In Konoha, a young man was running a stall, selling grasshoppers woven from palm leaves and other purely handmade crafts.
As he tended his stall, Roman watched the passing crowds and sighed inwardly:
Ever since he had been hit by a Dayun Heavy Truck and reincarnated in the Naruto World, many years had passed.
It was now Konoha Year 54. At this point in time, the Third Great Ninja War was nearing its end, and Kumogakure and Konoha were about to sign a ceasefire agreement.
In a few more years, the Uchiha Clan Massacre Night, the Six Paths of Pain's invasion of Konoha, and even the Fourth Great Ninja War would all break out...
But unfortunately, he did not possess the Chakra talent of a shinobi. He could not cultivate Chakra, much less become a ninja!
Moreover, because his parents had died early, he had become an orphan. He could only fend for himself by selling palm-leaf grasshoppers and other handmade crafts.
As Roman sighed inwardly, his skilled hands continued weaving a grasshopper from palm leaves.
Just then, a gentle yet childish voice rang out:
"Excuse me, how much is this wooden grasshopper?"
"Three taels."
Roman answered instinctively. When he looked up, he immediately saw a little girl dressed in a white kimono, with shoulder-length black hair, an adorably pretty face, and a pair of pale eyes.
With a single glance, Roman recognized the little girl before him as Hinata, the princess of the Hyuga Clan.
If nothing unexpected happened, she would be kidnapped by Kumogakure this year. Of course, the kidnapping would fail, stopped by Hyuga Hiashi.
However, Hyuga Hiashi's younger brother, Hizashi, would take the blame and die because of it.
After those thoughts flashed through Roman's mind, he realized that Hinata had not said anything. Instead, she was staring at him with those innocent, adorable Byakugan eyes, utterly absorbed, while a strange expression appeared on her pure and lovely face.
?!
Why was she looking at me like that?
My face didn't look strange, did it?
Roman instinctively touched his face. That motion snapped Hinata Hyuga out of her daze, and after seemingly recalling something, she asked the stall owner's name.
Roman asked oddly, "My name is Roman. I'm just an ordinary small-time vendor selling handmade crafts."
Hinata Hyuga raised a hand and brushed her hair aside. The look in her eyes grew even stranger as she murmured softly, "It really is exactly the same. Not just the appearance, even the name is the same. And we both know how to make handicrafts..."
Exactly the same?!
As Roman grew more confused, he inexplicably felt that the Hinata before him was deeply familiar, as if she were his other half?
The feeling was so abrupt that it left Roman stunned:
Hinata was my other half?
My 2D wife?!
It would have been one thing to think that before transmigrating, but why was I, someone who had spent more than ten years as an ordinary person after transmigrating and had already accepted my fate, having such absurd thoughts?!
Roman violently shook his head, throwing out the distracting thoughts before saying to Hinata, "One palm-leaf grasshopper costs three taels of silver. I'm only charging for the handiwork."
"I'll pay, but not now." Hinata Hyuga stared directly at Roman. "Now, Shopkeeper Roman, please raise your head and look into my eyes.
"The eyes are the windows to the soul. Look into my eyes, and perhaps you'll understand the connection between us."
Hearing that only deepened Roman's confusion, but he still raised his head and met Hinata's gaze.
The moment their eyes met, Roman felt that Hinata before him became even more familiar, as though she were his other half. More precisely, she was another him?!
???
My thoughts are getting more and more ridiculous. Damn it!
Thinking that, Roman helplessly slapped his forehead, trying to clear his mind. Then he discovered that Hinata Hyuga had also helplessly slapped her own clean forehead.
His eyes instantly widened:
Did I just control Hinata's body?!
But how is that possible? I'm just an ordinary person. I don't even have a trace of Chakra in my body.
After Roman's disbelief, a memory entered his mind—a memory belonging to Hinata.
The memories described Hinata Hyuga.
She was also a Reincarnator!
She, too, had been sent to the Naruto World by a large truck.
More importantly, before transmigrating, her name had also been Roman, and she had been skilled at making handicrafts.
After receiving those memories, Roman's eyes widened as a terrifying possibility surfaced in his mind:
That Dayun Heavy Truck had not only smashed his body into pieces, but also shattered his soul, splitting it into different parts that reincarnated in the Naruto World?!
One part of his soul had reincarnated as Roman.
The other part had reincarnated as Hinata Hyuga.
At that moment, Roman finally understood why he could control Hinata Hyuga's body after looking into her eyes. On the level of their souls, they were the same person.
At that same time, Hinata Hyuga received all of Roman's memories as well. She looked at him pityingly, extended a hand toward him, and said in a soft childish voice, "You've had a hard time these past ten-plus years. Come to the Hyuga Clan with me from now on. I'll support you."
"Ah?"
Roman froze. He had not expected Hinata Hyuga to say something like that. Was she asking him to live off her? And off a five- or six-year-old girl at that.
That was downright beastly!
As Roman thought about it, memories from the past began flashing through his mind: cooking alone, weaving palm-leaf grasshoppers alone in lonely hardship, even hand-weaving straw sandals.
After recalling all that, Roman fell into anguish, and the thoughts in his mind underwent a fundamental change:
Although weaving straw sandals and palm-leaf grasshoppers could still sustain my life,
For me, going to the Hyuga Clan and living off Hinata Hyuga would open up a far broader future!
After all, Hinata Hyuga is another me. There's nothing wrong with living off myself.
Roman promptly said, "I'll pack up."
"There's no need to pack. Just come with me. The Hyuga Clan won't miss those little odds and ends of yours. Once we get back to the clan, I'll treat you to the best food!"
Hinata Hyuga's voice remained gentle and soft.
Yet to Roman's ears, those words sounded like heavenly music. They struck straight at his heart, making him reveal the brightest smile he had worn since reincarnating.
The vendors on both sides who had witnessed everything had all widened their eyes:
Roman, a guy who sold straw sandals and shabby little handicrafts, who usually had barely any business and could scarcely even keep himself fed, had actually caught the eye of the Hyuga Clan's young lady!
And the young lady was taking him away!
Was he going to become a child husband and marry into the Hyuga Clan?
Had he completely made it big?!!
Damn!
Before you continue