Inside the Hyuga Clan grounds.
In the clan leader's residence.
Hyuga Hiashi's face was grim as he looked at Hinata, who was kneeling before him.
"I told you to return home before dinner, right?"
Even though his guards had tacitly allowed Hinata to return home late, he still had to maintain the appearance of a head of the household.
"Father, I will train hard in the future."
"You should train hard!"
"Please punish me, Father."
Looking at Hinata, who was now actively admitting her mistakes, though she still seemed somewhat fearful, she no longer had the timid and hesitant demeanor of the past, Hyuga Hiashi was a bit surprised.
'Did she really change this much in just one afternoon?'
While he felt a sense of relief in his heart, an inexplicable anger also arose.
His daughter, who hadn't changed much in all these years, had suddenly undergone such a drastic transformation because of an outsider she had barely met a few times.
This kind of situation would be difficult for any father to accept.
With a flick of his wide sleeves, Hyuga Hiashi turned his back to her and spoke coldly, "Until the Ninja Academy starts, you are not allowed to leave the house!"
Hearing the punishment, Hinata's small body trembled, "Father, c-can you change it to something else?"
"I can do anything else..."
Hyuga Hiashi felt his heart ache. Although he had planned to let the relationship between Hinata and Aoba develop naturally, his daughter's first act of disobedience against his wishes was for the sake of some random boy.
Turning back, he saw Hinata's pitiful and pleading expression. The harsh words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't bring himself to say them, "Tomorrow, fight against Neji. Show me your strength after awakening the Byakugan. I will determine your punishment based on your performance."
"Now go rest."
"Yes, thank you, Father."
Hinata stood up and left. When she reached the doorway, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Her heart was still pounding rapidly.
Although she had promised Aoba-kun to be strong, facing her father still made her extremely nervous.
Moreover, she was worried. If she was grounded for half a year, would Aoba-kun still want to be with her after so long?
———
After returning to her room, Hinata didn't fall asleep immediately.
She replayed in her mind the conversation she had with Shirakumo Aoba earlier that evening, as well as their promise to each other.
Gradually, a radiant smile bloomed on Hinata's face.
'From now on, I will fight for Aoba-kun. And Aoba-kun will protect everything for me.'
'So, for the sake of Aoba-kun, in tomorrow's fight against Neji-nii-san, I have to give it my all.'
———
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Inside the training hall.
Fists and feet clashed.
Neji's attacks were swift and relentless, but his expression no longer carried the cold confidence of the past. Instead, his face was filled with disbelief.
'The Hinata in front of me. Is this really the same person?'
'And when did she awaken the Byakugan?'
Faced with Neji's rapid and intense Gentle Fist strikes, Hinata's defense was surprisingly airtight.
The two of them exchanged blows, yet for a moment, neither could overpower the other.
In between their clashing movements, Hinata's eyes gleamed slightly.
Neji, shocked by her changes, was momentarily distracted, exposing an opening.
"Sorry, Neji nii-san!"
Hinata's gaze turned resolute. She hardened her resolve and struck at Neji's chest before he could recover.
Bang!
Step! Step! Step!
Neji staggered back several steps, staring at Hinata in utter disbelief.
He had actually been forced back by Hinata.
He couldn't believe her progress could be this rapid.
Hyuga Hiashi, observing from the side, was also slightly taken aback.
Not only was this the first time Hinata had repelled Neji, but it was also the first time she had actively attacked his weaknesses.
Neji's fragile and sensitive heart was instantly stung.
'I have actually been pushed back. By this weak and useless heiress?'
"Impossible! How could this be? I was just careless!"
Neji stared at Hinata, unwilling to accept this outcome.
But he had already exposed a flaw and been struck down. The match was over. Without Hiashi's permission, he couldn't continue attacking.
Hiashi noticed the unwillingness in Neji's gaze and sighed inwardly.
He was worried that, in this state, Neji might lose control of his emotions.
If that happened, he would have no choice but to use the Caged Bird Curse as punishment.
Hiashi then looked at Hinata and found that she was standing calmly, her breath slightly unsteady, but her expression remained composed as she gazed at Neji.
At this moment, Hiashi wanted to see how far Hinata could go.
"Continue!"
Neji and Hinata moved at the same time.
But this time, Neji no longer held back.
Every strike was ruthless and precise.
During the first half of the fight, Hinata was constantly retreating while Neji pressed forward aggressively.
It was as if he was venting his emotions, no longer controlling his strength.
Hiashi watched with furrowed brows and sighed inwardly.
'As expected, Neji has always trained harder than Hinata. Some gaps can't be bridged just by awakening the Byakugan or changing one's personality.'
The difference between them wasn't so easily erased.
But during the exchange, Hinata gradually felt a growing unwillingness.
She hadn't expected that just because Neji nii-san got a little more serious, she wouldn't even have a chance to fight back.
She recalled her promise to Aoba-kun. She had vowed to fight him.
'If I can't even defeat Neji nii-san, what right do I have to stand beside Aoba-kun?'
'If I lose this match, Father might confine me at home for six months.'
"I won't let you look down on the bond between me and Aoba-kun!"
Hinata, who had been gritting her teeth, suddenly became even more determined.
Veins bulged around her eyes, extending across the upper half of her face.
Her entire aura changed in an instant.
For some reason, when Neji saw Hinata's increasingly refined Byakugan, he felt a sudden sense of unease.
An invisible pressure emanated from her gaze.
It was as if an inferior being was facing a superior one, causing Neji to feel as though he might faint at any moment.
[A/N: Just assume it's a bloodline reversion, giving Hinata a little boost.]
In Neji's eyes, Hinata's speed and strength had suddenly surged.
Her strikes became fiercer and more domineering.
She started gradually reversing the disadvantage.
Moreover, her aura exuded an unstoppable determination, as if she would crush anything in her path.
The stalemate didn't last long.
Hinata soon found an opening in Neji's distracted defense and struck him down with a single palm.
"What... happened?", Neji was dumbfounded.
Still reeling from the oppressive sensation earlier, he was now dazed from the finishing blow.
But when he looked up at Hinata, he saw her pale face.
Although she was also swaying unsteadily, Neji knew. He had lost.
If this had been a real battle to the death, that final strike would have ended him.
He had lost.
Lost to this supposedly weak heiress.
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