Chapter 6: The Buzzing Flies
"Miss Hinata, please slow down."
Tokuma Hyuga called out, noticing Hinata Hyuga's hurried steps as she rushed outside.
He quickly followed her.
Was she so excited because of the first day of school?
At the doorway, Hinata suddenly stopped.
Her heart trembled, and she lowered her head.
Her earlier careless behavior must have disappointed her father again, hadn't it?
She had been confined for four days, and the thought of possibly seeing Shino Aburame at school had made her momentarily forget herself.
"Hinata."
Hiashi Hyuga frowned slightly.
How could someone with such a timid demeanor ever uphold the Hyuga clan's honor?
"F-Father…"
Hinata approached him, her voice barely audible, like the hum of a mosquito.
"Once you're at school, do not disgrace the Hyuga clan."
Hiashi sighed and said.
With her personality, it was inevitable that she'd be bullied at school.
But if he had to intervene in such trivial matters, he'd lose face.
"Y-Yes… I'll try my best."
Hinata, hearing his sigh, felt even more panicked.
Hiashi turned and left, pausing in the courtyard.
His younger daughter, Hanabi Hyuga, was practicing punches under a tree.
Though her movements were unpolished, they showed promise.
As Hinata walked down the street, bathed in sunlight, the weight in her heart lightened slightly.
Her thoughts drifted to Neji Hyuga.
If only she could be like him—her father would surely be pleased.
But ever since that mark appeared on his forehead, an invisible, tragic barrier had formed between her and Neji.
"Miss Hinata."
At the school gates, Tokuma handed her her schoolbag and said, "I'll come to pick you up after school."
"Thank you, Tokuma."
Hinata took the bag and entered the classroom.
Her white eyes suddenly lit up.
It was him!
The boy whose name she didn't know.
But soon, Hinata hesitated.
She saw a beautiful blonde girl chatting with him, looking cheerful.
Hinata wasn't good at socializing.
At that moment, she didn't approach.
"Shino-kun."
Ino Yamanaka smiled brightly at Shino Aburame and said, "What kind of flowers do you like? My family runs a flower shop."
Her outgoing personality made her adept at conversation.
Shino played the role of the listener.
He was remarkably patient.
A patience honed, quite literally, from the womb.
[Ino Yamanaka.]
[Current Achievement: Admiration is the emotion furthest from understanding.]
[Passive Achievement: Unknown.]
"Ino!"
Sakura Haruno's spirited voice interrupted Shino's thoughts.
Ino's expression turned serious in an instant.
She was ready for battle.
She knew her best friend too well—Sakura couldn't resist a handsome boy.
But to Ino's relief, Sakura's attention first landed on Sasuke Uchiha.
Though she was promptly rebuffed.
Undeterred, Sakura approached Ino.
Suddenly, her eyes sparkled—she noticed Shino.
Two handsome boys in one small classroom?
Sakura's face showed her dilemma.
Who should she choose?
"Hi, I'm Sakura Haruno."
Sakura extended her hand, acting ladylike.
But inside, she was screaming.
Damn it! Ino got a head start!
"Sakura."
Ino grabbed Sakura's hand instead of Shino, leaning in to whisper, "Didn't you say you liked Sasuke?"
"But before… mmph!"
Sakura's eyes showed confusion.
They had an agreement to compete fairly for Sasuke.
But before she could finish, Ino covered her mouth.
"Shino-kun."
Ino flashed a radiant smile and said, "Sakura and I have something to discuss."
She dragged Sakura to the back of the room.
"Shino, you're so popular."
Naruto Uzumaki said enviously.
He wasn't jealous of Shino being surrounded by girls—he just admired how many friends Shino seemed to have.
From the front row, Hinata cautiously glanced over.
She hesitated, her small hands clutching the hem of her clothes.
With Ino and Sakura gone, there was an opening next to Shino.
She wanted to approach.
Just then, the door opened.
A young man walked in.
He wrote his name on the blackboard.
"I'm your teacher, Iruka Umino."
Iruka clapped his hands with a smile and said, "Now, as is tradition, let's introduce ourselves."
Hinata slightly raised her head.
Though interrupted by Iruka, she would finally learn the boy's name.
Shino sat calmly, waiting for his classmates' introductions.
Most of them were nobodies.
In the original story, their names never even appeared.
Yet their dreams were all the same: to become Hokage.
Say what you will, Hiruzen Sarutobi had done an excellent job instilling the Will of Fire.
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't have any hobbies. I want to become a ninja as great as my brother."
Sasuke's introduction caused a stir in the classroom.
His brother was the renowned Itachi Uchiha.
At seven, he graduated as the top of his class.
The "Strongest Hokage," Hiruzen Sarutobi, had said Itachi had the potential to be Hokage, capable of thinking like one at a young age.
At eleven, he joined the Anbu, becoming its youngest member.
He was, without question, the genius and pride of the Uchiha clan.
Three lines of text appeared before Shino's eyes.
[Sasuke Uchiha.]
[Current Achievement: If you're bad, practice more.]
[Passive Achievement: Unknown.]
Shino pondered briefly.
If he recalled correctly, the Uchiha massacre would happen next year.
When that time came, Sasuke would likely regret today's words.
One by one, it was soon Shino's turn.
He walked to the front, unhurried.
All eyes were on him.
Directly in front of him was Hinata.
The moment their eyes met, she flinched like a startled rabbit, her cheeks flushing as she quickly looked down.
"My name is Shino Aburame."
Shino said casually, "I don't have any hobbies. I just want to live a peaceful life."
Shikamaru Nara perked up, feeling a surprising kinship.
Someone else felt the same way he did?
Ino suddenly had a thought, her eyes brimming with determination.
To her, a "peaceful life" meant the traditional role of a devoted wife and mother.
"I'm pretty confident I'd make a great wife."
Ino thought to herself, I've got this in the bag!
Shikamaru glanced at her and shivered.
Women were terrifying.
Hinata bit her lip lightly.
So his name was Shino Aburame.
Mustering her courage, she looked up again.
Shino nodded slightly to her before returning to his seat.
After him, it was Naruto's turn.
Taking a deep breath, he began, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I love ramen, and my dream is to become Hokage!"
By the end, his voice grew passionate.
The classroom fell silent for a few seconds before erupting in laughter.
Shino slammed his hand on the desk, the loud sound drowning out their mockery.
As all eyes turned to him, he said coolly, "There was a bunch of flies buzzing just now."