Chakra was the foundation of a ninja. While the amount of Chakra did not solely determine a ninja's strength, those with vast reserves undoubtedly held a significant advantage over those with less.
In Hinata's understanding, she had never known of any treasure in this world capable of permanently increasing a ninja's Chakra reserves. Yet the potion hadn't just increased it by a little; it had directly tripled her total capacity.
And to think Jie had actually used such a miraculous treasure on her.
For a moment, Hinata's heart swelled with emotion.
However, just as she was about to thank him, she suddenly noticed a strange sensation in her eyes.
It was already dusk, and the sun's rays were gradually fading. Yet, in Hinata's eyes, the surrounding dimness seemed nonexistent, appearing no different from broad daylight. In fact, she could see even more clearly than she did during the day.
'Did I activate my Byakugan?'
'No, the world is grayscale when the Byakugan is active, but right now, everything is in color.'
Realizing this anomaly, Hinata's heart trembled. Had her Byakugan undergone a transformation alongside her Chakra?
"Brother Jie, what happened to my eyes?" Hinata asked, her voice trembling slightly as she looked up at him timidly.
The Byakugan was the symbol of the Hyuga Clan. If something went wrong with her eyes, how was she supposed to explain it to her father?
Moreover, her greatest fear was that her father would discover Jie was responsible for the change. Would he cause trouble for him?
That was a situation Hinata desperately wanted to avoid.
Sensing her worry, Jie smiled. "Don't worry. Your eyes are completely fine and beautiful, Hinata."
"Besides, you should have already noticed how much these eyes will help you."
Hearing Jie praise her eyes, a faint blush crept onto Hinata's cheeks, but the worry in her gaze refused to dissipate.
It seemed her eyes truly had mutated.
'When I get home, I'll tell Father that my Byakugan changed because of my own training,' Hinata thought silently, biting her lip. 'I'll not say a word about Brother Jie.'
Seeing her expression, Jie couldn't help but shake his head.
This little girl was always like this. Whenever she faced him, her emotions were written all over her face, completely transparent to his eyes.
To Jie, Hiashi Hyuga was never a problem.
Leaving aside the fact that he had actually helped Hinata's Byakugan evolve into a brand new stage, even if Jie truly wanted a pair of Byakugan, Hiashi would likely have no choice but to compromise in the end.
Therefore, Hinata's anxieties were completely unfounded.
With this in mind, Jie decided not to expose her thoughts. He smiled and said, "Let's go. That's all for today's training. I'll walk you home."
Normally, hearing that Jie wanted to walk her home would have made Hinata ecstatic. But now, she was terrified of letting him face her father.
"Brother Jie, I'm not a little child anymore," she murmured, keeping her head lowered in low spirits. "I'm an official ninja now. I can go home by myself."
Jie chuckled at her words, finding her stubbornness amusing.
Without another word, he gestured for her to follow and began leading the way toward the Hyuga Clan compound.
Seeing his calm and reassuring demeanor, the tension drained from Hinata's shoulders. The idea of arguing vanished from her mind, and she obediently followed in his footsteps.
With Hinata walking beside him and no pressing matters at hand, Jie refrained from using the Flying Thunder God Technique. Instead, they took their time, walking steadily toward the Hyuga estate.
Although the training grounds behind Konoha were a fair distance from the Hyuga compound, to Hinata, the journey felt incredibly short... like stepping out of the rear mountain's forest, and in the very next second, arriving at the clan's gates.
When the Hyuga guards saw Jie approaching alongside Hinata, they were overwhelmed by the honor.
After all, the Hyuga and Uchiha were no longer at odds—and more importantly, Jie Uchiha was the Hokage of the village. How could the Hyuga Clan not treat the Hokage's arrival with the utmost reverence?
Before long, Hiashi Hyuga and Hizashi Hyuga rushed out from the compound to greet him in a flurry of movement.
Because of Jie's earlier intervention, the Kumogakure delegation's schemes had failed, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had never been forced to sacrifice Hizashi's life to appease them.
Thanks to the butterfly effect of Jie's actions, Hizashi remained the Head of the Branch Family, living peacefully in Konoha.
"Lord Hokage, is there something you need from the Hyuga Clan so late in the evening?" Seeing the Hokage personally escorting his daughter, Hiashi's heart swelled with elation.
But joy aside, he couldn't forget protocol. Hiashi instantly straightened his expression as he respectfully asked his question.
"It's nothing serious," Jie replied with a smile. "Hinata and my younger brother, Sasuke, have graduated early together. I decided to take on the role of her instructing Jōnin."
"I'm just walking her home today, but there are a few things I need to discuss with you, Clan Head Hiashi."
Hearing this, the joy on Hiashi's face grew even more apparent. Having Jie act as Hinata's instructor Jōnin brought only benefits to the Hyuga Clan.
He had already been overseeing her training, and officially establishing this mentor-student dynamic would forge a stronger political alliance between their clans. How could Hiashi be anything but completely satisfied?
Realizing Jie had matters to discuss, Hiashi immediately ushered him deep into the Hyuga estate.
After serving Jie a cup of fine tea, Hiashi and Hizashi sat rigidly opposite him, while Hinata kneeled beside Jie, keeping her head bowed.
"Lord Hokage, what exactly is the situation that warrants your personal visit?" Hiashi inquired respectfully.
Answering Hiashi, Jie didn't hide anything and spoke frankly. "By a stroke of luck, I obtained a potion capable of purifying bloodlines."
"Today, I gave that potion to Hinata to drink. The effects caused a slight mutation in her eyes."
"I came here to ask the Hyuga Clan Head not to heavily investigate or pursue the matter concerning her eyes."
Hiashi's entire body stiffened at the revelation. Only then did he realize that Hinata had kept her head lowered since arriving home, entirely too afraid to look at him.
What kind of mutation could make her so terrified? Could the potion Jie gave her have ruined her Byakugan entirely?
At that thought, a surge of anger flared up within Hiashi's heart. Seeing the elder's shifting expression, Jie easily read his mind and turned to Hinata.
"Hinata, show your father your eyes."
Prompted by his command, Hinata finally lifted her head. Her large, azure blue eyes were fully displayed for Hiashi to see.
Witnessing that radiant azure glow, Hiashi's heart lurched violently. He was just about to curse out loud when an image of an ancient manuscript page suddenly flashed across his mind.
'Why do Hinata's eyes look so similar to the records in that ancient text?'
The realization hit him like a lightning bolt, leaving Hiashi completely stunned in place.
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