Reflection

"Five hundred seventy-one... five hundred seventy-four..." Chiba performed squat after squat, continuously replaying his battle with Kakashi in his mind.

There... that was the moment. My oversight was failing to notice the crater I made.

In other words, I hadn't calmly observed the terrain at the time. I'd been completely focused on figuring out how to defeat Kakashi and what methods Kakashi would use to defeat me... Although I'd successfully turned his scheme against him afterward, a fight to the death would have been different. Kakashi might not have chosen Headhunter Jutsu, and I might not have been able to use the Substitution Technique.

Failing to observe the terrain was my mistake.

Being single-mindedly focused on dealing with Kakashi meant I took too long to think things through. It was easy to get trapped in my own world and overlook my surroundings.

In a fight to the death, I lacked experience! Chiba reflected inwardly.

Although he had accumulated a fair amount of real combat experience, and had even sparred with ninja as powerful as Elite Jonin Kushina, he had only experienced one genuine life-or-death battle.

That had been against the severely wounded ninja from Hidden Stone.

However, that ninja had been badly injured after all, so there was not much experience he could offer Chiba.

"Five hundred ninety-nine... six hundred!" Chiba let out a breath after finishing his final squat.

Next came push-ups.

The devilish training of recent days had greatly improved both his stamina and physical toughness. Accordingly, he had increased his daily taijutsu training to six hundred repetitions, hoping to erase that tiny gap.

Taijutsu was something that required endless tempering. Even with the increased chakra provided by Gate of Life Mode, after sparring with Kakashi and Kushina, he already felt stretched thin. And most of the Water Style Ninjutsu Kushina taught him were C-rank and B-rank, so his chakra reserves were insufficient.

Kushina had even said that if he possessed Jonin-level chakra reserves, she had a Secret Technique she could teach him.

Still, he could not rush recklessly into forcing open the Opening Gate. Furthermore, once the Gate of Pain was opened, his chakra would become even more immense and violent. Chiba was not fully confident that he could control it and transform it into Gate of Pain Mode.

For now, all he could do was train as intensely as possible while ensuring he could still train normally the next day and did not damage his body excessively.

Although Gate of Life Mode had begun to lose momentum, although reaching Jonin-level chakra would let him learn the Secret Technique Kushina Uzumaki had mentioned, and although developing Gate of Pain Mode would likely grant him Jonin-level chakra—

Precisely because of that, he needed to be even more cautious.

Chiba's mind was clear. At times like this, he sometimes wondered why he had not been given a system. Exchanging directly for ninjutsu would have been so much easier.

Yet whenever that thought arose, Chiba would always shake his head with a bitter smile and cast it aside.

In his previous life, he had immersed himself in anime to escape reality, ultimately allowing that person to do as he pleased before dying alone. Chiba knew that the greatest culprit behind his death had been himself. It was his own laziness and cowardice that had placed his fate in another's hands, allowing others to take whatever they wanted from him.

Now, he had entered the Naruto World he had long dreamed of, mastered the cultivation method of the Eight Gates, and possessed powerful Ninjutsu Talent.

What reason did he have? What reason did he have to slack off, to fantasize about obtaining the strongest power overnight?

All he could do now was work hard! Work hard! Work hard! There was no other way. He had to steadily increase his strength and grasp the fate of this life in his own hands.

Besides...

Chiba looked to the other side. Yukina was striking a tree with palm after palm, each collision between her Gentle Fist and the trunk producing a series of thumping sounds.

Farther away, the dull thunking of Shuriken piercing trees drifted over in the evening breeze, faint and ethereal.

Besides, there were these two guys! Chiba did push-up after push-up until he had completed all six hundred. Then he rose, caught his breath briefly, and began a ten-kilometer run around the training ground.

While the three trained diligently, they failed to notice a pair of eyes staring unblinkingly at them from deep within the forest.

Only after the three finished training and agreed to have a late-night meal together did those eyes finally depart.

Hyuga Main Family, Hyuga Yukyō's room.

"How did it go?" Hyuga Yukyō, seated in meditation, slowly opened his eyes and asked.

"Young master, Lady Yukina and that Traitor's Son have only been training." A shadow outside the door slowly dropped to one knee.

"They were only training?" Hyuga Yukyō nodded, then frowned. "Since you have returned, Yukina should have returned by now as well, correct?"

"No. Lady Yukina, the Traitor's Son, and Hirohiko, the Uchiha Clan's genius, went to Ichiraku Ramen. They will be back soon," the figure outside reported.

"They will be back soon?" Hyuga Yukyō's face darkened with anger. "I told you, you return when Lady Yukina returns! What do you mean by coming back now?"

"Young master..." The figure seemed to tremble and remained kneeling in silence.

"Humph!" Hyuga Yukyō snorted coldly. "Go watch them immediately! If that filthy traitor makes any suspicious move, do you know what to do?"

"If he dares approach Lady Yukina, kill him on the spot," the figure said fearfully, clearly terrified of Hyuga Yukyō.

"If you know that, why are you still standing around here? Get out there and watch that Traitor's Son!" Hyuga Yukyō's anger flared even hotter, as though merely mentioning the words "Traitor's Son" enraged him.

"Yes!" The shadow hurriedly departed.

Sensing the figure leave, Hyuga Yukyō snorted again.

Taki Chiba, do not let me find out that you have behaved improperly toward Yukina. You are nothing but a Traitor's Son. If I kill you, I kill you! At that moment, another door to his room slowly opened.

Hyuga Yukyō immediately became alert and looked over, only to see a handsome middle-aged man with long hair. Faint, inscrutable light glimmered in his Byakugan.

"Lord Shinsuke." Hyuga Yukyō hurriedly rose and bowed.

Hyuga Shinsuke nodded, indicating that Hyuga Yukyō need not stand on ceremony. He then walked to the center of the room and sat down, extending a hand to gesture for Hyuga Yukyō to sit.

Hyuga Yukyō promptly sat before him, lowering his head slightly.

"Yukyō." Hyuga Shinsuke looked at him. "I heard you were approved to participate in the Chunin Exams?"

"Yes, Lord Shinsuke," Hyuga Yukyō answered honestly.

Hyuga Shinsuke was Yukina's father and the youngest brother of the current clan head. He was nearly twenty years younger than the current clan head and had been born after their father's death. The current clan head had watched him grow up and doted on him deeply, even unwilling to place him in the branch family and mark him with the Caged Bird Seal. He remained part of the main family and held an exalted status. Other than lacking the right to inherit the Hyuga Clan, his authority was second only to the current clan head's, even exceeding that of the future clan head's heirs, Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga.

"Mm, very good." Hyuga Shinsuke smiled and nodded. As the clan head's youngest brother, he was well liked by both the main family and the branch family. Gentle, polite, modest, and proper, he was respected and admired by many.

"Yes," Hyuga Yukyō responded.

"Then Yukina has encountered a formidable opponent this time. Aside from that young genius of the Uchiha Clan, I fear you are the only one capable of facing her head-on." Hyuga Shinsuke smiled and nodded, his eyes full of gratification.

"Lord Shinsuke, I will do my utmost to assist Lady Yukina in winning the Chunin Exams," Hyuga Yukyō said solemnly.

"Hehehe..." Hyuga Shinsuke chuckled, as if he had expected exactly that. "You child... Yukyō, your father and I were old friends. We graduated from the Ninja Academy together and were extremely close since childhood. If he had not... Sigh. In any case, his son is my son. You are too serious by nature, and you are too prone to considering Yukina's relationship with me, which affects your judgment. I came here this time because I feared that you might go easy on Yukina if you encountered her in the Chunin Exams. That is why I am reminding you now: give it everything you have and eliminate Yukina from the Chunin Exams."

Hyuga Yukyō was visibly stunned. He raised his head in surprise, only to see Hyuga Shinsuke smiling at him, with no trace of jest in his eyes.

"This... But Lady Yukina is Lord Shinsuke's..." He hesitated.

"Precisely because she is my biological daughter, I must treat her strictly, especially in competition. If you go easy on her, you may harm her in the future." Hyuga Shinsuke said, "Your strength far surpasses hers. These past years, you have hidden your strength in every way to spare her dignity in front of others. But in my eyes, you are the greatest genius the Hyuga Clan has seen in a hundred years, not merely 'a genius of the Hyuga Clan.' Do not do this again in the future. Just be yourself."

"Lord Shinsuke..." Hyuga Yukyō's face was full of emotion.

"You have always protected Yukina and considered her needs. Thank you," Hyuga Shinsuke said, nodding at Hyuga Yukyō.

"It is what I should do," Hyuga Yukyō quickly replied.

"Mm, it is getting late. You need to prepare for the Chunin Exams five days from now. Rest well." With that, Hyuga Shinsuke rose and departed.

Hyuga Yukyō hurriedly stood and saw him out.

After seeing Hyuga Shinsuke off, Hyuga Yukyō silently swore in his heart: I will protect pure Lady Yukina. I will never let her be tainted by filthy scum like Taki Chiba!