.
His brief hesitation had been a silent plea for help, but his stubborn nature had won out, driving him to attack alone once more.
Watching this, Ryouma shook his head. With Kiba's current skill level, he stood no chance of taking the bell from a jōnin instructor by himself.
After a moment's thought, Ryouma patted the stunned Hinata on the shoulder, pointed at Kurenai, and said with an encouraging smile, "Hinata, go help Kiba out."
"Ah... c-can I really help?" Hinata tightened her grip on her own clothes, her knuckles white.
"Yes, Kiba needs your help right now. We're a team." Ryouma did his best to instill confidence in her, hoping to help her grow stronger sooner.
Hinata listened, then nodded firmly before rushing forward.
"Ha!"
With a spirited cry, Hinata launched her attack, her feet leaving the ground as she spun, a small hand charged with chakra striking precisely towards Kurenai's shoulder.
Seeing Hinata join the fray, a faint smile touched the corner of Kurenai's mouth. She remained unhurried, her jade-like hands moving as if plucking the strings of an instrument, effortlessly deflecting and parrying the combined assaults of Hinata and Kiba.
"Tch... Is this all you've got? To think you beat me with just this?" Kiba was initially pleased to see Hinata assisting him, but seeing how effortlessly Kurenai handled their attacks, his impatience grew, mixed with a grudging respect for her skill.
His eyes flicked towards Ryouma, who stood perfectly calm, showing no intention of joining the attack. A fresh wave of anger boiled inside him. "Ryouma! I thought you were so strong! Why are you too scared to even attack now? Hmph! A dead-last will always be a dead-last!"
"Ryouma-nii..." Hinata silently repeated his name in her heart, her feelings a tangled mess. But she believed in the boy who had taught her about teamwork and strength. He definitely wasn't what Kiba said he was.
"That boy..." Kurenai had been watching Ryouma from the corner of her eye the entire time. She knew very well that he was the strongest of the three.
"Really, no memory at all. I taught you a lesson just yesterday, and you seem to have forgotten already," Ryouma said, a little exasperated by Kiba's taunts. He responded with a helpless sigh.
"Th-that... that was an accident yesterday! Hah!" Kiba's face flushed red. He channeled his embarrassment into a renewed, faster assault on Kurenai.
Kurenai continued to defend with a smile, then with a fluid, sweeping motion of her hands, she gently but firmly pushed both Hinata and Kiba back a few steps. Just as she was about to speak, she noticed a sudden gleam in Ryouma's eyes, followed by a strange, confident smile.
"It's time," Ryouma murmured, his smile widening. His eyes locked onto the bell at Kurenai's waist as he dropped into a slight crouch...
"Not good...!" Kurenai's pupils dilated. There was no blur of movement, no tell-tale sign. Ryouma had simply vanished from his spot and reappeared directly beneath her.
"Trial... complete!"
How is he this fast?! Is it a ninjutsu?!
Bent low, Ryouma appeared under Kurenai, plucked the bell free, and declared the trial over. The entire sequence, which seemed long in the telling, happened in the blink of an eye. To Kiba and Hinata, who had been struggling to even touch the hem of Kurenai's jacket, it was a shocking display. Ryouma had simply appeared, taken the bell as easily as breathing, highlighting the vast gulf between his ability and theirs.
After taking the bell, Ryouma flashed back to stand beside Hinata and Kiba. Seeing their stunned expressions, he smiled warmly. "Thanks for the distraction, you two. I wouldn't have found such a clean opening if you hadn't been keeping Kurenai-sensei busy."
"R-really?" Hinata asked, her voice barely a whisper. She still felt she hadn't been of much help and that it was all Ryouma's own power.
"Of course," Ryouma said, looking directly at her. "Hinata is a very important part of this team."
Hinata shyly lowered her head, not daring to look up at him, but her heart swelled with happiness and excitement. "I'm important to Ryouma-nii? It turns out I do have my own value!"
"Ryouma..." Kiba's hands were clenched into tight fists at his sides. He took a deep breath, his expression a mixture of shame and stubborn pride. "Fine, you won this round. But don't think this means I acknowledge you! You're just faster than me, that's all."
Tch. The original dead-last, a lazy bum... how did he suddenly get so fast? It's unbelievable. But in every other way, I'm definitely stronger!
After her moment of stunned silence, Kurenai looked at Ryouma, who was standing there casually shaking the bell he'd taken. She couldn't help but touch her forehead in a gesture of mild exasperation.
"Alright, alright," she conceded with a sigh. "We'll take on a different mission."