C8 Hyuga Hinata

"Come on, bro, pick up the pace! Mr. Guy's already at the training grounds!" Tiantian chided Tenno, a playful smile on her face as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Don't let that top score in the Body Technique test go to your head! Lee and I are hot on your heels!"

"I got it," Tenno replied.

He slipped the Kunai he had crafted into his storage ring and then changed into his training gear.

Together, he and Tiantian stepped out and made their way to Konoha's training grounds.

On Tenno's right index finger gleamed a silver-white ring – the primary storage ring he had successfully forged a month prior. Once he had sealed it with his blood, he became its sole master, the only one who could access its contents. To anyone else, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary ring.

Tenno had filled the ring with his handcrafted Kunai, as well as his go-to Shuriken and Explosive Talismans.

Yet, he had managed to create only this one primary storage ring. The first reason was its complexity; as a two-star weapon, it was notoriously difficult to forge, and his first success had been a stroke of luck. The second reason was the cost of Moonstone, the material required for the ring, which was affordable but not commonly used in forging. Tenno's family had a limited supply.

After several unsuccessful attempts at forging more rings and depleting his Moonstone stock, Tenno realized he'd have to wait for his parents' return from the Iron Kingdom to continue his work.

As they neared the Konoha Training Ground, Tiantian halted and turned to Tenno. "Bro, do you hear that? Something strange."

"The sound's coming from over there," Tenno confirmed with a nod, having also caught the odd noise and pinpointed its source.

"Let's check it out," Tiantian suggested, tugging Tenno toward the sound.

In no time, they came upon a scene: a young girl with short hair and strikingly white eyes cornered by a group of children about eight years old.

The little girl with short hair had tears welling up in her eyes as she hung her head low. She remained silent, not daring to utter a word or offer any resistance.

"Look! Her eyes are really white!"

"She's definitely a monster!"

"If we take down this monster, we'll be the heroes of Konoha! Let's get her, guys!"

The children closed in on the girl menacingly.

One of them had even cocked his fist back, ready to strike her.

"Stop it!" Tiantian yelled.

Without hesitation, Tiantian bolted forward and leaped into the fray.

She spread her arms in front of the girl, shielding her, and bellowed at the children, "You're not allowed to bully her! Or else, you're all going to regret it today!"

Tiantian's boldness startled the children.

Then it dawned on them that the person confronting them was just a little girl, younger than themselves.

Laughter erupted from the crowd of children.

They looked at Tiantian as if she were a fool.

"Looks like you're the one in trouble, huh?"

"Dare to stick your nose in other people's business?"

Unfazed, Tiantian's gaze was fearless. She pointed past the group of children to Tenno standing behind them.

"If you want to hit me, you'll have to get through my brother first!"

Tenno was at a loss for words.

The unruly children's eyes followed Tiantian's pointing finger and landed on Tenno.

"Guys, let's take him down!"

The disobedient kids charged at Tenno with fists flying.

"I have no interest in brawling with you lot."

Tenno let out a cold chuckle. His fingers were already laced with shuriken.

The next moment, the shuriken sprang from his hands.

The kunai grazed the children's cheeks, sleeves, and pant legs, leaving behind minor cuts.

Tenno had mastered his strength; the kunai merely sliced through their clothes, inflicting superficial scrapes.

But the display was enough to intimidate the children and give them a stern warning.

Sure enough, the kids were petrified.

One boy suddenly felt a sting on his cheek. When he touched it, his fingers came away with bright red blood.

"I'm bleeding!" he shrieked, his voice laced with terror.

At that moment, the other children noticed their own injuries and began to scream in fright.

"My arm is bleeding!"

"That's terrifying! I'm so frightened!"

"Mommy, save me!"

Screams and sobs echoed in rapid succession.

The children glanced at Tenno with terror and scampered off in a flash.

At that moment, Tiantian was already assisting Hinata, who had been crouching in a corner, to her feet.

She grinned and said, "There's no need to be scared anymore! Those bad guys have been run off by my brother! I'm Tiantian, what's your name?"

"I'm Hyuga Hinata," Hinata murmured, her gaze lingering on Tenno.

"He's my brother, Tenno. He's incredibly strong," Tiantian offered warmly.

"Thank you, Tenno."

Hinata bowed her head, too shy to meet his gaze.

She was dazzled by the aura he exuded, like a prince descended from the heavens, strong and handsome!

Even a fleeting glance at him made her heart race.

"Why are you here by yourself?" Tenno inquired.

Hinata thought to herself: His voice is so gentle.

With a fluttering heart, Hinata nervously replied, "I got lost by accident."

"The Hyuga family's lands are quite close by. Let's escort you home," Tenno proposed after a moment's thought.

Tiantian looked on, somewhat astonished. Her brother typically steered clear of any hassle.

Yet here he was, volunteering to walk this girl home.

Could it be that her brother was smitten with this young Hyuga lady?

While Tiantian pondered this, Tenno's next words took her by surprise.

Tenno produced a kunai and, with a tender smile, offered it to Hinata, "My family runs a weapons shop. How about you buy one of my kunai as a token for my help?"

Tenno earnestly added, "It's a steal, just a thousand taels."