Peace of mind

"Kujyo!" Hinata cried out.

But Toru Kujyo flipped nimbly in midair and landed firmly on the stream's surface, his feet touching down as lightly as a dragonfly skimming water. A few ripples spread out, but he did not sink at all.

"Water Walking?!" Hinata covered her small mouth in astonishment. This was a chakra control skill far more difficult than Tree Climbing!

As though nothing had happened, Toru Kujyo took a few steps across the water and smiled at Hinata. "Looks like I need more practice. I almost fell in. You should give it a try too. Water Walking feels different from Tree Climbing."

Before Hinata could recover from her shock, Toru Kujyo made another move. His hands swiftly formed hand seals. "Shadow Clone Technique!"

Poof!

A Shadow Clone identical to him appeared beside him and nodded to Hinata.

"Sh-shadow clone?!" Hinata's eyes widened even further. This was a B-rank ninjutsu! Kujyo even knew this?!

"All right, one of us will keep watch, and the other will guide you." The original Toru Kujyo walked over to Hinata. "Let's continue our taijutsu practice."

During the sparring that followed, Toru Kujyo no longer pulled his attacks at the slightest contact as he had before. His offense grew much fiercer, his speed and strength rising a full notch. Although Hinata had improved tremendously, she still struggled against Toru Kujyo when he went all out, and he soon had her scrambling.

"Focus! Read my movements!" Toru Kujyo barked. Holding his right index and middle fingers together, he jabbed at a chakra point on her arm, moving faster than she could!

Hinata tried to dodge, but she was far too late. Just as she thought his strike would land, Toru Kujyo's fingers stopped half an inch from her skin. A sharp gust of wind fluttered her sleeve.

"Wind Release?" Sensing the nature of that chakra, Hinata was shocked once again.

Toru Kujyo withdrew his hand and looked at Hinata, then cast an almost imperceptible glance toward the hidden lookout. "Your reactions are still too slow," he said calmly. "All right, that's enough for today."

The distant lookout reported everything to Hyuga Hiashi exactly as it had happened.

After hearing the report, Hiashi sank into thought. Water Walking, Shadow Clones, Wind Release ninjutsu, taijutsu and teaching ability far beyond his peers... The talent and strength this boy named Toru Kujyo had displayed were already far beyond those of an ordinary civilian-born ninja. He was even stronger than many established Chunin!

More importantly, he seemed to bear no ill intent. Instead, he was sincerely helping Hinata grow stronger. Her progress was plain to see, and his teaching was proving even more effective than Hiashi's own.

"Perhaps... letting him continue wouldn't be such a bad thing." Hiashi reached a decision. Hinata's timid nature had always been a headache for him. If Toru Kujyo could become a "whetstone" that spurred her growth and drew out her potential, that would be a worthwhile choice.

As for the boy's background and motives... a cold glint flashed through Hiashi's eyes. An exceptionally gifted civilian-born prodigy? Interesting. As long as he remained useful to the Hyuga Clan and Hinata, his presence could be tolerated for now. He was like a handy tool, one capable of polishing Hinata's uncut jade into something finer. Of course, a tool was still a tool. If he tried to influence Hinata or forge any improper connection with the Main Family, Hiashi would not hesitate to "dispose" of him.

Hiashi waved a hand, dismissing the lookout. "Continue watching him, but don't interfere."

From then on, the sensation of being watched from the shadows disappeared. Toru Kujyo knew his probe had succeeded. Hyuga Hiashi had tacitly approved his actions. At least for the time being, he could continue his plan without worry.

Once he had confirmed Hyuga Hiashi's stance, Toru Kujyo set his concerns aside. He formally began teaching Hinata in a systematic fashion.

"The Three Basic Techniques are a ninja's foundation. You have to master them." Toru Kujyo took out three scrolls. "These contain the training methods for the Transformation Technique, Substitution Technique, and Clone Technique. The Clone Technique might be a little difficult for you, but with your current chakra control, the first two shouldn't be hard."

At the same time, he began guiding Hinata through Water Walking training. Compared with Tree Climbing, Water Walking was indeed considerably harder. It required a constant, even layer of chakra across the soles of the feet, with fine adjustments to match changes in the current. At first, Hinata either applied too much force and broke through the surface or lost control of her chakra output and fell into the water. She made plenty of amusing blunders and swallowed plenty of stream water.

But after every failure, Toru Kujyo patiently explained the key points and used his own chakra to guide her, helping her feel the correct way to release it. Hinata did not lose heart either. With her refusal to give up and her steadily improving chakra control, she progressed rapidly.

The intensity of their taijutsu sparring rose again as well. Toru Kujyo no longer held back. Every attack carried a sharp gust of wind, forcing Hinata to draw on every bit of her potential to respond. Her Gentle Fist clashed fiercely with his refined, practical fighting skills, fists and feet striking with resounding thuds.

Hinata often ended up with a bruised face and bruises all over her body. Several times, the pain brought her to tears. But Toru Kujyo never comforted her. After she fell, he would only ask in a calm voice, "Can you still stand?"

And every time, Hinata gritted her teeth and pushed herself back up on trembling arms, her eyes stubborn. "Yes!"

Then the fight continued.

Toru Kujyo only stopped when Hinata had exhausted her chakra or pushed her body beyond its limits and could no longer stand. Then he would take out the medicine he carried with him, or directly use his fledgling medical ninjutsu [Medical Talent (Blue)] to treat her injuries.

Pale green chakra covered her wounds, bringing a cool, soothing sensation. The bruises, swelling, and pain soon faded. This mixture of harshness and kindness left Hinata with complicated feelings toward Toru Kujyo. She feared his strictness during training, yet felt grateful for his gentle treatment afterward, and relied even more on the rapid growth he brought her. Through these intense clashes and swift recoveries, her combat experience, reaction speed, and decisiveness improved astonishingly.

Through their repeated taijutsu sparring, Toru Kujyo was also quietly observing and learning. The Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist was truly intricate, particularly its methods for striking chakra points and blocking chakra pathways, which targeted the crucial nodes of chakra flow within the body. By sparring with Hinata, and with the help of his absurd learning ability [Photographic Memory (Blue)], he had already gained a rough understanding of how Gentle Fist generated force and some basic chakra-point striking techniques.

"Hinata, does your Hyuga Clan's chakra-point striking technique need the Byakugan to reach its full power?" Toru Kujyo asked seemingly casually during a break.

"Yes." Hinata nodded. "The Byakugan lets us see an opponent's chakra pathways and chakra points. That's how we can strike them precisely."