It was the white season once again.
Great, goose-feather snow blanketed the forest in a thick coat of silver, like the rice balls eaten in the morning. Yet Hinata Hyuga no longer felt the sense of novelty she once had. Instead, she looked around anxiously.
This was the first time she had ever been allowed to leave the Hyuga clan compound—and it was snowing heavily. It should have been a happy experience, so why had she gotten lost?
Where was Father?Where was Tokuma?Where… was she?
Huh?
Hinata Hyuga lifted her head in surprise.
Not far away, on the snow-covered ground, three tall boys were playing in the snow. Without thinking, she instinctively walked toward them.
"Look! There's a little brat!""Her eyes are white? That's so ugly!""A white-eyed monster!"
The three boys quickly surrounded Hinata Hyuga, sizing her up as they burst into harsh, grating laughter.
Hinata felt like she was about to faint. Her entire body froze in place, her small face turning deathly pale. A thin mist welled up in her pale eyes, and her trembling hands clutched her scarf tightly.
"Looks like her little pearls are about to fall.""Do you think her tears are white too?""Cry! Cry!"
Not only did the boys show no sympathy, they grew even more vicious.
"Move, Hinata!"
Hinata desperately wanted to react, but the reality was that her limbs felt weak and unresponsive. Even breathing was becoming difficult.
"Be quiet. I'm thinking."
The calm, flat voice made the three boys stop.
They looked up and saw a boy about their age sitting on a tree trunk. He wore a white, form-fitting trench coat, wrapped tightly around his body, along with dark sunglasses that hid his eyes. Only half his face was visible.
"Hey, hey, hey—what are you trying to look cool for?""Mind your own business, brat!""Get down here!"
The three boys immediately started shouting angrily.
The ferocious grins on their faces made Hinata's heart leap into her throat.
The next second, she saw a streak of moonlight.
It was shaped like a sickle, falling from the sky.
So beautiful.
But… how could there be moonlight?
Hinata stared blankly as blood splashed into the snow, her pale eyes widening involuntarily.
The three boys screamed. Thin red lines appeared across their faces.
"Ahhh!"
Panic-stricken, they staggered backward, shouting as they fled, "Don't come any closer!"
They scrambled away on hands and knees, disappearing as fast as they could.
The boy in sunglasses—or rather, Aburame Shiki—jumped down from the tree.
The moment his feet touched the ground, a faint bronze hue flashed beneath them. He landed steadily, without the slightest stumble.
"Only when the tide crashes against the rocks," Aburame Shiki said, looking at Hinata's pale face, "can it create beautiful waves. Next time, don't think about anything. Just throw a punch."
He reached out, grabbed her scarf, and wrapped it securely around her neck. Combined with her slightly chubby, baby-soft cheeks, she looked even cuter.
Hinata was still in a daze, letting him do as he pleased.
"Stay here and don't move. You'll be home soon," Aburame Shiki said lightly, ruffling her hair with a faint smile.
Wh… what does that mean?
Hinata felt sensation return to her body, as if she had come back to life. A hint of color finally returned to her face. She tilted her head, her expression filled with confusion.
Aburame Shiki didn't explain. He turned around, slipped his hands into his pockets, and walked deeper into the forest.
Hinata Hyuga was the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan. As long as she didn't wander off, it wouldn't take long for her guards to find her.
He still had things he needed to do.
Aburame Shiki paced through the snow. What he had just used wasn't ninjutsu—it was Moonlight Gu.
There was no doubt about it. He was a transmigrator.
In his previous life, he had been a young man earning 3,200 a month, always smiling—a chosen wage slave. After finishing a busy day, he opened the Naruto mobile game and instantly picked Kizaru—also known as the Nine-Tails Naruto skin. After enjoying the pleasure of basic attacks, he read a Gu Master novel.
When he woke up, he had already crossed into a new world.
The good news: both parents were alive; he wasn't an orphan.The bad news: this was the world of Naruto.
Five-star jonin Orochimaru once said, "Even a dog wouldn't want to be Hokage."
In this dangerous world where bloodlines determined everything, Aburame Shiki had no bloodline limit.
He became the son of Aburame Shibi, the head of the Aburame clan, and had a younger brother named Aburame Shino.
How should he put it? Reaching the pinnacle of life was impossible—unless he possessed a bloodline limit like the Sharingan or the Byakugan.
Since he couldn't climb the mountain, he might as well lie flat.
But then, he obtained the Great Love Immortal Venerable Achievement System.
Each time he completed an achievement, he would obtain a Gu.
[Aburame Shiki][Achievements completed: I won the revival match; Farming really suits me][Gu possessed: Miraculous Healing Gu, Moonlight Gu][Miraculous Healing Gu: Rank-five Gu worm, granting the highest medical-ninja talent][Moonlight Gu: Rank-one Gu worm, capable of manifesting moon blades for attack, with multiple advancement paths]
The first achievement was obtained when he transmigrated—or rather, when he was born.The second achievement was obtained when he planted Moon Orchids.
Gu are activated using True Essence.
True Essence is the source of a Gu Master's power—the condensation of life force, vitality, and spirit. In the ninja world, it becomes chakra, yet it is still different.
Because True Essence also contains the energy of heaven and earth.
In the ninja world, this energy of heaven and earth is known as natural energy. Natural energy combined with chakra produces the more powerful Sage Chakra.
At his current stage, Aburame Shiki's True Essence could be understood as an extremely weakened version of Sage Chakra.
With True Essence, he could already rival a genin.
But as everyone knew, the gap between Konoha's genin was sometimes greater than the gap between a human and a dog.
He was merely an ordinary genin.
Half a minute later, a wooden cabin surrounded by earthen walls came into Aburame Shiki's view.
This small forest was within the territory of the Aburame clan. As the clan head's son, he had the right to use it freely.
Aburame Shiki stopped.
Because he had noticed a little tagalong.
He turned around and saw Hinata Hyuga sneaking behind him, hiding behind a tree with only her small head peeking out. When their eyes met, she immediately showed a timid expression.
Cute.
Aburame Shiki waved to her. After hesitating for a few seconds, Hinata walked up to him, though she didn't dare raise her head, keeping it lowered obediently.
Just as Aburame Shiki was about to speak, a sound came from her stomach.
Hinata's face instantly turned red, and she buried her head even lower.
She really was hungry.
For some reason, her appetite far exceeded that of ordinary people. But as the young lady of the Hyuga clan, she had to maintain proper etiquette. Every meal was similar to her mother's portion, so she had never truly eaten her fill.
"Come in," Aburame Shiki reminded her. "Follow me carefully. Don't step on any traps."
Hinata nodded vigorously.
She entered the courtyard smoothly. A patch of blue and pink flowers came into view, their crescent-shaped petals shimmering with a warm, pearl-like glow.
"So beautiful!" Hinata exclaimed.
"I planted them. They're called Moon Orchids," Aburame Shiki said, raising his chin slightly.
Moon Orchids were food for the Moonlight Gu. Besides True Essence, Gu needed to be fed specific foods regularly. If the food consisted of flowers or grasses, the system would provide mysterious seeds.
"…?"
Hinata's small face showed curiosity and confusion. Planting flowers? At such a young age? Could he be a ninja from the Yamanaka clan?
"Come in."
Aburame Shiki opened the cabin door. Hinata hurried forward, then suddenly stopped, her bangs bouncing slightly.
She looked around the room. Compared to her family's grand mansion, this place was remarkably simple, serving as a bedroom, kitchen, and living room all at once.
"Tonkotsu ramen."
Not long after, Aburame Shiki placed a bowl of ramen in front of her. He only kept emergency food here—things like ramen.
"Th… thank you," Hinata said softly, her voice sweet and fluffy like cotton candy.
Aburame Shiki looked at her, lines of text appearing before his eyes.
[Hinata Hyuga][Current Achievement: Goodbye, Father—and my cowardice][Passive Achievement: Unknown]
Relaxed. Overpowered. Fun. Farming. Multi-heroine romance. In this story, Gu can be simply understood as skills—each Gu represents one skill or one ninjutsu.
PS: Readers who are interested, please remember to follow until the last chapter. Competition is fierce these days—one moment of inattention and you'll be left behind. Thank you all! During the new book period, there will be two updates daily unless something unexpected happens, scheduled until midnight.