The next day, early in the morning.
After washing up and having breakfast, Shima stopped in front of the mirror.
He calmly observed his reflection. His face was very similar to that of Ōtsutsuki Toneri; the main difference lay in his eyes. He did not possess white pupils nor the Tenseigan. Instead, a pair of red pupils gleamed with an unsettling hue.
Five minutes later, Shima arrived at Chino's door.
"Good morning, Onii-chan!" Chino greeted him in a sweet, cheerful voice.
The girl opened her arms and ran toward him with light steps, hugging him without hesitation.
"Hurry up, Chino. Might Guy is waiting for us."
Upon hearing that, Chino immediately began to complain. She had no interest in training at all.
"How about I take you to the forest for a picnic after training?"
"It's a deal!"
Chino's eyes lit up instantly. After tasting Shima's cooking, she couldn't hide her anticipation and excitement.
The two of them walked together through the streets of Konoha, drawing many glances.
The reason was simple.
Shima stood out far too much.
Pale skin, slightly messy white hair, and red eyes that were impossible to ignore. His appearance was striking even by the village's standards.
Over time, Shima had already grown accustomed to those looks.
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the forest on the outskirts of Konoha. It was often used by ninjas for training, making it a relatively safe area.
And the ninja training there that day was none other than the proud Blue Beast of Konoha: Might Guy.
This passionate devotee of physical training often exercised in that forest.
The reason Shima knew this was simple: he had a good relationship with him.
Just as expected, a green figure rushed past them, kicking up a powerful gust of wind.
"Hello!"
"Shima, Chino! Are you here to train?"
After greeting them with his characteristic enthusiasm, Might Guy continued running without stopping.
He never neglected his training schedule.
The wind stirred up dust and leaves, and the green figure quickly vanished among the trees.
That speed was truly terrifying.
Shima knew that Might Guy was running while carrying weights of over a thousand pounds. If he removed them, his speed would at least double.
To Shima's eyes, only a green afterimage remained.
"Yes."
After replying, Shima began helping Chino with her training.
…
After training, the two returned home to bathe. Just as they were about to head back to the forest for their picnic, a noise caught their attention.
Shima hesitated for a moment before nodding to Chino, signaling her to follow him.
He soon understood what was happening.
On a corner, he saw a white-eyed girl with her head lowered, surrounded by a group of troublesome children.
"Look! There's a little ghost!"
"Her eyes are completely white. How ugly!"
"White-eyed monster!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Come on, I want to see the power of the white-eyed monster!"
"I'll beat her and become the hero of Konoha!"
The leader of the group stepped forward arrogantly toward the girl.
Faced with this scene, the girl—Hinata Hyūga—was completely terrified. She wanted to say something, but she didn't dare to speak or resist.
Not far away, the figure of Uzumaki Naruto was running toward them.
"So it's this scene…"
With that thought, Shima walked straight toward the group.
…
POV: Hinata
It was the first time Hinata Hyūga had left the clan compound.
She had been with Tokuma, but at some point she had gotten separated from him.
"Where is my father…?"
"Where is Tokuma…?"
"Where am I…?"
In the distance, she saw three children playing and, without thinking too much, walked toward them.
"Look! There's a little ghost!"
"Her eyes are white! How ugly!"
"White-eyed monster!"
The three boys quickly surrounded her, laughing nonstop.
Hinata froze in place. Her face turned pale, her hands trembling as she tightly clutched her scarf.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"She's about to cry."
"Do you think her tears are white too?"
"Cry! Cry!"
"Tsk… how noisy. Three brats bullying a girl."
A calm voice interrupted the scene.
The three boys stopped and looked up.
A boy their age was walking toward them, accompanied by a girl.
"Hey, why are you pretending to be so cool?"
"Nosy brat!"
"Fight!"
They shouted angrily.
In the next instant, small fragments of crystal appeared in the air.
"So beautiful…," Hinata thought.
A second later, blood splattered.
The boys screamed in pain. Their faces had shallow cuts from which blood flowed.
"Ahhh!"
Terrified, they staggered back, screaming.
"Don't come any closer!"
They rolled on the ground and fled as fast as they could.
Ōtsutsuki Shima looked at Hinata, who was still pale, and said in a firm voice:
"The next time I see you bullying someone… it'll be worse."
To Hinata, Shima looked like a hero straight out of the stories her mother used to tell her.