Son Goku gently placed a hand over the young girl's injured knee. In an instant, the raw scrape vanished, the skin healing seamlessly without a trace. With the power of the Shingan, mending such a minor wound was trivial.
The girl's pale eyes widened in astonishment. She looked up at Goku, a flicker of awe in her gaze, before quickly lowering her head again, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks. If Goku hadn't still been gently holding her hand, she likely would have bolted in shy confusion.
"What's your name? Can you tell me?" Goku asked, his voice warm as he smiled at the flustered little Hyūga.
He wasn't about to let such a perfect opportunity slip by. A lovely young flower like this deserved careful nurturing from the very start. Why leave her for Naruto to stumble upon later?
"Hy… Hyūga Hinata," she whispered, her voice so soft it was almost lost in the rustle of leaves. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, looking profoundly uncomfortable.
Truly a shy one. But that's part of her charm, Goku thought with an inward smile. Aloud, he said, "You can't just let people push you around, Hinata. If someone tries to hurt you, you have to stand up and show them they've picked the wrong person."
"B-But… I… I can't beat them…" Hinata murmured, her gaze fixed on the ground.
"If you can't beat them now, then train until you can! One day, you'll become a splendid kunoichi."
"But… Father says… I'm too gentle… and not talented… that I'm not fit to be a shinobi…" As she spoke, the first shimmer of tears welled in her large, milky-white eyes, betraying the hurt beneath her usually stoic exterior.
Damn it. What kind of father talks to his own child like that? Goku's displeasure with Hyūga Hiashi spiked. If I get the chance, I'll have to have a… firm discussion with him. It was, he supposed, one of the tragic burdens of being born into a prestigious clan.
"Don't listen to him," Goku said, his voice firm yet kind. "I believe you have more potential than anyone. If you work hard, you can surpass all those so-called geniuses."
"R-Really? Can I… really do it?" A fragile spark of hope ignited in Hinata's previously timid eyes.
"Of course. Tell you what—how about I give you some proper training for a few days? You'll definitely get stronger." Hinata was already marked in his mind as a future companion. He couldn't have her growing up so full of self-doubt.
"Big Brother… will teach me ninjutsu? That's wonderful! But… I'm afraid I'm too slow to learn…" Her expression was a mix of joy and anxious worry.
"Don't worry. I have faith in you."
"Mm! I'll do my best!" Looking into Goku's reassuring smile, a newfound determination solidified in Hinata's gentle gaze.
"Alright, let's start right now." With a thought, he brought Hinata into his World Ring.
"Ah! Wh-what is this place? How did we suddenly get here?" Hinata gasped, her mouth forming a perfect 'O' as she found herself standing in a spacious, elegantly appointed hall.
"I'd like to know that as well. Is this the 'World Ring' you mentioned?" Uchiha Mikoto's voice came from behind them. She stood observing the sudden change in scenery with a mixture of puzzlement and awe. Anyone would be startled to be whisked into an entirely different realm without warning.
"Yeah, you can think of this as a world under my control. Everything here answers to me," Goku explained.
"A world you control? That's… impossible…" Mikoto was truly stunned now. The concept of a single person commanding an entire world was beyond her comprehension. Was he some kind of Creator Deity? The thought was staggering.
"So amazing… If I train with Big Brother, I'll definitely become strong!" Hinata looked up at Goku now with pure admiration and bright anticipation.
"Isn't this the Hyūga clan's eldest daughter? Why did you bring her here? Don't tell me you… you degenerate… you wouldn't lay a hand on a child this young, would you?" Mikoto stared at Hinata, then turned an accusatory, disbelieving look on Goku.
"You look so dignified, and yet your mind goes to such places? I only intend to train her properly." Goku shot her an exasperated look, which made Mikoto blush fiercely in embarrassment.
He led them to the entrance of a peculiar chamber. "This is the Room of Spirit and Time. One year inside equals only one day outside. We'll be training in here."
"A year inside is a day outside? Such a miraculous place truly exists?" Mikoto stared at the unassuming door in disbelief.
"You'll see." Goku pushed the door open and ushered them inside.
"This… this is impossible! It's just a small building from the outside… How can it contain such vast, endless space?" Mikoto was left speechless by the sheer, white expanse that stretched to infinity within.
"It's so big in here! Are we going to train here, Brother?" Hinata asked, her curiosity overcoming her shyness as she peered around. For a child, the wonder was more immediate than the impossibility.
"My name is Son Goku. From now on, you can call me Goku-nii, okay?"
"Okay, Goku-nii!"
"Good. Now, let's begin. First, I'll teach you how to sense and use ki… Mikoto, you join in too."
---
Over the next few days within the time-warped room, Mikoto grasped the fundamentals of ki control and learned to fly using Bukūjutsu in just three days. Her prior experience with chakra control likely accelerated the process.
Little Hinata mastered it in five. While her childhood chakra training provided a foundation, her rapid progress was also a testament to her innate effort and latent talent. Learning such an advanced energy manipulation technique at her age marked her as a rare prodigy.
Once they had a firm grasp of ki and flight, Goku doubled the gravity within the room and began their taijutsu training. He focused on refining their speed, strength, and combat instincts under the increased strain.
Once they had fully adapted to the doubled gravity, Goku decided to end their intensive session. He could have pushed further, but he had no desire to train them into overly muscular powerhouses. Grace and strength could coexist.
In total, Mikoto and Hinata spent fifteen days within the Room of Spirit and Time. Though brief in the outside world, the compressed training yielded dramatic results. Their power had increased exponentially.
Little Hinata, for instance, now possessed combat prowess that could challenge a seasoned chūnin. The timid seedling had begun to grow into a formidable young sapling.