Both Sakura and Ino were the most beautiful girls in the class...Unlike herself—tomboyish, with those white Byakugan eyes that made people look at her like she was some kind of monster.
Hinata felt inferior deep down, but she was also curious. With so many pretty girls in class, who did Kage actually like?
It couldn't possibly be her.
Just as she was lost in thought, Iruka's voice echoed again.
Huh?I'm fighting Uchiha Kage?
Hinata rose from the grass, dazed.
Not far away, Uchiha Kage had already stepped into the center of the training field. He turned and smiled at her.
He's smiling... at me? Could it be—
Because he finally has a chance to beat me up, and he's happy about it?
The more Hinata thought about it, the worse she felt.If seeing her lose made him happy… well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to let him win.
But wait... If she lost badly to an Uchiha—someone her own age—what would her father say? What would the rest of her clan think?
The thought alone made her whole body tense.
Even if she wasn't born talented, she practiced harder than anyone. Wasn't it so she could protect her little sister? To make her father proud again? To silence the whispers within the Hyuga clan?
"Please... please give me your guidance!"
Hinata activated her Byakugan and dropped into her Gentle Fist stance.
Usually, she was too shy to look Uchiha Kage in the eye. But today—just this once—she allowed herself to really look at him.
His messy black hair somehow looked effortlessly cool, and his smile had the warmth of spring sunshine. His skin was smooth, lips red, teeth white...
Hinata snapped her gaze away, her cheeks burning.
Ah! No, no, what am I thinking!?
She scolded herself inwardly, then raised her head and focused.
"Ninja battle drill, group two, begin!"
Iruka called out as the two opponents stood face-to-face in the middle of the field, forming the opposing seal. He jotted notes in his book as he yelled, "Start!"
Letting Uchiha Sasuke fight Naruto, and Hinata Hyuga face Uchiha Kage—there was a reason behind the matchups.
It was to assess the level of the Uchiha, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, and the Hyuga.
"Sasuke's way stronger. Kage-san only keeps up with him in shuriken throwing," Sakura whispered with a smirk as she leaned toward Ino.
Ever since they'd both fallen for different boys, the two girls had practically competed daily.
"Sure, Kage-kun's handsome, but his ninjutsu talent is seriously lacking."
"Right? If it weren't for his looks, he couldn't compare to our Sasuke-kun!"
With Sakura taking the lead, the other girls who liked Sasuke began chiming in to criticize Kage.
"It doesn't matter. My Kage just needs to be handsome and kind," Ino replied calmly, though inwardly she was already calling them every name under the sun.
Still, she was secretly worried.
Hinata really was a true Hyuga. Her Gentle Fist was no joke. What if she hurt Kage?
"Hmph, the Uchiha always act like they're hot stuff. Now they'll see," Naruto muttered, glancing between Kage—who looked cool even while "getting beat up"—and Sasuke, who was clearly watching but trying not to show it.
"Still better than being dead last," Sasuke replied without looking at him.
Kage might not have much talent, but... he shouldn't be this weak.Looks like I'll need to train him when we get home.
"My opponent this time is Hinata?"
Excellent.
If I can get Hinata's ninja fragment, maybe I can awaken the Byakugan?
Judging from the effect Naruto's and Sasuke's fragments had, Uchiha Kage figured this was highly likely.
Sure, the Byakugan wasn't impressive later in the ninja world—when everyone was basically piloting Gundams and tossing around nukes—but it had plenty of value early on.
And who's to say it couldn't evolve?
Watching Hinata charge at him with teeth gritted, Uchiha Kage felt like a treasure chest was rushing straight toward him.
Especially that chest of hers—round, full, and practically radiating hidden treasure.
I have to make her drop that fragment.
"Please be careful!"
Hinata pushed away distracting thoughts of Kage's smile and snapped back to the fight, focusing harder and harder.
Gentle Fist!Eight Trigrams: Sixteen Palms… Thirty-Two Palms!
Faced with her aggressive assault, Uchiha Kage could only dodge and fall back.
"Her stance and form are good," he analyzed as he weaved out of the way. "But her aggression's a little lacking…"
"And... she's not flexible enough."
He caught an opening, deflecting her strike with his elbow, which disrupted the flow of her Gentle Fist combo.
Gentle Fist relied on injecting chakra through the palms and fingertips to disrupt internal systems. It could even destroy organs.
But Kage already knew the method—and how to counter it.
Strike the arm before the chakra makes contact. Stop the palm. Break the chain. Counterattack when the time is right.
"Still, I don't need to win. I just need to make her drop a ninja fragment…"
His gaze landed on her hands, scarred from constant training on wooden posts. It was... kind of heartbreaking.
Huh?
The fragment finally dropped. But... where did it come from?
When Naruto dropped his fragment, it appeared clearly on the ground. But Hinata's?
It was... on her chest?
Blocking another strike, Kage spotted the ninja fragment shimmering—right on Hinata's chest.
He was both thrilled and... strangely awkward.
Kage-san is amazing...
Hinata was flustered but also full of admiration. He kept slipping past her attacks—but never countered harshly. If he wanted to, he could've knocked her down several times already. But instead...
He just lightly deflected and dodged.
Was he going easy on her? But why?
Her rhythm faltered as confusion clouded her focus.
To others, it looked like Hinata's attacks were only growing more intense, forcing Uchiha Kage to stay on the defensive.
Now!
Seeing a clear opening—Hinata wide open—Kage reached out and placed his hand right over her chest.
"Ah!"
Hinata let out a startled cry and instinctively used her Gentle Fist to strike him in the gut.
Thud.
Kage flew backward and slammed into a tree before crumpling to the ground, coated in dust.
"Whoa! That Gentle Fist was incredible! I surrender!"
Baby Hinata really is strong...
Kage coughed, a small trickle of blood at the corner of his lips—but the ninja fragment had been secured.
Also…
Gotta admit.Hinata's treasure chest?Super elastic.