Hinata Hyūga wandered the streets, dazed.
When she used to skip class, Kitazawa was always with her—she never had to think, just follow. But now, she was alone.
After walking for a while, an idea struck her, and she made her way back to the small grove.
This time, fear no longer filled her mind.
Hinata took a deep breath and began her tree-climbing training.
Perhaps it was because her mindset had shifted, but today, everything felt smoother than before.
By noon, she had finally reached the top of a tree for the very first time.
Clenching her fists, she gave a little wave, a bright smile spreading across her small face.
A glance at the sun reminded her of the time, and she quickly leapt down, rushing back toward the academy.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Hinata trotted into the office.
"Right on time?"
Kitazawa put down his lunchbox with a teasing smile. "Looks like my Lunch Summoning Jutsu has reached perfection."
"I…"
Hinata's cheeks flushed red, at a loss for words.
It really wasn't because she wanted to eat faster.
"Come eat."
Kitazawa chuckled at her flustered expression.
Embarrassed, yet obedient, she sat across from him.
"Where did you go this morning?"
Kitazawa handed her a pair of chopsticks.
"I finished the tree-climbing training."
Prompted by his question, Hinata lifted her head and confessed proudly.
"Nicely done. You're the first to complete it—even Sasuke hasn't managed that yet."
Their eyes met, and his words carried genuine praise.
Hinata's lips curled upward. Her little feet swung beneath the table, unable to stay still.
It wasn't her first time being praised—but it was her first time being praised by someone whose recognition mattered to her.
In her heart, Kitazawa's place was now second only to Hiashi Hyūga.
"Better chakra control will help you greatly with Gentle Fist."
Kitazawa thought for a moment. "But climbing trees alone isn't enough."
"I'll keep working hard!"
Hinata's pale eyes sparkled.
If she could master Gentle Fist quickly, maybe her father would finally approve of her.
Kitazawa understood.
Just like Sasuke, she longed for her father's acknowledgment.
But their struggles were the same.
As the saying went: comparisons are cruel.
Sasuke had Itachi. Hinata had Neji.
And Neji was an undeniable prodigy.
In the original story, he mastered Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms and Rotation—techniques supposedly exclusive to the Hyūga main family—through sheer self-study.
"Have you awakened your Byakugan yet?"
Kitazawa bit into a shrimp tempura as he asked.
The Uchiha needed talent and intense emotion to awaken the Sharingan. But the Hyūga? Awakening came through training.
In theory, every Hyūga ninja could open their eyes.
But unlike the Uchiha, their path ended there. No one-tomoe, two-tomoe, three-tomoe, or Mangekyō stages to ascend.
That's why Neji's potential, in the long run, could never match Sasuke's.
And in truth, Neji never even reached a "long run."
"No…"
Hinata shook her head.
Kitazawa wasn't surprised.
In the canon timeline, Hinata first revealed her Byakugan during the Chūnin Exams.
The exact awakening moment was unclear, but it definitely wasn't this early.
Kitazawa scooped up a bite of rice, chewing slowly.
When it came to the Byakugan and Gentle Fist, he was no expert—he couldn't guide her much.
But he already had hope.
Once he completed Hinata's task, the Byakugan would be his.
"There's a monthly exam in April."
Kitazawa thought aloud. "Do you want to aim for first place?"
"M-me?"
Hinata blinked, puzzled.
"I can give you special training."
His idea? Public speaking.
Nothing trained courage like standing in front of a crowd.
And after the monthly exam, the top students were required to give a speech.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei."
Hinata didn't fully understand, but she couldn't bring herself to refuse.
"It's nothing."
Kitazawa smiled, not yet mentioning the speech.
Afternoon arrived.
Today's combat class focused on shuriken instead of kunai.
Each ninja tool had its own quirks, requiring time to master.
For the academy's prodigies, however, it was hardly a hurdle.
On a quiet training field—
What had started as one-on-one lessons for Sasuke now included Hinata, Ino, Naruto, and Yakumo.
"Naruto, Yakumo—go run laps."
Kitazawa gave instructions. "Ino, Sasuke—practice tree climbing."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto bolted off without hesitation, full of energy.
Yakumo, watching his lively figure, felt a pang of envy.
Still, she obeyed, starting a slow jog.
"Kitazawa-sensei."
Ino tilted her head curiously. "Isn't Hinata practicing tree climbing too?"
"She's already finished it."
Kitazawa smiled.
"Wow, amazing!"
Ino couldn't help but exclaim.
She'd tried tree climbing herself—she knew how tough it was.
Sasuke stiffened, fists clenching.
Hinata… beat him to it?
The so-called genius grit his teeth and rushed to climb.
"Wait for me, Sasuke-kun!"
Ino scrambled after him.
"Hinata, you and I will train over there."
Kitazawa gestured to a tree. "Same exercise, but this time—you'll dodge my throws."
He drew two wooden kunai.
"I understand!"
Hinata nodded firmly.
Climbing while being harassed with projectiles—without a doubt, far harder.
But though timid on the surface, Hinata possessed quiet resilience. She wouldn't run from hardship.
Chakra surged to her feet, and she began climbing.
"Careful, Hinata."
Kitazawa warned, tossing a kunai.
For now, he reminded her before each throw.
Once she adapted, there would be no warnings.
Hinata quickly dodged.
Half an hour later, Sasuke reached the treetop at last.
Exhaling in relief, he smiled.
Then, as if struck by inspiration, he leapt down.
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!
On an open patch of ground, Sasuke formed hand seals in excitement.
Chakra roared forth, shaping into a blazing fireball.
He froze.
Before, his Fireball Jutsu barely matched the size of his fist. Now, it was two and a half times larger than a basketball.
If it struck an enemy, it would leave them gravely injured.
More importantly—it was already a quarter the size of the fireball Itachi had once shown.
One week of training had brought this much progress.
In a month, would he finally earn his father's approval?
Just picturing Fugaku saying, "As expected of my son," made Sasuke clutch his forehead, trembling.
At last, he could no longer contain it—
"Hahahahaha!"
Sasuke threw back his head and laughed madly.
Kitazawa's mouth twitched. He glanced at the cloudless sky. Of course—such a bright, sunny day.
And then—four lines of text suddenly flashed before his eyes.
[Your lifelong rival, Uchiha Sasuke, is brimming with pride and has issued you a challenge.]
[Current Mission: Wait until Sasuke's Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu surpasses Itachi's, then surpass his with your own.]
[Reward: Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame.]
[Accept Mission?]
Oh, come on.
This system really had a cruel sense of humor.
But Kitazawa couldn't deny—he liked it.
Even without the reward, he'd want to rise to the challenge.
And the reward itself? Worth every effort.
The Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame—an advanced Fire Jutsu of B-rank difficulty.
In the original story, its might was undeniable.
During the Fourth Great Ninja War, more than twenty Water Style users—most of them jōnin—had to combine their Water Walls to withstand Madara's Majestic Destroyer Flame.
Difficulty didn't define its ceiling. This was a jutsu with terrifying potential.