第11章

Chapter Eleven: The True Byakugan Princess

Clap… Clap…

Amidst a snowy forest clearing, rapid, staccato sounds echoed. Two small figures in training suits stood on the thick snow, their feet never sinking as they exchanged blows.

The black-haired girl with Byakugan, her gloved hands glowing with blue chakra, thrust her fingers like daggers toward the boy opposite her. Her strikes sliced the air with a whistle.

The boy, with black hair and piercing blue eyes, moved as if predicting her every move. Just before her fingertips could pierce his training suit and channel chakra into his body, he deflected her wrist with his forearm. Then, seizing the opening, he countered with palm strikes, jabs, or kicks that sent her sprawling into the snow.

Each hit drew a stifled grunt from her lips. Her small face twisted with pain, but she scrambled up again and again, blood trickling from her mouth as she lunged forward.

These two children were none other than Izayoi Hyūga and Hinata Hyūga.

“Enough,” Izayoi finally said after what felt like an eternity.

Hinata collapsed into the snow, gasping for breath. Sweat drenched her face, and her torn training suit—stained crimson—revealed the clothes beneath. Izayoi’s white training suit was equally shredded.

These suits weren’t just for show. They were designed to help Hinata refine her Through-Obscurity Strike, improving her ability to channel chakra into an opponent’s body with pinpoint precision and power. If she could deliver devastating chakra strikes through the thick fabric, it proved her fingertip strength and control were exceptional.

That’s why Izayoi occasionally left himself open, letting her land hits. Endless one-sided attacks might make him seem invincible, but they’d crush her confidence. To build her self-belief, she needed to taste success.

After shedding his torn gear, Izayoi knelt beside Hinata and applied basic medical ninjutsu. Though he wasn’t sure if this rudimentary technique could heal internal injuries, he knew Hiashi Hyūga had likely been monitoring Hinata all along. If the clan head still allowed their training, he’d surely have his reasons—perhaps even arranging medical checks for Hinata later.

The Hyūga clan had skilled medics. Any hidden injuries would be found and treated. Even if Hiashi didn’t intervene, youth was resilient. And once Izayoi awakened the Tenseigan, he’d gain the Yin-Yang Release like the Rinnegan, allowing him to heal her himself.

With the treatment done, Izayoi grinned. “Let’s go ice fishing. Roast fish for dinner.”

Hinata’s eyes lit up. “Okay!”

Izayoi’s knowledge of the ninja world came mostly from TV anime. He’d never read the manga or played the games, relying instead on snippets from online clips. He didn’t know if the manga portrayed Hinata as having a bottomless stomach, but the anime had a scene where she dominated a ramen-eating contest. That moment ignited countless forum debates, with fans calling it a “wasted talent.”

In the anime world, bottomless stomachs were rare gifts—akin to innate talent in survival professions. Izayoi had tested this one day by taking Hinata fishing, secretly observing her appetite. To his delight, she ate two to three times more than him.

This thrilled him. A powerful metabolism meant stronger cells, richer chakra reserves, and greater potential. The more she ate, the faster her strength would grow—and the higher her chances of unlocking a rare red-ranked bloodline limit.

Thus, every training session ended with a feast. At first, Hinata hesitated, trying to maintain her shy, ladylike demeanor. But as Izayoi kept providing massive meals, she eventually gave in, realizing he’d discovered her secret.

She never noticed the family meals growing larger or the shift from individual portions to shared dishes. She simply assumed it was because of her little sister.

Izayoi, for his part, remained oblivious to these changes. Yet if he knew, he’d have smiled, satisfied that Hinata’s fate had begun to shift. With his guidance and Hiashi’s quiet concern, her path would diverge from the original story’s timid, fragile girl.

One day, when her foundation was strong and their chakra intertwined, she might even awaken the Tenseigan.

Then Hinata would truly become the Byakugan Princess.

——

Time dragged in classrooms but flew during breaks—every student’s reality.

As winter ended and Konoha Year 55 dawned, first-years began their third semester while sixth-years faced graduation. Two terms of training had transformed the students: all remaining had awakened chakra and adapted to the rigorous academic and practical courses.

Now the ninja academy introduced the Three Seals Technique, Konoha Body Flicker, and Invisibility Technique. Practical classes added survival drills, testing their ability to gather intelligence and apply these skills in real scenarios.

Only the Three Seals Technique posed a challenge. The others were simple—Naruto Uzumaki, after all, once mastered Body Flicker and Invisibility in the original tale before perfecting the basic Clone Technique.

But for Izayoi, even these basics were trivial.

While practical classes still focused on Taijutsu duels without shuriken battles or free-for-all sparring, he rarely attended school in person. Except for Taijutsu sessions in the afternoon, his clones handled the rest.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end