Hinata's training progress was quite smooth. With Hyuga Shinichi's assistance and several successful experiences under her belt, she gradually found the "feeling" of the technique.
After nearly a week of high-intensity training, Hinata could stabilize her form during high-speed rotation even without Shinichi's help.
Although the released chakra barrier was still a thin layer that offered little actual protection, the basic form of Rotation (Kaiten) was already present.
What came next was constant, reinforced training to ensure all the tenketsu (chakra points) across her body could output chakra stably and continuously.
This technique was a significant test of Hinata's chakra reserves. However, what should have been the "greatest constraint" didn't seem particularly obvious in her case.
The reason was simple: the massive appetite Hinata had possessed since childhood didn't just grant her physical strength; her chakra reserves were also far greater than those of an average Genin.
Realizing Hinata's extraordinary talent, Shinichi even began considering whether he should ask Minato to introduce a suitable master for her in the future.
While Shinichi was powerful enough, his abilities weren't quite suitable for the current Hinata. Many of his techniques were based on his massive chakra and the Tenseigan—techniques Hinata simply couldn't learn.
But... if Hinata were fortunate enough to gain the favor of Tsunade, it would be a massive boost to her growth.
Members of the Hyuga clan naturally possess X-ray vision, and their lifelong training in the Gentle Fist provided Hinata with a solid foundation in chakra control.
Both Tsunade's medical ninjutsu and her terrifying "Monster Strength" were built upon exquisite chakra control, making them a perfect fit for Hinata's combat style.
Furthermore, having a medical ninja in Team 7 would be a huge boon for the other members.
Naruto and Sasuke were destined to become some of the strongest ninjas in the world. To ensure Hinata didn't fall behind, Shinichi had spent a lot of time brainstorming plans to assist her growth. After much thought, becoming Tsunade's disciple seemed the best choice.
If the Hinata of the Hyuga clan were to take that path... her ceiling would far exceed that of Sakura Haruno from a civilian background!
Since his sister had joined Team 7, Shinichi found himself unconsciously comparing Hinata to her peer, Sakura Haruno.
He didn't want the overall strength of Team 7 to weaken because of his "butterfly effect." Now that his sister was a member, his only hope was that she would firmly surpass Sakura and maintain the team's overwhelming power.
Only then could they face the various dangers that might come their way.
Although Nagato's Rinnegan had been sealed by him, Uchiha Obito remained missing, and the Akatsuki had vanished into the long river of history, one thing remained uncertain: whether Uchiha Madara would find a way to reappear in the ninja world despite the Akatsuki's demise. That was always an unknown factor.
Shinichi kept a close eye on Team 7's development. A few days after the team was formed, the village began assigning them missions.
For now, the village only sent them low-level tasks—weeding gardens for villagers, finding lost cats, and delivering goods around the outskirts of Konoha. These were the most basic tasks.
It was essentially "playing house."
However, Shinichi understood Minato's intent behind these missions. He was giving the team a buffer period, allowing them to adapt as quickly as possible from students to ninjas.
At the same time, it gave these young Genin time to bond with their teammates and deepen their understanding of one another.
Only a group that trusted each other could support one another in dangerous missions.
The members of Team 7, except for their leader Kakashi, had grown up together. They were already familiar with each other, so building trust wasn't difficult. Predictably, to promote the growth of these youngsters, the village would soon arrange more challenging tasks.
Shinichi watched Hinata and the others in silence as time flew by during these peaceful daily routines. Finally, the members of Team 7 received their first C-rank mission.
Inside the Hokage's office, the assembled members of Team 7 stood in a neat row before Minato's desk.
To one side of the office, the client from the Land of Waves, Tazuna, was scrutinizing them. Looking at the youthful faces of Naruto and the others, a look of displeasure crossed his face.
"Lord Hokage..." Tazuna began. "Though the commission I paid isn't a fortune, it still matches the village's rating for this rank. Surely... you should send qualified ninjas to escort me? Sending these children... are they here to protect me, or am I here to protect them?"
Tazuna was a master bridge builder from the Land of Waves. His request to Konoha was for ninjas to escort him back to his village.
The journey from Konoha to the Land of Waves was long. Although there were no large-scale wars in the ninja world currently, the lingering issues from the Third Great Ninja War continued to plague every nation and hidden village.
Specifically, many rogue ninjas from the war era had hidden their identities and become groups of mountain bandits and outlaws.
These ninjas used their abilities to claim territory and live off plunder, especially while many villages had yet to fully recover their strength. In recent years, escort missions for individuals, merchant caravans, and even high-ranking officials accounted for nearly half of all mission types.
Those with a darker mindset could easily understand why these rogue ninjas and bandits were never fully wiped out.
Whether the hidden villages truly lacked the power to deal with them was a question only the leaders of those villages could answer.
For a simple personal escort mission rated as a lower C-rank, Minato's decision to assign it to Team 7 had deep meaning.
Naruto was his son. No matter how busy he was with official duties, Minato refused to be absent from Naruto's growth.
This C-rank mission was specifically handpicked for them to practice. On one hand, the difficulty was assessed as low; with the strength of Kakashi's team, completing it shouldn't be difficult, and he didn't worry about any real danger.
On the other hand, the Land of Waves was a decent distance from Konoha. It was necessary to arrange an out-of-village mission so his son could see the true face of the world.
He had considered every aspect of Naruto's path to growth.
In the office, the atmosphere cooled as Tazuna voiced his doubts. Facing the skepticism, Minato continued to smile warmly, offering no response. He knew that this kind of doubt didn't require a response from the Hokage himself!
"Mr. Tazuna, my subordinates are not children. They are qualified Konoha shinobi," Kakashi said. As the captain of Team 7, it was his duty to respond to the client.
His tone was cold and sharp. Combined with his "elite" appearance, Tazuna quickly looked away from Naruto and the others.
The kids might seem unreliable, but the one speaking looked "professional" and had a real "ninja vibe."
"Then I shall wait and see," Tazuna remarked. He was an old man with a sharp tongue. Though he secretly acknowledged Kakashi's leadership, he still threw a snide comment at the rest of the team.
His slightly contemptuous attitude annoyed Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke, being cold on the outside but passionate within, silently noted the sarcasm and resolved to change the client's mind during the mission.
Naruto, because his father was present, said nothing. Even Hinata—who arguably had the sharpest hidden temper—suppressed her anger for the same reason. All three of them were secretly holding their breath.
After accepting the commission, the team briefly disbanded with a plan to regroup at Konoha's main gate in two hours.
During the two-hour prep time, Sasuke only needed to "report" to his family. As for Naruto and Hinata, their fathers already knew, so they just needed to pack their things.
At noon, Hinata finished packing and hurried from her home. Shinichi, knowing about the mission, decided to "deeply participate" in this escort. Of course, he wouldn't appear as a participant.
To get the most direct understanding of Team 7's progress, he would only observe from the shadows and would not intervene unless an accident occurred.
It was the hottest part of the day. Departing now would allow them to reach a village within the borders by evening to rest, avoiding the need to camp outdoors.
Soon, the prepared members of Team 7 gathered at the village gate, ready to go. The mission cycle would be about one to two months; since they had to accommodate Tazuna's pace as a normal human, they couldn't travel at high speeds.
To handle this long-term mission, Hinata and Sasuke traveled light, bringing only ninja tools and some spare clothes.
However, Naruto... appeared before Hinata and Sasuke, carrying a massive pack. From a distance, it looked like Naruto was carrying a small mountain on his back.
"Naruto, why do you have so much stuff?" Kakashi joked. "Are you planning to open a store in the Land of Waves? Did you bring all the inventory?"
"My mom stuffed it all in. I told her I didn't want it, but she insisted on cramming it into my bag," Naruto complained. "I really don't know what she was thinking."
As Naruto grumbled, he failed to notice Kakashi frantically signaling him with his eyes. Simultaneously, a surge of killing intent rose behind Naruto.
The hair on the back of Naruto's neck stood up. Feeling something, he turned his head stiffly to find Kushina, wearing her house clothes, standing behind him with an unfriendly expression.
"Mom? Why are you here?!" Naruto cried out, his voice cracking in surprise.
"This is your first mission outside the village. I thought I'd come to see you off, but I didn't expect to hear you badmouthing me behind my back!" Kushina roared. A terrifying burst of chakra exploded outward, creating a gale that knocked Naruto flat onto his butt.
At the moment of Kushina's chakra outburst, Sasuke lowered his center of gravity to brace against the wind. He looked at Kushina in shock. That kind of chakra... he realized he could no longer view Kushina as a simple "housewife."
Both Naruto and Sasuke were rattled to varying degrees. Even Kakashi could only scratch his head awkwardly at the sight of his master's wife.
Hinata, however, was the most composed. She walked quickly to Kushina's side, familiarly taking her arm and calling out affectionately, "Aunt Kushina! You know Naruto didn't mean it that way. How could he ever badmouth you?"
Her sweet voice was a stark contrast to her usual behavior. The sudden shift made Sasuke and Kakashi widen their eyes, forcing them to refresh their impression of Hinata.
Kushina seemed used to it. She hugged Hinata and said happily, "Oh, don't defend him. If Naruto were even half as sensible as Hinata, I wouldn't have to worry so much as a mother." She then looked at Naruto. "Listen, when you're out, be careful with everything."
She fixed her gaze on Naruto. "Naruto, you're a boy. Take good care of Hinata! You must protect her and make sure she doesn't get hurt, understand?!"
Kushina's words clearly treated Hinata as part of the family. Even the perennial bachelor Kakashi could pick up on the subtext. Tazuna, who didn't know the team, looked at Naruto with a meaningful gaze. Even Sasuke looked at Naruto with a "watching the drama unfold" attitude.
Only Naruto seemed completely oblivious. Hearing his mother tell him to protect Hinata, he complained nonchalantly, "Hinata isn't some weakling. She's very strong; she doesn't need my protection."
Naruto spoke the truth, but his "straight-as-steel" declaration made Hinata chuckle softly. Kushina's eye twitched, but she said nothing more. She patted Hinata's shoulder, waved at Kakashi as a greeting, and then returned to the village under their watchful eyes.
Kushina's appearance didn't disrupt the team's mission plan, but her brief appearance left a deep impression on Sasuke and Tazuna. In Tazuna's eyes, the ninjas escorting him seemed far less reliable than that domineering female ninja who just appeared. Yes, even as a commoner, Tazuna could feel Kushina's power.
With Kushina gone, no one cared about Naruto's "mountain" bag. Hinata smiled and pulled a storage scroll from her pouch, liberating Naruto's shoulders from the weight.
The group then left Konoha and headed toward the Land of Waves. They thought it would be a simple C-rank mission with a smooth path ahead.
However, they hadn't even traveled a thousand meters from Konoha before an accident occurred.
On the main road, the group had just stepped over two small puddles when Hinata, walking at the front of the group, silently knit her brows.
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