A self-introduction?
Standing on the podium, Hinata scratched her head, looking down at the dozens of curious eyes staring up at her.
What was there even to say?
Among the sea of faces, only Naruto glared at her with unbridled hostility and irritation.
The sight made the corner of Hinata’s mouth curl upward into a faint smile.
Unlike the timid version from the original timeline, her choice of clothing was entirely different.
She ignored traditional Hyuga attire completely; compared to her clansmen who wore plain black or white robes, her style was strikingly modern.
She wore a vivid red jacket over a black mesh ninja shirt, paired with modern black shinobi pants.
Her soft hair, which used to be short, had grown to mid-length and was casually pulled back into a ponytail.
That outfit, combined with the subtle smirk on her face, gave off an unmistakable aura of pure provocation.
“This girl…”
Sitting near the front, Naruto gnashed his teeth, staring at her with burning eyes.
Hinata’s expression practically screamed, Come at me if you dare.
What was she being so smug about?!
So what if she had a great family, good looks, wealth, insane talent, and terrifying strength?!
What was so great about any of that?!
“I am Hinata Hyuga.”
“I have always been a very kind person.”
“I don’t like getting into arguments with others.”
Hinata spoke slowly from the podium, leaving Naruto staring at her in complete, utter bewilderment.
“…”
Are you actually describing yourself right now?!
“So, I hope everyone can be a little more forgiving toward me,” she continued smoothly.
“If I ever do something wrong or offend you in daily life, please take some time to reflect deeply on your own shortcomings.”
“Even if I am in the wrong, setting the facts aside for a moment, aren’t all of you partly to blame as well?”
“That’s all.
Just a friendly reminder.”
“Overall, I’m actually very easy to get along with!”
“…”
What kind of introductory speech was this?
This was a direct declaration of war!
“What the hell!
Who does she think she is?!”
“So arrogant!”
“She seems impossible to get along with…”
“Is she insane?”
The moment Hinata finished, the classroom erupted into a frenzy of hushed, angry chatter.
Discontent rippled across the room.
“Of course!” Hinata’s voice rang out again, instantly cutting through the noise.
“If anyone isn’t satisfied with what I said, feel free to challenge me anytime!”
“One-on-one, group fights, or a battle royale—I don’t care either way!”
The entire room went dead silent.
Everyone stared at the girl on the podium in utter disbelief.
Was the heiress of the Hyuga Clan completely out of her mind?!
Was she trying to turn the entire class against her?
In the eyes of the class—and indeed the whole village—members of the Hyuga Clan, especially the women, were universally expected to be soft-spoken, gentle, and impeccably mannered.
Hinata, behaving like a little delinquent, was an absolute shock to their systems.
“That concludes my introduction.” Hinata glanced at the wide eyes below, looking entirely indifferent.
A place like the Ninja Academy felt like playing house; it was far too boring.
She had to create her own entertainment.
If she had a choice, she wouldn’t have bothered coming here in the first place.
Is she the heiress of the Hyuga Clan?
In a seat by the window, a dark-haired, dark-eyed boy stared intently at Hinata.
It was Sasuke Uchiha, the second young master of the Uchiha Clan.
Like the Hyuga, the Uchiha were a grand clan with a thousand-year history, arguably the only noble family in the Leaf standing on equal footing with them.
As an Uchiha, Sasuke naturally possessed the clan’s innate pride.
Faced with such a provocative declaration, Sasuke wasn’t about to pretend he hadn’t heard it.
But he wouldn’t shout or protest like the rest of the common kids.
He would follow the pride of the Uchiha, waiting for the right moment to challenge her to a one-on-one duel when she was at her absolute best.
To Sasuke, that was the true dignity of a noble family.
Does this child have something wrong with her head?
Watching the scene through his crystal ball, Hiruzen Sarutobi was rendered completely speechless.
He suddenly recalled what Hiashi Hyuga had said to him yesterday: “My daughter is extremely disobedient…”
Hiruzen had originally assumed Hiashi was just being humbly self-deprecating, but now it seemed the man had been dead serious…
Still…
Hiruzen stroked his chin, gazing at the crystal ball.
Though she was rebellious, she was nonetheless the heiress of the Hyuga Clan.
Since Hiashi hadn’t stripped her of her status over this personality, there had to be an extraordinary spark in Hinata—beyond the political sharpness she showed yesterday—that forced Hiashi to pinch his nose and accept her as the heir.
In that case…
Back in the classroom, Hinata swaggered down the aisle toward her seat, leaving Iruka standing at the front with a completely blank expression.
“Hinata, wasn’t that a little too intense?” Ino whispered, leaning over as Hinata sat down beside her.
In Ino’s eyes, even if the Hyuga was a top-tier clan, pulling a stunt like that was drawing way too much heat.
Even the Uchiha had never been this outrageously arrogant in public.
“Relax.” Hinata leaned in close to Ino, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
“If you’re unhappy with it, Ino, you can always challenge me too~~ Since you’re so pretty, maybe I’ll even throw the match on purpose~~”
“You’re way too close…”
Looking at Hinata’s face from a few inches away, feeling the warmth of her breath, Ino couldn’t stop a slight blush from creeping onto her cheeks.
She didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but Hinata felt almost like a boy in that moment.
No…
not a boy at all.
What boy would ever be this suave and pushy?
Instead, she felt like those dashing villains from television dramas.
Besides, Hinata was remarkably fast at warming up to people.
They had literally just met, yet it felt as if they had known each other for years.
“Looks like Ino doesn’t like me after all~~” Hinata pouted, putting on a dramatic, sorrowful face.
“I guess I’ll just have to restrain myself from now on…”
“No, it’s not like that!
I just thought you were being a bit too flashy, Hinata,” Ino explained hurriedly, waving her hands.
“Saying things like that in front of so many classmates is going to offend a lot of people.”
“So Ino is worried about me…”
Hearing Hinata’s soft response, Ino was struck utterly speechless.
She felt a wave of mental exhaustion wash over her.
Why did perfectly ordinary words sound like they carried a completely different, flirtatious meaning the moment they came out of Hinata’s mouth?
“Don’t worry though, I’m really strong,” Hinata declared confidently, pointing a thumb at herself.
“If danger ever pops up, I’ll be the first one to protect you, Ino.”
Ino’s mind went completely blank.
She had a sinking feeling that if any danger ever appeared, it would most likely be caused by Hinata herself.
Meanwhile, sitting across from them, Sakura listened to her best friend whispering back and forth with Hinata.
A sudden, unsettling thought crossed her mind—it felt as if her best friend was being stolen away right in front of her eyes by this newcomer!
I was clearly the first one she talked to…
Sakura blinked, scratching her cheek, feeling a strange twinge of jealousy.
“Of course, that goes for you too, Sakura,” Hinata added, leaning across the desk to whisper softly into Sakura’s ear, as if sensing her slight drop in mood.
“…”
Ino stared at Hinata with a deadpan expression.
A sudden sense of deja vu hit her like a truck.
If Hinata were a boy, she would undoubtedly be a total scumbag.
Just a second ago, she had been making grand promises to protect her with a serious face, and in the next breath, she was already turning around to flirt with her best friend!