Chapter 2: Hinata Hyuga
Morning light hit Konoha, and I was already awake, running the calculus in my head.
The mission was simple: grope a named character. The penalty was castration via system magic. Failure wasn't an option. I needed to pick my target like a surgeon.
Option A: Sakura Haruno. Loud, annoying, violent. If I touched her, she'd scream, punch a hole in the wall, and alert every chunin within a mile radius. High risk, low reward. Plus, she's flat as a board right now. Pass.
Option B: Ino Yamanaka. Slightly better, but she's loud too. She's assertive. She'd make a scene just to get Sasuke's attention. "Ew, a creep touched me!" Drama queen energy. Too unpredictable.
Option C: Hinata Hyuga.
I grinned, splashing cold water on my face. Hinata was the golden ticket. She's the heiress of the Hyuga clan, sure, which implies danger. But socially? She's a ghost. She has zero confidence, zero friends, and a stutter that could stop traffic. If I touched her, she wouldn't scream. She'd freeze. She'd overload. She's too timid to make a scene in public, especially with her father probably watching from the shadows with his scary eyes.
It was a predatory calculation, cold and efficient. Exactly how a villain thinks.
I arrived at the academy grounds. It was a sea of noisy brats. I spotted the blonde menace, Naruto, swinging on a swing set alone. Sasuke was brooding near a tree, ignoring the fangirls. I ignored them all. I had work to do.
I found her near the back of the crowd, trying to make herself invisible. She was wearing that thick jacket, hiding everything. Typical.
The Hokage started his speech about the "Will of Fire." Perfect cover. Everyone was looking up at the podium, eyes glazed over by the old man's droning voice. The crowd shifted, packing tighter together.
I moved. Silent steps. I wasn't a ninja yet, but I was a degenerate on a mission. I slid into the space directly behind her. She smelled like lavender and anxiety.
I waited for the crowd to jostle. A big kid bumped into me from the left.
Now.
I didn't hesitate. My hand went low, bypassing the jacket's hem, and cupped her right ass cheek.
It was soft. Shockingly soft. Even through the fabric, I could tell she was quality.
Hinata stiffened instantly. Her entire body went rigid, like a statue. I could see the back of her neck turn a violent shade of red. She didn't scream. She didn't turn around. She just stood there, paralyzed by the sudden, intimate intrusion. She was vibrating with panic, but her social anxiety was locking her throat shut.
One.
Two.
Three.
Mission timer complete. But I was a professional gooner. I couldn't just leave it at that.
As the crowd started to clap for the Hokage, providing a wall of noise, I gave the soft flesh a sharp, quick squeeze, followed by a light smack.
It was quiet enough that only she felt the vibration, but firm enough to send a shockwave through her nervous system.
"Nice," I whispered, my voice barely a breath against her ear.
I vanished into the crowd before she could even turn her head.
[ Mission Complete ]
[ Reward Distributed ]
[ Chakra Reserves: Uzumaki-Level (Acquired) ]
[ Skill: Stealth Mastery (Novice) (Acquired) ]
The rush was instantaneous. Heat flooded my gut. My chakra coils, previously thin and pathetic, expanded violently. It felt like I'd just hooked a car battery to my navel. The world felt sharper. Lighter. I could feel the life force bubbling under my skin. Infinite ammo.
I walked home with a strut that shouldn't belong to an orphan. I had the power of a tailed beast host and the stealth of a pervert. Unbeatable combo.
The next morning, I walked into the academy for the first official class. I felt the weight of my new chakra humming in my veins. I slid the door open.
Iruka was at the front, organizing papers. The class was filling up. And there she was.
Hinata was sitting in the middle row, looking down at her desk, her face still flushed. She looked traumatized. Confused.
I walked past her row to get to my seat in the back. As I passed, I let my chakra flare just a tiny bit—a subtle flex. She looked up, her pearlescent eyes locking onto mine. She recognized me. Not my face, maybe, but my presence.
I winked.
She turned beet red and buried her face in her arms.
Oh yeah. This was going to be a fun six years.