[21] Learning Etiquette - [Bonus 4/5] {Sponsored}
New
aizenDuchiha0
Getting sticky.
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2025
- Messages
- 74
- Likes received
- 166
[This Chapter is Sponsored by "Tim Hall", an Ōtsutsuki Level Supporter. if you're interested in sponsoring a chapter, consider joining the Patreon.]
Upto 50 Advance Chapters (4 Months Worth) available
You can now read upto Chapter 33 — for free.
As promised, for reaching 13 Paid Patreon Supporters, here is Bonus Chapter 4 of 5.
Goal 1
[Goal 2: Reach 12(+8
)/25 Paid Patreon Supporters to receive 5 Bonus chapters]
Hinata stepped back to the hall's entrance and took a slow breath. She walked forward, trying to keep her feet aligned, her back straight, and her gaze ahead, as she had been shown.
"Stop," Hiashi interrupted halfway through. "You're too hesitant. You hesitate because you lack conviction. The clan cannot follow a girl who doubts herself."
He didn't raise his voice, but his disappointment was clear. Hinata flinched.
"Again."
Again, she walked.
And again, he stopped her. This time, it was her posture. Then her hesitation. Then her inability to project her voice. Her shoulders sagged a little more with each attempt.
"Straighten your spine. Speak like you believe your words. The Hyuga heiress represents centuries of honor. Would your ancestors walk like that?"
Hinata lowered her head. She wanted to disappear.
"Again."
They repeated the drills until the paper lanterns outside had all been lit. The hall had grown cold, and her small feet ached from stepping and turning, walking and kneeling. At last, Hiashi sighed.
"We'll continue tomorrow morning," he said. "You may leave."
She bowed silently and shuffled out, keeping her gaze down. Once she passed the hallway's corner, she leaned against the wooden pillar and let out a long breath she had held in all evening. A dull ache pulsed behind her eyes.
"Why is Father always like that…" she whispered to herself. "I try… I really try."
She sat at the base of a wooden veranda, hugging her knees to her chest.
It wasn't just about the walking or the bowing. It was about who she was supposed to be. Someone proud, poised, untouchable. Someone whose eyes didn't drift downward or whose voice didn't quiver. Someone like…
Her mind wandered again.
To Neji.
Lately, I noticed something off.
He still laughed sometimes when he played with other children. He asked questions and greeted elders properly. But… Hinata had started to instinctually felt something that didn't quite match.
That thought stirred something deeper. Something unspoken.
She buried her face against her arms.
She heard footsteps approaching and quickly wiped her eyes.
A gentle voice called, "Hinata-sama?"
It was one of the branch family caretakers, an older woman who had watched her since infancy.
"There you are. It's late. You'll catch a cold if you sit out here too long."
Hinata nodded and stood up. "Sorry. I was… just thinking."
The woman smiled gently. "Big day tomorrow. Don't let the nerves take you away tonight."
Hinata smiled back—but it felt paper-thin.
Back in her room, under the futon's covers, her thoughts continued to swirl.
What did it mean to be a Hyuga?
Was it just strength, posture, and tradition?
Or was it also what was hidden beneath the surface—like whatever Neji was hiding?
She drifted to sleep slowly, without answers, but with a growing determination she didn't fully understand yet.
Cloud Village Guest Residence – Later That Night
The night air was still and heavy with tension around the temporary residence of the Cloud delegation. The soft rustle of leaves was the only sound accompanying the dim glow of the lanterns, their warm light casting long shadows against the tatami walls. Inside, the elite jounin of the Cloud delegation, known as Raikou, stood near a window, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed, sensing the flow of chakra across the environment like a man feeling for subtle changes in the wind before a storm.
"The ANBU monitoring us aren't sensory types," Raikou said lowly. His voice was calm, but each syllable carried the edge of someone who had stalked prey across battlefields and borders. "I've watched their patrol patterns. Their detection grid is more visual-based."
Tokubetsu Jounin Hoshino leaned forward slightly, unconvinced. "Are you sure, Captain? We can't screw up the plan at this point. And what of Kakashi? He's the Copy Ninja — his instincts alone make him a threat."
Raikou didn't flinch. "Don't underestimate me. I was chosen for this mission because I can disappear from the notice of all but the most advanced sensory types. Even the Hyuga struggle to track me once I initiate my concealment technique."
He pulled out a thin slip of chakra-infused paper marked with a specialized ink seal. "When this seal burns, it means I've failed — and that I'm dead. You'll know when to act."
Hoshino hesitated for a moment, then accepted the paper, his gloved hand trembling slightly.
Check out other works: Demon Slayer: Iron Requiem | Naruto: The Author and The Jinchūriki
patreon.com/aizenDuchiha0
Patreon Supporters:
novel66835; Kali Creation; Ronald; Imevbore Irele Ifijeh; Liban; Tim Hall -> Ōtsutsuki Level
Furry Bear -> Kage Level
Shofi Ullah -> Elite Jounin Level
El Gordo; Fire_Fox2590; Louis Kasser; -> Jounin Level
Lucas Gossett -> Hashira Level
Upto 50 Advance Chapters (4 Months Worth) available
You can now read upto Chapter 33 — for free.As promised, for reaching 13 Paid Patreon Supporters, here is Bonus Chapter 4 of 5.
Goal 1
[Goal 2: Reach 12(+8
)/25 Paid Patreon Supporters to receive 5 Bonus chapters]Hinata stepped back to the hall's entrance and took a slow breath. She walked forward, trying to keep her feet aligned, her back straight, and her gaze ahead, as she had been shown.
"Stop," Hiashi interrupted halfway through. "You're too hesitant. You hesitate because you lack conviction. The clan cannot follow a girl who doubts herself."
He didn't raise his voice, but his disappointment was clear. Hinata flinched.
"Again."
Again, she walked.
And again, he stopped her. This time, it was her posture. Then her hesitation. Then her inability to project her voice. Her shoulders sagged a little more with each attempt.
"Straighten your spine. Speak like you believe your words. The Hyuga heiress represents centuries of honor. Would your ancestors walk like that?"
Hinata lowered her head. She wanted to disappear.
"Again."
They repeated the drills until the paper lanterns outside had all been lit. The hall had grown cold, and her small feet ached from stepping and turning, walking and kneeling. At last, Hiashi sighed.
"We'll continue tomorrow morning," he said. "You may leave."
She bowed silently and shuffled out, keeping her gaze down. Once she passed the hallway's corner, she leaned against the wooden pillar and let out a long breath she had held in all evening. A dull ache pulsed behind her eyes.
"Why is Father always like that…" she whispered to herself. "I try… I really try."
She sat at the base of a wooden veranda, hugging her knees to her chest.
It wasn't just about the walking or the bowing. It was about who she was supposed to be. Someone proud, poised, untouchable. Someone whose eyes didn't drift downward or whose voice didn't quiver. Someone like…
Her mind wandered again.
To Neji.
Lately, I noticed something off.
He still laughed sometimes when he played with other children. He asked questions and greeted elders properly. But… Hinata had started to instinctually felt something that didn't quite match.
That thought stirred something deeper. Something unspoken.
She buried her face against her arms.
She heard footsteps approaching and quickly wiped her eyes.
A gentle voice called, "Hinata-sama?"
It was one of the branch family caretakers, an older woman who had watched her since infancy.
"There you are. It's late. You'll catch a cold if you sit out here too long."
Hinata nodded and stood up. "Sorry. I was… just thinking."
The woman smiled gently. "Big day tomorrow. Don't let the nerves take you away tonight."
Hinata smiled back—but it felt paper-thin.
Back in her room, under the futon's covers, her thoughts continued to swirl.
What did it mean to be a Hyuga?
Was it just strength, posture, and tradition?
Or was it also what was hidden beneath the surface—like whatever Neji was hiding?
She drifted to sleep slowly, without answers, but with a growing determination she didn't fully understand yet.
Cloud Village Guest Residence – Later That Night
The night air was still and heavy with tension around the temporary residence of the Cloud delegation. The soft rustle of leaves was the only sound accompanying the dim glow of the lanterns, their warm light casting long shadows against the tatami walls. Inside, the elite jounin of the Cloud delegation, known as Raikou, stood near a window, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed, sensing the flow of chakra across the environment like a man feeling for subtle changes in the wind before a storm.
"The ANBU monitoring us aren't sensory types," Raikou said lowly. His voice was calm, but each syllable carried the edge of someone who had stalked prey across battlefields and borders. "I've watched their patrol patterns. Their detection grid is more visual-based."
Tokubetsu Jounin Hoshino leaned forward slightly, unconvinced. "Are you sure, Captain? We can't screw up the plan at this point. And what of Kakashi? He's the Copy Ninja — his instincts alone make him a threat."
Raikou didn't flinch. "Don't underestimate me. I was chosen for this mission because I can disappear from the notice of all but the most advanced sensory types. Even the Hyuga struggle to track me once I initiate my concealment technique."
He pulled out a thin slip of chakra-infused paper marked with a specialized ink seal. "When this seal burns, it means I've failed — and that I'm dead. You'll know when to act."
Hoshino hesitated for a moment, then accepted the paper, his gloved hand trembling slightly.
Check out other works: Demon Slayer: Iron Requiem | Naruto: The Author and The Jinchūriki
patreon.com/aizenDuchiha0
Patreon Supporters:
novel66835; Kali Creation; Ronald; Imevbore Irele Ifijeh; Liban; Tim Hall -> Ōtsutsuki Level
Furry Bear -> Kage Level
Shofi Ullah -> Elite Jounin Level
El Gordo; Fire_Fox2590; Louis Kasser; -> Jounin Level
Lucas Gossett -> Hashira Level