The Villainous Rebirth of an Anime Heroine | naruto

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"Yes! Sarutobi Asuma (Yūhi Kurenai) accepts the request to assist with the mission."

Hearing Kakashi's words, Asuma and Kurenai immediately straightened up, then answered seriously. It was clear that, as fellow jōnin from the same generation, they were quite familiar with each other.

"Hey, no need to be so tense. This mission isn't dangerous, and it's inside the village."

Seeing his two friends accept the request, Kakashi relaxed again before speaking directly. "Asuma, I remember you once spent some time learning about photography and film developing, right?"

"Hah? Why are you asking that all of a sudden? Uh... yeah, I did. I even thought about becoming a photographer for a while. Why? Is this mission related to that?"

Asuma scratched his head in confusion. As a long-time friend, he could pick up on the meaning behind Kakashi's words, but that only made things seem even stranger.

"Developing photos or assisting with filming... that should be a D-rank mission at most."

Kurenai also looked at Kakashi with some confusion. A D-rank mission wouldn't normally require Kakashi to ask for the help of two elite jōnin. But from Kakashi's tone and demeanor, it seemed like this mission really was just a low-risk D-rank one.

"Well~ how should I put this? It's a little complicated. Let's talk while we walk."

Kakashi glanced at the clock hanging in the dango shop. Based on Hinata's walking speed, she should arrive on this street within the next twenty minutes. He had to finish setting everything up before then.

As mission assistants, Asuma and Kurenai naturally had the right to know the details of the task. And soon, after hearing Kakashi's explanation, the two jōnin exchanged serious glances.

"I see. This mission involves almost all of Konoha's next-generation clan heirs. No wonder the Hokage is paying so much attention to it."

Kurenai nodded thoughtfully. As a jōnin, she could immediately recognize how important those kids were. The Hyūga, Uchiha, Ino-Shika-Chō, Aburame clans, plus the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails and Fourth Hokage's son... with a lineup like that, it was only natural for the Third Hokage to take precautions.

"Exactly. From what I've observed, those kids really are just making their little drama series, but we need to keep a close watch."

Kakashi scanned the area around them. This was the quieter end of the street, with barely any foot traffic.

"Earth Release – Two-Pillar House Technique!"

With a series of hand seals, Kakashi pressed his palms to the ground. Chakra pulsed into the earth, and the soil surged up, shaping itself into a small storefront that looked no different from the other shops on the street. This was a modified version of the Earth Prison Technique, designed to create temporary shelters when needed.

"Whoa~ Not bad! With this, if I bring over my old developing equipment from home, we can make this a proper photo studio."

Asuma grinned at Kakashi's craftsmanship, then turned to Kurenai. "Alright, Kurenai, it's your job to make sure that kid comes into our shop. Be careful, though—she has the Byakugan. Regular genjutsu might not work."

"Ah~ I know. But genjutsu isn't just about messing with someone's vision."

Their years of teamwork meant they didn't need to say much to understand each other. The plan was simple—Kakashi would use Earth Release to create a photo studio, Asuma would act as the shop owner and developer, and Kurenai would use subtle genjutsu to make sure Hinata chose this shop. Once she was inside, they could act accordingly.

"Oh, one last thing. We can't use Transformation Jutsu to disguise ourselves. If she activates the Byakugan, she might see through it. So, this time, we have to go undercover without ninjutsu."

Kakashi turned to Asuma and Kurenai. "I'll pose as a shop assistant. Asuma, you're the owner and developer. That work for you?"

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable. But what about me?"

Kurenai frowned slightly. Kakashi smiled teasingly.

"You? Obviously, you're the shopkeeper's wife." He grinned. "Alright then, I'll go check on her pace. See you both later~"

"Oi, Kakashi! Don't joke around and put Kurenai in a tough spot!"

Asuma sighed, shaking his head at his friend's playful antics. Meanwhile, Kurenai shot Asuma a slightly embarrassed glance before stepping into the shop first. Scratching his head, Asuma quickly followed her inside. He needed to set up his disguise, and Kurenai would probably enjoy helping him with it.

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As an amateur photographer, Hinata hadn't mastered the skill of self-developing photos just yet. And since Konoha's technology wasn't that advanced, instant cameras didn't exist yet. That meant she had no choice but to take her film rolls to a photo studio for processing.

It was such a hassle. Maybe... she should recruit someone who knew how to develop photos?

With that thought in mind, Hinata arrived at the familiar street where she usually handled her photos. There were three long-established photo studios in the area. To avoid leaks, she rotated between them whenever she needed to develop her work.

But today... something felt off.

"Closed?"

Hinata frowned slightly as she stared at the tightly shut door of the photo development shop in front of her. She didn't like it when her plans were disrupted. But as she walked to the other two shops, she found the same thing—closed doors with apology notes stuck on them.

Her brows furrowed deeper. Something was off.

Even though she had only been in this world for less than three months, she had decades of life experience from her past world. And from that experience, she knew this was strange.

The Land of Fire was about to celebrate a traditional cultural festival. During such a time, photo development shops should be busier than ever. Tourists loved to capture memories, taking photos to keep as souvenirs. And yet, all three shops on this street were closed at the same time? That didn't make sense.

Whoever was behind this might have thought their plan was perfect—but they overlooked the current social situation. However, if they believed their target was just an "eleven-year-old girl," a little carelessness on their part was understandable.

Hinata touched her delicate chin, the corners of her lips curving into a cold smile. Interesting.

It seemed that the important people hiding in the shadows had finally made their move. If this was intentional, then there were only two possibilities:

First: They wanted to stop her from developing any more photos, hoping to subtly discourage her from continuing.

Second: They wanted to lure her into a specific shop—one that was easy to monitor and control.

After all, her film project featured Sasuke and Naruto as the main characters. If certain influential figures thought it was inappropriate and wanted to put an end to it without outright confronting her as the Hyuga clan's eldest daughter, the first scenario would make sense. In that case, there would be no available photo development shops nearby.

But if those people simply wanted to keep an eye on her, then it was the second scenario. That would mean there was still a shop open—a new one that had just recently appeared. And the people inside? Most likely disguised shinobi on a mission.

Understanding this, Hinata didn't even bother activating her Byakugan to check the area. Instead, she simply started looking around the street.

Before long, she stopped at the very end of the road.

There, right in front of her, stood a photo development shop she had never seen before. The fresh signboard and spotless storefront made it obvious—this place had only just opened.

So, it's the second scenario.

Hinata smirked slightly. At that moment, the glass door of the shop swung open, and a white-haired employee greeted her with a cheerful smile.

"Welcome, young lady. Do you need some photos developed?"

"Ah~ of course~"

Hinata lifted her gaze with interest, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.

"I might have quite a lot of photos to develop."

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"Oh~ so these are the photos, huh..."

Asuma carefully examined the camera Hinata had handed over. Disguised as an ordinary shopkeeper, he subtly let out a breath of relief before looking up kindly at the girl sitting in the chair.

"No problem at all, we can develop them for you. But... would you mind if I shared a few thoughts?"

"Go ahead, I don't mind."

Hinata smiled sweetly as she gazed at the three people before her.

At a glance, they seemed like nothing more than an ordinary middle-aged shopkeeper, a gentle and helpful housewife, and a friendly store clerk.

But now that she was on guard—and armed with her knowledge of this world's characters—she could already guess who they were.

The "middle-aged shopkeeper" looked normal enough, but there was a faint scent of cigarettes lingering around him. Combined with that unmistakable beard, even with the slight changes to his hairstyle and clothing, there was no fooling her.

Sarutobi Asuma, huh? The Third Hokage's son.

Not just any small fry—they sent someone important.

Hinata glanced at the woman standing beside him, the one gracefully holding the photo development tools. Even though she had tied her hair differently, that natural, elegant beauty still showed through.

There was only one kunoichi in the original story who was often seen alongside Asuma—Yūhi Kurenai, a jōnin who specialized in genjutsu.

She was also the one who would eventually become Hinata's instructor in the original timeline.

That meant... the reason all the other photo development shops had "closed" was most likely due to Kurenai's genjutsu.

The Byakugan was supposed to see through all chakra-based illusions, but it was particularly effective against visual genjutsu. Not all types. And considering the current power gap between her and Kurenai, it wouldn't be surprising if she had been fooled.

Which left the last person—the white-haired store clerk.

This one was even more suspicious.

Unlike the other two, he wasn't wearing a jōnin vest, but he had a mask covering the lower half of his face, and his left eye was wrapped in bandages.

Maybe to someone who didn't know better, this disguise would be passable.

But to someone familiar with his appearance?

This disguise was practically useless.

"It looks like you're not a professional photographer," Asuma continued, glancing at the photos Hinata had taken. "See? These pictures are nice, but they have a few small mistakes. For example, this one—the angle of the window is slightly off."

Asuma wasn't exactly a professional, but he had studied photography before, so noticing the flaws in Hinata's pictures wasn't difficult for him. This made Hinata frown slightly.

She wasn't too happy about it, but what Asuma said was true. After all, she had never learned photography properly. Just being able to take pictures was already impressive for her. The technology in the world of the Hidden Leaf hadn't even developed simple point-and-shoot cameras yet. Expecting her to take professional-grade photos was asking too much.

"You might have a point. So, do you have any suggestions?"

She asked absentmindedly, but inside, she was a little suspicious. Normally, these jonin should have been here to gather information about her film crew, but their way of talking… it almost sounded like they wanted to cooperate with her.

"I can tell your series is quite a long-running project. So, I have an idea~ We could provide you with a professional cameraman, and we can also develop your photos for you. Of course~ the payment is negotiable~"

Asuma tried to sound as friendly as possible. This mission was actually quite interesting for him. Even as a jonin, he preferred tasks like this—peaceful ones.

"The way you talk… it's like you think I have a lot of money."

Hinata tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into an amused smile. "Could it be… you know who I am?"

"Uh~ I've heard of you. With those eyes, you must be from the Hyuga clan, right? That's one of the most well-known families in the village. And these photos look like they're part of an ongoing story, so~ if you hire us, I can even give you a discount."

Even Asuma felt a little nervous now. He realized he had underestimated the white-eyed girl in front of him.

His reasoning should have been flawless, but he had overlooked something important.

Hinata was just an eleven-year-old girl. Normally, she wouldn't have enough money to hire professionals for filming and photo development.

In that split second, Asuma quickly adjusted his approach. "Ah~ Since we're newly opened, we're just looking to get some big clients as soon as possible. But if you're not interested, then just pretend I was rambling~"

"Heh~"

Hinata let out a short laugh. She stood up, casually tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before nodding. "Alright then. I'll come back tomorrow morning to pick up my developed photos. If the quality is good, I might consider working with you."

As Hinata pushed the door open and left, the three jonin inside exchanged glances. Then, almost at the same time, they all let out a sigh of relief.

"Whew~ That little girl is seriously hard to deal with. I feel like we almost got exposed."

Asuma scratched his chin uncertainly, then turned to Kakashi. "What do you think? If we really have to infiltrate her film crew, you'll have to learn how to shoot videos."

"That won't be a problem. But we should also make a few copies of these photos. Lord Hokage specifically asked us to bring him a set."

Kakashi grinned as he looked at the pictures soaking in the developing tray. Then, noticing Kurenai's silence, he turned to her curiously. "By the way, Kurenai, what's up? You've been really quiet this whole time."

"Ah~ N-No, it's nothing. I was just looking at these photos…"

Kurenai, who had been playing the role of the shopkeeper's wife, quickly lifted her head in surprise. Her face was slightly flushed with embarrassment. "It feels like these photos are telling a story…"

"Huh? Now that you mention it, I don't actually know what these kids are filming. I thought it was just landscape photography or something."

Even though he had been in charge of developing the photos, Asuma hadn't really paid attention to their content. Seeing Kurenai's reaction, he couldn't help but feel curious. But before he could take a closer look, Kakashi cleared his throat and spoke seriously.

"Asuma, Kurenai. I won't lie to you. These kids are indeed filming a story, but there are some very… delicate elements involved. That's why the Hokage wants to investigate. So… you must not leak any of this information."

"Huh? Is it really that serious?"

Asuma, as a jonin, naturally understood the importance of confidentiality. Even though he was confused, he decided to stop trying to analyze the photos.

"That's right. However, while you can't talk about it, I suggest you both take a good look at these photos~ It'll help you understand the mission better."

Nodding seriously, Kakashi suddenly smirked and vanished with a Body Flicker technique.

Watching him disappear, Asuma scratched his head in confusion and turned to Kurenai. "So… are we supposed to look at them or not? I feel like Kakashi just made this more confusing."

"I think it should be fine~ Hmm~ Too bad there aren't any captions or scripts to go with the pictures…"

Kurenai remained focused on the photos, an unusually serious expression on her face.

Asuma stared at her for a moment, surprised by how absorbed she was. He didn't know what she had seen in the photos, but that didn't matter.

What mattered now was figuring out what their next move should be.

"Don't worry~! Kurenai, I'll find a way to get you a version with text!"

Asuma pounded his chest confidently, making a bold promise. As a man, of course, he had to do his best to fulfill the wishes of the woman he was pursuing.

"Ah~ then, I'll count on you~ Asuma."

Kurenai nodded, her cheeks slightly flushed. She was clearly very satisfied with his promise. Then, in a soft voice, she added, "Asuma~ once you get the book, why don't you... come over to my place? I recently found some good sake..."

"Definitely! I'll have it by tomorrow!"

There was no doubt—if he didn't give a firm answer right now, then he might as well stop calling himself a man.

Meanwhile, perched on a distant rooftop, Kakashi tilted his head slightly, amused.

"Yare yare~ looks like when these two finally get married, they'll have to invite those kids to the wedding feast. Well~ I should get back to work."

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Hinata, of course, had no idea that her little film project had unintentionally played the role of a perfect wingman. She just found it a bit amusing that the village had sent three highly skilled jonin—each with significant roles in the original story—just to monitor her tiny crew.

Sarutobi Asuma, Yuuhi Kurenai, Hatake Kakashi. These three happened to represent the elite in 'taijutsu,' 'genjutsu,' and 'ninjutsu,' respectively. If she could extract even a little knowledge from them, it would definitely help her grow stronger.

Of course, since Hinata was focused on taijutsu, the most logical choice would be to learn from Might Guy. But first of all, he was already busy as the jonin leader of Team 3. And secondly... to be honest... that ridiculous bowl-cut hairstyle, those ridiculously thick eyebrows that could knock someone out, that blindingly white smile that could be in a toothpaste commercial, and that green jumpsuit that made her eyes twitch just from looking at it...

Yeah.

For the sake of her mental health and her prized Byakugan, she decided it was best not to train under Guy.

Asuma, on the other hand, specialized in a form of nintaijutsu—a blend of chakra-based techniques and physical combat. That approach fit perfectly with the 'Hokuto Shinken'-style techniques she had been improvising.

Decision made, the white-eyed girl smirked slightly, her tone playful and teasing.

"Fufufufu~ Is this an opportunity? If it is~"

"Then it must be a reward for all my hard work!"

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Once upon a time, he had a warm family.

A strict but proud father.

A gentle mother who always woke him up at the same time each morning.

And… that brother—unreachable, like a genius from another world—who once carried him home on his back through the rain.

But when did it all change?

When did his 'home' become so empty?

When did it become a place where only his own voice echoed?

Just as that white-eyed girl had said—this was not a home.

It was just a house.

Sasuke was awake, but he didn't want to open his eyes just yet.

After all, the only thing waiting for him was that same cold, familiar ceiling. He would rather stay in his dreams a little longer.

With that thought, he stubbornly kept his eyes shut.

But then—

Puff.

Something warm and damp blew against his ear, like someone exhaling close to him.

…?!!

His instincts flared, and he immediately opened his eyes—

Only to find a face right in front of his own.

"Uwaaaaaaahhhh!!!!"

A scream echoed through the Uchiha compound, sending birds scattering into the sky.

On a tree branch nearby, where he had been keeping watch all night, Kakashi lazily lifted his head.

"Hmm? What now?"

Sasuke was horrified.

Yes, that was the only way to describe it. It had been a long time since he had felt genuine fear like this.

And the reason was simple.

The person rubbing his eyes groggily and sitting up beside him—

Was none other than that stupid, blonde dead-last.

And judging by the blankets on the floor…

The two of them had definitely slept in the same futon last night.

Worse still, aside from their boxers—

They weren't wearing anything else.