I Stand at the Forefront of Popularity Supremacy

"Mm, I feel a little sorry for Big Sister~"

Hanabi watched Hinata's retreating back.

Blind?

Of course not.

But making others think she was blind—that was doable.

It was simple. The [Thousand Faces of the Fool]'s illusion ability surpassed any Transformation Jutsu in the Naruto World. Turning into "Hanabi with both eyes gouged out" was no problem at all.

The harder part was letting her sister Hinata steal the spotlight.

In the original story, Hinata Hyuga had been kidnapped at age three, but the idiot Kumogakure Ninja Leader had barely left the Hyuga mansion before clan head Hyuga Hiashi caught him red-handed.

Trying to kidnap someone from a clan with the all-seeing Byakugan was as ridiculous as putting a blindfold on a Byakugan user.

So Hanabi had carefully planned to sneak out of the mansion with Hinata, hide her sister away, and then let herself be caught.

Ever since reincarnating into this world, Hanabi had been laying her groundwork.

But she quickly realized that altering the so-called "plot" was no easy task.

Hanabi, however, refused to give up.

After some research, she had grasped the general situation.

The "plot" was more like "fate." It wasn't truly unchangeable, but it required "causality." Or rather, cause and effect.

For example, if Hanabi tried to directly recruit Zabuza's subordinate Haku, she would hit resistance from fate. Because there was no angle from which Hanabi Hyuga could possibly know of Haku's existence.

In math terms, there was no sufficient condition, so no conclusion could be drawn.

But if Hanabi wanted to replace Hinata Hyuga on Team 8, that was possible—she was a Hyuga child, and more talented than Hinata.

"In other words, no matter what I do, I need a 'reason.'"

She couldn't act without justification.

In theory, she could still go after Haku, as long as she had a plausible "reason."

"That said, if I could play the role of Honkai: Star Rail's 'Sparkle,' maybe that would work."

The namesake character from Honkai: Star Rail, Sparkle, was the ultimate Mischief Maker.

And one big trait of a Mischief Maker was that no matter when or where she appeared, it was perfectly reasonable.

To influence "fate" on a larger scale, she needed to become a more important supporting character—or even the protagonist.

It was like acting in a play.

The lead actor (the Child of Destiny) could change the script, and the director (fate) would just go along. But if an Extra tried to change the script, the director would kick them out: "Like it or lump it, play your part or get lost."

However, Hanabi also noticed that while influencing others was difficult, messing with herself was much more lenient.

Because that fell under "character setting."

If she couldn't mess with others, she'd mess with herself.

Besides that, she could use her childhood connection to farm goodwill with the Child of Destiny, Naruto Uzumaki. It was the easiest thing—treat him to a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen, and his approval rating would skyrocket.

Hanabi practiced a bit more, and then a female Hyuga ninja wearing a Konoha Headband and a maid outfit walked over:

"Lady Sparkle, it's about time."

This was the maid Natsu Hyuga. After the kidnapping incident at age three, Hyuga Hiashi had assigned Natsu Hyuga to take care of Hanabi.

"Mm, okay."

With the maid Natsu Hyuga's help, Hanabi showered and changed into her Red Furisode Kimono.

Hanabi always dressed flamboyantly, just like her name—like a brilliant firework. Though such a kimono wasn't suited for movement, it was common in the Hyuga household, and Hanabi had loved such gorgeous, dazzling outfits since she was little. Everyone around her was used to it.

But today's outfit wasn't ordinary. It was a [Performance Outfit] from the Dimensional Stage. The show was about to begin, so of course she had to wear her performance clothes.

"Thanks, Natsu-nee."

"Are you sure you don't want me to see you off?" Natsu Hyuga looked worried.

"I'll be a ninja soon, Natsu-nee." Hanabi smiled.

The [Character Template] gave Hanabi more than just paper abilities—it also gave her the character's potential.

Potential wasn't strength itself, but through Hanabi's daily mad training, that potential had granted her considerable combat power.

Jingliu's 10% training speed boost let Hanabi train a tenth faster than others. Combined with techniques like Shadow Clone Jutsu, the efficiency gain was astonishing.

But Natsu-nee was still worried. Hanabi had "lost" not just her Byakugan, but all her vision. For the Hyuga Clan, losing both eyes cut combat power nearly in half. Even though Hanabi's grades were excellent, once she became a real ninja, she'd still be in more danger than others.

"But—"

"Alright, Natsu-nee. I trained a bit too long today, and I'm already late."

Natsu Hyuga wanted to say more, but Hanabi cut her off.

After changing into the kimono, Hanabi checked her current stats.

[Name: Hanabi Hyuga]

[Stage Evaluation: Extra]

[Current Anime Role: Minor Supporting Role LV1]

[Identity: Konoha Village, Ninja Academy Student]

[Special]

[Hyuga Clan: +5% Attention when wearing Japanese-style clothing, +5% Attention when using Gentle Fist in combat, +5% Attention when using Byakugan]

[Current Popularity Points: 0]

[Current Attention: +65%

(Eye-covering Black Veil +10%)

(Red Japanese-style Outfit +10%)

(Supporting Role LV +20%)

(Hyuga Clan Japanese-style Clothing +5%)

(Minor Supporting Role LV1)]

[Countdown to Opening: 00 Hours 20 Minutes 50 Seconds]

--It was about to begin.

Arriving at the entrance, Hanabi glanced at the shoes laid out. She had quite a few, mostly geta and zori.

"Let me think... I'll wear these today."

Hanabi picked a pair of Black Lacquered Cherry Blossom Geta. Furisode kimono were usually paired with zori, which could be seen as leather-soled geta. But the Naruto World wasn't so particular; mixing and matching was common, as long as it looked good. The [Performance Outfit] came with a pair of zori, but Hanabi planned to switch after graduation, adding a bit of "detail" to her role in the anime.

She opened a red umbrella to shield herself from the glaring sun, then took out the Thousand Faces of the Fool's Fox Mask to cover half her face before leaving the mansion.

Today, her training had run a bit long. After bathing and changing, school had already started.

But Hanabi had done it on purpose.

Not only that, but after leaving the mansion, the way she walked to school under her umbrella was more like a leisurely stroll than a rush. She gazed at the nearby Hokage Rock, where the faces of the Hokage had been defaced with paint beyond recognition.

"I wonder what will happen once the opening begins."

Hanabi had been waiting for the stage to open.

As a dedicated actor, Hanabi had never wasted a single moment of her "Training Time." She trained relentlessly every day, forgetting to eat and sleep.

I, Hanabi Hyuga, am a professional and devoted actor. The Rising Star of the Dimensional Stage.

Then, the panel in her consciousness finally reached its end.

[Countdown to Opening... 3... 2... 1... Begin]

A small screen appeared in Hanabi's mind. It seemed to show a moon, accompanied by a narration.

"Long ago, a Demon Fox wrought havoc."

"The fox bore nine tails, and with each swing, Landslide and Tsunami followed."

"The people suffered greatly, so they gathered the ninja..."

"Among them, one gave his life to seal it away, and the ninja perished in the act."

"That ninja's name was the Fourth Hokage--"

The memory scene slowly faded.

[Ninja Path, Opening]

[Current Play Mode: Live Broadcast]

Scene change. Then, Naruto Uzumaki, carrying a paint bucket, appeared on screen.

Naruto had begun.

"Mm?"

Hanabi noticed that scrolling text had started to appear in her view.

[First!]

[Whoa, new anime let's go!]

[Where the dream begins.]

[First post! First post!]

[Folks, how long has it been since we've seen a long-running series? It's 4202 already, and finally we get another long-running show!]

"There's even danmaku." Hanabi scanned the comments with interest.

These people's tone wasn't much different from netizens in her original world, but they really didn't seem to have seen Naruto before.

Maybe the ACG Culture in the netizens' world was different from her past life?

"Naruto!"

"Stop right there, Naruto!"

"How could you do something so heinous!"

"We won't let you get away with it today!"

Sparkle lifted her head.

Those were lines from the playback window of the Dimensional Popularity Stage, but Sparkle could hear them in the real world too. In fact, she had already followed the sound and spotted Naruto being chased.

Naruto landed beside her, pulling up a camouflage cloth to evade the chunin.

The same scene appeared in the playback window, though the "camera" angle was slightly different from her own perspective.

Without a second thought, [Camera Card - Close-Up], activate!

Instant action demanded quick reflexes, but as it turned out, Sparkle's close-up card was used at just the right moment.

As Naruto dodged the chunin, the playback window's view shifted onto her.

The camera moved from bottom to top, first capturing the glossy black lacquered Komachi High Geta, then the feet wrapped in White Stockings stepping on that black lacquer.

Next, the frame continued upward to the vivid red Furisode Kimono blooming like a firework. The camera circled around her, revealing the large Bow Belt.

The lens climbed higher still, a cascade of black hair falling like a waterfall, but the girl's face was hidden beneath a red oil-paper umbrella, only the string of ornate Cherry Blossom Ornaments dangling from her hair visible.

"Naruto?"

A pleasant voice came from behind the umbrella.

Yet just as the audience thought they might catch a glimpse of her beauty, they discovered that a fox mask still covered her face.

She closed the umbrella, gently removed the mask, and her lovely features were finally revealed to the viewers.

Related works avoid conspiracy theories and adhere primarily to the original setting. Even with fan creations, they do not violate the original setting, story, or background plot.

Generally, the hierarchy is: Setting Collection ≥ Interviews > Manga > Anime > Boruto = Official Novel ≥ Game = Anime/Official Novel Original Content.

However, some settings prioritize what is more reasonable. For example, during the chunin exams, the ninja using Darkness Walk was the First Generation in the manga and the Second Generation in the anime. Considering subsequent events and character personalities, the Second Generation is more fitting.