The Villainous Rebirth of an Anime Heroine | book 1

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"Sasuke-kun really is smart. That's right, strictly speaking, the Nanto Seven Sacred Fists is a pure taijutsu style. But what makes it powerful is that the user can directly infuse their punches with chakra attributes. Compared to ninjutsu that requires hand seals, this technique is much faster and more concentrated in both power and speed. In other words, it's the ultimate fist technique that allows you to fight with the effects of ninjutsu using only taijutsu."

Remembering the arcade fighting games she played as a child, Hinata wasn't entirely sure if chakra could actually do what she was making up on the spot. But since it was divided into different attributes, it should have some effect, right?

"Is it really that strong? But... I've never heard of it before."

Puffing up his cheeks, Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Uh, do your family members also practice this 'sacred fist' technique, Hinata?"

"No, they don't. They wouldn't dare, because it's a forbidden technique."

Hinata's words made Naruto turn pale. "This technique was created by a Hyuga ancestor, but almost no one who practiced it survived long enough to master it. The training is extremely painful, and one wrong move can cause permanent damage to the body. Because of this, it was sealed away as a forbidden technique after just one generation. From then on, my family only used Gentle Fist, which is much safer."

Raising her bandaged right hand, Hinata continued in a calm tone, "By the way, I officially started practicing this technique two months ago. During this time, my fingers have already broken nearly twenty times. To afford the special medicine that helps heal and strengthen my body, I had to find a way to earn money. So—do you two have the guts to train in this style?"

"~Gulp."

Naruto swallowed nervously as he stared at the bloodstained bandages on Hinata's hand. For him, this was still an age for pulling pranks and messing around. Facing a training method that could cost him his life made him instinctively hesitate.

"But you also said this—" Sasuke spoke up, his tone carrying a strange determination. "In just two months, you've gone from someone who couldn't even throw a kunai straight to someone who knocked me down with a single hit, right?!"

Compared to Naruto, Sasuke was clearly more obsessed. The fact that Hinata had beaten him so easily yesterday had left a deep impression on him. "Just tell me—can this technique make me stronger quickly?"

"If you're lucky enough to survive the training, then yes, you will become stronger without a doubt."

Hinata wasn't surprised by Sasuke's reaction. His hunger for power was natural, considering his goal of revenge. And so far, her made-up 'Nanto Seven Sacred Fists' had been flawless. It fit within the world's logic, tied into the seven chakra attributes, and made just enough sense to be believable. Sasuke and Naruto definitely didn't have the critical thinking skills to see through it yet.

"Then! I want to learn it! I have to get stronger! If you're willing to give me the technique scrolls, I'll follow your orders completely!"

Sasuke clenched his fists unconsciously. He knew exactly what he lacked—a structured and effective way to grow stronger. The Uchiha clan had left behind some ninjutsu scrolls, but those old techniques weren't something he could master overnight. And the Academy only taught low-level techniques like the Transformation Jutsu and the Clone Jutsu. Plus, because of the Uchiha Clan's isolation, there were no shinobi in the village willing to train him.

What he needed was direct, powerful, and systematic training!

"Tch! Then I'll learn it too! Worst case, I'll just follow your lead."

Naruto, unsurprisingly, got dragged into it by Sasuke. With a competitive spirit, he declared, "And besides! I'll be the first one to master this 'sacred fist' technique!"

"Hmph, big talk. Fine. But there's one small problem—the Seven Sacred Fist scrolls I found only contain three styles. You'd better pray that your chakra affinities match these scrolls. My chakra nature is Fire and Lightning. What about you two?"

Hinata had no intention of actually coming up with real training techniques, but a bit of made-up lore was necessary. Since there were three of them, she might as well invent three different fist techniques to keep them occupied for now.

"My chakra nature is also Fire and Lightning."

"Uh... I only have Wind chakra..."

Sasuke and Naruto revealed their chakra affinities, making Hinata raise an eyebrow slightly. She deliberately added a hint of surprise to her voice.

"Oh? Could it be that fate is smiling upon us? The three fist techniques I found happen to be: the Fire Scroll, the Lightning Scroll, and the Wind Scroll. Do you want to know their names?"

After filtering through her knowledge of anime and manga, Hinata cleared her throat and then dramatically lowered her voice:

"For Fire—the Nanto Flame Execution Fist!"

"For Lightning—the Nanto Thunder Burial Fist!"

"And for Wind—the Nanto Wind Sacrifice Fist!"

Without a doubt, these names she had made up sounded incredibly powerful. Any experienced writer of fantasy novels could come up with such dramatic titles on the spot.

"Those sound... really intense."

Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed slightly, but there was a faint excitement in them. Hinata understood his reaction perfectly. Over-the-top attack names suited his personality.

"Flame Execution, Thunder Burial, Wind Sacrifice... Those names are kinda scary..."

Naruto unconsciously rubbed his arms, feeling a little uneasy. Compared to Sasuke, he was at least a bit more cautious.

"Naruto, since you're the only one with wind chakra, I'll give you the training scroll for [Nantou Fūjunken] tomorrow. Now, Sasuke, do you want to choose Raizanken or Enshaken?"

Hinata was quite pleased with how well her made-up story was going. But it was always best to leave others with a choice.

"I already know Fire Style ninjutsu, and lightning chakra enhances ninja tools. So, I'll go with [Nantou Raizanken]."

Sasuke thought carefully. He already had Fire Style techniques, so learning Enshaken might make him too focused on one element. Plus, he was skilled with ninja tools, and lightning chakra was the best element for boosting metal weapons. Choosing Raizanken was the logical choice.

"Good. Then I'll take the last one, Enshaken. Tonight, I'll secretly copy the scrolls, and tomorrow, I'll bring them to you. But for now..."

Hinata stood up and patted the camera in her hands, her voice turning a little impatient. "We need to get to work. Without enough money, we won't be able to buy the rare medicines we need. And without those, training is just a dream."

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged looks and saw the same reluctant acceptance in each other's eyes. But as Hinata had explained, training in the so-called Nantou Shichiseiken was extremely tough. They would definitely need a lot of expensive medicine to heal and strengthen their bodies. In that case, they really did need to stick with their current money-making project to support their training.

After all, there was an old saying—martial arts need wealth to flourish. Even in wuxia novels, the concept of "fortune, comrades, technique, and land" made it clear—money was essential for becoming stronger.

Seeing them finally agree, Hinata let out a small, satisfied hum. "As long as there's money, you two will start to feel like you're getting stronger. And by then... who knows if Nantou Shichiseiken is even real or not?"

"Alright, let me go over this again. Scene One: [The Past Life]. It starts with the male lead meeting the fox spirit for the first time in his past life. Sasuke-kun, this is mostly your solo act—you need to show a melancholic and lonely vibe. As for the fox spirit... Naruto will transform into it using the Transformation Jutsu. Any questions?"

Now that she had successfully distracted Sasuke and Naruto with the idea of Nantou Shichiseiken, Hinata wasted no time in setting up the filming. Sasuke and Naruto glanced at each other, sighed, and weakly responded, "No problems..."

"Great. Now then, Sasuke-kun, use Transformation Jutsu. You can't film looking like yourself."

Hinata was having fun shaping the story in her mind as she gave orders. She had to admit—the ninjutsu of this world was incredibly convenient. For example, the casting process for her film? Completely solved.

As long as the actors had decent acting skills, their appearance and image didn't matter. One Transformation Jutsu, and they could completely change their look.

Otherwise, with Sasuke and Naruto being just eleven-year-old kids, their best bet for acting would be starring in something like Teletubbies.

"Even if I use Transformation Jutsu, you need to tell me what the character should look like."

Sasuke crossed his arms and looked away, clearly not thrilled about maintaining some fake appearance with a jutsu.

"Hmm... you're right... I forgot to design the character's look. Alright, let's set it now."

Hinata realized she had overlooked an important detail—the appearance of the main character. She immediately began sizing up Sasuke.

Hmm... no doubt about it. Delicate features, pale skin, refined eyebrows, flowing black hair, and that naturally aloof, slightly reserved aura—he was a textbook example of a noble beauty.

"Hmm~ Sasuke-kun is actually really pretty. Maybe I should cast you as the heroine in future films."

After scanning Sasuke up and down, Hinata nodded in satisfaction. She had never really paid much attention to this smug, brooding guy before, but now that she looked at him, she had to admit—he definitely had the potential to charm countless fangirls.

"Stop talking nonsense! I can't take this anymore!"

Sasuke's face turned red at Hinata's comment. He stiffened his neck and turned away. "So? What do I transform into?"

"Hmm~ First, change into what you'd look like at around thirteen years old. We'll adjust from there."

After thinking for a moment, Hinata decided to throw the problem back to Sasuke. He frowned slightly, but it wasn't a big deal. After all, one of the Transformation Jutsu exercises at the academy involved imagining their future selves. After some thought, Sasuke made a hand sign, and with a puff of smoke, his appearance drastically changed.

His height had increased a bit, and his facial features and physique had matured. A few tweaks to his hairstyle and eyes would set him apart from his usual self.

"Change your bangs to cover one eye—it'll make you look more mysterious and brooding. Your clothes should be a bit worn-out, like a wandering swordsman. Ah, right! Make your eyes a light blue color. Your frame should be a little thinner... add a torn straw hat... and finally, hold this."

As she watched Sasuke's appearance shift to match her vision, Hinata rummaged through her bag and pulled out a prop flute, handing it to him. "By the way, do you know how to play the flute?"

"No way~ I'm not some girl taking music class."

With a sour look, Sasuke took the bamboo flute Hinata handed him. After checking his reflection in the nearby mirror a few times, he finally let out a sigh of relief. As long as no one knew it was him, it wouldn't be too embarrassing.

"It's fine, we can add the music later. Now then—Naruto, it's your turn."

Naruto stood there, arms crossed, looking blankly into space. Hinata waved a finger at him. "Make sure to look cute."

"Tch~ I know, I know~ Just a fox transformation, right?"

No matter what, the Transformation Jutsu was Naruto's specialty. Forget about his infamous Sexy Jutsu and Harem Jutsu—during the original Chunin Exams, he had used transformation to outsmart Kiba Inuzuka and win the match.

A puff of smoke burst out, and sitting there now was an orange-yellow little fox. The lively expression, the six whisker marks on its cheeks—it was incredibly realistic.

"Hmm... Not quite right. Make your fur pure white. Yeah, like that. And now, add a tuft of red fur on your back and forehead. Good~~ Finally, make the tip of your tail red too. Perfect! Now you look mystical!"

Hinata grabbed Naruto by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up, completely engrossed in adjusting his appearance like a character customization screen. As for Naruto, the poor victim of her demands, he could only obediently follow her instructions, tweaking his fur color bit by bit. Thankfully, it wasn't too much trouble, so the two main characters' looks were set in no time.

As for the background, they had already scouted the perfect location—a quiet little hill in the Hidden Leaf Village. The scenery and atmosphere matched the script's needs exactly.

Unfortunately, Naruto hadn't learned Shadow Clone Jutsu yet, so he could only serve as an actor. If he had, he could have single-handedly replaced an entire film crew.

"Sasuke, make your expression more melancholic and mysterious. Yes, just like that~ Also, show a little more of your chest. Don't worry, showing some skin won't get you in trouble."

Hinata's filming style was simple and straightforward: have the chosen leads strike various poses, take pictures one by one, then compile them into an album and add text to form the story.

The technology in the Naruto world was weird. On one hand, they had modern devices like engines and electronic gadgets, but on the other, they weren't widely used.

So for now, Hinata wasn't planning to shoot actual films—televisions weren't that common yet, and editing a full video would be way too complicated. There was no way a small team like theirs could manage it.

Instead, creating a photo series, like a picture book or comic, was much more realistic given their resources and the market demand.

Even then, they were still understaffed. Not to mention the supporting cast they'd need later—right now, even Sasuke, playing a humble shepherd boy, should ideally have a few cows or sheep around him for realism.

There was no choice. They needed more people.

Hinata sighed, already thinking about how to solve this problem.

Adults were out of the question—they wouldn't listen well and might even spill the secret. That meant recruiting from among their fellow kids.

But they needed people skilled in the Transformation Jutsu. After thinking it over, Hinata realized the best option was clear: just pick from the Konoha 12.

Ignoring herself, Sasuke, and Naruto, plus the already graduated Neji, Lee, and Tenten, that left six possible recruits from her own class. Numbers-wise, it worked out.

Ino and Sakura would be easy—they'd probably pay to be in a project starring Sasuke.

Shikamaru and Shino would be difficult. Both were quiet, thoughtful types, and they were too smart to be tricked. If they weren't interested, convincing them would be almost impossible.

Choji and Kiba, though, would be much easier. A promise of barbecue would win Choji over, and Kiba was hyperactive like Naruto—if it seemed fun, he'd join in for sure.

Alright—once the first series of Fox Spirit Tales was released, they could decide the next steps based on how well it sold.

With her plan set, Hinata quickly finished taking all the necessary photos. Finally, she put the camera away. As she did, both Sasuke and Naruto immediately dropped their transformations, exhausted. Even though Transformation Jutsu didn't use much chakra, maintaining it for so long was tiring.

"Great job, everyone! I'll organize the album and we'll continue shooting the day after tomorrow."

Packing up the camera and props, Hinata was about to leave when Sasuke suddenly called out, "Wait!"

"You still haven't said when you'll give us the scroll!"

Naruto crossed his arms and reminded her with a dissatisfied tone. Clearly, these two had already fallen for Hinata's nonsense about the 'Nanto Seven Holy Fists' and had no plans to give up on learning this powerful technique.

Hinata couldn't help but frown—what a joke. The Nanto Seven Holy Fists were just something she made up! Where was she supposed to find a training scroll for them? She had already described how dangerous the training was, hoping to scare them off, but it looked like these two weren't backing down at all.

Fine~~ Was this the price of running her mouth? Now she had to make it real?

"Alright~~ I'm really happy to see you both so determined."

Hinata turned to face them, continuing the lie even as she felt a tinge of awkwardness. Being forced to follow through on her own bluff wasn't exactly a pleasant feeling.

"Since you're ready to risk your lives for this... Tomorrow morning, meet me here again. I'll bring the scroll."

"Whether you can actually learn it or not depends on your determination and... luck."

Despite saying that, Hinata felt relieved inside. If things got out of hand, she could just put them through some grueling training to make them give up on their own.

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The old wooden hallway creaked softly under Hinata's steps. Under the night sky, the Hyuga clan's mansion gave off the same ancient and dignified aura as its name suggested—a prideful legacy built over generations.

A great clan like this existed through strict rules and countless sacrifices. But in the end, wasn't it just a small fragment of human history? Once its foundation crumbled, it would disappear like a slightly larger bubble in the endless flow of time.

But as long as the Hyuga clan existed, its members had to dedicate themselves to it. In that sense, Hinata was actually quite satisfied with her current situation—being ignored by the clan. If the original Hinata hadn't been deemed talentless and abandoned, she would have been trapped in relentless training every day. And honestly, that would have been an even worse fate for her.

A small figure stood at her bedroom door, making Hinata stop in her tracks. A faint sense of irritation flickered across her face.

"Onee-san?"

The young girl standing there looked uneasy. The way she addressed Hinata made it clear who she was—Hyuga Hanabi, the second daughter of the Hyuga main family. After Hinata was cast aside, Hanabi became the new focus of Hiashi and the other elders, a genius in Gentle Fist.

In other words, she was Hinata's younger sister. Well, technically.

That thought made Hinata tilt her head slightly. It was hard to explain, but to her, this so-called sister felt completely... annoying.

"You should go to bed. Tomorrow's training will be tough."

Not interested in talking any further, Hinata brushed past Hanabi and reached for her bedroom door. To be honest, she still wasn't used to the simple style of a traditional Japanese bedroom. But for now, she had no choice. Once she was strong enough, she would leave this clan that had nothing to do with her.

"Onee-san... You've been coming home really late these days, so..."

Hanabi's voice carried the soft innocence of a six-year-old, but the meaning behind her words made Hinata frown slightly. A flicker of irritation surfaced within her, but it faded as quickly as it appeared.

"I have my own things to do. I'll probably keep coming home late."

Hinata tossed her bag into the room before turning back to Hanabi. She looked down at the little girl, who was supposed to be her 'biological' sister.

Based on age, Hanabi wasn't even seven yet. She looked a lot like Hinata, but their personalities were completely different. Hanabi was stronger, more competitive, and had a natural talent for Gentle Fist.

But none of that mattered to Hinata. The only thing she couldn't quite wrap her head around was the fact that Hanabi was supposed to be her 'sister.'

What kind of joke was this? In her past life, she never had a sister. But now, in this world she had been thrown into, she suddenly did?

"...Sister?"

As if trying to understand something unfamiliar, Hinata narrowed her eyes slightly. The veins around her temples tensed as her Byakugan activated unconsciously, responding to her emotions. Almost instinctively, she wanted to examine this so-called 'little sister' from the inside out.

Hanabi felt a chill. The person in front of her was undoubtedly her sister Hinata—but her expression and gaze were completely different from what she remembered. The warmth, the shyness, the kindness—all gone.

Instead, all Hanabi could see was a cold, distant stranger.