Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Even for Hinata, the changes during this period stirred something unfamiliar—a sense that she was becoming part of this world.
Her hair had grown longer.
Sitting before the mirror, Hinata took the rare step of studying her current appearance. She'd known what the character "Hyuga Hinata" looked like ever since watching the anime, but after nearly four months in this body, she'd thoroughly erased whatever traces of the original Hinata remained.
It wasn't just her choice of clothing. The girl's hair had grown from a short cut down to her shoulders. Her thin lips pressed together in an unconscious line, and the white eyes—narrowed at a different angle than before—gave her a sharper, more severe look.
It was now April in the shinobi world. The weather was warming. The Ninja Academy's graduation exams would take place in mid-June—two more months, and every student, Hinata included, would become a real genin.
"Just like a forced role-playing game. Though at least the story's under my control so far. At least... I hope it is."
Leaning closer to the mirror, Hinata scrutinized the pale-eyed girl's reflection. She hadn't forgotten that bizarre sleepwalking episode from two weeks ago. Ino had written it off as a normal symptom of overwork, but Hinata's instincts rejected that explanation.
No time to deal with it now, though. She'd have to table it for later.
Today was supposed to be a special day. According to the deadline, the three pairs of gauntlets she'd ordered from Tenten's shop were finished, and the final payment had already been settled once the latest royalties came in. All that remained was to pick them up and see whether her plan had actually worked.
Tenten was a diligent girl, but today she was uncharacteristically nervous. She stared at the three gleaming ninja tool cases lined up on her counter, fidgeting with quiet anxiety.
The reason was straightforward: this was, in all likelihood, the first transaction in her career that topped one million ryō. The balance had been paid in full days ago, and all she needed to do was hand over the goods when the client arrived. But the sheer scale of the sum had thirteen-year-old Tenten's nerves wound tight.
Amid that anxious anticipation, a coolly detached female voice finally sounded from the shop entrance. "Good day. I'm here to collect three pairs of gauntlets I commissioned two weeks ago."
Hinata stepped into the shop and stated her business without preamble. Tenten startled, then snapped to attention. "Oh! Yes, ma'am! Right here—your three pairs of ninja tool gauntlets!"
She hurriedly opened the three cases and pushed them to the front edge of the counter, making it easy for her distinguished client to inspect the goods.
Hinata moved closer and examined the contents carefully. She wanted to see what exactly one million ryō and a two-week wait had produced.
There was no question—these were gauntlets radiating a dense metallic presence. They appeared to be woven from fine metal wire into the base structure, then overlaid with armor plates across the knuckles and fingers. They looked something like medieval cavalry hand guards: all hard edges and cold luster, as if announcing that they were not garments made for warmth, but weapons capable of tearing flesh and drawing blood.
"Very nice... truly excellent craftsmanship."
Lifting the gauntlets from the center case, Hinata admired the long forearm guard extending from the wrist. Clearly, the guard's length was designed to lock the gauntlet securely to the wearer's hand, but the overall profile remained sleek enough to conceal beneath a sleeve.
"Yes, ma'am! The artisans from the Land of Artisans said this is their finest recent work. Are you satisfied?"
Seeing Hinata's apparent approval, Tenten exhaled with visible relief. The girl reached out to help Hinata fit the center pair onto her hands, her voice turning gentle. "The artisans mentioned that since your arms are still growing, the interior has some built-in give. If it feels loose, you can adjust it with this dial on the bracer."
"Oh, a thoughtful touch. Please pass along my compliments—tell them I'm very pleased."
Flexing the gauntleted right hand, Hinata focused on the sensory feedback. Despite being solid metal, the gauntlet was surprisingly light—likely due to the specialized alloy used. The finely crafted interior was completely free of burrs or rough edges. Exquisite work, through and through.
"Now then—could you sign here? If there are no other issues."
Tenten produced a receipt, two spots of excited color rising on her cheeks. If this went through cleanly, it would be something to brag about—completing a one-million-ryō transaction at the age of thirteen was no small achievement.
"Not so fast, cute little shopgirl. We haven't verified the performance yet."
Hinata opened her right palm, and her white eyes narrowed to slits. This was the moment of truth: whether she could channel her Fire-nature chakra through these gauntlets and materialize it.
The hellish iron-sand training, including the two weeks just past, had lasted a full fifty days—and the pain Hinata endured was something only she could accurately describe.
It was like plunging her hands into the inferno itself. Even now she could vividly recall the sensation: skin dissolving under extreme heat, muscles blackening beneath tongues of flame, the searing heat reaching deep into the very marrow of her finger bones.
"Tell me, miss—do you know what fire tastes like?"
Gazing at her open palm, Hinata's white eyes contracted. The muscles of her right arm tensed. Chakra surged toward her palm under conscious direction, and the gauntlet emitted a thin, rising hum—like a shotgun being loaded. It drank in the chakra pouring from its wearer's body, and the air above Hinata's palm began to shimmer. Heat distortion—a natural phenomenon caused by superheated air currents rising fast.
"Huh? Ha, you mean... like barbecue, maybe?"
Tenten swallowed hard. She was trying to keep her expression relaxed, but the pressure radiating from this eerie pale-eyed girl was unlike anything she'd felt before. She could even sense the ambient temperature ticking upward, the source unmistakably Hinata's right hand.
"Mm—that's the taste of food. Not the taste of fire. But I know what fire tastes like. It tastes like searing pain, struggle, defiance, fury—and..."
Hinata's voice surged on the final word. Her right arm redoubled its chakra output, the energy erupting as violently as the word itself. "POWER!"
BOOM!!!
The sound of superheated air detonating. The brilliant flash made Tenten's pupils contract to pinpricks. The shop girl yelped and stumbled back several steps before steadying herself.
Vivid orange-red flames danced in Hinata's right palm. The fierce light and the waves of heat rolling outward left no doubt—this was not harmless radiance. It was genuine, flesh-scorching fire.
Hinata's white eyes widened fractionally with delight and satisfaction. She could feel her right hand clearly: the heat was still intense, but the pain was entirely manageable. Her palm had fully adapted to this temperature.
This was elemental nature transformation—Fire-nature chakra converted through the gauntlets into its physical manifestation. Compared to ordinary flames, this fire was purer and far more threatening. Hinata's own chakra served as fuel, and judging by the rate of consumption, the drain was almost negligible.
"Mm... absolutely perfect. We can sign that receipt now."
Hinata's fingers snapped shut, crushing the dancing flame into a burst of sparks. The pale-eyed girl allowed herself a rare, dazzling smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"No... not at all, it's our pleasure..."
Tenten stammered through her reply, looking thoroughly drained. Hinata hadn't shown a single hint of hostility toward her, but the sheer force of the girl's presence had been overwhelming.
Just as Hinata was contentedly signing the receipt, a cold, sharp voice cut through the air from the shop entrance—utterly unexpected.
"So. The rumors are true."
The boy's voice was clear and cutting, threaded with undisguised contempt and a trace of something deeper—hatred. Tenten looked up in surprise, and when she recognized the face, her shock doubled. "Neji? What are you doing—"
Well. Looks like something annoying and troublesome just turned up.
Hinata's pen paused for the briefest instant, then continued until she'd finished writing her name. Only then did she turn, slowly, to regard the boy standing in the doorway.
He had the hallmark white eyes. Long hair framed a face so refined it barely looked masculine, but the cutting intensity in his gaze and the arms-crossed posture broadcast arrogance and frigid hostility.
And something more—a pointed hatred and contempt aimed squarely at Hinata.
Hyuga Neji. Hinata's cousin. The son of her father Hiashi's younger brother, Hizashi.
Or rather...
The corner of Hinata's mouth curled upward. She felt it clearly—that dark, malice-stained thrill stirring inside her. Because of the way this pale-eyed boy was looking at her.
"Well, well. If it isn't the Hyuga clan's genius? No..."
"The branch house's poor little wretch."