"Yo, Naraku! Back this late again?"
"Naraku, you're only five. You spend all day running around outside the village. You're the young master of the Hyuga clan—a person of high status. What if kidnappers grab you?"
"Exactly. The ninja world is far from peaceful. It's only safer here in our Leaf Village, but you still need to be careful. It would be dangerous if ninjas from other nations came here to stir up trouble."
At the gates of the Leaf Village, two sentry ninjas greeted Naraku.
"Ah... hahaha, I know, I know. Thanks for the warning, uncles. I'm just wandering around the perimeter of the village; I won't go far."
"Besides, don't we have the elite ninjas of the Leaf protecting us? I doubt anyone would dare come here to cause trouble."
Naraku scratched the back of his head, offering the two guards a sheepish smile.
"What... 'uncles'?? You little brat, I'm only twenty-five! How can you call me uncle?"
"Yeah, we're still young! You should be calling us 'Big Brother'!"
"Seriously, kid, how many times do we have to tell you? It's 'Big Brother,' not 'Uncle.' You're making us sound like old men!"
Clearly, Naraku's choice of address had struck a nerve, and the two ninjas complained loudly.
"Mm-hm, okay, uncle. I got it, uncle."
"Anyway, see you later, uncles. I'm heading home."
Naraku waved a hand at the two ninjas and made his way into the village.
"That little rascal..."
The two ninjas watched Naraku's retreating, shaking their heads with a smile. Over the past six months, because Naraku frequently slipped out of the village to train, he had become quite familiar with the gate guards. He often played these harmless jokes on them.
"I'm home!"
Naraku called out as he entered the Hyuga compound. Soon after, a series of light, pitter-patter footsteps echoed from the hallway.
The wooden door slid open, and a tiny figure rushed toward Naraku, throwing herself into his arms.
"Onii-chan, you're back!"
Naraku looked down at the little girl in his arms and stroked her head affectionately. It was his younger sister, Hinata Hyuga. At three years old, with her short hair and delicate, tiny face, she was incredibly adorable.
"Hey, Hinata. Look what I brought you."
Naraku pulled a lollipop from his clothes and waved it in front of her.
"Ah! A lollipop! Thank you, brother!"
Hinata beamed as she took the candy.
"Naraku, you're giving her sweets again. Children should eat fewer snacks, or their teeth will rot."
Another person walked out of the house, watching the siblings with a warm smile. It was their mother, the wife of the Hyuga Clan Head.
"Haha, it's fine, Mom. A childhood without snacks isn't a childhood at all."
"You call Hinata a child, but you're only two years older than her. You weren't nearly this greedy when you were little."
"If you keep spoiling her like this, she's going to end up quite the handful."
"Ah... girls are meant to be spoiled. If I spoil her now, she won't be so easily tricked away by some random boy when she grows up, right?"
Naraku looked up and gave his mother a cheeky grin.
"You little... You always have an answer for everything. So, where did you go off to play today?"
"Nowhere special. I just took a walk around the village. I've realized the scenery of our Leaf Village is actually quite nice."
Naraku fell back on his daily lie.
"You run outside every few days, and every time I ask, it's always 'the scenery is nice.' I'm starting to wonder if it's truly that beautiful."
"Alright, go wash your hands. It's time to eat. Hinata, save that lollipop for after dinner!"
"Okay!"
Little Hinata looked at the lollipop in her hand and tucked it into her pocket with a reluctant, longing expression. At the dinner table, Naraku noticed an empty seat.
"Hey, Mom, isn't Dad eating with us today?"
"Oh, your father has business to attend to. He'll be back late, so we won't wait for him."
"What... did something happen? He can't even make it to dinner?"
"It's nothing major. Some representatives from the Cloud Village arrived today to sign an alliance treaty. The Hokage and the high-ranking officials are in talks with them, so he'll be delayed."
"Oh, I see. Then never mind, let's eat."
Naraku asked casually and didn't give the matter much thought. There hadn't been a large-scale war between the major villages for a long time. On the surface, relationships were peaceful, so an alliance treaty seemed normal.
After dinner, Naraku played with Hinata for a while until she drifted off to sleep, then he returned to his own room. He collapsed onto his bed, exhausted from a full day of training. He didn't want to move a muscle and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
In the middle of the night, Naraku was jolted awake. He had heard movement on the roof. The sound was incredibly faint—the kind of noise easily missed if one wasn't listening—but Naraku noticed it thanks to his months of bitter cultivation.
Who could it be? In the Hyuga compound? It's not like we have any legendary treasures worth stealing.
Could it be an enemy ninja? No way. The Leaf's security is too tight for someone to just walk in. And to bypass the Hyuga patrols... this person must be strong.
Naraku lay still, pretending to be asleep while his mind raced. Suddenly, a realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
Wait! Mom said the Cloud Village was visiting today. I remember this from the original story—the 'Hinata Kidnapping Incident.' The Cloud used the treaty as a distraction to kidnap Hinata in the dead of night to steal the Byakugan!
So it's happening tonight. Except... did they switch the target to me?
Naraku's heart pounded as he realized the intruder's identity: a Cloud Village ninja.
What should I do? If I scream for help and the intruder is too fast, he might kill me before my father can reach the room. I'd be dead before the alarm is even raised!
Frantic with anxiety, Naraku forced his breathing to remain steady, continuing his act of sleeping. This was the first time since reincarnating that he faced a life-or-death threat, and it left him momentarily paralyzed.
Over the years, his power had grown, but he was still technically only at a Genin level. His spars with Hiashi were always controlled—merely friendly matches. He had never engaged in a real, lethal fight. Against a ruthless professional, he was in grave danger.
Just as Naraku was spiraling, a familiar voice rang out in his mind.
[A new day has arrived. Since the Host is still awake, tell me, my dear Host... would you like to sign in?]
Naraku was overjoyed. The kidnapping incident was a major plot point! A sign-in now was bound to yield something powerful.
System, sign me in!
[Understood, Host. Sign-in initiated...]