Before long, the Four Flowers of Konoha had all arrived, one by one, at the café-pastry shop. The moment they saw each other, they confirmed the truth—this strange chat that had appeared in their minds really did allow them to communicate across distances. Every message had been sent by real people. No one was pretending to be someone else.
"It'd be amazing if this thing came without strings attached," Ino said brightly as she introduced everyone to Tenten. "We'd be able to exchange information anytime, anywhere. This is even more convenient than our clan's secret communication techniques."
Tenten nodded in agreement.
"We don't know yet if there's a range limit, but so far it looks like it covers all of Konoha, at the very least."
"The very first message said our stats could be improved across the board," Hinata added, her voice filled with cautious hope. "I wonder if that's actually true."
Sakura, however, didn't look thrilled.
"You're all talking like this is some kind of miracle. But don't you think it's suspicious? This thing appeared out of nowhere—it's clearly got some hidden agenda. And what's with the name? Shin's Heroine Chat? Joining it means becoming part of his little 'heroine group'? That's unacceptable! My loyalty is to Sasuke-kun, and Sasuke-kun alone! Who even is this Shin?!"
She didn't get the chance to finish. Her body suddenly jolted violently, and she let out a sharp yelp:
"Ow!"
Startled, Ino and the others, along with a few of the other café patrons, turned toward her. They saw tiny arcs of electricity crackling across Sakura's body like she'd just received a shock. But before anyone could do anything, the sparking stopped and her shaking subsided.
"Hey! You okay?" Ino asked, rushing over. She cautiously poked Sakura in the shoulder, and when Sakura didn't collapse or cry out again, Ino let out a relieved breath.
Tenten flashed an apologetic smile toward the startled customers.
"Sorry, sorry! Just a little prank. Nothing serious!"
The others, sensing no real danger, shrugged it off and went back to their drinks and conversations.
Hinata's voice was quiet, but clear:
"The rules said we're not allowed to insult the Administrator. Sakura... you just did. That must've been a punishment."
Tenten frowned.
"Looks like joining the chat came with certain restrictions. We'll have to take those rules seriously. At least the punishment wasn't anything too harsh."
Sakura had only been shocked a couple of times and was already recovering, though a thin sheen of sweat glistened on her skin. If she'd been annoyed by the chat before, now she was downright furious. Part of her really wanted to shout: Didn't Shin set this whole thing up just to mess with us?! Why else would he be the Administrator, and why are all the rules in his favor? But remembering what had just happened, she thought better of it.
Instead, she grumbled,
"Does the name Shin ring a bell for any of you?"
"I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't mentioned it," Ino said, tilting her head. "But yeah… it does sound familiar."
"I've never heard it before," said Tenten, shrugging.
"Um… Shin is our classmate," Hinata said hesitantly. "I thought you all knew."
"Huh?" The other three girls froze.
Sakura and Ino looked vaguely embarrassed. It seemed he really was their classmate. Tenten was baffled—how could they forget the name of someone in their own class?
"He was like a ghost in class," Sakura muttered. "Totally forgettable. No wonder no one remembers him."
Ino nodded in agreement.
"Shin was always so quiet. I don't think I've ever said a single word to him."
Tenten didn't press the issue, but her tone was thoughtful.
"If he's the Administrator, maybe this whole chat thing really is tied to him. We should find a way to check him out."
Ino and Hinata didn't object. They had joined this mysterious chat, after all—they needed to get to the bottom of it.
Sakura, however, had other plans.
"I don't care about any of that. The message said we can leave the chat anytime, right? I'm not playing this dumb game. I'm out!"
Leaving the chat would sever her connection to Shin, save her from future nonsense, and spare her from whatever shady schemes he might be cooking up.
"You're seriously gonna quit right after getting electrocuted?" Ino's voice carried a teasing lilt. "Aren't you even a little offended?"
Sakura froze mid-step. Of course she was offended! There was no way she could just let this go. And if she left the chat, all her related memories would be wiped. That meant she wouldn't even remember being angry. That was unacceptable.
"Fine then! Tomorrow at the Academy, I'll punch him in the face first—and then I'll leave the chat!" she vowed silently.
The others weren't quite as emotionally charged. To them, the "Heroine Group" thing was just a name—nothing worth stressing over. Ino, always a thrill-seeker, was intrigued by the mystery. Tenten wanted to see whether the so-called "future videos" were real. And Hinata… she simply hoped to gain the improvements the chat had promised.
And so, for their own reasons, each girl chose to stay.
What none of them realized was that someone had been listening in on their entire conversation.
Shin sat not far away, his ears tuned to every word they said. Now that he understood their general mindset, he didn't bother sticking around. He got up and left the café ahead of them. A plan was already forming in his mind—a blueprint for fabricating the future.
Step one: secure some startup capital.
Moments later, he activated the System and fabricated a small "snippet" of the future. The moment he finished, the System automatically converted it into video format. Before Shin could even process what was happening, the "future video" was uploaded directly to the chat.
"Damn it! No one told me it would upload automatically!" Shin panicked. He'd assumed only he would know what future he'd invented. No wonder the System had warned him that "the future can be changed." Apparently, he'd just exposed it himself!
Now, the very future he'd made up could actually happen. This damned System—what a headache! What if he ended up looking like a total fool?! Shin wanted to take it all back, but it was too late. The video couldn't be deleted or edited.
---
The Four Flowers of Konoha, who had just parted ways outside the café, all received a new system notification at once:
A future video has been uploaded to the chat.
> [Tenten: A future video? It's real?! I can't wait to see it!]
[Haruno Sakura: There's no proof this thing is legit. I'm telling you, someone's using these so-called "future clips" to manipulate us into thinking a certain way. AAAAARGH!!!]
[Yamanaka Ino: ???]
[Hyūga Hinata: Sakura… you broke the rules again.]
[Tenten: Rule 3: The contents of future videos are true and cannot be questioned.]
[Haruno Sakura: Ugh! So frustrating! It hurts, damn it…]
[Yamanaka Ino: Pffft! Bwahaha! I'm dying over here!]
[Tenten: Sakura, come on. None of us are that important. Who would bother going to such lengths just to control us?]
[Hyūga Hinata: Um… maybe we should just watch the video? Huh?]
---
Future Video — Scene Breakdown:
Morning.
Hinata leaves her house and walks toward the Ninja Academy.
As she passes a quiet alley, she sees several students surrounding Shin and mocking him cruelly.
Suddenly, Shin's eyes blaze with fury. Something inside him snaps. With a few swift strikes, he knocks his tormentors to the ground. They scatter, stunned.
Hinata stares, shocked.
His eyes… those glowing crimson eyes… two tomoe swirling in each one…
Sharingan.
The moment that red Sharingan locks onto her, Hinata realizes she's in trouble. She turns to run—but Shin steps in front of her, cutting her off.
At this time, the Sharingan is a forbidden subject.
To keep her quiet, Shin seizes her and presses his lips to hers—a kiss not out of affection, but a warning.
Hinata, timid and soft-hearted, finds herself overwhelmed and confused… but she nods, silently agreeing to keep his secret.