Hyuga Hinotori

Uchiha Zhuang, carrying the little girl on his back, walked slowly along the river embankment and the small wooden bridge, retracing his steps. Having asked her several times to no avail, he found her simply buried against his back, sobbing incessantly until her tears had soaked through his clothes. Helpless, Uchiha Zhuang felt both heartache and frustration; heartache for such a young child to be subjected to such violence—it was truly pitiful. The frustration stemmed from her silence—where was he supposed to take her? He couldn't bring her home; even if Meiko agreed to look after her, he had no time for childcare. He had to train! Time waited for no one, and what was a girl compared to the joy of cultivation? Shaking off these chaotic thoughts, Uchiha Zhuang carried the girl quite a distance until they reached the stream where Kakashi had supposedly been bullied. His memory was hazy due to the passage of time, but it was a similar enough spot. He slowly set the little girl down in the shade of a tree by the stream. As the summer breeze blew, it was a cool moment—she was crying, and he was feeling frustrated. "What is your name, little sister?" No answer. "Little fairy?" Still no answer. Fine. Uchiha Zhuang instantly recalled some "useless knowledge" he had once studied: humans are empathetic, emotional creatures, especially girls. To make another person understand you, you must stir their emotions—whether through love, hate, sorrow, or sympathy—toward the subject you are expressing. Uchiha Zhuang sat beside the little girl and spoke slowly: "I am Uchiha Zhuang. You know of us—the warlike Uchiha clan. Evil eyes, a temperament born unlikable, and reclusive emotions are the consensus everyone holds about us. I do not deny these things, for our eyes are born with infinite power. I once read in a book: 'For every loss, there is a gain; the Way of Heaven is balanced.'" Perhaps you do not know this, but it does not matter. What I want to say is that when others bully or misunderstand you, it is not because you are bad, but likely because they envy you—yes, envy. They envy the precious things you were born with. Like our eyes, our reputation, our wealth. I believe that nothing in this world is ever easy; instead of making an effort to change themselves, people shamelessly harm others. I think there are many such people in this world, which is why I must become strong. I want to implement the justice in my heart—or, if you prefer, love—across the whole world, using my power. Whether through force or gentleness, I only need this heaven and earth to listen to my voice."

For a long time, the little girl raised her head, squinting through tear-filled eyes at that small back. Although he looked taller than a normal child, her Byakugan could tell he was only four or five years old, yet that figure seemed to fill her vision, standing majestically between heaven and earth. She wiped her eyes, blurred by tears, and said in a soft voice: "Thank you for saving me, thank you very much. I am from the Hyuga clan. My name is Hyuga Hinotori, and my nickname is Akihime; you can call me Akihime. I'm sorry, I was just crying the whole way and caused you so much trouble." Turning to look at the little girl kneeling on the grass, Uchiha Zhuang's first thought after his "Talk no Jutsu" was how exquisite she looked, followed by a surge of self-satisfaction that made him feel as if he had reached the pinnacle of life. "Ahem, hello, I am Uchiha Zhuang. Thank you for listening. I believe that any upright, kind, handsome, and dashing young man with a sense of responsibility and love—the kind who makes cherry blossoms bloom and hot springs heat up—would have stepped in to help if they encountered your situation."

Pfft. A series of silver-bell-like laughs reached Uchiha Zhuang's ears. Instantly, his hormones spiked and his face flushed. Uchiha Zhuang immediately used the perspective of his thirty-plus years of life across two lifetimes to suppress this youthful sentiment. After all, a seasoned hunter does not lose his composure just because he sees the footprints of a beast. That must have been a biological instinct; I am a transmigrator with a System, how could I be moved so easily? Damn it! Looking into Akihime's eyes, they were indeed Byakugan—hmm, how lovely! Sitting back down beside Akihime, Uchiha Zhuang asked: "Why were you there alone? Where are your clansmen? I recall that when the Hyuga princesses go out, they always have bodyguards!" "Because they tricked me," Hyuga Hinotori said, seemingly gritting her teeth. "I was walking in the park with my uncle, and those bad guys saw me and invited me to play marbles and fancy cards. I chased my uncle away because he kept telling me not to play with them." After speaking, Hyuga Hinotori lowered her head. "I don't know where my uncle went; he still hasn't appeared. Really, I almost just..." She began to cry again. "Alright, alright, don't cry. Akihime, don't worry, your uncle is here!" "Really?" Hyuga Hinotori looked up and asked. "Yes, with my strength, I can sense that there has been a chakra presence nearby the whole time."

No sooner had Uchiha Zhuang finished speaking than a figure from afar flickered to their side. "Indeed, as expected of the Uchiha clan. To possess such strength at such a young age? You held back when you kicked that kid away earlier, didn't you? Truly an incredible youth," a young man in white clothes said. Uchiha Zhuang looked at his eyes—they were pure white pupils, appearing slightly larger than normal eyes. After observing for a moment and failing to discern the young man's intent, he said: "Hello, I am Uchiha Zhuang. It is our first meeting; please treat me well." The young man nodded and said, "Your character is good and your potential is great. I believe you will surely be an excellent ninja in the future." Having said that, he ignored Uchiha Zhuang and turned to Hyuga Hinotori: "Young Miss, it is time to return. The Clan Head must be worried about you." Hyuga Hinotori opened her large eyes, looked at Uchiha Zhuang, and said softly: "I hope we can meet again. I have remembered everything you said, so you must not lie to me!" Looking into those clear eyes, Uchiha Zhuang nodded gently and said: "This is my promise to you; I will fulfill it." Hyuga Hinotori smiled lightly. "Then, it's a promise! Goodbye, Zhuang-kun." Hyuga Hinotori followed her uncle as they walked into the distance.

Watching Akihime's retreating figure, Uchiha Zhuang scratched his head. Forget it, the interlude is over; it's time to focus on cultivation. With a few hours left before sunset, Uchiha Zhuang began practicing tree-walking and water-walking. When thirsty, he drank from the nearby stream; when tired, he sat down to meditate.

As the sun set, Uchiha Zhuang began his walk home, pondering as he went. Akihime was definitely within her uncle's control today, and since the Clan Head was mentioned, it must have been the Clan Head's intent. Moreover, when he mentioned "princess," Akihime showed no surprise, so it was safe to conclude she was the Clan Head's daughter, or perhaps the daughter or granddaughter of an important elder. Hmm, based on past experience, there had never been an overt marriage alliance between the Uchiha and Hyuga clans. This might be due to secret obstruction or even prohibition by the Konoha high-ups, as well as the pride of both clans. It seems that if I want to marry Akihime, I must possess immense power. Hmm, it all comes down to power; the strong take all, while the weak become nourishment. Heh, an interesting world. Uchiha Zhuang had always been a person who considered the long term. Although he was only five, time was always ruthless. Only by chasing time, or even surpassing it, could one claim true power and true transcendence. Looking at the System shop's prerequisite tasks, Uchiha Zhuang felt speechless. How am I supposed to go out and do tasks? I can't leave; Konoha has long been covered by a super-large barrier. Damn this System. Uchiha Zhuang was unwilling to give up and began to study the System carefully. He found that its functions were quite comprehensive: user manuals, function guides, an AI assistant, a shop, tasks, exchanges, a storage backpack, a lottery, and real-time physical check-ups, among other interfaces. Uchiha Zhuang clicked on the deeply hidden task interface and saw that he had already completed some, such as "Rescue the Princess of the Hyuga Clan," "Admire the Hokage Rock," "Practice Chakra," "Beginner Water/Tree Walking," and "Physical Fitness Reaching Adult Male Level" (though he had used genetic repair fluid and perfect soldier potions earlier, physical fitness had to grow gradually, otherwise it would be like stuffing an elephant into one's mouth—he would collapse in minutes). Tasks were divided into several levels; the highest one currently was gold-tier: "Rescue the Princess of the Hyuga Clan." It provided not only 1,000 points but also an additional reward: "Echo of the Distance," a beautiful butterfly-style bracelet. It looked like metal but constantly emitted a warm sensation. The item description stated it could be used once every thirty natural days for a round trip. Effect: "Where the eyes see, the heart follows; instant teleportation. Where the heart follows, the feet tread; instant return to the starting point." The rest were blue and green tasks, totaling over 2,000 points, several hundred ryo, and a set of weighted training clothes. Looking at these rewards, Uchiha Zhuang was satisfied, especially with "Echo of the Distance," which solved his immediate problem. He could slip out unnoticed to complete tasks and unlock the shop. Nice, keep it up! Uchiha Zhuang returned home in high spirits. It was just past six, and he still had to cook for himself. With practiced movements, he prepared the fresh ingredients and waited for Meiko to return before firing up the stove. Sitting on the sofa, Uchiha Zhuang immersed himself in the System interface. It was magical; the System existed naturally in his mind, yet he felt no discomfort. Regarding this mysterious System, Uchiha Zhuang gave it his unconditional trust. A magical system capable of existing in his brain was certainly not something he could investigate or resist at his current level. He had to learn to lie low and wait. For Uchiha Zhuang, the strongest foundation for a transmigrator was an omnipotent system; beyond mutual dependence, there was no other way.

There was also a bottle of Chakra Essence (Gold). Once he solidified his foundation and trained for another month, he would go out to complete the "Exterminate Bandits" task and use it then. Having made his plan, Uchiha Zhuang proceeded accordingly. Every day, he went out early and returned late to practice the basics, and at night, he focused primarily on meditation.