"What is this…?"
Hinata looked at the faint green chakra in Chen Xing's hand, her eyes filled with surprise.
The moment she sensed it, the fatigue in her body faded.
"Chen Xing… what is that?" she asked softly.
Chen Xing smiled.
"A technique I developed. It extracts vitality from living things and converts it into chakra that can restore the body."
Hinata's eyes widened slightly.
"So it can heal injuries?"
"Yes," Chen Xing replied calmly. "It can restore stamina and keep the body in optimal condition. But it has limits—it cannot grant true immortality."
Hinata nodded slowly, still amazed.
---
A Different Goal
Chen Xing looked up at the moon.
His thoughts shifted to the legend of Hagoromo Otsutsuki and the origins of chakra.
The Otsutsuki Clan… and the connection to the moon.
He knew that the Hyuga bloodline traced back to that origin.
If that power could be awakened further…
Chen Xing's eyes narrowed slightly.
---
Decision
"Hinata," he said quietly.
She looked up at him.
"I'll be leaving the village for a while."
Her expression changed. "Leaving?"
"I have something to confirm," Chen Xing replied. "I'll return before the finals."
Hinata hesitated, then nodded.
"I understand."
---
Departure
Later that night, Chen Xing left quietly.
He moved beyond the village perimeter, avoiding attention.
The barrier of Konohagakure stood before him.
With precise chakra control, he slipped past it.
Moments later, a pair of chakra wings formed behind him.
He rose into the sky.
Higher and higher—
Until the village became a distant shadow.
---
Target
Above the clouds, Chen Xing accelerated.
His destination was clear.
The moon.
---
Time Passes
Back in the village, time moved on.
Naruto continued his training under Kakashi Hatake, determined to grow stronger.
Meanwhile, the village prepared for the final stage of the Chunin Exams.
Days passed.
The arena was readied. Important figures began to arrive.
The finals were approaching.
---
Waiting
At the Hyuga residence, Hinata stood quietly.
"He said he would return…" she murmured.
But as the days passed, Chen Xing had yet to appear.
The day of the finals drew closer.
And still—
There was no sign of him.
—