A Harvest for Every Seed

He scratched his head, let out a couple of chuckles, and finally walked over obediently to plop down on the ground.

Hinata also walked gently to the side and sat down in the shade of a tree, her posture far more proper than Naruto's.

"You must learn to balance work and rest during training. When your chakra is over-exhausted, don't force yourself; learn to take a break." He sat down opposite the two and said earnestly, "Cultivation isn't about risking your life; it's about finding a rhythm. Knowing when to push and when to stop is far more important than just grinding away blindly."

For the final hour, Qiushui had them practice throwing Kunai.

An hour later, Qiushui looked up at the sky and then at the two, who were now completely sprawled out on the ground. "That's it for today's training. We'll continue tomorrow."

Hinata was now a talent he had bound, and there was a chance she could trigger Daily Missions just like Naruto, so Qiushui thought for a moment and said, "Hinata, if you have the time, you are welcome to come and train with us."

Hinata nodded. It was all training, and it was all equally exhausting, but after spending the day training under Teacher Qiushui, she felt genuinely happy.

By evening, Hinata returned to the Hyuga Mansion and spotted Hyuga Natsu waiting at the entrance at a glance.

"Sister Natsu," Hinata called out softly.

Seeing Hinata covered in dust with bruises on the back of her hands and cheeks, Hyuga Natsu trotted forward, clutching her hands in distress. "Lady Hinata, where have you been all day? What happened to these injuries? Is someone bullying you again?"

As the maid who had raised Hinata from childhood, Hyuga Natsu understood the gentleness of the eldest daughter of the main branch better than anyone. Unlike the other stern members of the main branch, Hinata had always been kind and polite to her; their relationship had long since transcended that of mistress and servant, feeling more like close sisters.

Hinata shook her head gently and said, "I went for training today. No one is bullying me."

Hyuga Natsu knew that Hinata never lied, so she stopped asking. She simply pulled her toward the depths of the mansion with a pained heart, intending to prepare a hot bath and carefully apply medicinal ointment to her wounds.

As they passed through the corridor, Hinata suddenly stopped and asked in a low voice, "Sister Natsu... did Father say anything today?"

She hadn't felt much while training outside, but the moment she stepped into this mansion, the anxiety buried deep in her heart quietly surfaced. This was the first time she had left in a fit of pique in front of her father and the elders, and she had been gone for the entire day.

Hyuga Natsu was about to speak when she saw Hyuga Hiashi, dressed in a black kimono, standing with his hands behind his back at the end of the corridor.

"Lord Hiashi." Tokuma quickly bowed in greeting.

Hinata looked up, met her father's calm gaze, tightened her fingers slightly against her sleeves, and whispered, "Father."

Hyuga Hiashi's gaze swept slowly over the bruises on her face. He remained silent for a moment, his tone so calm that no emotion could be detected. "Starting tomorrow, you no longer need to follow your previous training curriculum."

He turned to Hyuga Natsu and instructed, "Go to my room, get some healing ointment, and take Hinata back to rest."

Hinata froze in place.

She had always known that her father was disappointed in her, but when those words actually reached her ears, a complex and indescribable feeling welled up in her heart—as if a burden had been lifted, yet simultaneously as if something had fallen into a void.

"Father... I will head back now."

She lowered her eyes and followed Hyuga Natsu toward her own courtyard.

Hyuga Hiashi stood at the end of the corridor, watching her figure disappear behind the courtyard gate.

He heaved a heavy sigh in his heart.

He had always held high expectations for his eldest daughter, Hinata, but in the end, she was not the successor he had hoped for, nor could she ever reach the standards he had set. She lacked sharpness and decisiveness, and even her gaze always carried a hint of timidity. Perhaps it was for the best for everyone that he now focused on cultivating Hanabi instead.

Hinata followed Hyuga Natsu through the courtyard gate and saw from a distance that the lights were on in her room.

The moment she pushed the door open, she saw her younger sister, Hanabi, dressed in a pink kimono, curled up against the wall. Her little head was bobbing as she slept soundly.

Hinata's expression softened involuntarily.

In this Hyuga Mansion, governed by strict rules, the time she spent with her sister was one of the few moments she truly felt happy.

Suddenly, Hanabi rubbed her eyes in a daze and opened her sleepy eyes. As her vision focused and she realized who was standing before her, a brilliant smile bloomed on her little face.

"Sister!"

She lunged into Hinata's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist.

"I'm dirty..." Hinata instinctively opened her arms, not daring to hug her back, and said somewhat helplessly.

"It's okay, I don't mind." Hanabi buried her head in Hinata's chest and rubbed against her, her voice muffled and soft with sleep.

Seeing this, Hyuga Natsu took them both to the bathroom to bathe.

On Sunday morning, the moment Qiushui opened his eyes, two notifications popped up before him.

[Your bound high-quality talent, Naruto Uzumaki, practiced diligently yesterday. Obtained 8 points of chakra return.]
[Your bound high-quality talent, Hyuga Hinata, practiced diligently yesterday. Obtained 3 points of chakra return.]

Immediately after, he felt a warm current surge into his body out of thin air, like drinking a cup of warm water, leaving his entire body feeling refreshed and comfortable.

"This must be the effect of the talent cultivation return skill." Qiushui recalled the system skill he had obtained yesterday, and his mood instantly brightened.

One reaps what one sows; the famous quote by the great historian Lu Shuren truly does not deceive!

After getting up and washing up, Qiushui headed straight to Training Ground 13.

"Teacher Qiushui!" Naruto had sharp eyes; the moment he saw that familiar figure appear in his field of vision, he immediately jumped up and waved, his face wearing his signature sunny smile.

"Teacher Qiushui..." Hinata's voice was as thin as a mosquito's hum. Only after Qiushui walked over and stopped did she blush and bow politely to greet him.

Qiushui smiled and responded to them both, though a hint of doubt flickered in his heart.

Logically speaking, the Hyuga Clan was a prestigious family in Konoha. Even though he had told Hinata yesterday that she could come if she had time, shouldn't she be at home receiving more systematic clan training at this hour?

However, upon second thought, he couldn't be bothered to ask. In any case, Hinata coming here only benefited him; there were no downsides at all.

His gaze swept across the system panel manifesting before him, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

Qiushui was just about to speak when several new notifications suddenly popped up in front of him.

[Main Quest: The Path to Cultivating High-Quality Talent Hyuga Hinata]

[Quest Requirements: Ensure Hyuga Hinata's grades rank within the top ten of the class in the end-of-month examination]

[Quest Rewards: Distributed after a comprehensive evaluation based on the degree of quest completion]

Qiushui looked at these quest instructions, unable to help but sigh inwardly at how truly incredible the system was.