"Mm-hmm, I know. Thank you for caring about me, Lin Fan."
Hinata spoke softly, then used her chopsticks to lift a small bundle of noodles from her bowl. She blew on them until they had cooled before putting them in her mouth.
As she ate, her cheeks puffed out slightly. The look of contentment on her adorable face was something Lin Fan never tired of seeing.
In his heart, he couldn't help exclaiming, So cute!
Hinata was so innocent and adorable—without a doubt, she was a treasure of a girl whom Lin Fan wanted to protect with all his heart.
As for Naruto, he could send him more books through the Otherworld Space Scroll in the future and let him study Sexy Jutsu in earnest for his own amusement.
And if he got bored, didn't he still have Sasuke and Gaara waiting for him?
Thinking of this, Lin Fan couldn't help smiling to himself.
By the time they finished their ramen, it was already dark, so Lin Fan decided to walk Hinata home.
He behaved himself on the way, afraid that if he teased the innocent girl again, she might faint right there in the street.
Carrying a sleeping beauty on his back in the middle of the night might cause a misunderstanding with one of the village's Genin, and that would be a headache.
The two of them walked slowly along the roadside lamps, one behind the other.
Before they knew it, they had reached a quiet path filled with the scent of flowers. A large, traditional estate came into view.
Bathed in lamplight, the estate looked ancient and imposing.
As Lin Fan and Hinata approached, the gate slowly opened.
A middle-aged man with shoulder-length hair and a brown kimono stepped out.
This man had an exceptionally pure case of white eyes!!!
Wasn't this Hyuga Hiashi, head of the Hyuga Clan and Hinata's father?
"Hinata, why are you home so late today? It's time for your training. Have you forgotten?"
Hiashi gave Hinata a cold look and spoke in a low voice.
"I-I'm sorry, F-Father. I'll go inside and start training right away."
Hinata was clearly frightened by Hiashi's stern reprimand.
After speaking timidly, she unconsciously edged behind Lin Fan.
"Good evening, Lord Hiashi. I'm Lin Fan, a friend of Hinata's. I invited her to dinner today, so she missed some of her evening training. Please don't blame her too much."
Lin Fan knew that although Hyuga Hiashi was strict with the younger generation, he was actually a kind and warm-hearted patriarch.
So, out of courtesy, Lin Fan explained the situation politely.
Hiashi didn't answer him. He simply led Hinata over to his side.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow, Hinata."
Lin Fan waved, then pushed off the ground and shot into the sky.
"So fast!"
Hiashi murmured in astonishment.
Ever since Lin Fan had appeared, Hiashi had been observing the flow of chakra within his body with his Byakugan.
He discovered that the sheer amount of chakra inside Lin Fan was more than just terrifyingly vast.
Lin Fan had gathered chakra in his feet and taken off directly, accomplishing it in the blink of an eye.
Even Hyuga Neji, renowned as a genius of the Hyuga Clan, probably couldn't control his chakra with such skill at that age.
That little Hinata certainly had a remarkably sharp eye for people.
For the first time in years, a faint smile appeared on Hiashi's usually icy face.
After flying home, Lin Fan still made sure to shut the doors and windows.
Then the system panel appeared.
[Host: Lin Fan] [Age: 12] [Known Chakra Nature: Fire, Earth] [Mastered Taijutsu: Konoha Style Taijutsu LvMAX] [Mastered Ninjutsu: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu LvMAX, Earth Style: Earth Wall LvMAX, Transformation Technique LvMAX, Substitution Technique LvMAX, Clone Technique LvMAX, Sexy Jutsu LvMAX] [Mastered Genjutsu: Sharingan Genjutsu LvMAX] [Kekkei Genkai: Tomoe Sharingan LvMAX] [Special Constitution: Uzumaki Constitution LvMAX] [Chakra: 99,000–100,000 (approximately 100 times Kakashi's amount)] [Skill Points: MAX]
Lin Fan then stood in front of the mirror.
Chakra rapidly surged through his body, and his originally black eyes abruptly turned crimson.
This added a hint of coldness to his already handsome face.
Then he began to adapt to the changes brought by his max-level Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Another three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Today was the day Lin Fan's class would take its graduation exam at the Ninja Academy.
It also marked the official start of the original story.
"All right, class. We're about to begin the graduation exam. You'll be tested on the Clone Technique, and you need to produce three clones to pass. I'll call your names, and you can come up when you hear them."
Iruka stood in the classroom doorway with the attendance sheet in hand.
"What? The Clone Technique? Why does it have to be a jutsu I'm bad at?"
"And we have to make three? That's going to kill me!"
Hearing Iruka's words, Naruto let out a wail.
"Heh. Naruto, are you only bad at the Clone Technique? You're bad at every jutsu except Sexy Jutsu!"
Shikamaru, seated at the front, promptly added insult to injury.
Iruka began calling names.
Lin Fan, Sasuke, and the others were among the first called and completed their exams.
"Lin Fan, how did you do?"
Naruto asked anxiously when Lin Fan returned to the classroom.
Lin Fan looked completely calm. "Not bad. I should be able to graduate."
Naruto looked utterly dejected, even less confident than before.
Soon, Naruto was called last and completed his exam.
He returned to the classroom with a gloomy expression.
Iruka then went to the lectern.
"All right, the exam is over. I'll announce the results now. Those who passed, come and collect your Forehead Protectors."
"Lin Fan made ten clones, and Sasuke made ten as well. The two of you tied for first in the class. Congratulations on becoming Genin of Konoha. Come up and collect your Forehead Protectors!"
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
Amid a wave of envious applause, Lin Fan and Sasuke walked up to the lectern.
Before long, all the students who had passed received their Forehead Protectors and left the classroom happily.
On the Ninja Academy's main field, the students who had passed the graduation exam proudly held their Forehead Protectors as their parents praised them.
Even Sasuke, usually an icy-faced show-off, had a faint smile at the corner of his mouth when he saw the Forehead Protector in his hand.
"L-Lin Fan, congratulations on becoming first in the class!"
Hinata came over to Lin Fan and congratulated him.
"You did really well too, Hinata. Would you like me to tie your Forehead Protector on for you?"
Lin Fan looked at Hinata with an indulgent smile.
"C-Can you?"
"Of course. But you have straight bangs, so wearing it on your head wouldn't look good."
Lin Fan took the Forehead Protector from Hinata, bent down, and wrapped his arms around her to tie it around her neck.
Their faces were pressed close together, and Hinata could clearly feel Lin Fan's warm breath.
The warmth made her cheeks flush, and she turned into a little steam engine before fainting in his arms once more.
Lin Fan had no choice but to carry Hinata to the shade beneath a tree to rest again.
Leaning against the tree, Lin Fan gazed into the distance.
Naruto sat gloomily on a swing in the corner of the field.
Mizuki, with white hair and shifting eyes, was beside him, speaking to him in an intent, hushed conversation.
Source: "Naruto: Starting with Infinite Skill Points" by Shenqi Xiao Sima.