Red Thread of Fate

Hinata lowered her head, nervously tapping her index fingers together. "I didn't meet Father's expectations. I lost to Neji, and Father was very disappointed in me, so I ran away."

Naruto moved closer. He was completely powerless against Hinata's cuteness.

A girl this adorable deserved to be indulged a little by her big brother!

"If you're unhappy, just say so. Don't worry about whether your parents will be disappointed. What matters most is that we're happy each day and make a little more progress than we did the day before."

Naruto gently stroked Hinata's hair. "From now on, Big Brother Naruto will protect you. I'll go give Neji a talking-to in a bit. Big brothers should let their little sisters have their way!"

"Naruto," Hinata said happily. "My name is Hinata Hyuga."

"Little Hinata, I have a small gift for you."

Naruto hid his hands behind his back.

System, pick something from my collection.

Ding!

"Look, a little gift."

Naruto held a red string in his hand.

He remembered getting it as a reward for a sign-in task in the Sword and Fairy universe. It was called the Red Thread of Fate.

What the heck!

Was the system already trying to play matchmaker for me?

Shameless.

Hinata looked at it in confusion, but she was still happy. Her family only cared about whether she was doing well in her Gentle Fist training.

But she was still a little girl, at the age when children were most innocent and carefree.

Naruto untied the Red Thread of Fate. "This string is called the Red Thread of Fate. Once friends tie it on, no matter how far apart they are, they can sense where the other is."

"Really?"

"I'll tie it on you." Naruto wanted to prove that he was telling the truth. "Then I'll tie one on myself, too."

They tied it around their ring fingers.

"Think of the other person and silently recite the incantation," Naruto instructed her seriously.

Their ring fingers began to tremble.

The Red Thread of Fate gradually disappeared.

Hinata could clearly sense where Naruto was, how far away he was, and how he was doing.

"Naruto, this is amazing!" Hinata loved the gift.

Naruto smiled. "I also have some passcodes for talking to each other. I'll teach them to you in a bit. Even when we're apart, you'll still be able to talk to me."

Hinata agreed.

"This is our secret. Don't tell anyone else, no matter what."

Naruto emphasized the warning.

Hinata nodded.

Steaming red bean buns appeared again.

Kushina Uzumaki stared at Naruto, forbidding him from eating even one more.

Naruto shut his eyes in grievance. If he couldn't see them, he wouldn't want to eat them.

Hokage Building.

Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze was locked in a heated argument with Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Third Hokage, the Land of Lightning's demands are utterly ridiculous. You chose to give in, and now you want to force Hizashi Hyuga to take his own life? I won't agree to this," Minato said righteously.

Hizashi's life and death concerned the dignity of Konoha's ninja.

"Fourth Hokage, can you bear the consequences if Kumogakure goes to war with Konoha?" Hiruzen's voice was low. "This is the unanimous decision of the Council of Elders. Sacrificing one member of the Hyuga Branch Family will secure peace for all of Konoha."

"If war breaks out, even more people will lose their loved ones. You're the Hokage. You have to consider the bigger picture."

Minato had been Fourth Hokage for too short a time. The Anbu forces he'd cultivated were still far too weak.

Meanwhile, the Third Hokage had the Council of Elders behind him and enjoyed great prestige in Konoha as well.

And then there was one particular troublemaker: Shimura Danzō. The Root he had cultivated had always been a hidden danger to Konoha, impossible to bring into the fold.

"Third Hokage, considering the bigger picture doesn't mean being afraid of war. The Land of Lightning clearly wants to learn the secret of the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan. Although we can't find any proof in public, their ninja tried to kidnap Hinata Hyuga. That's what drove Hiashi Hyuga to kill them," Minato said, refusing to change his position.

"If we take one step back, we'll be forced to take countless more. If Konoha can stand united, why should we fear Kumogakure?"

"Fourth Hokage, neither of us will convince the other today. We'll leave the choice to Hizashi Hyuga—or, rather, to the Hyuga Clan. They'll give everyone an answer."

Hiruzen turned and left. Was peace not important?

Minato disappeared at the same time.

Root!

On the damp ground, Shimura Danzō stood with a cold expression. "The Fourth Hokage is exactly like that. He's ruthless toward the enemy, but when it comes to the people of Konoha, he wants to protect everyone. But the more he wants to control Konoha, the less likely the Third Hokage and the Council of Elders are to agree. The Fourth Hokage's approach will bring Konoha endless wars. But that's fine by me. It means I can reap the greatest benefits."

The Hyuga household was in an uproar again.

Hinata Hyuga, the young lady of the Hyuga Clan, had gone missing once more.

"Have you found any trace of her?" Hiashi Hyuga kept his hands tucked into his sleeves, looking somewhat anxious. Only a few nights ago, ninja from the Land of Lightning had tried to kidnap Hinata in secret. If he hadn't intervened in time, something might really have happened to her.

"My lord, Lady Hinata was brought back by a child. She's waiting outside."

"Hurry and see. Even if it's a child, keep an eye on him."

Outside the Hyuga compound.

Naruto sized up the gate. "Hinata, your house is pretty big, and there are lots of people. Is it usually lively?"

"No," Hinata replied, shaking her little head. "Everyone is afraid to talk to me."

Just then, a man wearing a green cap rushed out of the Hyuga compound.

He slid to a stop in front of Hinata and said mournfully, "Lady Hinata, how could you run off on your own?"

Naruto darted aside to avoid the snow kicked up by the man. "Hinata, who is this?"

"Hyuga Ko. He's a really capable ninja. He'll become a jonin one day." Hinata didn't mention that the clan had assigned him to be her attendant.

Hyuga Ko looked completely ordinary, but the way Hinata introduced him made him sound like he was quite strong.

"Lady Hinata, you're the young lady of the Hyuga Clan. You shouldn't talk to strangers whose backgrounds you don't know. Let's hurry home."

Hyuga Ko didn't trust Naruto.

Naruto wasn't one to hold a grudge. Looking at things from Hyuga Ko's perspective, he couldn't say the man was being unreasonable. "Hinata, call me if you need anything. Big Brother will come whenever you call. You said Neji bullied you again and made you unhappy. Be sure to tell me. I'll find a chance to deal with him."

Hyuga Ko shouted, "Kid, how could you possibly be a match for Lord Neji? What arrogance!"

"You'll see," Naruto said. He let go of Hinata's hand and waved goodbye.

Hinata watched Naruto walk away, feeling a little sad and a little wistful.

When she turned around, she saw her father standing sternly at the gate, as though he was about to punish her again.

In her father's eyes, wasn't she worth loving?

"Come in." Hiashi's voice carried clearly.

Keeping her feelings to herself, Hinata returned home.

What would Naruto do now?

Naruto wandered around, admiring the scenery and taking in Konoha's local culture.

"Teacher System, tell me about the world's power system first! Also, how strong is a jonin?"

This body was going to attend the Ninja Academy.

"I knew it wouldn't be that easy. But you should at least explain how to learn the Eight Inner Gates, right? Otherwise, how am I supposed to improve? How am I supposed to complete high-difficulty sign-in tasks?"

Hint: Might Guy!