Reconnaissance

While he waited for the shadow clone to scout the area, "Ino" turned toward Hinata, his gaze returning to Toru Kujyo's characteristic calm.

"K-Kujyo..." Hinata called softly, her cheeks beginning to flush again.

Toru Kujyo nodded. Then, under Hinata's astonished gaze, "Ino's" figure wavered. The short pink hair and purple kimono vanished in an instant, revealing Toru Kujyo's delicate features and plain clothes.

He looked at Hinata and got straight to the point. "I brought you out to teach you a technique. If you master it, your father might not be able to stop you from leaving so easily anymore."

Hinata froze. She had never expected Toru Kujyo to say that. She had always believed the clan's rules could not be broken, and that her father's decisions were even more impossible to defy.

Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Toru Kujyo explained:

"I know the Hyuga Main Family holds you to strict standards, and your position is special. Your father doesn't let you leave the clan grounds easily, partly to protect you, but mostly because your abilities haven't met his expectations yet. If you show enough potential, or even master powerful abilities beyond the Hyuga's Gentle Fist, he might reconsider the restrictions he places on you."

He paused, his tone cooling slightly.

"Besides, as far as the Hyuga Clan is concerned, our relationship itself is forbidden. Social standing, kekkei genkai... those are the things they value. Unless I can prove that I'm valuable enough, they'll never allow us to grow too close."

At those words, a bitter ache welled up in Hinata's heart. She knew Toru Kujyo was telling the truth. The Hyuga Clan valued bloodline and status with an almost obsessive intensity. She was a direct descendant of the Main Family, while Toru Kujyo was an orphan of unknown origins. The gulf between them was as vast as heaven and earth.

"I transformed into Ino Yamanaka because her background makes her more acceptable to the Hyuga Clan. She's also your classmate, so she's less likely to arouse suspicion," Toru Kujyo continued, explaining his plan. "With 'urgent school business' as an excuse and Ino's identity to back it up, the guards were more likely to let us through."

He looked into the distance, his gaze deep.

"I took the risk of bringing you out this time not just to help you grow stronger and turn your potential trait red, but for myself, too. Your Byakugan is one of the keys to awakening the Tenseigan, and I also need a way to increase my own power. I don't intend to waste this break on basic school lessons. I want to use this time to bring both of us to a whole new level."

His words were calm, but they carried an unquestionable resolve. Looking at him, Hinata was shocked by his hidden ambitions and goals, yet more than anything, she felt valued. He had risked bringing her out to make her stronger, and for his own sake as well. But in doing so, he had acknowledged her potential and trusted her enough to include her in his plans.

Just then, the shadow clone that had slipped into the forest silently dispersed, sending a stream of information back into Toru Kujyo's mind.

"No one's following us," Toru Kujyo confirmed.

Only then did he relax completely and continue toward Training Ground No. 3 with Hinata.

Once they reached the center of the training ground, Toru Kujyo surveyed their surroundings, making sure it was secluded enough for the training ahead.

"Have you learned the Three Basic Techniques? The Transformation Technique, Substitution Technique, and Clone Technique?" Toru Kujyo asked.

Hinata shook her head and said quietly, "Father said... I should focus on practicing Gentle Fist first..."

Toru Kujyo understood. The Hyuga Clan did place greater emphasis on developing Gentle Fist and the Byakugan, while attaching less importance to basic ninjutsu. That was especially true of ninjutsu like the Clone Technique, which required a certain amount of chakra. For Hyuga clan members, whose chakra reserves were not particularly abundant, it was not a high priority.

"That's all right," Toru Kujyo said. "The Three Basic Techniques are fundamentals, but they aren't the only path. Gentle Fist demands a high degree of chakra control, which is good. I'll teach you a technique that can quickly improve your chakra control. It'll be a tremendous help with both Gentle Fist and learning to create shadow clones."

Hinata's eyes lit up at the mention of shadow clones. The Shadow Clone Technique was an advanced cloning technique that only a handful of geniuses could master! Besides, Toru Kujyo had previously used a shadow clone to attend school. If she could learn it too...

Toru Kujyo saw the longing in her eyes and said calmly:

"That's right. I'll teach you the Shadow Clone Technique. But before that, you need to master more basic chakra control. My plan is for you to do what I did before during this break: send a shadow clone to school every day while your real body stays here to train with me. That way, you won't fall behind in your classes, and you'll improve much more efficiently."

Hinata's heart began racing again. Sending a shadow clone to school while her real body could freely train with Kujyo... it was the life she had always dreamed of!

She longed to grow stronger, to earn her father's approval, and even more, to have time she could spend as she wished like an ordinary child, rather than being shackled by the clan's rules. Learning to create shadow clones meant she would no longer be left behind by Toru Kujyo. She might even gain the freedom she had always yearned for.

"Y-yes!" She nodded vigorously, a hint of excitement in her voice.

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Toru Kujyo's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.

He walked over to a large tree at the edge of the training ground and pointed at its trunk. "We'll start with the very basics. This technique is called 'Tree Climbing.' By concentrating chakra in the soles of your feet, you create an adhesive force that lets you climb the trunk without using your hands."

As he spoke, he demonstrated for Hinata. Without forming any hand seals, he simply gathered chakra in the soles of his feet, lifted one foot, and planted it firmly on the trunk. Then he walked upward step by step as though he were on level ground, easily reaching the treetop in no time.

Standing beneath the tree, Hinata looked up at Toru Kujyo's effortless movements, too stunned to speak. Walking up a tree with his feet?

H-how was that possible?

She had always thought ninjas moved on the ground, or at most leaped across rooftops. She had never seen anyone defy common sense and walk up a tree like this. Toru Kujyo's figure seemed especially imposing in the sunlight. At that moment, he seemed capable of anything to her.

Toru Kujyo jumped down from the tree and landed steadily in front of Hinata. He brushed his hands together and said calmly, "This is only the first stage. Once you've mastered Tree Climbing, we'll practice 'Water Walking' so you can walk freely on the surface of water. These are the most basic chakra control exercises, but they'll be a tremendous help in mastering the delicate control Gentle Fist requires, as well as learning ninjutsu like the Shadow Clone Technique that require precise chakra distribution."