NARUTO: Starting with Hinata

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"Let me try it."

Shiki picked up a rice ball and took a bite, pausing as he met the eyes of Hinata, who was watching from nearby.

"Would you like to try some too?" He asked casually.

"Of course." Ino responded, a bit surprised but generous.

"Hinata!" Shiki waved her over.

Hinata's face lit up, and she hurried over.

"Hinata, here you go," Ino said, picking up a rice ball, "This one's jasmine-flavored."

"Is this one rose?" Shiki asked, taking another bite.

"Yes." Ino replied, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"I'd like to learn as well." Hinata spoke up, summoning her courage, "Shiki-kun, could you teach me?"

Meanwhile, Shino, who had been standing nearby, frowned and quietly moved away, preferring to keep his distance from the scene.

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Let Shiki teach her?

Ino glanced at Hinata, suddenly feeling alert. This seemingly shy girl was showing a boldness Ino hadn't seen before. She truly had an unexpected rival.

"How about I teach you, and Shiki-kun joins us?" Ino offered with a smile, "Flower rice balls are a specialty of the Yamanaka clan, after all."

"Sure, I'll come over when I have time." Shiki replied, munching on his rice ball.

Ino's spirits soared. Even if they wouldn't be alone, she saw plenty of opportunities to spend time together.

Seeing that Shiki agreed, Hinata nodded as well, happy just to be around him. Even if Ino was there too, it was still worth it.

"…?"

Nearby, Shino observed them and let out a sigh. As expected of his brother, Shiki knew how to handle things. Shino took out a notebook and made some notes, content to aim for a single girlfriend someday. Anything more seemed like too much trouble.

Shiki finished his rice ball and declined another with a wave of his hand. He wasn't as big an eater as Naruto, and besides, he'd already had breakfast.

"Lunch?" Ino asked, her blue eyes bright.

Shiki nodded, not needing any formal arrangement. Since school started, it had become a habit for them to eat lunch together, often joined by Hinata, Naruto, and Shikamaru.

As he noticed Ino's cheerful expression, a thought crossed Shiki's mind. He recalled that the Yamanaka clan specialized in soul-related techniques, particularly the Mind Transfer Jutsu.

Orochimaru and Kabuto might be powerful users of such techniques, but they were too dangerous to approach just yet. Ino, however, was different. She was both safe and promising. Despite her current skill level, her potential in the original story was considerable. In addition to mastering her clan's jutsus, she also learned medical ninjutsu and barrier techniques.

"By the way, Shiki-kun, did you hear about Mizuki's arrest?" Ino asked, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him.

"I heard a bit." Shiki replied casually, "Any inside scoop?"

"He killed his comrades during a mission in the past." Ino said with a mischievous smile, "My dad uncovered it while extracting his memories."

"That's impressive." Shiki said, smiling, "Guess I'll have to be careful around you, so you don't discover all my secrets."

"I'd never use it on you, Shiki-kun." Ino replied earnestly.

"Me neither!" Hinata chimed in, quickly raising her hand, her fair arms trembling slightly.

"I know." Shiki said with a smile, glancing at her.

Hinata blushed and lowered her gaze. She was adorable.

Ino blinked, quickly collecting herself. She couldn't let Hinata's cuteness distract her.

"Do you know who the new teacher is?" Shiki asked casually.

"Gekko Hayate." Ino replied.

Shiki was surprised; he hadn't expected someone he knew. He remembered Hayate from the legend—his tragic fate and his beautiful girlfriend, Yugao.

So he was a teacher at the ninja academy?

Just then, Sasuke walked in with his hands in his pockets, throwing a glance at Shiki. Determination shone in his eyes. Training in Lightning Release Ninjutsu had opened a new door for him; he realized he excelled at Lightning Release, not Fire Release. With a few more jutsu under his belt, he planned to challenge Shiki again, convinced he could beat him without close combat and avoiding Shiki's supernatural strength.

As Sasuke's thoughts wandered, a flash of yellow hair appeared in front of him.

"Good morning, Sasuke!" Naruto greeted cheerfully, sweating from his run to school.

Oh great, this guy.

Sasuke nodded slightly, acknowledging Naruto. Their last spar had ended in a draw, and though Sasuke had reluctantly respected him afterward, he still felt he could've won. If they had been using iron kunai, Naruto wouldn't have lasted long.

"Sasuke, everyone likes you so much." Naruto called out, looking for an opportunity to greet him but finding no space to fit in.

"What's the point of it?" Sasuke scoffed, "Women will only distract me from my training."

Had Shiki been there to hear, he might've added, "Except if she's a rich woman—or a rich loli."

"True." Naruto agreed.

"Definitely," Kiba chimed in, grinning, "Dogs are way better than girls."

'You're all hopeless.' Shikamaru thought, shaking his head. Women might be troublesome, but these guys were on a whole other level.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called, running over to join them.

Uchiha Sasuke quickly rushed back to his seat.

Soon, the class bell rang.

Iruka walked in, not looking as cheerful as before.

It was all because of Mizuki.

Iruka had always considered him a close friend, but he didn't expect Mizuki to betray him. Thankfully, the Hokage noticed in time and captured Mizuki.

"Class is starting." Iruka announced.

He glanced at Shiki and couldn't help but smile slightly. With such a talented student, his teaching performance was bound to be impressive.

Today's lesson was on setting traps.

As Shiki listened, his mind wandered to how much it might cost to rescue Karin. Based on mission levels, an A-rank mission should suffice, but hiring Akatsuki would likely push it up to S-rank.

One million ryo, perhaps?

Shiki rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Maybe Konan could take on the mission. She didn't kill indiscriminately and could fly, saving valuable time. Deidara could also fly, though he hadn't joined Akatsuki yet. In the original series, Itachi, Kisame, and Sasori had gone to invite him to the organization.

Of course, Shiki had a bit of a personal reason for considering Konan—he was a fan of hers in his previous life. This mission would be a blend of professional and personal interest.

Before he knew it, the school day was over.

"I have something to do, so I'll head out first." Shiki said to Ino and Hinata before walking out of the classroom.

"Shiki."

Neji was waiting at the door, evidently for a while.

"Right, I have a question for you." Shiki said as he joined Neji, "If I needed someone hidden away in Konoha without the higher-ups finding out, could you arrange it?"

Neji shook his head, "It's hard to keep anything hidden from Konoha's leadership."

"They're not watching now. As long as no one notices, they won't get involved." Shiki replied after a moment's thought.

A red-haired Uzumaki with immense chakra would be hard to hide, but maybe there was a way to disguise her.

If push came to shove and Konoha discovered her, Shiki figured he had people backing him, so he likely wouldn't face consequences.

"That might be possible." Neji said thoughtfully, "Who is it?"

"A new member of the XXXX organization." Shiki replied without hesitation.

"The genius with sealing techniques you mentioned the other day?" Neji's eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Exactly."

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Shiki asked as they arrived at the school gates.

"I… I'm uncertain about how to feel toward the clan family." Neji sighed, looking conflicted.

After Shiki's words the other day, Neji's goal shifted to breaking the caged bird curse. But his fate still lay in the clan's hands.

"The only main family members you interact with are Hiashi and Hinata." Shiki noted, "How do they treat you?"

Neji fell silent, reflecting on his relationship with them. Hinata had always shown him kindness, and Hiashi, though stern, had allowed him to secretly learn advanced Gentle Fist techniques.