"Not saying anything? Not surprising. For someone as proud as you, getting defeated by a so-called dead-last must feel pretty awful, huh?"
Hinata's mocking smirk widened as she spoke. She didn't even bother to look back at Sasuke. With a casual flick of her hand, she brushed the bangs from her neck.
The cherry trees in the Uchiha courtyard were growing well. Although the blossom season had passed, the lush greenery was still pleasant to look at—though their owner clearly had no mind to appreciate it.
"What are you trying to say?"
Sensing the hidden meaning in her words, Sasuke clenched his teeth and forced himself to speak, despite the strong sense of humiliation still burning in his chest. The pain in his left side hadn't faded, a constant reminder of just how dangerous that strike had been. If it had hit his heart instead...
"Sasuke can already perform C-rank ninjutsu. That kind of talent is rare. But the true strength of the Uchiha clan lies in your precious dōjutsu. Just like the Hyūga. Our bloodlines aren't just symbols of status—they represent power."
Idly twirling a strand of her hair, Hinata continued calmly, "Too bad... Sasuke-kun still hasn't awakened his kekkei genkai, right?"
"So what if I haven't?!"
Sasuke sat up, enduring the pain in his side. His voice, surprisingly, had regained its composure. Since what she said was true, there was no point in denying it.
"I can tell you everything I know about the Sharingan."
Hinata turned to look at Sasuke. Though she sat in the sunlight, the way she turned left her face in shadow, and the slight smile on her lips was painted in something eerie, almost otherworldly.
"What did you say?!"
That line made Sasuke lurch to his feet instinctively, only to grunt in pain and double over as the sharp ache in his ribs flared up.
"The Hyūga and Uchiha are both known for their ocular techniques. In the past, the Hyūga clan gathered and studied quite a bit of intel on the Sharingan—precautions, really, in case we ever had to fight the Uchiha. Those records aren't useful anymore, but we still have them."
Watching Sasuke wince in pain, Hinata spoke with an odd kind of cheerfulness, as if savoring his suffering brought her some twisted joy.
"...What's the catch?"
Noticing the meaning in her gaze, Sasuke forced himself to sit up straight. He didn't believe she'd tell him all that for free. If she brought it up, it meant she had something to gain.
"As you can see, Naruto and I have partnered up. We sell photos and videos we shoot as a side business. But it's hard to find good filming locations in the village. So, the first condition is: Sasuke-kun, you'll let us shoot here."
That condition didn't surprise Sasuke. Thinking back to what he'd witnessed earlier, he gave a cold snort to distract himself. "Fine. Just say all the conditions."
"Efficient and decisive—just what I'd expect from the Uchiha genius. Now then, as you know, no proper drama can exist with just a female lead. Naruto's sexy jutsu may be top-tier, but I think we need a handsome, cool male lead to balance things out. What do you say, Sasuke-kun?"
Hinata looked him over from head to toe, her eyes filled with amusement.
Sasuke felt his skin crawl. Even if he were an idiot, he'd understand what she wanted by now. And worse—it involved that blond idiot... ugh—
The image that flashed through his mind made Sasuke slap a hand over his mouth. His face turned pale as a sheet.
For someone whose thoughts were usually pure save for revenge, this felt like something foul had stabbed right into his brain.
"Eh? Not feeling well? Then how about this—if Sasuke-kun's Transformation Jutsu works for the female role, Naruto can play the male lead..."
Hinata hadn't even finished her sentence when the sound of violent retching tore through the room. Sasuke, now doubled over a trash bin, vomited hysterically. And since he hadn't eaten breakfast, all that came out was bile and stomach acid.
"Well, looks like Sasuke-kun isn't willing. In that case, never mind. The offer's off the table."
Showing not even a shred of pity, Hinata stood and turned to leave. Her thin brows drew together, her entire demeanor cold and impatient.
But Sasuke, still wiping his mouth, suddenly looked up. His voice came out strangled, like something caught in his throat.
"Wait! I... agree..."
"Hmm?"
Hinata stopped, clearly intrigued. She turned back to face Sasuke, whose face was flushed with embarrassment and shame. It was obvious he wasn't finished.
Kneeling on the floor, Sasuke's fists clenched tight. Hinata waited, starting to get impatient. At last, he forced out a sentence.
"But... there can't be any... scenes involving... that kind of stuff between a man and a woman..."
Hinata blinked, but quickly caught on. What he meant was: no romantic or steamy scenes, right?
"That, huh... let me think... if we go by the current plan..."
"Fine~ deal!"
"Welcome aboard, handsome male lead."
---
"WHAT?!"
The scream shook the walls of the Uchiha estate. In the living room, the blond boy stood with one fist clenched and the other pointing at Sasuke in complete disbelief. There was no doubt this was his reaction to the news he'd just heard.
"Stop screaming like an idiot. From today on, Sasuke-kun is part of the filming team. Naruto-kun, get along with him."
Hinata slurped her bowl of takeout Ichiraku ramen calmly, completely unbothered. Across from her, Sasuke quietly ate his own ramen, face blank. Aside from the overwhelming shame, a strange kind of embarrassment kept him from looking at the blond idiot across the table.
"So why the hell him?! I'm the one with real acting talent! And this stuck-up jerk—he can't possibly transform into a hot, flirty big-sis type like I can!"
Naruto grabbed his hair and screamed in frustration, pointing furiously at Sasuke. Hinata, as always, remained unbothered, her tone perfectly flat.
"Which is why Sasuke-kun is playing the male lead. And the one who can transform into a hot, flirty big-sis type—Naruto-kun—is obviously the female lead."
Silence~
"Bleeeeerghhh—!"
Naruto dropped to his knees at the edge of the corridor, clutching his mouth and dry-heaving violently. Sasuke's stomach churned in response.
He pushed away his ramen bowl with a grimace and quickly covered his mouth with a handkerchief.
Even with Hinata's earlier promise that there would be no romantic scenes, hearing this again—especially while seated next to that blonde idiot—made the disgust rise uncontrollably in his gut.
"Yes, exactly. That's the final decision."
Hinata calmly set down her bowl as well. Her expression remained unchanged, but the skin around her eyes suddenly twitched and bulged, veins beneath her porcelain-pale skin writhing like a demon beneath the surface.
"Aaagh! Fine, I get it already!!"
Still pale, Naruto shot up and pointed a trembling finger at Hinata, his voice filled with righteous indignation and a trace of jealousy.
"You're just like Sakura and Ino at school, aren't you?! You think this smug jerk is 'cool' too, don't you?! That's why you're defending—"
CRACK!!!
A sharp, piercing snap rang out high above the Uchiha estate. The sudden sound startled several birds from the cherry trees, sending them fluttering away in panic.
Sensitive as they were, they had picked up on the explosive, deadly intent behind the noise.
Naruto stood frozen, leaning stiffly against the corridor post. That moment of overwhelming, crushing pressure had silenced him mid-sentence.
Sasuke, too, tensed up instantly, and a fresh wave of pain flared in his injured side, as if the wound had been reignited.
Hinata now stood just inches away from Naruto. The veins at the corners of her fully activated Byakugan throbbed and twitched, making her pale blue eyes even more terrifying.
Her right arm was extended straight, and her index finger was pressed against the wooden post just beside Naruto's head.
"Naruto-kun... do you know what the first thing a ninja must learn to rid themselves of is?"
Her voice was low and chilling. Naruto swallowed hard, his whole body ice cold. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Hinata's index finger was bent at an unnatural angle, the nail partially lifted. Bright red blood dripped from it—falling one drop at a time onto his neck.
Hinata's delicate, pale fingers clearly weren't tough enough to go head-to-head with solid building materials. Maybe the technique she was training did use her fingers as weapons—but her current level wasn't enough to handle that kind of impact unscathed.
"It's reckless, thoughtless words—because they can get you killed before you even realize it."
She pulled her injured hand back. Sweat beaded on her smooth forehead from the pain. From her tool pouch, she took out some bandages and quickly wrapped them around her wounded finger. Then, without looking back, she said softly,
"Filming begins the morning after tomorrow. I expect you two to practice and coordinate over the next two days. I'll be taking my leave now."
After her figure disappeared through the Uchiha estate gate, Naruto finally collapsed with a heavy thud onto the corridor floor, mumbling in a daze, "Jeez… if she didn't like Sasuke, she didn't have to scare me half to death like that…"