Both Sakura and Ino were two of the prettiest girls in the class… unlike Hinata, who not only looked like a tomboy, but also had those white eyes that others often mistook for something monstrous and found repulsive. As Hinata wallowed in self-pity, she couldn't help but wonder which of the many beautiful girls in their class Uchiha Ying would like.
Certainly not her, of course.
Lost in thought, Hinata was startled by Iruka's voice. Huh? Me? Fight Uchiha Ying?
Hinata stood up from the grass, dazed. In the distance, Uchiha Ying, already at the center of the training ground, was looking at her with a smile.
He's smiling at me. Could it be… because he finally has a chance to beat me up… that he's so happy?
The more Hinata thought about it, the more disheartened she became. If it would truly make him happy, she wouldn't mind being beaten. But wait, if she lost to an Uchiha, what would her father and the rest of the clan think…?
The thought of further disappointing her father by losing miserably to an Uchiha of the same age… Hinata's body tensed. She might not be the most talented, but she trained diligently every day. Wasn't it all to protect her younger sister, who was still so young, to reassure her father, and to silence the whispers within the clan?
"P-Please… begin!"
Activating her Byakugan, she assumed the Gentle Fist stance. Usually too shy to look directly at Uchiha Ying, Hinata finally got a good look at the boy before her. His messy, yet strikingly handsome black hair, his captivating smile, and his perfect teeth…
Having finally steeled her resolve, Hinata, after staring at Uchiha Ying for a moment, shyly lowered her gaze. Oh no! What am I thinking!?
Scolding herself internally, Hinata finally pulled herself together and raised her head.
---
"Ninja Combat Exercise, Group Two, begin!"
Iruka, watching the two facing each other in the center of the field, made a note in his notebook and announced the start. Pairing Sasuke against Naruto, and Hinata against Uchiha Ying, were both orders from higher up. The purpose was to assess the abilities of the Uchiha, the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, and the Hyuga Clan.
"Sasuke is definitely stronger. Ying can only keep up with him in shurikenjutsu." Watching Uchiha Ying struggle against Hinata, someone usually so inconspicuous in class, Sakura finally found an opportunity to gloat at Ino. Ever since they both developed crushes, these two girls had been constantly competing.
"Ying is handsome, but his ninjutsu skills are lacking."
"Exactly! If it weren't for his looks, he wouldn't even compare to Sasuke!"
Following Sakura's lead, the other girls who admired Sasuke joined in, disparaging Uchiha Ying.
"Whatever. My Ying just needs to be handsome and kind." Faced with the girls' criticism, Ino feigned indifference. Inwardly, however, she was fuming. She was also secretly worried. Hinata, as a Hyuga, possessed a powerful Gentle Fist. Would she hurt Ying?
"Hmph, Uchihas are all arrogant show-offs. Serves him right." Naruto glanced at Uchiha Ying, who still managed to look handsome even while on the defensive, and then at Sasuke, who was pretending not to care about the match.
"He's still better than a dead-last like you." Sasuke frowned. Ying might not be gifted, but he shouldn't be *this* weak. It seemed he would need to train him properly tonight.
---
"My opponent is Hinata?"
This is perfect. If I can obtain Hinata's ninja shard, I might be able to awaken the Byakugan. Based on how I felt after absorbing Naruto and Sasuke's shards, I think it's highly likely. Although the Byakugan might not be the strongest in the later stages of the ninja world, with its giant Gundams and casually used nuclear bombs, it's incredibly useful in the early stages. And who knows, it might even evolve later…
Watching the girl charge towards him with gritted teeth, Uchiha Ying felt like a treasure chest was rushing his way. Especially her chest, which, with its ample curves, did resemble one. I have to make her drop a shard!
"Be careful!" Dismissing thoughts of Uchiha Ying's handsome face, Hinata focused and fought with increasing intensity. Gentle Fist! Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms… Thirty-Two Palms!
Faced with Hinata's fierce onslaught, Uchiha Ying could only evade, dodging repeatedly.
"Good form, good technique, but she lacks aggression." Uchiha Ying assessed Hinata's skills as he dodged her attacks.
"And she's not adaptable enough." Seizing an opportunity, Uchiha Ying deflected Hinata's arm with his elbow, disrupting her Gentle Fist rhythm. The Gentle Fist uses the palms and fingers to inject chakra into the opponent's chakra pathway system, disrupting their flow, damaging their meridians, and even injuring their internal organs. Once the chakra points are sealed, the opponent is unable to use chakra, leaving them vulnerable. It's a superior taijutsu style. But Uchiha Ying already knew the principles and mechanics of the Gentle Fist, so he quickly figured out how to counter it. Strike the opponent's attacking arm, preventing their palms and fingers from connecting, then look for an opening to counterattack.
"But I only need to fight until Hinata drops a ninja shard. Winning or losing is secondary…" Uchiha Ying muttered to himself, glancing at the girl's fingertips. The wounds from her rigorous Gentle Fist training on the wooden post were truly heartbreaking.
Huh? A shard finally appeared, but… why is it coming out from *there*? Naruto's shard fell directly onto the ground. Why is Hinata's shard stuck between her… breasts?
Deflecting Hinata's Gentle Fist with another elbow strike, Uchiha Ying looked at the ninja shard that appeared on her chest. He was happy, but his expression was also a bit strained.
---
Ying is so strong… Seeing her Gentle Fist attacks neutralized one by one, Hinata felt both anxious and impressed. But it was strange. If he had used a little more force just now, she would have lost her balance and fallen, but he only blocked lightly and then continued to dodge… Was he going easy on me? But… why?
With increasing distractions, Hinata's Gentle Fist became more and more erratic. But to onlookers, it looked like Hinata's attacks were becoming more ferocious, while Uchiha Ying could only dodge.
An opening! Seeing a large gap in Hinata's defense, Uchiha Ying quickly placed his hand on her chest.
"Ah!" Hinata cried out in surprise and instinctively used her Gentle Fist to push her attacker away.
Thud.
Uchiha Ying was sent flying, crashing heavily against the trunk of a nearby tree before landing face-first on the ground.
"S-Such a powerful Gentle Fist… I give up."
Hinata is surprisingly strong… Blood trickled from the corner of Uchiha Ying's mouth. But he had finally obtained the ninja shard. And… he had to admit, Hinata's breasts were quite… soft.