Hinata, on the other hand, was satisfied. The taste-based surprise attacks she'd been developing were showing results, but she quickly realized their limitations. Such tactics were most effective the first time—once an opponent grew cautious, their usefulness diminished significantly.
Through numerous tests, Hinata discovered something critical: no single flavor worked on everyone.
Some people despised bitterness, others couldn't handle sweetness, and still others broke under extreme spiciness.
To craft a universal "flavor-based interference," she decided to blend them all—bitterness, sweetness, sourness, saltiness, spiciness—adjusting the proportions until the mixture reached a level so overwhelming that even she could barely stand a whiff of it without wanting to flee.
Still, Hinata considered these tactics secondary.
They were supplementary—unexpected tools for surprise attacks, nothing more.
True strength, she reminded herself, would always come from her own power.
…
Meanwhile, the construction of her home space laboratory was nearing completion. It could have been rushed to finish before the start of the third Chunin Exams, but Hinata refused to compromise quality.
"Haste makes waste," she told herself.
Her evaluation of the project was like a mission report—the better the results, the greater the reward. She aimed for perfection, revising every detail again and again. Sometimes, she would spend several days fine-tuning a single mechanism or adjusting a doll's internal structure by fractions of a millimeter.
It wasn't that she couldn't finish faster.
She simply wanted everything to be the best.
…
A month passed quietly.
When the Third Chunin Exams officially began, the entire village buzzed with excitement.
Hiashi and Hanabi had gone ahead to the arena, while Hinata followed her own routine—morning training, breakfast, a relaxing bath, and preparation.
She tied the scroll containing her three puppets to her waist, wrapped her Konoha forehead protector loosely around her neck, and gave her hair a gentle shake, letting it sway smoothly. When it settled, she felt composed—completely in sync.
Her outfit was the same as always: long sleeves and pants. Partly because she was modest, but also because the fabric cleverly concealed the weighted mechanisms attached to her body.
…
When she arrived, Hinata realized she wasn't the last to show up—Sasuke was still missing. She activated her Byakugan, scanning the area within several kilometers, but found no trace of him. Instead, her eyes fell on the audience stands, where her father and Hanabi sat.
Hiashi's face was stern, his posture perfect. Hanabi mimicked him exactly, her small face frozen in the same serious expression.
Hinata couldn't help but smile faintly.
"Father's such a good actor," she thought. "At home, he's so expressive, but in public, he looks like a statue."
…
Without further delay, the exams began.
The first match: Naruto Uzumaki vs. Neji Hyuga.
A battle between a "failure" and a "genius."
Hinata didn't know who to cheer for. Naruto had once been her role model, his determination something she deeply admired. Neji, on the other hand, was her cousin—her elder brother in all but name.
Her feelings were torn in two directions.
While she pondered, the match had already erupted into chaos.
Naruto unleashed his Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, stunning the audience with sheer numbers. Neji countered with perfect Gentle Fist precision, dismantling clone after clone with ease.
From Hinata's Byakugan perspective, the battle was completely different.
She could see everything—
The seal engraved on Naruto's abdomen.
And beneath it, the vast, pulsating Nine-Tails Chakra—a massive fox made entirely of chakra, coiled inside him like a slumbering storm.
She had noticed it once before in the Forest of Death—the seal had restricted Naruto's chakra control, suppressing the fox's power. Back then, she'd heard Sakura and Sasuke mention that the seal had been tampered with by that "snake" genin.
Now, the seal was gone.
The fox's chakra was merging freely with Naruto's own.
In raw experience, Naruto was no match for Neji. But in terms of sheer chakra and endurance, the difference was absolute.
When Neji fell, the crowd gasped in disbelief.
To the spectators, it was a miracle—an underdog's victory over a prodigy.
But through Hinata's eyes, it was something else entirely.
With that kind of chakra behind him, Naruto was never going to lose.
…
The second match was Shikamaru vs. Terumi.
Unlike the previous bout, this one was a battle of intellect.
Each move was calculated several steps ahead; while one set the stage, the other had already predicted the next twenty turns. The outcome, though slow to unfold, was decided from the start.
Shikamaru ultimately lost, but it was a noble defeat.
By the exam standards, he had come closest to what it meant to be a chunin—a leader who could remain calm and strategic even in loss.
…
The third match featured Rock Lee vs. Shino Aburame.
At first, their exchange was evenly matched. Shino's insects devoured Lee's chakra and mimicked his movements with insect clones, while Lee's refined taijutsu countered every attack with precision.
But when Lee opened the Eight Gates, the balance shattered.
By the time he reached the Fourth Gate, Shino calmly chose to concede.
"I came here to compete, not to die," he said simply.
The audience applauded both of them—their mutual respect evident even in retreat.
…
After three rounds, the tension in the arena rose. The daimyo and guests in the stands murmured their approval.
Yet, among all the matches, one drew the most attention—
the final bout, the highlight of the entire exam:
Hyuga Hinata vs. Uchiha Sasuke.
…
Neji was a genius, but as a member of the branch family, he had never received the full support of the Hyuga clan. Hinata, however, was different. As the heiress of the main family, her very presence on the battlefield drew anticipation from every corner of the arena.
Hinata stepped into the center of the ring. After three rounds of fierce battles, the arena was in ruins — the ground cracked, the walls fractured. Her gaze swept the surroundings before lingering on the towering wall at the edge of the arena. For a brief moment, her thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Sasuke, however, was nowhere to be seen.
The Third Hokage, already frowning, was about to declare Sasuke's forfeit when the Kazekage raised a hand, stopping him.
"Let's wait a little longer," the Kazekage said calmly. "A battle like this shouldn't be missed."
Moments later, just as the crowd's patience began to waver, Sasuke finally arrived.
The murmurs of irritation quickly turned into excitement. After all, as the saying goes, a good show is worth the wait.
"This time," Sasuke said confidently, lightning flickering faintly in his eyes, "it won't end like last time."
Hinata offered him a gentle smile but said nothing.
It's not just you who's been training, Sasuke. I've worked just as hard.
The referee's hand dropped.
"Begin!"
… [6]
Sasuke moved first, flicking his wrist. Several shuriken sliced through the air toward Hinata.
The lion uses all its strength, even when hunting a rabbit.
Hinata immediately activated her Byakugan, her pure white eyes widening as chakra flowed into them. She saw it — an almost invisible line of chakra-thread connecting the shuriken together. A trap.
Her feet moved instinctively. She leapt back, flipping several times midair to widen the distance.
Seeing this, Sasuke's lips curved slightly. He threw another shuriken. It struck the others mid-flight, changing their trajectory with a sharp metallic clang. The deflected blades spun around Hinata like hawks in flight, cutting off every possible escape route.
Hinata narrowed her eyes and spun — her body twisting gracefully. Chakra burst outward in a half-formed Rotation, deflecting one of the incoming blades. She slipped through the narrow gap it created and landed lightly, just as the ground where she'd been standing moments ago was pelted by shuriken.
The crowd erupted into cheers. Sasuke's precision and timing were perfect, a flawless display of Uchiha shurikenjutsu.
…
"So fast!"
Through the Byakugan's all-seeing vision, Hinata saw Sasuke closing in. His speed — it had increased dramatically since the last time they fought.
Realizing she couldn't match him in pure movement speed, Hinata retreated swiftly, pulling a scroll from her waist. With a quick hand seal, she released one of her puppets just as Sasuke closed the distance.
The puppet intercepted the attack, raising one arm to block Sasuke's kick before grabbing his leg with the other. With terrifying strength, it spun him twice through the air and slammed him hard into the ground. The earth cracked beneath the impact.
Hinata leapt back again, landing near the base of the arena wall.
A sharp, crackling sound suddenly filled the air — the piercing chirp of a thousand birds.
"Chidori!"
Blue lightning erupted from Sasuke's hand as he tore through the puppet's arm in a single slash, scattering metal and chakra fragments everywhere. His Sharingan locked onto Hinata, and he dashed forward, faster than ever.
…
In the stands, Hiashi shot to his feet, his face pale.
Beside him, Hanabi gasped, staring wide-eyed at Sasuke's electrified hand. The referee tensed. Several ANBU operatives had already prepared to intervene.
The Hyuga main branch was the clan's pride — its future. Losing a match was acceptable, but allowing harm to come to the heiress was not.
That was the unspoken rule.
…
Hinata jumped up onto the wall, chakra flowing to her feet as she began to run along its surface. Sasuke followed closely behind, the crackle of lightning growing louder as he closed in.
"It's over!" Sasuke shouted. "Don't underestimate the Uchiha!"
Hinata's lips curved faintly. Her voice was soft — almost drowned out by the sound of Chidori.
"You have nowhere to hide here."
Her hands moved.
"Ten Divine Void Strike!"
To Sasuke's Sharingan, the world blurred — replaced by a storm of fists.
"What—!?" Hanabi gasped, eyes wide in awe.
…
The Ten Gods Vacuum Strike was an advanced form of Gentle Fist — a divine taijutsu that could only be unleashed when one's chakra control reached near-perfection. Though it wasn't yet the complete Eighty Gods Vacuum Strike, its power was already devastating.
Hiashi slowly sank back into his seat, eyes trembling with disbelief. He still hadn't deciphered Hinata's previous "hair-sealing" technique, and now she'd revealed another move — one even more powerful!
BOOOM—!
A thunderous boom tore through the arena.
Half of the wall crumbled under the explosive impact. Dust and debris surged into the air, and the arena shook violently. If not for the quick response of the security teams and barrier ninja, the spectators nearest the wall might have been caught in the blast.