Naruto had given Hinata the summoning contract for a simple reason: he would soon be leaving Konoha to train with Jiraiya.
Once he left, he would no longer be able to accompany Hinata on every mission.
With a powerful summon protecting her, Naruto could at least feel a little more at ease.
"With Naruto around, it feels like we never get to do anything," Kiba complained, his voice tinged with frustration.
"Is that a problem?" Shino calmly adjusted his sunglasses. "Completing a mission safely and efficiently is the ideal outcome."
"But if we never get to fight, how are these missions any different from D-rank assignments like pulling weeds and collecting garbage?"
Naruto suddenly chuckled.
"Don't worry. You'll get your fight soon enough."
"Really?" Kiba immediately perked up. "Where are they?"
His nose twitched as he sniffed the air. Akamaru poked his head out of Kiba's jacket and barked twice.
"Six people," Kiba whispered, his expression turning serious. "They're approaching fast."
"Yes, and none of them are weak." Shino watched the insects crawling across his hand. "They're well trained."
"Perfect."
Naruto grinned and glanced at Hinata.
"You just obtained that summon, so let's use these guys to test its abilities."
He gave her a meaningful look.
"And remember what I said. It's time to change the way you attack."
Hinata nodded.
"Right."
A short while later, the ancient castle once again stood among the trees.
—
Six black-clad shinobi raced through the distant forest in a coordinated assault formation. Their movements were precise, and they bore no identifying marks.
The tall shinobi leading them raised his hand and signaled the five behind him.
"One final confirmation. We seize the sword and test Uzumaki Naruto's true strength."
His gaze sharpened.
"Remember your orders. Do not kill him. No matter what happens, Uzumaki Naruto must remain alive."
—
At the same time, inside a secret base beneath Konoha, Danzō studied the intelligence report in his hand.
"Are we certain this information is reliable?"
A Root operative knelt before him with his head lowered.
"Where did Uzumaki Naruto obtain such a powerful sword? And how has his strength risen so dramatically in the short time since his graduation?"
The Root operative answered in a steady voice.
"The original information came from Haruno Sakura, who is currently staying with Orochimaru. However, we have verified several parts of her report through other sources."
"So Haruno Sakura was telling the truth…"
A dark smile spread across Danzō's face.
"It appears our jinchūriki is hiding quite a few secrets."
His thoughts returned to the red-haired woman in a mask who had appeared shortly after Naruto's graduation and caused two major explosions.
"Perhaps that woman has been in contact with Naruto all along."
Danzō turned his attention back to the kneeling operative.
"I made certain the mission involving Hinata Hyūga and Naruto reached Tsunade's desk. The unit I dispatched set out in advance. They should have arrived shortly after Naruto flew there."
His visible eye narrowed.
"Konoha's jinchūriki must remain firmly under the village's control. If he shows any signs of instability, we must take action before it is too late."
Danzō rose and retreated into the surrounding darkness.
"When they return, I want a complete report on Uzumaki Naruto's true strength."
His presence vanished into the shadows.
—
The six disguised Root shinobi soon reached their destination and immediately discovered the castle.
They waited outside for nearly two hours, yet Naruto showed no sign of emerging.
"Are you certain he's inside?" the tall shinobi asked.
One of the men behind him nodded.
"Yes. Naruto and all three of his companions entered the castle. None of them have come back out."
The tall shinobi raised his eyes toward the darkening sky.
Danzō had ordered him to engage Naruto, determine the limits of his strength, and seize the Sky Thunder Sword if an opportunity presented itself.
However, if Naruto intended to remain inside overnight, waiting would only create more uncertainty.
"We're going in."
He signaled his teammates.
Three followed him into the castle, while the remaining two stayed outside to block any possible escape.
Once inside the entrance hall, the tall shinobi gave another hand signal. The four Root operatives immediately split up and began searching.
It wasn't long before the leader entered a wide room resembling a training hall.
Hinata was waiting for him.
She stood in a Gentle Fist stance, her pale eyes fixed on his every movement.
The instant he entered, she surged forward.
The tall shinobi remained calm. He drew a short sword and slashed at her without hesitation.
His attack was fast, ruthless, and aimed to incapacitate. If the blade struck, Hinata would be severely wounded, if not killed outright.
The blade passed through empty air.
Hinata vanished a heartbeat before it could touch her, reappearing behind him.
The Root operative immediately spun around and slashed again.
She evaded him once more.
Fast.
The tall shinobi narrowed his eyes.
Far too fast for an ordinary Genin.
He was an elite jōnin who specialized in swordsmanship, yet this young Hyūga had already avoided two of his attacks.
He twisted his body and unleashed another vicious slash.
Just before the blade could connect, a warning surged through his instincts.
He immediately used the Body Replacement Technique.
His body vanished, leaving a wooden log in his place.
The tall shinobi reappeared several meters away and scanned the room.
Hinata wasn't standing where he had seen her.
Is this some kind of special movement used with the Gentle Fist?
He frowned.
Then the truth struck him.
No. It's genjutsu.
The Hinata I've been attacking was never real. That's why she disappears every time my blade is about to reach her.
He formed a hand seal.
"Release!"
The illusion shattered.
The elegant training hall disappeared.
In its place was a chamber of pulsing flesh. The ground beneath him writhed like the inside of a living creature.
"What is this place?"
The flesh beneath his feet suddenly swelled and tried to drag him under.
The tall shinobi tore himself free and leaped into the air.
A figure appeared behind him.
"I was waiting for that!"
The tall Root operative remained composed.
He twisted in midair and swung the short sword he had already prepared, slashing directly at Hinata behind him.
His blade cut through empty air once more.
Hinata disappeared.
Another illusion? But I already released the genjutsu!
A sharp pain suddenly erupted through his chest.
His breath caught in his throat.
The real Hinata had appeared directly in front of him.
A kunai had been securely fastened to her palm, its point extending past her fingers.
Her hands moved with the speed and precision of the Gentle Fist.
One strike.
Two.
Three.
The attacks came too quickly for him to evade.
In a single second, Hinata thrust the kunai into his chest ten times.
Blood sprayed across the writhing floor.
This was the new fighting style Naruto had suggested.
The Gentle Fist allowed a skilled Hyūga to deliver dozens of precise strikes within moments. Naruto had wondered why they limited themselves to attacking chakra points with their bare hands.
If Hinata attached a blade to her palm, every Gentle Fist strike would become a lethal stab.
The tall shinobi staggered backward, staring at the wounds in disbelief.
Before he could collapse, Naruto appeared beside him.
The Sky Thunder Sword flashed.
The Root operative's head separated from his body.
"Ding-dong! Congratulations to the Host for killing one jōnin and earning 100 points!"
With the aid of her summon's illusions and Naruto's modified Gentle Fist, Hinata had single-handedly brought an elite Root operative to the brink of death.
Elsewhere inside the castle, Kiba and Shino were fighting the other intruders.
The Root shinobi couldn't distinguish reality from illusion. Every time they thought they had found Kiba or Shino, their attacks struck empty air.
Phantom enemies assaulted them from every direction, while the real Kiba and Shino remained hidden among the illusions.
The Root shinobi couldn't land a single effective attack.
Kiba's Fang Over Fang tore into one of them from his blind spot, while Shino's insects silently surrounded and consumed the chakra of another.
Both Root operatives died without ever locating their true opponents.
The final shinobi inside the castle sensed something was wrong and tried to retreat, only for Naruto to appear beside him and kill him instantly.
The two operatives guarding the outside fared no better.
Naruto found them within moments.
Neither survived.
All six Root shinobi sent by Danzō were wiped out.
And in its very first battle under Hinata's command, her new summon had already demonstrated just how terrifying its abilities could be.