Chapter 8: The Gap in Strength, The Purpose of Points

Chapter 8: The Gap in Strength, The Purpose of Points

Throughout the summer vacation, Jūrokuya trained relentlessly alongside Hinata Hyūga.

Each morning, he first confirmed Yamanaka Ino’s location before using the Transformation Technique to disguise himself as her. Then, as Ino, he’d invite Hinata to join him. The pair would head to an abandoned training ground, spending hours either practicing tree-climbing or sparring in taijutsu.

Hinata, who had gained both friendship and confidence, transformed dramatically over the break—not only in skill but also in demeanor.

Hyūga Hiashi was the first to notice his eldest daughter’s change. When he learned Hinata had been practicing water-walking, he realized her outings weren’t mere socializing.

Jūrokuya, meanwhile, sensed someone secretly observing his sessions with Hinata. Rather than hiding, he deliberately tested Hiashi’s stance.

One day, he asked Hinata to watch him demonstrate water-walking. He then showcased the Shadow Clone Technique, Basic Wind Release, and utterly dominated her in taijutsu. The next morning, he disguised himself as Ino again to invite Hinata out.

When he saw her emerge from the Hyūga compound, he understood Hiashi’s unspoken approval. The clan leader had silently permitted their training partnership.

To the ninja clans, Jūrokuya’s background was no secret. A civilian orphan raised in a ninja household, he’d mastered tree-climbing, water-walking, Shadow Clones, and Basic Wind Release—all before finishing three semesters at the Academy. His chakra reserves and talent marked him as a once-in-a-generation civilian prodigy.

Training with such a genius naturally motivated Hinata. Her determined water-walking practice at home and her newfound confidence proved this. Though Hiashi remained disappointed in her, he hadn’t yet discovered Hanabi’s potential and still saw Hinata as the main heir. Witnessing her growth from simply making a friend, he felt relief rather than opposition.

A romantic relationship wasn’t a concern—both were too young, and Hiashi believed the Byakugan’s bloodline would never leave the clan. To him, Jūrokuya was merely a tool to push Hinata forward. He’d intervene if either’s ambitions shifted, unless Jūrokuya proved exceptional—like the Fourth Hokage.

Unaware of these machinations, Jūrokuya relaxed, dedicating himself to teaching Hinata the Three Body Techniques and chakra control while mercilessly sparring to trigger her hidden “Red Traits.”

By summer’s end, both had grown immensely. Hinata mastered tree-climbing, water-walking, and the Three Body Techniques, though her limited chakra kept her from Shadow Clones. Her Gentle Fist technique, however, improved astonishingly.

Jūrokuya’s “Medical Prodigy” trait—innate from his mother’s legacy as a medical ninja—allowed him to heal Hinata after their brutal sparring sessions. While Neji secretly despised her, Hyūga Hiashi’s watchful eye kept him from harming his cousin. Jūrokuya, however, showed no restraint.

“Beat first, comfort later,” he shrugged, indifferent to her pain.

Repeatedly struck, Hinata’s combat experience skyrocketed. She grew decisive, ruthlessly channeling chakra into Jūrokuya’s body. After healing, they’d repeat the cycle. This rigorous training eliminated her original hesitation to hurt Hanabi during their match—a hesitation that had cost her defeat to her younger sister.

Hiashi, observing these changes, fully accepted their “training sessions.”

Though Jūrokuya failed to unlock Hinata’s “Princess of the Byakugan” Red Trait, he gained two insights. First, he mastered the Hyūga’s chakra-point targeting techniques by studying her Gentle Fist. Second, he manipulated Hinata into smuggling out a Human Chakra Points Chart and Tenketsu Strike Scroll under the guise of guidance.

While uninterested in the Eight Trigrams Palm, he found the ability to disrupt enemy chakra flow invaluable.

From Hinata, he absorbed two traits: “Chakra Control (Blue),” which he already possessed, and “Kekkei Genkai (Purple).”

When the system prompted, “Assimilate or decompose?” he chose assimilation. Though Chakra Control remained Blue, its potency noticeably increased. This explained how Sakura, in just three years, surpassed both Hinata—trained in Gentle Fist since childhood—and Shizune, Tsunade’s disciple.

Even assimilated, Blue traits couldn’t reach Purple-tier mastery. Purple Chakra Control allowed Sakura to master advanced medical jutsu, Hashirama’s chakra burst, and S-rank techniques like Yin Seal and One Hundred Seal in mere years.

Kekkei Genkai, however, was less useful. Without a dōjutsi heritage, it granted only Byakugan—not the refined ocular power Hinata inherited. Decomposing it yielded 1,791 Points and an updated status screen:

[User: Jūrokuya]
[Talent Traits: Ōtsutsuki Bloodline (Red), Hokage Potential (Gold), Kekkei Genkai (Purple), All-Nature Chakra Body (Purple), Medical Prodigy (Blue)「+」, Chakra Control (Blue)「+」]
[Points: 1,791]

The plus signs indicated upgradeable traits—proving Points weren’t just currency, but the key to evolution.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end