The clouds shifted lazily overhead as Sasuke sat atop the Academy rooftop, his arms resting on his knees, eyes gazing downward. From this height, he could observe them all—his classmates, the teachers, the training grounds.
But today, his eyes sought only one person.
Hinata Hyuga.
She stood at the far end of the field, positioned in a defensive stance, her pale lavender eyes locked onto her training dummy. She was alone again, away from her clan's elite tutors. Sasuke could tell: she preferred the solitude.
And yet, behind those gentle movements, beneath her shy glances and shaking fingers, he saw something no one else did—
Strength. Hidden. Waiting.
The kind of strength that wasn't forged by pride or rage, but by endurance.
And in those faint-blue tinted eyes, he saw an ember—not a flame, not yet, but one with the potential to ignite the world.
---
Sasuke descended without a word, his presence as silent as mist. He approached from behind as Hinata delivered another strike—palm forward, chakra rippling softly.
"You're hesitating again," he said plainly.
Hinata jumped, spinning around. "S-Sasuke!"
"You pull your palm back right before contact. Subconsciously."
"I… I don't want to hurt anyone…"
"That's exactly why you have to train harder," he replied, circling her. "The ones who hesitate… lose the ones they care about."
Her eyes widened. "Y-You mean…"
"I've lost people too," he said without emotion, but his eyes flickered briefly with a shadow of grief. "And I won't let it happen again."
Hinata swallowed. There was something different about the way he looked at her. Not just curiosity—recognition.
"Try again," he instructed, conjuring a chakra shield with one hand. "Hit me."
Hinata's eyes widened further. "W-What?! I can't—"
"You won't hurt me," he said, tone calm but firm. "You couldn't if you tried. Show me your strength."
Trembling, Hinata focused. She took a breath and rushed forward—her movements cleaner, more refined, her palms glowing with concentrated chakra.
The first strike hit the shield, causing a ripple. The second came faster—barely deflected. The third—
BAM!
It broke through.
Not the shield, but Sasuke's balance. He slid half a step back.
He blinked, surprised. She was learning faster than expected. Her chakra had adapted—shifting from soft to sharp in that instant of intent.
Hinata gasped and pulled back. "D-Did I hurt you?!"
"No." Sasuke's lips curved into a slight smirk. "You impressed me."
She blinked. "I… did?"
"You're evolving," he said. "Faster than anyone else in this class."
Hinata's cheeks turned crimson, her hands twisting together. "I-I just… want to protect people. Even if I'm scared."
That statement.
That conviction.
It echoed deep inside him.
Because he knew that feeling—to protect even when terrified, to stand alone against the impossible because no one else would.
---
He reached out slowly and placed his hand gently on her shoulder.
Just enough for Corp to activate once more.
Corp: Emotional Core Synced – Hyuga Chakra Fortification Evolved.
New Trait Acquired: Gentle Breakpoint – Precise chakra disruption with microsecond delay.
Emotion Resonance: 64% compatibility detected.
But this time… the data wasn't cold. It wasn't just numbers and pathways. It was warmth. A flicker of emotional trust. A bond beginning to form.
"Thank you, Hinata," he said quietly.
She looked up, startled. "F-For what?"
"For showing me there's more than one kind of strength."
---
Later that night, Sasuke stood at the edge of a quiet rooftop in the Uchiha district, overlooking the village below. The wind blew through his hair, but his mind wasn't on the breeze.
It was on her.
Those blue-lavender eyes. That trembling voice. That inner fire.
He'd met warriors in his last life—some proud, some cruel, some powerful beyond measure.
But none like her.
None who smiled through fear.
None who fought through tears.
None who stayed kind… in a world that demanded blood.
He respected that.
And maybe, just maybe… he admired it too.
---
Back inside his room, he sat cross-legged and accessed his Corp memory bank. New chakra techniques danced behind his closed eyes—threads of movement, technique adaptations, and emotional links to her chakra pulse.
But deeper still was the imprint she left behind:
A desire to be seen.
A need to be accepted.
And a longing to be strong—not for herself, but for others.
And in that… Sasuke found something dangerous—
Inspiration.
Not just to copy… but to feel.