Shinho Aburame walked through the woods and arrived at the small cabin. He raised an eyebrow slightly when he saw Uchiha Sasuke jumping high repeatedly.
Has he already recovered?
From what Shinho could see, Sasuke had hit a bottleneck in controlling his chakra.
"Sasuke," Shinho called out, stopping in his tracks.
Sasuke paused his practice and glanced toward him. After a brief hesitation, he approached.
"Have you ever tested your chakra nature?" Shinho asked directly.
"No," Sasuke replied, a little unsure of what Shinho was getting at, but he answered honestly.
"Then go test it," Shinho said after a pause. "Ask your father or brother for chakra paper."
"Why?" Sasuke asked, confused. "I am a member of the Uchiha clan, learning Fire Release is enough for me."
Because you're better suited for Lightning Release, you dolt.
"As long as it gives you strength, it doesn't matter what element you use," Shinho said, sounding completely serious despite making it up as he went along.
Sasuke was taken aback. Normally, he wouldn't have listened to such advice from just anyone, but after witnessing Shinho's overwhelming strength the previous day, he found his words compelling.
"Look at me," Shinho continued, "I've learned medical ninjutsu and taijutsu. If I had only learned medical ninjutsu, I wouldn't have been able to defeat Neji."
"That makes sense," Sasuke nodded in agreement. "I'll go back and test it right away."
Shinho smiled faintly. Well, That was easier than I expected.
But it wasn't entirely a lie. Based on what he knew from the original story, Sasuke was much faster at learning Lightning Release. Take the Chidori for example—he mastered it in just a month.
Later, he developed variations like Chidori Stream, Chidori Senbon, and Chidori Sharp Spear with ease. Ultimately, he even created the S-rank Lightning Release technique, Kirin, which was hailed as the pinnacle of the Lightning Release style.
In contrast, Sasuke's progress with Fire Release was rather unremarkable.
Shinho opened the door to the cabin.
Hinata Hyūga was standing right behind it, her hands clasped nervously behind her back, looking anxious.
The sudden opening of the door had startled her.
"Sh-Shinho-kun," Hinata stammered.
"Good afternoon," Shinho greeted, tilting his head to try and see what she was hiding behind her back.
However, Hinata quickly stepped sideways, blocking his view.
"What are you hiding?" Shinho asked with an amused smile, seeing her flustered reaction.
"Uh… well…" Hinata's cheeks flushed visibly. She lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze, but slowly brought her hands forward.
Shinho was taken aback.
A Kamen Rider belt? Specifically, from Kamen Rider Decade?[1]
How does she even know about Kamen Rider?
Then it hit him—Shino. He had probably played around with it in front of her when Shinho was bored.
"Thank you," Shinho said, accepting the belt.
Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. She peeked up at him and, seeing the smile on his face, felt reassured that her gift had been well received.
"Have you eaten yet?" Shinho asked, fiddling with the belt. Though it was roughly made, it was functional enough to be recognized.
"No," Hinata shook her head.
"Alright," Shinho said, entering the cabin. "I'll make us some lunch."
"Wait," Hinata said softly, gathering her courage as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "Could you add a little chili?"
"You sure?" Shinho asked, surprised.
"Mm-hmm," Hinata nodded, though she quickly lowered her head again, speaking softly.
She wanted to feel closer to Shinho, even in small ways.
"Alright, I'll add a little," Shinho agreed, after giving it a moment's thought.
Half an hour later, lunch was served.
Since Hinata could eat a lot, she started first. Picking up her chopsticks, she sampled a piece of meat. For some reason, the slight spice made the food taste even better.
Hinata's mouth watered as she continued eating, one bite after another. Soon, her cheeks were flushed, and her lips glistened with oil.
Shinho chuckled softly. It made her look even cuter.
"Why did you think of giving me a gift?" Shinho asked while clearing the table after they finished eating.
"Because... huff... you've helped me so much, Shinho-kun," Hinata said, still catching her breath from the spice.
It wasn't a lot of chili, but since she ate so much, she was feeling the heat.
"You've already given me pocket money," Shinho reminded her, glancing up at her, then handing her a napkin to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
"Thank you," Hinata said, wiping her face. "But money doesn't show enough sincerity."
What is this? Some kind of humble brag?
Shinho was both amused and speechless at her remark.
Hinata tilted her head, looking puzzled. Did she say something wrong?
"I'll go wash the dishes," Shinho said after a pause. He reached out and gently pinched her cheek before heading off to the kitchen.
Hinata froze for a moment, then covered her face and lowered her head, her heart racing.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Hinata, could you get the door?" Shinho called from the kitchen.
Hinata quickly patted her face, took a deep breath, and went to the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see Neji Hyūga standing there.
Neji, too, looked puzzled. Why was Hinata here?
For a moment, they both stood in silence, the memory of yesterday's tense practical lesson hanging between them.
"Neji-nii-san," Hinata asked hesitantly, "Are you feeling better?"
"Thank you for your concern, Hinata-sama," Neji responded, his tone still formal and distant. "I'm here to see Shinho Aburame."
"Shinho-kun?" Hinata's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What do you need him for?"
"It's nothing," Neji said, noting her expression. As expected, Hinata's changes in strength and character were all due to Shinho.
"Hinata," Shinho said as he approached, gently ruffling her hair.
Like a cat being touched on the scruff of the neck, Hinata instantly became shy.
"Let's talk outside," Shinho suggested, leading Neji to the small courtyard.
"Do you know what this is?" Neji asked, removing the bandage around his forehead to reveal the Caged Bird seal.
Here we go again, Shinho thought. He knew this topic was inevitable.
"Do you believe it controls your fate?" Shinho asked, glancing at the seal.
"Isn't it obvious?" Neji replied, his voice filled with resentment. "From the moment this was placed on me, I lost my freedom. No matter how strong I become, I'll never escape this cage of fate."
"And that's why you hate the main family and look down on the weak?" Shinho asked calmly.
Neji's breath caught. He was stung by how unaffected Shinho seemed.
"I shouldn't have come to see you," Neji said, suddenly finding the conversation pointless. "You'll never understand."
"Who do you blame?" Shinho asked, unbothered by Neji's reaction.
"Of course, I blame the main family!" Neji's anger flared up again. "My father had no choice but to die because of this Cursed Caged Bird seal!"
"No," Shinho shook his head. "The problem isn't with the main family."
"...What?" Neji looked at him in confusion.
"The real issue lies with the system," Shinho said, his voice calm but firm. "From the so-called Will of Fire to the Caged Bird seal, the system itself is what's wrong."
"...What?" Neji took a step back, both shocked and dumbfounded.
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[Tl/n: A reference picture I found on Google for uncivilized people like me (￣_￣|||)
the picture can be found on the last chapter's chapter comments. [I didn't have time to wait for the chapter to go live before commenting here, sry. I'll add it here as soon as I'm able.]]