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Just like with Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, Ryūsei hadn't spoken a single word to Hinata in class over the past year.
This girl was simply too shy—even Ryūsei wasn't sure how to befriend her.
Moreover, back then, his gaming system hadn't awakened yet, so he didn't dare get too close to Hinata.
Who knew if word might reach Neji or the Hyūga clan, making them think he had ulterior motives toward Hinata? They might even come to warn or teach him a lesson.
After all, Ryūsei wasn't the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki—he had no backing whatsoever.
It wasn't until his cheat ability awakened, his second heroic rescue of her, and his near-confirmed title as the top student that Ryūsei began to reconsider.
Now, he was barely qualified to be Hinata's friend.
Though as a commoner, he still had no right to invite Hinata out.
But the "Boar" of the new Ino-Shika-Chō trio did.
As fellow supporters of the Hokage, Hyūga Hiashi would undoubtedly approve of Hinata befriending Ino.
Though disappointed in his eldest daughter, Hiashi hadn't completely given up on her.
Among the new Ino-Shika-Chō generation, only Ino was a girl.
If Hinata became friends with Ino, it would mean the Hyūga clan forging ties with the future Ino-Shika-Chō—an invaluable connection.
The sight of Ino and Hinata walking toward him proved that Ryūsei's plan had worked—Hiashi had indeed given his permission.
"Mission accomplished! I brought Hinata out!" Standing before Ryūsei, Ino declared proudly.
"Impressive. As expected of Ino." Ryūsei gave her a thumbs-up without hesitation, then turned to Hinata, who was standing beside Ino and stealing glances at him. He smiled. "Hello, Hinata."
Meeting his gaze, Hinata instinctively lowered her head.
But remembering Ino's words before they left, she mustered her courage, looked up at Ryūsei, and stammered, "R-Ryūsei-kun… th-thank you!"
After finally voicing this three-years-overdue gratitude—which had grown even stronger recently—Hinata felt an unexpected weight lift from her heart.
"So, you've been sneaking glances at me all this time just to thank me?" Ryūsei asked knowingly.
"…Mhm." Relieved, Hinata shyly lowered her head again.
"Well, I accept your thanks." Ryūsei smiled and extended an invitation. "We're about to train. Would you like to join us?"
Hinata's face lit up in surprise. "C-can I really?"
"Of course. You're more than welcome." Ryūsei nodded firmly.
Understanding Hinata's personality, Ino wrapped an arm around her shoulders like an elder sister and declared, "From now on, we're friends, Hinata!"
"Nice to meet you, Hinata," Sakura added with a gentle smile.
Faced with their warmth and friendliness, Hinata's pale eyes suddenly glistened with unshed tears.
This sudden rush of happiness left the girl—who had always yearned for friendship but never obtained it—completely overwhelmed.
But she knew she couldn't let this opportunity slip away.
With a determined nod, she managed a choked reply: "…Mhm!"
Thanks to Ryūsei's efforts, three of the four most outstanding girls of their generation had become friends far earlier than fate intended.
———
"Ryūsei, look! I can climb to the top now!"
Arriving at their usual training forest, Ino deliberately sought out the tree covered in small footprints and eagerly demonstrated her progress.
Defying gravity, she sprinted up the trunk with ease, reaching the sparse treetop in no time.
"Amazing!"
Ryūsei gave her another thumbs-up as she proudly showed off from above.
From constant falls to a single flawless ascent—Ino had clearly put in tremendous effort at home.
Her competitive spirit was a good thing. If she maintained it, she might not fall as far behind Sakura and Hinata as she had in the original timeline.
"Hinata, wanna give it a try?"
After descending, Ino formed the Ram seal and grinned at the awed Hinata.
"Focus chakra on your feet, stick to the trunk, and climb up. It's a technique Ryūsei taught us. My dad said even the Academy doesn't teach this."
"Th-that's incredible…"
Hinata's admiration for Ryūsei grew even stronger.
Nodding shyly, she replied, "O-okay… I'll try."
Forming the same seal, Hinata gathered chakra into her feet and stepped toward the tree.
What followed was a sight that dealt a critical hit to Ino's pride.
Like Sakura before her, Hinata walked up the trunk effortlessly—as if it were flat ground.
Within moments, she reached the treetop on her very first attempt.
Even Sakura had needed multiple tries.
"W-wow…"
This time, it was Sakura and a conflicted Ino who were left stunned.
Ryūsei, however, wasn't surprised in the slightest.
Of the four girls, Hinata—not Sakura—was the most naturally gifted.
Beyond being the only one with a Kekkei Genkai, Hinata had trained since childhood in the Gentle Fist's "pressure point strikes"—a technique that required precise chakra control to strike an opponent's tenketsu.
This skill was fundamentally similar to tree-walking.
Hinata's foundation surpassed even Sakura's.
In the original story, by the time of Shippūden, she had also mastered medical ninjutsu and barrier techniques.
During the Three-Tails incident, the sealing team—comprising Shizune, Sakura, Hinata, and Ino—had only one weak link: Ino.
Even before Sakura became Tsunade's apprentice, Hinata had been the strongest of the four.
Had it not been for her timid nature, she would've been a standout star at the Academy.
Yet even now, she ranked among the top five in their year.
Watching the three girls master tree-walking in their first year, Ryūsei felt genuine happiness for them—but he also finally set his own plan into motion.
"Now that you've all mastered tree-walking," he said with a smile, "I'll teach you the Body Flicker Technique next. We'll also practice combat skills together."
"Yes! Finally!" Ino immediately cheered, raising her hand. "I've been wanting to learn the Body Flicker since yesterday!"
"Me too!" Sakura agreed eagerly. "The way you beat Sasuke yesterday was so cool!"
Hinata nodded shyly in agreement.
Their reactions suggested they'd all overlooked the "combat skills" part of his proposal.
Exactly as Ryūsei had hoped.
What they saw as a secondary activity was actually his true objective.
He intended to use the three girls as test subjects!
If he could "drop" even one item from them, he'd confirm whether the system's loot was permanently stolen or merely copied.
If it wasn't permanent, Ryūsei wouldn't have to worry about defeating someone, suddenly acquiring their Kekkei Genkai, and then having them realize they'd lost theirs—which could expose his ability to "steal" bloodline limits.
If that were the case… he could act without restraint.