Hinata sprinted toward the locker room, his heart pounding with anticipation.
The air was cool and faintly scented with disinfectant—the familiar smell of a sports facility.
As he reached the metal door, he pushed it open and stepped inside.
The locker room was quiet, save for the occasional clatter of lockers closing and the distant echo of bouncing volleyballs from the courts.
He scanned the rows of lockers until he found his assigned one.
A small metal plate read:
[Locker #18 – Hinata Shoyo]
For some reason, seeing his name made him grin.
"That's right. This is real. This is happening."
He quickly unzipped his duffel bag and pulled out the fresh black T-shirt and matching black shorts he had bought the previous day.
The fabric was soft and new, and as he slipped them on, he felt strangely professional.
He tugged on the white shoes, tightening the laces securely.
Standing in front of the locker room mirror, he stared at his reflection.
The black attire made him look sleek and focused, and with his Grade E receiving skill, he felt more prepared.
He could already sense the difference in his stance—his body had absorbed the muscle memory of a beginner.
Testing it out, he cupped his hands into a receiving platform and made a small passing motion toward the mirror.
His form felt instinctively cleaner—his arms were straighter, and his hands firmer.
He grinned.
"Yeah… definitely getting better."
Hinata jogged onto the court, weaving between players who were already in the middle of practice.
The rhythmic thumping of balls against the floor, the squeak of shoes, and the sharp calls of the players filled the gym with energy.
His eyes sparkled with excitement as he scanned the large indoor facility—multiple courts with players of all skill levels moving in synchronized chaos.
Up ahead, Coach Naruto was watching over a group of younger players, his arms crossed with a faint scowl of concentration.
When he spotted Hinata, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he waved him over.
"Oi! Newbie!" Naruto barked.
Hinata scurried over, standing straight and attentive.
"You're early. Good." The coach's voice was gruff, but there was a faint note of approval.
"Let me get a read on you, kid." Naruto folded his arms.
"What do you know about volleyball?"
Without hesitation, Hinata rattled off the rules.
"Three touches per side. The first is usually a receive, the second is a set, and the third is a spike. The goal is to send the ball over the net and land it inside the opponent's court. You can't double touch, and back-row players can't attack from in front of the attack line unless they jump from behind it. Libero can't serve or attack. Sets are played to 25 points, but you need to win by two. Best of five sets, first to three wins."
Coach Naruto's brows shot up slightly.
He hadn't expected such detailed knowledge from an 11-year-old.
"Huh… not bad, kid." He eyed Hinata with mild interest, leaning slightly forward.
"So, you've played before?"
"Nope!" Hinata chirped, grinning brightly.
Naruto's brows furrowed slightly.
"Then how the hell do you know all that?"
"I just… watched a lot of volleyball."
The coach's eye twitched.
"What kind of kid memorizes rules just by watching? This one's a freak."
Naruto decided to test him further.
He casually tossed a ball toward Hinata.
Without thinking, Hinata's body reacted—his hands snapped into position with practiced ease.
His platform was solid, and the ball made a clean arc back toward Naruto's chest.
The coach's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That was… decent form."
He threw another ball, this time with more speed.
Hinata shifted his weight smoothly, moving with the ball and receiving it with better-than-expected accuracy.
Though it wasn't perfect, it was far cleaner than what a complete novice should be capable of.
Naruto's lips curled into a faint smirk.
"Huh… maybe this kid's got libero potential."
His compact size, combined with his solid beginner-level receiving, made him a prime candidate for a defensive specialist.
Naruto scratched his chin and decided to test Hinata's confidence.
"So, what position are you aiming for?" he asked casually.
"Let me guess… libero, right?"
'Short kids with decent receiving always aim for libero. It makes sense.'
But to his utter shock, Hinata's eyes widened with determination, and his chest puffed out slightly.
"Ace!" he declared with fiery conviction.
Naruto blinked slowly.
"Wait… what?"
The excitement in Hinata's voice was unmistakable, and it caught the coach completely off guard.
He stared at the tiny boy with wild orange hair and barely five feet of height, declaring himself an ace like it was the most natural thing in the world.
For a brief moment, Naruto considered squashing the dream with some realism.
But the fire in Hinata's eyes made him pause.
'Nah… let him dream. He'll figure it out soon enough.'
With a slight chuckle, he waved his hand dismissively.
"Ace, huh? Sure, kid. Why not."
Naruto didn't want to crush the kid's spirit, but he also wasn't going to go easy on him.
"Alright, newbie. Today's all about fundamentals."
Hinata nodded enthusiastically, practically vibrating with excitement.
The coach tossed him a volleyball, and this time, Hinata's hands moved with practiced confidence.
His beginner-level muscle memory allowed him to manipulate the ball more smoothly.
He spent the next hour rolling, tossing, and passing the ball, feeling its weight and spin with far more ease.
Next, Naruto had him do wall passes—standing a few feet away and passing the ball back and forth against the wall.
With his improved receiving, he was more consistent, and his returns were cleaner.
Naruto watched, silently impressed.
"Keep your feet light! Stay on the balls of your feet!" Naruto barked.
Hinata jogged back and forth, learning how to pivot and move quickly, his movements slightly more refined thanks to his improved physique.
During a water break, Naruto gestured toward the older players practicing on the far court.
"Watch them. See how they move. Learn."
Hinata's eyes widened as he watched the seniors.
His heart pounded in his chest, excitement surging through him.
"One day… I'll be like them."
By the end of the day, Hinata was exhausted, his limbs trembling from the constant drills.
After a quick shower, he hurried to the daycare to pick up Natsu, then they headed home together.