"Hinami... is so cool!"
Inside Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto watched with his jaw dropped as the blind girl beside him finished an entire bowl of noodles without even using chopsticks, gulping down the broth in seconds. On the counter, the stack of empty bowls had already grown taller than Hinami herself.
"That's the twentieth bowl."
"Truly... a terrifying appetite."
Teuchi was sweating profusely, slamming the dough onto the cutting board with renewed vigor. Failing to satisfy a customer's hunger was a greater dishonor to a chef than a scar on a samurai's back.
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at his rather meager wallet, then at the five large bowls next to Naruto, feeling a sudden wave of relief. He was grateful that the boy didn't eat quite as much as the girl.
"Whew... don't worry about it anymore, Old Man Teuchi. I'm about done."
Drinking the last of the broth, Hinami stood up and pulled a thick wad of green bills from her rucksack. Ayame stared at the stack of cash, then at the small change pouch on her apron.
"This... this is far too much."
"It's fine. Keep the change as credit. I'll be back to eat here again."
She hoisted her pack and picked up her cane. Turning her head slightly, she acknowledged the boy who was staring at her with wide eyes. "Goodbye, Naruto-kun."
"Uh, goodbye, Hinami!"
Naruto straightened his neck, a surge of uncontrollable joy washing over him. "Um... Hinami, are we... are we friends now?"
"Mm-hmm."
Hinami's light response drifted back on the breeze as she walked away, settling deep into Naruto's heart.
Many years later, looking up at the high sun while wearing the Hokage's hat, Naruto would often find himself reminiscing about that summer afternoon spent eating ramen with Hinami...
The Gates of the Hyuga
The neatly cut bluestone road leading to the Hyuga compound shimmered with heat. The main gate was a deep ebony, its heavy pillars and crossbeams radiating authority. The doors were inlaid with Eight Trigrams reliefs—the unique symbol of the Hyuga.
Everything about the estate screamed prestige, mystery, and the aura of a great clan.
On either side of the gate stood a guard with white bandages wrapped around his forehead—the mark of the Branch House.
"It's so hot!" Hyuga Sato wiped the sweat from his brow, whispering a complaint.
"Sato, we represent the face of the Hyuga clan. Don't lose your decorum."
"Tch. No one's around at this hour anyway. What decorum is there to lose? Besides, Brother, we're Branch House. We can hardly be called the 'face' of the clan," Sato said with a cynical sneer.
Hyuga Yuto glanced at his brother but said nothing.
The fate of the Branch House was what it was. With the Caged Bird seal carved into their brows, their lives weren't even their own. What was the harm in a little private grumbling?
Thump... thump... thump...
Amidst their chatter, a small figure appeared on the bluestone path. Carrying a cane and wearing a blindfold, Hinami had arrived from Ichiraku.
Watching through her Byakugan, Hinami noted the two Branch House guards. Beyond them, she sensed no other Hyuga members nearby.
Is everyone... taking a nap?
I don't know if it's Konoha that's complacent or just the Hyuga. With guards this lax, it's no wonder Hinata, the eldest daughter of the Main House, could be snatched away by Kumogakure.
As Hinami observed the estate, Yuto spotted her.
"This is the Hyuga compound. Unauthorized personnel are forbidden."
Yuto delivered the expulsion order with a cold, hard voice, his Byakugan looking down at Hinami with practiced disdain. The humility of the Branch House was reserved for the Main House; only when facing outsiders could they reclaim a shred of the pride belonging to a Great Clan.
Thump... thump...
Hinami stepped forward, leaning on her cane. "I am looking for the Great Elder of the Hyuga Main House. I am a friend of his daughter."
"A friend?"
Sato stepped forward, scanning Hinami's appearance. His gaze lingered on her blindfold before he let out a mocking laugh. "Stop lying, little blind girl. The Great Elder doesn't even have a daughter. Where would a friend come from?"
Hinami's eyes narrowed slightly.
The Great Elder has no daughter?
There are very few people in the Main House to begin with. These two look old enough—how could they not know Tenki Hyuga, who only died six years ago? Has the Great Elder been replaced?
"Is the Great Elder of the Main House still Hyuga Kei?"
Hearing the familiar name, the brothers exchanged a look. This girl actually seemed to know him.
"Elder Hyuga Kei is still in office, but he has no daughter, only a son. Little girl, are you sure you have the right person?" Yuto's tone softened slightly upon hearing the Elder's name.
"You... you don't know Tenki Hyuga?"
The Bitter Truth
Hearing the name "Tenki Hyuga," the two men froze. Their expressions suddenly turned dark and venomous.
Sato's eyes flared with resentment.
"That fool? Not only did she die, but she left her precious Byakugan in the Mist, bringing nothing but shame to the Hyuga clan! Do you have any idea how many Branch House members died cleaning up her mess? The Great Elder severed ties with her years ago. He stripped her of her Main House status and struck her name from the clan registers entirely."
"Now get lost, little brat, before we make you regret it!"
Stripped of her Main House status?
Hinami was stunned. She wasn't surprised by the Hyuga's cruelty—a clan that branded its own kin with the Caged Bird and tortured them at will was never going to be "kind." She had been mentally prepared for their toxicity.
But she hadn't expected that her mother, Tenki, would be stripped of her status simply for losing her eyes. They wouldn't even let a dead woman rest in peace.
This changed everything. If Tenki was no longer Main House, then Hinami, as her daughter, would be destined for the Caged Bird.
The plan to return to the Hyuga—was dead.
A Cold Retribution
Hinami suddenly looked past them toward the gate, her voice filled with feigned surprise. "Elder Kei!!"
The brothers instinctively turned their heads.
"...Glargh!"
Two azure whips of water materialized from thin air in Hinami's hands, lashing out instantly. The surging water acted like tentacles, burrowing into Yuto's mouth and nose, pumping gallons of liquid into his stomach.
"Ugh... glug... glug..."
Sato watched in horror as his brother's stomach bloated rapidly. Water continued to pour from Hinami's hands, threatening to burst him from the inside out.
Whoosh!
Sato channeled chakra to his heart, his hands moving to form a seal—
"Ugh... mmph..."
Before the chakra could reach his eyes, a torrent of water slammed into his face, forcing its way into his nostrils. He clawed at the flowing water, but his hands found no purchase.
Sato struggled violently, his oxygen depleting at a terrifying rate. Water flooded his lungs, rupturing his alveoli. Diluted blood backed up into his chest, clutching at his heart like a giant hand.
Suffocation and agony brought a primal terror from the depths of his soul. Through the clear water, he saw the distorted face of the blind girl. Sato's eyes, unable to speak, were filled with desperate pleading and panic.
This girl was nothing like anyone he had ever met. On the surface, she was soft and delicate, but once she struck, she reeked of a sickening scent of blood—as if she had just stepped off a fresh battlefield.
There was no argument. No waste of words.
To her, killing them was as mundane as crushing an ant. It wasn't worth an emotional flare-up, let alone an explanation.
How can such a person exist?
Regret sprouted in Sato's heart like weeds, wrapping around his neck as the oxygen in his lungs vanished. His consciousness began to fade.
"Save... glug..."
Hinami raised her palm, her fingers curling into a claw as the water grew more violent. She clenched her fist in mid-air.
Gulp! Gulp!
Inside the water orbs encasing their heads, two massive pink bubbles appeared. The two guards, their stomachs bloated like balloons, rolled their eyes back and went still.
The Caged Bird Seal activated quietly. A green light flashed through their terror-stricken eyes, completely destroying the internal structure of their eyeballs.
Once she confirmed they were dead, Hinami flicked her right hand.
Splash!
The pink-tinged water receded instantly, drawing out all moisture from their bodies. Two bizarre corpses remained on the ground—drowned, yet desiccated.
Hinami leaned over and performed a rapid series of hand seals, pressing her palms against their foreheads.
Substitution Jutsu: Reverse.
In a puff of smoke, the chakra-wrapped mimics took effect. The two corpses were replaced by two large, sun-dried carp.
She stuffed them into her rucksack.
Hinami looked up one last time at the Eight Trigrams symbol on the Hyuga gate, then turned and vanished from the compound.