"I'm heading to Konoha and happened to pass by," Chen Xing said as he gently placed a hand on Hinata's head.
Kurenai Yuhi's eyes turned cold at the familiar gesture. She stepped slightly forward, positioning herself between them.
"You're going to Konoha?" she asked.
Chen Xing withdrew his hand calmly. "I'm attending the Chūnin Exams as the Fourth Celestial Shadow. Hoshigakure received the official invitation."
Kurenai paused. That made sense. A Kage attending as a guest was entirely different from participating as a genin.
"You're not entering the exam?" Kiba blurted out.
Chen Xing gave him a faint look. "A Kage competing in the Chūnin Exams would make a mockery of the system."
Shino adjusted his glasses. "So you are observing."
"Something like that," Chen Xing replied.
Kurenai's expression remained guarded. "If you're finished, we're on a mission."
Chen Xing glanced toward the mountain ahead. "Bandits?"
"That's none of your concern."
He shrugged. "Relax. I'm not interfering. I'll wait until you're done."
Kurenai frowned but did not argue further. If he truly were the "Peacock King" of Hoshigakure, stopping him would be meaningless.
---
Let Me Carry You
Team 8 advanced toward the bandits' hideout.
Hinata moved quietly beside Kiba and Shino. Though nervous, her Byakugan activated instinctively, veins bulging faintly at her temples as she scanned the area.
"I see two guards at the gate," she reported softly. "Several more inside."
"Good," Kurenai said. "We proceed."
They eliminated the outer guards swiftly—Kiba and Shino striking without hesitation. The reality of taking lives weighed on them, but they did not falter.
Hinata inhaled slowly. This was her first real kill.
She stepped forward as another bandit rushed from the courtyard.
"Byakugan!"
Her vision sharpened—the man's chakra network clearly visible. As he swung his blade, Hinata shifted her stance.
"Gentle Fist."
She struck precisely at his tenketsu. Chakra surged from her fingertips, disrupting his flow. The bandit collapsed, his chakra pathways sealed.
From a distance, Chen Xing watched quietly.
Hinata's movements were no longer hesitant like before. Her strikes were cleaner, her resolve firmer. The once timid girl was beginning to resemble a true heir of the Hyūga clan.
Kurenai observed as well, a hint of approval in her eyes.
The battle intensified as more bandits poured out.
Hinata's gaze remained steady.
Chen Xing… watch closely, she thought. I've grown stronger.
And this time, she would not retreat.