9 Hinata's Trailing

"Hayashi..."

Just as he kept swinging his slashing strikes, cutting through the rolling water surface of the stream time and time again, a weak voice interrupted his movements. He paused, his focus shifting to the source of the sound. It was faint, barely audible over the rush of the water.

As his gaze fell upon the petite figure emerging from behind a tree, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. "Hinata?"

"Hayashi, you... Aren't you going to school?" Hinata mustered up the courage to walk over, her pure white and delicate eyes fixed on him as she spoke.

"How did you find this place?" he didn't answer immediately, instead posing his own question, "Could it be that you have been observing me?"

Hinata's expression faltered for a moment, her cheeks flushing slightly as she hastily explained, "I-I didn't mean to follow you! I... I just happened to come across two Hayashis by accident."

Fearing his disapproval, she spoke more than she usually would. Her voice was tinged with a hint of distress, betraying her inner turmoil.

In truth, she hadn't intended to follow him. While passing by Hayashi's house, she noticed two identical chakra signatures emanating from within. Aware of his family situation, curiosity got the better of her. It led her to secretly tail him and uncover a potential secret.

Seeing Hinata on the verge of tears, he quickly reassured her, "It's okay, I don't blame you. I was merely curious about how you found me here."

Relieved by his understanding, Hinata's panic subsided, only to be replaced by embarrassment. She lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze.

After a moment, she mustered her courage and raised her head, peering at Hayashi timidly. "Hayashi, since when did you start sending shadow clones to class?" she inquired softly.

"It's been more than half a year," he replied casually.

"That's... so amazing!" Hinata looked at him with unconcealable admiration.

Receiving admiration from the heroine he once admired deeply, he felt a flutter of excitement in his heart.

Hinata's gentle and considerate nature was cherished by the public in his previous world. Her qualities as a good wife and mother were highly esteemed. Hayashi was no exception to this adoration.

That's why, when he witnessed three children bullying Hinata, he couldn't help but rush forward to her aid.

If not for the activation of the system, he might have seen her as a leader figure. However, with the system activated, he dedicated all his time to improving his strength.

In the ninja world, power equated to everything. Without strength, one could not protect what was dear to them. Hayashi had been an ordinary person in his previous life. Above all else, he pursued strength.

Yet, while pursuing strength, he didn't intend to forsake everything else. This included love, a facet of life he believed held its own significance.

Since Hinata had taken the initiative to seek him out, he didn't mind developing a relationship with her. He knew well that she was still young. He vowed not to cross any strange boundaries until they were old enough.

So, he engaged in conversation with her. He found himself doing most of the talking, as the shy Hinata was hesitant to speak up.

Occasionally, she would offer a few words, often stealing glances at Hayashi before quickly averting her gaze. Her shy demeanor was endearing to him.

"Oh... class is about to start," Hinata suddenly exclaimed, startled out of her reverie. She bid farewell to him in a flurry of panic, "Hayashi, I have to go. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye," he nodded and waved his hand.

Before leaving, Hinata couldn't help but ask, "Hayashi, are you really not planning to go to school anymore?"

"Ah... In the future, except for major exams, I probably won't," he nodded, then added, "But if you have time, you can come here to find me, and we can practice together. After all, your physical skills are still great."

"Really... is that really okay?" Hinata's face lit up with joy at Hayashi's words. Worried that he might change his mind, she quickly said, "I understand, I... I'll go now."

With that, Hinata turned and hurried away.

Watching her retreating figure, he couldn't help but smile.

Continuing to wield Shigure Kintoki, Hayashi completed today's task by slashing through the stream. Afterward, he took a refreshing shower in the stream. Then, he left the valley to return to the village for breakfast. Finally, he headed to the spiritual world to learn about Hawkeye's growth experiences.

As the afternoon approached, Hayashi ceased his practice and left the valley with his bamboo sword, returning to the village as dusk fell.

Upon arriving home, he noticed that his shadow clone hadn't returned yet. School should have ended by now, so he found it peculiar that it hadn't returned on time.

Despite his curiosity, he didn't dwell on it too much. After dinner, he discovered that his shadow clone had finally returned.

Unlocking the shadow clone Technique inundated Hayashi's mind with a rush of information. Feeling the weight of fatigue accumulated from a long day's training, he resolved to take a refreshing shower before retiring to his room for some well-deserved rest. As the warm water cascaded over him, memories of the day flooded his mind. Each moment replayed like scenes from a vivid dream, filling him with a sense of nostalgia and reflection.

Today, he decided to forgo refining chakra, feeling unusually tired.

When he woke up, it was already the next morning.

Having developed the habit of waking up at the same time over the past year, he proceeded with his morning routine of exercise before leaving the house with his shadow clone. It wasn't until then that he learned why school had been extended the previous day.

The Uchiha Genocide Incident had occurred. 

The once prestigious Uchiha clan, known as one of the strongest families in the ninja world, had been annihilated by Uchiha Itachi. Only two members survived: Itachi himself, who was labeled as an S-level rebel, and his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke. 

While the official information was widely circulated among the villages, Hayashi was familiar with the plot. He knew there was more to the story.

The genocide had been orchestrated by Itachi and Uchiha Obito, but the circumstances surrounding it were complex. It was the clan's dissatisfaction with the village that had led to Itachi's drastic actions. In the end, he chose to side with the village. Burdened with the sins of his actions, he became a double agent. He placed the hopes of the clan's revival on Sasuke.

However, Hayashi found himself unconcerned with these matters. He recognized his own weakness and understood that his priority was to strengthen himself. Additionally, having spent just over a year in this world, his mature mindset set him apart from his peers. This left him with little sense of belonging to the village of Konoha.

The ideals of the Will of Fire held little significance for him. What truly mattered was his own journey to power.