19 White-Eyed Princess 2

Have they met before?

After pondering for a brief moment, Hikari shook her head.

Seeing the girl did remind her of someone, but it was a really vague feeling...

She suddenly got an idea.

"My name... my name is Yao Huang."

The words that came out from her mouth were spoken in the tongue of her homeland.

She waited for the girl's reaction, slight anticipation bubbling in her heart. However, it was quickly extinguished.

The girl was giving her a vacant stare. Without a doubt, it was a pure, honest-to-goodness confusion.

"..."

"...Um... e-e-excuse me...?"

"Hikari. Just call me Hikari."

She let out a dry laughter, heavily laced with mockery aimed at herself.

Yeah, as if any random schmuck in town would suddenly turn out to be reincarnated folks like her and Daji... with how big this world was, what's the chance?

"H-Hikari, is it... n-nice to meet y-you. I'm H-Hinata. Hyuuga Hinata..."

The girl blushed even harder, if it was possible at all.

Just saying her own name turned her into a ripe tomato... Hikari and Kokuo began to worry about this child's future...

She was about to say something to the girl when Kiba's face suddenly popped up from the other side of the tree.

"Oi, what are you doing here... huh? Is that Hinata?"

Hinata almost jumped again if only Hikari didn't stop her by holding her shoulders down.

"H-hello..."

"Just having a chat," Hikari remarked. About this girl's stalking... maybe it's best not to mention it. "More importantly, why are you not back in class yet?"

"Bug off," Kiba snorted.

At that moment, another head popped out behind Kiba.

"Hmm? Hinata?"

"E-eh?!"

That loud voice, who else was it if it wasn't Naruto?

When Hinata's eyes accidentally met his gaze, she began to tremble. And then, her head fell onto Hikari's chest as her eyes closed shut.

Ah, she fainted...

""...""

Hikari and Kokuo was really, really worried about this child's future...

---

"Ngh..."

What Hyuuga Hinata saw as her eyes slowly parted open was the clear blue sky.

She was lying on a wooden bench with a blanket covering her body. Something soft and cool was placed over her forehead. When she touched it, it turned out to be a compress.

"Hm? You're finally awake."

The girl that she'd just met before, Hikari, came over to her side.

"W-where is this...?"

"Inuzuka compound's outer training ground," she promptly replied.

When Hinata fainted, the first thing that popped up in their mind was to carry her back home. But then, Kiba remembered something about her circumstances.

She was the daughter of the head of Hyuuga clan's main branch. With her family's status as a noble clan in Konoha, she could be seen as someone akin to a princess.

If they brought her in this condition, wouldn't they got blamed instead? Therefore they changed strategy to "wait until she wake up first".

Since it would be too cruel to just leave her out there, Hikari opted to bring her back home. Kiba didn't seem to appreciate that decision, but she had already ran off before he could stop her.

Thus, the present situation.

By the way, the entire Inuzuka clan had gone off to attend a ninken festival in nearby village. When Kiba heard about it, he fell on his knees, feeling deeply wronged.

"Why didn't they tell me?! I wanna go too!"

"Because you always ditch classes?"

"..."

He got no comeback for that...

Currently, he had changed into his training clothes. When he noticed that Hinata had woken up, he immediately went over to check on her.

"Man, you have to stop fainting every time Naruto speak to you!"

"Eh? This is not the first time?"

"Naah. Let me tell ya, this girl, when that Naruto got close to her, she either ran away or just fell down immediately."

"...What?"

Meanwhile, the subject of their conversation had once again turned into a bright red tomato as she desperately tried to cover her face.

"B-b-but, I... t-talking with N-Naruto... I c-can't..."

She made some incoherent noises, looking more and more pitiful.

Woof.

A bark caught her attention. A white-furred puppy had jumped onto her lap all of the sudden, rubbing his head on her belly.

"Ah..."

Her hands slowly moved toward Akamaru's head.

Akamaru gave her a couple of sniffs before he let her pet him on the head.

That wholesome feeling as she stroked those soft fur was heavenly. She felt like the pressure that was weighing her down had slowly dissipated.

Before she realized it, her lips had curled up to form a gentle, loving smile.

"..."

'Ah, she's really cute.' When she had that in her mind, Hikari immediately shivered.

The girl's just a little kid, damnit! Have some shame! Evil thoughts, go away!

"Anyway, just rest here for a bit. We'll walk you back home when you're already feeling better."

Leaving Hinata to Akamaru's care, the two walked back to the center of the ring.

"Okay, show me that technique again?"

Kiba nodded, and then formed a tiger hand seal.

<Imitation Beast Ninja Art: Four-Legs Technique>

He crouched down on all four, chakra pouring out to cover his entire body. His claws and fangs grew out as well, making him look more feral.

Accompanied by a low growl, Kiba's form turned into a blurry shadow as he charged toward Hikari with frightening speed.

"S-so fast...!"

Hinata had heard about the Inuzuka's Four-Legs Technique from her father, but this was the first time that she'd witnessed it with her own eyes. She didn't expect that it would be this ferocious!

However, the girl at the receiving end of his attack was unbelievably calm. She didn't show any fear, instead focusing her gaze at the incoming silhouette.

A sharp claw shredded through the air, aiming toward her side. At the same time, she casually leaped backward.

The claw had miraculously missed her by a hair's breadth.

"Drat-!"

"My turn."

Chakra burst out to cover her body.

She stomped one foot on the ground, and then sent a straight kick with her other leg right at his belly, sending him flying a few feet away.

"Guh... damnit! I was so close!"

"You know I deliberately avoided at the last moment, right...? I thought I already taught you."

He did, but knowing and doing were two different things! In the first place, if it was him, he was sure that he wouldn't be able to dodge like that even if his life depended on it.

"Your Four-Legs Technique, it's basically just making you stronger by covering your body with chakra, right? Do you really have to be on all four?"

"Well... that's the name of the jutsu... it's to make us more in sync with our partners!"

"Yes, I mean, that's the problem. A fight between cultivators- err, I mean, ninja, is a fight between humans. If you're devolving yourself into a mindless beast, won't you lose then?"

"..."

Hmm, it feels like she was mocking the entire history of his clan... Kiba didn't know how to react.

"Your point?" He grunted.

"You should incorporate more finesse in your attack," she continued. "Sometimes brute force can work, but try to mix feints into your strikes."

"...How?"

"Easiest way to learn is by feeling it, so..."

She assumed the standard Emei Sect's offensive stance.

"I'll drill it into your body?"

Kiba broke into cold sweat.

"P-please have mercy..."

He couldn't even finish his words before she lunged forward, closing their distance in a single leap. She readied her right palm before sending an upward curve toward his face.

His reflexes, heightened by the Four-Legs Technique, immediately made him dodge to the side.

Unfortunately, he had fallen for the trap.

Her advancing foot stomped the ground, halting her momentum. Her right arm was retracted back as her body twisted the other way around, this time sending a hook to his side.

"Gueh-!"

The punched knocked the air out of his lungs, forcing him down his knees.

"See, like that.Your attack and your defense is too obvious. Feel how they move, then try to outwit them. Well, you can only do that if you have years of experience, though..."

"...Then... how did you do that... you're always able to avoid my attacks..." Kiba groaned while clutching his belly.

Err... because she had had thousands of years of experience...? That didn't sound good for an answer...

"...I'm... uh... born this way... maybe?"

Yaaa, technically she wasn't lying.

"Anyway, let's keep going," she resumed her stance.

"W-wait, wait! Can't you wait until my pain got better?"

"Actually, the more you're hurt, the easier you'll remember. Traumatic memory or something. Don't worry, it won't kill you."

"..."

Suddenly Kiba got the urge to give this girl a smack in the head. Just once, if he can do it just once, then he'll be extremely satisfied!

"Ah, u-um... e-excuse me..."

Hinata raised her hand, seemingly embarrassed for interrupting their session. She didn't want to disturb them at first, but in the end her curiosity had won over.

"Yes? Do you need anything?" Hikari dropped her stance and walked over to the girl.

"N-no... it's just... just... uuu..."

She was trying her best to say something, but couldn't, so she just shut her eyes and trembled instead.

Ah, she started fidgeting again...

Hikari scratched her head, feeling extremely confused.

"C'mon, just spit it out!" On the other hand, Kiba, who had a way shorter fuse, just went the direct way and broke through the wall in one go.

"H-huee! I-I'm sorry!"

Ah, she's shaking even harder now... but at least she had finally started talking.

Good job, Kiba!

"T-that... those moves you're using... is... is that Gentle Fist?"

Hinata glanced at Hikari when she asked that question.

Gentle Fist, hmm? She vaguely remembered that Tsume had called her techniques with that name two years ago as well.

"No, it's not. It's actually based on emeiquan, but I mix-and-matched it with other techniques."

After giving it some thought, Hikari decided to pry a bit further.

"By the way, what is 'Gentle Fist'?"

"Umm... it's o-our Hyuuga clan's taijutsu..."

Hmm? Taijutsu, huh?

Actually, she was quite interested with taijutsu, because it had a similar meaning to unarmed martial arts. The only taijutsu that she'd seen so far was the Inuzuka's, though.

Those are... unique, to say the least.

If Hinata and Tsume had said that her movements were similar to Gentle Fist, perhaps that was the more 'normal' martial arts in this world?

She wanted to see!

"Hinata!" She called out.

"Y-yes...?"

"Can you show me that Gentle Fist of yours?!"

"F-fueee?!"

"Oi! The heck are you doing?!"

Kiba caught her from behind, stopping her from practically pouncing on the poor scared girl.

Ah...

"S-sorry, I got overexcited."

"U-uuu... it's... it's fine..."

Even when she's scared silly, the girl still gave Hikari a weak smile.

"I-I can show you, b-but I'm not t-too good at it... w-would that be a-alright...?"

"No problem!" Hikari gave a thumbs up. "Better than fighting a dog the entire day."

"Oi!"

Why did he still get the short end of the stick even when he hadn't even said anything? Kiba felt really wronged all of the sudden...

They returned back to the ring, but this time it was the two girls sparring while Kiba and Akamaru watched by the side.

"T-then... I'll start..."

Hinata took a deep breath. And then, her hands moved to form a long string of hand seals.

Horse, Tiger, Boar, Hare, Rat, Dog, Hare, Rat, Boar, Snake.

The veins under her temple began to twitch. Soon, they bulged out entirely, forming branch-like patterns around her eyes

<Bloodline Limit: Byakugan>

"Oi, oi, are you alright? Something is wrong with your eyes!" Hikari yelled.

"Ah...? N-no, t-this is normal..."

Hinata gave her a slight bow, and then she took a stance of her own.

"H-here I c-come...!"

She struck a palm out in high speed, aiming at one of the chakra opening on Hikari's arm.

"Eh?"

Hikari didn't move to block it. The palm scored a hit. At the same, a small amount of chakra was injected in, blocking the flow around that point.

Her arm had grown numb all of the sudden!

"This is... Gentle Fist?"

She was amazed. This style of palm strikes was indeed similar to the acupressure attack used by the mortal sects!

<<Emei Sect Unarmed-Style: Thirty-Six Dianxue: Lower Arm Point>>

She quickly pressed two fingers on the numb arm's pressure point, forcibly causing her chakra to overflow and breach through the blockade.

This time, it was Hinata's turn to be surprised.

"T-that... y-you can unblock your tenketsu...?"

"Ah... yeah? It's not hard, right?"

Why was she so surprised? Pressure points study was a basic subject for every respectable sects' disciples, right?

"Uh... no? Actually, the Hyuuga is feared because they're the only ones who know how to seal our chakra pathway, thanks to their Byakugan," Kiba chimed in.

Actually, he also didn't expect that she could counter the Hyuuga's Gentle Fist like that. He still couldn't believe it even after witnessing with his own eyes.

That strongest rookie who had graduated this year, Hyuuga Neji... if he fought with her, perhaps she could...?

"Well, nevermind that. Hinata, could you show me your other moves? I want to see!"

"E-eeeh...??"

It turned out that that talk about walking her back home later was a lie.

Because of one training maniac, she was forced to practice together until nighttime. The Hyuuga couldn't wait anymore and ended up sending some of their people to fetch their princess back.

By the time she reached her home, she was fully drained. However, the truth was that she didn't particularly hated it.

'Perhaps... this is how it feels to have friends...?'

A slight smile escaped her lips.