The next day.
The "Wind Clone" and "Water Clone" set out for training as usual, while Hikari returned to the ninja academy for the first time in days.
"Morning, Hikari!"
"Morning."
Naruto's voice boomed with his usual energy, and soon, the rest of her classmates greeted her in turn. Thanks to "Academy Hikari's" deliberate efforts, she'd grown much closer to them. The initial wariness from Shikamaru and the others had faded—now, they even joked with her occasionally.
Sometimes, they'd discuss Yin and Yang nature transformations. Clan secrets were off-limits, but their insights on pure chakra manipulation were surprisingly sharp, even if fragmented. Hikari was still piecing it all together.
Tap… tap…
Her cane lightly struck the floor as she passed Hinata's seat. Her Byakugan, kept in low-energy mode, gradually brightened.
Invisible pupil power enveloped the seated girl, rendering her as transparent as a doll behind glass—skin, clothes, everything.
Her heart pounded violently.
Sweat secretion. Tense muscles. Accelerated pulse.
No doubt about it.
Hikari took her seat, her last shred of hope vanishing. Her icy gaze locked onto the trembling Hinata like an eagle circling its prey.
---
### Classroom
Clack!
Iruka rapped his pointer against the blackboard.
"Everyone, open your jutsu formula textbooks to page thirty-six. Today, we'll cover the meaning behind each of the twelve basic hand seals—differences between single and dual seals, binary and ternary combinations, and the chakra network pathways they activate.
This is extremely important!"
The class collectively rolled their eyes.
Iruka always said that.
Hinata mechanically flipped her book open, her body stiff as a board.
For days now, that monster had been hovering near her, even speaking to her. It left her so terrified she could barely string a sentence together.
Does she already know?
Know that I've discovered her secret?
Is she deciding how to devour me—piece by piece?
Tears welled in Hinata's eyes. Pretending to rummage through her bag, she stole a glance at the silver-haired girl beside Naruto.
Naruto was scribbling notes, focused on the board.
But the monster—
Was staring right at her.
Hinata's mind blanked.
If not for the quiet classroom, she might've screamed.
She jerked upright, eyes glued to Iruka's moving lips, though she heard nothing.
She knew the Byakugan's power too well.
That monster couldn't hide from her eyes.
And she couldn't hide her terror from its gaze.
The stare burned hotter than sunlight, searing into her back until even her toes curled. Her skin prickled, every inch of her screaming with discomfort.
The more she struggled, the more she forced herself to stay still.
Haaah… haaah…
She tried to steady her breathing, but each gasp only made her heart race faster. The pounding grew so loud even Ino noticed.
"Hinata, are you okay?"
"I—I'm fine!"
She bit her lip, avoiding her friend's concerned eyes.
---
### Psychological Warfare
Time crawled.
Hikari kept her gaze locked on Hinata, pressure unrelenting.
If I can't kill her outright… I'll break her another way.
She's afraid of me? Good.
Then I'll terrify her so utterly she'll never dare speak a word—not even in her thoughts.
Beyond the killing intent, Hikari manipulated the air's moisture, thickening it around Hinata.
The humid heat fed anxiety, amplifying the pressure.
Thin oxygen forced rapid, shallow breaths, starving Hinata's brain—fueling panic.
Fear twisted her body.
Her body fed the fear back.
A vicious cycle, meticulously engineered.
Break or flee.
"—Hand seals may seem tedious, but they ensure stability. In battle, even a minor slip means death. Speed means nothing without—"
"Sensei!"
A frail voice cut through Iruka's lecture.
Hinata's hand trembled in the air, her face ghostly pale.
"I… I need to use the restroom."
Iruka nodded, continuing his chalk scrawls.
The moment she was permitted, Hinata lurched up, legs stiff as if she'd run a marathon.
She didn't dare look back.
She fled the suffocating classroom—
—unaware of the smirk curling behind her.
---
### Hallway
Click.
The door shut.
Alone in the empty corridor, Hinata slumped against the wall, gulping air like a drowning woman.
The cool marble soothed her burning skin, shielding her from that blade-sharp gaze.
Finally, she could breathe.
Her palm pressed against her chest, willing her heart to slow.
Only when the fear ebbed did she realize—
Her clothes were drenched.
Her limbs trembled, weak as jelly.
Even her stomach ached.
…I should wash my face.
Pushing sweat-slicked hair behind her ear, she shuffled toward the bathroom, leaning on the wall for support.
---
### The Monster Revealed
Around the corner, hidden in shadows, Hikari watched.
"Academy Hikari" had done her job perfectly—isolating Hinata, fraying her nerves to the brink.
Now, it was time for the final act.
Crack…
Her lips split toward her ears, flesh peeling back to reveal rows of jagged, blood-streaked teeth.
A second set sprouted behind the first.
Double-layered.
A nightmare of fangs, spiraling deep into her maw—
—a grotesque mimicry of some alien horror.
Hikari examined herself with the Byakugan.
Perfect.
---
(◠‿◠)