What is this?

"A Snowman Suit." Toru Kujyo handed her one of the suits. "Today, we're going to do a special kind of sparring."

Hinata took the Snowman Suit and found that it was unusually heavy. Wearing it made her as bulky as a real snowman. Stranger still, there seemed to be some special structure inside that made her movements extremely awkward.

"Kujyo, how are we supposed to spar in this?" Hinata tried waving her arms and found that she couldn't even perform the basic opening stance of the Gentle Fist.

Toru Kujyo had already put on his own Snowman Suit and looked like a walking snowball. "That's the whole point of today's training. Let's begin, Hinata."

As soon as he finished speaking, Toru Kujyo lunged at her. Hinata was still adjusting to the suit's restrictions and had no time to react before his palm sent her flying. She rolled across the ground several times.

"That hurt..." Hinata got back up, her back burning with pain.

"Keep going." Toru Kujyo's voice sounded slightly muffled through the Snowman Suit.

Hinata gritted her teeth and took a defensive stance. But the suit's restrictions made her slow and clumsy, allowing Toru Kujyo to land hits with ease every time. She fell and got back up, over and over, until bruises soon covered her body.

"Why do we have to wear these things?" Hinata asked breathlessly, beads of sweat already forming on her face.

Toru Kujyo didn't answer and attacked again. This time, his movements seemed a little slower, and he left an obvious opening as he approached her.

Hinata's eyes lit up, and she struck with all her strength. Her palm drove through the thick Snowman Suit and hit Toru Kujyo squarely on the shoulder.

"I did it!" Hinata cried excitedly.

Toru Kujyo took two steps back and nodded. "Good. That's the feeling you want."

As they continued sparring, Toru Kujyo deliberately left openings from time to time so Hinata could hit him. Whenever she landed a successful strike, the exhaustion vanished from her face, and her fighting spirit flared anew in her eyes.

An hour later, Toru Kujyo stopped their sparring and began treating Hinata's injuries. Green chakra gathered in his hands as he gently passed them over her bruises.

"Do you understand what the Snowman Suit is for now?" Toru Kujyo asked as he treated her.

Hinata nodded thoughtfully. "It's to teach me how to deliver chakra precisely into my opponent's body, even under unfavorable conditions?"

"Exactly." Toru Kujyo smiled in satisfaction. "This technique is called 'Strike the Ox Across the Mountain.' When your body is restricted, you have to control the flow and output of your chakra even more precisely."

Hinata looked at her hands, as though she could still feel that peculiar sensation from striking Toru Kujyo. "I see. When I hit you just now, my chakra really did feel like it had more penetrating power than usual."

Toru Kujyo nodded in approval. "Keep practicing, and the power of your Gentle Fist will improve by leaps and bounds."

Once the treatment was finished, Hinata was surprised to find that almost all her injuries had healed, leaving only a little soreness.

"Your Medical Ninjutsu is amazing," Hinata said admiringly.

"It's only basic medical treatment." Toru Kujyo dispelled the chakra in his hands. "But you don't need to worry about hidden injuries. Uncle Hiashi will notice them, and he'll arrange for a professional medical ninja to help your body recover."

Hinata blushed slightly. She hadn't expected Toru Kujyo to have considered even those details.

"By the way, are you hungry?" Toru Kujyo asked suddenly.

Hinata instinctively touched her stomach. The intense training had indeed used up a great deal of her energy. "A little..."

"Then let's go ice fishing. We can grill whatever we catch right there," Toru Kujyo suggested.

"Ice fishing?" Hinata blinked. "Is there still any ice?"

Toru Kujyo pointed to a small pond at the edge of the training ground. "The ice there is still thick. It's perfect for ice fishing."

They went over to the pond, and Toru Kujyo took some fishing gear out of a sealing scroll. First, he used Fire Release to melt a small hole in the ice, then lowered his hook into the water.

"Have you ever fished before?" Toru Kujyo asked.

Hinata shook her head. "The Hyuga Clan's rules are very strict. I rarely get a chance to do things like this."

"Then consider today a new experience." Toru Kujyo handed her a fishing rod. "Fishing takes patience. It helps train your state of mind, too."

Hinata carefully took the rod and followed Toru Kujyo's example, waiting quietly. The early spring sunlight shone on the ice, reflecting a dazzling glow. The whole scene was wonderfully peaceful.

"I've got a bite!" Hinata cried excitedly as she felt the rod tremble.

With Toru Kujyo's guidance, Hinata successfully reeled in a sizable fish. Toru Kujyo quickly built a campfire and began preparing it.

"I never imagined you'd be so good at grilling fish, too." Hinata watched his practiced movements, her eyes full of admiration.

"When you've lived alone long enough, you have to learn a little of everything," Toru Kujyo said as he turned the fish. "All right, it's ready to eat."

Hinata took the grilled fish and cautiously bit into it. The flesh was tender and delicious, and with the special seasoning, it tasted far better than she had expected.

"It's delicious!" Hinata's eyes shone, and she began taking big bites.

Toru Kujyo watched how much Hinata ate and quietly made note of an important fact. Just as in the anime, she had an astonishing appetite. That meant she had a strong digestive system, tremendous potential for both physical and spiritual energy, and a much higher chakra ceiling than most people.

"Would you like some more?" Toru Kujyo asked.

Hinata nodded a little sheepishly. "If that's all right..."

"Of course." Toru Kujyo picked up his fishing rod again. "Let's catch a few more."

For a while after that, Toru Kujyo kept catching and grilling fish, while Hinata freely enjoyed the food. In front of him, she no longer restrained her appetite the way she did at home. Instead, she ate to her heart's content.

Being together so naturally made Hinata feel more at ease than ever before. She realized that she could be entirely herself around Toru Kujyo without worrying about being criticized or mocked.

"Thank you, Kujyo." After eating her fill, Hinata leaned contentedly against a tree trunk. "I really enjoyed today."

Looking at Hinata's satisfied expression, Toru Kujyo felt an inexplicable sense of accomplishment as well. He knew that her fate had already begun to change under his influence. She was no longer that timid, weak girl, but someone steadily growing into a formidable fighter.

"Hinata," Toru Kujyo said suddenly, "have you ever thought about what you'll be like in the future?"