Kapitel 68: Nah, I'd Win

Read with a peace of mind, don't rush things....

words [3100]

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"Oh brother, don't act so innocent. You know what I want to see, hehe," I whispered in his ear. As I saw his cheeks turning red, something in my heart tingled. His embarrassment was so precious that it made me tease him more.

But Arya, sitting in his lap, turned her head upwards towards us and asked innocently, "What do you want to see, sister? Can we also see it?"

This little cute thing, how could I deny her? "Of course, you can see if Big Brother allows it." Both Hanbai and Arya looked at Neji curiously, their big round white eyes asking for permission to see what their big sister wanted to see. "Big brother, can we see it?"

Neji's eyes started to turn sharp with a slightly cold glint. "Forget about what she said and focus on your training. Do you understand?"

"Okay, brother," both of them nodded obediently, their sad faces indicating they knew they had said something wrong to make their brother angry.

But when he looked at their sad faces, his eyes softened. With a sigh, he ruffled their heads, a soft smile on his face. "Don't take her banter seriously, okay? And don't be sad. I will teach you a new jutsu."

It was obvious that he couldn't stand to see them sad. That's why I liked him; he was the best brother, overprotective, and kind to his family.

That's why I could spoil them without any worries because I knew he would be there to put them in line so they didn't get distracted or slack off.

Immediately, both of their sad faces turned into bright smiles. "We want to learn two new jutsus!"

The lure of teaching jutsus was like sweet candy to them.

"Okay," he nodded at them with a satisfied smile.

Then both of them turned towards me, 'Why are they turning towards me?' and pointed their tiny fingers at me with accusatory eyes, and in a demanding tone, they said, "Because of you, big brother is angry with us. You tricked us. Now you too will teach us two new jutsus."

"Huh… me… how did I trick you?" I didn't know what they were talking about.

I then looked at Neji, who was smiling at me. Seeing my innocent and clueless face, he said, "Oh sister, don't act so innocent. You know what they are talking about, hehe."

'Has this happened before?' Then it clicked in my mind. "Are you using my own words against me, brother?"

He just smiled at me. Then I looked at the two pairs of eyes staring at me intensely. "Okay, dry up your tears. You have earned two more jutsu."

"Hehe, thank you, sister," both of them giggled happily.

There are only a few people who can demand something from me and walk with their heads on their shoulders. They could be counted on one hand, and the three people were right in front of me.

Suddenly, Hanabi spoke up, "I am hungry, sister. Cook something."

"And here comes another demand," I remarked.

"Yup," she nodded.

"What about Mother?" I asked.

"Hehe, we told her that you will cook for us, so you don't have to worry about Mother," Arya proudly declared.

'Decisions are made around me without my concern. Nice. Let's see what else they have to say.'

"Why are you girls so demanding? Why do I have to cook and not Mother?" I asked curiously.

Without any hesitation, they spoke with a look that said, You belong to us as if I were entitled to them. "Because you are our big sister."

'Ohh… that line… it causes some critical damage to my heart. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree; the genes are there.'

With a satisfied smile, I nodded to them. "That's a fair point."

"Both of you go with Big Brother and hunt for something to eat. In the meantime, I will take a bath. You know I have just woken up, okay?" Then I disappeared from there.

--*--

"Shall we?" Neji asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Let's go!" both Arya and Hanabi grinned in excitement, holding Neji's fingers as they walked towards the forest.

The forest spanned around 5-6 kilometers in radius and fell under the jurisdiction of the Hyuga clan. One side of the forest was lined with the large walls of the village.

Sunlight filtered through the foliage, casting dappled patterns on the forest floor. With thick, towering trunks of trees, lush green leaves and grass, falling leaves, and a cool breeze ruffling the morning dew on the grass tips, the whole atmosphere was transformed into a realm of pure tranquility.

Amidst the chirping of birds, joyful laughter filled the forest as the sisters joked with their brother.

"Here it is," Neji remarked, looking at the large pond in front of him. As he tilted his head to look at them, both Arya and Hanabi had disappeared and appeared on different trees, hanging upside down.

"Byakugan!" With a burst of chakra, both of them activated their eyes, causing an invisible shockwave to slightly tremble the leaves around them.

"Hehe, I will catch more fish than you!" Both of their eyes locked with each other, and with a cheeky grin, they clasped their hands and extruded their palms toward the lake. From their fingertips, tens of strings expelled and dipped into the pond.

From their eyes, they could see everything beneath the water's surface, and in a matter of minutes, the bucket that Neji was holding was filled completely.

"That was easy," Neji nodded in satisfaction.

In the meantime, he had also hunted a wild boar. Hunting was easy for a trained shinobi, but it was even easier for a Byakugan user who could see through everything for hundreds to thousands of meters. There was no escape; once their eyes were locked on the prey, the prey was done for.

While walking towards the training ground, which was a 20-minute walk for an average person, Arya looked at her brother, sensing that something was bothering her. "Hey big brother, there's something I want to ask you."

Neji looked down at her with a smile. "Hmm, go on, I am listening."

"The Rotation, why can't we do it just like you?" There were slight annoyances in her eyes as to why. Every jutsu they learned was effortless for them considering their talent and the person who was teaching them.

However the rotation was different; the standard one was learned without any problem, but the rotation they were talking about was what Neji uses.

"You know we have been practicing it for more than a year," Hanabi also looked at Neji with expectation in her eyes.

The standard speed of rotation was 1200 km/h, which was already surpassed by Neji long ago. Stopping the spinning chakra at this speed, controlling it, and then absorbing it back into his body without losing any chakra—all of this was done even before the blink of an eye. Neji knew rotation better than anyone. After all, it was six years of hard work.

And he was an absolute beast when it came to chakra control, second only to Hinata.

He looked at the naive brats, a laugh escaping from his lips. "Haha, you know it took me 5 years to perform this jutsu. You can't do it in 1 or 2 years," he bluntly told them the truth.

But rather than being disappointed or discouraged, a fire lit in their eyes. "We will do it in 4 years," they clenched their fists tightly and declared.

"Hahaha, I believe you can do it," with an encouraging smile, he ruffled and patted their heads.

As they walked, Hanabi asked, "Brother, in a fight of 'rotation' with big sister, who would win? Would you lose?"

Neji, with a mysterious smile, shook his finger. "Nah, I'd win."

--*--

The bathroom door slid open. With a towel in her hand, Hinata walked out with a blissful expression on her face while drying her hair. She put her hand on her head and slicked her hair backward; only one strand of hair fell on her face.

With the purest of pure white Byakugan in her left eye and an eye similar to the Byakugan but encasing thousands of shattered mirrors in her right eye, she revealed both of her eyes.

Her right eye was truly beautiful, and only a few people had the privilege to see it.

It had been years since she had awakened her eye, and until now, nobody knew what powers it contained. This condition was permanent; it couldn't be turned off.

"Where is mommy?" she whispered silently as she walked towards the kitchen.

'There she is,' she thought, looking at her mother from behind. Her lips started to curl upwards as she walked towards her on her tiptoes as silently as she could.

"Hinata, don't try to scare me, you know I can see you," her mother said without turning back.

Hinata pouted cutely when she got caught. In the past, she had literally given her mother heart attacks.

Despite having the Byakugan, her mother had fallen victim to her, nobody knew how she pulled it off. Here's a little fact: the Byakugan's 360-degree vision works passively, they activate their eyes to use X-ray vision or to see through objects.

Now that she was caught, there was no point in hiding. She walked towards her mother, wrapped her hands around her waist, lifted herself onto her tiptoes, and put her chin on her mother's shoulder. With a smile, she whispered, "Good morning, Mom."

Her mother nodded and said sweetly, "Good morning, baby."

Hinata, being a naughty child, started to tickle her mother's belly. "Where is father?"

"Hahaha, stop tickling my belly," her mother felt an annoyingly funny sensation and jerked away from Hinata.

But when she tried to tickle Hinata, she jumped back and sat on the chair, giggling with ecstasy from the bottom of her heart. She said, "You can't tickle me, Mommy."

"Hmph, you brat, do what you want. As for your question, your father is in his office. I am making breakfast for him and the boy," she replied as she immersed herself in her food.

Hinata just laughed at her mother's reaction. It was their daily routine, making food together for the rest of the family, sometimes with Hinata teasing her for no reason. Her mother scolded her for being too naughty. Amidst the funny, witty, and playful banter, they were nonetheless a happy family.

"Let me help you," just like every day, Hinata stood up from her chair and started to make breakfast with her mother.

Soon, the delicious smell of the meal started to fill the kitchen. With a satisfied hum and nod, she approved the taste; it was as amazing as always.

"How are your days at the academy?" her mother asked Hinata while properly setting the table.

"Nothing special. I perform above average in everything, not grabbing any attention to myself just as you asked me to do," Hinata replied with a proud smile, obeying her mother's instructions.

"Hehe, that's my daughter," her mother ruffled her hair and with a sweet smile continued, "I am really proud of you, my daughter. You take care of your sisters, and brother, help me in the kitchen, and maintain the clan's paperwork with your father. You also train very hard to set a good example for the clan members."

Hearing sudden praises from her mother, a blush tainted Hinata's cheeks red. She cutely turned her face away and whispered, "Stop it, mother."

"Haha, look at your face, it's so adorable," her mother giggled at Hinata's embarrassed face. She loved teasing her daughter so much.

Hinata sneakily stole a glance at her mother, finding her wording quite familiar.

Hinata lifted her face and looked at her mother. Was she really feeling embarrassed and shy from her mother's compliments? Nobody knew except herself, but her face said yes.

"I just tell you what came to my mind,"

"I am not saying that I don't like it," Hinata quietly whispered as she started to serve another plate.

Her mother looked at the plate and asked, "So, how many more years are you going to feed that boy by yourself?"

Sifting her gaze towards her mother with a slight smile, she said, "Until he tells me to stop."

"It's been 5 years since you saved him. The good thing is that he has recovered from his trauma, thanks to you, but he still hasn't opened up to everyone,"

She was proud of her daughter for saving an innocent kid despite the many risks. If anyone found out that they were hiding an Uchiha kid, it could cause serious problems for their clan. But she was proud that she had raised her daughter well. In this world, killing a person is as easy as snapping fingers, but saving someone, showing kindness, and taking care is something not everyone can do.

"That's his nature. There's no reason to force him to open up to others. He is happy with the things he has," Hinata picked up the plate and started to walk toward the exit.

"See you in the evening, Mother," she waved her hand and exited the kitchen.

"Have a great day, sweetie."

---

After saying goodbyes for the day to her mother, Hinata, with a plate full of nutritious food, entered a separate house a few meters away.

*Step*

Her steps echoed on the wooden floor with perfect harmony. With each passing moment, she drew closer to a closed door.

*Slid*

The door to a very large hall opened, revealing a boy with fair skin and black hair.[img]

"Yuki, the food is here," Hinata's sweet voice woke him from his trance. His eyes shifted from the scroll he was reading to Hinata, who was patiently watching him.

He quickly folded the scroll and neatly placed it in the large bookshelf. Tying the katana of his size to his waist, he walked towards Hinata with slightly hurried footsteps.

He tilted his head from left to right to see if there was anyone else with Hinata. When he found that there was no one, he softly hugged her waist. "Mother, how long were you watching me? Did I make you wait?"

No matter how many times she had heard him calling her mother, the sweet feeling she felt in her heart was just like the first time—so heavy, so pleasant, so delightful.

When they were in public, he called her big sister; this was their little secret hidden from the world.

Hinata looked down, thinking, 'The world may never know the depth of your love for me, but that's okay because it's only meant for us two.'

After feeling a little pat on his back, he parted with her and sat down on the chair.

"No, you didn't make me wait. But if you make your food wait any longer, it will turn cold," with a gesture, she indicated for him to start eating.

With her cheeks between her palms and a slight smile on her lips, she looked at the peacefully eating boy. Her eyes shined for an instant. 'This boy, he's going to cause me some trouble in the future.'

In less than five minutes, Yuki had finished his food. With a curious look in his eyes, he asked, "Am I going to enroll in the academy?"

Hinata shook her head in denial. "No, you're not going to waste your time."

And just like an obedient boy, he didn't ask any further; he simply nodded.

Hinata also nodded in acknowledgment. That's the quality of a good boy.

Standing up from her chair, Hinata appeared in the middle of the hall. "Now, let me see how much you have progressed since last week."

Without any hesitation, Yuki unleashed his katana so fast that it was invisible to the naked eye. With a gust of wind, the sound of air hollowing and cutting followed, but...

*Tang*

The boy only heard the sound of something being clipped. When he slightly moved his eyes, his katana was firmly locked between Hinata's thumb and index finger.

With a simple tap of her other finger on the katana's surface, the coating of green wind was dispersed into thin air.

Yuki poured all of his strength into pulling his katana back, but it didn't even budge. In the end, he gave up.

*Click*

He sheathed his katana back when Hinata let it go. Taking a deep breath, he whispered, "I didn't even see you move, even with my Sharingan."

She just laughed at his naivety. Instead of scolding or discouraging him, she encouraged him, ruffling his hair as she said, "You have become strong. With each passing day, you are progressing, and that's what matters."

After cheering him up and answering all his questions related to training, she pulled out a scroll and a pair of highly sensitive bells.

"Remember some years ago you asked me to teach you the little trick about genjutsu. Here it is—everything I discovered and know about genjutsu, both visual and sound-based. This pair of bells is highly sensitive to motion. Once you are able to stabilize them while performing daily tasks or fighting, no one will be able to sense your presence. Combined with your eyes, you will be unstoppable."

"Thank you," he slightly bowed in gratitude and placed the scroll in his pocket. But when the bell left Hinata's hand, it started to ring.

After tying the bells to his waist, he stood still, but even after standing still, the bells kept ringing slightly. Clenching his fists tightly, he went completely still, but he could still feel the bells ringing.

"Haha, see, I told you," she just laughed at his actions; they were hilarious.

Yuki sighed again. He didn't know why, but every time she performed any jutsu, it looked flawless and so easy. But when it came to his hands, let's just say things didn't go the way they looked.

"Do you want anything else?" she asked before leaving the room.

"Nope," he shook his head and opened the scroll with excitement. He had so many things to learn.

Before leaving the room, she glanced at the boy. 'If a nobody like Obito can manage to achieve what he achieved under Madara in just three years, you, my boy, are in a league above everyone else. Be proud; you are the luckiest Uchiha ever lived.'

—*--