Chapter 50: First!
"Co on!"
"Aaaaaaah!"
"Get down!"
The red glow of the setting sun spread across the sky, bathing everything in a warm hue. After school, the atmosphere at the ninja academy remained intense as always.
Just beyond the tall wall, the street was quiet and peaceful—but inside the academy grounds, it felt like a battlefield soaked in sweat and raw energy. Noise filled the air—roars, cheers, thuds—all the sounds you'd expect from a miniature gladiator arena.
The training ground after school wasn't for the faint-hearted. Only the kids dead set on becoming real ninjas stayed behind to fight. Those afraid of getting hurt or losing their cool had already gone ho.
Sure, there was always a Chunin-level instructor nearby, ready to jump in if things got dangerous. But in a real fight, especially one fueled by youthful rage, that wasn't always enough. Even grown shinobi couldn't always hold back in battle—what hope did kids have?
Detonating tags and deadly ninjutsu were off-limits, according to school rules. But when tempers flared, control often went out the window. That was just the nature of their world.
Ryosuke strolled casually onto the upper platform that overlooked the academy's training grounds. From this vantage point, he scanned the students below, each locked in their own sparring match or chatter session.
And then, he spotted her—Hinata.
Among a sea of girls, she stood out imdiately. It wasn't just her appearance. It was her presence.
She stood cool, distant, and self-contained, like she had an invisible barrier around her. She wasn't trying to blend in. If anything, her entire body language said stay away.
And yet, girls gathered around her, buzzing like moths to a fla. They whispered, chatted, and occasionally giggled—trying to spark conversation. Hinata, however, barely responded. Her lips moved once, maybe twice. At most, a short "hmm" escaped her mouth.
Ryosuke couldn't hear the details from this far, but the change in her was unmistakable.
"She's really beco the big sister type now, huh..." he thought with amusent.
The old Hinata he knew would've crumbled under that much attention. But now? She looked completely comfortable being the calm center of the storm.
Cold, yes—but confident too. And that wasn't a bad thing.
That kind of cool detachnt might just be what she needed to survive in the world of ninjas.
Curious about her strength now, Ryosuke leapt down from the platform and walked toward the training area by the stream, where she and the other girls had set up.
On the way, several classmates noticed him and called out greetings. He returned each one politely. But, as always, Uchiha Sasuke was the exception—face sour, acting like Ryosuke didn't exist.
Not that Ryosuke cared. They'd barely interacted. Aside from Naruto—who always seed to want attention—he hadn't spoken to Sasuke at all. No rivalry, no friendship. Just two people in the sa elite class.
Speaking of Naruto... where was he? He still didn't really mix with the rest of the class.
Ryosuke was nearing Hinata's group when he overheard a few girls whispering nearby.
"Hinata, are you really fighting Inuzuka Kiba tomorrow? That guy's intense. Like, seriously not soone to ss with..."
"I'll win," Hinata replied calmly.
Just two words—but they carried weight.
Ryosuke couldn't help but smile wider.
A few of the girls noticed him approaching and started whispering again, probably letting Hinata know. Sure enough, her body stiffened for a split second.
Then she turned—and when their eyes t, the cold mask dropped away like it had never existed.
Her expression softened. Her eyes lit up.
"Ryosuke..."
She blinked in surprise, her usual stoic vibe vanishing in an instant as she stepped out from the circle of girls. The others instinctively moved aside to let her pass.
"You're back," she said softly, walking up to him with short, light steps.
"Got back this afternoon," Ryosuke nodded. "Figured school would be done by now, so I ca to walk you ho. Hanabi's been saying she misses you."
He said it lightly, not quite sure what had changed in her over the past month. But it was clear—Hinata had grown. Not just physically. She carried herself differently now.
And by the looks of it, she wasn't just aiming for top marks in theory anymore.
When he brought up dinner, Hinata paused for a mont, then turned back toward her classmates with calm composure.
"I'm leaving now. See you tomorrow."
No hesitation. No awkward panic.
Her act was over, and she didn't even flinch.
---
"It feels like a lot's happened in just a month," Ryosuke said as they walked side by side, following the familiar path ho.
Hinata nodded slightly. "As a ninja... you can't avoid real combat," she said quietly.
He chuckled. "Fair. Sounds like you've gotten popular too. You ranked high in actual combat, I take it?"
"If we're talking about the girls' group... I'm first," she replied, a tiny note of pride creeping into her voice, despite her best efforts to stay cool.
"First place, huh?" Ryosuke grinned. "Looks like soone's been working hard."
He wasn't surprised. She ca from a taijutsu clan. Even if chakra was limited at their age, her physical skills were way ahead of most kids.
Before their chakra reserves matured, most students relied on basics. But Hinata's basics were elite. With just a little courage, she could dominate not just the girls—but probably a good chunk of the boys too.
And now she had that courage
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