Konoha, December 21st, Year 54.
The second semester had quietly come to an end, and the first-year students had undergone noticeable transformations over the past few months.
In the first semester, their education had been limited to cultural studies and physical education. Without any hands-on training, they were little different from the day they first entered the Ninja Academy. However, with the introduction of taijutsu duels in the second semester, the students began to experience real growth. Pain and struggle pushed them to shed some of their naivety, but there were unintended consequences as well. Some students began to rely on violence to resolve conflicts, leading to frequent fights, brawls, and even incidents of bullying.
What was more troubling was the fact that the teachers and the Academy turned a blind eye to it all. To them, weak students simply weren't fit to be Ninjas. If they chose to drop out after being bullied, it would save them from the harsh realities of missions and the potential for death after graduation.
Thus, in every class, there were always those underachievers who tried to bully the top students. Uchiha Itachi, Hyuga Neji, and Uchiha Sasuke had all been targeted in the past. They shared a few key traits: they were all handsome, geniuses with aloof personalities, and incredibly popular with the girls. Despite their popularity, they didn't form close-knit groups or indulge in petty friendships, which made their behavior seem distant, even to their peers. This "lone wolf" demeanor irritated many boys, who saw it as an opportunity to "teach them a lesson."
Unfortunately for these bullies, their attempts always ended poorly. They might have had the numbers, but they couldn't match the strength or skill of their targets. And when they failed, the embarrassment was compounded by their own defeat and the ridicule that followed. Their failed bullying attempts were often met with backlash from the fan clubs of the students they tried to bully, leaving them ostracized by the girls and even targeted by older students for anti-bullying campaigns. The resentment and shame they felt only grew, sometimes even turning against their own clans.
On this particular day, snow fell heavily over Konoha. When the snow stopped, Hinata, who had been granted the special privilege of going out freely, didn't need Izanami to transform into Ino Yamanaka and invite her. She eagerly trotted out of the Hyuga clan grounds, heading to their usual meeting spot.
Hinata was bundled up in a cute white snowman suit with a red scarf, looking chubby and adorable. Over the last few months, at Izanami's suggestion, Hinata had let her hair grow longer. Now, it reached her shoulders, tied up in pigtails with hair ties. She planned to change her hairstyle once it reached waist length. Her round little face, still full of baby fat, had a soft pink glow from the cold air, making her seem even more irresistible. One could hardly resist the urge to pinch her cheeks.
To avoid being discovered, Hinata didn't knock on Izanami's door but instead waited for her in the open space outside the Ninja Academy. This had become their unspoken understanding.
"Is that girl from Neji Hyuga's clan?"
"Those eyes... there's no mistake."
"Let's go teach her a lesson."
As Hinata waited for Izanami, she suddenly heard voices from behind her. Turning, she saw three boys, a couple of years older than her, approaching with malicious grins. They surrounded her, clearly with ill intentions.
"Um... can I help you?" Hinata asked, her voice soft and polite. If one observed closely, they would see that while she was gentle, her gaze remained steady, neither intimidated nor averted.
"Those eyes of yours... they're disgusting, just like that Neji Hyuga!" One of the boys scowled at her, recalling bad memories and pointing an accusing finger. "What are you, a freak with those Byakugan eyes? You've offended me. Kneel down and apologize right now!"
Hinata tilted her head, confused. "Are you... friends with Neji Hyuga?" she asked, still not understanding what was happening.
"Who's friends with that Neji guy?" Another boy sneered. "We're his enemies."
"Then kneel down, shout 'I'm sorry,' and apologize to us on behalf of Neji Hyuga, or we'll beat you up!" The last boy reached out, trying to grab Hinata by the shoulders to force her to kneel and humiliate her in front of the others.
In an instant, Hinata's eyes shifted. With a fluid motion, her small hand, gloved in white, shot out and jabbed her fingers—two swift, precise strikes to the chest of the boy who had reached for her. Despite the thick winter clothing, her fingers pierced through with the speed of needles, and the boy let out a sharp cry of pain, dropping to the ground.
Before the other two boys could react, she repeated the motion, poking them both in quick succession. They, too, howled in pain and collapsed to the ground, clutching their chests.
"It hurts so much, it hurts so much... wah..." they whimpered, unable to alleviate the sharp, searing pain. Their bodies seemed frozen in shock as they looked up at Hinata, now seeing in her the reflection of her cousin, Neji—equally powerful and equally unyielding.
The three boys, now terrified, scrambled to their feet and fled, rolling and crawling away in their haste.
Hinata, having instinctively defended herself, tilted her head again in confusion, watching the boys flee. She hadn't meant to cause so much trouble, but their attempt to bully her had ended in a swift and decisive lesson.
She hadn't even used Chakra on them, so why were they crying?
With such strength, could they really be enemies of Neji Hyuga?
Clap, clap, clap…
The sound of applause reached her ears, and Hinata turned toward the source, her face immediately lighting up with a bright smile.
"Izanami, you're here!"
"You were really cool just now," Izanami said, walking over with a thumbs-up. She wore a white snowman suit just like Hinata's. "When dealing with people who have bad intentions, you need to act decisively, or they'll just keep getting bolder. They might even develop a habit of bullying others."
"Mmm mmm…" Hinata nodded enthusiastically, her expression full of obedience.
Izanami felt a deep sense of pride as she looked at Hinata.
In the original story, Hinata had been bullied repeatedly by her peers—her own classmates. For the heiress of such a prestigious clan to be humiliated by a few commoner boys was beyond outrageous. What made it worse was that by then, Hinata had already been training in the Gentle Fist style. To be reduced to tears despite her training suggested a deeper issue with her personality.
But now, things were different. Hinata had turned the tables on her would-be bullies, leaving them in tears instead. It was proof that the transformation Izanami had guided her through was a success.
Over the past few months, Hinata had grown from being introverted and passive to someone who was firm and unyielding. Her kindness remained, but it was no longer at the cost of her own well-being. She no longer hesitated to protect herself or others, and her responses had become instinctive, not born from fear but from newfound confidence.
Izanami could feel immense satisfaction. In just half a year, Hinata had undergone a remarkable change. She was still gentle on the surface, but inside, she was strong.
In the original timeline, if Izanami had waited longer to intervene, it might have been too late. By then, Hinata's spirit would have been broken by Hyuga Hiashi and Neji—changing her would have been an almost impossible task. Now, though, Izanami had shaped her in a way that would make all the difference.
Hyuga Hiashi had no idea how grateful he should be.
Hinata's special privilege to go out freely was, in a way, the greatest reward Izanami could have asked for.
"Let's go, let's go train."
"Okay!"
And with that, the two children, still in their snowman suits, set off toward the abandoned training ground.
... patreon Seasay