The smell of sake and morning perfume was replaced by the smell of hot tea and paper. The air in the room was tranquil, and an older man was seated, drinking tea slowly, his eyes fixed on Akihiro. It was Danzo Shimura.
'Damn… out of the frying pan, into the fire…'
Akihiro stood, uncomfortable. His body was still tense from the fight and the threat of the seal. Hiashi sat in front of Danzo, adjusting his clothes, not giving a damn about Akihiro's presence.
"The Hyūga clan has always been a pillar of strength for the Hidden Leaf Village," Danzo began, his voice hoarse. "I'm glad we've reached an agreement,"
Hiashi remained unshaken. "The Hyuga clan will always be an undeniable ally of the Hidden Leaf, of course we would help in the prosperity of the village."
Danzo let out a dry laugh. "Your words resonate with me, the village's interest is and always will be the most important. I wonder what made you change your mind?"
"Our eyes are a treasure, not a disposable tool," Hiashi retorted, his voice low and full of control. "I will not hand over my clan to your political faction. Our destiny is to protect the village from within, not to spread terror through it. Therefore, when you ask for my help in prosperity and offer me a reasonable proposal. I am happy to accept."
Akihiro felt a chill down his spine. He was in the middle of a discussion that seemed to have years of history. The tension in the room was palpable. Hiashi's calmness contrasted with Danzo's dark energy.
Danzo turned his eyes to Akihiro. "A member of the branch family, right? I was told you have a peculiar talent."
'My recent discovery in kenjutsu has already reached Danzo...? But I'm not really that important...'
Akihiro clenched his fists, feeling the sweat trickle down the back of his neck. He felt like an object on display, a bargaining chip in the negotiation.
Danzo continued "For a young ninja to have the talent to attract so much female attention, that is impressive. Our Anbu is willing to make use of that talent of yours"
'Woman… what? wtf?'
Hiashi broke the silence. "Akihiro's talent is his. His journey is his. It is not a political tool."
"Peculiar talent... yes," Danzo murmured, a grim smile on his face. "But a wasted talent if not molded. I can mold him, Hiashi. I can turn him into something useful."
Danzo emphasized "we already talked about this, your birdcage is useful, but if we let blood flow to the village it can decrease the pressure on your clan. you should follow the path of my master's clan. let the Senju be your guide"
Hiashi uncomfortable "…no, we still haven't accepted that. we can agree to use him for your lineage experience, but, only about what we have already agreed on. you must not harm him. just do what… we have already agreed on"
'What the hell am I being negotiated, I'm being sold... right?'
Danzo looks at me with a strange half-smile "don't worry, young Hyuga. only some tests on the limits of your kekkei genkai will be done to help your clan and above all the village to make better use of its assets."
Akihiro uncomfortably dared to ask "Lord Danzo. May I ask what I will really have to do?"
Hiashi interrupts "you shouldn't be worried, only tests with medical ninjas will be done and nothing intrusive, no harm will be done to you"
'So why does it have to be me? why don't I have living parents? why doesn't anyone intercede...? or...'
Danzo "don't worry, boy, just know that at some point the Root will come for you and you must follow them to do some tests, and that's it now you can go" he waved his hand as if dealing with a fly and looked back at the clan master.
Hiashi "Now go, and wait for your summons"
Akihiro clenched his fists.
'Shit…'
-
The Hokage's office was an oasis of tranquility in the center of bustling Konoha. Silk curtains moved gently with the breeze, and the scent of sandalwood incense hung in the air. In the center of the room, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat behind his desk, his expression tired, but his eyes filled with a wisdom that seemed older than time itself.
In front of him, Team 69 lined up. Akihiro, with the rigid posture of a soldier. Sayuri, a hand on her waist, with the elegance of a princess. Reika, with contained energy, her fists clenched as if ready for a fight. And Mika, who looked at the ceiling, bored, chewing gum with an energy that seemed ready to explode.
Nezuko, the sensei, stood in front of her team, her expression impassive, a black-covered book already open in her hands. She was so calm that it seemed as if the chaos of the outside world did not affect her.
"It's the first time you've worked as a team, and the first missions are always the most important," the Hokage began, his voice gentle but firm. "They forge character, teach you to work in a group, and to value the work that keeps the village running."
Reika let out a silent laugh. She had already done B- and C-rank missions before joining Team 69. She was only there as a form of punishment for not getting along with other ninjas. The Hokage's words seemed childish.
The Hokage cleared his throat and continued. "Your first missions will be D-Rank. I have a list here... let's see." He took a scroll and unrolled it. "D-level mission: Find Mrs. Tanaka's pet cat."
Mika stopped chewing her gum. "Cat?" she whispered, her voice full of disbelief.
"D-level: help clean Mr. Takahashi's vegetable garden."
"Garden?" Mika asked, her voice getting louder.
"D-level: paint the wall of the Nara Clan cemetery."
"D-level: massage the back of the elder Homura."
"...Massage an old man?" Reika asked indignantly. "Never!".
"Fufufu..." Sayuri brought her hand to her lips, hiding a cruel smile as she reveled in her teammates' torment.
Akihiro closed his eyes. He had trained his whole life to be capable, to protect himself and those important to him. He had been through hell to become a genin. And now, he was going to paint walls. It was expected, but still anticlimactic.
"D-level mission: weed the gardens of Konoha."
"Ah, this is ridiculous!" Mika shouted, her indignation exploding like a small volcano. "I'm not going to weed! I'm a ninja! I'm a Kunoichi!"
Sayuri turned and slapped Mika's head with the delicacy of a peacock. "Mika, shut up. We're in front of the Hokage!"
Mika grumbled, but obeyed. The Hokage just smiled, his eyes closed. He knew Mika's protest was the expected reaction.
"These are your missions," he said, the smile still on his face. "The reward is ten thousand Ryo per mission." He handed the scroll to Nezuko. "I hope you do well."
Nezuko took the scroll and turned to the team. "All right. The missions start tomorrow. Be ready."
Akihiro looked at his hands. The same hands that had been trained to use the Gentle Fist would now be used to weed and massage the elder Homura since he wouldn't be comfortable letting the girls do it...
The irony did not leave him in peace. He felt a pang of disappointment but suppressed it with the same efficiency with which he suppressed his emotions.
The days that followed merged into a monotonous and frustrating repetition. The life of a ninja, which they imagined to be full of adventure and danger, was, in fact, a long, tedious, and above all, peaceful routine.
The first mission was the easiest: finding Mrs. Tanaka's cat. The mission was perfect for the chaos of Team 69. Mika, in her attempt to be "useful," summoned a clone to help her. The clone, however, ran away from the original, scaring the cat and causing it to run up a tree.
Sayuri, trying to maintain her composure, tried to persuade the cat to come down. "Kitty, kitty, please come down," she said, her voice soft, but the cat just meowed furiously. Her patience ran out.
Reika, who was bored, decided that the best way to help would be to shake the tree hard, which caused the terrified cat to fall onto Sayuri's head. Sayuri screamed, the cat scratched her, and Reika let out a laugh.
Akihiro, in the midst of the chaos, activated the Byakugan and found the cat in seconds. It was cheating, but it was fair. It was hidden in a tree, but his eyes revealed its chakra. He climbed up, grabbed the cat, and handed it to Mrs. Tanaka. The mission was completed, but it took twice as long as it should have.
The next mission was the garden. Mika was covered in dirt, complaining with every move, while Sayuri, impeccable, tried to guide her. Reika, meanwhile, was more interested in tormenting Akihiro.
"Akihiro, you're so proper," she said, her voice full of malice. "Not a speck of dirt on your clothes. What's wrong, the Hyuga prince can't get his hands dirty?"
Akihiro did not respond.
'Prince… if she only knew the truth…'
He was focused on removing the weeds. He didn't want to give Reika the satisfaction of a response.
"What's wrong, genius? Cat got your tongue?" Reika continued, throwing a little dirt on his head.
Akihiro closed his eyes for a second. He felt the dirt in his hair but didn't react. He knew that was what she wanted. He continued his work, ignoring the provocation.
Nezuko, sitting on a nearby rock, read her book, oblivious to everything. Or at least, that's what it seemed like. Her eyes were on the genin, on every movement, every expression. She didn't speak, she didn't intervene. She just watched.
The routine continued. Painting the wall, sweeping the streets, carrying groceries for the elderly. With each mission, the team failed to work together. Reika tried to irritate Akihiro, who ignored her with the efficiency of a robot. Sayuri tried to control Mika, who refused to be controlled. And Mika, with her unpredictable chaos, created accidents on every mission.
Akihiro, in particular, felt more frustrated every day. His training was for dangerous missions. He had the Byakugan, a powerful advantage in the ninja world, but the only thing he was doing was using it to see where the weeds were. He felt a pang of disappointment in his heart.
The life he had imagined, full of adventure, didn't exist. It was just a routine of boredom and frustration.
The last mission, the final torment.
The sun was a few hours from setting when Team 69 arrived at the home of the elder Homura. The old man was sitting in a wooden chair, wrapped in blankets, with an expression of someone who had seen wars, treaties, and... many clumsy genins.
"Ah, you've arrived," Homura said, his voice drawn out. "My back is harder than the village gate. Who will start?"
Akihiro stepped forward, his face paler than usual. "I... was assigned to this task."
Sayuri brought her hand to her mouth, her eyes gleaming with malice. "Fufufu~ What an honor, Akihiro. A Hyuga serving the nation with... gentle hands."
Mika almost fell over laughing. "Go on, show us the Gentle Fist spa version!"
Akihiro knelt behind Homura, trying to maintain his composure. He positioned his hands with surgical precision, as if he were about to apply a secret jutsu. But as he touched the elder's back, he heard a sinister crack.
"AAAHHH... that was good," Homura moaned, with an almost indecent smile. "Harder, boy. Pretend I'm an enemy of the clan!"
Sayuri was crying with laughter. Mika had already taken the gum out of her mouth just so she wouldn't choke from laughing so hard. "Akihiro, be careful not to activate the Byakugan and see more than you should~"
'As if I would want to look at this stinky old man...'
Akihiro closed his eyes, trying to disconnect from reality. He was a ninja. He had trained for infiltration, combat, and survival missions. And now... he was massaging an elder who was moaning as if he were in a clandestine spa.
"This... this is humiliating," he muttered.
"No, this is public service!" Homura said, cracking another vertebra. "You have talent, boy. Ever thought about opening a salon?"
Sayuri fell to the floor, laughing uncontrollably. "Akihiro-kun~ I'm curious, maybe you could massage me sometime?~~"
'It would be a pleasure...'
He finished the session with the dignity of a defeated samurai. Homura stood up, flexing his shoulders. "Better than the young people of the Akimichi Clan. You have magic hands, boy."
Akihiro turned to Nezuko, who watched everything in silence, as always. She just closed her book and said, "Mission accomplished. Next."
Nezuko looked at him with amusement in her eyes. "It was an enriching experience, I suppose?" and she giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.
Akihiro sighed. "I hope I never have to do that again, sensei..."
His sensei looked at him with false surprise. "And here I was thinking of making you the official masseur of our team..." she pretended her legs hurt. "My legs hurt so much... what a shame you don't want these missions anymore~"
Akihiro swallowed hard and looked away. "...Well, for the good of the team, I can sacrifice myself."
Nezuko laughed. "Of course, of course. For the good of the team."
Night fell over Konoha, and Akihiro was back in his house. He sat on the roof, the cold wind on his face, and watched the village lights. D-Rank missions were, in a way, a blessing. He didn't have to worry about rogue ninjas, or danger for now.
But, deep down, he knew that this was not what he was destined to face.
'Danzo is plotting something... and I was sold to him... damn, I'm screwed.'
He thought about his sensei. Nezuko was a jonin-level ninja. And yet, she seemed perfectly content to sit on a rock and read a book while her genin behaved like children.
'Nezuko-sensei is getting more and more intense...'
Akihiro thought about his own clan. The Hyuga clan was full of rules and traditions. He was having a hard time adapting all the techniques, especially difficult when you're your own teacher. Kenjutsu.
Hyuga clan forbade the use of swords, as they were seen as a distraction from the use of the Gentle Fist, so no one in the clan had the ability to help him.
'For a clan with special eyes, they are so blind... clinging to traditions without innovation is the path to failure... I don't remember a single moment where a Hyuga was indispensable... Guy's techniques were far superior...'
Akihiro sighed, the weight of the day still on his shoulders. He slowly stood up, ready to get off the roof, when he heard a soft voice, almost like a whisper carried by the wind.
"You look... tired."
He turned. Hinata was sitting on the neighboring roof, her legs crossed, her pearlescent eyes shining under the moonlight. Her hair swayed slightly in the breeze, and there was something about her presence that calmed the chaos within him.
"Hinata, it's good to see you," he said, surprised. "Do you usually come here?"
She nodded, shyly. "Yes... sometimes. When everything gets... too noisy. Kiba talks non-stop, and Shino... I like silence. And seeing the village lights, so I come here to find space..."
Akihiro approached, sitting on the edge of the roof. "Me too. Silence helps you think. But, you can always come to me. I would have tea with you and stay in silence looking at the moon."
Her face turned rosy. "...Then take care of me."
Akihiro smiled. "Of course, it will be a pleasure.
Hinata watched him for a moment, her gaze filled with something she couldn't say out loud. "You look... sad."
"Not sad," he replied.
'I'm screwed... and apparently your father is the one who screwed me over...'
"Just... frustrated. The missions, the clan, the rules. I wanted more life... more excitement than painting walls and pulling weeds."
Hinata smiled, a small but sincere smile. "I understand. Sometimes, I feel like... I'm trapped. As if the Hyuga clan were a cage..."
Akihiro looked at her, surprised by the hidden strength in her words. "You feel that too?"
'Of course she does. She has so many expectations on her.'
She looked away, blushing slightly. "Yes. But... when I see you... training, trying to... break those barriers... I feel that maybe... I can too."
Akihiro felt his heart race. Hinata, always so reserved, was opening up. And it wasn't just admiration, there was something more there.
'Maybe it's time for us to take the next step...?'
"You're stronger than you think, Hinata," he said, his voice low. "And... I like it when you're around. The silence with you... isn't lonely."
Hinata blushed even more, her eyes shining. "I also like... to be close to you."
He extended his hand to her, his palm open, and her hand touched his. Hinata trembled, her fingers intertwining.
A warmth spread through her hand, and the rhythm of her heart quickened.
He covered her hand, his thumb sliding over her soft skin.
"Hinata..." his whisper made her tremble.
He leaned in, the scent of lavender from her hair filling the air.
Hinata's breathing became shorter.
He felt the warm air of her face on his skin. Her lips parted against his, a delicate touch. He felt her hand close lightly on his, the contact was firm and silent.
Her breath grazed his cheek, uneven. Her lips moved with hesitation, then with more pressure. Her skin was damp, warm. The scent of her hair was sweet, present. He tilted his head, adjusting the angle. Her teeth lightly touched his lower lip.
He responded with a short, direct movement. Her hand squeezed his with more force. His thumb slid along the base of her fingers, feeling the texture of her skin.
She let out a low, almost inaudible sound. He felt her jaw move. The tip of her nose touched his.
The kiss deepened. Her tongue touched his, quickly. He reciprocated. The rhythm increased. Their breathing became heavier. The heat between their bodies grew.
He felt her pulse quicken under his fingers. She moved closer, her knee touching his leg. He didn't pull away.
"...Akihiro-kun..." her sweet voice made Akihiro tremble.
His hands slid down to her waist, his fingers pressing the skin over the fabric. He pulled with firmness, her body pressing against his.
Their lips met again, without hesitation. The pressure increased. His nose touched her cheek. Their breaths mixed. She tilted her head, making space.
He adjusted the angle, his lips moving with more rhythm. Her hand moved up his back, her fingers closing on his shirt. The heat between their bodies grew.
The kiss became longer, deeper. He felt her jaw move, her tongue touching his with more firmness. His hand squeezed her waist with more force.
She let out a muffled sound, her body reacting with a slight tremor.
Akihiro, lost in the moment, moved his hand without thinking to her prominent and elastic buttocks, his delicacy slipping between his fingers.
Akihiro, lost in the moment, moved his hand to the small of her back. His fingers slid, feeling her prominent and elastic butt. He squeezed with firmness, feeling the elastic resistance under his palm. The warm skin and thin fabric did not hide her body's reaction.
Hinata trembled. Her breathing became short. Her eyes were fixed on his, clouded. Her body was shaking.
"...Akihiro-kun, I'm still... not ready to do this..."
Her voice came out low, almost breathless. She did not pull away.
"...but, if you want to... I'll do it..."
Akihiro kept his hand where it was, without increasing the pressure. His gaze moved across her face, evaluating every micro-expression. She did not blink. Her fingers squeezed his with more force.
He slowly moved his hand away, without haste. The contact broke. Hinata lowered her eyes, her body still tense.
"I'm sorry, it's still too early, I was too hasty," Akihiro said with guilt.
"...No... I don't mind... if it's Akihiro-kun... if it's Akihiro-kun, it's okay..."
He brought his hand to her face, which turned slightly, avoiding the contact. His fingers touched the warm skin of her cheek, and he turned her with care, without force. Her eyes were lowered, but she did not resist. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, the touch firm but restrained.
His hands continued to move, sliding over the curves of her body. His fingers passed over her waist, her back, the side of her hip. The touch was slow, without pressure. He sought nothing more than contact. The texture of the fabric under his fingers, the warmth of her skin, the rhythm of her breathing—everything blended in silence.
Hinata did not pull away. Her hand remained on his chest, feeling the movement of his breath. Her eyes were closed. Her body relaxed little by little, her shoulders lowering, the tension dissolving.
Akihiro brought his lips close to her ear, the warmth of his breath touching her skin.
"We have time..." he whispered.
She nodded with an almost imperceptible movement. Her body stayed close, without resistance.
-
Akihiro brought his hand to his lips, still swollen.
He looked at Nezuko's house, just below his own. The light was on, and he could see her silhouette reading a book. A figure of pure calm amid the chaos of his own home.
He felt a flicker of hope in his chest. He had a chance to become a real ninja, to learn something his clan forbade. He could ask Nezuko to help him train in Kenjutsu.