Naruto: The Crimson Error

13

Chapter 13: The Hyuga's Challenge

The sun had barely peeked over the horizon when Sora made his way to his favourite training ground. The early morning air was crisp and cool, carrying the scent of dew-covered grass and distant pine forests. As he walked, he couldn't help but smirk at the memory of the "Great Hyuga Hullabaloo" from a few weeks ago. The image of the entire clan walking around like human-sized tomatoes still brought a chuckle to his lips.

Sora's mind wandered to the events that had led to that particular prank. It had been a stroke of genius if he did say so himself. He and Naruto had spent weeks planning it, carefully calculating the exact amount of harmless red dye needed to turn the Hyuga compound's water supply into a veritable fruit punch. The looks on their faces when they'd emerged from their homes, skin tinged a brilliant shade of crimson, had been priceless.

Of course, the aftermath hadn't been quite as amusing. The lecture they'd received from Iruka-sensei had lasted for hours, and they'd been assigned D-rank missions for a month as punishment. But in Sora's opinion, it had been worth it. The village had been talking about it for weeks, and he'd even overheard some of the younger shinobi trying to recreate the prank on a smaller scale.

Reaching his destination, Sora settled into a cross-legged position, closed his eyes, and began to regulate his breathing. To any passerby, he would have appeared to be deep in meditation. In reality, he was plotting his next village-wide prank.

'Maybe I could dye all the Inuzuka dogs purple?' he mused. 'Or replace all the Akimichi clan's food with diet pills?' He chuckled at the mental image of Choji's face upon biting into a rice ball only to find it was made of celery and tofu.

His scheming was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Light, determined, and slightly annoyed. Sora's eyes snapped open, his hand instinctively reaching for a kunai. But instead of an enemy ninja, he found himself face-to-face with a pair of stern white eyes.

Hanabi Hyuga stood before him, her small frame radiating an aura of determination that would have made her father proud. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, and her miniature version of traditional Hyuga robes gave her the appearance of a very serious, very tiny adult.

Sora blinked, momentarily taken aback. He knew Hanabi, of course. They were in the same year at the Academy, though they rarely interacted. She was known for her prodigious talent and serious demeanour, a stark contrast to Sora's prankster reputation.

"Uh, can I help you, Hanabi?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hanabi's eyes narrowed. "Sora Uzumaki," she said, her voice carrying a formality that seemed at odds with her young age, "I challenge you to a duel!"

For a moment, Sora just stared at her, then burst out laughing. "A duel? What is this, some kind of samurai drama?"

Hanabi's face flushed with anger. "This is not a joke! I have come to defeat you so that you won't target the Hyuga clan again!"

Sora's laughter subsided, replaced by a mix of amusement and curiosity. "Oh? And what makes you think you can defeat me, Hanabi?"

"I am the daughter of Hiashi Hyuga, leader of the Hyuga clan," Hanabi declared proudly. "I have been training since I could walk. I will not let you dishonour our clan again!"

Sora couldn't help but be impressed by the girl's spirit. He stood up, brushing off his pants, and gave her a considering look. "Alright, Hanabi Hyuga. I accept your challenge. But we'll need a referee. Any preferences?"

Hanabi thought for a moment, then said, "Anyone is fine, as long as it's not Naruto. I hate him."

Sora raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh? And why do you hate Naruto?"