Night fell.
Moonlight spilled over Hinata's fair little face. Those pure Byakugan eyes gazed back at him calmly, devoid of the panic expected of a child, yet showing no pride—only a depthless serenity.
Hiashi seemed to have finally finished his tasks and came to Hinata's side.
"Hinata."
Hiashi's voice was low.
"Tell me, how did you do it that night?"
He finally asked the question.
It was a question that had been circling in his mind ever since he saw that Kumogakure Ninja heavily wounded by the Power of Thunder and Fire.
The outside world thought the Hyuga Clan was exaggerating and assumed Hiashi had been the one to act.
[Oh? Finally asking, are we? You certainly are patient.]
There wasn't a hint of surprise on Hinata's face, nor did she intend to use excuses to brush him off.
She had long since decided how to explain it. Her Bloodline was pure, and she was a descendant of the Ōtsutsuki; so, Awakening something from her Bloodline was perfectly logical, right?
She raised her small hand, looked at it, and then spoke in a tone somewhere between reminiscing and stating a fact.
"I don't know how I did it myself. At that time, when that person rushed over, I felt a sense of danger."
"Then, it felt like something inside my body just came out on its own."
She pointed to her fingertips.
"First, it felt tingly here, and then very hot. I wanted to block that person, so I closed my eyes in fear. When I opened them, I saw he was on fire."
Her description was extremely vague, cleverly attributing it to an instinctive reaction and the unknown.
In the Ninja World, the Awakening of a Bloodline Limit sometimes indeed accompanied an uncontrollable burst of power, especially when facing mortal danger.
Hiashi stared intently into her eyes, trying to find a flicker of hesitation or concealment.
But Hinata's gaze was clear.
He saw no trace of a lie.
Hiashi knew the Hyuga Clan's history was ancient and that they were descendants of the Ōtsutsuki; it seemed plausible that some unrecorded abilities might awaken.
"Can you... control this power yourself?"
Hiashi followed up, his tone solemn. If this power was uncontrollable, it could be a disaster for Hinata herself and the Hyuga Clan, and exposing it would bring a great deal of trouble.
Hinata tilted her head slightly as if thinking, then shook it.
"It seems... not really. Sometimes I can feel it, and sometimes I can't."
Hiashi fell silent.
He recalled the incredibly pure Byakugan Hinata possessed at birth, as well as some ancient clan records regarding the power of their ancestors.
Could it be... that Hinata had awakened some lost, higher-level power belonging to the Byakugan? Something similar to the prototype of those terrifying ocular techniques mentioned in ancient texts that could channel natural energy?
This speculation caused a massive shock in his heart.
If that were true, Hinata's value and potential would far exceed his imagination! She wasn't just the heir to the Main House; she was potentially the key to leading the Hyuga Clan to unprecedented heights!
If this were exposed, their current situation would be no better than that of the Uchiha Clan.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent waves in his heart, and his expression became even more serious.
He spoke in a deep voice.
"Do not mention this matter to anyone but me, including your mother and the Clan Elders. Until you can fully control this power, do not reveal it easily before outsiders."
"Yes."
Hinata obediently complied.
This was exactly the result she wanted. Having Hiashi "fill in the blanks" with a reasonable explanation and take the initiative to keep her secret was much more clever than racking her own brains to fabricate a lie.
As for the rumors circulating outside, Hiashi would naturally find a way to handle them.
For instance, he could say the Ninja was heavily wounded by him, and Hinata just happened to strike out of fear.
Or perhaps he had arranged for someone to protect Hinata in the shadows, who then hid after defeating the Ninja, leading everyone to mistakenly believe Hinata did it.
He might even lean into the hype and actively spread rumors to cover up the truth.
"As for that Uzumaki Naruto, he is known throughout the Village as the Demon Fox. Do not associate with him."
Hiashi shifted the topic back to the previous subject, his tone remaining indifferent.
"Your power concerns the future of the Hyuga Clan; it should not be interfered with by pointless people or matters. Remember your status."
"I understand."
Hinata complied again without arguing, but she knew in her heart that Hiashi's attitude had undergone a subtle shift because of her abnormality.
His child had immense potential—not only was she precocious, but she might have also awakened an ancient ability. She needed to be carefully nurtured and protected.
That was enough.
Hinata didn't need Hiashi's warmth; she only needed him to provide the necessary protection and resource allocation based on interests and the Family's future.
She wouldn't end up like in the original story where he was disappointed in her, even intending to train Hanabi as the successor while she herself suffered cold shoulders.
Well, although she was still technically suffering from the Hyuga Clan's 'Byakugan' every day.
Back in her room, after closing the door, the corners of Hinata's mouth curled up slightly.
[System Evaluation: The host's superb acting and rhetoric successfully guided the target to complete a logical loop on their own, transforming a potential crisis into a personal advantage.]
[Evaluation: Truly a natural for Immortal Cultivation, well-versed in the Way of 'going with the flow and using the opponent's strength against them.' Reward: 50 points!]
...Life returned to normal, and she threw herself back into her cultivation; the impact was minimal.
The direct impact of the Kumogakure incident was that the maids became more respectful. While the prying eyes from the Clan Elders remained, they were clearly much more wary.
In the shadows, the surveillance from Root and the Hokage's faction would likely intensify as well.
But this was all within expectations.
Her cultivation method was unique; unless one was a Cultivator, it was virtually undetectable.
At most, she would slightly restrain her own Qi to avoid making too much noise and attracting attention.
Hinata exchanged for the second volume of the "Basic Qi Introduction Art" and the Breath Concealment Technique.
With the protection of the Breath Concealment Technique, she could Cultivate without any reservations.
The timeline of the outside world was at a delicate juncture.
According to the timing, Itachi should have only just joined the Anbu and met Shisui not long ago; the two had just become friends.
Shisui's eyes hadn't been taken by Danzo yet, and Sasuke was still growing up happily under his brother's care.
Calculating the time, there were still exactly two years before she officially entered the Ninja Academy.
During these two years, she could focus single-mindedly on her cultivation and continuously accumulate strength.
Two years later, the moment she stepped onto the campus would be the time she began to distinguish herself and shine brilliantly.