Hinata stood under a large tree. She formed an incomplete hand sign with both hands, circulating Chakra throughout her body and directing it toward the soles of her feet—just as Izanami had instructed.
Slowly, she raised her right foot and placed it against the tree trunk.
To her surprise, the sole of her foot felt as if it had become glued to the bark—it clung tightly and steadily.
Feeling a sense of relief, Hinata lifted her left foot and pressed it against the trunk as well. Her body gradually tilted forward until she was horizontal in the air, her feet fixed firmly to the tree's vertical surface.
Then came the true test.
Holding her breath, Hinata lifted her right foot and attempted a third step.
"Ah—"
A soft cry escaped her lips as her expression turned to shock. Her feet, previously stuck like magnets to the tree, suddenly lost their grip. She began to fall toward the ground.
But before she could hit the earth, a pair of arms caught her.
Izanami smiled warmly. "Don't be afraid. I told you—I'd catch you."
"Izayoi-kun, I'm sorry..." Hinata said quietly, her head lowered in disappointment, believing she had let him down.
"Why are you apologizing to me?" Izanami asked gently. He reached out and patted her shoulder reassuringly. "It's normal to fail. The fact that you could stick with both feet on your very first try is already impressive. When I first practiced this, it took me over a dozen attempts."
That was a lie.
In truth, Izanami had succeeded on his first attempt—and even walked several steps up the tree.
Neither Uzumaki Naruto nor Uchiha Sasuke had Chakra Control in their original talent entries. However, both Izanami and Hinata had already reached the blue level in Chakra Control. With that level of talent, not only were tree climbing and water walking achievable, but learning medical ninjutsu, sensing techniques, sealing arts, and barrier ninjutsu would also be significantly easier.
Gentle Fist, after all, is a form of Chakra Control. If one could inject Chakra precisely into another's body to block or disrupt their flow, one could certainly channel Chakra to stick to a tree.
Hinata had the ability. All she needed was guidance—and a little confidence.
"Keep going," Izanami said, his voice encouraging. "I believe you'll reach the top of the tree soon."
"Okay!" Hinata nodded, her eyes brightening. Encouraged by his faith in her, she formed hand seals again, focusing her Chakra into her feet, and once again stepped onto the tree trunk.
This time, she didn't hold her breath.
Maybe it was because of the sense of safety Izanami gave her—or perhaps the warmth of his previous catch still lingered—but she took her third step naturally, without hesitation.
The same imbalance from her earlier attempt did not happen again. This time, she successfully maintained the Chakra flow in both feet. Her soles clung firmly to the bark as she climbed upward.
Fourth step.
Fifth.
Sixth...
She made it to the eighth step before faltering. On the ninth, her rhythm broke, her Chakra slipped, and her feet detached from the bark once more.
But Hinata didn't scream.
She wasn't scared.
In fact, she almost welcomed the fall. She knew what would happen.
As expected, strong arms caught her gently. Izanami held her in a princess carry, looking down at her with a sincere smile. "Amazing, Hinata! You got that high on only your second try. You're a genius!"
"Hehe..." Hinata giggled, feeling no embarrassment—only happiness.
She had received more praise today than in the last few years combined.
So this is what it feels like... to be acknowledged?
This Hinata—before she had become timid and withdrawn like in the original story—still carried the potential to blossom. All she needed was support, encouragement, and someone to see her worth.
Her beautiful lavender eyes sparkled with determination. For once, she took the initiative and said, "Izayoi-kun, put me down. I want to try again."
"Okay." Izanami gently set her down, watching her intently.
He saw the change in her—the blooming of confidence in her once-hesitant heart.
Hinata had been raised in a high-pressure environment. A prestigious young lady from the Hyūga clan, yet in the original story, she had become timid and unsure of herself. But this was a new beginning. Since he had come to this world and chosen to intervene in the paths of Uzumaki Naruto and Ōtsutsuki Toneri, Izanami would also change Hinata's destiny.
She wouldn't become the lost girl she once was. Even if she never transformed into the cool-headed, confident version from the limited Tsukuyomi, she wouldn't let her precious Ōtsutsuki genes go to waste.
He would mold her into someone extraordinary—starting with her mindset.
Hinata's talent was undeniable. Among the four girls in the Konoha 12, she was the only one from a noble clan, and she possessed the Byakugan—one of the Three Great Dōjutsu.
All she had lacked was belief in herself.
Now, with that belief taking root, her radiance would soon shine.
Unlike raw Chakra reserves, control requires finesse. Tree climbing and water walking don't demand massive amounts of Chakra—they demand precision. You either train endlessly to acquire that control, or you're born with the innate talent.
Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke were the former.
Sakura Haruno—and now Hinata and Izanami—were the latter.
On her third attempt, Hinata didn't regress. In fact, she improved—managing to take over a dozen steps before losing balance again.
And once again, Izanami caught her.
By her fourth try, Hinata didn't fall at all. She ascended the entire height of the tree without breaking her flow.
"Izayoi-kun! I did it!" she called joyfully from the treetop.
But instead of admiring the view, her first instinct was to share her happiness with him.
"Amazing!" Izanami shouted back, raising a thumbs-up. "You made it to the top on your fourth try! Hinata, you're stronger than I am!"
"Hehe..." Hinata laughed again, filled with pride.
Though she was being taught, this felt completely different from her training at home.
With her father, training always brought tension and fear. Even when she completed her drills perfectly, Hyūga Hiashi rarely praised her. More often than not, he'd criticize her for not being as perfect as her cousin Neji.
But with Izanami, she felt warmth. Encouragement. Joy.
The difference was as vast as night and day.
Her heart, previously weighed down with pressure and expectations, now felt light and free. For the first time, Hinata found herself enjoying training.
As she walked back down from the treetop with poise and grace, her eyes shimmered with hope. She looked at Izanami with earnest curiosity and asked, "Izayoi-kun, is water walking the same as tree climbing?"
"More or less," he replied with a smile. "But water is trickier. It's always moving. To walk on its surface, your Chakra control has to be even more precise. You'll need several times the control you used just now."
"I won't teach you that just yet," he added. "But when you go home, try using a bathtub or a water tank for practice. Once your Chakra reserves grow a little more, I'll show you how to walk on water—and I'll teach you the Shadow Clone Technique too."
"Mm-hmm!" Hinata nodded excitedly.
Seeing her so obedient and enthusiastic, Izanami smiled, revealing a glimpse of his hidden motive. "Alright then, next, I'll teach you Taijutsu sparring. I want to experience your Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist firsthand."
"Okay," Hinata replied cheerfully.
Innocent and trusting, Hinata didn't suspect anything strange about suddenly switching to Taijutsu sparring. She had sparred many times with her cousin at home, so this felt like nothing unusual.
Even though it wasn't part of the school curriculum, Hinata followed Izanami's lead without hesitation.
And so, a new chapter in her training—and her life—began.
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