Hinata opened the cash box, and the veins at the corners of her pale eyes suddenly bulged. The Byakugan's x-ray vision wasn't just for combat—it came in handy in daily life too. For instance, when inspecting bills, she could see right through to the watermark and security threads, saving her the need for a counterfeit detector.
Watching her work, the shopkeeper—nicknamed Squirrel—chuckled with interest. "Say, aren't you the Hyūga clan's heiress, Miss Hinata? What's someone like you doing running around with side jobs like this? Not that I'm complaining—your product's the real deal. It's only been on shelves for two weeks, and already outsold the latest volume of Icha Icha Paradise across the Land of Fire."
"Money is best earned with your own hands. Besides…"
Confirming the cash box contained the full 400,000 ryō, Hinata lifted her gaze. Her pale blue eyes made Squirrel take an instinctive step back—he could clearly feel a flash of killing intent from this girl.
"Did no one ever tell you? The more you know, the sooner you die."
With those icy words, Hinata turned and walked away from the shop without looking back.
Only once she'd vanished did Squirrel exhale shakily, wiping the sweat from his brow.
The former Chūnin grumbled, "Man… retiring was the right choice. What kind of monsters are these kids turning into now?"
Even after walking quite a distance with the money box, Hinata still couldn't shake the frustration bubbling in her chest.
She knew exactly why. It had been two and a half months since arriving in this world, and yet there was still one thing she just couldn't get over.
"…Heiress of the Hyūga clan. What a terrible title."
Why did she have to end up as this girl? The kind who might as well have walked straight out of some fan-service doujinshi.
Let's be real: across all of Naruto, this Hinata Hyūga girl existed only as a pre-packaged love interest for the protagonist.
Just another quiet admirer meant to stand in the background and fawn over the hot-blooded main character.
She was good for boosting the protagonist's charm stat. She could be dramatically stabbed by the boss to push said protagonist into rage mode. If she died, great—get those emotional tears.
If she didn't, well, just keep milking the cool factor. Human catalyst, plain and simple.
Even though Hinata's current soul had changed that trajectory, she couldn't help the lingering resentment. She hadn't asked for this. But still—if she was stuck in this world, she might as well play to win.
Because here, as long as you were strong enough, you could do anything.
It was about six months until graduation from the ninja academy. The final term had just begun. Hinata had arrived here two and a half months ago. She'd been stunned at first, of course—but by now, she'd figured out the system.
Graduate, and you'd be teamed up based on skills with other students. From there, missions under a Jōnin leader until you became a full-fledged shinobi.
And Hinata's year? This wasn't just any graduating class.
It was the main character squad of Konoha.
Naruto might be an idiot, sure. But he was the son of the Fourth Hokage and host to the most dangerous tailed beast—the Nine-Tails.
Sasuke didn't even need an explanation. The last surviving Uchiha. That alone made him a strategic asset.
And the rest? Besides Sakura, they were all children of elite clans.
Let's do the math:
Naruto Uzumaki: Hokage's son, Nine-Tails Jinchūriki
Sasuke Uchiha: Last of the Uchiha clan
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio: Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chōji
Inuzuka Kiba: From the beast-taming clan
Aburame Shino: From the insect-user clan
Hinata Hyūga: Heiress to the Hyūga clan
Anyone familiar with Konoha's structure could see just how stacked this year's grads were. They weren't just students—they were the heirs of the Hidden Leaf's most powerful families.
Kakashi had explained it in Chapter 4 of the original: there were 27 graduates that year, but only 9 were accepted as genin. And these nine? The cream of the crop.
Eighteen filler nobodies cut from the lineup. Nine elite students remained.
Naturally, the Jōnin assigned to guide these teams had to be equally elite:
Kakashi Hatake: Konoha's top Jōnin. Became one at age 12. The village's strongest.
Asuma Sarutobi: Son of the Third Hokage. Bloodline alone put him above the rest.
Kurenai Yūhi: Konoha's top genjutsu kunoichi. Also Asuma's fiancée—making her the Third's future daughter-in-law.
This wasn't some "ordinary genin" lineup. From bloodline to mentorship, these nine were Konoha's best.
Ordinary? Please.
This was the rich kids' club.
The only ones without noble backing? Sakura, Lee, and Tenten.
And what happened? Lee, Neji, and Tenten didn't even qualify for the Chūnin Exams their first year. They trained with Gai-sensei for a full year before joining the next cycle.
Fact is, most Chūnin were adults in their twenties or thirties. Just look at the exam participants in the original story.
Being twelve and eligible? That was protagonist-only territory.
"So that means… I've got six months to boost my power as much as possible. Because once we graduate, it'll be the real deal—missions, danger, actual combat."
Muttering to herself, Hinata stopped walking. She had arrived at the agreed meeting spot, where two boys—one blond, one dark-haired—were already waiting for her. They looked up in unison as she approached.
"Sorry. I was sorting through yesterday's photos."
Looking at Naruto and Sasuke, Hinata offered them a rare smile.
But in her mind, everything was already in motion. These two? The protagonist and deuteragonist of the original?
They were now her cash cows.
And test subjects.
---
(Author's Notes
PS1: When I first read Naruto and One Piece, I was inspired by the main characters bravely standing up to the final bosses on their own. Then I saw their family trees... and realized I'd been duped. These guys aren't underdogs. They're noble-born, cheat-code princes and princesses! No wonder they keep winning! This isn't a story about grit. It's just generational wealth in disguise!
PS2: Naruto—your dad's the Hokage. You're the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki. You're the fated "Child of Prophecy." If you don't become Hokage, who will?
PS3: Luffy—your dad leads the Revolutionary Army. Your grandpa's a Navy legend. Your brother's Gol D. Roger's son. Of course you became Pirate King material!
PS3 again: Ichigo Kurosaki—your dad's a Shinigami. Your mom's a Quincy. Your bloodline has more administrator privileges than the Soul King. Don't pretend your powers aren't inherited!
PS4: "Just an average boy" my ass. Say that again and I'll slap your rich-kid faces with my peasant palm.
PS5: That's right. The real reason villains lose? They lost the daddy lottery. Let me spread this bitter truth far and wide!)
(TL: Sorry it was just so entertaining I couldn't help myself.)
---
Tales of the Fox
[Once upon a time, there was a young shepherd who tended his flock on a grassy hillside. He was kind-hearted and played beautiful melodies on a bamboo flute. The forest animals loved to gather quietly nearby to listen to him play.]
[Among those animals was a particularly lovely little fox with fur of golden-red. She would often watch the boy from the shadows of the forest, and though neither made any move to approach, they silently acknowledged one another's presence.]
[The boy lingered because of the fox, and the fox stayed because of the boy. A wordless bond tied them together.]
[One day, the little fox was caught in a hunter's trap. Just as the greedy hunter prepared to skin her alive, the shepherd arrived and offered the only thing of value he had: his beloved bamboo flute. From that day on, he could no longer play music.]
[Without his songs, the other animals stopped visiting. All except the little fox. She stayed by his side, even when he could no longer play.]
[But human life is fragile and short. After a storm, the boy caught a terrible chill and fell fatally ill. As he lay dying, the fox wept bitterly. The boy smiled and said: "In this short life, I only had you. So promise me—we'll meet again in the next. You must survive, no matter what."]
[Then he passed away.
The fox never forgot his words. She trained diligently for a thousand years until she gained the power to become human. Then she set out into the world of men, determined to find the reincarnation of the shepherd who once saved her.]
---
"What the hell is this?!!"
Naruto's furious scream shattered the quiet, his whole body trembling like a broken antenna. Hugging himself tightly, he stared in horror at Hinata, who was holding a notebook.
"W-What the heck are you doing?! What even is this story?!"
"Huh? What do you mean 'what'? It's the new script. I'm reading it aloud so you two can get familiar with it."