Yet even within such a rigid system, Hyuga Hinata had arranged for Lint to have the finest clothes, food, and lodging.
After they were well-fed and rested, Hinata and Lint didn't immediately begin training or refining chakra. To the two of them, simply cultivating chakra the conventional way was far too inefficient.
On the contrary, doing nothing—just holding hands and staying close, their bodies as intimately pressed together as possible—was the most effective method to rapidly increase not only their chakra reserves but also their physical strength and even ocular power. This was all thanks to the resonance of their souls and the harmonious vibration of their spiritual essence.
With that in mind, Hyuga Hinata proposed that she show Lint around the Hyuga estate, help him get familiar with his new home. She eagerly took his hand and led him through the compound.
Time flew by, and before long, night had fallen. The two of them had strolled through every part of the Hyuga clan grounds, save for the restricted areas.
From this, Lint came to understand just how large the Hyuga clan truly was—an expansive household with over a thousand residents. The people living within the clan included hired farmers and servants, who resided at the outermost periphery.
Just beyond that were the branch family's quarters. They were finely constructed, though not quite luxurious. It wasn't until one reached the core of the estate—the area where the main house lived—that true grandeur and opulence became apparent.
All of this made it clear: the Hyuga clan was a family governed by strict hierarchy and rules, with a sharp divide between servants, the branch family, and the main house.
It was amazing.
Truly worthy of being another version of himself!
Lint, moved by the thought, couldn't help leaning over and planting a kiss on Hinata's cheek.
Although surprised, Hinata didn't resist. In fact, she even had Lint kneel down so she could return the kiss with one on his forehead.
This tender moment just happened to be witnessed by none other than the head of the Hyuga main family—Hyuga Hiashi—who happened to be walking nearby.
His entire worldview shattered in that instant.
I knew it!My daughter Hinata... has fallen for Lint?!Damn it! Where's the stork when you need it?!My daughter is still so young!!
Step. Step.
Hiashi walked over quickly, his white eyes coldly fixed on Lint.
"It's already quite late. I've arranged a place for you to stay. I'll take you there myself," he said flatly.
Lint raised an eyebrow at that.
Old man Hiashi wants to lead me away from Hinata? Is he trying to lure me into a trap? Hand me over to this world's Root, Danzo?No way. I can't go with him. If he brings along the Hyuga elites and ambushes me, I might really get captured.After all, right now I only have 1.5 Kakashi's worth of Jonin-level chakra. That might not be enough to resist an ambush…
Thoughts raced through Lint's mind.
Sensing his anxiety, Hinata stepped forward, shielding Lint with her body.
"Father, let me take Lint there instead," she said firmly.
Hiashi's face twitched at the sight of his daughter protectively standing in front of that pretty-boy Lint.
After a few seconds of silence, he ground his teeth and said:
"Fine! The room is in the branch family quarters—right next door to your cousin, Neji.You'll find it easily."
"Got it."
Hinata nodded and took Lint by the hand, leading him away.
Hiashi stood in place, watching them leave, heart aching with every step. He couldn't understand how his years of strict upbringing had gone so wrong, leaving him with a daughter who only cared about looks and was now completely lovestruck.
Elsewhere, Lint and Hinata soon arrived at the branch family residence and located the house Hiashi had mentioned.
\Hinata stepped in first, inspecting the bedding, incense, and pillows. All of it was brand new and matched her own specifications.
She nodded in satisfaction.
"Looks like Father actually listened to my requests."
"Well then, that's it for today. I'm going to sleep," Lint said, yawning.
"Wait."
Hinata placed a hand on his shoulder.
"???"
Lint turned to her, confused—only to immediately sense what she was thinking. His eyes widened.
"You want to…"
"Shh. Don't say it out loud."
Hinata raised a finger to her lips. After confirming with her Byakugan that no one was nearby, she cast a Clone Technique to create a doppelgänger of Lint, then had it lie down on the bed.Once that was done, she leaned in and whispered, "Come on. Let's go back to my room."
"Is it really okay to trick Hiashi like this?"
"What's wrong with it? The most important thing is for us to stay together, synchronize our souls, and grow stronger. Everything else is secondary."
"But what if he finds out?"
"Even if he does, leave it to me. I'm his only daughter—he's not going to kill me…"At that, Hinata showed a rare hint of impatience. "Besides, Lint, are you a man or not? Why are you acting like such a fussbudget?"
Lint gritted his teeth. "Fine. But remember—you said it! If this goes south, don't blame me!"
Taking advantage of the night, the two of them raced through the shadows and safely returned to Hinata's quarters, slipping under the covers and curling up together, feet touching as they fell asleep.
Nothing intimate happened that night, of course. After all, neither of them had physically matured yet.
The moon sank, and the sun rose.
Lint and Hinata awoke from their deep sleep, only to find that after spending the night in such close proximity, their physical strength and chakra had skyrocketed to a whole new level.
For Lint, his chakra reserves had doubled overnight—now reaching the level of three Kakashi-class Jonin, a quantity almost unrivaled even within the Hidden Leaf.
Beyond chakra, his Byakugan ocular power and body strength had also surged to new heights. Though he hadn't yet reached the Tenseigan embryonic stage, Lint instinctively felt that he was very close.
A week?No—maybe just six days?
In any case, he would definitely possess Six Paths-level strength before Naruto graduated to Genin and the main plot of the Naruto series began!
On the other side, Hinata also sensed the surge in her chakra. After checking, she found that her reserves had indeed grown significantly, but still hadn't reached Jonin-level—she couldn't even match Kakashi.
Her Byakugan and physical strength had improved too, but nowhere near the leap Lint had made. She furrowed her brows in confusion.
"That's strange. I'm the true heiress of the Hyuga main family, someone with real chakra talent… so why did you gain so much more from a night of soul resonance?"
Lint lowered his head, thinking for a moment before offering a guess.
"Maybe it's because the soul fragment I brought during reincarnation was larger… That's why I retained more of my original self—and why my strength improves more through soul resonance."
"That does make sense," Hinata nodded thoughtfully. Then something else occurred to her. She locked eyes with Lint. "Wait, doesn't this mean the one who's supposed to be our 'big thigh'—our pillar of strength—has switched from me to you?"
"We're truly one and the same. Does it even matter who the big thigh is?" Lint laughed freely."Maybe… no—six days from now, when we re-enter the Temple of Chaos, another reincarnated Lint soul fragment might awaken. That version of me could become the new big thigh!"
"And when that happens, we'll cling to that thigh and refine it thoroughly!"
After saying that, another thought struck Lint.
"Oh right—aside from the boost to my chakra, Byakugan, and physical strength… I also gained something else this time!"
Hinata's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"What is it?"
Lint raised his hands, studying the patterns of the fingerprints on his palms.
"I think I've inherited a pure Hyuga bloodline—extremely pure. I can instinctively gather chakra into my palms and release it in a specific, refined form…"
"Creating a Vacuum Palm attack."