Hyuga Sho, an Innocent Passerby

Time flowed like water.

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

That period had been both long and short.

After waiting for so long, Hyuga Sho had finally learned the remaining Ninja Academy Three Body Techniques: the "Transformation Technique" and the "Substitution Technique."

As its name implied, the Transformation Technique allowed someone to transform into another person's appearance. The final result depended on proficiency and how well one imitated their posture.

For the Substitution Technique, one prepared a log and carved a specialized formula onto it. When attacked, one exchanged positions with the log, negating one attack.

Having completely mastered the E-Rank Three Body Techniques, Hyuga Sho's training had reached a bottleneck.

He had successfully planted the image of himself as a "hardworking" person in everyone's minds.

[Doka Degree: 9.2%]

Looking at the number before him, Hyuga Sho let out a long breath and lowered his stance.

Over the past month, he had poured all his energy into training.

The Three Body Techniques, Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Eight Palms, and Ninja Tool Throwing.

Hyuga Sho had trained all of them to the bottleneck where his Doka Degree no longer increased.

"In other words... aside from actual combat, it seems I have no other way to improve."

This was Hyuga Sho's sixty-sixth day in this world.

Compared to before,

his physical abilities were now completely incomparable.

His Chakra Amount, strength, speed, resistance to blunt impacts... all had increased by leaps and bounds.

The current Hyuga Sho could instantly defeat ten of his former selves on his own.

Shattering a stone with one punch was no trouble at all.

Returning to his seat,

Hyuga Sho took out a sheet of paper.

The other students had long since grown accustomed to Hyuga Sho's training.

Thus, Hyuga Sho concealed his next objective quite well...

On this sheet of paper

was the intelligence Hyuga Sho had meticulously gathered over the past month.

There were thirty students in the class.

Aside from Hyuga Mami, Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, Might Guy... as well as several other girls and boys,

the remaining ten people had entered Hyuga Sho's sights.

"Ebisu, Gekko Hayate, Uzuki Yugao, Yamashiro Aoba, Namiashi Raidō, Mitaraishi Anko, Shiranui Genma, Morino Ibiki, Yūhi Kurenai, Sarutobi Asuma..."

These ten people

were the targets Hyuga Sho intended to challenge next.

The list was based on each person's strength ranking during Ninja Academy sparring classes.

"The weakest is Ebisu, while the strongest is Sarutobi Asuma."

But no matter who it was,

they were all stronger than the current Uchiha Obito.

Hyuga Sho had recorded which routes these ten people took home after school each day,

as well as their usual preferences.

If he could defeat these ten people, he would have a strong chance of beating Hatake Kakashi as well.

The Byakugan...

This Kekkei Genkai of the Hyuga Clan was exceptionally convenient for observation.

Even though Hyuga Sho's Byakugan was damaged, its maximum observation range of five hundred meters was more than enough.

"I'll find an opportunity to challenge Ebisu first."

Ebisu had no idea

that Hyuga Sho was about to come looking to give him a beatdown.

During recess,

Ebisu, wearing a pair of round black sunglasses, spoke grandly and confidently.

He wore a fashionable hairstyle.

His best friend was Shiranui Genma, who had a toothpick in his mouth.

Normally, the two were inseparable and were almost always together.

Only after school, when they reached a fork in the road, did they bid each other farewell.

"Shiranui Genma is much stronger than Ebisu, so it wouldn't be wise to deal with them together."

Hyuga Sho practiced the Three Body Techniques while thinking.

Then there was the timing for the beatdown.

Should he challenge Ebisu alone at school, or stop him after school and tell him not to leave?

Of course, there was another option.

A disguise.

Once he put on a mask, he could make a move as he pleased.

A moment later, Ebisu and Shiranui Genma left the classroom. They were probably going to the bathroom.

Hyuga Sho rose to his feet and left the classroom as well.

He followed them all the way to the end of the corridor.

Ebisu's booming voice carried over.

"I, Ebisu, will absolutely not tolerate peeping toms!!!"

A child with a swollen, bruised face lay sprawled on the ground.

Just moments ago, Ebisu had knocked him down in a few quick moves.

Striking a pose, Ebisu adjusted his little sunglasses, his face full of smug satisfaction.

Applause rang out all around him.

Everyone praised him.

"I didn't expect him to be such a gentleman."

Hyuga Sho murmured.

But the next moment, Hyuga Sho took out a magazine unsuitable for children.

He had found this magazine in Ebisu's schoolbag.

On the surface, Ebisu was a gentleman, but in truth... he was a lecherous gentleman.

A beast in gentleman's clothing—that was exactly the kind of person Ebisu was.

When they returned to the classroom,

Ebisu was very pleased with himself, but a moment later, he panicked.

Because...

he suddenly discovered that the indescribable magazine he had secretly saved up his allowance to buy had vanished without a trace!!!

One had to know,

that was the first magazine he had bought after learning the "Transformation Technique," disguising himself as an adult, and going to the bookstore~~~!

To buy that magazine,

he had trained hard, practicing the Transformation Technique until midnight every day!

Yet, yet...

"Ah... I'm dead..."

Ebisu immediately wilted.

He could not focus on a single lesson for the entire day.

When school ended,

everyone else had already left.

Ebisu took out the extra note in his schoolbag.

He glared at the note and said viciously, "You're finished! Cataracts!"

The note clearly bore several words: "Your gentleman's magazine was stolen by Hyuga Sho."

Dusk. A small river. Flowing water.

Hyuga Sho carried two schoolbags as he followed behind Hyuga Mami.

Today was another ordinary day after school.

As usual, Hyuga Mami remained silent.

Hyuga Sho also did his best to put on an honest and simple expression as he carried the bags.

"Cataracts~! Stop right there~!"

However, today's peace was destined to be broken.

Hyuga Sho and Hyuga Mami turned around.

The words "cataracts" had a wide area of effect. They did not refer only to Hyuga Sho; naturally, they included Hyuga Mami as well.

Ebisu stood in the middle of the road with a stern expression.

But two seconds later, under Hyuga Mami's icy gaze, his expression turned panicked.

"N-no... Mami, I wasn't talking about you... I was talking about—"

"Are you allowed to call me by my name? Are we that familiar?"

Before Ebisu could finish, Hyuga Mami choked off his words.

"Ah, I..."

Ebisu responded awkwardly. Left with no choice, he turned his spearhead back toward Hyuga Sho.

"I'm looking for him! Yes, him!!!"

Ebisu stretched out a hand and pointed at Hyuga Sho, who wore an "innocent" expression.