"Kenjiro-kun, we did it! We succeeded!"
As they left the clan grounds together, Hinata could no longer contain her excitement. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
"Calm down. Be careful—your father might have assigned guards to secretly follow us. If they hear what you just said, we're in trouble," Kenjiro reminded her with a smile.
Hearing this, Hinata quickly covered her mouth with her hands and nervously glanced around. The sight was undeniably adorable.
"Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
Even Kenjiro wasn't entirely sure if they were being followed. He didn't undo his transformation jutsu either but instead led Hinata away from the central streets, heading towards a secluded training ground in the wilderness.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Once they entered the forest, Kenjiro created a shadow clone, which instantly vanished.
After waiting a moment, he finally dispelled his transformation.
Hinata's eyes sparkled with joy. "Kenjiro-kun, does that mean no one followed us?"
"Yeah, I've confirmed it. We're in the clear."
He nodded before flashing a grin. "In a bit, I'll teach you a technique. Practice it at home, and once your father sees it, he probably won't stop you from going out anymore."
Hinata's excitement grew even more.
His plan was simple—transform into Yamanaka Ino and invite Hinata out.
If he had gone as himself, there was no way Hinata would have been allowed to leave.
At best, he'd have wasted a trip. At worst, Hyuga Neji—following orders—might confront him with a warning, or he could be reassigned to a different seat in class, or even moved to another team altogether.
A child might not understand these things.
But Kenjiro did—this was how adults operated.
In a world where nobles and feudal lords still existed, the class divide was even more pronounced than in his past life.
Hinata was the daughter of a prestigious ninja clan, while Kenjiro was just a nameless orphan with no family name.
An unbridgeable gap lay between them.
If he had been a girl, there might have been a chance to become Hinata's friend.
But as a boy, the clan elders would never allow him to get close to her. They couldn't risk the Hyuga bloodline being passed to an outsider.
Unless… Kenjiro himself became incredibly valuable.
If he proved himself to be a genius worth recruiting, he might earn the right to marry into the clan.
If he became a hero of Konoha, a savior of the ninja world like Naruto, he could claim the Hyuga heiress for himself.
Until he reached that point, he had to use clever tricks.
Yamanaka Ino was the daughter of the Yamanaka clan and part of the new generation's Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Even if her individual strength wasn't extraordinary, she was guaranteed to hold a significant position in Konoha's intelligence division in the future.
The Ino-Shika-Cho clans were allies, and if anyone among the Konoha Twelve had the right to be Hinata's friend, it was undoubtedly Ino.
By transforming into Ino, he could safely invite Hinata out—and there was a high chance no guards would follow.
If not for his growing power and his increasing concern that he'd be left too far ahead of Hinata, making it harder to trigger red talents, Kenjiro wouldn't have taken this risk.
Once the first major exam came, securing the top rank would give him more leverage.
But rather than aiming for the red talents of Naruto or Sasuke, Kenjiro was far more interested in Hinata's red talent.
If he could awaken the Tenseigan, then nothing could stand in his way.
He couldn't afford to waste this break.
Arriving at an abandoned training ground, Kenjiro turned to Hinata. "Hinata, have you learned the Three Basic Jutsu yet?"
"Not yet." Hinata shook her head. "Father wants me to focus on practicing Gentle Fist. I can only practice other jutsu when the academy starts teaching them."
"In that case, I won't teach you the Three Basic Jutsu."
He smiled. "Instead, I'll teach you a technique that will improve your chakra control. Whether it's training in Gentle Fist or learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu, this will help you immensely."
Hinata's eyes widened in surprise. "Kenjiro-kun, you… you're going to teach me the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"
"That's right."
He nodded. "I won't be attending school much in person from now on. You can come here anytime to find me—or learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu, just like me, and send a clone to school while your real body comes here to train with me."
Hinata was tempted.
When she found out that Kenjiro had been sending a shadow clone to class, she had already wanted to learn the technique herself.
Not for any particular reason—she just didn't want to fall too far behind him.
But as she had said earlier, her father was strict. He only allowed her to practice Gentle Fist and forbade her from learning other techniques.
She wasn't even allowed to learn the Three Basic Jutsu, let alone the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Now, hearing that Kenjiro was willing to teach her, that she could train with him every day in secret—not only strengthening their bond but also experiencing the freedom she longed for—Hinata couldn't resist the temptation.
Seeing her expression, Kenjiro knew she had already made up her mind.
"Follow me. I'll show you how to improve your chakra control."
He led her to a massive tree that would take several people to encircle.
Forming a single seal with his hands, he explained, "By using this seal, you can gather chakra at your feet. Then, you must overcome your fear and—watch closely…"
Under Hinata's wide-eyed gaze, Kenjiro lifted his right foot and stepped onto the tree trunk.
Then, he raised his left foot, placing it on the tree as well.
Now entirely off the ground, his body stood perpendicular to the trunk, perfectly balanced.
With steady steps, he walked straight up the tree as if strolling on flat ground, eventually reaching the top.
Looking down at Hinata, his body forming a right angle against the tree, he grinned. "Tree Climbing Technique—this is what I'm going to teach you."
"That's… amazing!"
Hinata was stunned as she stared at him, utterly captivated.
After descending, Kenjiro chuckled. "Tree climbing is only the first step. The next challenge is walking on water."
"If you master these two techniques, any jutsu—be it the Three Basic Jutsu, the Shadow Clone Jutsu, or even the Body Flicker Technique—will be effortless for you."
"Can… can I really learn this?" Hinata asked hesitantly.
"Don't underestimate yourself. You're the Hyuga heiress, after all."
He patted her shoulder encouragingly. "Go ahead and try. Don't be afraid of falling—I'll catch you."
"If you fall too far behind me, I won't wait for you," he added teasingly.
That last sentence, though said in a joking tone, struck a chord within Hinata's heart.
She had already disappointed her father—she couldn't let Kenjiro down too.
Most of all, she didn't want to lose her only friend.
With renewed determination, she clenched her fists and nodded firmly.
"Okay!"
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