Hyuga Hiashi's Shock

Hyuga Estate, Hinata's room.

Roman stretched and said, "Finally back."

Hinata nodded her little head. "Yeah, this trip was really tiring."

"You were in my arms the whole time, what's tiring for you?" Roman rolled his eyes. "I'm the one who's tired—not just physically, but mentally too... especially since, carrying you all the way here, Old Man Hiashi's stare kept getting more and more off, like he wanted to kill me."

"Haha, don't worry, I'm here—no way I'll let that happen!" Hinata flashed a confident smile. "Spending another day with you, my Chakra's grown again. Even without counting the Chakra you left inside me, I'm almost at Jonin level!

"Pretty soon, I won't need to borrow your power to cheat—I can beat my father on my own. If he still opposes us being together, I'll just punch him."

With that, Hinata raised her little pink fist.

"Haha."

Roman burst out laughing.

Seeing this, Hinata tilted her head as something occurred to her. "Do you think Orochimaru will take the fall?"

"No doubt about it." Roman smiled. "According to the original story, Orochimaru does have the Second Hokage's corpse and the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu. That's enough evidence to make him the scapegoat!

"More importantly, Orochimaru's a Class-S rogue nin of Konoha. Even if he's in contact with the village, he won't say much... He's destined to take the blame for both of us!"

"Then I'm relieved."

Hinata let out a sigh of relief. "For the next six days, we'll just stay in the house and live together... do as much Soul Resonance as possible to evolve our strength even more."

"Mm."

Roman smiled and nodded, reaching out a hand to Hinata. Without hesitation, she took it, and in the next instant, he pulled her into his arms.

At this distance, they could both hear each other's heartbeats.

They stayed like that in silence, their souls resonating to the fullest. As they did, Hinata sensed a thought surface in Roman's mind:

So flat.

No curve at all.

Hinata tilted her head slightly, wiggled her hips a bit, and found no reaction. A smirk tugged at her lips as she communicated through their heart-link: "Ten years—give me ten years, and they'll be big. The original Hinata grew up in a starving environment, and even she ended up that huge!

"I'll definitely be bigger—bigger than you can imagine...

"And the fact that you're not reacting at all while I'm sitting in your lap proves you haven't fully matured after reincarnation either..."

"..."

Roman felt the sensation below and fell silent, as if startled by her actions.

Just then, footsteps reached both their ears.

Hinata stopped moving.

The next moment, a gentle, elegant woman pushed open the door and stepped in, her face full of concern as she asked Hinata, "Hinata, you were kidnapped—are you..."

She stopped mid-sentence as she saw Hinata lying in Roman's arms. Her pupils began to quake, and her refined face showed shock.

Though Hyuga Hiashi had already told her that their daughter had found a man outside—and even demanded high treatment for her little boyfriend—

Hinata's mother had always believed that Hinata was too young, too innocent and naive, to actually have a man.

There must be some misunderstanding!

But what she saw now left her utterly stunned, utterly shocked:

Her own daughter, Hinata, was lying in a little man's arms, wearing an expression of pure contentment.

The blush on her face... a maiden's blush said it all!

—Her daughter had really, truly found a little boyfriend, and was head-over-heels obsessed!

Just then, a hint of surprise crossed Hinata's face as she stood up and said:

"Mother, I'm fine. Did you come to see me about something?"

"Does a mother need a reason to see her daughter?

"When my daughter's been kidnapped, of course I'm worried... Earlier today, Anbu Captain Mitarashi Zixiao came by and said you might have been taken. I was terrified."

Hinata's mother paused, then said seriously, "Hinata, what your father says does have some truth. You're still young—there are things you're not old enough to be doing!"

"Right."

Hyuga Hiashi walked in with a dark face. "Listen to your mother. From now on, don't hang around Roman so much. Especially that kind of leaning-into-his-arms move—never do that again."

"Roman is the one I've chosen. Why can't I?"

"There you go again."

Hiashi's face grew even darker. He took several deep breaths before barely calming his rising anger. "I'll be straight with you. You and Roman are impossible. He has no Chakra aptitude—can't even become a ninja!

"A man like that can never be the husband of the next Hyuga Clan head. He'd taint the Hyuga bloodline!"

Hinata's eyes narrowed. "You mean, if he had enough strength, you'd let me be with him?!"

Hiashi: "Yes."

Hinata turned to Roman. "Show him."

???

Roman typed out a string of question marks, then communicated telepathically:

This isn't good. If I expose the Byakugan, let alone Chakra reserves on par with Kakashi's, I suspect Root really will come to kidnap me...

Hinata raised an eyebrow and replied in thought:

You don't need to reveal the Byakugan. Just expose the superhuman physique you've gained from Soul Resonance with me and Furina!

I imagine your body, after multiple resonances, has already surpassed ordinary human limits.

In short, use the Hyuga Clan's acupoint striking technique, and borrow my Byakugan as a cheat through mental link, to strike my father's acupoints!

Got it!

Roman gave a slight nod, then lifted his head and smiled at Hyuga Hiashi. "Uncle, I'm about to make my move."

"Hmph. Fight you?

"Even if I win, my daughter would surely blame me for bullying the younger generation. I'll have someone around your age fight you instead.

"Hyuga Neji. He's a child under ten, close to your age. Beat him, and I'll acknowledge you."

Hiashi finished speaking and thought to himself:

According to my younger brother Hizashi's usual remarks, his son Neji is a Nintaijutsu genius.

His Nintaijutsu talent surpasses all branch family members.

Against a civilian with no Chakra, the outcome is already decided...

My opponent is Hyuga Neji, huh?

Fine.

Roman waited quietly as Hiashi ordered his ninja to fetch him.

Over ten minutes later.

Hizashi brought Neji over. After Hiashi explained everything to the two before him, a light sparked in Neji's eyes:

My opponent is Roman?

So Roman wants to change his fate and be with Lady Hinata—he needs to pass fate's trial.

And now I am that trial gate.

Roman, let me see your caliber. Let me see if you can truly overcome fate and be with Lady Hinata.

If you win, it means fate can be changed, and I, Neji, can hope to escape the Caged Bird Seal's ending.

If you lose, accept your fate and leave Lady Hinata.—And I will accept mine as well.

Tap, tap.

Thinking this, Neji charged forward, unleashing his full power from the start!

Roman didn't hold back either, exploding with all his strength.

The combined physical power of Hinata, Roman, and the Fontaine Hydro Archon—three bodies stacked—plus Hinata's Byakugan and the Vacuum Attack Fist Acupoint Striking Method technique!

In just two or three seconds, Neji's acupoints were struck. His Chakra flow was interrupted, his body went numb, and he stumbled back several steps involuntarily, crashing into the door.

He fell in disgrace.

How?

How is Roman's physique this strong? His speed this fast? And his Gentle Fist this proficient?

Shock was written all over Neji's face.

His Byakugan could see the direction of Roman's fists and that the technique was Gentle Fist, but the speed and power of the punches were too fast and too great—his body couldn't react or respond correctly.

What's more, Roman's strikes were too precise. Every punch landed exactly on the acupoints at the key nodes of Chakra rotation.

It was as if Roman had a pair of Byakugan himself, but the key point was that Roman didn't have the Byakugan.

All of this left Neji confused and astonished.

He had never expected to lose so quickly.

Hizashi and Hiashi were stunned too. They hadn't anticipated that their branch family genius (son Neji) would fall so fast.

Then both of them wore grave expressions, making their judgments internally:

The speed and power Roman displayed in the fight definitely surpass ordinary human levels.

And his proficient use of the Hyuga Clan's acupoint striking technique also shows that, aside from lacking Chakra talent, Roman's combat technique talent is maxed out. If not, he couldn't have learned the Gentle Fist Acupoint Striking Method in such a short time.

Just then, Hinata spoke to Hiashi: "Father, Neji has lost. Now you should understand that what I said on the first day I brought Roman back was no lie, right?"

What she said on the first day?

Hiashi began searching his memory:

He quickly recalled that Hinata had brought Roman back to the clan for a special purpose!

But later, Hinata's love-struck behavior had made him selectively forget that she had said bringing Roman back had a specific goal.

And now, the extraordinary physique Roman displayed, along with his sharp eyes, swift hands, and incredibly precise acupoint strikes... all proved that Roman was not the pure pretty-boy blondie he had assumed—but rather a pretty-boy blondie with some secrets.

Byakugan!

Hyuga Hiashi's eyes turned fierce as he saw through Roman's body from the inside out. After discovering that there was still no Chakra within it, he was inwardly astonished:

Without Chakra to assist him, how could his body become this strong—reaching several times the level of an ordinary person?

Unbelievable!

Could this be the reason Hinata brought him back?!

He possessed an extraordinary physical talent. This kind of physical talent, combined with the Byakugan... perhaps if he and Hinata were to unite, their child could truly inherit both the Byakugan and unparalleled physical talent!

—Thus forging an even stronger next generation of the Hyuga Main Family!!