When someone first encounters something new and exciting, they tend to get addicted for a while.
Ino, who used to play games like string figures or ninja games, wasn't yet qualified to learn her clan's techniques. The Ninja Academy mostly focused on cultural knowledge at this stage, with very few practical exercises.
Ino and Sakura couldn't even perform the Three Basic Jutsu yet.
So, for Ino, the experience of defying gravity and walking on a tree was incredibly fascinating and fun.
Unfortunately, her chakra reserves were too small.
Because of this, Ino soon lost the feel of it and started failing repeatedly.
Yagyu wasn't surprised by this.
The hardest part of walking up a tree isn't controlling the chakra, but managing the dual focus needed to control both feet.
When one foot successfully grips the tree, your attention naturally shifts to the other foot, and when gathering chakra for the second foot, it's easy to either neglect the first foot or disrupt its balance.
Yagyu himself had been stumped by this in the beginning.
When Ino's chakra was finally depleted and she was panting from exhaustion, Yagyu turned to Sakura and said, "Sakura, you give it a try."
"Okay," Sakura nodded enthusiastically. She had been waiting for her turn.
With her index and middle fingers raised in a seal, Sakura walked toward the tree that was covered in small footprints left by Ino.
To Ino's astonishment, something incredible happened.
Sakura placed one foot on the tree and immediately lifted the other, her body forming a perfect 90-degree angle as she walked upward.
Her hands still in the seal, Sakura steadily climbed the tree.
One step, two steps, three, four, five, six, seven...
When she was more than three meters off the ground, she finally made a mistake and started falling.
"Ahhh..."
Startled, Sakura screamed, instinctively closing her eyes.
But as her fall came to a stop, the expected pain didn't come. Instead, a familiar voice reached her ears, just like the one that had pulled her out of darkness in the past.
"Don't be afraid. I told you I'd protect you."
Opening her misty eyes, Sakura saw Yagyu holding her, and she became completely dazed.
Yagyu gently set her down and praised her, "I didn't expect you to be the best at chakra control out of the three of us, Sakura."
"Exactly, exactly... Sakura, you've been way too low-key," Ino nodded in agreement.
"It's not like that... I just got lucky," Sakura replied shyly, lowering her head in embarrassment.
Seeing this girl, who was as shy as Hinata, Yagyu couldn't help but marvel at how powerful love can be.
Who could have imagined that this well-mannered girl would one day awaken a violent second personality and completely change her character?
Yagyu had always liked Sakura, the heroine who was later overshadowed and outshined by supporting characters.
In his previous life, many people disliked her because they experienced the story through Naruto's perspective.
But if you saw things from Sasuke Uchiha's point of view, you'd realize that both Sakura and Karin were like Obito Uchiha—ultimate simps.
Anyone who has ever simped knows how elevated and entitled the object of their devotion feels.
Who wouldn't want someone like that?
Especially after *Boruto* came out, where Sakura's charm as a wife helped restore her reputation a bit.
As for the "Cactus Series," Yagyu couldn't even remember how many times he had watched it.
Now that the world of the manga and anime had become reality, how could Yagyu possibly let someone else take this ultimate simp?
Afterward, Sakura continued to challenge the tree.
Unlike Ino's instability, Sakura made it to five meters on her second attempt.
By her fifth try, she had successfully reached the top of the tree, mastering this technique that wasn't even taught at the Ninja Academy with ease.
"So beautiful!"
Standing at the top of the tree, Sakura marveled at the snowy landscape in the distance.
Seeing this, the exhausted Ino was filled with motivation again and wanted to challenge the tree once more.
But Yagyu stopped her and reminded her, "Don't rush. Wait until your chakra recovers before trying again. This technique tests both talent and emotional stability. It's not something you can master in just one or two days."
"You can also practice at home by laying down a mattress and using the wall."
"...Alright," Ino reluctantly nodded, though she clearly wasn't satisfied.
Judging by her determination, she would definitely practice hard at home.
After all, Ino was a proud girl. She was the leader of their little group, and having her little sister figure, Sakura, surpass her was unacceptable.
This competitive spirit was exactly what Yagyu wanted to see.
Teaching them techniques usually reserved for genin while still in the first grade wasn't just a whim—Yagyu had his own agenda.
The three of them stayed in the forest until lunchtime, after which Ino and Sakura reluctantly headed home.
After parting ways with the two girls, Yagyu didn't immediately go home. Instead, he decided to buy some groceries.
As he walked, large snowflakes began falling from the sky again.
While passing through a park, Yagyu suddenly heard the shouts of some children.
"Hey, you freak with the white eyes! Don't you even know how to apologize?"
"Hurry up and kneel down and say sorry!"
"..."
Yagyu didn't want to interfere, but certain words made him stop.
It was as if a memory resurfaced, and a strange expression appeared on his face. "It can't be… such a coincidence?"
Reality can indeed be full of coincidences.
Following the sound, Yagyu soon saw two boys shoving a girl.
The girl didn't fight back. She just hung her head, silently wiping away her tears.
This pitiful sight didn't stop the two boys. They only became more aggressive, pushing down on her shoulders to force her to kneel.
*Thud!*
At that moment, two snowballs flew through the air, hitting the boys square in the face.
"Ouch! Who did that?"
The snowballs blinded them, covering their faces in snow.
Before they could wipe it away, two more snowballs hit them, even faster and harder than before, knocking them to the ground.
The boys' faces turned red from the impact, and they began to cry.
"You'd better run unless you want more," Yagyu said, tossing another snowball in his hand.
Seeing this, the boys didn't even think of revenge. They scrambled to their feet and ran away, crying as they fled.
Using the shuriken-throwing skills he had honed during the recent test, Yagyu chased away the two bullies and then walked over to the stunned girl, smiling, "I knew it—it's you. Lost again?"
"Yagyu-kun..."
Hinata, her face red from either crying or the cold, turned an even deeper shade of crimson. The joy swelling in her heart quickly dispelled her earlier sadness.
"Why didn't you fight back earlier?" Yagyu asked, pretending to be curious. "If I remember right, your taijutsu scores were pretty high."
"I... I..."
Hinata instinctively lowered her head, her fingers twirling nervously.
She seemed too flustered to know how to explain herself.
"Hinata-sama..."
At that moment, a voice interrupted them.
A young man wearing a green vest and a ninja headband, with white eyes like Hinata's, was running toward them, carrying a bag.
Seeing this, Yagyu immediately understood the situation.
It was clear that Hinata had been waiting for one of her clansmen when those boys targeted her.
After all, in the eyes of children, people with white eyes were as strange and disliked as the demon fox their parents warned them about.
Yagyu smiled and said, "Don't be too kind. If someone bullies you, fight back. If they get a sense of achievement from picking on you, they won't just keep bullying you—they'll start bullying others, too."
"Only by scaring them will they stop."
"Alright, your clan member's here. See you at school."
With that, Yagyu turned and walked away.
As she watched his back disappear into the distance, Hinata's mind flashed back to two years ago.
Back then, Yagyu was much shorter than he was now.
But even then, he had the courage to go out alone at night.
Whether it was the Yagyu of the past or the Yagyu of today, he was amazing!
And so, a deep sense of admiration quietly began to grow within her.