Genjutsu: Meditation Basin

Today's lunch was simple: sushi and onigiri, with a few small cold dishes.

However, the sushi had a variety of ingredients, including fish and meat, as well as fried vegetables with a golden-yellow crust. They were all purchased from a small shop, and Uchiha Jie had bought almost everything on the shelf at once.

Hyuga Hinata ate with great relish, mixing crushed nori into the rice, sprinkling it with white sesame seeds, and then popping it into her mouth. Compared to sashimi and grilled beef, she preferred vegetables.

The satisfaction from the fried food made her unconsciously narrow her eyes.

But after finishing the meal, when she and Uchiha Jie made eye contact, she became frightened again.

It wasn't her fault; the surrounding situation was indeed a bit scary. The two of them sat cross-legged, surrounded by many spread-out scrolls. Dark patterns were drawn on the scrolls, dense and numerous, making one dizzy just looking at them.

"Prepare yourself, don't resist..." Uchiha Jie said in a low voice as he began to form hand seals.

His hand seals were slow. As he continued, the dark patterns on the scrolls around him and Hinata began to change color, from black to red. These lines also changed from static to flowing, until they emitted a bloody light, illuminating the entire room like hell.

The Sharingan in Uchiha Jie's eyes began to spin wildly. The Three Tomoe formed a single black line. Seeing Hinata's slightly evasive Byakugan, he made the final seal.

"Sharingan Genjutsu: Meditation Basin Technique!"

Hyuga Hinata only saw a flash of red light before her eyes. When she could see clearly again, the surroundings had changed.

Ignoring Uchiha Jie in front of her, she stood up. She put too much force into it and almost fell off the eaves. Fortunately, Uchiha Jie was quick and grabbed her hand.

She whispered a thank you, but Hinata's gaze still didn't rest on Uchiha Jie. She stared blankly at the distant cliff face, where three heads were carved: the First, Second, and Third Hokage.

Next to the three heads, the fourth head was under construction. The ninja specializing in Earth Style had already shaped the rough form, and workers shuttled back and forth on the scaffolding, refining details that ninjutsu couldn't reach.

It was unbelievable that they had returned to Konohagakure in an instant, and to a Konoha that was different from her memories.

In Hyuga Hinata's memory, the fourth statue on the cliff face had long been completed. Naruto-kun had even played pranks on it more than once, covering the Fourth Hokage's handsome face with all sorts of colored paint.

It would never look like this.

Unless, after only one day, Naruto had pulled off a major stunt and completely destroyed the Fourth Hokage statue on the Hokage Rock. But Naruto had always been the dead last in class. Painting it with some paint was one thing, but where would he get the ability to destroy the Hokage Rock?

She withdrew her gaze and looked at Uchiha Jie in confusion. Hyuga Hinata remembered that just before the red light flashed, she distinctly heard the words "Sharingan Genjutsu."

She must be under the genjutsu of the man in front of her now.

Uchiha Jie just smiled, stood up, and turned sideways, letting Hyuga Hinata notice what was behind him.

This was the rooftop of the Konoha Ninja Academy, and behind Uchiha Jie, two figures, one red and one blue, lay side-by-side on the eaves, facing upwards and embracing the warm sunlight.

The two were skipping class and sunbathing.

With her Byakugan, Hyuga Hinata had excellent eyesight, and even from a distance, she could clearly see the two people.

"Sister Yue!" she exclaimed.

The figure in the red dress and wooden sandals was her older sister in the clan, Hyuga Yue. And the person beside her in the dark blue robe...

"That's me, my childhood self, and of course, childhood Hyuga Yue too."

Uchiha Jie's voice sounded beside her ear. At some point, he had already stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Hinata.

"Let's go over," he said, taking Hinata's hand and stepping forward.

Hinata cautiously moved forward on the eaves, afraid of making any noise that might alert the two people lying at the other end. Uchiha Jie, however, pulled her along with large strides.

"Don't worry, this is my genjutsu, they can't see us," he explained.

As they got closer, Hyuga Hinata faintly heard a string of bell-like laughter. She saw the girl in the red dress raise her hand and clap on the eaves, looking very happy.

The figure in the dark blue robe sat up. On the back of the robe was embroidered the Gunbai pattern of the Uchiha Clan. The owner of the robe's body also twitched slightly.

Both of them were laughing, and Hyuga Hinata's eyes widened because she had never heard her Sister Yue laugh before, let alone so heartily. Ever since she could remember, Hyuga Yue had always been cold and distant, like moonlight on a winter night.

"Did Luyu really get forgotten at the kindergarten entrance by her parents?" After laughing, the smaller Hyuga Yue asked the re-lying Uchiha Jie in a soft voice.

"I made it up!" the smaller Uchiha Jie spread his hands and giggled.

They didn't notice the two people, one large and one small, who had appeared before them. Hyuga Hinata also surprisingly realized that she didn't even have a shadow, even though she and Uchiha Jie were blocking the sun.

"You always make up these jokes. If you don't train harder and lose to me again tomorrow, let's see how your family deals with you." Hyuga Yue was still chatting and laughing with Uchiha Jie.

"Tomorrow? Hehe, I have a secret weapon prepared for tomorrow." The smaller Uchiha Jie squinted, enjoying the sunlight, his arms stretched out to the sides. His left hand happened to rest on Hyuga Yue's forehead.

Uchiha Jie watched this scene and sighed softly. He pulled Hinata forward two more steps, sat down, and patted the tiles beside him.

"Hinata... sit," he said softly.

After Hinata sat down, she looked at Uchiha Jie again. He said softly:

"Back then, I was second in class, and Yue was first. We were both a bit stronger than the others, so whenever there was a practical combat training session in class, it would often start with a fight between us two."

"However, on the second day," he pointed to himself, still chatting and laughing beside them, "On the second day, I excitedly learned a new ninjutsu and wanted to show off in front of Yue. But she didn't come to school."

"It was also from this day on that she never wore a red dress again." Uchiha Jie's voice had a barely perceptible hoarseness.

Seeing Hyuga Hinata's confused face, Uchiha Jie gave a wry smile and reached out to touch her forehead.

"The medium for casting this ninjutsu was given to me by Yue. She believed it was the trigger for your eye awakening. Today, we will follow her and see what happened tonight."