The Villainous Rebirth of an Anime Heroine | book 1

· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·

Unlike the basic shuriken techniques used for training at the Academy, shurikenjutsu was a technique meant for real combat—for taking lives.

And that wasn't all.

Sasuke didn't rush in to follow up his attack. Instead, he jumped back slightly, his hands moving at lightning speed to form hand seals.

Katon - Gōkakyū no Jutsu.

This was the most advanced jutsu Sasuke had mastered so far. A C-rank Fire Release technique, it was typically only used by chūnin or higher, as it required a significant amount of chakra. But Sasuke, a recognized genius in the village, had mastered it even before graduating from the Academy.

Unlike basic ninjutsu like the Clone Technique, Substitution Technique, or Transformation Technique, the Great Fireball Technique was a jutsu with real killing power.

Serpent - Ram - Monkey - Boar - Horse - Tiger!

The familiar sequence of hand seals flashed through Sasuke's mind. The minimum requirement for this jutsu was completing the seals within three seconds, but after years of practice, Sasuke could now do it in just two.

If Hinata dodged the shuriken, he would hit her with the fireball at the exact moment she evaded. With its sheer destructive force—

Before he could finish his thought, his vision blurred.

A sharp, burning pain exploded through his left side, piercing straight into his ribs. The chakra he had gathered shattered in an instant, replaced by a searing agony that spread through his entire body like fire through dry grass.

Hinata's soft lips curled into a wicked grin. Her right index finger was extended, the rest of her fingers folded together in a shape resembling a gun. That single fingertip was pressed firmly against Sasuke's left ribs.

The rage on Sasuke's face faded. The pain from that single strike—it was as if a searing-hot needle had been driven straight into his flesh. The sharp, unbearable agony made his mind waver.

"Oh? Sasuke-kun, were you seriously trying to kill me just now? That chakra you gathered—if you'd fired that jutsu, I wouldn't have stood a chance."

Hinata withdrew her finger, and with nothing to support him, Sasuke collapsed onto the ground. It felt like his left lung had been punctured. Every breath he took sent fresh waves of pain tearing through his chest.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to look up—only to meet those cold, staring eyes.

Hinata's once-gentle white eyes were now surrounded by bulging veins, her pupils clouded into an eerie blue-white. The killing intent in her gaze was like a knife, stabbing straight through him.

The Byakugan.

The Hyūga clan's unique dōjutsu—one of the two great ocular jutsu of Konoha.

This ability granted the user a near-360-degree field of vision, functioning as both a telescope and an X-ray. Within a one-kilometer radius, nothing could escape its sight. It could even see through solid objects and directly perceive the flow of chakra.

For a ninja, chakra flow was as crucial as the stance before a strike. Even before making a move, a shinobi needed to channel chakra into their muscles and pathways. If an opponent could see this flow, it was as if they could predict attacks before they happened.

Sasuke's strategy had been flawless—use shuriken to distract and delay, buy time to complete his hand seals, and finish with a decisive fire jutsu. Against most opponents, it would have worked.

But Hinata's Byakugan had seen through his plan from the very start. She had noticed the large surge of chakra gathering in his chest, instantly recognizing that he was about to unleash a projectile-based attack. So instead of dodging the shuriken, she had charged straight in and struck before he could complete his jutsu.

"Damn it...!"

Sasuke panted heavily, his face pressed against the dirt in frustration and humiliation.

It was because of the Hyūga bloodline. That's why he lost. If only his own dōjutsu had awakened... If only...

With that bitter thought, his vision blurred, and he finally lost consciousness.

"Well... At least he's quiet now."

Hinata tilted her head slightly, deactivating her Byakugan. The veins at the corners of her eyes slowly faded, her expression returning to its usual unreadable mix of boredom and irritation.

"Eh?! H-Hinata, did you just... kill Sasuke?!"

Still tied up in the background, the female Naruto swallowed hard. She was used to causing trouble in the village, but this—this was on a whole other level!

"No. I avoided any vital organs. But he'll be coughing up blood for a few days."

Her voice was calm, almost indifferent.

With a casual flick of her wrist, Hinata cut the ropes binding the transformed Naruto. As soon as she hit the ground, a puff of smoke erupted around her, and the transformation vanished—revealing the original, messy-haired, blue-eyed Naruto, now rubbing at his sore wrists.

"C-Coughing up blood? That sounds really bad!"

As he pulled off his shrine maiden outfit, Naruto's voice was full of exaggerated frustration."No matter what, you didn't have to go this far..."

"Naruto, are you blind?" Hinata's voice was sharp. "Sasuke was trying to kill me just now. Did you see the hand signs he formed? That was the sequence for the Great Fireball Jutsu. If I hadn't dodged, I'd already be a pile of ashes by now. So tell me—"

She suddenly grabbed Naruto by the chin, forcing him to meet her gaze. His blue eyes flickered nervously, trying to avoid hers. "When someone's trying to kill you, what are you supposed to do?"

"B-but... no matter what... Sasuke and Hinata, why do you both have to be so... ruthless?"

Being grabbed by a girl who was about the same height as him, Naruto broke into a cold sweat. If what Hinata said was true, then that meant—

"The jutsu you two just used were..."

Gulping loudly, Naruto's throat made an audible sound. He might be carefree, but that didn't mean he was fearless. Right now, he could feel the weight of something terrifying pressing down on him again.

"That's right. Real ninjutsu."

Hinata let go of his chin, watching with amusement as the blond boy instinctively took a step back. "You don't actually think ninjutsu is just those ridiculous tricks they teach at the Academy, do you? Real ninjutsu—its most important purpose is to eliminate enemies. In other words..."

A dark, cruel grin spread across her face. Her pure white eyes, usually calm, were now filled with something sharp and dangerous.

"True, deadly ninjutsu."

· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·

Naruto's face was long with reluctance as he dragged his feet behind Hinata. On his back, Sasuke was slumped over, unconscious. The reason was simple—Hinata wasn't going to carry him, and there was no way she'd leave him behind. That left Naruto, the one with dumb strength, to do the heavy lifting.

Meanwhile, Hinata carefully checked the footage on the camera in her hands. This was an important trade item, so the quality had to be top-notch. If it wasn't good enough, she'd have to redo it.

"Jeez! Where the heck is this guy's house? I'm starving here!"

After turning into yet another empty street, Naruto grumbled loudly. He had been dragged out early in the morning for this whole filming thing, and now it was already noon. On top of that, he had to do all the hardest work—keeping up a Transformation Jutsu, posing in weird ways for Hinata's photos, and now carrying Sasuke through the village. His stomach was growling so loudly he couldn't even hide it.

"Technically, all of these houses belong to Sasuke," Hinata replied casually, not even looking back. "Since the Uchiha Clan is gone, he's the only one left. We just need to find the one he actually lives in."

Naruto huffed, still annoyed. "Ugh! This guy's got such a huge house! Where's his family?!"

"They're dead."

The flat tone of Hinata's voice made Naruto's blue eyes widen. He went silent for a moment before blurting out, "Wait... what?"

"You're not an idiot. You should've heard at least something about it." Hinata's voice remained emotionless. "A few years ago, the Uchiha Clan was a big family. This whole district—these houses—used to be where they all lived. But one night, they were all wiped out. Every single Uchiha, except for Sasuke, was killed—including his parents. So right now, just like you, he's another orphan living off the village's support funds."

Her words were completely indifferent, like she was just stating a fact. Then, tilting her head slightly, she added in a teasing tone, "Oh, and one more thing—this isn't Sasuke's 'home.' At most, it's just his house. You get why, don't you?"

Naruto immediately shut his mouth. The irritation he had felt about carrying Sasuke faded away.

"This guy... he's just like me..."

Muttering under his breath, Naruto glanced at Sasuke, still unconscious on his back.

At that moment, Hinata suddenly stopped walking. Her eyes shifted toward a house on the left. Compared to the others, which were covered in fallen leaves, this one was at least a little cleaner. The courtyard had fewer leaves, and there were faint footprints on the path leading inside. This was probably the place.

The door wasn't locked—not that Hinata expected it to be. Naruto followed behind her, looking around with curiosity. This was probably the first time he had ever stepped into someone else's house.

"Drop him on the tatami in the living room. And since you won't shut up about being hungry, go buy some takeout from Ichiraku Ramen. You've got money now, right?"

Leaning casually against one of the wooden pillars, Hinata gave her orders without looking up. Naruto grumbled in protest but still obeyed. After all, he had just gotten a huge payment from Hinata—100,000 ryo. Right now, money wasn't a problem.

Once Naruto's footsteps faded away into the distance, Hinata finally turned her head. She glanced at Sasuke, lying in the center of the living room. Her voice was cold and amused.

"You should be waking up soon, Uchiha-kun."

That mocking title made Sasuke's eyes snap open. He stared at the girl sitting so casually in his house, his pride burning with anger. But he clenched his teeth and stayed silent.

"You're not saying anything? Well, I can't blame you. A proud guy like you—losing to a so-called dead-last who never accomplished much—must feel pretty awful, huh?"

Hinata's lips curled slightly in amusement at Sasuke's silence. She didn't even bother to look back at him. Instead, she casually brushed a few strands of hair from her neck. The cherry trees in Sasuke's courtyard were thriving, their green leaves vibrant despite the season having long passed its peak bloom. It was a beautiful sight—though its owner didn't seem to have the mood to appreciate it.

"What are you trying to say?"

Hearing the underlying meaning in her words, Sasuke gritted his teeth and forced himself to ask. The sting in his left ribs still hadn't faded, a constant reminder of just how bad his injuries were. If that hit had landed closer to his heart, he might not have woken up at all.

"Sasuke can already perform C-rank jutsu. That kind of talent is rare. But the true strength of the Uchiha clan comes from that special dojutsu of yours. Just like us in the Hyuga clan—our bloodline isn't just a symbol of status, it represents power."

Hinata idly twirled a lock of hair between her fingers as she spoke, her tone indifferent. "Too bad, though. It looks like Sasuke-kun still hasn't awakened his Kekkei Genkai yet, right?"

"And what if I haven't?!"

Sasuke sat up, wincing from the pain in his ribs, but his voice was unexpectedly steady. There was no point in denying the truth.

"I can tell you what I know about the Sharingan."

Hinata turned to look at him. She was sitting in a sunlit spot, but as she shifted, her face fell into shadow, her lips curving into a mysterious, almost eerie smile.

"What did you just say?!"

Sasuke shot up instantly, only for his ribs to flare with pain, forcing him to double over with a muffled groan.

"The Hyuga and Uchiha clans are the two great dojutsu families of Konoha. Back in the day, our clan studied the Sharingan extensively—mainly to counter it. Even if that information isn't as relevant now, the records weren't just tossed aside."

Watching Sasuke grimace, Hinata's voice carried a strange kind of delight, as if she was savoring his suffering.

"...What's the catch?"

Catching the intent in her gaze, Sasuke forced himself upright. He knew there was no way she'd offer this for free. If she was bringing it up, then she had something she wanted in return.

"As you can see, Naruto and I are working together—selling photos and videos as a business. But Konoha doesn't have a lot of good locations for filming. So, my first condition is that Sasuke-kun lets us use this place as a set."

Hinata's demand didn't surprise him. Thinking back to what he had seen earlier, Sasuke scoffed, partly to distract himself from the pain. "Then hurry up and tell me all of it!"

"Sasuke-kun really is decisive. As expected of the Uchiha clan's genius." Hinata's teasing tone didn't waver as she continued. "But you know, a proper production can't just have a heroine. Naruto's Sexy Jutsu is impressive, but I think we also need a handsome leading man to balance things out. What do you think, Sasuke-kun?"

Her gaze roamed over him with an undeniable amusement.

Sasuke, on the other hand, felt his entire body tense. He wasn't stupid—he could already tell what this lunatic was suggesting. And if he was right, that meant he'd have to—

With that dead-last...?!

A wave of nausea hit him, and before he knew it, his hand shot up to cover his mouth, his face turning pale. The mere thought was enough to make him want to—

"Hmm? You don't look so good." Hinata tilted her head, then shrugged. "Oh well~ If Sasuke-kun can pull off a convincing girl transformation, we can just have Naruto be the leading man instead..."

Before she could finish her sentence, a wretched retching sound filled the room. Sasuke had bolted for the nearest trash bin, throwing up so violently it seemed like his soul might leave his body. He hadn't even eaten breakfast, so all that came out was bile and stomach acid.

"Well, I guess Sasuke-kun isn't interested." Hinata sighed, completely unbothered by the scene in front of her. She stood up, her expression turning cold and impatient. "In that case, forget the deal."

Sasuke, still gagging over the trash bin, snapped his head up at her words, his voice strangled as he forced out—

"Wait! I... agree..."

"Hmm?"

Hinata stopped mid-step, turning back with an amused expression. She watched him with interest, waiting for him to finish his sentence.

Sasuke knelt on the floor, his fists clenched tightly. He struggled with his words for a long time. Just as Hinata was starting to lose patience, he finally spoke.

"But... it can't involve... anything between a man and a woman..."

Hinata blinked once but quickly understood. What he really meant was: No romantic scenes, right?

"Oh, that? Hmm... let me think. Given our current setup..."

"Alright~ Deal!"

"Welcome aboard, handsome leading man."

· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·

"WHAT?!!"

A furious roar echoed through the vast Uchiha estate. In the living room, a blond-haired boy stood with one fist clenched and the other hand pointing accusingly at a certain dark-haired boy. His posture screamed pure disbelief—no doubt because of the news he had just received.

"Quit yelling like an idiot, Naruto-kun. Starting today, Sasuke-kun is part of our filming crew. You two need to get along."

Hinata's voice was completely calm as she sipped from a steaming Ichiraku Ramen takeout bowl. Her composed tone made Naruto feel even more powerless.

Sitting nearby, Sasuke also had an Ichiraku Ramen bowl in front of him—Naruto had bought it, but he barely touched it. His face remained unreadable, but deep inside, he was drowning in humiliation. And, if he was being honest, a strange sense of shame. He refused to look at the idiot sitting across from him.

"WHY HIM?! My acting is way better! And anyway, can this stuck-up bastard even transform into a curvy, flirty, gorgeous lady like I can?!"

Naruto clutched his hair in frustration, pointing straight at Sasuke in outrage. But Hinata, as usual, remained unfazed. Her tone didn't change in the slightest.

"That's why Sasuke-kun is playing the male lead. And as for you, Naruto-kun—the one who can transform into a curvy, flirty, gorgeous lady—you're the perfect fit for the heroine."

Silence.

And then—

"BLEEEEEEUGH!!"

Naruto dropped to his knees by the hallway and vomited violently. Meanwhile, Sasuke felt his stomach churn so hard that he instantly shoved his ramen bowl away, covering his mouth with a handkerchief.

Even though Hinata had promised there wouldn't be any... intense scenes, hearing it out loud again—combined with the sheer horror of imagining himself next to that dope—was unbearable.

"That's right. It's settled," Hinata declared.

She calmly placed her bowl down, her expression still composed. But the skin near the corners of her eyes suddenly twitched. Beneath her smooth, porcelain-like complexion, veins pulsed unnervingly, like something monstrous was writhing beneath the surface.

"FINE!! I GET IT!!"

Still dizzy from throwing up, Naruto shot a hand out and pointed straight at Hinata, his voice filled with anger, bitterness, and resentment.

"Hinata! You're totally just like Sakura and Ino, aren't you?! You think this arrogant jerk is cool, so you're taking his side—"

CRACK!

A sharp, ear-piercing snap rang through the air. Birds resting on the nearby cherry trees took off in fright, sensing the sheer fury behind the sound.

Naruto froze.

The oppressive force that hit him was so strong it instantly shut him up.

Sasuke tensed as well—his left ribs, still healing from his injuries, throbbed painfully as if they had been reignited.

Hinata was right in front of Naruto now. She was so close that he could feel her breath.

Her Byakugan was fully activated, veins twitching around her pale, eerie eyes.

Her right hand was extended straight out, her index finger piercing into the wooden pillar right next to Naruto's face.

"Naruto-kun," she said, her voice eerily soft.

"Do you know what a ninja must eliminate first?"

A cold sweat trickled down Naruto's back. He swallowed hard, barely managing to shift his gaze.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed something disturbing—Hinata's index finger was slightly bent at an unnatural angle. Her fingernail had cracked, and fresh red blood was dripping down. A few drops landed on Naruto's neck.

Hinata's delicate fingers were no match for solid wood. Clearly, her training involved using her fingers as weapons, but she wasn't quite strong enough yet to go up against hardened materials like this.

"That's right."

She pulled her hand away, her forehead now damp with sweat from the pain.

"The first thing a ninja must eliminate—"

She unwrapped a bandage from her kunai pouch and quickly wrapped her injured finger.

"—is careless, brainless words."

"Because running your mouth without thinking—"

She turned, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"—can get you killed."

Without another word, Hinata strode toward the exit.

"The filming starts the morning after tomorrow. You two should spend the next two days getting used to working together. Well then, I'll be taking my leave."

She stepped out of the Uchiha estate and disappeared into the distance.

For a long moment, neither of the boys moved.

Then, with a thud, Naruto collapsed onto the floor of the hallway, completely drained.

"...Jeez... She didn't have to freak out like that just because she doesn't like Sasuke... That scared the crap outta me..."

He grumbled under his breath, still shaken.

Sasuke, meanwhile, simply let out a long, silent sigh.

He had no idea what he had just gotten himself into.