"Here."
Shinho Aburame handed over a lollipop. It was banana-flavored, not by choice, but rather due to the official lore stating that Hanabi Hyuga liked bananas and milk but hated celery.
"Uncle Hyuga," Shinho said after a moment of thought, settling on the title.
Calling him "Lord Hyuga" seemed unnecessary, while "Uncle" might remind him of some aggressive over-the-top maneuvers. So, "uncle" would do, for now.
"Come in for some tea," Hiashi Hyuga said with a neutral tone.
"No, thanks. I'm here to see Hinata," Shinho replied, politely declining.
"...?" Hiashi's expression twitched slightly.
"You came for me?" Hinata blurted out, lifting her head in surprise.
Her gaze briefly met Shinho's before her face turned pink. She quickly averted her eyes, but inside, she couldn't suppress her joy.
As Hanabi licked her lollipop, her pale eyes darted between Hinata and Shinho.
Something's going on!
"You two, go chat in the living room," Hiashi ordered, before turning to a servant. "Brew two cups of tea for them."
"Thank you, Uncle Hyuga," Shinho said as he walked toward the living room, with Hinata hurrying to catch up.
"...?"
Hiashi was once again left speechless. His usually well-mannered daughter hadn't even acknowledged him before running off.
"Hinata, please sit," Shinho said, glancing at the doorway where Hanabi was peeking in suspiciously.
"Mmm," Hinata took a deep breath and sat down across from him.
"Here's your tea."
A maid came over, serving them both.
Shinho took a sip from his cup—it was a bit bitter. Hinata also took a small sip, but she didn't seem to react, clearly used to the flavor.
"Were you upset about something yesterday?" Shinho asked directly, looking her in the eyes.
"Eh?" Hinata blinked in confusion.
"Something to do with Neji Hyuga?" Shinho prompted.
Hinata froze for a moment, a troubled look appearing in her eyes.
"You don't have to talk about it if you're not comfortable!" Shinho added with a faint smile.
"N-No, it's not that," Hinata stammered, shaking her head. "Neji and I used to be close, but now..."
"Do you know why things changed?" Shinho's tone remained calm.
"It's because of the Caged Bird seal," Hinata said, her expression turning gloomy.
She knew the reason, but the knowledge didn't make it any easier. She had asked her father about it, but his response had only confirmed that there was no way to undo the Caged Bird seal.
"Talking alone won't solve the problem," Shinho said, clenching his hand into a fist. "You have to use your fists."
"Huh?" Hinata looked at him in confusion.
"Go and defeat Neji," Shinho said, pausing briefly before continuing. "Even if you can't win, you need to earn his recognition."
"But I... I can't," Hinata said, waving her hands in protest. "Neji is a true genius—I could never be his match."
As the heir of the main Hyuga family, Hinata had often sparred with Neji. But she had never beaten him, and as time went on, the gap between them only grew wider.
"I have a gift for you to help with that," Shinho said, opening his hand to reveal the White Boar Gu. "But you can't tell anyone—not your father, not even Hanabi."
"It's... so beautiful," Hinata whispered, her eyes widening as she stared at the milky-white insect in his hand.
Shinho gently grasped her wrist and placed the White Boar Gu in her palm.
His own White Boar Gu had already reached its limit. Since his father hadn't provided another candidate, Shinho decided that Hinata would be the best recipient.
After all, investing in a promising future would never result in a loss.
Hinata's face flushed a deep red, her head spinning.
When the White Boar Gu vanished, she let out a small gasp.
"Hinata," Shinho said, without explaining further. "Do you want to get stronger?"
Hinata nodded, still a bit confused but trusting him completely.
"I'll talk to your father," Shinho added, pausing briefly. "You'll need to eat more—strength comes from a full belly."
He planned to explain Hinata's sudden increase in strength by attributing it to her increased appetite, thanks to the White Boar Gu.
"I... I don't know," Hinata mumbled, unsure of how to respond.
She was worried that eating too much would make her seem rude in front of Hiashi. But since Shinho was the one asking, she couldn't bring herself to refuse.
In the end, she nodded, albeit nervously.
[Achievement unlocked: Hinata Hyuga—"Rare are the steeds, rarer still the ones who find them." Reward: Fish Scale Gu.]
[Fish Scale Gu: A Rank-One Gu insect. Can be fused with the Hidden Stone Gu to form a Rank-Two Hidden Scale Gu.]
[Fuse with Hidden Stone Gu?]
[Fusion will consume both the Fish Scale Gu and Hidden Stone Gu.]
[Success!]
[Hidden Scale Gu: Rank-Two Gu insect. Grants the ability to turn invisible, including the user's clothing.]
Invisibility in the ninja world?
Shinho's mind briefly filled with images of secretive missions, before he quickly shook his head.
Where's my moral compass? he thought. I'm a respectable person.
…Ahem.
Exchanging a one-use Rank-One Gu for a permanent Rank-Two Gu was a definite win.
I won twice!
Now, Shinho had three Rank-Two Gu: the Moonlight Gu for offense, the White Jade Gu for defense, and the newly acquired Hidden Scale Gu for stealth. All he needed was an agility-based Gu to complete the set.
"Don't worry," Shinho said, patting Hinata on the head.
He stood up and walked toward the door.
"Big brother!"
Hanabi, who had been hiding, tried to act cute, hoping to avoid being caught.
Shinho chuckled and ruffled her hair as well. Unlike Hinata's short hair, Hanabi's was long and straight—just the way he liked it.
Hinata's long hair in the future is pretty great too, he mused.
"Where's Uncle Hyuga?" Shinho asked, glancing around the courtyard but not seeing Hiashi.
"He's probably in the study," Hanabi replied, narrowing her eyes contentedly as she enjoyed his head pats like a satisfied cat.
Shinho headed to the study and knocked on the door.
"Come in," Hiashi said.
Hiashi looked a little surprised when Shinho entered. Finished already? It's only been three minutes.
"Uncle Hyuga," Shinho said as he kneeled across from him—the only family where such formalities of kneeling at the table remained common.
"There's something I need to tell you," Shinho said bluntly. "Hinata eats a lot."
"What do you mean?" Hiashi frowned, confused. You're not complaining about my daughter, are you?
"She eats at least nine bowls of rice per meal," Shinho added.
Hiashi's face was full of question marks. Nine bowls? What nonsense is this?
"She's growing strong," Shinho continued, "and as you know, chakra is a mixture of mental and physical energy. The more she eats, the more physical energy she can generate."
"You're not lying to me?" Hiashi's expression turned serious.
"I have no reason to lie," Shinho replied calmly. "And you'll see it for yourself soon enough."
"Alright," Hiashi said, noting Shinho's steady demeanor. He sighed deeply.
If it weren't for Shinho, it might have taken him much longer to discover this.
A strange feeling crept over Hiashi, like a man watching his precious daughter being stolen away right before his eyes.
"Shinho," Hiashi said, pouring him a cup of tea. "Who do you think will be the next Hokage?"
Even though they had just met, Shinho had left a strong impression on Hiashi.
He doesn't act like a six-year-old.
"...?"
Shinho couldn't help but twitch slightly. This question was oddly familiar.
What should he say?
I laugh at Hiruzen's folly and Danzo's stupidity?
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