While Hinata was practicing, Hiashi, who was standing nearby, suddenly spoke.
"I told you not to have contact with Uzumaki Naruto."
Hiashi's voice betrayed no emotion, but the air pressure around him was somewhat low.
"Today, you went to eat ramen with Uzumaki Naruto. Is that true?"
He got straight to the point, his tone steady yet carrying an unquestionable authority.
"Yes."
Hinata didn't deny it, nor did she explain; she simply admitted it calmly.
Her movements didn't stop; she answered while practicing, showing no fear.
Hiashi remained silent for a moment, scrutinizing his daughter.
The person he sent reported that the Miss had treated that 'Demon Fox Brat' to a bowl of ramen. During that time, there wasn't much interaction, and her behavior was proper, perhaps even overly cold.
This behavior contradicted his previous warning, yet it didn't seem to cross any red lines.
"I warned you not to have too much contact with him," Hiashi said slowly.
Hinata raised her white eyes to look at her father. Her gaze was crystal clear, and her tone remained indifferent.
"An heir of the Hyuga Clan should not be stingy over a bowl of ramen."
"Furthermore, he doesn't seem as terrifying as the rumors suggest."
She defined her actions as a condescending 'charity' and 'observation' based on her status as a member of the Main House, rather than an interaction between equals.
This reasoning seemed to slightly soften Hiashi's tense expression.
He might not fully accept it, but the calmness and control Hinata displayed met his expectations for his heir to some extent.
"...Very well."
In the end, Hiashi didn't say anything more.
He felt that his daughter had no fear of him, even daring to defy and refute his thoughts. Her mind was calm, and she didn't seem flustered by his pressure.
As an heir, these traits were exactly what he wanted to see... The midsummer sun scorched the training ground.
Sweat dripped from the children's flushed cheeks.
Iruka-sensei was instructing one of the most basic Three Academy Techniques.
The Clone Jutsu.
Most of the children focused and formed hand signs, and with a 'poof,' a Clone—either clear or blurry—appeared beside them.
"Clone Jutsu!"
Uzumaki Naruto shouted, his hands clumsily forming signs.
A distorted cloud of white smoke appeared beside him. After the smoke cleared, a limp, incredibly weak Clone that looked as if it had been drained of blood appeared on the ground.
A wave of suppressed snickering broke out around them. Iruka-sensei sighed helplessly.
"Naruto, your Chakra control needs to be more precise..."
Naruto's face turned red, and he stomped his foot indignantly.
"I—I'll definitely get it next time!"
Hyuga Hinata stood quietly at the end of the line, her white eyes calmly watching the scene.
Watching Naruto's chaotic Chakra flow, she shook her head slightly in her mind.
His Chakra control was appallingly crude; he couldn't use the most basic things, yet Naruto could use Multiple Shadow Clones at will.
Perhaps that was just talent.
Her gaze swept over her other classmates.
The Clone beside Uchiha Sasuke was clear and stable. His face was expressionless, but his eyes showed focus.
Sakura Haruno's Clone was slightly blurry, but she was working hard to adjust it.
Ino Yamanaka's Clone was just as energetic as she was.
"Next, Hyuga Hinata."
Iruka-sensei called her name.
Hinata stepped forward and formed hand signs.
She deliberately slowed down, making her movements appear unpracticed.
"Clone Jutsu."
A Clone identical to herself appeared at her side, its gaze equally calm.
This wasn't difficult; Spiritual Power and Chakra were interchangeable. It's just that Spiritual Power was purer, but it could still be used for Ninjutsu.
"Excellent!"
Iruka-sensei nodded approvingly.
"Your Chakra control is very precise."
Hinata nodded slightly and dispelled the Clone.
She could feel Naruto's gaze, a mix of envy and frustration.
At the end of school.
Hinata was walking alone back to the Hyuga Clan Compound. Passing a large tree, she saw Naruto practicing hand signs against the trunk, muttering to himself.
"Ox-Dog-Dragon... no, it's Ox-Dog-Dragon-Rat..."
His movements were still clumsy, and his Chakra flickered in and out as he formed the signs.
Hinata stopped and watched quietly for a moment.
When Naruto failed yet again and lowered his head in frustration, she spoke softly.
"Your Chakra breaks easily when you form the signs."
Naruto looked up sharply. Seeing it was Hinata, his eyes lit up.
"You scared me... Do you think I'm stupid? I can't even do this..."
"When forming signs, you must keep your Chakra stable. Recklessly forcing it will only end up like before."
Hinata interrupted his self-deprecation, her tone indifferent.
"Try slowing down and letting the Chakra flow."
The flow of Naruto's Chakra through his Meridians was clearly visible to her, so the problem was obvious.
Naruto was stunned. He looked down at his hands and tried to adjust according to what Hinata said.
When he formed the signs again, the Clone's outline was noticeably clearer, though it was still a bit weak.
"I did it!"
He jumped up in surprise and turned to Hinata.
"How did you know? That's amazing!"
Hinata didn't answer his question.
"I'm going back. Keep practicing on your own."
Hinata turned and left, leaving Naruto to train even harder.
[Ding! Guided the Child of Destiny in Chakra control. Earned points: 30.]
...That night, Hiashi came before Hinata again.
"You gave pointers to that Uzumaki Naruto."
Hiashi's voice was emotionless, simply stating a fact.
"I saw him, so I gave him some pointers in passing."
This reason was practically perfunctory, but combined with her usual calm expression, it actually seemed somewhat credible.
Hiashi stared at her for a moment before speaking.
"His identity is special, and he is being monitored by the Anbu. Getting too close will cause trouble. Be careful yourself."
After saying that, Hiashi walked out.
Hinata knew Hiashi was giving her enough room to grow; this could be considered a test for an heir.
But Hinata didn't care about any of that. She only wanted points. Whether he agreed or not, she was going to get close to Naruto.
Hanabi has also been born now. If you're disappointed in me and want to train Hanabi to be the heir, it doesn't matter... Deep in the night, Hinata sat cross-legged in her room.
She was extracting Spiritual Qi from her Chakra.
Spiritual Power surged through her Meridians, more condensed than a month ago.
She was preparing to break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining.
When she passed by the Hokage Building earlier, she sensed the atmosphere inside; it was very heavy, as if Danzo and the Third were arguing about something.
Hinata guessed it was most likely about the Uchiha Clan.
"Soon."
She opened her eyes, her white eyes flashing with a hint of light in the darkness... The daily life at the Ninja Academy was a perfect disguise for her.
Guiding Naruto was just a casual move.
The true focus was always on improving her own strength and waiting for the storm that would soon change the landscape of Konoha.