Chapter 13: The Demon Cat and the Wiggling Sweater part-2
"We got him!" Kiba cheered, holding up the cage. Tora was hissing inside. "Mission accomplished!"
Kiba looked at Shikamaru. "Oh, hey Shikamaru. What are you doing here?"
"Buying eggs," Shikamaru said, holding up a shattered carton of eggs that he had been carrying. "Or I was. Now I am making an omelet on the pavement."
I looked at the broken eggs. Guilt washed over me.
"I will pay for them!" I blurted out. "I have money! Please let me pay!"
"It is fine," Shikamaru waved his hand dismissively. "It is too much effort to argue. Just... try not to fall on me next time. Or at least warn me."
He walked away, hands in his pockets, muttering about "troublesome women" and "crazy cat ladies."
We returned Tora to Madame Shijimi at the mission desk. The large woman hugged the cat so tight I thought its eyes would pop out.
"Oh, my poor Tora! Did the nasty ninjas hurt you?"
Tora looked at me with pure hatred. I looked back with equal fear.
"Mission complete," Iruka said, stamping our paper. He looked at us. "Why is Hinata covered in cat hair? And why does Kiba have a paw print on his face?"
"Do not ask," Kiba grumbled.
We walked out of the tower. The sun was setting.
"That was exhausting," Kiba said, stretching. "But hey, we got paid! 500 Ryo each!"
"Bark!"
"I require a shower," Shino stated. "Cat dander is irritating."
"I... I am going home," I said softly. "See you tomorrow."
I turned to leave, but the System chimed.
[Ding!]
[Daily Summary:]
Mission: Success.Dignity: Failure.Shy Points Earned: 600 (Shikamaru Encounter) + 500 (Mission Reward) = 1,100.Total Shy Points: 4,700.
[Special Offer: You have accumulated enough points to purchase a 'Skill Scroll'. Would you like to browse?]
I paused. A skill scroll?
(Maybe something that actually helps me be a ninja?)
"Show me," I thought.
[Shop - Skill Section:]
Skill: "The Slippery Escape" (Active): Coats your body in a frictionless chakra layer. Makes you impossible to grab, but also impossible to hold things. (Cost: 3,000 Points).Skill: "Blush Concealer" (Passive): Your face no longer turns red. Instead, you emit steam from your ears. (Cost: 1,000 Points).Skill: "Accidental Counter-Attack" (Passive): When you trip, there is a 50% chance you will accidentally kick your opponent in a vital area. (Cost: 4,500 Points).
My eyes widened at the third option. Accidental Counter-Attack.
That... that actually sounded useful. If I was going to trip anyway, I might as well weaponize it. It was basically Drunken Fist, but Clumsy Fist.
"I will buy the Accidental Counter-Attack," I decided.
[Transaction Complete. Remaining Points: 200. Passive Skill Acquired. Warning: Please do not stand near allies when tying your shoes.]
I felt a strange tingle in my legs. I felt... dangerous. In a very uncoordinated way.
I walked home, feeling slightly more confident.
"Hinata!"
I jumped. Neji was standing at the gate of the compound again. He looked angry.
"Father wishes to speak with you," Neji said. "About the incident with the tea."
My confidence evaporated.
(The tea. The crotch scald. I forgot about that.)
"Y-Yes, Neji-niisan," I whispered.
I walked past him. As I passed, my foot scuffed the ground.
[System Alert: Trip Detected. Skill "Accidental Counter-Attack" Triggered.]
I stumbled. My right leg shot out instinctively to regain balance.
It was a beautiful, high-arcing back-kick.
My heel connected solidly with Neji's thigh.
Thwack.
"Gah!" Neji grunted, his leg buckling. He dropped to one knee.
He looked up at me, eyes wide with shock. He hadn't even seen it coming because it was so clumsy and random.
"Did you..." Neji hissed. "Did you just strike me?"
I stood there, balancing on one leg, looking just as shocked as he was.
(I just kicked Neji. I just kicked the genius Neji and brought him to his knees.)
"I... I..."
[Ding!]
[Critical Hit! You have struck a superior Hyuga.]
[Reward: 500 Shy Points.]
[System Comment: Nice shot. He never saw it coming. Run.]
"Sorry!" I yelled, and I sprinted into the compound, leaving a confused and limping Neji staring at my dust.
Maybe this System wasn't so bad after all.
...........................
Name: Hinata HyugaShy Points: 700.Active Skills: Iron Skirt Jutsu, Accidental Counter-Attack (Level 1).Victims List: Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, Shino, Kurenai, Asuma, Shikamaru, Neji.Reputation: The clumsy girl who is strangely dangerous.
...........................…..
The sun had barely risen over the Hidden Leaf Village, and I was already engaged in a high-stakes mission: escaping my own house without seeing Neji.
After accidentally kicking the Hyuga prodigy in the thigh yesterday, I was convinced he was plotting my demise. I imagined him waiting around every corner, ready to seal my chakra points or lecture me on the inevitability of destiny.
I crept along the wall of the compound, moving with the silence of a ghost.
(Left foot. Right foot. Do not breathe. Do not sneeze. Do not exist.)
[System Notification: Stealth Mode Active. Current Stealth Rating: 4/10. You are breathing too loud. Also, your shoes are untied.]
I froze. I looked down. My left sandal strap was indeed loose.
(If I bend down to tie it, I might fall over. If I don't tie it, I will definitely trip. It is a paradox of clumsiness.)
I decided to risk the untied shoe and shuffled out the side gate. I made it to the rendezvous point at the village entrance without dying or assaulting any family members. Success.
Team Eight was already waiting. Kiba looked pumped, Akamaru was barking at a butterfly, and Shino was standing perfectly still, likely communicating with a subterranean colony of ants.
"Morning, Hinata!" Kiba grinned, adjusting his heavy fur-lined jacket. "Ready for the big leagues? Kurenai Sensei said we got approved for a C-Rank!"
My heart stopped. "A C-Rank? But... those involve bandits. And travel. And sleeping outside."
"Exactly!" Kiba punched the air. "Finally, some real action! No more cats!"
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