Three days later, at the entrance of "Kujō Village," Renna and her younger brother Tarō Kujō were seeing off their guest from Konoha.
"Are you really fully recovered? You could obviously stay a few more days," Renna said as she hung a lotus-leaf bag full of rice balls over Yuki's shoulder, her tone tinged with loneliness. After all, there weren't many peers in the village she could chat so happily with.
"That won't do. There's a very important exam for me in four days, and it'll take at least a day to get back from here. Once I return, I still need to prepare. Time's already tight," Yuki replied with a hearty smile before adding, "Don't worry, aren't we already good friends? The Land of Fire isn't far from here, and I'll come visit you when I can."
"Well… okay then."
"Great, it's a promise!"
After saying goodbye to a reluctant Renna, Yuki glanced up at the clear sky, pushed off hard with his feet, and vanished into the nearby forest, swiftly leaving "Kujō Village" behind.
Renna's medicine seems more effective than I expected. My body's in excellent shape now—it feels, light as a feather.
As he dashed through the vast wilderness, Yuki felt his speed had increased slightly and his movements were more agile than before.
Clearly, the previous battles with the Grass Village trio and Hannya had brought him some benefits. Besides gaining combat experience and honing his physical skills, they had also conditioned his body into a state better suited for fighting.
In this case, I should be able to return to Konoha soon. I've really missed it. Even though I've only been away a few months, it feels like years.
I wonder how my sister's doing now. Father probably isn't satisfied with her again and has gone back to his old ways.
And this time, I ran off on my own again. The elders at home will surely make a big deal out of it. So troublesome.
Thinking of the mess awaiting him at home, Yuki couldn't help but sigh. Even so, he could only hurry back to the village as fast as possible.
After all, the longer I delay, the more complications arise. If I really miss the exam, then I, the perennial top student, would truly make a fool of myself.
With these slightly conflicted thoughts, Yuki swiftly made his way along the border of the Land of Grass toward Konoha Village, located in the heart of the Land of Fire.
Though the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire were adjacent, Konoha lay at the very center of the Land of Fire, a vast territory. Yuki's journey lasted from that day until dusk the following evening.
Finally arrived.
As the majestic outline of Konoha Village appeared before him, the cool evening breeze brushed against his face, instantly easing his fatigue.
For now, I'll head home first. This should still be the time when Father's conducting training. Even though I've told him not to be so strict, my sister probably can't handle it.
After handing the pass token given by Hizashi to the Konoha guards, Yuki swaggered toward the Hyūga clan's main estate, stopping along the way to buy some snacks to stave off hunger—after all, Renna's rice balls were long gone.
As mentioned before, the mansions of the Hyūga and Uchiha clans were located in a remote corner of Konoha Village, far from central facilities like the Hokage's office, the Ninja Academy, and the Konoha Hospital.
This arrangement obviously freed up more land for the two great clans, though it also subtly distanced them from the center of power.
Regardless, with such a large area to build on, the Hyūga estate was enormous—more aptly described as a "compound" than a mere house.
With the Hyūga estate being so vast, it naturally included dedicated training grounds. At that moment, two figures, one large and one small, were present in one such open space.
A large water tank stood beside them, filled to the brim—a familiar sight indeed.
"I've told you, it's not like this. Why can't you understand? You need to let the chakra and force penetrate the target's body like ripples, not just linger on the surface."
"I'm sorry…"
Reprimanded by her father, Hyūga Hinata, still only seven years old, offered a weak apology, which only annoyed him further.
It had to be said that seven-year-old Hinata was truly adorable. With her neat bangs, lively Byakugan eyes, fair skin, and slender limbs, she looked like an exquisite Japanese doll.
Undoubtedly, there was great power in such cuteness—but it was utterly lost on someone as unsentimental as Hiashi.
Really, she's already seven and still can't grasp the basics of the Gentle Fist. It's something Yuki mastered by the time he was three.
Looking at his clearly less-talented daughter, Hiashi suppressed his long-simmering anger while thinking of his bold son who had ventured off to another country alone.
"Watch, I'll demonstrate one more time. You must let the force penetrate so the water in the tank ripples from the edge and spreads to the other side."
Left with no choice, Hiashi demonstrated to Hinata for what felt like the hundredth time.
With a casual tap of his palm against the edge of the tank, a ripple representing transmitted force quickly formed at the edge, creating a small wave that surged with powerful momentum toward the opposite side.
For Hiashi, who had mastered the Gentle Fist to a transformative degree, achieving such an effect required no posture or preparation—a testament to his skill.
"Hey, Dad, your technique seems a bit rusty."
But just as Hiashi awaited his eldest daughter's awed admiration, a familiar voice rang out from the wall nearby.
Simultaneously, a figure darted toward the opposite side of the water tank at blinding speed and struck the edge with the same motion.
The moment that much smaller hand made contact, a penetrating force also formed a small wave from the edge, surging directly toward the wave Hiashi had created.
Boom!
The moment the two waves collided in the large water tank, the tank exploded as if a detonating tag had been thrown inside.
Water splashed in all directions, the spray soaring four or five meters into the air—proof of the immense force behind the collision.
Upon closer inspection, however, it was clear the splash was almost entirely directed toward Hiashi. In other words, Hiashi had been at a disadvantage in that brief contest.
Ah, ah, ah! At that moment, young Hinata stared motionless at the falling spray, seemingly stunned by the sudden scene, with no thought of dodging.
Yet the next second, she felt her body lift as if riding a cloud, landing in a warm, familiar embrace.
"Yuki, you brat! So you finally decided to come back?"
Given Hiashi's skill, he'd naturally recognized the figure the moment it appeared. But seeing the grinning face of his eldest son, even with Hiashi's composure, he felt an urge to march over and give him a beating.
"Brother! Brother! You're finally back!"
Unlike Hiashi, when Hinata realized the person holding her was her beloved older brother, her face immediately blossomed into a radiant smile. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Yes, I'm back. And I should be able to stay with you for quite a while this time. Are you happy?"
After all, I have a lot of troublesome things to deal with next, Yuki thought to himself, stroking his sister's head.