The Villainous Rebirth of an Anime Heroine | naruto

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Dazed, Hinata looked around at her surroundings. She saw 'her' body skillfully weaving through the bushes before stopping in the trees just outside the training grounds. And as expected, in her line of sight—there was that bright orange figure.

Naruto was gasping for breath, punching the air repeatedly. Just as Hinata had predicted, the dead-last was here, training through the night after being told he lacked talent.

Hmph… Well, at least he's trying. Otherwise, there's no way he'd ever catch up to Sasuke in mastering Seiken.

That thought came to her naturally. But then she realized something—this 'dream' felt too vivid. She could make out the texture and colors of the trees around her in perfect detail.

From her perspective, 'her' body was crouched in the bushes beside the training grounds, peeking at Naruto from the shadows.

This timid, secretive way of watching him… It was exactly what Hinata from the original story would do.

Huh?! Wait! Hinata from the original story?!

That thought hit her like ice water, instantly snapping her consciousness awake.

The moment her mind cleared, everything around her—the trees, the night air, even the moonlight—became sharp and unmistakably real. The fog of the 'dream' shattered completely.

Hinata's eyes flew open.

She wasn't dreaming.

She was actually here.

"…No way…"

Even for her, a deep fear crept up her spine. She had accepted the fact that she had become Hinata after being reincarnated into this world.

But if her body could move on its own while her consciousness was unaware…

Did that mean the original Hinata's will was still lingering?

No… that shouldn't be possible. She had all of Hinata's memories—from childhood to the present. That was why she had been able to blend in so naturally. But still…

"Is it just a lingering will? Or… something else?"

Raising her hands, she clenched them into fists. The familiar tension in her knuckles made her breath hitch slightly.

There was only one way to find out.

Her gaze shifted to Naruto, still struggling through his training.

Hinata frowned. Then, without hesitation, she pushed aside the branches and stepped forward.

"Who's there?"

Naruto, still panting, turned sharply at the sound. But when he saw the familiar pale-eyed girl, his shoulders relaxed.

"Oh, Hinata… What's up? What are you doing out here so late?"

"..."

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she stepped onto the training field, taking a moment to choose her words. Then, in a calm voice, she spoke.

"It's nothing. You just looked like you were trying really hard, so I thought I'd give you a lesson."

"Huh? A lesson?"

Naruto straightened up, blinking in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"It's simple."

Turning to face him, Hinata slowly raised her hands. The veins around her temples bulged as her Byakugan activated. Her field of vision expanded instantly, and her voice carried a weight of quiet intensity.

"If you're too slow to figure out techniques on your own…"

"Then let's try something else."

Her stance shifted. The air around her grew heavy.

"Like real combat."

She exhaled.

"This might be a bit unfair, but—if you can't get stronger by hitting people…"

"Then get stronger by getting hit."

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Compared to the original timeline, both Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke had become much stronger.

The combination of intense physical conditioning and their training in Nanto Seiken had transformed them. Their bodies were now far beyond what they originally had at this point in the story.

And for shinobi, having a superior physique meant everything.

More chakra. Faster chakra control. Quicker release speed. Tougher bodies. Greater stamina. Every aspect of their abilities had been enhanced.

Right now, Sasuke and Naruto could easily defeat their original-series counterparts from this same period. They hadn't learned more jutsu, but their overwhelming physical improvements made them far more dangerous.

As for Hinata…

Her true strength was difficult to measure.

Her Byakugan gave her complete, unrestricted vision and the ability to release chakra from any point on her body.

She still wasn't at Neji's level—after all, he had mastered Rotation at thirteen.

But against Naruto and Sasuke, who could only release chakra through their hands and feet…

Her advantage was absolute.

Hinata raised her hands slowly, her face calm as she looked at Naruto standing not far in front of her. The wide sleeves of her outfit swayed without wind, and a faint blue chakra wrapped around her arms, reacting instinctively. Her body remembered—only by gathering more chakra could she protect her hands in the scorching heat of iron sand.

"Oh! I'm not gonna lose!"

Naruto clenched his fists excitedly, his blue eyes glowing with determination. "Hinata, you're even stronger than Sasuke! If I can beat you, then taking him down will be a piece of cake!"

"Heh~ Then try me."

Hinata gestured for him to come at her. She didn't mind giving him the first move.

With her permission, Naruto let out a loud yell, charging forward like he was trying to hype himself up. His stance was still clumsy—clearly, he wasn't used to the forms of Seiken yet—but his instincts had improved compared to the prankster he used to be.

"In any taijutsu fight, you should always hold back at least thirty percent of your strength to adjust your movements. If you use all your power in one strike without thinking, and your enemy has a counter move..."

Hinata's cold gaze locked onto Naruto as he rushed in. The moment he swung his right fist, her left hand moved—swift and precise. She placed it under his attacking arm and simply redirected his punch upward with a light flick.

"Like this! Crane Pluck!"

"Wha—?!"

Naruto's whole body lurched off balance. Just as she said, putting too much force into a punch meant that his own momentum dragged him forward, making him unstable!

"And after successfully deflecting the attack, follow up with a heavy strike to the enemy's core! That's—Fierce Bite!"

With a sharp, focused breath, Hinata stepped in and drove her right fist into Naruto's stomach. His pupils shrank, his breath caught in his throat. She held back at the last second—her attack should have hit the chest, a more dangerous spot, but she adjusted it down to his abdomen instead.

Even so, the sheer force made his body seize up. It was clear—her strength had already surpassed what he could endure.

"After Fierce Bite, the enemy will be extremely close to you, completely off balance. At this moment, the next step is to finish breaking their stance! Tiger Roar!!"

Hinata withdrew her fist from Naruto's stomach and moved fluidly, like an arrowfish leaping from water. She jumped lightly, her right fist swinging upward like a piercing spear—smashing into Naruto's chin!

The impact, combined with the force of her jump, sent the blond boy's eyes rolling back as his body flipped through the air.

"If Tiger Roar lands, the opponent will be at their most defenseless. This is the moment for the strongest attack—a spinning kick using the momentum of a full-body rotation! Solitary Execution!!"

Hinata's feet touched the ground, but she didn't even need to look. Her all-seeing Byakugan kept track of everything. She measured Naruto's falling trajectory and turned, leaping into the air with a smooth spin. Her left leg, straight and sharp like an iron whip, slammed into Naruto's chest.

"Gah—!!"

His scream was instinctive. His body, already airborne, shot downward like a stone, bouncing off the ground several times before landing face-first, completely motionless.

Landing lightly, Hinata looked down at him. Without a doubt, the loudmouthed knucklehead had been knocked out cold by that combo. No matter how strong his body was, repeated heavy strikes to his stomach, chest, and chin were impossible to endure.

"Hopefully, your body remembers something from this. Fighting without thinking just makes you a training dummy for the enemy."

She stood there for a moment, her expression unreadable. Should she just leave him here?

...No, even though he was a jinchūriki with an insane healing factor and wouldn't die from a single night out here, she still sighed.

Squatting down, she picked Naruto up. He was, after all, an important money-making tool for now. It was better to take care of him a little.

But... even after beating him this hard, her body didn't react strangely. Maybe she was just overthinking things? Maybe the original consciousness of this body only resurfaced in dreams?

No—she should check, just to be sure. And conveniently, she knew someone who could help.

A faint smirk appeared on her lips as she adjusted Naruto on her back and changed direction, heading toward the streets outside the Uchiha district. It was late, but she was sure she could wake up the person she wanted to see.

Yamanaka Ino.

As one of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, Ino's house wasn't far. The Yamanaka clan, known for their exceptional mental abilities, usually stayed under the radar but held an important position in Konoha. The village's barrier defense team, which detected intruders, was manned by Yamanaka members. And even Danzō's personal guard included Yamanaka Fū, showing how valuable their skills were.

Right now, Ino was still awake. Unlike Hinata, whose life revolved around training, Ino was a girl who loved beauty. Even though she spent most of her time practicing medical ninjutsu, she still made sure to sit at her dressing table every night for some self-care.

Especially now that she had earned a lot of money from working in the film crew, she had gone on a shopping spree, buying tons of high-end makeup and skincare products. Tonight, she was happily testing them one by one.

Just as she picked up a bottle of toner—

CRACK!

A shuriken sliced through her window and landed right in front of her on the dressing table with a sharp thunk.

"KYAAAH!!"

Ino screamed, nearly knocking over the entire table.

"Who the hell—?!"

Her shock quickly turned into irritation. Grabbing the shuriken, she noticed a note tied to it.

Her lips twitched.

She had a bad feeling about this.

Ino recognized the handwriting, and the message was simple—

"Come to the hill outside. - Hyūga Hinata"

"...Seriously? This is how she calls someone out?"

After confirming the handwriting and message, Ino sighed and smacked her forehead. But instead of complaining too much, she quickly threw on a jacket. She didn't bother using the front door—waking up her parents wasn't worth it—so she opened her window and jumped outside. She was curious about what Hinata wanted from her at this hour.

Before long, Ino arrived at the hilltop, her voice carrying a mix of annoyance and curiosity—"Hinata, what's up? You called me out this late? I just found the perfect makeup for my skin, you know~"

"Nothing much. Just heal this idiot first."

Hinata nudged Naruto with her foot, ignoring Ino's complaints. Seeing Naruto lying there with his eyes rolled back, Ino's brows twitched in surprise.

"Whoa—what happened to this idiot?"

"He challenged me and lost. So I beat him up."

Hinata's explanation was short and direct, making Ino's lips twitch. "Wow... that's a pretty blunt way to put it."

"I'm saying this upfront—I've only just started learning medical ninjutsu. I can help heal injuries, but I can't promise fast or perfect results."

Kneeling beside Naruto, Ino placed her hands over him and began performing a basic healing jutsu. Meanwhile, Hinata spoke calmly from the side— 

"It's fine. Pain helps people grow and remember their mistakes. More importantly, Ino, I need to ask you something. I think... I might've sleepwalked tonight. What do you think about that?"

"Huh? Sleepwalking?!"

Ino turned her head sharply, frowning. "Wait a minute… Is that why you called me here? That's the real reason, isn't it?"

"Exactly. The Yamanaka Clan has the most advanced knowledge of mental techniques in Konoha. I believe you should be able to give me an answer, right?"

Hinata's white eyes narrowed slightly as she locked onto Ino's gaze. "It felt like… another version of me existed inside my body. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I want to know—this kind of mental state... is it normal?"

Ino's eyes twitched slightly as she tilted her head in confusion. After a brief moment of silence, she gave a straight answer—

"Hinata, you're overthinking this. There are tons of reasons people sleepwalk. Overworking your body and mind is a big one. And let's be real—you're handling an entire production team by yourself. It's more surprising that you haven't started sleepwalking sooner."

Standing up, Ino gave Hinata's shoulders a light squeeze, her voice playful yet reassuring—"So, how about we talk about makeup instead? Or if you prefer, we can go over the flower decorations you wanted for the film set. Wouldn't that be more fun?"

"..."

Hinata frowned slightly. It wasn't that she disliked Ino's answer—it was that she couldn't tell if Ino was being honest or just dodging the question.

Even though Ino was just an eleven-year-old girl, she came from a clan known for their mind techniques. She was bound to have sharper instincts and a stronger mental defense than most. If this were Sakura, Hinata was confident she could read her emotions. But with Ino, who kept smiling so effortlessly, she couldn't be sure.

"...No, it's fine. It's late anyway. We can discuss everything during tomorrow's meeting. You're right—I probably just need a good night's rest."

Hinata removed Ino's hands from her shoulders, then glanced down at Naruto. "Just heal him enough so he can walk on his own. I'm leaving."

"Ahh~ See you tomorrow, Hinata~"

Watching her leave, Ino let the smile fade from her face. With a sigh, she shook her head. "Geez... how am I supposed to answer something like that? If I tried to mess with a Hyūga's mind, I'd just be asking for trouble. Let's just pretend I never heard about this… Yep."

No one was truly an idiot—at most, people just had areas where they weren't skilled. While Ino might not be the strongest fighter or the smartest strategist like Shikamaru, that didn't mean she was easy to fool.

Mind-based techniques had always been one of the most delicate branches of jutsu. They could alter thoughts, implant subconscious suggestions, or manipulate memories—actions that were nearly undetectable and deeply unethical.

Because of that, using such jutsu on allies or enemies without consent was strictly forbidden. And more importantly, Hinata was the Hyūga Clan's eldest daughter. Even if her family had abandoned her due to her lack of talent, her lineage alone made her a person of importance.

Outright rejecting Hinata's question wouldn't have been wise—especially now that Hinata was technically her boss in the production crew. Ino might be a bit of a flirt, but she wasn't dumb. As someone inheriting a clan of mental ninjutsu, she understood the dangers of those techniques better than anyone else.

So, the best choice was to brush things off with some comforting words.

As for what would happen in the future—hmm, who knows?

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The moon set, and the sun rose. No matter what thoughts Hinata and Ino had, time marched on without a care. At the agreed-upon time, the crew once again gathered inside the Uchiha compound. This time, Kakashi—disguised as the photographer—was among them.

Hinata, leaning on a cushion, rested her chin on her pale hand and looked around at her teammates one by one.

First, the lead actors—Sasuke and Naruto. Both of them seemed to be in good condition. Even though Naruto had been knocked out by her last night, the physical damage wasn't too bad. Thanks to his Jinchūriki healing and Ino's medical treatment, the blond idiot had fully recovered. Now, he was practically brimming with energy, shamelessly sending glances at Sasuke, who sat across from him.

Then, there were Shikamaru, the crew's accountant, and Shino, the voice director. These two were also the brains of the operation, so any tedious tasks Hinata didn't want to handle could be safely left to them.

Next was the support team—Ino, Sakura, and Chōji. Ino and Sakura handled set cleaning and preparations, and they could step in as extras when needed. As for Chōji, well, he took care of the heavy lifting. Nothing much to say there.

Hmm, everything looked good so far. It still felt like something was missing, but they could fix that later.

"No need for formalities. Even though the last volume did really well, that was just the beginning. Starting from this issue, we're officially diving into the main story of Fox Tale Chronicles. So, everyone—give it your best effort."

Hinata sat up straight and spoke. The team members sitting in two rows gave mixed reactions, from focused nods to casual "yeahs." The meeting had officially begun.

"You know, our work is really popular! Hey, hey—have you guys noticed? I actually saw some girls from our class buying it!"

Sakura excitedly shared what she had seen. Just as Hinata expected, after the second volume of Fox Tale Chronicles was released, they had removed the 18+ restriction. After all, as long as there weren't any extreme h scenes, a little romance wasn't enough to make it an adult-only series.

Naturally, lifting the restriction boosted sales. While there was still a supply shortage, some ninja students with connections—or just a lot of money—had already gotten their hands on the new volume. It even became something to show off at school.

"Speaking of which, those publishers are such scammers… The price for Volume 2 has already jumped to 1,500 ryō per copy. Aren't they worried people will get mad?"

Shikamaru, resting his chin on his hand, grumbled. Seeing something he worked on sell like crazy around him didn't make him proud—it just gave him a bad feeling, like this was going to become even more troublesome.

"No, not really. Because look—this volume is labeled as the 'Platinum Edition.' They even put a platinum watermark on the cover, and the paper quality is much better."

Unlike the analytical Shikamaru, Shino preferred hard evidence. The boy in dark glasses slid a brand-new book onto the tatami in front of him for everyone to see.

"In other words, this extra 500 ryō is something the readers are willing to pay."

"That means… we'll be making more money, right? More money means more chips and barbecue~"

Chōji happily munched on a bag of potato chips. To him, money simply meant more delicious food.

"Well, well~ looks like we've got a bright future ahead of us. I heard these books are selling really well among the ninja too."

Kakashi, still playing his role as the photographer, joined the conversation. But he wasn't lying—ninjas needed entertainment, too. And since Fox Tale Chronicles wasn't some Make-Out Paradise level 18+ novel, it was much easier for ninja readers to accept.

"Right? It's all thanks to Sasuke-kun being the main character~"

Ino quickly hugged Sasuke's left arm, launching her attack as a proper love-struck girl.

"Ugh, you're so noisy."

Sasuke frowned at her, unimpressed. Meanwhile, Naruto shot up, pointing angrily at him.

"I'm the main character too, you know?! People definitely prefer beautiful and charming older sisters over some stuck-up, emotionless pretty boy!"

"Urusai! Naruto, you stupid perv who loves turning into a girl, get lost! And Sasuke is mine! Get off of him, you pig, Ino!"

The moment Sakura saw Ino clinging to Sasuke, she snapped. Her carefully maintained "gentle and mature" act shattered instantly.

As the peaceful meeting room instantly turned into a shouting match straight out of a street market, Kakashi chuckled softly. The scene in front of him felt oddly comforting. No matter how chaotic they were, this was what these kids were truly like. He had once had teammates like this, too—bickering and arguing, but genuinely enjoying each other's company.

"Yeah… we've got a bright future. But more importantly—no matter how good that future looks, it won't happen without everyone's hard work and teamwork."

Hinata patiently waited for the shouting to settle down before continuing at a steady pace.

"So, what we need to focus on right now is Act Three."

She let her words sink in, then added—

"And that scene is…"