Hinata's Gratitude

After several days of turmoil, Uchiha Ling's seat in class was still by the window, and he still spoke very little. The only difference was that no one dared mention the words "unstable chakra" in front of him anymore.

But quiet did not mean everything had started going smoothly.

On the contrary, as he became more and more conspicuous, more and more attention fell on him. Some wanted to compete with him, some wanted to wait for him to make a mistake, and some simply wanted to get close to this Uchiha boy who had suddenly gone from an "outsider" to a "genius candidate."

Hinata was the third kind.

Though perhaps even she could not yet explain whether that desire to get close contained something besides gratitude.

That day, after the lunch break, Iruka arranged for the students to work in pairs and move the wooden posts used for practice. Many children rushed to stand with people they knew well. By the time the groups were assigned, Hinata had reacted a beat too slowly and was left standing alone.

"You're with Ling." Iruka glanced at the list and assigned them together casually.

The classroom immediately fell silent for a moment.

Hinata seemed startled by those words. Her face flushed bright red, and even her voice trembled. "Y-yes..."

Ling merely nodded, picked up a rope, and headed toward the training ground.

The wooden post was not especially heavy, but it was by no means easy for children their age to move. Hinata tried several times, and her arms began to shake. Ling glanced at her, then directly lifted the rope on his side forward, shifting most of the weight onto his own shoulder.

"Don't force yourself," he said.

Hinata instinctively wanted to say she could still manage, but before the words left her mouth, Ling had already reached out and adjusted the rope in her palm, where it was about to leave red marks. His movements were steady. His fingertips only briefly brushed the back of her hand before redistributing the weight to a more comfortable angle.

"Drag it like this," Ling said softly. "Don't grip too tightly."

Hinata froze and stared blankly at him.

She clearly had not expected Ling to share the burden so naturally, as if it were not worth mentioning at all.

The two dragged the post all the way to the edge of the training ground. After setting it down, Hinata softly said, "Th-thank you..."

"Mm." Ling responded and turned, preparing to get the next one.

But as though she had gathered tremendous courage, Hinata hurried after him. "Last time too."

Ling stopped.

"The hallway... that time." She lowered her head, her eyelashes trembling gently. "You helped me. I've always wanted to properly thank you."

The wind swept over the training ground, lifting the fine strands of hair on the girl's forehead. Though she came from a prestigious clan, she always spoke as if afraid of disturbing others, so cautious that she seemed ready to shrink into herself.

Ling looked at her and suddenly remembered the feeling from the first time he had "seen" the chakra flowing inside her during class.

It had been very gentle, but not weak.

Just like her.

"I only happened to help," Ling said.

Hinata raised her head. Something faintly bright glimmered in her pale eyes. "But to me, it wasn't a small thing."

After saying that, she seemed afraid she had been too forward, and even the tips of her ears gradually turned red. Yet even so, she did not immediately avert her gaze as she had before. For the first time, she gathered the courage to place all her sincerity before him.

Ling did not respond.

He was not good at dealing with such direct sincerity. Compared to malice, kindness was harder to handle. Malice only needed to be crushed back, but kindness left behind warmth. And once something like warmth was remembered, it became difficult to pretend it had never happened.

The afternoon was basic taijutsu class.

Iruka demonstrated the simplest punches, shoulder drops, and evasive movements, then had the students practice them in pairs. Hinata's movements were somewhat stiff at first, but once she truly began to strike, Ling quickly noticed something different.

The way her chakra flowed was very fine.

Fine as needles, thread by thread advancing along the meridians in her arms toward her fingertips. Though she was only a beginner now and far from truly mastering the Gentle Fist, that method of circulation was already completely different from everyone else in class.

Ling's gaze shifted slightly. While defending, he subconsciously activated those still immature eyes.

Within his vision, the paths of chakra inside Hinata's body immediately became clear.

Unlike the Uchiha Clan's tendency toward explosive, direct advancement, the Hyuga Clan's chakra emphasized precision and penetration. It was like fine needles, yet also like layers upon layers of unbroken flowing water. Even in basic movements, it was clear that her clan's inheritance was more complete than that of others.

"W-where are you looking..." Hinata grew even more nervous under his gaze. Her footing abruptly faltered, and she nearly pitched straight forward.

Ling came back to himself, stopped observing, and raised a hand to catch her. One hand clasped her wrist, while the other lightly supported her lower back. Only after she had regained her balance did he let go.

"Watch your footing," he said.

Hinata's entire face instantly turned scarlet.

She could clearly feel that her breathing had gone ragged in that instant. Only the sound of her heartbeat remained by her ears, while even the voices of everyone else on the training ground seemed to recede all at once.

Ling, however, acted as though nothing had happened. He only glanced at her stance and added, "Pull your right foot back another half inch. You lost your balance because your center of gravity was too far outward."

Hinata's face reddened further, and she nodded lightly.

After practice ended, Iruka praised several students whose movements had been the most proper, and Hinata was among them. When she heard her name, she was visibly surprised and instinctively glanced toward Ling.

But Ling was thinking about something else.

If he could clearly see the way the Gentle Fist chakra circulated, did that mean that, as long as he came into contact with enough techniques in the future, he could gradually understand the power principles behind different systems?

Once that thought surfaced, it was difficult to suppress.

After school, Hinata caught up to him once again at the school gate.

This time, she held a very small medicine box in her hand. Its exterior was plain, clearly not anything expensive.

"This is... for meridian soreness." She held out the medicine box, her voice still soft. "I noticed that after practicing recently, your arms always seem uncomfortable."

Ling looked at the hand extended before him and fell silent for two breaths.

He had indeed been enduring the stinging pain from compressing chakra lately. He had not expected her to notice.

"Medicine from the Hyuga Clan?"

Hinata nodded, then quickly added as though afraid he might misunderstand, "It's ordinary medicine, not very expensive, and... and you don't have to repay me..."

She paused, then seemingly could not hold it in any longer and softly voiced what she truly wanted to say. "I... I've often seen you practicing alone at the training ground after school lately. Every time you finish, your arms shake a little."

Ling reached out and accepted it. The instant his fingertips touched the medicine box, they inevitably brushed against the girl's slightly cool fingers.

As though burned, Hinata jerked her hand back.

Ling lowered his head to look at the medicine box in his palm, and his eyes shifted slightly.

So she had not noticed him by chance.

She had already quietly watched him many times.

For the first time, he truly realized that this girl who always quietly shrank into the corner was gradually placing her gaze and thoughts upon him.

"Thank you," he said.

Hinata's eyes widened, as though she had not expected to hear those words from him. The next moment, she hurriedly nodded, then turned and ran away as if fleeing.

The setting sun stretched long shadows across the stone steps outside the school gate.

Ling stood where he was, gently rubbing the edge of the medicine box with his thumb. The cold, singular routine of his training suddenly gained a faint warmth—subtle, yet real.

And that warmth did not distract him.

On the contrary, it made him even more certain that he had to become strong.

Only by becoming strong enough could he truly catch those who were beginning to draw close to him.