Chapter 119

Hyuga Compound – Morning The July sun beat down on Konoha, but at the entrance of the Hyuga residence stood Hinata, wrapped as always in long sleeves and pants, her clothes clinging modestly to every inch of her. Just looking at her made Kitazawa feel warm—not out of attraction, but because he couldn’t help imagining how stifling that outfit must be in this heat. ’She’s never changed,’ Kitazawa mused. From childhood to adulthood, Hinata’s clothes in the original timeline were always conservative. It wasn’t just personal preference; it was the Hyuga way—formality and tradition over comfort. Beside her stood Hyuga Hiashi, spine straight as a blade, expression carved from stone. He radiated the aura of a man you didn’t casually speak to. "Kitazawa-sensei!" The moment Hinata saw him, her face lit up and she hurried over. "...?" Hiashi’s brows pinched slightly. To rush toward an outsider like that—such a lack of decorum for the Hyuga heiress. "Hinata," Hiashi’s deep voice rumbled, "wait. I have something to discuss with your sensei." "Yes, Father." Hinata slowed, gave Kitazawa a small nod, and obediently stepped aside. "Clan Head Hiashi." Kitazawa greeted him first, polite but without groveling. "It’s fine for Hinata to take part in this... special training," Hiashi said evenly. "But she is Hyuga. Gentle Fist is her path. That is what she must focus on." "I’ll make sure she keeps up with Gentle Fist," Kitazawa replied without missing a beat. Hiashi’s eyes narrowed. That wasn’t the answer he wanted. His meaning was clear: Cancel the training altogether. But instead of bowing out, this outsider spoke as if everything was already decided. "If her Gentle Fist progress slows," Hiashi said after a pause, voice clipped, "you will stop the special training immediately." "I understand," Kitazawa said, nodding lightly. He wasn’t worried. As long as he didn’t blatantly cross the line, small frictions with Hiashi were nothing. With Hinata on his side—and with Tsunade and Hiruzen backing him—this was a problem that could always be smoothed over. "You may go," Hiashi said, his gaze lingering on Kitazawa with the sharpness of a man guarding his treasures. "Goodbye, Father," Hinata said sweetly before following Kitazawa out, her steps far lighter than before. Once they were a safe distance from the Hyuga compound, she suddenly darted in front of him, blocking his path. "What is it, Hinata?" Kitazawa asked, curious. "Kitazawa-sensei..." Her small face was tense and serious. "Even if Father doesn’t trust you... I do!" Kitazawa chuckled softly and reached out to ruffle her hair. "I know." Relief softened her expression. Though she’d grown bolder, Hinata still carried the keen sensitivity of a once-shy girl. She could read her father’s disapproval like an open scroll—and she wanted Kitazawa to know she stood by him. ’What a thoughtful kid,’ Kitazawa thought. Then again, in the ninja world, even children grew up fast. The Academy was silent in the summer heat, closed for the break. Students weren’t supposed to be here during vacation—but Kitazawa, as the head of academic affairs, had the keys to bend that rule. "Kitazawa-sensei!" Naruto’s voice echoed across the lake. He was mid-practice, surrounded by a small army of half-formed clones. The moment he spotted Hinata, he waved enthusiastically. "Hinata!" "Focus!" Kitazawa’s Shadow Clone barked, arms crossed. Naruto yelped and snapped back to his training. "Hinata," Kitazawa said, stopping near the water’s edge, "let’s begin." "Mm!" She nodded firmly and slid into her Gentle Fist stance, palms open, feet light. Her movements flowed under Kitazawa’s watchful eye as she began the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms drill, the soft hum of chakra filling the air. Time passed quickly. Forest surrounding Konoha Deep in the forest, Sasuke finally collapsed, his legs refusing to carry him another step. Sweat drenched his green jumpsuit, and every muscle screamed in protest. He’d spent the entire morning under Gai’s brutal regimen, racing alongside Rock Lee, and now he could barely breathe. "Sasuke! You are a genius of the Uchiha Clan—your youth cannot end here!" Rock Lee declared, fists clenched in fiery determination. "Sasuke, has your flame of youth burned out already?" Gai added, his teeth glinting in the sunlight. Sasuke groaned. The two in green loomed over him like spirits of suffering, chanting about youth as if it were some cursed genjutsu. Finally, Gai relented. "Your training ends here for today!" Lee and Gai sprinted off for another round, leaving Sasuke sprawled in the dirt. The forest fell blissfully silent. After a short rest, he dragged himself upright and limped back toward the village. It wasn’t until he reached the main street of Konoha that he noticed the stares. Villagers were eyeing him... and not with admiration. Sasuke froze. The jumpsuit. With horror, he realized he was still wearing Gai’s hideous green outfit. He tore it off immediately and stuffed it under his arm. "Good thing Dad and Brother didn’t see that," he muttered, cheeks burning. If anyone from the Uchiha clan had seen him like this, he wasn’t sure he could live it down. Ninja Academy By the time Sasuke arrived at the Academy’s artificial lake, the training had already paused. Hinata and Naruto stood near the water’s edge, catching their breath, while Kitazawa was busy setting up lunch. He worked methodically—first laying a large cloth on the ground, then arranging a few small tatami tables over it. "Sasuke, you’re here. Make yourself comfortable," Kitazawa said, already seated cross-legged on the cloth. He began unpacking the bento boxes. Naruto immediately plopped down and copied him. Hinata moved with more grace, kneeling neatly at Kitazawa’s side. "Kitazawa-sensei." Sasuke approached, holding up two bento boxes. "These are from my mom." "Thank you." Kitazawa blinked in mild surprise before accepting one. He couldn’t refuse that kind of gesture. "I didn’t know Naruto and Hinata would be training too, so there are only two today," Sasuke admitted. "Tomorrow, I’ll bring extra." "Then this one is for you, Naruto." Kitazawa slid the box across to him. "I’ve got plenty of food here, don’t worry." "Thanks, Kitazawa-sensei!" Naruto popped the lid open and his eyes practically sparkled. "Whoa! It’s so pretty!" "Of course," Sasuke said with a small, proud smirk. "My mom’s bento is the best." "Hey, Naruto," Kitazawa reminded him, "don’t forget to thank Sasuke." "Thanks, Sasuke!" Naruto grinned. "I’ll treat you to Ichiraku another day!" Sasuke froze for a moment. He wasn’t used to such straightforward warmth. Naruto was different from Sakura—he’d actually defeated Sasuke before. In the Uchiha clan, strength demanded respect, and Sasuke couldn’t help but acknowledge that. "Wow, this is amazing!" Naruto exclaimed, biting into a piece of fried shrimp. "I’ve never had a bento this good in my life!" Sasuke knew he meant it. He’d seen the abysmal lunches Naruto usually brought; "terrible" was being polite. As Naruto ate with unrestrained joy, Sasuke’s thoughts drifted back to his mother’s words that morning. ’Who are his parents?’ Mikoto hadn’t answered. But one thing was obvious—Naruto had grown up without them. Looking at the boy now, grinning with his mouth full, Sasuke felt a subtle shift inside him. ’I couldn’t stay that cheerful without my family...’ "Kitazawa-sensei," Sasuke said once lunch was done, "do I have to keep training with Gai-sensei this afternoon?" "Your body can’t handle more of that today," Kitazawa said after a moment’s thought. "This afternoon, we’ll switch to Fire Release chakra nature training." Sasuke let out a quiet sigh of relief. Facing Gai and Rock Lee again so soon might’ve broken him. Fire nature training, at least, was familiar territory. Kitazawa led Sasuke to the water’s edge. He crouched, dipped his hand into the lake, and let droplets cling to his fingers. "You already understand Fire Release chakra nature, so I won’t waste time explaining. Watch closely." Chakra flared subtly in his hand, and in the blink of an eye, the droplets vanished in a tiny puff of steam. "Your goal is speed," Kitazawa said. "If you can evaporate the water in under a second, you’ve reached the basics." "Under one second?" Sasuke’s brows rose. "That’s right," Kitazawa said, patting his shoulder. "This is just one part of mastering Fire Release. Practice. If you get stuck, ask my Shadow Clone." Sasuke nodded and got to work. Within minutes, he realized how far he had to go. He could barely dry a few droplets in a minute, let alone a second. Kitazawa watched long enough to confirm the training was on track, then left a Shadow Clone to supervise. He had another lesson to attend to that afternoon—with Kurenai. Before heading home, Kitazawa made a quick detour to find Gai, who was still running drills with Rock Lee. "Gai, in two days, Ichiraku Ramen is hosting an eating contest. Interested?" Kitazawa asked casually. "That sounds youthful!" Gai said, but quickly shook his head. "But... training comes first!" "Who says training and eating can’t mix?" Kitazawa countered with a grin. "Do your morning routine, then bring Lee and Sasuke to the contest afterward." Gai’s eyes lit up. "That’s brilliant! We’ll be there!" "Good. And remember—Sasuke has to participate." Kitazawa smiled faintly. His little "trap" for the young Uchiha would be meaningless without its main character present.