SS004

"So, hey man, why don't you come and hang out with me and the other guys sometime...?" asked Kiba, walking alongside Seikun as they made their way through the Academy's corridors.

"I usually spend most of my free time training..." responded Seikun. "But if you have anything interesting planned, I wouldn't mind an invitation."

"That explains why you're so strong," remarked Kiba, raising his hands and linking his fingers behind his head as he asked, "But doesn't it get boring? Training, I mean."

"There's only so much we can do while we're children," contended Seikun, shrugging. "The stronger I become now, the more freedom I'll have once I become an adult."

"Well...you're not wrong..." conceded Kiba, but the grimace on his face made it clear he didn't see eye to eye with Seikun's viewpoint. But that was mostly due to his status as the future leader of his clan. The moment he became stronger than his mother, he would be required to deal with all kinds of problems. Thus, while he hated being weaker than other people, especially in his own age group, Kiba was in no hurry to grow up.

"Hmmm...?"

Noticing the seven girls in his class loitering in the corridor leading to the Academy's lobby and entrance, Seikun's brows perked.

"Huh? What's up with them...?" asked Kiba, similarly raising his brows but out of confusion more than intrigue.

"I'm sure we're about to find out..." responded Seikun, suppressing a smile as he saw Hinata, standing near the group's center, look over and smile as they approached.

"See, what did I tell you, Hinata? There was nothing to worry about," said Ino, looking like the textbook definition of a tomboy as she stood with her arms crossed, garbed in an orange shirt with forearm-length sleeves, red pants, and brown, toeless tabi sandals. It wasn't until the start of her final year at the Academy that she did a one-eighty, becoming a vain, beauty-obsessed narcissist after learning she had been given the nickname 'boar girl' in reference to her name and headstrong nature.

"Oh? You girls were worried about us...?" asked Kiba, adopting an excited grin until Ino promptly retorted, "We were obviously worried about Seikun. As for you? You totally got what you deserved by attacking him like a wild animal, Kiba."

"Tch..."

Clicking his tongue, Kiba lowered his hands from his head and slipped them in his pockets, muttering, "Whatever..." before looking to Seikun and adding, "Let's get out of here, Seikun."

"Feel free to go ahead," said Seikun, his expression and tone neutral as he held Hinata's gaze and added, "They waited here for my sake. It would be rude of me to leave without hearing what they have to say..."

"Wow, Seikun, you're pretty mature..." remarked Ino, raising her brows before making a shooing gesture at Kiba with her left hand, "As for you, dog boy. We don't need you here. Shoo. Shoo."

As his mother had warned him not to pick fights with the girls in his class, lest she beat the shit out of him, Kiba bared his teeth and growled at Ino but ultimately departed as he was told. In his wake, Seikun expected Ino to continue taking charge and explain what they wanted to talk about, but she instead gave Hinata a light nudge with her elbow, prompting the latter to startle slightly before adopting a smile and expressing, "I'm glad you're okay, Seikun..."

"My hard head is one of my strong points..." remarked Seikun, tapping the center of his forehead with his right index finger, causing Ino to grin and several others to cover their mouths and suppress giggles. 

"But that's not your only strong point, is it?" asked Ino, getting straight to the point by revealing, "We all saw the portrait you drew for Hinata. You're a really talented artist, Seikun."

As nearly every other girl nodded or muttered soft agreements, Seikun preempted Hinata's urge to apologize by adopting the first smile many of them had seen on his face. At the same time, he responded, "I still have a lot to improve upon, but I appreciate the compliment."

"Handsome and modest..." muttered Ino, her smile broadening and eyes narrowing slightly.

Seemingly unable to contain herself, Sakura, who was practically hiding behind Ino, made herself known by tentatively asking, "Um...if it's not too much trouble...could you draw us as well?"

Though he wasn't particularly fond of the woman Sakura matured into, at least in regards to her personality, Seikun found her current appearance and timid nature fairly endearing. Her hairline was a bit higher than most other girls, but her distinctive pink hair, pastel green eyes, and the green, sakura-patterned smock she was wearing made her seem like a precious nymph compared to the humanoid gorilla she matured into.

"I don't normally take requests, but I'll make an exception this one time..." affirmed Seikun, causing bright smiles to blossom across the faces of the entire group, sans Hinata. She probably felt like she had saddled him with a lot of excess work, so he made a point to assure her by saying, "Thanks for considering my work something worth sharing. I'll be sure to give your next portrait my all."

Blinking several times in surprise, Hinata asked, "You...want to draw me again...?"

"Only if you'll allow it," affirmed Seikun. "Ordinarily, I get permission first. Consider your next portrait my apology."

Taken aback by Seikun's words, Hinata opened her mouth but no words came out. Instead, it was Ino who, after looking between them, adopted a cheeky grin and asked, "Do the two of you like each other...?"

Startled by Ino's query, Hinata jolted, her eyes widening to become as round as saucers. As for Seikun, he was calm as a cucumber, shrugging relaxedly as he attested, "We don't know each other well enough to like one another, but she's considerate and cute. I tried asking her to be my girlfriend at yesterday's lunch, but she refused..."

Not expecting Seikun to casually reveal such juicy information, an air of excitement permeated the corridor as Ino and the other girls' expressions visibly lit up. They were at an age where things like fashion and romance were infinitely more important than studying or training to become proper kunoichi, so learning one of their peers had already experienced their first romantic encounter sparked their intrigue into an inferno...

With the intention of avoiding the impending barrage of questions, Seikun looked towards the Academy's entrance/exit, adding, "Anyways, I need to get going. I should have one or two of the portraits finished by tomorrow. The rest will be completed before the end of the week..."

Seeing through Seikun's intentions, Ino raised her right brow and asked, "Running away...?" in a challenging tone.

"Let's call it a tactical retreat..." responded Seikun, closing his eyes and smiling as he added, "Hinata's cuteness is already Kage level. With two Jonin and several Chuunin present, I'm at a considerable disadvantage..."

Assuming she was one of the Jonin, Ino exhaled a scoffing chuckle and retorted, "I take back my previous statements. You're not humble in the slightest. Get out of here, you little flirt."

Nodding in affirmation, Seikun raised his left hand and said, "Have a nice afternoon, ladies..." before beating a hasty retreat. Hinata gave him a look like he was abandoning her to a flock of harpies ready to pick her bones clean, but as she would soon be rescued by her escort, Seikun didn't look back...

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Sitting at his slanted drafting table, gifted to him by the Third Hokage on his sixth birthday, Seikun absentmindedly produced sketch after sketch of Ino, Sakura, and, of course, Hinata. If he wanted, he could finish all of the portraits he promised in a single night, but since he knew from experience that plans could be derailed in a single moment, he reasoned it was better to cast a net than focus on hooking a single fish...

Though he wasn't fond of the women that Ino and Sakura matured into, Seikun had seen how drastically a person could change with just a slight stimulus in their youth. The Hinata he knew outside was like a completely different person from her canon counterpart, so if he, for example, made a point to reassure Ino she was fine exactly how she was, she might remain a friendly, easy-going tomboy her entire life.

With such thoughts in mind, Seikun drew a future version of Ino with the same aesthetic and confidence she currently possessed. She lacked the overt sex appeal of the Ino he was familiar with, but anyone who saw the image would get the impression they were looking at someone confident and capable. Most importantly, he modified her hair so that it resembled Android 18 from Dragon Ball Z.

"Nice..." muttered Seikun, impressed with his work. He always found the actual Ino's hairstyle, which concealed half of her face with her bangs, a little ridiculous. It looked incredible, sure, but it was beyond impractical and left her completely open to attacks from her right side...

Setting aside what he hoped to be an image of the future, Seikun took a moment to consider his options before starting on the portrait of Sakura. He actually liked the style she adopted before he fled the village, which was functionally identical to what she wore in Shippuden, but since the current Sakura was a very timid girl, she might not be satisfied if he made her a cool and confident tomboy.

Knowing that Sakura idolized Tsunade, the inspiration for how she styled her bangs, Seikun drew her with a confident expression and her hair tied up into a spiky ponytail. Her outfit was a little more difficult to decide, so Seikun decided to get creative, drawing two versions of Sakura standing back to back. The one at the front stood with its arms crossed, giving off a refined feeling and modeling the outfit of a medical ninja. The one in the background was basically the version of Sakura he was familiar with, but she was facing away and striking a heroic pose as she slipped on a glove, preparing to punch some unfortunate, off-screen victim.

As finishing touches to Sakura's portrait, though he knew she was fated to have a modest bust, Seikun made a point to give her chest some extra shadows and highlights. By then, it was already nearing 10 PM, but as he wasn't even remotely tired, Seikun stayed up to work on the final portrait of the night.

Since he had already drawn Hinata, Seikun decided to change things up and reinforce the impression he had made on her by drawing her mother. The village kept a detailed record of its deceased, including photos, so he could use the excuse he looked her up after Hinata mentioned having lost her a few years prior. With any luck, her father would also see it and feel a little less inclined to make his life difficult if he and Hinata began dating in the future...

Regarding the portrait as his trump card, Seikun worked on it throughout the night, adding and refining details as if his life and future depended on the outcome. The end result was a near-photo-quality version of Hinata's mom, seated and smiling in the fashion of the Mona Lisa. When he gifted it to Hinata later that morning, her shock was apparent. Unfortunately, she became emotional and started crying soon after, forcing Seikun to endure a bit of awkwardness as she eventually had to excuse herself. When she appeared at the lunch room later that day, however, she looked as though a substantial burden had been removed from her shoulders, her posture noticeably more upright and an appreciative smile adorning her face when their gazes met from across the room...

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