Hyūga Clan Estate.
Inside the spacious, traditional courtyard—
"Finally… I actually became a ninja. Ayato-nii must be really happy, right?"
Hinata Hyūga sat beneath the eaves of the old-fashioned wooden house, dressed in a black yukata. She held her new steel forehead protector in both hands, a shy smile blooming across her cute, porcelain-like face. Her small, pale feet kicked lightly in excitement.
There was a time she'd wanted to give up on becoming a ninja—her timid personality made her doubt herself.
It was Ayato who pointed her in the right direction.
Just as Hinata was happily daydreaming—
"Yo, Hinata."
Ayato appeared out of thin air.
"Hyah!"
Hinata nearly flung her forehead protector into the sky. She looked up, cheeks reddening as she greeted the confident young man before her.
"C-C-Cang—C-Ayato-nii…"
"Waiting for me?"
Ayato sat beside her, openly letting his gaze travel from head to toe—taking in every inch of the soft, fluffy little Hinata.
Fair skin, petite body, shy expression…
She was small, but everything meant to grow had grown perfectly.
Perfect.
Little Hinata was adorable today as always.
Any lolicon who saw her would instantly transform into a drooling pig.
"Mm…"
Hinata nodded and lifted the forehead protector in both hands, speaking in a tiny, bashful voice.
"A-Ayato-nii… l-look. I… I'm a ninja now."
Ayato picked Hinata up and placed her gently on his lap. He patted her soft little head and chuckled.
"Is that so? You worked hard."
As a transmigrator, he knew how everything should unfold. And long ago—he had already maxed out Hinata's favorability.
After all, when it came to raising a girl's affection, blind effort was useless.
Timing was everything.
When Hinata was at her lowest—he had appeared right then.
A well-timed "rescue" always won hearts.
"Th-thanks to you, Ayato-nii…"
Hinata's cute cheeks flushed scarlet as she felt the warmth of his chest. Her head was buzzing—completely overloaded.
H-He picked her up!
Ayato-nii actually picked her up!?
S-So embarrassing…!
Ayato held her in his arms, gazing up at the star-filled sky with a relaxed smile.
"You're the one who worked hard. Effort doesn't always pay off… but it always lets you move forward."
Drinking sake with a loli in his arms, stargazing to sober up—
A quiet, peaceful life like this…
Perfection.
"C-Cang— hmm?"
Hinata sniffed with her tiny nose. She grabbed Ayato's sleeve and gently sniffed it.
Her eyes flickered with confusion.
So fragrant.
And not a male fragrance.
A woman's scent.
Hinata's smile faded. She lowered her head slightly—her dark hair covering her eyes so that her expression couldn't be read.
But her voice remained soft and milky sweet.
"A-Ayato-nii… w-where did you just go…?"
She was young, timid, and soft-spoken, but she wasn't stupid.
She knew exactly where Ayato had been.
But she still wanted to ask.
Ayato didn't answer. Instead, he laughed lightly.
"Are you jealous? We're not even married yet, and you're already acting like the lady of the house. Are you planning to turn me into a hen-pecked husband later?"
"Eh— eeeeh!?"
Hinata's entire face exploded into red. She waved her hands frantically.
N-No!
N-Not jealous!
And m-marriage!?
Ayato-nii always said things that made her heart want to stop.
Because she was flustered out of her mind, she completely forgot the thing she'd originally been worried about.
Ayato ruffled her hair into a fluffy mess.
"Your shyness is perfect. A maiden's blush beats everything."
"A-Ayato-nii is so mean…"
Hinata lowered her head, her face scarlet. Her tiny hips shifted slightly as if she wanted to push back against his teasing.
And then—
Her eyes widened slightly.
Something… hard was poking her from behind.
"S-sorry… Ayato-nii… y-your kunai in your pocket is poking me… Y-You shouldn't keep it there— you might get hurt…"
Ayato froze.
Well…
How was he supposed to explain this?
He scratched his cheek awkwardly, guilt creeping in.
Teasing a tiny, innocent Hinata like this…
It felt like he was seducing a baby white rabbit.
He leaned toward her ear, lowering his voice with a wicked smile.
"That's not a kunai. It's…"
Hinata listened.
Her face instantly turned boiling red.
Her tiny body stiffened like a plank.
S-So the thing poking her butt was…
Ayato-nii's…
Ayato-nii's…
Steam practically puffed from her head.
And then she fainted dead away.
Ayato burst into laughter.
"Haha, adorable."
He pulled out a scroll from his pocket.
He'd been teasing her on purpose—Hinata's reactions were unbelievably cute.
Ah…
Drinking good alcohol, teasing a cute loli—
Life was good.
If only he didn't have to babysit those brats in Team 7 tomorrow.
So annoying.
Noon — Training Ground Seven
The scorching sun glared overhead.
Team Seven looked like they had been dragged through war—clothes dirty, hair messy, eyes tired. They barely slept, yet they trained seriously and without hesitation.
Naruto ran up the tree trunk, chakra focused under his feet. Just before it slipped, he slashed a line into the bark with a kunai and landed, grinning proudly.
"Heheheh—Sasuke! I can climb this high now!"
Sasuke didn't even look at him.
He gathered chakra under his feet and sprinted effortlessly up the trunk—far higher than Naruto—before marking his line.
He landed with a cold snort.
"Idiot. You're miles behind."
"Damn you!"
Naruto glared at Sasuke's mark, flames blazing in his eyes.
"Oh yeah!? I'll surpass you right now!"
And off he went—charging up the trunk again.
Sasuke wouldn't let him win, of course.
He followed immediately.
The two continued their relentless chase.
Truth was…
Even after an entire night of effort, both boys could only reach two-fifths of the tree height.
Meanwhile—
Sakura sat elegantly on a branch, smiling down at them.
"Do your best, Naruto, Sasuke~"
Her spot?
Three-fifths up the tree.
Naruto's jaw dropped.
"Sakura-chan! You're amazing!"
"Alright! I'll work even harder!"
He pumped his fist, eyes shining with admiration.
Sasuke looked up…
And froze.
That ugly girl…
Was ahead of him?
His face darkened instantly.
Was he…
Uchiha Sasuke…
Weaker than Sakura?
His fists clenched.
No way.
Impossible.
He was an Uchiha.
A survivor.
Someone who must gain power for revenge.
Being surpassed by Sakura?
Never.
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