Go to the dock and get some fries

Every problem in the ninja world can be traced back to a single question: are ninjas actually human?

But right now, Hyuga Kiyonari had neither the time nor the mood to delve into such philosophical inquiries; his mind was entirely preoccupied with the script.

Of course, he couldn't just walk away after a lecture, or else the kid might develop some psychological trauma, and it wouldn't be good if the old Third Hokage came looking for him.

He took a deep breath, softening his tone: "What is your name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki." The boy looked up timidly, his eyes still appearing somewhat dazed.

"My name is Hyuga Kiyonari, and as for that legend about the demon fox, I don't believe a word of it."

Hyuga Kiyonari reached out to grip Naruto's shoulders, meeting his gaze as he said calmly: "Listen, you were thrown out, and I was crushed by the crowd; we are both victims. You don't owe me anything, nor do you owe anyone else. Take this money, go get yourself a good meal, and take that mask to have some fun."

"Don't overthink it. Demon fox or not, the meaning of life is just to keep your bowels warm, understand?"

Naruto Uzumaki opened his mouth blankly, and it took a long while before he managed to blurt out a single word: "Huh?"

"Huh what?" Hyuga Kiyonari frowned slightly. "I asked if you understood."

"U-understood."

"Louder!" Kiyonari suddenly raised his voice.

"I understood!" Naruto straightened his back abruptly, his voice so resonant that everyone on the street turned to look.

"Good, that's the spirit!"

Hyuga Kiyonari patted his shoulder and turned to leave, hiding his merit and fame deep within.

He walked with a steady gait until he rounded the corner, but the moment he confirmed no one was watching, he broke into a sprint, rushing toward the direction where the three boys had last been seen.

Upon arriving at the destination, they were already gone, but fortunately, an old woman selling dango nearby was slowly packing up her stall.

"Grandma," Kiyonari approached, feigning anxiety. "Have you seen Ichiro and the other two? I heard someone say they were planning to do something bad..."

His reputation was clearly well-established; before he could even finish his sentence, the old woman immediately pointed in a direction.

The further he walked, the fewer people there were on the streets. When Hyuga Kiyonari passed an alleyway, his pupils constricted sharply at the sight before him.

Three boys were cornering Hinata, snowballs exploding against her one after another, her blue-purple hair matted with snow. She didn't dodge or evade, simply staring with those pale, crystalline eyes toward the space behind them.

To be precise, she was waiting for someone to appear.

"Hey, is that all the 'Byakugan freak' can do?"

The ringleader, Ichiro, felt bored watching Hinata's lack of resistance. To someone like her, surely it wouldn't matter if they went a bit further; she wouldn't dare tell anyone anyway.

He flashed a malicious grin and picked up a jagged stone, stuffing it into a freshly packed snowball. But before he could throw it, a dull, piercing sound of wind being broken rang out.

"Bang!"

Ichiro let out a miserable shriek and face-planted into the snow, the other two turning around in shock.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing!"

Hyuga Kiyonari's voice was colder than the snow itself. Even though these were just lines from the script, the rage surging in his chest was anything but fake.

Konoha really is a place that "breeds talent," isn't it!

"Bastard!"

The remaining two boys shouted and lunged at him with claws bared.

Hyuga Kiyonari sidestepped the first boy's punch, seized his wrist, and twisted it; amidst the boy's scream, he kicked the other's knee.

In his state of fury, Kiyonari's strikes were precise in angle, ruthless in execution, and heavy in impact. Six punches a second wasn't his limit—it was the limit of the human eye's resolution.

You like bullying people, do you? You like stuffing stones in snowballs, do you?!

Since the script simply said "Hyuga Kiyonari taught them a harsh lesson," he could do whatever he wanted as long as it fell within the scope of a "lesson." Punch after punch, he didn't stop until all three were too exhausted to even cry, finally letting out a long, heavy breath.

His mind was finally clear.

"If I ever see you acting like this again, I'll beat you every single time I see you!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Ichiro's head bobbed repeatedly in the snow pit; it was clear he was trying his absolute best to nod.

Hyuga Kiyonari stepped over the three sprawled figures and stood before Hinata, meeting her eyes, which were brimming with moisture.

Even though he had rehearsed this scene dozens of times in his heart, his heart, drumming rapidly against his ribs, betrayed his composure.

"Nice to meet you, Lady Hinata." Hyuga Kiyonari bowed slightly.

Hinata's pupils trembled gently. Kiyonari could clearly see the complex emotions surging in her eyes; in a sense, she hadn't actually wanted him to appear at all.

"I recognize you..." She finally suppressed her thoughts and said softly, "Using a notebook and red bean cakes as a birthday gift—it could only be you."

Kiyonari displayed just the right amount of embarrassment: "I am terribly sorry. My finances are a bit tight, so I could only choose some inexpensive gifts. But the stationery shop owner said these were the most popular style..."

Hinata looked at the peer before her, who wasn't even a Genin, and her last shred of doubt vanished. How could such an ordinary boy have anything to do with that mysterious Life Simulator?

"Do you need me to walk you back?" he suddenly proposed.

Hinata shook her head: "No need... would you mind walking with me for a while?"

As the words fell, the corners of Kiyonari's mouth curled up ever so slightly; everything was proceeding exactly according to the script.

He took a natural step forward and raised a hand to brush the residual snow from her hair, a gesture that instantly breached the bounds of normal social distance, his fingertips nearly sensing the warmth of her body.

0.15 to 0.45 meters—this was the intimate distance threshold defined by psychological social safety zones.

Yet at this moment, the gap between them was a mere thirty centimeters, and Kiyonari invaded it without hesitation, nor did Hinata offer any resistance.

"Actually, this isn't the first time we've met." Kiyonari's voice suddenly dropped to a whisper, as if sharing a secret with a friend.

"Was it at the banquet that day?"

"No, even earlier than that. Neji and I are very close friends; long before the banquet began, I dragged him along to sneak a peek at you."

Hinata's lips parted slightly in sudden realization: "So it wasn't a mistake back then; I really did feel someone watching me."

"My Lady's perception is quite sharp. If we had been discovered, Neji would surely have turned beet red."

"So Neji-nii-sama has a side like that, too?"

After brushing the last flecks of snow from her, Kiyonari stepped back half a pace and extended his left hand like a knight: "Let us go, Princess."

Hinata hesitated for a fleeting moment before gently resting her right hand upon his.

The instant her cold fingertips touched Kiyonari's palm, a snowflake happened to land on the back of her hand, and the two contrasting sensations caused her to hold her breath involuntarily.

Let us go, my knight.