With Hinata carefully feeding him one spoonful at a time, Lin Fan quickly finished every last drop of the Vitality Replenishing Soup.
Lin Fan said with satisfaction, "This soup really is amazing. As soon as I finished it, my back stopped aching and my legs stopped hurting."
Most of his chakra had returned, and he felt like he had boundless energy.
He could probably carry a whole sack of rice up to the tenth floor without even getting winded.
"Hehe, Lin Fan, you're just teasing me again. This soup is good, but it still takes time for it to work!"
Hinata covered her mouth and giggled.
"You don't believe me? Come over and help me up, Hinata. I can get out of bed and perform a set of Konoha Style Fist Technique right now."
Lin Fan replied with complete confidence.
Hinata was still doubtful, but she gently supported Lin Fan's back and helped him sit up in bed.
Lin Fan flashed a faint smile.
Taking advantage of her unpreparedness, he gently tugged on her little hand.
Hinata landed squarely in his arms.
"L-Lin Fan, you're really all right! This soup really is miraculous."
Lying in Lin Fan's arms, Hinata said in surprise.
"Hinata, how can you be so innocent and adorable?"
Lin Fan affectionately tapped the tip of her nose.
Hinata looked up at Lin Fan's striking, devilishly handsome face.
Her chest heaved violently, then her vision swam, and she fainted in his arms once more.
"Hey, you two, that's enough! I'm still here, you know—I'm your teacher!"
Kakashi, on the other bed, couldn't take any more of their lovey-dovey display. He drawled with a pair of lifeless eyes.
He had also resolved that if he ever ended up in the hospital again, he would never share a room with Lin Fan.
After Hinata came to, Lin Fan took her with him to complete the discharge paperwork.
With no missions to attend to, Kakashi decided to stay in the hospital for another day.
Lin Fan knew exactly what Lord Kakashi was up to.
To make up for the psychological scars he had inflicted on Kakashi, Lin Fan waited until Hinata had left the room, then secretly took a lifelike toy from the Other-Dimensional Scroll and slipped it to him.
Once Kakashi learned what the cup's real purpose was, his earlier gloom vanished, and he broke into a delighted grin.
By the time they finished the discharge formalities and left the hospital, the sun was setting.
"How are your new classmates, Hinata? Are you getting along with them?"
Lin Fan patted Hinata's little head and asked with concern.
Hinata nodded gently. "Teacher Kurenai is serious and responsible, and the three people in my class are very kind to me."
Hinata held nothing back from Lin Fan, telling him everything that had happened in Team 8 from yesterday through today.
Lin Fan nodded with satisfaction.
As long as Sakura wasn't around Sasuke and Naruto, she behaved fairly normally.
"I-It's just a shame I wasn't put in the same class as you, Lin Fan. I-I wonder if our two teams will ever get to go on a mission together."
Hinata nervously traced circles with her index fingers, her face full of hope.
Lin Fan nodded firmly. "Of course. We'll definitely get the chance!"
They chatted as they walked, and before they knew it, they had arrived outside the old-fashioned residence of the Hyuga Clan.
Creak.
Soon, the imposing front gate slowly swung open.
Hyuga Hiashi, his eyes as pure white as ever, appeared in the doorway once more.
Lin Fan stepped forward and said respectfully, "Uncle Hiashi, I brought Hinata back on time today. I hope I haven't cut into her evening training."
To his surprise, Hyuga Hiashi's stern expression from the previous day had changed.
He smiled at Lin Fan. "So Hinata spent the afternoon with you again, Lin Fan. In that case, I can finally put my mind at ease."
Word had spread throughout the village that Lin Fan and Kakashi had both been badly injured during the Bell Test and had ended up in the hospital.
Hiashi knew that, in all his years as a team leader, Kakashi had never had a student defeat him.
And Lin Fan's exceptional talent at such a young age meant that, with more training and time, he would surely become one of the Shinobi World's leading figures.
Who would object to their child spending time with a genius like that?
Lin Fan heard Hiashi's words and couldn't help the corners of his mouth from lifting.
So he had already earned the trust of his future father-in-law.
Meanwhile, at the Root headquarters.
Danzo was kneeling cross-legged, listening closely to his subordinate's report.
Bang!!!
After hearing the report, Danzo crushed the teacup in his hand.
"You're saying that the Uchiha remnant's Konoha Style Taijutsu is already at the level of an elite jonin?"
"Yes!"
"And he's already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan?"
"Yes!"
"And the genjutsu he used kept Kakashi trapped for nearly thirty minutes?"
"Yes!"
Hearing his subordinate's clear, unequivocal answers, Danzo couldn't help but feel shaken.
Could Lin Fan be a seed Itachi had left behind after what happened?
Danzo wondered silently.
So many years had passed, and no one knew what Itachi was thinking now.
Itachi had long borne the disgrace of being branded a criminal of the Uchiha Clan and a rogue ninja of Konoha. Surely, deep down, he must have resented it.
Had he left Lin Fan and Sasuke behind as seeds to take root—tools for the Uchiha Clan to use in seeking revenge against Konoha?
The more Danzo thought about it, the more horrifying it seemed.
Lin Fan's talent and strength already far surpassed those of his peers. If he learned the truth about the Uchiha massacre, he would undoubtedly turn against Konoha in the future.
Geniuses had to be eliminated before they grew powerful enough to threaten anyone.
Danzo made up his mind and said in a low voice, "Choose a few capable people from the organization. You must bring Lin Fan to me alive!"
"Yes!"
The subordinate wearing a cat mask disappeared at once.
After safely seeing Hinata home, Lin Fan flew straight back to his own place.
He took the Forbidden Technique Polaroid Photo with him, then immediately entered the Other-Dimensional Scroll to train.
He had already mastered the Shadow Clone Technique through training and adding skill points.
All that remained was to practice the Flying Thunder God Technique and the Eight Gates.
He figured that once he raised Konoha Style Taijutsu to its maximum level, it shouldn't be difficult to train the Eight Gates to the entry level.
Lin Fan trained until midnight, when he finally managed to open the first gate, the Gate of Life.
Without hesitation, he quickly added skill points.
[System: Congratulations, host. You have upgraded the Eight Gates to LvMAX and gained the additional status effect Taijutsu Affinity increased by 50% (total Taijutsu boost has reached 100%)] [Host: Lin Fan] [Age: 12] [Known Chakra Natures: All natures (including various Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tōta)] [Mastered Taijutsu: Konoha Style Taijutsu LvMAX, Eight Gates LvMAX] [Mastered Ninjutsu: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu LvMAX, Earth Style: Earth Wall LvMAX, Earth Style: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique LvMAX, Multi-Shadow Clone Technique LvMAX, Three Body Techniques LvMAX, Chidori LvMAX, Rasengan LvMAX] [Mastered Genjutsu: Sharingan Genjutsu LvMAX] [Special Constitution: Uzumaki Constitution LvMAX] [Kekkei Genkai: Three-Tomoe Sharingan LvMAX] [Chakra Amount: 99000-100000 (approximately the amount of 100 Kakashis)] [Skill Points: MAX]