Naruto: Drop System

"Yagyu, should we come up with a battle plan or set some traps here?" Shino Aburame asked after Kurenai left, seeking Yagyu's opinion.

This action showed that Shino had ceded the position of Team 8's leader to Yagyu.

In the original story, Kiba Inuzuka seemed to be the leader of Team 8. However, in reality, Shino was the backbone of the team.

For minor matters, Shino would let Kiba make decisions. But when it came to more important situations, Shino would not back down and could assert authority over both Hinata and Kiba.

But now, Shino had willingly stepped aside, choosing to act as Yagyu's second-in-command—not because Yagyu was the top student, but because he had no choice.

Unless Shino wanted to be isolated, he had to concede. Hinata would naturally follow Yagyu's lead now that they were in the same team. It would be two against one, so if Shino wanted to stay in Team 8, he had to step aside.

Yagyu was pleased with Shino's insight and smiled, "It's still early, and Kurenai-sensei didn't start the test right away, which means she's giving us time to prepare."

"However, even if we work together and set traps, there's no way we can win against Kurenai-sensei, who's a jonin."

"So, the main purpose of this survival exercise is as Kurenai-sensei said: to assess our abilities and teamwork."

"No need to set traps; if we get caught in Kurenai-sensei's genjutsu, those traps could backfire on us."

"Let's share our individual strengths, come up with a simple plan, and give it our all."

Unlike Kakashi, Kurenai hadn't threatened them with the idea that failing the survival exercise would result in being sent back to the academy.

Only students who were truly lacking in skill or unwilling to cooperate with their teammates would be sent back for retraining.

For Yagyu and his team, who were all top students, even if their teamwork wasn't great, they wouldn't be sent back because there was nothing more the academy could teach them.

That's why Kurenai didn't use the threat of being sent back as a motivator like Kakashi did. In fact, she cherished her talented students too much for that.

Noticing this, Yagyu felt confident.

"Alright," Shino agreed with Yagyu's approach.

As they walked back along the path, they discussed their abilities and jutsu.

When Yagyu finished explaining his techniques, Hinata glanced at his profile with admiration in her eyes. Shino, though outwardly calm, was likely shocked beneath his sunglasses.

If Shino had removed his glasses, his pupils would likely have shrunk in surprise.

In his mind, Shino was shaken.

He had thought Yagyu's mastery of the B-rank Water Release: Water Wall at such a young age was impressive enough. But now it seemed that Yagyu had been hiding far more than expected.

No wonder Sasuke Uchiha could never beat him.

In fact, not even a group of ninja clan heirs could hope to match Yagyu.

Yagyu probably had the skills to graduate from the academy during his first year.

After sharing their skills, the three of them came up with a simple plan. They agreed that if any new ideas came up, they could revise the plan the next morning.

When they returned to the village center, Team 8 dispersed.

Yagyu and Hinata walked together through the streets. For the first time since they were three years old, they were alone together.

Yagyu, as a commoner without a surname, had never been allowed into the Hyuga clan's compound. Even Sakura didn't have that privilege. Only Ino could visit Hinata's home and invite her out to play.

Whenever Hinata went out, she was always accompanied by a bodyguard or by Ino.

Hinata, lost in thought, remembered a snowy night nine years ago. She could almost see the past with her Byakugan—it was the same as that night when Yagyu had walked her home.

Nine years had passed since then, and the boy she admired had become unmatched in his excellence.

As she secretly stole glances at Yagyu's handsome profile and recalled their memories together, a smile crept onto her lips, her heart feeling as sweet as honey.

At that moment, Yagyu suddenly turned to her, catching her gaze.

Startled, Hinata quickly lowered her head and nervously twirled her fingers.

Amused by her cuteness, Yagyu asked with a smile, "Hinata, do you want to come to my place and train together?"

"Mm," Hinata mumbled in a barely audible voice, her head still lowered.

Yagyu was used to her shyness by now.

A timid girl like her agreeing to come to his house alone was already a brave decision. Yagyu had expected her to decline.

Seeing that Hinata had agreed, Yagyu felt delighted.

Being assigned to Team 8 was a pleasant surprise for him. He had been worried about how he could invite Hinata out without Ino's help. But now that they were teammates, Yagyu would have plenty of time to spend with her, growing closer while also aiming to unlock the Byakugan through his system.

After arriving at his home, Yagyu created a shadow clone to prepare lunch while he and Hinata went to the training room for a taijutsu sparring match.

Yagyu knew that only through training could Hinata become more comfortable being around him.

After all, the moment she entered his house, she realized how bold her decision had been and had spent the entire time with her head down, her face flushed red.

Yagyu planned to wait until Hinata became fully comfortable before suggesting they train outside in more intense, no-holds-barred sparring matches.

Unless he experienced the same beginner's luck he had when the system first awakened, no-holds-barred matches were his best chance of unlocking valuable abilities like the Byakugan.

As expected, even after repeatedly defeating Hinata in their taijutsu sparring match, Yagyu didn't see any glowing light, signaling a new ability drop.

But Yagyu had already grown accustomed to this after the past year.

Once his shadow clone finished cooking, Yagyu invited Hinata to stay for lunch. She accepted, as she had grown used to Yagyu cooking for them over the years. She, Ino, and Sakura had often stayed at his house for meals.

Normally, she would've helped with the cooking by creating a shadow clone, but Hinata had been so flustered earlier that she hadn't thought to offer.

Now, looking back, Hinata felt embarrassed. She had allowed Yagyu to cook while she ate without helping.

Oblivious to her thoughts, Yagyu noticed that she was quieter than usual and didn't seem to be eating with her normal appetite. He thought she just wasn't used to being alone with him yet, and he chuckled softly to himself.

After lunch, Hinata took the initiative to clear the table and wash the dishes.

Seeing this, Yagyu didn't stop her.

Once she finished the dishes, Hinata didn't leave right away. She began tidying up the house, as she and the others often did to show their appreciation to Yagyu. It had become a habit for them.

Only after cleaning up did Hinata finally say goodbye and hurriedly leave.

Aside from being focused during their sparring, Hinata had acted like a shy ostrich the whole time. Yagyu couldn't help but wish that the technology of the world had advanced enough for portable cameras. If it had, he would've captured all of Hinata's adorable expressions on camera.

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