Back in Konoha, Hinata dove straight into her courtyard and entered 'seclusion' mode.
Of course, this wasn't the mystical kind of seclusion—she just needed peace to wrestle with the headache-inducing Flying Thunder God Technique.
Inside the Formation-shrouded yard, Hinata sat cross-legged, a scroll of Flying Thunder God formulae spread before her, brows knit tight. Beside her, two Multiple Shadow Clones were… busy with other things.
Clone A posed in front of a water mirror, practicing Gentle Fist stances while muttering commentary.
'Hmm, this angle looks cooler… no, a slight tilt feels more mysterious…'
Clone B, meanwhile, was devouring icha icha paradise, nodding appreciatively as if unearthing profound secrets.
The real Hinata sighed, setting down the Kunai whose etched runes looked like drunken earthworms.
'Hey, you two, can we focus? Help me crack this, please?'
Clone A glanced over and threw a flirty wink (?).
'main body, looks are power! When we steal the show at the Chunin Exams, it'll be thanks to this Aura!'
Clone B didn't even lift her head.
'Relax, boss. Knowledge is strength; I'm hunting a Breakthrough from another dimension. Besides, we share minds—what I see, you see. Hehe, it gets real good later~'
Clone A: 'Are you even reading anything useful? And could you even apply that "knowledge"?'
Clone B: 'Don't care. It's fun; I like it.'
Clone A: 'I order you to keep your underwear dry.'
Clone B: 'Sir, that's mission impossible.'
Clone A: 'I know it's hard—but it's an order!'
Watching them bicker, Hinata massaged her temples.
'Where did these bad habits come from? I'm disciplined and brilliant—how did I spawn such Clones? Did some weird thing slip in when I infused Spiritual Energy?'
She dismissed the Clones.
Pop! Pop!
Both vanished, flooding her with their training insights… plus tips on photogenic poses, colorful waste material, and bizarre thoughts.
Hinata wobbled, her head buzzing.
Still… that pose was pretty cool; she liked it.
Rubbing her temples, she switched moods and opened the System Shop. Seeing her hefty point balance, her eyes sparkled.
Shopping time!
She splurged first on a [Void Gazer Stone (Fragment)].
The cool pebble, silver light swirling inside, made surrounding space feel like it had jumped from 'standard' to 'high-def'; those elusive spatial ripples were a tad clearer.
Great stuff—just pricey.
Wincing at her shrinking points, she still gritted her teeth and bought [Soul-Calming Incense] to nourish her Divine Soul and [Hundred-Grass Body Tempering Fluid] to strengthen her Physical Body.
Lighting the incense, its delicate fragrance sharpened her mind, washing away the Flying Thunder God frustration. Holding the Void Gazer Stone, she tried etching the formula again.
This time it went smoothly—still hard, but no longer blind; she could faintly feel the Runes linking with space.
Truly, paying to win works… Meanwhile, smoke curled through the Hokage Office.
Kurenai Yuhi stood before Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk, gravely reporting on Team 8—especially Hyuga Hinata.
'Third Hokage, I must give you a detailed report on Hyuga Hinata.'
'Her strength far exceeds normal Genin—possibly most Chunin as well.'
Hiruzen puffed his pipe, motioning her to continue.
'First, her basics: tree-walking, water-walking—she does them instinctively, with uncanny control. I tested her myself…'
Kurenai recounted the session: Hinata seeing through her genjutsu easily, that terrifying strength and speed.
The Third's frown deepened; his pipe nearly died unnoticed. He'd known she wasn't simple, but this…
Silence stretched, broken only by the soft crackle of tobacco.
'I understand, Kurenai.'
He finally spoke, voice weary and grave.
'Keep watching her. Guide her toward the right path. Her power and what she knows could be a double-edged blade for Konoha. For now, observe and protect. The Chunin Exams are near—an ideal chance to assess her.'
'Yes, Third Hokage.'
Kurenai bowed and left, knowing her student had vaulted to the Hokage's utmost attention.
Days later, while Hinata cultivated, the System's voice rang in her head.
'Ding! host successfully influenced Uzumaki Naruto; he fought more decisively in the Land of Waves mission.'
'Evaluation: host acted as mentor, slightly improving teammate experience. Reward: 1,000 points.'
Naruto would be back soon; she recalled this was when he'd first cloak himself in Nine-Tails Chakra and Sasuke's Sharingan would reach two tomoe.
There'd also be top-tier tactics: Naruto turning into a shuriken thrown by Sasuke to save Kakashi.
The famous Copy-Ninja Kakashi would make his debut.
Hinata mused.
'The Chunin Exams are almost here; Orochimaru will soon give Sasuke a tattoo—no civil-service exam for him.'
According to unofficial history, Sasuke ultimately lost the Hokage seat to Naruto because of that tattoo.
Hinata summoned fresh clones; even while studying Flying Thunder God, her cultivation couldn't lag.
Two Clones appeared: one absorbing Spiritual Energy, one refining control. Mid-practice, one asked the other.
'Hey… "paths crisscross, chickens and dogs hear each other"—does that translate to "lots of north-south roads, ding-dong, chickens bark, dogs cry"?'
main body: '…Heh, kinda makes sense. Then is Kobe's chest called Manbo?'
main body: '?'
'I need to find an expert to check you two out.'