Hinata Haruki thrust both palms forward with all his strength. In that instant, the two shockwaves erupted from his hands and merged into one, forming a straight, tubular path. The attack carried countless turbulent eddies, sending long, rippling waves through the air. In midair, Haruki was pushed back several meters by the recoil before flipping and landing lightly on a tree branch, his breathing slightly uneven from the massive chakra expenditure.
"Dodge it, now!" a Sunagakure jōnin shouted.
The enormous chakra shockwave barreled toward the three Sand shinobi.
BOOM!
"Damn it—what is—" The words "ninjutsu" never left the first Suna ninja's mouth. The overwhelming force slammed into him before he could react, swallowing his body in an instant.
"Ahhh!" Another ninja was caught next—blasted away with a scream as the roaring wave of force hurled him into the distance.
"Help—!" The third, farther away, desperately leapt, but the turbulent airflow caught him mid-air, dragging him in. The last chūnin nearby was also struck by the wave's edge. All four Sand shinobi were sent flying by the immense power.
BOOM! RUMBLE…
The shockwave carved a tunnel through the forest over forty meters long, snapping countless trees in half before finally dissipating. The spherical blast of air swept outward, kicking up clouds of dust and debris.
"Cough! Cough!"
The four Konoha ninja had already leapt to safety, covering their mouths as they coughed from the dust filling the air.
"Retreat!"
From within the smoke, the surviving Suna jōnin's resolve finally broke. Abandoning his comrades, he fled alone. Haruki saw it all through his Byakugan but didn't give chase—he simply wasn't fast enough to overtake a jōnin at full sprint.
As the dust settled, the scene before everyone left them stunned.
A strip of land, two meters wide and over thirty meters long, had been completely flattened. The ground looked as though it had been turned over by some enormous force—trees snapped clean in half, vegetation torn apart, and the earth itself scoured down a layer, leaving deep scars. From above, it would look like a jagged wound slashed into the forest.
My chakra's become more refined… it flows faster, in greater volume. I can release much more at once. My body can now withstand greater recoil, too. That's why my full-power Eight Trigrams Air Palm: Convergence hit so hard just now. It cost me a lot of chakra, but I can still manage two or three more. My body's advantages are finally showing! Haruki nodded in satisfaction.
Among the wreckage, one Suna chūnin who had been farthest away still clung to life, badly wounded and half-buried in the earth. His clothes were in tatters, his body covered in injuries.
In a blur, Haruki appeared in front of him.
"Y-You… who are you?" the chūnin stammered, terrified. He couldn't comprehend how a child had unleashed such a terrifying technique.
"Konoha. Hyūga Hinata Haruki."
With a swift slash of his kunai, Haruki ended him.
Truthfully, he'd been able to take down six Suna chūnin and drive off a jōnin mainly because they had underestimated him. They hadn't known the true destructive force of his technique. If they'd treated the ragged seven-year-old before them as a serious threat from the start, Haruki wouldn't have landed such a decisive opening blow.
The Konoha shinobi were still staring, dazed, at the swath of destruction until Haruki walked over, snapping them out of it.
"L-Little brother… who are you?" one asked.
"I'm a Konoha ninja. Chūnin, Hyūga Hinata Haruki," he replied.
"You're that Hinata Haruki? Lady Tsunade's disciple? Weren't you… already dead? Are you a ghost?!"
Another's eyes widened. "The hero who fell in battle? I thought—"
"Ghost! No wonder you're so strong! Don't come any closer!" a third yelped.
It was obvious they all knew his name, and the way they stared at him was equal parts awe and fear.
So… Konoha really thinks I died. Everyone must have been heartbroken… Haruki thought, then quickly explained, "Look closely—I'm no ghost. I'm alive! Just badly injured before, but I survived."
"…" They still stared at him, scrutinizing every detail.
"I'm heading back to camp. How about you?"
After another careful look, they saw he had feet—solid and human—and relaxed. Smiling now, they approached to shake his hand.
"Good to meet you, Hinata Haruki. Thanks for earlier—you're a hero of Konoha! We're heading back too. Let's go together."
"Haruki, everyone thought you were dead. Lady Tsunade led hundreds searching for you in the forest for two weeks, without rest… but they never even found your body. We never imagined you were alive."
"They searched for two weeks…?" Haruki felt a pang of emotion.
"Yeah. Lady Tsunade got sick after returning. She's still bedridden. When she hears you're alive, she'll be overjoyed."
"Oh… is that so…" He was momentarily stunned.
As they walked back, Haruki asked about the current situation. Apparently, Sunagakure had been sending out small strike teams to harass isolated Konoha squads, but nothing else major had happened.
He also learned he'd been in that cave for over a month.
"I'm already seven years old…" he murmured.
By the time they reached Konoha's main camp, night had fallen. The gate guards were carefully checking IDs and questioning those entering.
When they spotted the ragged child at the back fumbling through his clothes, one asked, "Kid, who are you? Civilians aren't allowed in here."
"Chūnin, Hyūga Hinata Haruki," Haruki replied, finally finding his crumpled ID and handing it over.
"You're… Hero Hinata Haruki…" The guard's eyes widened.
"That's right. I'm alive." Haruki gave a brief explanation. "So… my identity checks out? May I enter?"
"O-Of course! Welcome back! Should we inform Lady Tsunade?"
"No need. I'll tell her myself. Thanks."
Haruki returned first to his quarters, half expecting his room to have been taken.
"Still empty… good." The place was spotless, as if someone had been keeping it clean. All his belongings were untouched.
Covered in dust from battle, he took a long, hot bath, changed clothes, and re-drew the faintly crooked Caged Bird Seal that had washed away.
"Eh… a little crooked. Whatever."
With his gear tidied, he donned a spare headband. He didn't have a spare flak jacket, so that would have to wait.
He headed straight for his elder sister figure, Mizuki. Just as he was about to knock, he heard faint sobbing inside. Alarmed, he activated his Byakugan—only to see Mizuki lying face-down on the bed, quietly crying, clutching the flak jacket he had once given her.
"Mizuki-nee…" Haruki's chest tightened. If I really had died… there'd be people who would cry for me.
He knocked.
Mizuki quickly wiped her eyes and opened the door. "Who is—" She froze, looking pale and exhausted, eyes swollen from crying.
"Big sister… I'm back," Haruki said softly.
"You… Haruki? Haruki! It's really you?!" She stared in disbelief.
Haruki smiled and nodded. "I'm home. I didn't die."
Overcome, Mizuki threw her arms around him, holding on so tightly he could barely breathe.
"It's me… I'm sorry for worrying you," he said.
"Uuuhhh… as long as you're safe…" She wept openly now, tears of relief replacing grief. For the past month, she had blamed herself, breaking down in private, fainting from sorrow. Now, at last, her brother was alive.
Haruki patted her back. "No more crying, or you'll get puffy eyes… then you won't be able to marry. Wouldn't want that Uchiha guy to see, right?"
His teasing coaxed a laugh through her tears, her cheeks reddening.
"Thank you… for saving me," Mizuki murmured.
"I promised I'd protect you," Haruki said with a grin.
"Just… don't take such risks again. Not even for me," she said firmly.
"I'll get even stronger—no one will be able to bully me… or you," he declared.
"Come on, let's go tell the others," Haruki said, tugging her along. Along the way, he asked how she'd escaped and learned Tsunade's team had later encountered those same Suna shinobi.
When Shikaku, Chōza, Hiashi, and Shibi saw Haruki, their jaws dropped. They checked for shadows and solid feet before relaxing—last time he'd scared them with a ghost act, and clearly the trauma lingered.
"Glad you're back! I knew you wouldn't die so easily!" Chōza said, eyes misty.
Haruki winced as the big man clapped his back. "Careful… I'm still healing."
"Welcome back," Hiashi said warmly.
"Took you long enough," Shikaku added with a smirk.
"My insects searched for you for a long time," Shibi muttered, adjusting his sunglasses.
"Sorry for the trouble, everyone," Haruki said, scratching his head.
They bombarded him with questions about the cave, and he told them—leaving certain parts out.
"Haruki, I'll spread the news tomorrow. You're Konoha's hero now. Get some rest—Lady Tsunade herself forbade anyone from touching your room, even cleaned it herself," Shikaku said.
"…Thanks. See you tomorrow."
When Haruki returned to his cabin, he noticed a bouquet placed by the wall outside, slightly wilted, with a small card.
"Huh? Whose flowers are these?"
He picked up the card—and froze, staring at it for a long time.
After a moment, he took the bouquet inside, placing it in a glass vase. Slowly, the flowers began to revive under fresh water. He set the card beside it, the words written in neat, firm strokes:
"Haruki, happy birthday. My one and only student. —Tsunade"