Shortly after Genya left,
a figure emerged from the shadows in a corner of the courtyard, nodded to Sosuke Uchiha, then melted back into the darkness and followed Genya Uchiha.
He was an elite ninja trained by the clan.
Genya was not heading farther into the Uchiha Grounds, but toward the village center, where the streets were busier and the atmosphere more delicate.
He really did want to "look around." In the five-odd years since coming to this world, he had spent most of his time within the Uchiha Clan Compound.
He was full of curiosity about Konoha.
At the same time, a thought lingered in his mind.
According to the timeline, the young heiress of the Hyuga Main Family should have been about his age.
The Hyuga Clan had just undergone such a drastic upheaval. That future "crown princess"...
Where would she be now? How would she be feeling? Maybe... I could run into her?
The urge to see what was happening, mixed with curiosity about a character from the original story, spurred him onward.
The snow fell harder and harder.
Before he knew it, he had reached a relatively quiet street.
He was already far from the Uchiha Grounds, and some distance from the Hyuga clan compound as well.
All around him, there was only the soft rustle of falling snow.
Just then, a faint, muffled sob reached his ears on the cold night wind.
Genya stopped and looked toward the sound.
At the street corner stood a tiny figure dressed in a black kimono, her short, purplish-black hair covered in snowflakes. She looked like an abandoned snow doll.
Her shoulders trembled slightly as she bowed her head and wiped her tears with the back of her hand, filled with an indescribable sense of hurt and sorrow.
It was Hinata Hyuga.
Genya froze for a moment. He had not expected to actually meet her here.
Seeing her crying all alone on this freezing, snowy night, he guessed it was because of the pressure and fear caused by the recent upheaval in her clan.
Even at her young age, Hinata, the Main Family's heiress, must have felt the weight of Hizashi Hyuga's death.
In the shadows behind him, the Uchiha Ninja assigned to protect him remained hidden, keeping a vigilant watch on their surroundings to ensure no one else noticed what was happening.
Genya hesitated, then stepped through the snow toward her.
The sound of his footsteps startled Hinata as she cried.
The little girl looked up in fright, watching the approaching figure through tear-filled eyes.
When her gaze fell on Genya's conspicuous black coat bearing the Uchiha Clan Crest, she visibly shrank back.
The Uchiha Clan's reputation in the village, particularly among the other ninja clans, was hardly friendly.
Genya stopped a few steps away from her, keeping his distance.
He himself was only a little over five years old, and his delicate features looked especially cute against the falling snow.
Only his black eyes seemed a little too composed.
"You..."
Genya had barely spoken before realizing he had no idea what to say.
Comfort her?
Comforting a crying little girl was a little beyond his skill set.
What would such a cute girl look like if I punched her?
Genya fell silent for a moment, then stepped forward and took a clean handkerchief from his pocket.
His mother, Izumi, had prepared it for him.
He held out his hand, offering the handkerchief to Hinata.
"Here, wipe your face. It's covered in snow and tears. You'll get cold."
Hinata froze, blinking her wet eyes as she looked at the unfamiliar boy in Uchiha clothing and the handkerchief he offered.
After hesitating for a long time, she timidly reached out her little hand, took the handkerchief, and whispered,
"Th... thank you..."
Snow fell onto the two young children.
One represented the Uchiha, the other the Hyuga. On that cold night, on a street in Konoha, they met for the first time.
[Ding! Eligible conquest target detected: Hinata Hyuga. Bind target?]
The system's notification abruptly sounded in his mind.
He looked at the innocent yet fragile girl before him, listening to the notification in his head.
Hinata... the future crown princess, Naruto's future canon partner.
At this moment, she was so lonely and helpless.
And the option offered by the system held an indescribable temptation...
Countless thoughts flashed through Genya's mind.
The future night of the massacre hung over his head like the Sword of Damocles.
He needed strength. He needed any chance that might help him escape his predicament.
This seemingly unreliable Goddess Conquest System might well be his greatest source of support.
Forgive me, Naruto... I'm doing this to grow stronger and prepare for the night of the massacre. You're so kindhearted. You'll forgive me, right?
As a boy raised in the spring breeze, a successor to the future,
this shameless act of self-justification helped him make up his mind.
[Yes!]
He confirmed his choice to the system in his mind.
[Conquest target: Hinata Hyuga bound!] [Current affection: 5 (initial impression)]
Only five points?
It must be from giving her the handkerchief.
"What's your name? Why are you here all alone?"
Genya spoke again, his voice gentle.
"I... my name is Hinata Hyuga..."
The little girl kept her head lowered, nervously clutching the now slightly damp handkerchief in both hands.
"I..."
As she spoke, her eyes reddened again. The pressure from her clan was clearly weighing heavily on her heart.
"Hinata Hyuga? That's a lovely name."
Genya gave her a slightly sunny, shy smile.
"My name is Genya Uchiha."
He stepped forward, brushed the snow from his shoulders and hair, and held out his hand to Hinata.
"The snow's getting heavier. You'll get sick if you stay here. Do you know where your home is? I'll walk you back."
Hinata looked at his outstretched hand, then at his gently smiling face and clear eyes.
After a moment's hesitation, she slowly placed her little hand in Genya's palm.
"Yes... I, I do..."
Her reply was quiet.
"Then let's go."
Genya took Hinata's hand, and their small figures walked side by side along the deserted, snowy street.
In the shadows,
the Uchiha Ninja guarding him frowned. He had clearly recognized the white-eyed girl as the Hyuga Main Family's heiress.
At such a sensitive time, making contact with a member of the Hyuga Clan was not wise.
But his orders were to protect Genya, not interfere with his actions.
All he could do was ensure that this "escort" did not lead to any unexpected trouble.
Along the way, Genya said little, only occasionally reminding Hinata to watch her footing on the slippery road.
Hinata also kept her head down, occasionally stealing a glance at the unfamiliar Uchiha boy beside her as she felt the reassuring warmth of his hand.
It was one of the few moments of warmth she had experienced amid life in her clan.
At last, the Hyuga Clan's gates appeared at the far end of their view.
Even from a distance, they could see several people in traditional Hyuga clothing anxiously looking around.
"That's your home up ahead, right?"
Genya stopped some distance from the gates and released Hinata's hand.
"Yes..."
Hinata nodded.
"Go on home. Your family must be really worried about you."
Genya smiled at her, then turned without hesitation and waved.
"Goodbye, Hinata."
Without lingering, he retraced his steps through the snow toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Hinata stood where she was, gazing for a long, long time at his retreating figure and the red fan-shaped clan crest on his back.
Only when Genya Uchiha disappeared around the street corner
did she head home to the calls of the Hyuga clanspeople who had come looking for her, glancing back every few steps.
The Uchiha boy who had offered her a handkerchief on that snowy night and held her hand as he walked her home, the flame-like clan crest on his back, and the warmth of his palm-
all were etched deep into her young heart.
[Ding! Hinata Hyuga's affection +30!] [Current affection: 35]
As he listened to the notifications sounding in his mind,
the corners of Genya Uchiha's mouth lifted slightly.
The plan had worked.
Before you continue