It was the white season again.
Heavy snow fell like goose feathers, draping the forest in a thick layer of silver, much like the rice balls she had eaten for breakfast.
But Hinata Hyuga had lost her earlier sense of wonder. She looked around uneasily.
It was her first time being allowed to leave the clan compound. It was snowing, and it was supposed to be a happy occasion. So why was she lost?
Where is Father?
Where is Tokuma?
Where am I?
Eh?
Hinata looked up in pleasant surprise.
In the snow not far away, three tall boys were playing.
She subconsciously walked toward them.
"Look! A little kid!"
"Her eyes are actually white? So ugly!"
"White-eyed monster!"
The three boys quickly surrounded Hinata.
They looked her up and down, bursting into cruel laughter.
Hinata was almost scared out of her wits. She froze in place, her small face turning deadly pale.
A layer of mist covered her white eyes. Her trembling hands tightly gripped her scarf.
"She's about to cry."
"Do you think her tears are white too?"
"Cry! Cry!"
Instead of feeling sympathy, the three boys only grew crueler.
"Move, Hinata!"
Hinata desperately wanted to react, but her limbs felt weak. Even breathing became difficult.
"Quiet. I'm thinking."
The calm voice made the three boys stop.
They looked up and saw a boy around their age sitting on a tree branch.
Bundled securely in a fitted white trench coat, his dark sunglasses obscured half of his face.
"Hey, trying to act cool?"
"Nosy brat!"
"Get down here!"
The three children instantly began shouting in displeasure.
The sinister smiles on their faces made Hinata's heart leap into her throat.
The next second, she saw a flash of moonlight.
It dropped from the sky like a crescent scythe.
So pretty.
But why would there be moonlight?
Hinata stared blankly at the splattering blood, her white eyes involuntarily widening.
The three boys cried out in pain.
Faint bloody trails appeared on their faces.
"Ahhhh!"
The three boys looked terrified. They backed away, shouting, "Don't come any closer!"
They scrambled and crawled, rapidly fleeing the scene.
The boy in sunglasses—Aburame Shiki—jumped down.
As he touched the ground, a flash of bronze appeared on the soles of his feet.
He landed perfectly steady.
"Only when the tide strikes the reef can it create beautiful waves."
Aburame Shiki looked at the pale-faced Hinata and said, "Next time, don't think about anything. Just throw a punch."
He reached out, grabbed her scarf, and wrapped it once more around her neck, bundling her up securely.
Paired with her slightly chubby face, it made her look even more adorable.
Hinata was still in a daze, letting him do as he pleased.
"Stand right here and don't move. You'll be able to go home soon."
Aburame Shiki ruffled her hair and said with a faint smile.
Wh... what does that mean?
Hinata felt her senses returning. As if coming back to life, a hint of color crept back into her face.
She tilted her head, her expression dazed.
Aburame Shiki found it hard to explain. He turned around, hands in his pockets, and walked deeper into the forest.
Hinata was the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan. As long as she didn't run around blindly, it wouldn't be long before the guards found her.
He still had things he needed to do.
Aburame Shiki paced through the snow.
What he just used was not ninjutsu, but the Moonlight Gu.
Without a doubt, he was a transmigrator.
In his past life, he was just an ordinary young office worker earning a modest salary, taking life day by day with a smile.
After a busy day, he opened the Naruto mobile game and instantly selected Kurama Naruto.
After enjoying the thrill of spamming basic attacks, he started reading a novel about Gu Masters.
By the time he woke up, he had already transmigrated to a new world.
Good news: both parents were alive. He wasn't an orphan.
Bad news: it was the Naruto world.
Orochimaru once said: Even a dog wouldn't want to be Hokage.
In this dangerous world that prioritized bloodlines, Aburame Shiki had no special bloodline.
He became the son of Shibi Aburame, the head of the Aburame clan, and had a little brother named Shino Aburame.
How should he put it?
Reaching the absolute pinnacle of life was impossible unless one possessed a Kekkei Genkai like the Sharingan or the Byakugan.
Since he couldn't conquer the mountain, he decided to just take it easy.
But right at that moment, he awakened the Great Love Immortal Venerable Achievement System.
For every achievement unlocked, he would receive a Gu.
[Aburame Shiki.]
[Achievements Unlocked: I Won the Resurrection Match, Farming Suits Me Best.]
[Owned Gu: Miraculous Recovery Gu, Moonlight Gu.]
[Miraculous Recovery Gu: Rank 5 Gu worm. Possesses the absolute strongest medical ninja talent.]
[Moonlight Gu: Rank 1 Gu worm. Can be activated to attack with moonblades, and possesses multiple advancement routes.]
The first achievement was obtained right when he transmigrated, or rather, when he was born.
The second achievement was obtained when he planted moon orchids.
Gu were driven by True Essence.
True Essence was the source of a Gu Master's power, the condensation of life vitality, spirit, and energy.
In the ninja world, this became chakra, but it was also slightly different.
Because True Essence also contained heaven and earth energy.
In the ninja world, heaven and earth energy referred to natural energy.
Natural energy combined with chakra formed the far more powerful senjutsu chakra.
Aburame Shiki's True Essence at this stage could be understood as a highly weakened version of senjutsu chakra.
Relying on True Essence, he could already rival a Genin.
But as everyone knew, the gap between Konoha Genin was sometimes larger than the gap between a human and a dog.
He belonged to the category of a normal Genin.
Half a minute later, a wooden cabin surrounded by an earthen wall appeared in Aburame Shiki's field of vision.
This small forest was within the territory of the Aburame clan compound.
As the son of the clan head, he had the right to use it as he pleased.
Aburame Shiki stopped in his tracks.
Because he noticed a little shadow tailing him.
He turned around and saw a sneaky Hinata.
She was hiding behind a tree, poking her small head out.
When her eyes met his, she immediately revealed a timid expression.
How cute.
Aburame Shiki waved her over.
Hinata hesitated for a few seconds before walking up to him.
But she didn't dare look up. She kept her small head lowered, looking perfectly obedient.
Just as Aburame Shiki was about to speak, her stomach growled.
Hinata's small face instantly flushed red, and she buried her head even lower.
She was truly hungry.
For some unknown reason, her appetite far exceeded that of ordinary people.
But as the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan, she had to maintain proper etiquette.
Every time she ate, she was given portions similar to her mother's, which meant she was never full.
"Come in."
Aburame Shiki reminded her, "Make sure you follow me closely. Don't step on any traps."
Hinata subconsciously nodded hard.
She safely entered the small courtyard.
What met her eyes was a patch of blue and pink flowers.
The petals were shaped like crescent moons, shimmering with a gentle, pearl-like luster.
"So pretty!"
Hinata blurted out.
"I planted them. They're called Moon Orchids."
Aburame Shiki said, his chin slightly raised.
Moon Orchids were the food for the Moonlight Gu.
Aside from True Essence, Gu worms also had to be fed their specific food on a regular basis.
If the required food was flora, the system would provide mysterious seeds.
"…?"
Hinata's small face showed curiosity and confusion.
Planting flowers?
He knew how to plant flowers at such a young age?
Was he a ninja from the Yamanaka clan?
"Come inside."
Aburame Shiki opened the door to the wooden cabin.
Hinata hurriedly trotted forward, then braked sharply, her straight bangs swaying with the motion.
She looked around the room.
Compared to the grand mansion at her home, this place was exceptionally simple.
It served simultaneously as a bedroom, kitchen, and living room.
"Tonkotsu ramen."
Not long after, Aburame Shiki placed a bowl of noodles in front of her.
He only kept emergency food here, such as ramen.
"Th... thank you."
Hinata's voice was very soft and sweet, like cotton candy.
Aburame Shiki looked at her, and several lines of text appeared in his vision.
[Hinata Hyuga.]
[Current Achievement: Goodbye Father, and Goodbye to My Cowardice.]
[Passive Achievement: Unknown.]