When Evan stepped out of the warm sanctuary of Ichiraku Ramen, the world had quietly changed. The sky had bruised into a deep violet, and the evening bustle of Konoha had been replaced by a soft, rhythmic shushing.
Snow was falling.
Small, intricate flakes settled on curved rooftops and skeletal branches, draping the village in a shimmering layer of silver. Even the Great Hokage Rock seemed transformed, its stone faces looking like ancient guardians of a frozen kingdom.
The first snow, Evan thought, pulling his collar tighter. Winter isn't just coming; it's here. He took a shortcut through a quiet, wooded path. But the tranquility didn't last. Discordant sounds reached his ears—sobbing, punctuated by the harsh laughter of bullies.
"Your eyes are disgusting!" a voice sneered.
"Are you even human? You look like a monster!"
"Look at her! White-eyed freak!"
Evan stopped. A cold, heavy weight settled in his stomach. He pushed through frost-covered bushes and found a young girl hunched over, her small frame trembling. Her eyes—pure, milky white and devoid of pupils—were wide with terror.
Hinata Hyuga. In front of her stood three older boys, circling her like clumsy predators. Evan exhaled, a plume of white steam escaping his lips. "I really, really hate scenes like this," he muttered.
He didn't yell. He didn't give a warning.
Boom!
Evan's fist, backed by the explosive vitality of his Senju-tempered muscles, smashed straight into the lead boy's nose. There was a sickening crunch. The boy didn't just fall; he flew, crashing into a deep snowbank.
"AAAH—! My nose!"
The other two bullies froze. "Get him! He's just a little kid!"
They rushed him together. To an ordinary four-year-old, this might have been a threat. To Evan, they moved like they were underwater. He ducked under a wild swing and stepped inside their guard.
Boom. A left hook to the ribs. Boom. A right hook to the jaw.
He didn't use his full strength—he didn't want to kill them—but he used enough. Both boys collapsed into the slush, clutching their injuries and bursting into frantic tears. The predators had become prey in less than ten seconds.
Hinata remained frozen, staring at the boy who had appeared like a ghost from the snow.
"You okay?" Evan asked gently.
She blinked, tears clinging to her lashes. "…Evan?" she whispered.
"You remember me?" he asked with a small smile.
Hinata nodded quickly, her face flushing deep red. "Th-thank you… for… that."
Evan sighed, brushing a snowflake from her hair. "Crying doesn't suit you, Hinata. If someone bites, you have to bite back."
He had met her once a year ago, lost in the village, and walked her back to the Hyuga estate. Before he could say more, the bullies' wailing grew louder.
"I'm bleeding! I'm gonna die!"
Evan's eyes narrowed. "Wait here," he told Hinata. He walked back to the bullies, his voice dropping to a cold, predatory edge. "Stop crying. Or I'll give you a real reason to."
They immediately went silent. Evan didn't want them telling their parents a "demon child" had broken their noses. He needed to erase the evidence. An emerald-green glow gathered in his palm.
[Doctor's Benevolence: Minor Restoration.]
He passed his hand over their faces. The bleeding stopped. The swelling faded. The bruises vanished.
"I'm letting you go," Evan whispered. "But if I ever catch you bullying her again, I won't be this gentle. Understand?"
"We—we're sorry!" they stammered, scrambling away into the darkness.
[Ding!]
[Healed Targets: 3]
[Reward: Constitution +0.3]
It wasn't much, but the efficiency was staggering. He turned back to Hinata. "Come on. I'll walk you home."
They walked in silence. Hinata stayed half a step behind him, carefully stepping into the deep prints he left in the snow. When the high white walls of the Hyuga estate appeared, Evan stopped.
"Go inside," he said. "And Hinata? Try to stay warm."
"Evan…!" she called out as he turned. Her face was bright red. "Can I… can I come play with you sometime? I know where you live now."
Evan smiled. A real one. "Of course. Just know that I train a lot. But you're always welcome."
He gave her his address and watched until the white blur of the snow swallowed her.
Neither noticed the figure on a nearby rooftop. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, let out a long puff of smoke from his pipe. He looked at the deep prints of the boy and the hesitant prints of the girl following him.
"A medical touch… and the strength of a Senju," the old man whispered. "Interesting. Very interesting."