Time flowed like a gentle stream, slow and soft.
Konoha Year 61, summer.
After the immense shock of her father's death and the Uchiha clan massacre, Hyuga Ningxue's life seemed to have been forced onto a slow track.
Working part-time was certainly exhausting, but it also let her experience more facets of life.
Her resolve for revenge would not change, but she still did not know the meaning of life.
She still woke before dawn every day to train, sweat mingling with the faint light.
Her mother's condition fluctuated. On good days, she could sit by the window and bask in the sun all afternoon. On bad days, she would sleep in a daze all day.
Ning Xue had long grown accustomed to seamlessly switching between training, studying, housework, and work.
Her cooking became increasingly skillful, and her efficiency at cleaning the house grew higher and higher.
Over the course of that year, Ichiraku Ramen finally expanded its shop.
And throughout that year, Uncle Teuchi remained true to his original intentions. He always offered a little warmth to those with nowhere else to turn.
At school, she was still that withdrawn student who sat in the corner with earphones on.
It was only that the coldness she once had seemed to be covered by a layer of calmness.
And after her previous rampage, none of the classmates who had once mocked her dared provoke her again.
Perhaps hiding herself completely would only make others look down on her. Showing her strength at the right time might make her life a little less troublesome.
Her theoretical grades remained steadily in the middle range, while her taijutsu performance stayed at a passable level. She perfectly played the part of a Hyuga Branch Family child with ordinary talent and an introverted personality.
Training with Neji was one of the few things in her life that could stir up any waves.
Their sparring at the training ground became fiercer and more precise. Every collision challenged their limits and vented the anger in their hearts.
But after training, they usually just sat silently by the field, catching their breath, rarely speaking.
Their shared pain and goals allowed them to understand each other, yet no words were needed.
Working at Ichiraku Ramen became a place where she picked up bits of gossip.
She listened to customers discuss missions, complain about life, and share amusing stories.
She no longer rejected the noise as she once had.
Because she discovered that a little gossip could bring unexpected returns.
For example, which supermarket had discounted eggs, or where milk was on sale.
She watched Uncle Teuchi bustling about, afraid he would turn into a furious capitalist.
After all, there were times when he was so busy that his eyes nearly glowed red, as though he had gone berserk.
And she feared that the first thing he would do after making it big was forget where he came from.
Now that the shop had expanded and business was booming, she worried that the workload would double while the pay decreased, and that he would forget his roots.
Fortunately, he was still the warmhearted and kind Uncle Teuchi.
He still secretly gave Ning Xue extra wages or food. Ning Xue quietly accepted that kindness and remembered it in her heart.
And it was precisely because of that warmth that Ning Xue's heart changed from black to gray.
There was no longer a stark black-and-white filter over her eyes.
There was only a tempered gray.
Now, she was more like a quiet observer.
Konoha Year 62, autumn.
The leaves in the courtyard began to yellow and fall. Ning Xue's pace of life remained steady to the point of rigidity.
Her mother's condition seemed to stabilize somewhat that autumn. Though she was still weak, she spent less time asleep.
Sometimes, when Ning Xue prepared dinner, her mother could get up and make it with her.
There was still little conversation between mother and daughter, but their dependence on each other felt especially profound amid the increasingly bleak autumn wind.
At school, she had grown taller. Her figure in the corner was no longer quite so inconspicuous, but her presence was still faint.
The newly enrolled first-years were full of vigor. Their gazes held the instinctive curiosity and slight fear younger students had toward upperclassmen.
She merely swept her gaze over them, as if all she saw were moving silhouettes.
Her sparring with Neji entered a new stage. Neji's Gentle Fist became increasingly fierce, and his use of the Byakugan grew more proficient.
Ning Xue delved deeper into Ice Release while also practicing Wind Release and Water Release.
Ichiraku Ramen's business remained booming. After expanding, Uncle Teuchi brought in his daughter as a kitchen helper, but Ning Xue was still the regular evening assistant.
She washed dishes, wiped tables, and served ramen, her movements practiced and smooth.
Naruto was still a regular. His loud personality had not changed, but strangely enough, for a period of time, he had gotten along fairly well with Shikamaru, Choji, and the others.
They would sometimes come here together to eat ramen. But then one day, they suddenly acted like strangers?
Back then, they had discussed what kind of ninja they wanted to become, while Ning Xue listened in silence.
Konoha Year 63, March.
By then, Konoha had shed its chill, replaced by greenery awakened by the spring breeze.
That day, Hyuga Neji officially graduated from the Ninja Academy and became a Genin. Unlike some graduates, he did not leap about in excitement. He simply received his Forehead Protector calmly, his eyes carrying their usual sharpness and resolve.
Ning Xue ran into him in the school corridor, but after exchanging only a few casual words, they hurried off.
Because they both understood that there was no need to say more. They knew clearly that each of them had their own goals.
Graduating from the Ninja Academy was only a small step.
Konoha Year 63, April.
A new class of Ninja Academy students enrolled, injecting the campus with fresh blood and noise once again.
Walking through the crowd, Ning Xue looked at those new faces filled with childishness and longing, feeling as if she had already been here for a very, very long time.
No, wait? It had been five years. Well, that really was a long time.
Ning Xue turned and left without giving the new students another glance. After all, there was nothing to see. She had merely happened upon them.
She still had many things to do. Her world was gray. She had a goal of revenge, the pressure of daily life, confusion about the future, and the smoky air of Ichiraku.
And in the time that followed, she continued training, attending school, caring for her mother, and working.
As if she had entered a loop.
As time passed, her mother's condition showed no obvious improvement. It merely remained at a point where she could occasionally be active for long periods.
On better days, she could wake early like Ning Xue.
Seeing her mother as she was now, Ning Xue truly wanted to graduate as soon as possible, become a ninja, gain a more stable source of income, and have more freedom to train.
Her training sessions with Neji became less frequent after Neji began carrying out missions.
Whenever he returned and sparred with her, she found that his strength had clearly improved. After their sparring ended, he actually complained.
Sometimes he said D-Rank Missions were nothing but meaningless chores like catching cats and walking dogs, though the commission fees were indeed quite generous.
There were also requests to clear out wild beasts nearby that had been troubling passersby.
At Ichiraku Ramen, she had become the most experienced temporary worker.
Uncle Teuchi practically treated her as half a family and began entrusting her with some simple ingredient preparation.
And just like that, another year quickly passed.
It was Konoha Year 64... February.
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