"No... impossible..."
[Remember this site's domain—read Taiwanese novels on TaiwanNovel.tw, super smooth.]
Hyuga Hinata shook her head violently, violet-blue bangs whipping about.
"How could Father... how could the Hyuga Clan..."
Overwhelming dread and revulsion made her instinctively reject the truth.
She squeezed her eyes shut, flung the black notebook away, and cried, "life simulator? Fake! All of it is fake!"
It's fake, it has to be fake!
She covered her ears and eyes, chanting inside her head as if sheer will could make this nightmare born of stress disappear.
"Stop thinking—no more!"
She spoke in a trembling sob, crouching; her fingers brushed the notebook then jerked back as if burned.
Eventually she picked it up to throw it away, but a snowflake drifted onto her hand as she passed the window.
Hinata froze.
She turned slowly, pale eyes widening at the snow swirling beyond the glass.
"It... it's snowing."
"...So it is snowing."
Hyuga Kiyoshinari glanced at the falling flakes outside. "Right now she's frantically telling herself the life simulator is fake."
At this point in time, Hyuga Hinata's defining trait was timidity; faced with anything she couldn't or didn't want to solve, her first instinct was flight.
When bullied she ran; spotting a possible spy she ran. So when she read the life simulator's contents, denial was inevitable.
Yet she was also resilient: despite Hiashi's coldness she trained day after day, and even after Hanabi's birth she never gave up on herself.
Therefore she would emerge, would verify the life simulator—she only needed time.
The actors were in place; the curtain would soon rise... New Year's Day arrived, and Konoha's streets lay under thick snow perfect for rolling flawless snowballs.
News that the Hidden Cloud Village wanted to end the war sent the Village into a strange mood.
Happy? Not really—the Third Great Ninja War had effectively ended before the Fourth Hokage took office.
Cloud was the thug who kept promising to ambush you after school, yet never showed; still, you worried every afternoon because thugs are unpredictable.
After years of threats, Cloud finally cried off, and the whole of Konoha relaxed—more drunks slumped outside Izakaya, though the Uchiha Police Force kept the streets clean.
Hyuga Kiyoshinari reported for duty early, choosing not to tail Hinata but three hand-picked brats.
Even in talent-rich, bully-friendly Konoha, few dared yell "byakugan monster" at the Hyuga Clan's Young Miss; these three were the boldest, notorious tormentors.
Hmph, in a moment you'll learn what a real back-stab feels like.
Kiyoshinari tracked them with a sidelong glance when a blond kid flew out of a shop and crashed into him; both tumbled into soft snow in a white burst.
"Damn fox-brat, how many times have I told you not to touch my goods!"
The shopkeeper chased with a crimson fox mask, snarling, "Get lost, Demon Fox!"
Hyuga Kiyoshinari pushed Uzumaki Naruto off and scanned the street—where had the three bullies gone?
Flustered, Naruto scrambled up and hauled Kiyoshinari from the snow. "Uh... sorry!"
"Huff—"
Kiyoshinari drew a deep breath and turned to the still-cursing shopkeeper.
"If you don't need your eyes, donate them."
The man noticed Kiyoshinari's features and his arrogance wilted; though young, those eyes marked a future Ninja.
"Ninja-sama, I didn't mean it..."
Ignoring him, Kiyoshinari raised a hand, fingers spread.
The owner stammered, "W-what does that mean?"
"Compensation—if apologies worked, why would we need the Police Force?"
The man blinked. "H-how much do you want?"
"Five—" Kiyoshinari spotted the mask, "no, Four Thousand Ryo, plus that mask in your hand."
The owner paled; before he could protest Kiyoshinari brushed his coat to reveal the Hyuga crest.
"If you disagree, the Uchiha Police Force is right over there, or I can invite clan elders to judge."
Sweat beaded; conceding fault, the shopkeeper hastily handed over mask and money.
Kiyoshinari counted a thousand ryo and tucked the vivid fox mask into Naruto's arms.
"Your cut."
He pocketed the remaining three thousand, voice flat.
At five thousand he'd have split half; this way Naruto got his mask, Kiyoshinari gained five hundred extra, and the shopkeeper paid less—a triple win.
Naruto stared at the windfall, eyes round. "Eh? F-for me? N-no, I can't!"
Seeing the boy's cringing, Kiyoshinari's gaze sharpened. "Did he throw you out?"
Intimidated, Naruto shrank and nodded. "Yeah."
"Then he owes you compensation, doesn't he?"
"I... guess so."
"Then take it."
Kiyoshinari turned to leave—night had fallen and time was short—when his sleeve was tugged.
What now, man?
"It's money someone paid you; I really can't..." Naruto hugged the mask like treasure. "This is enough."
Kiyiyoshinari laughed in exasperation.
So this is the future savior of the Ninja World?
Look how thoroughly he's been Gas-lit.
He yanked Naruto's collar, pulling him close; in those eyes Kiyoshinari saw only servility, no lion.
"Look at me and answer!"
"He's got one head and two eyes, so do you—why let him toss you around and dare not even take his money? Or do you think I'm doing this for your sake?"
"Have you ever, even once, considered yourself a human being?!"