Already shy, Hinata Hyuga flushed the moment she heard Lady Tsunade's praise. Her eyes were lowered, and her long lashes trembled slightly, betraying the turmoil in her heart.
Tsunade's praise also brought delighted smiles to Hyuga Hiashi and his wife. To them, if Lady Tsunade was already praising Hinata, she would almost certainly take Hinata as her apprentice.
After looking Hinata over, Tsunade approached her and smiled reassuringly. "Hinata, I'm going to examine your body in a moment. It's just a routine checkup, and it won't hurt, so don't be nervous."
Hinata raised her eyes and timidly looked at the smiling Tsunade. Sensing that the woman meant her no harm, she nodded slightly and spoke in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "Sorry for the trouble, Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade was quite fond of the petite little girl before her and had already made up her mind: as long as Hinata's aptitude wasn't too poor, she would take her as her apprentice. That seemed unlikely, anyway. After all, Hinata came from the Hyuga Clan's Main Family. If the Hyuga Main Family had poor aptitude, even the Cursed Seal known as the Caged Bird Seal could not have kept the Branch Family under its control for so many years.
Tsunade raised a hand and stroked Hinata's soft hair. Then a gentle green glow appeared around her hand, and she placed it lightly against Hinata's forehead.
For Hyuga Hiashi and his wife, this was the decisive moment. As long as Hinata's talent met the requirements, the Hyuga Clan's loyalty to the Hokage Faction would surely secure her a place as Lady Tsunade's apprentice. Neither of them dared breathe too loudly as they anxiously watched Tsunade's expression.
When Tsunade began examining Hinata's condition, her expression was perfectly calm. As the examination progressed,