The Promise Beneath the Tree and the White Eye's Resonance

After the wilderness survival drill ended, Uchiha Ling's standing among his classmates quietly rose. He was the first person who could easily lead Naruto Uzumaki, the "No. 1 in Unpredictability," to complete a mission smoothly. Even Iruka made a point of praising his calm judgment and sense of teamwork in the summary afterward.

Naruto, meanwhile, had completely latched onto him. Almost every day after school, he would come over, shouting about training together, or simply follow him around, as if doing so could drive away some of the loneliness of being alone. Uchiha Ling did not refuse, but he still kept a certain distance. He admired Naruto's qualities, but he also knew how sensitive Naruto's identity was. Getting too close might draw unnecessary attention.

His focus remained on solidifying and improving his own strength.

That afternoon, the sky was clear and the breeze was warm. After Uchiha Ling finished his regular physical training and shuriken practice, he went to the familiar cherry grove on the back mountain of the ninja academy. It was not the season for cherry blossoms, but the trees were lush, and the surroundings were quiet. It was a good place for him to practice fine chakra control and test new abilities.

He chose an open space near the stream, sat down cross-legged, and prepared to try the White Eye Chakra Resonance Technique. This reward, which he had obtained from helping Hinata, had never had a suitable opportunity or safe environment for testing.

However, just as he calmed his mind and focused, Basic Aura Perception caught a familiar yet faint chakra fluctuation behind a large tree not far away. That chakra carried the Hyuga Clan's unique clarity and restraint, along with a hint of hesitation and nervousness.

It was Hinata Hyuga.

Uchiha Ling understood at once. He restrained his own aura and pretended not to notice, then began slowly mobilizing his chakra according to the knowledge in his mind, simulating the special frequency that attempted to resonate with white eye chakra. This was an extremely delicate operation that required extraordinary chakra control. If not for his Basic Sharingan Control Technique and the mental strength he had honed through long-term visualization of the shallow strike, he would not have known where to begin.

Just as he was carefully attempting it, Hinata behind the tree seemed to make up her mind. Holding a small food box, she lowered her head and walked out.

"L-Ling..." she called in a tiny voice, her cheeks flushed.

Uchiha Ling "woke up" at the right moment, stopped the flow of his chakra, and turned his head. Just the right amount of surprise appeared on his face. "Hyuga? Why are you here?"

"I... I saw that you often come here to train..." Hinata's voice grew smaller and smaller. She held the food box out with both hands. "Th-this... I made it... snacks... Thank you for helping me before."

The food box was a traditional multi-layered wooden one, and it looked quite delicate.

Uchiha Ling did not immediately take it. Instead, he looked at her fingers, trembling slightly from nervousness, and at her head, which was almost buried against her chest. Something stirred faintly in his heart. He softened his voice and said with a gentle smile, "Thank you, Hyuga. I happen to be a little hungry. Will you eat with me?"

Hinata abruptly raised her head. A flash of surprise and disbelief crossed her white eyes, then she shyly lowered her head again and answered in a voice as thin as a mosquito's buzz, "Mm..."

The two found a clean stone under the cherry tree and sat down. Hinata carefully opened the food box. Inside were neatly arranged, cute three-colored dango and some handmade cookies, giving off a sweet fragrance.

"They look delicious." Uchiha Ling picked up a dango and took a bite. It was soft, sticky, and sweet. The taste really was good. "You're very good at this."

After receiving the praise, Hinata showed a happy yet bashful smile. She also picked up a small cookie and ate it in tiny bites.

The atmosphere was quiet and harmonious, with only the murmur of the stream and the rustle of the wind through the leaves.

After they finished the snacks, Uchiha Ling looked at Hinata, and the idea of that experiment surfaced in his mind again. He considered his tone for a moment, then said, "Hyuga, actually... I've recently been trying a kind of chakra perception exercise, and I may need your help."

"M-my help?" Hinata blinked her pure white eyes in confusion.

"Yes." Uchiha Ling nodded, his expression serious. "It's a very gentle chakra resonance technique. It won't harm you at all. You only need to relax and not resist my chakra approaching you. I want to see if I can perceive the surrounding environment more clearly."

He did not mention the white eye, to avoid stirring sensitivity about her position as a member of the main family.

Hinata had an extremely high level of trust in Uchiha Ling. Almost without any hesitation, she nodded lightly. "O-okay. What do I need to do?"

"You just need to sit as usual and relax your body and mind." Uchiha Ling signaled that she did not need to be nervous.

He closed his eyes again and concentrated. This time, with a clear "target" and the other party's permission, he operated the White Eye Chakra Resonance Technique with even greater focus. His own chakra carried a unique frequency, extending slowly toward Hinata like invisible feelers.

At first, when his chakra approached Hinata's body, he sensed an invisible, flexible barrier. It was the chakra protection the Hyuga Clan was born with. But when he adjusted the resonance technique's frequency until it was almost identical to Hinata's own chakra fluctuations, that barrier seemed to turn into warm water, and his chakra easily "melted" into it.

In the next instant, a wondrous experience occurred!

Uchiha Ling's "vision" changed abruptly!

His eyes were still closed, but he "saw" everything within nearly fifty meters centered on Hinata! The texture of the trees, the wriggling insects underground, the scales of the fish swimming in the stream, even the faint flow of chakra in the air... Everything became a black-and-white three-dimensional image with distinct lines and no blind spots, clearly projected in his mind!

This was the vision of the white eye! Three-hundred-and-sixty-degree penetrating insight with no blind spots!

Although the range was far inferior to that of an adult Hyuga ninja, that feeling of controlling everything and seeing the finest details still shook him. He could even "see" the clear chakra inside Hinata beside him, flowing slowly through her delicate meridian system.

At the same time, Hinata let out a low cry of surprise.

"Ah..."

In her white eye vision, she could clearly "see" a gentle yet unfamiliar chakra, carrying a peculiar affinity, forming a close connection with her own chakra and sharing her vision. The feeling was extremely strange, as if another consciousness had merged into her field of perception. Yet there was no discomfort or sense of violation. Instead, there was a kind of... inexplicable reassurance and closeness.

[Ding! Sign-in target detected: Hinata Hyuga.]

[Interaction level: intimate interaction (daily joint training) + special ability sharing.]

[Sign-in reward being issued...]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained: White Eye Chakra Resonance Technique (proficiency increased)! (Connection more stable, vision clearer)]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 80 system points! (Accumulated from multiple sign-ins)]

[Detected deepening interaction level with target "Hinata Hyuga." Hidden reward unlocked: Gentle Fist Basic Deconstruction Diagram (knowledge infusion)!]

A large amount of deconstructed and analyzed information about the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist—its force-generation techniques, the principles of striking acupoints, and the methods for applying chakra needle attacks—poured into his mind! This was not the complete inheritance of the Gentle Fist, but precious knowledge approached from the angles of principle and countermeasure. It had immeasurable value for understanding and dealing with the Hyuga Clan's taijutsu!

The resonance state lasted for about ten seconds before Uchiha Ling took the initiative to cut the connection. Maintaining that state for too long consumed quite a bit of his chakra and mental strength, and it might also be a burden on Hinata.

He opened his eyes and looked at the girl beside him, who was still somewhat dazed, then thanked her sincerely. "Thank you, Hyuga. You were a huge help. That feeling... was incredible."

Hinata also came back to herself. The blush on her face had not faded, but there was a little more novelty and excitement in her eyes. "M-me too... It's my first time experiencing something like that. Ling... your chakra is very warm..."

The words slipped out of her mouth. Then she realized there seemed to be a double meaning, and she instantly blushed all the way to her ears, hurriedly waving her hands. "Ah! That's not what I meant... I mean..."

Seeing her flustered and at a loss, Uchiha Ling could not help laughing. That smile was not his usual calm and indifferent one, but carried genuine pleasure. "Mm, I understand."

His smile made Hinata feel slightly more at ease, but also made her even shyer.

"From now on..." Uchiha Ling looked at her and made a decision in his heart. "If you don't mind, Hyuga, we can often train together here. You can practice your Gentle Fist, and I can do my chakra control exercises. Maybe... we can also occasionally perform that resonance from just now. It should benefit both of us."

He offered an invitation for "joint training." This was not only to continuously trigger sign-ins and obtain more rewards, but also because he truly felt that cultivating together with this kind and hardworking young lady of the Hyuga main family was a good thing. Her seriousness and persistence, to a certain extent, also inspired him.

When Hinata heard this, her pure white eyes instantly lit up like the brightest stars in the night sky. She nodded hard. Although her voice was still very small, it was filled with determination and joy. "Mm! I'd like that! Ling!"

[Ding! Sign-in target detected: Hinata Hyuga.]

[Interaction level: intimate interaction (promise of joint training).]

[Sign-in reward being issued...]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained: prerequisite understanding of Chakra Refinement Technique! (Refinement speed passively increased by 10%)]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained: 70 system points!]

Another reward had arrived! Although it was only prerequisite understanding, it once again increased his chakra refinement efficiency!

The afterglow of the setting sun passed through the gaps between the leaves and fell upon the boy and girl sitting side by side under the cherry tree, stretching their shadows very long. The stream murmured, and birdsong rang clear, forming a peaceful and beautiful scene.

From that day on, the cherry grove on the back mountain of the ninja academy became an unspoken "secret training ground" between Uchiha Ling and Hinata Hyuga.

The vines of their bond quietly grew through repeated shared training and resonances of ability, becoming ever more tenacious.

And Uchiha Ling could feel that the power belonging to the Uchiha, hidden behind his dark eyes, seemed to have become more active after the stimulation of that brief shared white eye vision...

(The End of Chapter Seven)