Leaving the clan compound, Hinata walked toward the Hokage Building with a clear goal in mind.
Toneri Otsutsuki’s arrival was nothing more than an unexpected interlude to Hinata.
Although it seemed that with Toneri around, any future enemies could just be hacked to death by having him activate his “Lightning Reed” mode…
…that was entirely contingent on the premise of her younger sister, Hanabi Hyuga, having her eyes stolen by him.
How could Hinata stand by and watch her own flesh and blood lose her light?
That trash Toneri Otsutsuki wasn’t even half as good as her super-duper, universe-defyingly cute little sister.
“Little girl?”
“Can I get you anything?”
Hinata, whose destination was the Hokage Building, had stopped in front of a bun stall on the streets of Konoha.
“This one, this one, and this one!”
Hinata pointed her finger at three specific items: the fish mint-stuffed bun, the mooncake-stuffed bun, and the bun-stuffed bullfrog.
“Oh?
You want those three flavors?”
“Coming right up!”
Seeing that his three original, unique “delicacies” had finally found their very first customer, the vendor’s eyes welled up with tears of joy.
He immediately set out to pick the biggest and best ones for Hinata, including the largest bullfrog.
“No, those three flavors are way too freaky.
I don’t want them.”
“Give me two of each of the other twenty-eight flavors, and add a bucket of milk.”
Hinata looked deadpan at the overly excited vendor as she spoke.
“Burp~~”
With fifty-six buns down the hatch, Hinata finally patted her flat stomach with satisfaction.
Mmh, including the breakfast I just ate, I’m about eighty percent full.
Not bad.
Hidden in the shadows, Tokuma Hyuga—who was tasked with protecting Hinata—clutched his deflated lucky-cat wallet and sighed silently.
Bodyguard?
No such thing.
To Hinata, a so-called bodyguard’s only real job was to step forward and fork over the cash whenever it was time to pay the bill.
It wasn’t like her dad wouldn’t reimburse him anyway.
By the time Hinata strolled leisurely to the Hokage Building, she had pretty much finished digesting her food.
“Hello, I’m looking for the Hokage.”
“I should have an appointment.”
Arriving at the entrance of the Hokage Building, Hinata spoke to the ninja guarding the gate.
Seeing a little girl approach him, the guard ninja couldn’t help but smile, kneeling down to ask gently, “Little girl, do you have some business with Lord Hokage?”
“The Hokage is the one looking for me,” Hinata corrected him.
Because of the two S-rank jutsu, Hiruzen Sarutobi—the Third Hokage—wanted to see Hinata. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“Uh, alright then.
Why is Lord Hokage looking for you?” the guard ninja blinked, utterly bewildered, but asked in a soft, gentle voice anyway.
“Shouldn’t you go ask the Hokage himself?”
“Why are you asking me?”
Hinata tilted her head and countered.
The guard ninja was struck dumb by Hinata’s question, momentarily unable to process it.
His partner standing guard next to him couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight, stepping in to bail him out:
“In that case, little girl, why don’t you go inside and take a seat for a moment?
I’ll check if Lord Hokage is available.”
Hearing this, Hinata nodded and said, “Okay.
You’re much smarter than this guy, big brother.”
Guard ninja: (๑•̌.•̑๑)
Asking online: What should I do if a little girl thinks I’m an idiot?
“Come in.”
Following a knock on the Hokage’s office door, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was busy processing paperwork, spoke without looking up.
“Grandpa Hokage,” Hinata called out in a crisp, clear voice the moment she stepped through the door.
This caused Hiruzen Sarutobi to look up at her.
During their last meeting, he had told Hinata to call him “Grandpa” right in front of Hiashi Hyuga, and Hinata had immediately played along and changed how she addressed him.
He hadn’t expected her to still remember it today.
This was entirely different from his impression of the rigid, rule-bound Hyuga clan.
“Ah, little Hinata.
Wait just a moment for Grandpa, okay?
I still have a few things to wrap up,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said with the genial smile of an old man.
“Okay.”
Hinata nodded and sat down on a nearby sofa, letting her gaze wander around the room.
She hadn’t looked closely the last time she was here, but now that she had some free time, she noticed that the entire Hokage Building looked completely dilapidated.
There were even cracks along the hallway walls, and the Hokage’s office was no exception.
Doesn’t this place leak when it rains?
Hiruzen didn’t make Hinata wait long.
In just five minutes, he finished handling a report from his subordinates about water accumulation on the roads in the eastern part of the village that was blocking the villagers’ commute.
“Little Hinata, let’s head over to the back hills first.”
“The scenery there is quite lovely.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi approached with a grandfatherly, benevolent smile and patted Hinata’s head.
Asking Hinata in the office why she wanted the Flying Raijin Jutsu and the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags felt too serious and cold to Hiruzen.
He worried it might scare the child, so he planned to ask her while taking a walk in the back hills instead.
???
Is something wrong with the office?
Why are you taking me to the back hills?
Gross…
don’t tell me you’re a damn lolicon too?
Huh?
Why did I add the word “too”?
Hinata’s tiny, stubby limbs stood no chance against Hiruzen Sarutobi’s old ones, so she could only obediently follow behind him toward the back hills.
The Hokage Building and the back hills Hiruzen mentioned were separated only by Hokage Rock, with a path carved between them making it quite convenient to get across.
Walking through the long, narrow passageway, the view suddenly opened up before them.
A peaceful lake lay before them, surrounded by lush green grass and woods.
Up on the cliffside of Hokage Rock stood a pavilion bursting with traditional, ancient charm.
Hinata recognized it.
In the Road to Ninja movie, that was the training ground Minato Namikaze once used to practice his god-like reflexes, filled with traps everywhere.
She hadn’t expected such a place to actually exist in the real world.
“It’s a nice place, isn’t it?”
As a gentle breeze brushed past her face carrying the earthy scent of nature, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s slightly amused voice echoed in Hinata’s ears.
“Mhm, I didn’t think there’d be a place like this in the village,” Hinata spoke from the heart as she looked at her surroundings.
“I’m glad you like it, little Hinata,” Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled in response.
He thought about pulling out a match to light his pipe, but his hand froze just as it slipped into his pocket.
There’s a kid here.
“Little Hinata, I heard from your father that you’re quite interested in the Second Hokage, Lord Tobirama Senju?” Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with a smile, looking down at the little girl beside him.
Here it comes, Hinata thought to herself.
After a brief moment of consideration, she answered:
“Yes, that’s right!”
“The Second Hokage was amazing!”
Hinata’s answer was exactly what Hiruzen Sarutobi expected.
After all, Tobirama Senju was his teacher, and no one knew how incredible the man was better than him.
“To think he could make Konoha flourish like that while working under someone like the First Hokage—who was all brawn and no brains.”
“Someone like that is just too amazing!”
???
Wait, little Hinata, I won’t fault you for saying the Second Hokage was amazing…
…but why do you have to lift one up just to tear the other down?