Shadow
Mm, as long as you're a real shinobi and don't waste your time on weird jutsu, you'll generally have a great physique.
For female ninja, that usually means big boobs, a slim waist, and curvy hips—a classic double-S figure.
Flat-chested types like Sakura and Ino are actually very rare.
As for male ninja, they tend to have chiseled eight-pack abs and muscles fit for a bodybuilding contest—Kakashi, of course, is no exception.
"So that's how it is. Kakashi-sensei is one of those guys who looks slim with clothes on. I never realized before. Also, his body hair and hair color really do match, huh."
With a perfectly calm expression, Hinata scanned Kakashi's body up and down . Her voice was steady, completely unfazed. For her, it was no different than flipping through a fitness manual to study an anatomy reference—nothing to be embarrassed about.
"Ah... ah ah ah..."
Without a doubt, Kakashi was completely stunned. Especially after Hinata's shameless and relentless commentary, the white-haired jōnin's face turned a visible, fiery red—like a thermometer tossed into a bonfire.
"Ah~! I'm so sorry~!"
At last, Tazuna's daughter, who'd also been staring a bit too long, came back to her senses and hurriedly turned away with both hands covering her face. Meanwhile, Hinata snapped her arm up and pointed straight at Kakashi in the bathtub. "Kakashi!! As a Konoha jōnin, how can you be so shameless?! Naked in front of an underage girl and a widow for so long?! Hurry up and get out of our sight using the Body Flicker Technique!! You damn hidden exhibitionist!!"
"S-sorry...!"
Kakashi barely squeezed the words out from between clenched teeth. Even his skin had turned red by now. He quickly formed the seal for the Body Flicker and vanished from the bathroom—most likely butt-naked back to his room.
"Hmph~ Absolutely disgraceful."
Without missing a beat, Hinata scolded him and then efficiently stripped off her own clothes. She glanced back at the blushing Tazuna's daughter. "You~! Come scrub my back. I've been soaking in the sea forever and feel gross all over!"
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Author Notes:
(PS1: Mmm~ o(￣▽￣)o~~ Congrats everyone! You've now seen the first official fanservice scene of this story~~ What a delight~~ A little reward wouldn't be too much, right?)
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Mm, that reminds me—it's about time to think of how to deal with Zabuza and Haku.
Soaking in fresh hot bathwater, Hinata let Tazuna's daughter wash her arms. In this damp, chilly seaside country, a hot bath was a real luxury.
"Miss Hyūga's skin is truly amazing. As expected of a noblewoman from peaceful Konoha."
Tazuna's daughter looked enviously at the flawless skin of the Byakugan girl. Clearly, she was trying her best to serve Hinata well. Hinata just let out a small hum and didn't reply. In her mind, it was perfectly natural that the strong should enjoy the loyalty of women and the glory of everything else.
Though she'd ambushed Zabuza the first time, it was exactly that overwhelming display of power that meant his and Haku's next attack definitely wouldn't be as half-hearted as in the original.
They weren't the type to give up easily. On top of that, in a place like the Land of Waves—practically overflowing with water—Zabuza's Water Release and Haku's Ice Release would be fully powered. It wasn't a situation to take lightly.
"Hey, woman. Got any interesting news lately? Spill."
Leaning back in the perfectly warm water, Hinata closed her eyes and allowed her mind to relax. Since she knew a tough fight was coming, this moment of rest was all the more important.
"Ah~ yes, something odd happened yesterday. A ship supposedly ran aground and sank nearby. That route was usually safe, so it's strange. Everyone's saying it was the wrath of the Sea God punishing the Gato Group for their evil deeds."
Tazuna's daughter showed no effort in hiding her hatred for the Kado Group. No surprise, since her husband was executed in public by Kado's orders.
Looks like the reef chain really was doing its job. At this rate, everyone in the country would soon realize that aside from the bridge, they had no way out.
Breakfast was oddly gloomy, like a heavy cloud hanging over the dining room. The biggest one floated above Kakashi's head, followed by Naruto's, and then Tazuna's.
"What's with you all? Looking like someone died. I spent all night catching this seafood. You should be bowing your heads in gratitude as you eat. What is this disgraceful behavior?"
Sipping her sea cucumber soup in small spoonfuls, Hinata openly criticized everyone else at the table. The three men all sighed in unison, clearly holding in their own misery.
"Don't even ask... I just... I feel like the last shred of dignity I had left as a teacher has completely vanished..."
Kakashi still wore a furious blush, his voice distant and hollow. Apparently, even though he spent his time reading Jiraiya's smut novels, the guy had a surprisingly low shame tolerance. Case in point: in the original story, he nearly died of embarrassment when he had to read out a scene from Icha Icha Paradise to decode Jiraiya's message.
"Me too... Why can't I master my ultimate move... It's just so humiliating..."
Naruto buried his head in the table, crying into his rice. Clearly, he was seriously considering giving up. Both Sasuke and Hinata looked up at the same time, slightly surprised.
Was this dropout really going to throw in the towel?
"Same here... One of the ships delivering construction supplies struck a reef this morning and sank. That means the bridge will be delayed at least another day... In our current situation, even a single hour of delay could trigger retaliation from Kado..."
Tazuna's words made his daughter exclaim in shock. "No way? We already heard about a shipwreck yesterday—again today?"
"Yeah... That was a perfectly safe route before. It's like reefs just suddenly sprouted out of nowhere from the sea floor..."
Their conversation didn't draw much attention, not even from Kakashi. His focus was on Naruto's decision to give up.
Frowning slightly, Kakashi made no move to stop him. In fact, he almost looked relieved.
To be honest, Shinsaaran really was too much for Naruto at this point. His chakra reserves were enormous, and if he really did master a technique with that kind of devastating power, there was no telling who might get hurt.
After all, jutsu are like double-edged swords—they can hurt enemies, but also the user and their allies. Especially destructive techniques that reshape the battlefield itself—if Naruto lost control, it could be a tragic disaster.
By comparison, Hinata's Orochi Pheasant and Sasuke's Amatsu-no-Habakiri were also powerful, but their ranges were far smaller. Plus, both had better control and posed less risk, so accidents were less likely.
"Are you giving up, Naruto?"
Putting down her spoon, Hinata felt something stir inside her. This was the first time she'd ever seen Naruto back down. In the original, once he set his mind on something, he always saw it through. He almost never gave up on any challenge or mission.
And now, he was quitting Shinsaaran training—especially while in direct competition with Sasuke. That was truly out of character.
"You dumb dropout. Is that really all you've got?"
Sasuke was clearly disappointed too. Though he'd never admit it, he saw Naruto as a rival—someone always close behind, pushing him forward. Now that Naruto had broken down, it left Sasuke with a weird mix of relief, boredom, and disappointment.
"Hmph! That's right! I'm done training Shinsaaran!"
Clenching his jaw, Naruto turned his head away and shouted it, then started shoveling food into his mouth like crazy. He clearly wasn't up for any more conversation.
"Tch!!"
With a snort, Sasuke threw down his chopsticks and stormed away from the table. Judging from the loud thunk of the dropped bowl, he was furious, though too proud to show it openly.
Mm... Nothing ever goes completely smoothly. Looks like there's an unexpected hiccup here.
Still, this was also a good opportunity. Time to start pushing for access to some deeper secrets.
Smiling faintly, Hinata stopped paying attention to Naruto and quickly finished her own breakfast. After dabbing her lips with a napkin, she also left the room.
Sasuke hadn't gone far. The broody teen lay stretched out on Tazuna's rooftop, sunbathing. Just a few days ago, he would've gone off to the forest to train after breakfast.
That he didn't today meant he was probably feeling something like, "Why bother? My rival's not even trying anymore."
"Get up. We're going to talk to Kakashi."
Hinata gave the order without hesitation. Sasuke instinctively opened his mouth to protest—he was clearly tempted to say something like "Don't bother me" or "Not interested."
But thanks to Hinata's current overwhelming dominance, he hesitated for about a second before begrudgingly standing and following her.
Kakashi was lying in his room, head propped up with one hand while reading a little book with an 18+ label—probably Icha Icha Paradise. When Hinata climbed in through the window, the delinquent jōnin almost jumped out of his skin. Seeing Sasuke right behind her was the only reason he didn't teleport away on reflex.
"Yo, Kakashi. Time to fulfill your duties as a teacher."
Without skipping a beat, Hinata slapped him with a guilt trip and knelt down in front of him with a serious expression. Sasuke followed suit. Their posture made Kakashi break out in cold sweat. After hesitating a bit, he finally gathered his courage to speak.
"Uh... Hinata, Sasuke... is there something you need help with?"
"Cut the crap. Of course it's about Naruto. Don't pretend you don't know what's going on. Why did he choose to give up on training Shinsaaran? We're the only three inheritors of Nanto Seven Sacred Fist. If Naruto quits, Sasuke and I definitely won't let it slide."
Crossing her arms, Hinata's clear, cold tone made Kakashi breathe a quiet sigh of relief—at least it wasn't some terrifying or bizarre request.
"That's exactly it. That idiot dropout may be a bit dim, but he's not the type to give up on training an ultimate technique on his own. Even if it's just to maintain our squad's overall combat strength, we all believe it's your responsibility to resolve this."
Having been drawn into the topic, Sasuke couldn't help but speak up too. Clearly, this issue still weighed heavily on him.
"Sigh... I suppose so. You both saw it last time—when Naruto lost control."
After a moment of thought, Kakashi finally nodded. As their teacher, he knew he had no choice but to reveal some secrets now. Just like Hinata and Sasuke had said, if only for the sake of keeping his students united, he had to take responsibility.
"The truth is... inside Naruto's body, there really is a terrifying presence."
"He's probably refusing to train Shinsaaran because he realizes the technique keeps triggering that beast inside him. He's afraid of losing control again, like last time."
"That boy chose to 'give up'—an incredibly difficult decision for him—because he wanted to protect those around him from himself."