The Villainous Rebirth of an Anime Heroine | naruto

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"Today's... Sunday, huh..."

Naruto sat up in bed, shivering—not because of the weather, since it was only early autumn, and even without a shirt, it wasn't that cold. No, the real reason for his shudder was what today meant... and what he had to do.

Normally, there wasn't much in the Hidden Leaf Village that could scare Naruto. Aside from Iruka-sensei, who was in charge of his education, almost everyone—whether adults or kids—kept their distance from him.

Calling it "keeping their distance" was putting it mildly. The truth was, the villagers' attitude toward Naruto was a mix of disgust and fear. But rather than making him afraid of them, it mostly left him feeling frustrated and lonely.

So, Naruto had become the undisputed king of pranks in the village. From graffiti on the Hokage Rock to peeking into the women's bathhouse, his antics were legendary. Any other ninja might've been thrown in jail or scolded by the Anbu for such things, but for Naruto, the worst that happened was a lecture from Iruka or a beating from some furious bathhouse ladies.

This almost carefree treatment shaped Naruto into someone naturally thick-skinned. He didn't quite understand why the villagers avoided him, but one thing he did know—there was no one in the village that truly scared him.

Which is why the fact that he was trembling with fear today was... really unusual.

No matter how much he wanted to avoid it, he had to go. Dragging himself out of bed, Naruto threw on his clothes, chugged a bottle of milk from the fridge, and then jumped straight out of his window, rushing toward the meeting spot.

The Hidden Leaf Village was big, one of the best places to live, really. Naruto sprinted past the bustling marketplace, finally arriving at a quiet, almost abandoned part of town. It had once been a residential area, but it was obvious no one had lived here for years. The overgrown roads and crumbling houses told the story of a place long forgotten. Faded on the cracked walls was a half-erased fan emblem, whispering of a past glory now lost.

The abandoned streets, the silent ruins, the eerie atmosphere—it all felt like the setting of some ghost story. Naruto, already on edge, felt his whisker-marked face tighten with unease. His goggles sat awkwardly on his head, pushed up by his stiff, spiky hair. If there was ever a perfect image of "hair standing on end," this was it.

"You! You're late!"

A sharp voice cut through the silence.

Naruto, already wound up to his limit, let out a scream, instinctively dropping to the ground and covering his head.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please spare me~! I really don't know my way around here!" he cried, voice trembling.

"Hmph!"

Light footsteps echoed as a pair of ninja sandals stepped into Naruto's view. The feet were small, delicate, with pale toes that looked refined—almost like they belonged to a gentle, innocent girl.

But the voice that followed was anything but gentle.

"You know the rules, right? I told you before—every minute you're late means ten extra minutes of work. And you've already wasted a lot of time today."

"Ugh..."

Still clutching a nearby utility pole, Naruto peeked up at the figure standing before him.

There was no doubt about it—this was the person who filled him with absolute terror.

She was around Naruto's age, with a delicate, oval-shaped face that gave off an air of quiet obedience. Her short, straight hair framed her face neatly, with two strands falling on either side. Her outfit was simple—just a plain jacket and pants, with no fancy accessories or dyed hair like other girls her age. She radiated an almost unnatural sense of calm.

At least... on the surface.

Because the moment your eyes met hers, everything changed.

Her pupils were unlike those of ordinary people. Instead of normal irises, her eyes were completely white, covered by a thin, milky film that made them look almost unnatural—like eerie contact lenses.

Those pale eyes, set against the backdrop of the ruined buildings, carried a chilling sharpness, a cold intensity that made her seem more like a vengeful spirit than a normal girl.

Hyuga Hinata.

That was her name. She was Naruto's classmate at the Ninja Academy. Her grades were average, and she rarely spoke to anyone, making her easy to overlook. Most people assumed she was harmless.

But about two weeks ago, Naruto had learned the truth hidden beneath that innocent exterior.

To the rest of the world, her eyes were a pure, snowy white.

But to Naruto, those eyes held something much darker—something terrifying.

A pair of eyes that didn't just see through things.

They crushed hope.

"Hmph~!"

Hinata, with her expression cold and unreadable, stared down at Naruto, who was still clutching the utility pole like his life depended on it. Slowly, she reached into her pocket, feeling around for something.

Naruto, sensing the movement, squeezed his eyes shut in despair. He had no idea what terrifying tool this darkened version of his classmate was about to pull out to punish him.

Thud!

A thick stack of something landed squarely on Naruto's head. His already frayed nerves nearly made him jump out of his skin. After several seconds of trembling, he cautiously opened his eyes, on the verge of tears.

"Huh?"

To his surprise, it wasn't some horrifying torture device. Instead, a thick bundle of cash had fallen into his lap.

Big bills. The kind worth a thousand ryō each.

Naruto blinked, dumbfounded. A quick glance told him there were at least a hundred bills in the stack—ten thousand ryō in total.

(For reference, the currency in the ninja world was pretty much the same as yen. And ten thousand ryō? That was a fortune. Especially for someone like Naruto, who survived on a measly orphan stipend of fifteen hundred ryō a month.)

Seeing that much money all at once made his hands tremble. He looked up at Hinata in shock, unsure of what she meant by this.

"That's your share. A seventy-thirty split, just like we agreed."

Hinata lifted her chin proudly. From this angle, Naruto could see the graceful curve of her swan-like neck, her skin pale and smooth. But her words snapped him back to reality.

His voice shook. "Y-You... You actually... sold those photos?"

"Of course I did. How else do you think we got this much money?" Hinata scoffed. "Now quit wasting time. We need to prepare for the second batch today! The last photo album was a massive hit!"

She grinned wickedly, unzipping a small bag she had slung over her shoulder. From inside, she pulled out a piece of clothing and tossed it at Naruto.

"Put this on. Today's theme is 'The Fallen Shrine Maiden, Trapped in the Cursed Sanctuary.' We only have two hours, so get moving!"

"Ugh... You promised... you wouldn't show those pictures to anyone..."

Tears welled up in Naruto's eyes. He was really crying now. He had always been fearless—nothing in the village truly scared him.

Except this.

The fact that pictures of him in those outfits had been made into a photo album and sold to who knows how many people was enough to drain his will to live.

"Oh, quit whining! It's not like they're actually pictures of you," Hinata huffed. "They were all taken while you were using your Sexy Jutsu! You've got nothing to complain about. Or should I show that one special photo to Sakura?"

Naruto froze. His whole body tensed.

He knew exactly what Hinata was talking about.

She smirked, her eerie white eyes gleaming with visible malice. "Hurry up. You love Transformation Jutsu, don't you? Now you can profit from it. What's there to be upset about?"

"Ugh... F-Fine..."

Wiping his tears, Naruto reluctantly stood up. With his hands trembling, he formed a familiar seal.

"Sexy Jutsu!"

Poof!

A cloud of smoke exploded around him. When it cleared, Naruto was gone.

In his place stood a tall, curvy blonde woman—his signature transformation.

Her smooth, sun-kissed skin gleamed in the light. Long, toned legs stretched out like a sculptor's masterpiece. She held her arms across her bare chest in an attempt to cover herself, though her delicate fingers barely hid anything. Her face, framed by golden locks, was adorned with two tear-streaked cheeks, making her look like a wounded animal.

The perfect image of an irresistibly vulnerable beauty.

That was Sexy Jutsu.

Once upon a time, Naruto had been proud of this technique. It was his original creation—developed after countless hours of peeking at the women's bathhouse and studying adult magazines. It had one purpose: to take down pervy, weak-willed men by hitting them where they were most defenseless.

It worked. Too well, in fact.

The first time Naruto ever used it, he had one-shot Iruka-sensei into unconsciousness.

But now, Naruto regretted creating it more than anything.

Because the nightmare had begun the moment he showed this jutsu in class two weeks ago.

"Perfect~!" Hinata cooed. "Now put this on."

She pulled out a red-and-white miko (shrine maiden) outfit from her bag. Her lips curled into a wicked smile as she licked them slightly. The tiny pink tongue flickering out was enough to send chills down Naruto's spine.

He reluctantly took the outfit and unfolded it. Compared to the fishnet bodysuits she made him wear last time, this was at least real clothing.

Sniffing back his tears, he dressed himself in the shrine maiden costume.

Hinata raised her camera, her voice dripping with amusement.

"Alright, time for the opening shot~! Smile for the camera, Naruto-kun~!"

Naruto flinched at the way she dragged out his name, but he had no choice.

Forcing the brightest, most energetic smile he could muster, he struck a pose.

With his red-and-white outfit and cheerful expression, he looked like the very picture of a pure, lively heroine.

"H-Hello, everyone~!" he chirped in an unnaturally high-pitched voice. "I'm your friendly neighborhood shrine maiden, Foxy-chan~!"

"Today, let's work hard to purify the evil spirits, okay~?"

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Another annoying morning...

Staring blankly at the sunlight streaming through the window, Sasuke did something unusual—he didn't get up early. Even though he was known for his dedication to training, there were times when he allowed himself to be lazy like this.

No one would come to wake him up. No breakfast would be waiting for him. He knew this all too well—he was alone now.

The Uchiha clan... In the entire Hidden Leaf Village, Uchiha Sasuke was the only one left. The land, the houses—they still belonged to him, but to Sasuke, this vast space felt more like an empty prison.

The memories of living with his family were like the fading Uchiha fan emblem on the walls—chipped away by time, leaving behind nothing but faint traces.

Like a puppet, he mechanically got out of bed. He already knew what his day would look like: head to the Uchiha clan's training grounds, practice shurikenjutsu and Fire Release techniques, then go to town and buy a few rice ball snacks to last the day.

He wouldn't run into anyone. Nothing new would happen.

Just like every other day for the past few years.

As he stepped out of his house, Sasuke didn't even bother locking the door. There was nothing valuable inside—nothing left that he cared about.

Watching a few sparrows fly by, Sasuke let out a small scoff at himself. Yeah... Besides stray birds and wild cats, nothing else set foot in the Uchiha district anymore. This place—once full of life—had turned into a cursed, bloodstained land. And except for him, the last Uchiha, no one else cared what became of it.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed those thoughts away. The training grounds weren't far. If he hurried, he could finish his practice early.

With that in mind, he headed toward his usual path. But just as he turned onto a leaf-covered street—

A high-pitched voice suddenly rang through the air.

"Nico Nico Nii~~"

It was bright, overly sweet, and carried an odd mix of shyness and nervous energy that made it strangely pleasant to the ear.

For a moment, Sasuke's mind went completely blank.

His home—silent and empty for years—suddenly had an intruder?

A strange fire burned in his chest. Without thinking, he bolted toward the voice, kunai already in hand. His instincts screamed that something was wrong. The sound had come from near the Uchiha shrine—the place where generations of his clan were honored. And now...

Someone was there?

A storm of emotions crashed over him, tightening around his body. By the time he came to his senses, he was already sprinting around the corner, kunai gripped tightly.

And then—

"Nico Nico Nii~~ Let your heart shine, Nico Nico Nii~~"

Standing in front of the shrine was a blonde girl in a red-and-white shrine maiden outfit, striking a bizarre pose while saying those weird, almost hypnotic words in a syrupy voice.

Her appearance was flawless—sun-kissed skin, a perfectly balanced figure. The way she moved naturally drew the eye, making it impossible to look away.

"Make your voice sweeter, you stupid fox!"

An impatient voice snapped from nearby.

A second figure stood in front of the blonde, camera in hand, clicking the shutter with practiced ease. The sound of photos being taken echoed clearly in the air.

And just like that, Sasuke—who had arrived at the shrine's entrance—found himself in an awkward, frozen state.

As a proud Uchiha, he knew exactly how to deal with trespassers.

Normally, anyone who entered his family's shrine without permission would be met with a storm of shuriken and a giant fireball. If he went too far and killed them? Too bad. They deserved it. Not even the Hokage would blame him.

But this?

This was not what he had expected.

There were no grave robbers. No vandals desecrating his clan's legacy.

Instead, there was... this.

"Hmm, something's still missing."

The photographer muttered to herself, stepping closer to the blonde shrine maiden and gesturing with her hand.

"Hey, hey. Lift your arms a bit more. Are you half-asleep or something?"

"I am half-asleep! And starving too!"

The blonde shrine maiden—clearly at her limit—stomped her foot in frustration, hands on her hips, and glared at the photographer.

That simple motion was enough to deliver a critical hit to Sasuke's senses. A strange heat rushed to his lower body. His breath hitched. Instinctively, he took a step back—

CRACK.

The sharp snap of a broken branch beneath his foot shattered the moment.

"Huh?!"

The sudden voice cut through the silence, instantly alerting the figure standing in front of the blonde shrine maiden.

Sasuke's instincts kicked in, and he prepared to dodge, but before he could move, the other person had already turned sharply, her sharp gaze locking onto him. She took in everything—his stance, the kunai gripped tightly in his hand.

Their eyes met.

For a brief moment, both of them froze.

Sasuke forced himself to push down the strange heat rising in his chest. He didn't understand what it was, but he buried it under a wave of cold suspicion and growing anger.

Hyuga Hinata.

That was the name of the girl standing before him.

In Konoha, she was someone with a special status—none other than the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan. Back when the Uchiha clan still thrived, the Hyuga were the only ones who could rival them in prestige and power. But now—now that Sasuke was the last surviving Uchiha—there was no doubt that the Hyuga were the strongest family in Konoha.

The Uchiha and Hyuga weren't exactly enemies, but they weren't allies either. And now, here she was—this so-called "heiress"—standing inside the sacred Uchiha shrine, doing something so… so disgraceful!

This was beyond an insult. It was a direct slap to his face.

"You! What the hell are you doing?!"

His grip tightened around the kunai, and his voice trembled with anger. If not for the last shred of reason holding him back, he might have attacked on the spot.

Hinata, however, only frowned slightly. She tilted her head, just enough that the dim lighting cast eerie shadows across her pale, pupil-less eyes.

Despite her usual quiet and harmless demeanor, at this moment, she gave off something else entirely—something unnatural. Something dangerous.

Like a monster wearing human skin, just waiting to be unchained.

"...Sorry."

Just as Sasuke instinctively braced himself, Hinata suddenly spoke.

Her voice was light. Almost casual. Her expression softened as if she had just realized something insignificant.

"It's just that this place has the right atmosphere for a shoot, so we decided to come here. Ah—sorry, Sasuke-kun, I probably should've told you earlier."

She smiled as if nothing was wrong, then casually reached into her jacket pocket.

"As you can see, I'm working on a little side job with Naruto-kun. We're doing some photography. Can't just rely on the adults to support us forever, right?"

She took a step forward, her voice calm and friendly. Then, pulling out a thick stack of ryo, she held it out to him.

"So, since we used your place for the shoot, take this as a location fee. It's fifty thousand ryo—not a huge amount, but still a little something, right?"

"—What?!"

Sasuke stiffened.

It was only now, in the shock of the moment, that he finally noticed the shrine maiden's eyes.

Those bright blue eyes—so ridiculously familiar.

Wait.

This shrine maiden—this blonde shrine maiden—was actually Naruto, transformed using the Henge no Jutsu?!

And he—Uchiha Sasuke—had actually been thrown off by that ridiculous transformation?!

The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. His entire face burned with a deep, undeniable shame.

His teeth clenched so hard it hurt.

His furious gaze shot toward Hinata, his voice burning with rage.

"You—what do you take this place for?! This is a shrine, not some cheap set for your stupid photos! Get the hell out of here!"

The sheer force of his rejection sent a shiver down even Naruto's transformed spine. But it wasn't fear—Naruto wasn't scared of Sasuke.

It was something else entirely.

Because he knew—he knew exactly what was coming next.

The smile slowly faded from Hinata's face.

What replaced it was something cold. Something sharp.

A twisted smirk curled at her lips as she slid the money back into her pocket.

"Ahh…"

She sighed, almost lazily.

"You really don't know how to take a friendly offer, huh?"

A true shinobi.

Even someone completely clueless could feel the sheer mockery dripping from her words.

For someone as naturally perceptive as Sasuke, the message was crystal clear.

He grit his teeth, his whole body tensing. Whatever the hell was wrong with this Hinata today—one thing was certain: she wasn't planning to just walk away.

"Sasuke-kun," she said, stepping to the side ever so slightly. Her tone was light, almost playful.

"If I remember correctly, back at the academy, you were ranked first in our class, right?"

She let out a small laugh—"Heh~."

That single sound.

That single little chuckle.

It twisted everything in her sentence, warping it from a simple statement into a taunt.

Disdain.

Mockery.

Contempt.

All of it—packed into that one little sound.

Sasuke's anger roared to life like molten lava surging through his veins.

He didn't need to answer.

He didn't need words.

He would let his actions do the talking.

His fingers flicked. Three shuriken cut through the air with deadly precision, forming a perfect triangle as they whistled toward Hinata's eyes and throat.

A move so sharp, so fast, that even an average chunin wouldn't be able to counter it.

But Sasuke wasn't an average shinobi.

He was an Uchiha.

And his shurikenjutsu—was absolute.