Summer Vacation

On the first day of summer vacation, the early morning air in Konoha was fresh and clear. Toru Kujyo arrived early at a secluded alley east of the Hyuga Clan Compound. Dressed in inconspicuous clothes, he hid in the shadows at the alley's entrance, carefully watching the compound's gates and the activity around them.

The minutes ticked by until it was nine o'clock sharp.

Just then, a figure appeared at the other end of the alley. It was a girl with short pink hair tied into a high ponytail, wearing a pale purple kimono-the very image of Ino Yamanaka. She seemed to have rushed over, a hint of anxiety on her face.

Hidden in the darkness, Toru Kujyo's gaze shifted slightly. He knew that was not the real Ino Yamanaka, but himself disguised with the Transformation Technique.

Here we go, he thought.

"Ino" hurried to the gates of the Hyuga Clan Compound, where two guards in Hyuga Clan attire immediately stepped forward to block his way.

"Stop. This is the Hyuga Clan Compound. Outsiders may not enter without permission," one guard said expressionlessly.

"Ino" looked anxious, pressing his palms together as he pleaded, "Please, I'm Hinata's classmate, Ino Yamanaka! I need to see Hinata about something urgent! Really, really urgent!"

The guards exchanged a doubtful glance. "Ino? What's so urgent that you need to see Hinata? The Main Family's Princess has a set schedule. You can't just see her whenever you like."

"Ino" grew even more frantic, his voice almost breaking into tears. "It really is urgent! It's about school! Iruka-sensei said there's a very important document Hinata needs to sign! If she doesn't sign it today, it could affect her enrollment next term! Iruka-sensei asked me to pass the message along, but she couldn't get in touch with Hinata's family, so... so please! Let me see Hinata! It'll only take a few minutes!"

He handed over a blank scroll. The words "Konoha Ninja Academy" were indeed written on it, making it look convincing.

The two guards examined the scroll, then looked back at the utterly frantic "Ino." They still had their doubts, but with something like school enrollment at stake, they did not dare dismiss the matter outright. Besides, the Yamanaka Clan held considerable standing in the village, and they did not want to offend them without good reason. What was more, the girl before them really did look like Hinata's classmate, and the story sounded credible.

"All right. Wait here while we report this," one guard said.

"Ino" nodded repeatedly. "Okay, okay! Thank you both!"

The guard turned and entered the compound to report the matter. Toru Kujyo remained hidden in the alley, silently observing everything. He knew that although the Hyuga Clan maintained strict security, its guards were not an impenetrable wall. With a plausible reason and a convincing disguise, there was still a way through.

He had chosen to disguise himself as Ino precisely because she was Hinata's deskmate and close friend, and because the Yamanaka Clan and the Hyuga Clan were both prominent clans in Konoha. The guards would not readily question her identity. As for the "important document" and the threat to Hinata's enrollment, those were excuses he had made up on the spot. They sounded urgent enough, and their connection to school made them easy to believe.

A short while later, the guard returned, followed by a girl in Hyuga Clan attire who looked uneasy-Hinata.

Clearly, her family had already explained the situation to her. She stole a glance at "Ino" by the gate, then instinctively looked back into the compound, seeming hesitant and nervous.

"Lady Hinata, this is your classmate. She says she has urgent business with you," the guard told her respectfully.

"Ino" immediately stepped forward and took Hinata's hand, his voice anxious. "Hinata! You're finally here! What Iruka-sensei mentioned really is urgent! Hurry and come with me!"

Hinata felt "Ino" holding her hand. Something about the touch seemed strange, but she did not dwell on it. Toru Kujyo's words from yesterday echoed in her mind: Cooperate with me. Don't resist. She took a deep breath, doing her best to suppress her nerves, and quietly told the guard, "I... I'll go with Ino. I'll be back soon."

Now that Hinata herself had confirmed it, the guards did not stop her again. After all, Lady Hinata had agreed of her own accord, and she was only going to school to sign a document. There should not be any problems.

And so, under the guards' watchful eyes, "Ino" took Hinata by the hand and hurried away from the gates of the Hyuga Clan Compound, heading deeper into the alley.

Once they entered the alley and were out of the guards' sight, "Ino" immediately released Hinata's hand. He turned around, and his short pink hair and purple kimono vanished in an instant, replaced by Toru Kujyo's original appearance.

Hinata stood rooted to the spot, staring at Toru Kujyo in speechless shock. So this was the method Kujyo had meant.

Remembering his words from yesterday-"Pretend I'm taking you away"-she felt her cheeks flush uncontrollably again.

Toru Kujyo looked at her, his eyes betraying not the slightest ripple of emotion. "Let's go. We're going to train."

Without giving her a chance to refuse, he turned and headed toward the other end of the alley. Hinata froze for a few seconds, then began walking after him as though drawn by some unseen force. She knew that this vacation, the course of her life might change completely because of the mysterious boy before her.

Having safely left the Hyuga Clan Compound, Hinata walked along the quiet alley with her heart still pounding. It was such a strange feeling: the nervousness of escaping her family's restraints mingled with the excitement of spending the vacation with Toru Kujyo.

She stole a glance at the profile of "Ino" beside her. Though the face was familiar, she knew Toru Kujyo's true appearance lay beneath it. Sharing this secret made her feel both thrilled and reassured.

Toru Kujyo kept up his "Ino" disguise, his steps steady, but his voice carried a barely perceptible gravity. "Don't let your guard down. Your father will very likely send someone to follow us. The Hyuga Clan keeps a close watch on the Main Family."

Hinata stiffened, her excitement instantly overwhelmed by nerves. She instinctively glanced back the way they had come and asked softly, "W-will he?"

"It's very likely," Toru Kujyo said calmly. "So we can't go straight to the training ground. We'll take a longer route first and make sure it's safe in the forest."

"Ino" took Hinata's hand and headed out of Konoha. Along the way, he occasionally chatted with her about amusing things from school, sounding just like an ordinary classmate making conversation.

This helped Hinata relax a little. She did her best to play along so that any hidden watchers nearby would not notice anything unusual about her.

Passing beyond the edge of the village, they entered the dense forest. Toru Kujyo stopped and released Hinata's hand. Rather than immediately undoing the Transformation Technique, he rapidly formed hand seals, and a Shadow Clone appeared beside him. The Shadow Clone slipped silently into the trees, heading back the way they had come to scout.