In the days that followed, Sakura, Ino, and Naruto made rapid progress.
It was a natural phenomenon. In the early stages of training, growth came quickly; later, the curve would slow, eventually plateauing. But for now, their development under Hinata's harsh regimen was remarkable.
The combination of tugboat resistance training and daily sparring produced visible results. It was exhausting—but the improvement made every ache worth it.
When the ship finally reached the shores of the Land of the Sea, Anko disembarked alone. She returned that evening looking different—calmer, relieved, as though she had finally resolved a long-standing inner conflict.
With that, her mission was complete. Yet, unable to resist the pleading of the three, Anko decided to stay for one more week.
During that week, Sakura, Naruto, and Ino trained harder than ever—hauling the ship, sparring, and repeating the cycle without complaint.
Tugging the boat was grueling. Sparring with Hinata was painful. But Hinata's control was perfect—she could make you hurt without causing injury. Pain, to her, was a teacher.
After dinner one night, Ino sighed contentedly, holding up a lobster shell larger than her hand. "Life here's so fulfilling," she said dreamily. "Sure, training's rough, but the food—oh, the food! Totally worth it!"
Kiba and Shino exchanged knowing looks and chuckled quietly, saying nothing.
A week flew by. When it came time to part ways, Anko, Sakura, Ino, and Naruto bid Hinata farewell and headed back to the village.
Hinata, meanwhile, resumed her usual life—sailing from sea to sea, living freely. If she encountered pirates or rogue ninjas, she captured them and traded them for bounties. The ships she seized were sent to Hyuga-controlled ports, refitted, and put to use.
…
Konoha — Hokage's Office
After reviewing the mission notes Anko had brought back, Tsunade froze mid-sip of her tea.
"She's how old again?" Tsunade asked, disbelief coloring her tone. "Twelve? Thirteen? And she's already this strong?"
"Almost thirteen," Anko confirmed. "Her birthday's in December."
Tsunade exhaled slowly, scanning the report again. "What's she doing now?"
Anko shrugged. "Eating. Sleeping."
Tsunade blinked. "...What?"
"I mean it," Anko said, crossing her arms. "She eats enough for three people, spars with her team sometimes, and spends the rest of her time locked in her cabin. Doesn't make a sound. She motivates her teammates, sure—but personally? She's totally slacking off."
She paused, recalling the scenes vividly. "Honestly, Hokage-sama, she's lazy. Strong, but lazy."
Tsunade stared at her in disbelief, then sighed. "Hiashi must be so proud of his daughter… I wonder how he'll react when he hears she's slacking."
With that thought, Tsunade jotted down a short report and passed it to the ANBU for delivery.
…
When the message reached Hiashi, he read it several times, his expression darkening with each line. His emotions fluctuated wildly—first disbelief, then outrage, then something between despair and confusion.
Finally, he slammed his palm on the table. "Call Hinata back—immediately!"
Without delay, three Hyuga branch family squads were dispatched to locate her.
But Hinata's movements were unpredictable—her location constantly shifting between islands. It took seventeen days and twelve separate sightings before they finally found her.
She was in the middle of raiding a pirate stronghold across an archipelago when the Hyuga scouts approached.
"Lady Hinata!" one of them shouted. "Lord Hiashi requests your immediate return to the clan!"
Hinata turned, puzzled. "Return? What's happened?"
"We don't know, my lady," the messenger replied. "But Lord Hiashi seems deeply concerned. He asks that you come back as soon as possible."
Sensing her father's urgency, Hinata didn't dare delay.
Before long, the pirate stronghold was reduced to ruins. Hundreds of pirates were captured alive, bound tightly, and loaded onto their own ships before being sent to the nearest port for judgment.
The aftermath was left to the Hyuga branch family to handle. Kiba, Shino, and Isaribi stayed behind to return with them, while Hinata—after ensuring everything was in order—unburdened herself and sprinted home at full speed.
She arrived at the Hyuga residence in less than two days.
Hiashi stood waiting. His expression was complicated as he looked upon his eldest daughter—panting lightly, yet still insisting on bowing respectfully.
He sighed deeply. "Have you been slacking off lately, Hinata? Do you think you've grown so strong that you no longer need to work hard?"
Hinata blinked in confusion. "Eh? Slacking off…?"
Hiashi crossed his arms, his tone grave. "You must understand—there's already tension between the branch and main families. To secure the clan's resources for you, I took a great risk. When I read your letter and learned that your strength was said to rival Orochimaru's, one of the Three Legendary Sannin, I was… elated. I can't remember the last time I felt so proud."
He smiled bitterly and continued, "But strength alone isn't everything. It's about your attitude. Whether you can grow stronger or not, the Hyuga clan has invested so much into you. Becoming complacent now, of all times, would be unforgivable."
"Father…" Hinata frowned slightly. "I really don't understand what you mean."
Hiashi exhaled through his nose. "There's no need to hide it anymore. I already know the truth. It's my fault, really. Seeing you grow so outstanding, I pinned too many of my hopes on you."
Still lost, Hinata tilted her head. It took nearly twenty minutes of questioning before she finally pieced together the situation—everything stemmed from Anko's report to Tsunade.
Her eyes widened slightly. "Father, I haven't been lazy! I've kept to my training every day—I've never once slacked off!"
Hiashi shook his head wearily. "Hinata, stop arguing. There's no one else here—you can be honest. I'm not angry. I simply… overestimated you."
Hinata's lips parted, speechless. Then, determination flashed in her pale eyes.
"Then I'll show you."
Without another word, she unfurled a scroll and summoned a set of training equipment—weights, iron stakes, a reinforced doll, and a mattress.
She strapped on the weights, wrapped her hands in bandages, and positioned herself before the iron stakes.
Then she began to strike—each blow sharp, precise, and backed by her full strength.
On the ship, Hinata had always erected a soundproof barrier before training, fearing that Kiba or Shino might see her regimen and recklessly imitate it. But here, there was no such restraint. If she needed to prove herself, then she would do so openly.
The sharp sounds of impact echoed through the Hyuga estate, drawing curious onlookers—branch and main family members alike. One by one, they gathered in silence to watch.
Her fists struck again and again. After a thousand blows, her bandages were soaked red. She paused only long enough to rewrap her hands, then continued—another thousand, then another. A thousand more followed after that, until the rhythmic strikes blurred together like a drumbeat of endurance and pain.
The afternoon sun crawled lazily across the sky. Not a single member of the branch family spoke.
This was not training—it was punishment. Self-inflicted, relentless, and terrifyingly disciplined.
When her hands could no longer move, Hinata switched to her legs, then to her waist, performing the same brutal cycle without pause.
Her training had never relied on numbers. The only measure was her limit—and she would not stop until she reached it.
Eventually, her body gave out. She fell backward, collapsing onto the mattress, breath ragged and shallow.
"Hinata!" Hiashi's composure shattered. He rushed forward, lifting his daughter in his arms and running toward the hospital.
Hinata's voice came out weakly, barely above a whisper. "Father… I didn't disappoint you, right?"
Hiashi's eyes trembled. "No… never. You are my pride," he choked out, his throat tight with emotion.
Hinata smiled faintly, her expression serene.
Of course, she didn't actually go to the hospital. With the Ten-Tails' chakra circulating within her, her body would recover naturally after some rest. She simply needed time.
Feeling guilty for doubting her, Hiashi later retrieved a pouch of coins from a hidden drawer—his personal secret fund—and treated Hinata to a lavish meal as an apology.
During that dinner, Hinata also learned of the full scope of the misunderstanding. Because of the rumors about her "laziness," unrest had begun to spread within the branch family.
Some had even started calling for Hiashi's resignation.
It turned out this was part of the agreement Hiashi had made when negotiating the clan's support for her—if Hinata ever faltered, he would step down to take responsibility.