Hinata, Stop Pretending

Naruto said, "Don't worry! I'll definitely become Hokage, and I won't lose to anyone."

Chapter Twenty-One: Wow, Is a Cruel Scene About to Begin?

The others chatted and laughed while Choji Akimichi called out, "Waiter, bring us another serving!"

The barbecue sizzled continuously on the grill, and it seemed no one had realized they had forgotten someone.

Sitting in the corner, Shino Aburame, wearing dark glasses, remained silent. He looked at everyone and felt utterly helpless. But now that they were talking about dreams, what was his dream?

He looked at them again. They seemed to have forgotten him long ago. A dream... Then my dream right now is probably to raise my presence.

A gentle breeze stirred the tips of her hair, brushed across her face, and gradually wore away traces of childishness;

Resoluteness emerged, innocence faded, and though she was still the same person, her heart was no longer the same;

Never noticing change was a lingering attachment to yesterday; feeling time drag on was the heart's impatience;

When she looked back again, the river of time had quietly flowed away, dried beneath the sun and seeped into the cracks. Perhaps beneath some stone, one might still find traces that it had once existed.

Beneath a lush green tree, a girl in a tan training outfit with long dark-blue hair rested in the shade. Dried sweat stains could faintly be seen on her forehead and arms.

Leaning back against the chair behind her, she raised her head to gaze at the endless blue sky, listening to the occasional calls of various animals around her.

Time really flies! Hinata could not help but sigh. It was now Konoha's sixtieth year, and four years had passed since she had successfully arrived in this world of Naruto.

This year was also the time for the Ninja Academy graduation exams. That was right—there was about a month left before she could probably graduate smoothly.

And Hinata Hyuga would proudly become a Konoha genin and begin her journey among the Twelve Rookie Genin.

Just as she was reminiscing and feeling melancholy, a shadow suddenly flashed by. Hinata was naturally no longer what she used to be, and she immediately recognized the move as the Body Flicker Technique.

This ninja looked utterly ordinary, with no distinguishing features. However, he was not wearing the standard green vest worn by Konoha Chunin and above, but clothing in the style of the Hyuga Clan.

Hinata nodded. Yes, one look told her he was one of their own. The newcomer performed a formal salute and said, "Lady Hinata, the Clan Head requests your presence at Training Ground One."

Hinata nodded in understanding. Once the ninja saw that she had agreed, he immediately used the Body Flicker Technique again and left, projecting an air of professionalism and the spirit of a ninja messenger whose mission was certain to be fulfilled. Hinata grumbled inwardly, It would really be a waste of your talents if you hadn't been a delivery guy in your past life.

Hinata stood and headed toward the so-called Training Ground One.

Training Ground One was naturally not Konoha's Training Ground One, but a training ground exclusive to the Hyuga Clan. The entire clan seemed to have more than twenty training grounds of varying sizes.

Though they were called training grounds, they were merely somewhat spacious clearings, even shabbier than the training grounds at the Ninja Academy.

After all, the Ninja Academy's training grounds at least had several running tracks and a row of targets, while the place Hinata had just been was the Hyuga Clan's Training Ground Five.

Since it was not far from Hinata's residence, and several large trees had been planted there, with a park bench beneath them like one from her past life,

it had practically become Young Miss Hinata's private property. Others generally did not come to disturb her leisure, so over the past few years, Hinata had been quite content spending time there. She had even grown attached to it.

Today, Hyuga Hiashi had summoned her to Training Ground One. She had long anticipated what might happen, and honestly, she had been looking forward to this day for a long time.

After passing through corridor after corridor, courtyard after courtyard, and walkway after walkway, she finally arrived before Hyuga Hiashi at Training Ground One.

Many people had already gathered around. Of course, there were nowhere near as many as at that previous clan meeting—only around a dozen—but every one of them was an extraordinary figure. They all shared one designation: members of the main house.

She bowed to Hyuga Hiashi and said, "Father." Hyuga Hiashi nodded, signaling for Hinata to stand to his left.

On his right already stood a little girl—seven-year-old Hanabi Hyuga. Over the past four years, Hanabi had grown quickly and was now only half a head shorter than twelve-year-old Hinata.