Chapter 6

Opening my eyes, I expected to see an unfamiliar ceiling like before, but to my surprise, I recognized the room.

I tried to recall what time I had woken up.

"Did someone bring me home?"

I murmured to myself.

Of course, if I can remember being defeated, my defeat has been absolute.

-Sliding open the door!

"Ah... Good morning, Onee-chan!"

Hanabi burst into my bedroom and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.

Ah, the warmth of having a little sister is the best.

But hold on a second! Did she just say 'morning'? Isn't it afternoon?

"Hell... so, I spent the entire day sleeping?" I grumbled.

"Hmm...?" Hanabi squinted her eyes and looked at me, a hint of disapproval on her face. "Onee-chan, when did you become interested in practicing? And you want to practice right after you wake up from passing out?" She pouted, making her cheeks round like a squirrel.

"Ow! That hurts!" I playfully pinched her cheek. "Blame your cuteness. Hanabi, are you hungry? I'm starving after sleeping all day."

"Hmm~ That's why Hanabi came here," she replied, flashing a mischievous smile.

It seemed like that was her plan all along.

"You go ahead. I'll catch up," I told her.

"Kay~" Hanabi made a playful bow and skipped out of the room.

Once she left, a blue screen appeared in front of me.

***

[Name: Hyuga Hinata]

[Level: Academy]

[Title: None]

[HP: 100/100]

[Chakras: 100/100]

[Fatigue: 0]

***

[Stats]

[Strength: 4.2 (F)]

[Agility: 3.2 (F)]

[Sense: 1.2 (F)]

[Stamina: 1.2 (F)]

[Intelligence: 1.1 (F)]

***

[Passive Skills]

[Byakugan (F)]

[Chakra Control (F)]

[Chakra Manipulation (F)]

[Lightning (Locked)]

[Water (Locked)]

***

[Active Skills]

[Sprints (F)]

[Stalking (E)]

[Kunai Art (F)]

[Shuriken Art (F)]

[Gentle Fist: Vital Strike (F)]

***

[Achievement Points: 2]

***

"Heh~ there's a new skill! This is good..." I felt the excitement as if acquiring new skills in a game. But something puzzled me. "Achievement points? What happened after I fainted?" I couldn't recall receiving any notifications, but I must have earned these points while I was unconscious.

"Well, I always accept points anyway. Hehe, perfect~"

-Slam!

"Onee-chan! Huh...? Why are you smiling like that? Anyway, let's have breakfast!"

Hanabi barged into my room without knocking, as if she owned the place.

Maybe she needed a few slaps on her butt to teach her some manners.

"I said I'll join you later..." I shot her a stern look, but she just smiled mischievously.

"Heh~ You're so scary."

-Slam!

That little brat! I'll make sure to teach her a lesson.

[Daily Quest: Saitama Workout]

[Pushups: 0/100]

[Sit-ups: 0/100]

[Squats: 0/100]

[Run: 0/10 Kilometers]

***

[Daily Quest: Saitama Workout (2/7)]

"For now, I'll start with the daily quest." I had so many things to think about and do that I momentarily felt overwhelmed. As I pondered the requirements for obtaining a vacant [Title], what should I do? maybe getting involved in something dangerous?

Once I have better control over my chakra, I can focus on training the Byakugan. For now, I'll stick to the daily quest exercises and chakra control.

There's no need to rush; I'm still uncertain about the consequences of using the Byakugan like I did yesterday.

The incident from yesterday proved that I can't fully control this eye. Unlike the Sharingan, the Byakugan doesn't awaken magically; it requires practice. So, it can be said that the previous Hinata trained her eyes, leaving behind a reflex.

Let's call it when I touch something hot and the receptors send a warning message to my motor system, prompting it to automatically and avoid danger, and if I remember correctly, when I struggle to find a weak point, a surge of wish to see his weak point activates the Byakugan on its own.

Then, two and a half hours passed as I completed the daily quest and meditated.

Now, it was time for a shower.

[Daily Quest: Saitama Workout (3/7)]

***

[Fatigue: 35] => [Fatigue: 20]

"A nice, warm bath always makes me feel better." Three days had passed since I started the daily quest, and my fatigue had reached 35. However, after the shower and breakfast, it dropped to 20.

"This is frustrating... My stamina won't improve much with this kind of progress. Sigh, I'll have to be patient and let it increase over time. Stats..."

[Stats]

[Strength: 4.3 (F)]

[Agility: 3.3 (F)]

[Sense: 1.3 (F)]

[Stamina: 1.3 (F)]

[Intelligence: 1.2 (F)]

I sighed at the slow progress shown in my stats.

"Should I ask Guy for advice? But how can I ask naturally? Hmm..."

It seemed like I needed to train outside the Hyuga compound, hoping to meet Guy or Lee.

"All I need to say is 'I'm sorry... I thought no one was here.' Then Lee would respond with 'It's okay! Let's practice together until we drop dead!' And that's when Guy would appear, saying, 'Oooh! Such a youthful moment! I'll give you the best training tips!'"

I chuckled at my stupid plan.

"Besides, I thought I can't use the Byakugan..."

I remembered my duel with Sasuke, where I could see his chakra and identify his weak points.

"...I did fight quite well, but... it felt like my senses were heightened. After all, the Hyuga clan specializes in sensory."

For now, I would put aside these thoughts and focus on heading to the Academy.

---

I headed to the Academy right after breakfast, but of course, I got an earful from Hanabi.

I had even gone to practice before eating, despite telling her to wait for me.

Anyway, something strange is going on. I can't figure out what this punk is thinking.

Oh, I just remembered something.

It feels like ages ago when these two characters barely acknowledged each other.

And now, Hinata's longest and first interaction with him has somehow yielded me an achievement point out of nowhere.

Funny how things work out.

"Hey, you."

"Huh...? What?"

I was just as surprised as anyone else when this person suddenly greeted me—or rather, took the initiative to talk to me. What does he want, I wondered.

"T-that can't be..."

"Did I hear him correctly...?"

"S-Sasuke-kun... starting a talk?"

"Sasuke! Don't give Hinata that glare, you know!"

Everyone around us was in disbelief.

Maybe I misheard too, but there he was, the most popular boy in the academy, standing just a meter away from me as he looked straight into my eyes.

"I'll be waiting for you behind the school after class."

What is this? Instead of a love confession, he sounded more like a bully saying, "Wait for me there because I feel like punching you right now."

"Why not... now?"

"..."

He hesitated for a moment as if to say, "Why huh? No, that's a bad idea."

"Tch! I can't do that."

Don't 'Tch!' at me like that, you punk.

"Sigh... whatever."

I have no idea what he wants, but with three leaves sticking to both sides of my cheek and chin, I decided to leave, leaving my whole class staring at us strangely, especially the girls.

---

"Jeez... it's early in the morning, and he's already making such a fuss."

Hinata sighed and closed her eyes, focusing her chakra to detach the three leaves.

"I thought it would be hard for you."

Peeking to her right, she saw Shikamaru.

"I know... the popular brat suddenly spoke to me out of the blue. I can understand why they're all worked up."

Shikamaru nodded, sighing. "I don't get why you're so calm, but... aren't you happy?"

Hinata understood what he meant.

He thought, she was just like those girls, and yet, when a popular guy in the class spoke to her first, her reaction was more like, "So what?" She looked at Shikamaru, and it seemed as if he was thinking, "She changed so... well, it's not my problem."

But Shikamaru wasn't the only one intrigued.

On the other side, Sakura was sweating bullets.

"Dammit! Why now?" Sakura's mind raced.

After years of trying, Sakura never managed to catch Sasuke's attention, not even once.

Her obstacles were Sasuke's cold demeanor and Ino, her love rival.

"Tch! Come to think of it, Hinata is a Princess. Is that the type of girl Sasuke is into? No... wait, if that's the case, there's someone like Hinata chasing after him. Maybe he prefers someone quiet?"

Speaking of quiet, Hinata didn't even flinch when Sasuke approached her like that.

If it were any other girl, she would have been like a steaming hot pot, ready to burst.

Sakura decided that Hinata would now be at the top of her list of obstacles.

---

"I knew this would happen," Hiashi thought worriedly, but he maintained a calm facade in front of these cunning old people.

The large room was filled with visible noise and dissatisfaction directed toward him.

While rumors and misunderstandings spread like wildfire through the Academy, Hinata didn't know about the chaos unfolding within the Hyuga clan.

"Clan Leader! What do you mean Hinata-sama has lost her abilities?"

"Is the main family a joke!?"

With his eyes closed, Hiashi listened to the main family's elders rambling about his daughter's predicament.

His heart sank, but he refused to show any weakness. "Hiashi," a voice finally spoke, bringing silence to the room.

No one dared to address Hiashi by his name unless they were the former Clan Leader or his father. "As the head of the Hyuga clan, you should understand that the main family is supposed to be the strongest among all Hyuga members."

The thought crossed Hiashi's mind that they believed they didn't have to care for someone who was deemed useless and weaker than the branch family. "If this is Father..." Hiashi's thoughts raced that his father would show no mercy.

Back in the past, Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi, had been branded with the [Caged Bird Seal] because he wasn't chosen as the clan's successor.

Hiashi had been born a few moments earlier, securing his position.

Suddenly, Hiashi's eyes widened, his expression mirroring his shock. 'Please don't tell me, Father...' He looked towards his father, who nodded in confirmation.

A surge of blue aura engulfed Hiashi, reflecting the intensity of his emotions.

"Are you kidding me!?" Hiashi's calm demeanor shattered as he erupted in anger, his chakra flaring throughout the room.

"Hiashi! There is no other way. Do you want to relive the incident where your brother was sacrificed?" The words cut through Hiashi's anger, reminding him of the guilt that had consumed him when he witnessed Neji piercing Hiashi with a vengeful glare.

"I'm fully aware of that. Thanks to Hokage-sama's warning, Kumogakure won't have their way again," Hiashi responded, his voice filled with determination.

"Don't be naive, Hiashi. There is no lasting peace. What will happen if the weak Hinata can't defend herself?"

Hiashi fell into silence, unable to provide an answer.

The weight of the question lingered in the air, suffocating him.

"What if the Hyuga clan loses the Byakugan, just as Kirigakure did in the past?"

It was a chilling reminder of a time when many Hyuga perished in the war, and Kirigakure had obtained their prized Byakugan.

Hiashi hesitated, but he resolved to have faith in his daughter, at least for now.

He couldn't do anything about the cursed seal burdening the Hyuga clan, and seeking help from the Hokage would likely be futile.

"I have a request," Hiashi finally spoke up, his voice holding a mix of determination and hope.

---

(AN: The next chapter is word count!)