Under the intense scrutiny of everyone present, Hinata Hyūga walked forward, her movements still slightly trembling. She reached out and tentatively touched the ball of seven-colored light.
She was in a state of bewilderment, unable to fully process the chaotic events of the day. Yet, facing the expectant eyes of her father, the elders, and even Brother Neji, her ingrained timidity was almost instinctive.
The moment her hand made contact, the seven-colored light cluster dissolved and merged with her body.
A profound, gentle warmth surged through her.
Instantly, the world seemed to shift.
Hinata blinked, looking around blankly. Her heart began to settle into an unfamiliar state of calm, and her mind felt sharper, processing information with lightning speed. Concepts and situations that had previously confused her suddenly became clear. She raised a hand to her chest, her face expressing genuine wonder.
To the observers, the transformation was immediate and stunning.
Hinata, who habitually kept her head bowed, now held it high, looking directly at the people around her. Her slightly hunched shoulders had naturally relaxed, and her fingers were no longer distressingly clutching the corner of her robe.
The most dramatic change was in her eyes and expression, which had always been defined by fear and hesitation.
Now, her gaze radiated a new brilliance: calm, elegant, and subtly lovely.
Though her physical appearance was unchanged, the overall shift in her bearing was so significant that some people barely recognized the girl before them.
"Hinata..." Hiashi Hyūga called out nervously. "How... how do you feel?"
"Father-sama." Hinata looked at her father.
She experienced a strange clarity. Before, she only perceived her father as a figure of strictness and perpetual disappointment. Now, she clearly saw the tension and concern etched into his familiar face, his tightly clenched fists betraying emotions she had never noticed before.
"I feel profoundly well, Father-sama," Hinata replied, her voice steady and clear. She described her state: "It is as though... I suddenly understand so many things. Father-sama... I apologize... I have caused you worry."
Her voice softened considerably on the apology, and her face flushed lightly. It was a regression to her gentle nature, yet the old Hinata would never have been able to articulate her feelings with such clarity.
"Good... good," Hiashi stammered, overwhelmed with relief and excitement.
The others were similarly astonished by the miraculous power of the Martial Body.
Only Shen Mo understood the mechanism: the Beginner · Immovable King's Heart primarily granted exceptional mental processing and clarity.
Character and virtue, however, remained intrinsic.
The reason for Hinata's drastic outward change was that her character already held the potential for gentleness and kindness. In the original timeline, this potential was unlocked by Naruto's motivation; here, the enhanced mental clarity allowed her to recognize her father's unspoken concern, motivating her to immediately strive to embody the daughter he wished to see.
"A Martial Body can bestow character traits, but it cannot dictate your growth," Shen Mo instructed, looking directly at Hinata. "It merely allows you to look into your own heart clearly, and decide for yourself the person you wish to become."
Hinata's expression transitioned to one of profound understanding.
After a moment of silence, she quickly executed a graceful, low bow toward Shen Mo.
"Thank you for your guidance, sir."
Though still slightly flustered, this level of composure and etiquette was entirely impossible for the old Hinata. Even Hanabi's eyes were wide, seeing her sister anew.
Having completed her duty to the merchant, Hinata looked noticeably more composed. She turned and offered an equally solemn bow to Neji.
"Thank you as well, Brother Neji."
"I..." Neji started, then surprisingly paused, struggling to find the right words before settling on: "I will continue to observe your actions!"
While the emphasis on 'watching' was still present, his tone was clearly less forceful, lacking the intense resentment of moments prior.
Shen Mo's expression became wry. It seems Neji is destined to remain the classic tsundere with a severe sister-complex, regardless of the changes to the timeline.
"All right," Tsunade interjected, breaking the emotional tension. "Neji, you still have more Jars to open. Finish them now."
With only three hundred-odd Jars opened, Tsunade was a wreck of conflicting emotions: anticipation for Neji's potential good fortune and self-pity over her own past failures.
Neji nodded, refocusing.
Despite the acquisition of a super big prize, it had primarily benefited Hinata, not his own strength. He was dependent on the remaining Jars for a personal boost.
Unfortunately, it seemed the super prize had consumed his remaining luck. He finished the rest of the Tier Two Jars without pulling any further major prizes or destiny items.
"Why did I have to open a Job Change item from a Tier Two Jar?" Tsunade muttered quietly, still dwelling on her Paladin job change.
Shen Mo had assured her that if no destiny item appeared in the final ten Tier Two Jars, one was guaranteed in the first ten Tier Three Jars. Logically, a guaranteed item from a higher tier should be superior.
"The power of a profession, while varying in strength, is not contingent on the Tier of the Jar it is opened from," Shen Mo clarified, glancing at her. "The power you receive originates outside your world. No one, not even the system, can predict the full extent of the glory it will attain in your reality."
No one could have predicted the Holy Light · Mystical Palm Jutsu, he implied.
Tsunade fell into deep contemplation.
Neji, meanwhile, was ready to open the Tier Three Jars.
Despite his intellectual calm, he was still only thirteen, and he was nervous. Destiny-natured items were, by their very definition, crucial to his path. Failure to acquire one, or failure to change professions, would lead to a profoundly different, undesirable outcome.
He adjusted his breathing, preparing himself.
He opened the first Tier Three Jar.
It contained a pure white ball of light.
Neji absorbed it immediately. His entire skeletal structure emitted a series of subtle, dry crackling sounds.
"Flexibility Light Orb," Shen Mo identified. "It significantly enhances the body's flexibility and toughness. This type of orb is not available in Tier Two Jars."
"It is truly remarkable," Neji admitted.
He reached his arm from behind his back, easily touching the back of his head. The bones and joints in his shoulders and limbs felt unusually supple. Hyūga disciples trained flexibility rigorously from childhood, and further improvement became exponentially difficult with age.
Therefore, this light orb was an incredibly valuable asset.