Hinata Hyuga

"I really don't know what the school was thinking!" Anko grumbled unhappily. Seeing Hana still carelessly playing with those two large dogs, she could not help walking over and pinching Hana's cheek. "Aren't you worried at all? We're supposed to teach a bunch of six- and seven-year-old brats!"

Hana slapped Anko's hand away. "What's there to worry about? Yuun, I'll leave my classes to you."

"..." Yuun, who had somehow gotten dragged into this while lying there, nodded helplessly. He consoled himself that it would be good to get acquainted with the future protagonists first.

"Yuun." With a shameless grin, Anko seemed to float over to Yuun's side and half-draped herself over him. "I'll leave mine to you too."

"Isn't this a little inappropriate?" Yuun could not help rolling his eyes. "You want me to cover both your classes by myself? I still have missions to carry out."

"Hmph, so you'll help Hana but not me?" Anko narrowed her eyes at him, her pale fingers moving back and forth at his waist as though searching for the best place to strike. "Hana and I will handle your missions. You can take care of the school."

"I really can't do anything with you two." Unable to withstand Anko's threat, Yuun could only agree. "Give me the notices. I don't even know whether the school will agree to let me substitute..."

"Yay!" Anko cheered, pulling a letter from her clothes and stuffing it into Yuun's hand. "I'm counting on you."

"Here's mine." Hana came over and handed Yuun a letter as well. "Do your best. Give my little brother and the others a proper lesson."

Watching Hana and Anko leave arm in arm, Yuun helplessly opened the envelopes and checked the dates. He could not help sighing again before turning toward the Ninja Academy. The school had to be informed about their private arrangement.

Since he needed to discuss the substitute teaching matter with the school in advance, Yuun arrived over half an hour earlier than the time stated in the envelope. To his surprise, two people had arrived even before him. Both wore Chunin flak jackets. One had smooth, shoulder-length white hair and was rather handsome, while the other wore a short black ponytail and had a horizontal scar above his nose.

The two seemed to have been discussing something before Yuun arrived, and the conversation did not appear pleasant. Yet the moment Yuun appeared, both of them instinctively fell silent, all because of the white short coat he wore.

Konoha ninja attire was rather strictly regulated in some respects. There were no requirements for Genin; they could dress however they pleased. But Chunin had to wear standardized attire, and every Chunin was required to own that Chunin flak jacket. Only under special circumstances, such as with the Akimichi Clan, could someone be permitted to dress differently. Only after becoming a Jonin could one dress freely.

Given Yuun's age and those distinctive Byakugan, it was obvious at a glance that he could not be a Genin. The Hyuga Clan might not produce many geniuses, but it did not produce fools either. Even their most mediocre members could quickly become Chunin, since the Byakugan gave them far too great an advantage. If he was neither a Genin nor a Chunin, then he could only be a Jonin.

A Jonin at fourteen or fifteen was not especially fast compared to Kakashi Hatake's record, but among the vast majority of ninja who struggled their entire lives and still remained Chunin, it was terrifyingly young. The two before Yuun had clearly been frightened by it.

"Um, hello." The white-haired Chunin was the first to recover, taking the initiative to greet Yuun. Although it was no longer wartime, Jonin still possessed all sorts of privileges before Chunin.

"Are you here to substitute teach too?" The moment Yuun saw them, he remembered. If he could not be certain about the white-haired one, then the scar on the black-haired man with the short ponytail was enough to jog his memory.

"Yes. I'm Mizuki, and he's Iruka. We both received notices from the school." The white-haired man spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly. Unlike in the original story, where he had spent several years at the Ninja Academy, he had only recently become a Chunin and was still in the prime of his ambition.

"Mizuki? Iruka?" Yuun nodded and pointed at himself. "I'm Hyuga Yuun. I'm here to report in today as well."

"Huh? Didn't the school only notify Chunin?" Iruka frowned as he spoke, studying Yuun at the same time. This was not yet the era when Naruto and the others were active. The war had not been over for very long, and ninja still habitually followed all kinds of rules. Ninja who did not follow the rules would be ostracized, even over something as simple as clothing.

"I'm here as a substitute." Yuun took a deep breath. "Keep waiting. I'll go handle the paperwork with the school first." With that, he left the two without hesitation. Even if Iruka would later become Naruto's teacher, Yuun did not think much of him. After muddling through an entire lifetime and still being only a Chunin, he was far too weak even in peacetime.

The person in charge of this substitute teaching arrangement was Yuun's former homeroom teacher. Having not gone to the battlefield in over ten years, he could now only teach and do logistical work. Still, he remembered Yuun. After all, it was not every year that three students who had studied for barely over a year simultaneously applied for early graduation and all passed. It was easier to get things done when one had connections. Substitute teaching was not a major matter, but Yuun would not refuse help when it was available.

"Thank you, Sensei." Taking the schedule, Yuun sincerely bowed to his former homeroom teacher. Looking down on Iruka did not prevent him from respecting his former teacher.

"It's nothing. Looking at you all, I just..." Seeing his old homeroom teacher about to launch into a lengthy speech, Yuun decisively cut him off.

"Sensei, I suddenly remembered I have something urgent to do. I'll take my leave first." Without waiting for his former teacher to respond, he turned and ran.

"This brat." His former homeroom teacher shook his head with a bitter smile, then lowered it again to continue processing documents.

After running out of the office, Yuun did not hurry to leave. Rarely having free time, he wandered around the school with interest. The year and more he had spent studying here had not left much of an impression on him. Aside from Itachi, Hana, and Hayate, Yuun had nearly forgotten all of his former classmates. That might sound heartless, but after six or seven years without contact, even the closest friendships would gradually fade, let alone classmates who had only studied together for a year.

After watching the students in class for a while and failing to find those people from his memories, Yuun shook his head and prepared to leave. However, just as he walked out of the school building, he happened to spot several sneaky little brats climbing over the wall.

"So they're here." Yuun laughed. He had forgotten that Naruto and the others had practically made skipping class a habit. After giving it some thought, Yuun followed them anyway. It did not matter even if Anbu were watching. Hana's younger brother Kiba was currently hanging around with Naruto, so Yuun had an excuse even if he was discovered. Besides, Yuun was no longer someone others could casually push around. Jonin were a village's primary fighting force; even the Third Hokage could not casually take down a Jonin.

Before long, Yuun regretted following those little troublemakers. There was no benefit and no point to it; simply put, it was thankless effort. Just as Yuun was about to quietly leave, he discovered that the brats seemed to have started arguing. Soon, Kiba and several of the others left, leaving Naruto alone.

"They've all split up, so I should get going too." Yuun shrugged and prepared to leave, but his expression suddenly became strange. What is this? Witnessing history?

Not far ahead in Naruto's path, several little brats were surrounding a young girl and saying something to her. This was clearly Naruto and Hinata Hyuga's first meeting, the one mentioned in the original story.

"Hey, what are you brats doing?" With only a sigh, Yuun used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind them. Expressionless, he looked down at the little brats using his height advantage.

It was not that he had any thoughts about Hinata Hyuga. It was simply that after spending so many years in the Hyuga Clan, he had developed quite a sense of belonging toward it and could not bring himself to watch a clanswoman being bullied. Fortunately, Yuun ultimately succeeded in frightening the little brats away with his height advantage.