Within the Hyuga Clan Compound, inside a courtyard enveloped by a Formation.
Seated in the center of the room, Hinata's aura was undergoing drastic changes.
The Early Stage Foundation Establishment spiritual power inside her body had already filled to the extreme, like an overflowing lake constantly battering that invisible barrier.
In her Dantian Qi Sea, the stable Foundation platform burst forth with dazzling light, madly absorbing the Spiritual Energy gathered from the outside world, refining and purifying it into even purer, more majestic spiritual power.
The profound methods of the Self-Transformation Freedom Heart Sutra circulated within her Sea of Consciousness, ceaselessly tempering her Divine Sense, making it more condensed and sharp.
Her comprehension of spatial fluctuations also deepened day by day, aided by the Void Gazer stone fragment and constant inscription practice.
Quantitative change finally triggered qualitative change.
Boom!
A thunderous roar, as if the Universe had just begun, exploded inside her. The solid barrier shattered at the sound; vaster spiritual power surged like a burst dam into wider, tougher Meridians, their cycling speed suddenly soaring, and her Dantian Qi Sea expanded greatly.
Middle Stage Foundation Establishment, achieved!
Hinata slowly opened her eyes; within those pure-white orbs a deeper gleam of spiritual light flowed unceasingly before fading away.
Sensing the endlessly surging spiritual power inside her—now far superior in quality to before—and the Divine Sense that had clearly grown several times stronger and moved as obediently as her own arms, the corners of her mouth curved in satisfaction.
Finally… Middle Stage.
She gently clenched her fist; the air seemed to explode under her grip, letting out a faint hum.
The increase in strength was all-encompassing—power, speed, reflexes, total spiritual power and recovery speed, even control over Spells, all leapt forward.
With a slight thought she picked up a specially-made Kunai again, spiritual power swirling at her fingertip.
This time the process of inscribing the basic runes of the Flying Thunder God formula went much more smoothly. Though still complex and difficult, the failure rate had clearly dropped, and her grasp of those abstruse spatial trajectories was somewhat clearer.
She was still far from truly casting Flying Thunder God, but she was no longer groping in the dark; the technique had taken initial shape.
With my current strength, plus the improved Taijutsu and the psychic art I've begun to master, I should be able to fight even a Jonin.
Hinata calmly assessed herself.
If I play every card, even against Kakashi I might not only hold my ground but… even find a chance to counter.
She thought of the coming Chunin Exams.
According to the original story, Kiba and Shino would run into some trouble but would ultimately emerge unscathed, their strength and Heart-Nature tempered.
She had no intention of disturbing their growth path; at most she would quietly watch over them at crucial moments.
Then what about me?
Hinata's gaze sharpened.
All along she had deliberately hidden her strength, maintaining the persona of a Hyuga Genius, occasionally revealing some abnormality only within explainable limits.
But now, her Middle Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, strength surpassing most Jonin Ninja, the plot knowledge she possessed, and the System trump card she held made continuing such low-key behavior seem… pointless and inefficient.
The Chunin Exams, gathering elites from every nation, are the perfect stage to display power, gain prestige, and win greater attention and resource allocation from the Village.
More importantly, amid the chaos she could observe and even interfere more freely, racking up large amounts of System points.
It's time to let some people get reacquainted with Hyuga Hinata.
She murmured to herself, pure-white eyes flashing with unmistakable confidence and sharpness.
She decided to stop hiding deliberately.
Of course she wouldn't flip every card at once.
The root of a Cultivator—the spiritual power System, the existence of the System Shop—those core secrets had to stay hidden. Yet her far-above-average physical strength, her strange resistance to Genjutsu, and certain special techniques she might comprehend on her own could all be displayed reasonably.
What she wanted wasn't shock followed by doubt and investigation, but to crush all doubt with absolute strength and make everyone accept her might, thereby winning greater autonomy and voice.
Chunin Exams…
Hinata stood, walked to the window, and looked out at Konoha's bustling streets, already filling with more and more Ninja from other Villages.
She decided to go for a stroll, wander around Konoha Village—both to relax and to observe the increasingly lively Village up close.
She came to a quiet little river that ran through Konoha; the water gurgled, sparkling under the afternoon sun. Yet this tranquility was broken by a soft sigh.
Hinata looked over and saw a girl in a pink Chinese-style qipao with twin buns in her hair sitting on a riverside stone, chin in her hands, staring at the water in a daze, her face full of worry—it was Tenten.
Hinata had a good impression of Tenten: a hard-working, cheerful girl.
She approached silently; her Divine Sense stirred and caught Tenten's quiet muttering.
Chunin Exams… what should I do… Lee and Neji are both so strong, only me… my Ninjutsu talent is average, my Taijutsu can't compare to Lee's, and I don't even have a decent Summoned Beast… Am I just not cut out to be a Ninja?
Listening to Tenten's self-doubting murmur, Hinata felt a slight tug in her heart.
She recalled Tenten's future path in the original story: relying on a sea of Ninja tools and precise control to become a unique Weapon Master. But at this point she was still groping in confusion.
A sudden idea rose in Hinata's mind—an approach that could help this hardworking girl find direction, test a new Spell, and maybe even earn some points, achieving three goals at once.
She found a spot not far from Tenten, shaded by trees, sat down, and appeared to rest with eyes closed while quietly activating the Dream Induction method from the Self-Transformation Freedom Heart Sutra.
Her Divine Sense spread like formless water, gently locking onto Tenten's somewhat anxious and weary mental fluctuations.
With Middle Stage Foundation Establishment's powerful Divine Sense and a top-tier psychic art, Tenten only felt the fatigue from days of thinking surge up; her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and before she knew it she leaned against a riverside tree and fell into a deep sleep.
Inside the dream,
Tenten dreamed of her grown-up self, carrying a huge bundle of scrolls that seemed to be for Summoning.
Then the adult Tenten in the dream Summoned all kinds of weapons—everything imaginable.
Tenten jolted awake from the dream and found herself still leaning against the tree by the river.
She rubbed her eyes, a trace of confusion on her face, but even more a sudden, exhilarating excitement.
She jumped to her feet, brushed the grass off her clothes, as if a thousand-pound burden had fallen away, and the vigorous smile returned to her face. The things in that dream seemed perfect for her situation, guiding her out of confusion—she would give them a try.
Not far away, under the shade, Hinata slowly opened her eyes.
The first time she had used Dream Induction to guide someone's mind, the result was better than expected.
Ding! Detected host successfully used psychic art to positively guide Tenten, changing her perception of her own Ninja path and future direction ahead of time, avoiding possible long-term confusion and a strength Bottleneck.
Comprehensive assessment: moderate positive influence on original supporting character's growth path and mindset. Reward points: 1,800!
The System notification sounded as expected.
Hinata nodded slightly. The little rich girl had deep pockets; she could kill enemies with money alone, not to mention buying piles of Ninja tools later.
Add a few legendary-grade weapons and she'd be formidable.
She watched Tenten's energetic, bouncing figure disappear in the distance,
and couldn't help thinking how endearing—how cute—Tenten was.