Where are you, Hinata?
Kurenai frowned, scanning the training field. She had left subtle openings—illusions, false sound cues, false clones—but Hinata ignored them all.
Minutes ticked by. The hour neared its end.
Did she actually run away?
Disappointed, Kurenai released a sigh and returned to the clearing, where Kiba and Shino were tied to wooden posts.
"Hinata forfeited," she said, voice even. "Only the two of you are left. Unfortunately, that means you fail. You'll have to return to the academy and continue your studies."
"What?!" Kiba exclaimed. "If Hinata's gone, then the two of us can just split the bells!"
Kurenai smiled faintly, her tone patient. "You really think two fresh genin could steal a bell from me, a jōnin? This exercise isn't about strength. Even if ten of you attacked together, you wouldn't succeed. The test is about teamwork, coordination, and trust."
She crossed her arms. "We were supposed to try again this afternoon—but since Hinata fled, there's no point continuing."
Kiba clenched his fists. "I won't accept that!"
"Regardless of the reason," Kurenai replied, her voice firm, "abandoning your mission halfway is—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Something was wrong.
The wooden post nearest her shimmered—and in a puff of smoke, it transformed into Hinata.
Before the haze even cleared, Hinata's hand shot forward like lightning.
"Byakugan!"
The veins around her eyes bulged as her palms thrust forward in rapid succession, aiming straight for Kurenai's tenketsu points.
"What—!" Kurenai's eyes widened. She had never noticed the switch. When did she replace the post?
Instinct took over. She pivoted back, countering with a palm strike of her own, while silently activating genjutsu.
Hinata ducked low, evading the blow by inches, and retaliated with a cross strike aimed at Kurenai's side.
Kurenai adjusted instantly, catching Hinata's wrist mid-motion.
Gentle Fist and Byakugan—the deadliest combination of precision and insight. For ninjutsu or genjutsu users, being struck even once could be catastrophic; having one's chakra points sealed meant complete incapacitation.
Through her refined Byakugan, Hinata could see Kurenai's every movement as if in slow motion. If her body could keep up with her vision, victory would already be hers. But her current strength wasn't enough. She knew it—and instead of forcing a win, she focused on creating an opportunity.
…
"Is that… Hinata?" Kiba's jaw dropped.
The same girl who blushed at every word was now moving with flawless precision, exchanging blows evenly with their jōnin instructor.
It didn't even look real!
Shino, as usual, said nothing, his gaze hidden behind his glasses—but even he was impressed.
…
The clash ended as suddenly as it began. Both fighters stepped back. Kurenai's expression shifted from disbelief to cautious respect.
Hinata lowered her gaze shyly and opened her hand. Two silver bells rested in her palm, gleaming softly in the sunlight.
"You…" Kurenai stared, speechless, as the alarm clock rang—marking the end of the hour.
Composing herself, she asked, "Did you plan to wait until the very last moment?"
Hinata nodded slightly, walked over, and began untying Kiba and Shino. Her face was flushed pink as she muttered an apology, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
Kurenai blinked in disbelief.
Where did the fierce warrior from moments ago disappear to?
Then she noticed the dried mud smeared across Hinata's uniform.
"No wonder Kiba couldn't track your scent," Kurenai said with a sigh. "Where exactly did you put this mud?"
Hinata's voice was so soft that Kurenai had to lean in to hear her.
"…I rolled in it," she admitted.
Kurenai could only rub her forehead.
Turning to Shino, she asked, "Did you sense her?"
Shino nodded. "She masked her scent, but not her chakra. My insects could still sense it."
Kurenai glanced between them thoughtfully. In such an unfamiliar test, Hinata had quickly analyzed the situation, weighing both her team's strengths and weaknesses, and devised a sound strategy.
She had hidden herself, waited patiently for an opening, and struck only when success was certain—using both intellect and restraint.
Her plan had been steady, deliberate, and precise.
That's not weakness, Kurenai thought. That's discipline.
…
Kiba was the first to break the silence. "So, Sensei—Hinata got the bells. Does that mean we pass?"
Kurenai paused, then exhaled a quiet laugh.
"…Pass."
Kiba leapt into the air, cheering. "Yes! I don't have to go back to the academy!"
Hinata smiled faintly, her eyes soft and modest as ever.
Shino, standing a step behind them, adjusted his glasses in silence.
Kurenai looked at her new team—mismatched, inexperienced, but brimming with potential—and smiled.
…
After discussing the mission details, Kurenai dismissed the team.
She needed time to compose herself—and to quietly investigate Hinata's past. Something about that girl felt… inconsistent with the reports she'd read.
…
That evening, the three jōnin instructors—Kurenai, Asuma, and Kakashi—gathered for a barbecue. Smoke and the rich scent of grilled meat filled the air as they talked shop.
"This generation's Ino–Shika–Chō trio looks promising," Asuma remarked between bites. "A bit rough around the edges, but with some polishing, they'll become solid shinobi."
Kakashi gave a lazy shrug. "My team's not bad either. One of them even managed to touch the bell." He sounded as casual as ever, though his single visible eye crinkled with faint amusement. "At that age, that's already impressive."
Kurenai leaned forward with a grin. "You two will never guess what happened with my team."
Asuma raised an eyebrow. "What, your kids managed to surprise you already?"
Kurenai's eyes glinted. "Someone from my class stole both bells."
The two men froze mid-bite.
"…You let them win, right?" Asuma asked skeptically.
"Yeah," Kakashi added flatly, not even looking up from his skewer. "No way a fresh graduate could take the bells from a jōnin unless you went easy on them."
Kurenai sighed, smiling wryly. "Why would I let them win? She took them fair and square—on her own skill."
"...She?" both men echoed at once, equally stunned.
…
Meanwhile, Hinata had just returned from a small family gathering at the Hyūga compound.
A servant informed her that the items she'd requested had been prepared and placed in her room. Her mood instantly brightened.
Rushing back, she found a small wooden box placed neatly in the center of her room.
Opening it, she felt a satisfying weight in her hands. Judging from the heft, everything had been made to exact specifications.
Being the Hyūga clan's eldest daughter does have its perks, she thought. Ask, and it's done.
The box contained her custom-made weighted training gear—sleek, fitted perfectly to her figure, and deceptively normal-looking once worn. She examined each piece, testing the balance and the material's smoothness.
…
She began dressing methodically.
First, she removed her outer clothes and slipped on the weighted top—seventy kilograms—and fastened the straps snugly.
Then, she secured the weighted wristbands, ten pounds each, three per arm for a total of six.
Finally came the weighted leg wraps, twenty jin (about ten kilograms) apiece—four per leg.
After redressing in her usual attire, no one would suspect that Hinata was carrying nearly three hundred pounds of hidden weight.
…
The moment she tried moving, she nearly stumbled.
Without chakra reinforcement, her body felt unbearably heavy.
After only a few steps, sweat trickled down her temples, and her cheeks flushed from the exertion.
"Okay," she whispered to herself. "This will do. Weight training will help with both strength and speed… and I can train anytime, anywhere."
Taking a stance, she began performing a full set of Gentle Fist techniques.
Each motion was deliberate, every strike controlled.
By the end, her body trembled with fatigue, her chakra nearly drained—and most notably, her stomach growled loudly.
…
Hiashi, preparing for bed, paused when he heard movement outside his room.
"What now…?" he muttered, stepping into the hall—only to learn that Hinata had requested a midnight meal from the kitchen.
Three meals a day were expected.
But midnight snacks?
Hiashi was stunned.
What on earth did I raise?
Her appetite and behavior were completely different from before.
If not for his absolute trust in his wife, he might have suspected…he got cuckold.