Chapter 9: The Daily Life at Ninja Academy - The White Eyed Princess of Konoha

### Chapter 9: The Daily Life at Ninja Academy The days at the Ninja Academy were far from the boredom one might expect. Every now and then, a bit of teasing aimed at little Naruto, a harmless quarrel with Sasuke, or a rivalry over the top spot in the year-end assessments injected some excitement. Watching both boys simmer in frustration yet remain utterly helpless before Hinata was enough to uplift her spirits for the entire day. Hinata held no shame in giving the mischievous kids a hard time. Naturally, adults shouldn’t bicker with children. However, as Hinata herself was a child now, she felt free from such constraints. When the need arose, she was quick to lecture or discipline. Were it not for Naruto and Sasuke’s discretion, her ‘bully’ reputation might have echoed throughout Konoha. In public, Hinata still maintained the guise of a gentle lady. It wasn’t that she was deliberately trying to deceive anyone; in her previous life, Hinata was never particularly talkative and preferred the comfort of solitude. Engaging with unfamiliar people was rare for her. In truth, the matter of demeanor often intersected heavily with appearances. The same reticence and introversion—if packaged with good looks—tended to be labeled as aloofness or grace. Conversely, less attractive individuals got tagged as reclusive, shy, brooding, introverted, and easy targets. Apart from Naruto and Sasuke, the other notable characters in her cohort weren’t exempt from Hinata’s attention. Even if vast differences in power made fighting side by side in the future improbable, living in the village of Konoha required more than just raw strength. Take Sasuke and Madara; both were incredibly powerful yet faced ostracization within the village. Seizing a moment between classes when the room was emptier, Hinata stealthily approached the back of the class and tapped Choji on the shoulder, whispering a threat, “Hand over the chips if you don’t want to spar with me in our next Taijutsu class.” Choji sighed, “…” He glanced over to Shikamaru for help, but found the ever-loyal friend fast asleep. Both the Hyuga and Akimichi clans were renowned for their Taijutsu prowess, so sparring between Hinata and Choji wasn't something teachers opposed. Hinata might have looked petite and delicate, but Gentle Fist targeted internal organs. A light tap on the stomach could easily send last night's meal flying. The experience of being struck in the gut by Gentle Fist was one Choji swore never to repeat. Seeing Choji almost in tears, Hinata remarked with exasperation, “I’m not taking everything; you brought so many snacks, giving me one bag of chips won’t starve you. Remember, our bond of a bag of chips means that if anyone else tries to bully you at school, you just have to say my name.” With a proud pat on her chest, Hinata declared, “From now on, I’m your boss.” This prompted Shikamaru, pretending to sleep, to retort, “That's bold talk. And what if a teacher bullies Choji? Would saying your name help?” Teary-eyed, Choji reluctantly fetched a bag of chips from his backpack for Hinata. For Choji, who lived for food, giving Hinata the chips symbolized acceptance of her as a friend. For anyone else, he would have fought back, even if it was futile. Hinata harbored a soft spot for the kind-hearted, gentle Choji. Every large friend had untapped potential! “Thanks!” With chips in hand, Hinata returned to her seat to enjoy her snack. Among the batch of nine, Hinata had numerous schemes for dealing with the boys. With the girls, however, she was at a loss. One might wonder: since Hinata is a girl herself, why couldn’t she make female friends? The reason was quite straightforward! It was all because of Sasuke. To him, Hinata was merely a rival, devoid of any other sentiments. Yet, in the eyes of the other girls, Sasuke seemed to care only about Hinata. Hmph! Is having a good lineage really that special? Does being good-looking entitle one to everything? So even among girls, a relationship viewed as a love rivalry often precluded friendships. Before Sakura and Naruto switched classes, girls in the class, led by Ino, collectively began to ostracize Hinata. Were it not for her ample strength, she would’ve faced daily bullying after school. Upon seeing Kiba return from outside, Hinata waved and greeted, “Hello, Akamaru!” “Woof!” Kiba grumbled, “Hinata, do you only see Akamaru?” Hinata glanced at Kiba and again promptly chose to ignore him. Akamaru was just plain cuter! Initially, Hinata planned to get a ninja dog for companionship and even visited the Inuzuka clan for this purpose. However, as dogs grew, they lost their cuteness, and without the secret arts of the Inuzuka clan, they weren’t exceptionally powerful on their own. So Hinata gave up on the idea. She resolved to find a Summoning Animal someday instead. Four months had passed since the start of the school year, and the year-end was just a month away. The final exams were mere days off, and then a two-month break would follow. In this peaceful era, the village showed considerable leniency toward apprentice ninjas. The First Hokage had founded the village with the hope that children wouldn’t face the ravages of war. Although becoming a ninja at twelve and undertaking missions was equally inhumane in Hinata's eyes. At the end of the next semester, just before the second grade begins, the school will reshuffle classes based on students' performances. Those like Kiba, who often skip class, and Shikamaru, who doze off, will likely find themselves in different classes. Choji might be reassigned too. Sakura's academic prowess might earn her a spot in Hinata’s class. In numerous flashbacks within the original "Naruto" series, it's clear that the nine major characters weren't always in the same class. Merely six years before graduation, the village had gathered all nine into one class. Resting her chin on her hand, Hinata daydreamed until the class bell rang. Many teachings at the Academy seemed quite simple for Hinata; it was just a new language to master. Once she understood, she too would join the delinquent ranks in her class, catching some sleep on her desk or flipping through children's books. Occasionally, on a whim, she'd practice chakra control. But when laziness set in, Hinata only trained half-heartedly. For the overpowered Hinata, effort and diligence didn't quite resonate with her persona. A common misconception is that the Hyuga clan couldn't perform Jutsu since no Hyuga ninja in the original series was shown executing one. As the eldest daughter of the Hyuga family, Hinata felt it necessary to set the record straight for her clan. This belief was incorrect. The Hyuga clan, aside from their Byakugan, held no unique physical characteristics and could indeed learn Jutsu. According to official settings, Neji was skilled in water, fire, and earth elements, while Hinata had a lightning and fire dual attribute. It was just the sheer power of the Gentle Fist that led the clan to forgo other Jutsu. Gentle Fist excelled in close, ranged, control, and defense, embodying all attributes of Jutsu. Most valuably, it required no hand signs. Techniques like the Air Palm, Vacuum Palm, and Mountain Crusher stood as powerful long-range attacks. The Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, wielded by Kaguya Otsutsuki, was the ultimate art of the Gentle Fist.