The Change in Rizu

The Hyuga Clan estate.

"Xiaoxue, I'm ready!" Hyuga Hinata's shadow clone held Xiaoxue, rubbing its chin, her heart racing with excitement.

This was the first time she had defied her father's decision. Although it was merely using a shadow clone to take her place—not a full-blown rebellion—she felt an inexplicable emotion surging from within.

Xiaoxue let out a "meow" in response.

Humans were truly strange; they made such a fuss just to go out.

Unlike her, a cat, who could go wherever she pleased and ask Ao for dried fish whenever she was hungry.

Xiaoxue rolled over in Hinata's arms.

Watching Xiaoxue's lazy demeanor, Hinata couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

As the eldest daughter of the Hyuga family, she had to be more outstanding than everyone else.

After ten minutes or so, the figures of Hinata's shadow clone and Xiaoxue vanished from the spot, leaving behind only swirling clouds of smoke.

Meanwhile, at the abandoned training ground.

Uchiha Ao's shadow clone sat cross-legged on a stone pedestal.

"It's about time." Uchiha Ao's shadow clone hopped down from the pedestal and walked to an open area.

He took out the blood his original body had prepared for him, slammed his palm onto the ground, and flared his chakra.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

With a "poof" and a cloud of smoke, the figures of Hinata and Xiaoxue appeared before him.

"Hinata." Uchiha Ao stood up, clapped his hands, and greeted her.

"Ao... Ao-kun..." Hinata whispered, clutching Xiaoxue, steam rising continuously from the top of her head.

Although she was only a shadow clone, there was little difference between her and the original.

To a certain extent, she was even shyer than the original.

What do I do, what do I do? I have no idea how to face Ao-kun, Hinata thought silently to herself.

Wuwu, original self, come save me!

The shadow clone felt like she was about to fall apart.

Watching Hinata standing there, dazed and at a loss for what to do, Uchiha Ao helplessly rubbed his forehead.

After several days of his coaching, the original Hinata had stopped stuttering when speaking to him.

Yet, looking at this shadow clone now.

Good grief, she was even shyer than the original.

"Hinata..." Before Uchiha Ao could finish his sentence, Xiaoxue jumped from Hinata's arms into his.

"Ao, I want dried fish!"

The cat declared that she was hungry.

"Didn't the original body give you a piece of dried fish?" Uchiha Ao asked, puzzled.

"How is one piece of dried fish enough?" Xiaoxue protested.

"Fine, fine, here." Fortunately, the original body had anticipated that Xiaoxue's gluttonous nature wouldn't be satisfied and had prepared a few extra pieces for him in advance.

Once she got the dried fish, Xiaoxue ran off to the side, excited.

"Hinata, today's task isn't much different from before; it's still about training your chakra control."

Uchiha Ao looked back at Hinata and said.

Hinata stammered for a long time before finally managing to say, "O... okay... Ao-kun."

Seeing Hinata in this state, Uchiha Ao sighed slightly, then said gently, "Don't be nervous. Relax, just like we did during our previous practice."

Hinata bit her lower lip and nodded gently, her fingertips unconsciously twisting her sleeves.

She wanted to interact with Ao-kun normally, too, but she was just too nervous.

Uchiha Ao led Hinata to a riverbank, where the clear water shimmered under the sunlight, the babbling sound of the current adding a touch of vitality to the quiet training ground.

He pointed at the river surface and said gently, "Today we are practicing water walking. This is a great way to train your fine control over chakra."

Hinata nodded slightly.

Hinata nodded slightly, then recalled the details of the tree-climbing practice, gathering chakra into her feet.

She took a deep breath and slowly extended her foot toward the water's surface.

Uchiha Ao watched quietly from the side without interfering.

With this shadow clone's current mindset, she wouldn't be able to master it in a short time.

It would be better to let her face failure directly and slowly overcome her nervousness through setbacks.

Sure enough, the moment Hinata placed her foot on the water, her chakra lost control like a kite with a broken string, and with a "splash," she plunged headfirst into the river.

She flailed in a panic as she surfaced, her hair plastered against her cheeks while water droplets cascaded from her chin.

"Cough... cough, cough..." Hyuga Hinata choked on a few mouthfuls of water, grabbing onto a protruding rock on the bank in a disheveled state. She kept her head bowed, water still dripping from her hair tips, and asked in a muffled voice, "Uchiha Ao, am I... useless?" The trembling tail end of her voice hid a grievance that was on the verge of overflowing.

Uchiha Ao stepped forward quickly, reaching out to pull Hinata up from the water onto the bank.

"It's alright, Hinata," Uchiha Ao comforted her.

On the other side, at the Hyuga Clan estate.

The real Hyuga Hinata sat kneeling on the edge of the family training ground, fine beads of sweat seeping from her forehead.

"Eldest Miss, it is time for the Gentle Fist sparring session," the voice of a main branch guard interrupted her thoughts.

Hinata rose in a hurry, but her heart leaped into her throat the moment she caught a glimpse of her father, Hiashi Hyuga, in her peripheral vision.

Hiashi stood with his hands behind his back, the Hyuga clan crest behind him gleaming coldly in the setting sun. "Hinata, perform a set of our Hyuga style techniques. Let me see if you have made any progress lately."

Hinata suppressed the panic in her heart and slowly steadied her stance.

She took a deep breath, assumed the Gentle Fist starting posture, turned her palms slightly, and began to circulate her chakra through her meridians.

Hiashi's gaze swept back and forth over Hinata, each look striking her taut nerves like a heavy hammer.

Hinata gritted her teeth, her fingertips trembling slightly, yet she struggled to keep her movements steady.

The Gentle Fist techniques unfolded slowly under her hands; kicks and palm strikes, every movement carried the unique elegance and sharpness of the Hyuga Clan.

This child, Hinata, has improved.

Hiashi Hyuga could not help but nod.

As the Eldest Miss of the Hyuga Clan, if she did not possess sufficient strength to command respect, how could she inherit his position as clan head in the future?

Without sufficient strength, how could she protect the clan?

Just as Hiashi Hyuga was pondering this to himself, Hinata finished her routine.

Hinata stood with her hands at her sides, her chest rising and falling slightly with her breaths, her bangs stuck to her cheeks by sweat.

Hiashi Hyuga paced with his hands behind his back, his black robe sweeping across the ground with a faint rustling sound.

After the air stagnated for a moment, he suddenly struck out with his palm. A blade of wind formed by chakra grazed past Hinata's ear, slicing the stone lantern at the edge of the training ground in two.

"In actual combat, the enemy will not wait for you to regulate your breathing," Hiashi Hyuga's voice was as cold as tempered ice. "If you cannot even control your breathing, how can you hide your openings?"

Hinata stumbled back half a step, her palm scraping against a stone table, drawing blood.

"Yes, Father!"

Hiashi Hyuga stared at his daughter's bleeding palm, his Adam's apple bobbing, yet he ultimately did not soften his tone. "However..."

He paused deliberately, watching Hinata look up abruptly, her eyes—so similar to her mother's—filled with surprise and anticipation. "To be able to keep your form steady during my surprise attack, that counts as some progress."

Hinata's eyelashes fluttered violently, as if she could not believe her own ears.

In her memories, her father's approval was always hidden behind even harsher demands; this light, airy sentence actually made her eyes sting with heat.

Before she could speak, Hiashi Hyuga had already turned his back, his wide sleeves billowing in the evening breeze. "Go tend to your wounds. Extra training tomorrow at the hour of the rabbit."

"Yes!" This time, her response carried a joyful lilt. As Hinata turned, she bumped into the surprised gazes of the guards.