A Girl's Thoughts

God gave you a talent that transcends mortals, yet you use it to flirt with girls the very first chance you get?

Sato Hideaka actually only intended to use this "Crystal Lily" to thank Yuhi Kurenai for the sumptuous bento boxes she had provided over the past two days, but he had to admit that this gesture greatly increased the favorability of the seven-year-old Yuhi Kurenai. After all, as a girl, she had absolutely no resistance to such beautiful things.

"This is... wow, what a beautiful pink Crystal Lily!"

"Look at how crystal clear it is; it even reflects brilliant red light spots in the sunlight. It's truly dazzling."

"It's really so beautiful, Kurenai. This is the most beautiful crystal I've ever seen. The texture doesn't even have a single impurity; it's simply flawless. And the texture of the petals is so clear—it's just too exquisite!"

"..."

The girls in the class all crowded around, their eyes shining as they looked at the "Crystal Lily" held in Yuhi Kurenai's hands. It shimmered with a charming red luster in the sunlight—crystal clear, pure, translucent, moist, and condensed without a single flaw, as if it were a work of divine craftsmanship with no trace of artificial carving.

The girls chattered away, making no effort to hide the envy in their eyes!

"Sato... Sato-kun, the 'Crystal Lily' you made is just too beautiful. Could you help me make one too??"

Amidst the crowd, a seven or eight-year-old girl wearing a leather jacket and glasses finally could no longer suppress her admiration. She shyly approached Sato Hideaka, her face blushing as she made her request with embarrassment.

Sato Hideaka looked a bit troubled and said, "This 'Crystal Lily' is a gift for Kurenai. It is a one-of-a-kind gift in this world, so I cannot make another one to give away. However, if you like, I can make you a crystal cartoon pendant!"

The girl was initially a bit disappointed, but upon hearing the latter half of his sentence, two bright lights appeared in her eyes. She nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking at rice: "Mm, mm. I like crystal pendants too! Thank you so much, Sato-kun!"

The moment the girl finished speaking, Sato Hideaka suddenly felt a terrifying sensation of countless eyes locked onto him—a gaze like that of wolves. Soon, he was surrounded by girls, all chattering and pleading in his ears:

"Sato-kun, I like pendants too! Can you help me make one as well?"

"Ah, is Sato really going to make them for us? Can you help me make a pendant too? I'll treat you to bento in the future!"

"Sato-kun, Sato-kun, I like red crystal necklaces. Can you help me make a crystal necklace... thank you so much."

Hearing that Sato Hideaka had agreed to make pendants for them, almost all the girls in the class crowded around his desk, chattering about their ideas and expressing their gratitude, leaving the boys in the class green with envy.

"Seriously, what's the big deal? Even Nohara Rin went over there..." Uchiha Obito, wearing his goggles, pouted and said with annoyance.

"Tch, this new transfer student is really too flashy!" Shiranui Genma, with a senbon hanging from his mouth, sat in his seat and muttered to himself in the tone of an old veteran.

"Youth requires constant self-discipline and continuous strengthening of one's cultivation." Might Guy sat in a horse stance on his chair, stabilizing his legs which were trembling from exhaustion, and thought silently to himself.

"..."

While every boy's inner thoughts differed, there was no doubt that Sato Hideaka's actions had provoked the hostility of most of the "boys." In an age group where everyone craved recognition, someone who could overshadow the brilliance of all his peers was bound to suffer jealousy and hostility.

Of course, this was not necessarily a flaw in the children's nature; the negative emotion of "jealousy" is basically innate. Moreover, if negative "jealousy" can be channeled into something positive, it can still serve as a motivation, and as children slowly grow and mature, this emotion is gradually brought under control!

Following the images from the cartoons and anime of his past life, Sato Hideaka crafted various crystal ornaments: Doraemon, Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Pleasant Goat, Big Big Wolf, the twelve zodiac signs, and more. He gave Shizune a pig, Anko a snake, and Nohara Rin Chopper the ship doctor. The items were tailored to each person's personality and image.

Every girl held her own crystal ornament, unable to hide the excitement and adoration in her eyes. They were clearly very fond of their gifts!

Suddenly, a bolder girl in the crowd gathered her courage, walked up to Sato Hideaka, leaned over, and lightly pecked him on the cheek. She whispered, "Sato-kun, my name is Hyuga Ningxiang. Thank you for the gift."

Her bold move caused an immediate uproar among the girls!

"Ah, Ningxiang, you're so brave! That's amazing."

"Is Sato-kun's first kiss gone? I didn't expect you to beat us to it, Ningxiang."

"..."

Hyuga Ningxiang was about six years old, with fair skin, a small nose, and cherry lips. Although she looked cute and well-behaved, her courage was anything but ordinary. As a member of the Hyuga clan, she was the polar opposite of the shy Hyuga Hinata!

Yuhi Kurenai, who was sitting next to Sato Hideaka, had been very happy at first while listening to others praise her "Crystal Lily." When she heard Sato Hideaka say it was a "one-of-a-kind" gift, a surge of joy had welled up from the bottom of her heart.

But after Hyuga Ningxiang kissed Sato Hideaka, she suddenly felt restless, angry, and unhappy, as if her favorite toy had been snatched away by someone else!

"Alright, alright, you've all gotten what you wanted, don't crowd around here anymore. Class is about to start!"

Yuhi Kurenai stood up and dispersed the girls around them, then sat back in her seat with a pout, looking very unhappy.

This couldn't help but make Sato Hideaka ask curiously, "Kurenai, what's wrong? Do you like other crystal ornaments? If you do, I can make you another one."

Sato Hideaka truly thought that Yuhi Kurenai was just feeling unbalanced because he had made crystal items for other friends, so he wanted to give her another one to soothe her anger. How could he have known that a girl's mind is so complex?

"Really? Then I want one, I want that four-armed, long-eared rabbit!"

Yuhi Kurenai's eyes lit up again. Because Sato Hideaka only made one crystal item for others and would refuse if they asked for more, the fact that he was making a second one for her meant she was different from the others.

"A four-armed, long-eared rabbit. That must be 'Stitch' from [Lilo & Stitch]."

Sato Hideaka muttered to himself upon hearing Yuhi Kurenai's description. "Stitch" was an animated character released by Disney, a cute creature with high popularity. He hadn't expected Yuhi Kurenai to like this one.

However, if Sato Hideaka had been observant enough regarding the gifts he just gave out, he would have realized that the one Yuhi Kurenai wanted was the exact same pendant as Hyuga Ningxiang's. One can only say that a girl's heart is complex and hard to fathom!

After finishing the crystal pendant for Yuhi Kurenai, it was basically time for the afternoon practical class. The practical class arranged by Yano Koji for the afternoon was to learn the Three Body Technique. Depending on each person's weaknesses, the main focus of practice varied, and there were no fixed, rigid requirements.

With his "Perfect Control" talent, Sato Hideaka not only had absolute mastery over chakra flow but also possessed high talent in hand seals. Therefore, learning the Three Body Technique was not particularly difficult for him, and amidst the gasps of the crowd, he quickly became proficient.

Time ticked by, and the afternoon passed quickly during their studies!

The students were all picked up by their parents. Sato Hideaka organized his notes and books and headed toward the Konoha library. It contained the most basic theoretical knowledge about hand seals; while useless to ordinary people, it was of great use to Sato Hideaka, who was beginning to develop Crystal Release!

Clutching a notebook, Sato Hideaka walked with his hands in his pockets, passing through the bustling, crowded streets toward the Konoha library...

Just as he was crossing a street, he suddenly noticed a shadow flickering behind him, as if a gaze had been monitoring him the entire time!

Who is this person??