"Kill her!"
"Don't let her escape!"
Several bandits charged at Hinata.
Her slender figure moved through the courtyard like flowing water. With Byakugan activated, the veins around her pale eyes bulged slightly as she perceived every movement within nearly three hundred and sixty degrees.
Kiba, standing near the entrance, swallowed. "Is… is that really Hinata?"
Shino adjusted his glasses. "Her chakra control is far beyond what we assumed."
This was their first true combat mission involving lethal force. Until now, they had only completed D-rank tasks—catching animals, cleaning rivers, assisting villagers. None of them had witnessed Hinata fight seriously.
But now—
"Gentle Fist!"
Her palm struck precisely at a bandit's tenketsu. Chakra burst into his pathway system, shutting it down instantly. He collapsed without another sound.
Chen Xing watched from a distance, slightly surprised.
Hinata's footwork was light and controlled. Her stance was steady. She was no longer the timid girl who once lowered her head at every confrontation.
---
Hinata's Resolve
Memories flashed through her mind.
Training alone in the Hyūga compound. Striking wooden posts until her palms bled. Falling, standing, and continuing again.
Losing to Hanabi during their spar under Hiashi Hyūga's watchful eyes.
She had heard the elders' quiet discussions afterward.
"Hanabi may be more suited to inherit the main house."
Hinata had lowered her head—but she had not stopped training.
Not for the clan.
Not for status.
But to grow stronger in her own way.
---
The Gentle Fist Unleashed
More bandits rushed her at once.
"Eight Trigrams: Rotation!"
Chakra erupted from every tenketsu in her body. Unlike Neji's full rotation, hers was smaller in scale, but the spinning dome of chakra formed clearly around her. The attackers were thrown back violently, crashing into the courtyard walls.
Chen Xing's eyes narrowed slightly.
It was not yet the perfected Kaiten used by Neji during the Chūnin Exams, but Hinata had grasped its principle.
A surviving bandit leader leapt onto a rooftop.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A large sphere of flames descended toward her.
Hinata did not retreat.
"Gentle Fist: Vacuum Palm!"
She thrust both palms forward. A compressed wave of chakra shot outward, dispersing the fireball midair and slamming into the man's chest. He was blasted off the roof and fell heavily to the ground, unconscious.
Silence fell over the courtyard.
Hinata's breathing grew uneven. Slowly, she deactivated her Byakugan.
When her gaze dropped to the blood on the ground, her face paled. The reality of killing struck her all at once. She turned aside and steadied herself, fighting back nausea.
Kiba and Shino exchanged glances but said nothing.
Kurenai stepped forward calmly. "Well done."
She looked at Hinata carefully. The girl's kindness had not disappeared—but her resolve had deepened.
From afar, Chen Xing allowed himself a faint smile.
Hinata Hyūga had changed.
Not into someone cold.
But into someone stronger.