The updated list of competitors for the third round of the Chunin Exams was announced:
Nara Shikamaru, Rock Lee, Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuga Hinata, Hyuga Neji, and Uzumaki Naruto.
The elimination rate was shockingly high. In the end, every remaining participant was from Konoha—and there were too few of them. The numerous draws from earlier rounds had skewed the results, leaving an incomplete bracket.
After consideration, the Third Hokage ordered two more preliminary matches for the following day to resolve the draws.
Sakura and Ino, knowing their own limits, quietly withdrew.
Temari, determined not to repeat her earlier mistakes against Tenten, resolved to fight at range. Her Wind Release could keep Tenten's taijutsu at bay, ensuring a simple victory. Tenten's earlier draw had relied on surprise—and once that advantage was gone, there was no chance of another.
As for Kankuro, his puppetry techniques had been completely exposed. With all his secrets revealed, Shino defeated him decisively.
Finally, eight contenders remained, and the new match schedule was released:
Hyuga Neji vs. Uzumaki Naruto
Nara Shikamaru vs. Temari
Rock Lee vs. Aburame Shino
Uchiha Sasuke vs. Hyuga Hinata
The Third Hokage announced that the final matches would begin in one month, giving everyone time to recover and prepare.
…
As the crowd dispersed, Hinata wasted no time. After greeting Kiba and Shino, she hurried home.
In her previous life, she had never known the warmth of a home. Now, she treasured it deeply—the laughter of her mother, the calm dignity of her father, and the gentle affection of her little sister.
Walking through the familiar halls, she finally spotted Hiashi strolling along the corridor, hands clasped behind his back.
The moment he saw her, his expression softened.
"You're back! Ah—no, I mean… welcome home."
Hinata smiled softly, her heart warm and full.
…
Hinata greeted her father softly before returning to her room. She took a long, warm bath, washing away the fatigue and tension that had built up from days of battle and training. After changing into her comfortable home clothes, she felt a familiar calm settle over her.
But rest was never her priority.
Slipping quietly into the kitchen, she spoke to the branch family member in charge of cooking, politely listing what she wanted to eat—and, more importantly, how much. The poor man's legs trembled, his face turning ghostly pale as Hinata left him behind, heading toward the dojo with a serene smile.
Once there, she began practicing Gentle Fist, her movements fluid and fierce, each strike echoing with perfect rhythm.
Not long after, Hinata heard soft, hurried footsteps approaching the door. A mischievous smile curled on her lips. She crouched silently beside the entrance, waiting.
The moment the footsteps stopped just outside—
She flung the door open with a loud slam.
"A ghost is here! Wahaha! I see a cute little thing—white, tender, and delicious! Time to eat!"
"Aahh! Onee-sama, stop it!"
Hanabi screamed, bolting down the hall as Hinata chased after her, laughter spilling between them. The usually quiet Hyuga compound suddenly came alive with their playful shouting, their laughter bouncing off the polished wooden walls like warm sunlight breaking through clouds.
Of course, no one could escape Hinata's grasp for long. She caught Hanabi and pinned her down, mercilessly tickling her until both sisters were breathless from laughter.
At that moment, Hiashi appeared at the end of the corridor, hands clasped behind his back. His expression darkened immediately.
"What kind of behavior is this? Compose yourselves!"
Hinata straightened up instantly, bowing her head.
"I'm sorry, Father."
Hanabi followed suit, suppressing a giggle until Hiashi finally turned and walked away. Only then did the sisters resume their play, giggling behind his back.
As he left, Hiashi sighed softly.
"Well… it's home. As long as no outsiders see it, let them enjoy themselves."
…
When dinnertime came, Hinata once again lived up to her reputation as the "Big Wooden Bucket."
She was the only person—no, not just in her clan, not just in Konoha, but possibly in the entire world—who ate from an actual wooden bucket instead of a bowl.
Hiashi refused to let any other clan elders or branch members dine with them. He feared the sight alone might give them heart attacks. Watching his eldest daughter eat was enough to make anyone question whether she was truly human.
After finishing the enormous meal, Hinata—now a contented "giant wooden barrel"—transformed back into the tireless warrior she was. She went straight into training again, pushing her body to its limits with unwavering focus.
This wasn't for the upcoming Chunin Exams in a month. Even without them, this was simply Hinata's life.
No matter what happened in the world around her, she never let external events dictate her path. Her only goal was constant self-improvement.
During her rare moments of rest, she would play with Hanabi or tinker with her dolls—the advanced puppets she had created.
Hiashi had even consulted her about the technique, officially classifying it under the Puppet Technique category despite its unique nature. It required the Byakugan bloodline limit and was incredibly expensive to produce, making it unattainable for ordinary shinobi.
Using her current doll as a base, Hinata began experimenting with upgrades.
Her ideas were, as usual, unconventional.
Instead of poison or hidden weapons, she thought of… ingredients.
Pepper made people sneeze. Onion juice made them tear up. Chili burned the eyes and irritated the skin. Food-based interference—it was absurdly simple, yet only Hinata would think of such a thing.
Her first test subject, naturally, was her poor little sister.
The results were… mixed.
The effects worked as intended, but only slightly—it was more of an annoyance than a real hindrance.
While wiping Hanabi's tears and apologizing, Hinata offered her a piece of candy as compensation. The candy was coated with sugar but secretly contained a solidified extract of ten kilograms of Coptis chinensis, one of the most bitter herbs imaginable.
Hanabi's expression brightened as she tasted the sweetness—only for it to vanish seconds later.
Her face twisted in horror.
"Bahh! Onee-sama…! Waaaah! Cough—cough—Onee-sama!!"
The bitterness hit like a shockwave. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she almost vomited out every meal she'd had since yesterday. Hinata frantically comforted her, suppressing a laugh as she patted Hanabi's back.
Once the chaos settled, Hinata took notes, mentally recording the results.
Through these tests, she realized something important: everyone had different sensory weaknesses. Some flavors caused nausea, others tears or dizziness. It wasn't strong enough to incapacitate someone—but even a momentary lapse in focus could change the course of battle.
And that fleeting opening was exactly what Hinata sought.
…
A few days later, during their routine sparring session at the dojo, Hinata faced Hiashi once again. Their Gentle Fist techniques clashed rhythmically, the air humming with chakra.
Hiashi's brows furrowed. Despite himself, each exchange deepened his understanding of the technique he'd practiced for decades. His daughter's creativity—and unpredictability—forced him to think differently.
Suddenly, Hinata tossed something invisible toward him.
Hiashi's instincts screamed, but he couldn't see it.
"What is—?"
Then, the smell hit him.
An unbearable stench flooded his nose, so foul it made his stomach twist. His knees buckled instantly.
"Ugh—what is that smell!?"
While he was reeling, Hinata struck with precision—a clean kick to the kidney that dropped him flat on his back.
…
Two days later, during another spar, Hinata used the same tactic.
This time, Hiashi came prepared. The moment she moved, he stopped breathing altogether, holding it like a diver underwater.
But Hinata anticipated that too.
Through her Byakugan, she could see the organs in his body—the exact moment his lungs began to strain. She waited patiently. When he finally had to inhale again, that was when she released the scent.
Hiashi collapsed, gasping, once again defeated.
…
Two more days passed.
On their third spar, Hiashi entered the dojo looking grim. This time, he came armed—with two fans.
Whenever Hinata made a move, he fanned wildly in her direction. But focusing on that left his guard wide open, and Hinata exploited every lapse.
When he focused on her attacks instead, the hidden scent overwhelmed him again.
Desperate to counter, Hiashi concentrated on her hands, determined not to fall for her tricks—only to be struck once more.
The scent had come from her hair this time.
As Hiashi fell to the floor again, clutching his nose, Hinata simply bowed politely.
"Thank you for the match, Father."
Hiashi groaned, lying flat on the tatami, utterly defeated.
How could this timid, gluttonous daughter of his—who loved food, made dolls instead of puppets, and used scent attacks—be from the proud Hyuga clan?
He stared at the ceiling, despair filling his heart.
"Where… where did she even get this from…?"
Having tested her tactics on both her sister and her father, Hinata was thrilled by the results. She noted every reaction and refined her methods further, developing a keen sense of timing and precision.
Conventional combat methods were predictable. But this—this was something unexpected.
And unpredictability was the deadliest weapon of all.
Hinata didn't care whether her methods were orthodox or not.
If it works, it's worth using.
That was the creed she had carried over from her previous life as an assassin—
and it hadn't failed her yet.