Thump, thump, thump…
In the snowy forest, rapid and rhythmic impact sounds echoed.
Two short figures wearing snowman suits moved across the snow. Surprisingly, their feet didn't sink into the deep blanket of white; instead, they glided steadily over its surface, engaged in fierce combat.
One was a black-haired girl with activated Byakugan, her hands wrapped in white gloves, fingertips ignited with blue Chakra flames. She lunged toward the boy opposite her, her strikes emitting sharp, piercing sounds.
The boy, also black-haired with piercing blue eyes, moved with uncanny foresight. It was as though he could predict her attacks in advance. Each time the girl's Chakra-laced fingers neared his body, he deflected them with the back of his hand, intercepting just before her strikes connected. After neutralizing her attack, he would counter — delivering a palm strike, a clean punch, or a powerful kick — sending the girl flying backward into the snow.
Each blow drew a muffled grunt from her lips. Pain and discomfort twisted her young face, but her determination never wavered.
Despite her body being battered, bruised, and her internal injuries severe enough to draw blood from the corner of her mouth, she continued to rise again and again to face him.
These two children were Izanami and Hinata.
"All right, that's enough," Izanami finally said, ending the prolonged spar.
At his words, Hinata sank into the snow, gasping for air. Her delicate face dripped with sweat, and her snowman suit was torn and soaked in blood, revealing her regular clothes beneath.
Izanami stood across from her, his own snowman suit equally tattered. Underneath, he wore ordinary clothes as well.
The snowman suits weren't for show. They were purposefully designed to help Hinata train her technique, Striking Through the Mountain — a method for injecting Chakra directly into an opponent's body. To succeed, she had to channel her Chakra through the fabric and still deliver significant internal damage.
Whenever she managed to pierce his suit and land an effective hit, it meant her finger strength and Chakra control had advanced to a formidable level.
To aid her growth, Izanami occasionally allowed her to hit him by feigning weaknesses. Otherwise, a one-sided beatdown — no matter how impressive — would only destroy Hinata's self-confidence.
For her to improve, she had to experience victory.
Removing his ruined snowman suit, Izanami approached her and squatted down, channeling basic medical ninjutsu into her body.
He wasn't sure whether these basic healing techniques could cure potential hidden injuries, nor could he detect if Hinata harbored any. But he was certain that Hyuga Hiashi, Hinata's father, had long been aware of their brutal training sessions.
If Hiashi allowed them to continue, Izanami reasoned, he must have ensured that Hinata received regular medical check-ups under the pretense of other matters. After all, the Hyuga Clan boasted excellent medical ninjas.
Even if Hiashi hadn't taken precautions, Izanami wasn't overly concerned. Young bodies were resilient, and even if hidden injuries existed, they were unlikely to leave lasting harm — especially with the resources available.
Once Izanami awakened the Reincarnation Eye, he would gain mastery over Yin-Yang Release — a power capable of restoring and revitalizing cells. With it, he could personally help Hinata recover and regulate her physical condition.
This was why he held nothing back during their training.
After finishing his treatment, Izanami smiled and said, "Let's go ice fishing later. We'll eat grilled fish today."
Hinata's eyes immediately sparkled. She nodded eagerly, "Okay!"
Izanami's understanding of the Naruto universe came only from watching the anime. He hadn't read the manga or played the games, and the little information he knew beyond the show came from short video clips online.
He wasn't sure whether the manga mentioned anything about Hinata being a big eater.
But in the anime, there had been a scene where she dominated a ramen eating contest — a moment that sparked fan discussions and memes about her hidden appetite. Many believed it was a "wasted" talent, underutilized in the storyline.
In anime worlds, being a big eater often signified a strong constitution and massive Chakra reserves, even if such a trait didn't appear in formal status entries.
Curious, Izanami once took Hinata fishing, hoping to observe her eating habits. He was amazed to find she could easily eat two to three times more than he could.
Rather than worrying, Izanami was thrilled.
A large appetite meant powerful digestion, better nutrient absorption, and stronger cell vitality. It also indicated that Hinata's Chakra reserves might one day vastly outstrip those of her peers.
If her potential continued to grow, a red talent status entry might eventually appear for her.
From that day forward, Izanami made it a routine — after each training session, they would hunt or fish, allowing Hinata to eat her fill and strengthen her body.
At first, Hinata was shy and reserved about eating in front of Izanami. She tried to maintain a lady-like demeanor, taking small bites and holding back.
But over time, she noticed that Izanami always prepared an abundance of food, as though he already knew her secret and was worried she might not eat enough. Slowly, her restraint faded, and she allowed herself to eat freely.
She began to look forward to their training sessions even more — not only for the progress she made but also because Izanami seemed to accept and understand her in a way no one else had.
What Hinata didn't realize was that her family had already caught on. The Hyuga household no longer served individual portions during meals, and the total food prepared had quietly increased — though Hinata assumed it was simply because of her younger sister's growing needs.
Had Izanami known this, he would have smiled in satisfaction.
With his guidance, and Hyuga Hiashi's silent support, Hinata's future was already diverging from what it once was.
Her personality would grow stronger, her foundation more solid, and if things continued this way, she might even awaken the Reincarnation Eye one day.
At that point, she would become the true Byakugan Princess.
Time always felt slow when studying but flew by during holidays — a sentiment shared by all students.
As the winter break ended, the calendar turned to Konoha Year 55.
First-year students returned for their third semester, while sixth-year students began preparing for graduation.
After two semesters, most new students had undergone a significant transformation. They had successfully learned how to use Chakra and adapted to the rigorous academic and practical curriculum.
Now, in the third semester, the Ninja Academy officially began teaching the Three Body Technique, the Konoha Body Flicker Technique, and the Hiding in Surface Technique. Additionally, survival training exercises were introduced to the practical courses.
These survival exercises focused on enhancing students' information-gathering skills and their ability to use the new techniques in real scenarios.
Compared to the Three Body Technique, both the Body Flicker and Hiding in Surface Techniques were relatively simple.
Even Naruto Uzumaki, who initially struggled with the Clone Jutsu, was shown using both the Body Flicker and Hiding techniques to prank Chunin in the original series.
Naturally, these basics posed no challenge for Izanami.
Even now, school practicals still consisted only of taijutsu duels. There were no scenarios involving kunai combat or mixed-style free-for-all battles.
Thus, outside of the taijutsu sparring sessions, Izanami didn't bother attending classes in person. Instead, he let his shadow clones handle most of the day-to-day school activities.
He had other priorities, and the training outside the academy — especially with Hinata — was far more meaningful to him.
[End of Chapter 11]
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