After who knew how long, Hyuga Hinata sat quietly in the corner of her room. Little by little, her gaze became clear—then firm.
"I've already managed to change the Hyuga clan's fate once before. This time… I'll succeed again."
She took a deep breath and was about to close the notebook and put it away, when new words suddenly appeared on the page.
[Scanning…]
[Life Simulator upgrade complete. New function added — Simulation Rewards.]
"Simulation rewards?"
Her eyes locked onto the paper, afraid to miss a single word.
[Based on the overall evaluation of this simulation, the host may choose one of the following two rewards.]
[Option 1: Obtain your full understanding of Gentle Fist from three years later in the simulation.]
[Option 2: Inherit your training progress in Gentle Fist from three years later in the simulation.]
[Please choose carefully. Only one reward may be selected per simulation.]
Hinata's breathing nearly stopped.
So… the simulator didn't just reveal the future and offer the possibility of change—it could grant her real power, too?
If that was true, then… changing the Hyuga clan's fate—
Hinata wasn't stupid. She knew the better she performed, the more likely she was to earn Father's support; the more she resembled a proper heir of the main family, the more trust the clan would place in her.
And right now, this power falling from the sky was exactly the help she needed most.
Each option had its pros and cons.
Option 1 meant she could grasp techniques and principles faster—making up for her lack of talent. But if her body's training couldn't keep up with her understanding, she would feel powerless in real combat.
Option 2 meant skipping the hard training and jumping straight to the result. But memorized knowledge might be usable, yet it would be hard to adapt flexibly.
"What… am I truly lacking?"
She remembered herself training day after day since she could remember—through heat and cold, falling again and again under her father's disappointed gaze, yet always struggling back to her feet.
"I think… I don't lack effort."
Hinata pressed her fingertip onto the first option.
In an instant, a warm current surged from the page into her palm, shooting up both arms and straight into her mind. After a brief swelling ache faded, an indescribable clarity flooded in.
Hinata opened her eyes, feeling as if everything had opened up at once.
"So that's where I went wrong when I sparred with Father today… If I fix it, all I need to do is…"
Gentle Fist is… that simple?!
The Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms can be used like that?!
So this is… the world Neji sees?!
Excitement glittered in Hinata's eyes—but soon, new words appeared slowly on the page, cooling that excitement back down.
[Important notice: Life Simulator mechanism updated — simulation duration is positively correlated with cooldown time.]
[Simulation duration: 3 years.]
[Corresponding cooldown: 30 days.]
"A month?"
Hinata blinked, then accepted it. If every simulation could grant power this strong, then a one-month cooldown was understandable.
"I'm not who I used to be."
Hinata closed the notebook and put it away. She pulled out paper and pen and began sketching a simple plan.
"When something happens, I can't just sit and wait. Like Kiyonari taught me—first, set the goal… change the Hyuga clan's predetermined fate."
"Then choose the direction… investigate the truth about the border. Break the big goal into smaller ones. Start where I can start—and the border is being handled by Tsunade-sama, so…"
"I still have to find Kiyonari."
…
Elsewhere, Hyuga Kiyonari opened his eyes, a satisfied smile forming at the corner of his mouth.
"Finally… you took the bait."
In truth, he'd wanted to add a reward function to Hinata's Life Simulator for a long time, but he'd kept putting it off because he didn't have enough correction points.
As for why?
Because in any world, if you want to accomplish something, power is necessary.
Ideals are beautiful. Plans can be perfect. But without enough strength to execute them, it's all just a castle in the air.
For Hinata, strength wasn't only capital for battle—it was a catalyst in her heart, the backbone behind her actions.
A child who'd been denied and ignored since childhood didn't need other people's encouragement as much as she needed results she could hold up herself. Only when she truly became stronger—when she truly gained recognition—would the inferiority and doubt in her heart begin to fade.
And Kiyonari knew clearly: if he wanted to keep hiding behind the scenes, words alone wouldn't be enough.
He could give Hinata direction, help her avoid mistakes, show her possible futures. But the one who had to stand in the spotlight and face the challenges would always be Hinata herself.
Rather than turn Hinata into a puppet that only moved according to his instructions, it was better to truly cultivate her—give her the ability to stand on her own.
Only when she became truly strong—only when she had enough confidence and resolve—could she become the key figure who changed the Hyuga clan, and perhaps even the entire ninja world.
And he only needed to give a push at the critical moment, point out the right road. That would be enough.
This path would be hard, but Hinata would gain a brand-new self through this script.
She would become the person she wanted to be.
That was the promise Hyuga Kiyonari gave her. And behind the stage curtain, he would also gain the self he wanted to become.
A fair trade.
"Now… let's see what you do."
Hinata…
Kiyonari closed the system interface and lay back down, shutting his eyes in the darkness.
The next morning, a crisp, pleasant ringing sound woke him.
His head was still foggy as he rolled over and squinted out the window. It was barely dawn. The sun had just peeked above the horizon, and all of Konoha was still wrapped in thin morning mist.
This early? Who would come at this hour? Hinata?
Kiyonari yawned, grabbed the clothes by his bedside, and pulled them on, then padded barefoot into the washroom.
The instant cold water hit his face, most of the sleepiness vanished. After a quick tidy-up, the person in the mirror looked much neater.
Kiyonari walked to the door and slid it open. The person outside made him pause.
It was Hyuga Hinata.
But… she was wearing a light purple hoodie. Her fair face looked especially clear in the morning light, and what stood out most was her smile—bright, radiant, carrying the relaxed confidence of someone who felt victory already in hand.
"Kiyonari, good morning."
Her voice was soft, but there was more energy in it than before.
"Good morning, Hinata," Kiyonari replied, his mind racing.
He'd imagined all kinds of versions of Hinata—nervous, sad, or coming to him for help the instant she saw him… but no matter what, he'd never imagined this.
Oh no. My script!
Hinata lifted her head. The face that used to blush easily now looked unusually composed.
"Can you walk with me for a bit?"
As long as Kiyonari was there, there was nothing she couldn't do.
~~~
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