Konoha: Gu Master

"Rest period is over. The second round begins now."

Half an hour later, Genma Shiranui stood by the lottery box once again. He drew a slip, "Ino Yamanaka."

Ino's heart skipped a beat, a hint of unease filling her.

Of the five remaining competitors, she had no guaranteed victories, especially against Shinho Aburame or Sasuke Uchiha. 

Against them, her chances felt nonexistent, even with Idō's power.

"Sasuke Uchiha," Genma announced, drawing the second name.

"…."

The hope drained from Ino's eyes. If Shinho was her worst-case opponent, Sasuke was a close second.

Both of them had the upper hand in using Yin Release powers, with Sasuke's Sharingan far surpassing her own abilities. 

Not to mention, he had both Sakumo Hatake's swordsmanship and Kakashi's Lightning Release.

"You should forfeit," Sasuke said calmly.

"No way!" Ino gritted her teeth, refusing. 

Idō was Shinho's gift to her—she couldn't just back down without a fight.

Looking briefly at Shinho, her gaze steeled with determination.

Sasuke, seeing her resolve, didn't try to persuade her further. Instead, he activated his three-tomoe Sharingan.

The most dangerous move in Ino's arsenal was the Yamanaka clan's signature technique, the Mind-Body Switch Jutsu. 

Enhanced with Idō, her jutsu had reached a new level, making it nearly impossible for any genin to evade.

But for Sasuke, it was still too slow.

Once they engaged, Ino quickly found herself cornered. Every move she made was laid bare before Sasuke's Sharingan.

Two minutes later, with Sasuke's blade against her neck, she admitted defeat.

With a nod, Sasuke sheathed his sword, glancing over at Shinho with anticipation glinting in his eyes.

Their battle was fast approaching.

"Shinho-kun… I'm sorry," Ino said softly, her head lowered, her once-bouncy blonde bangs drooping with her mood.

"You did well." Shinho reached out, gently patting her head.

Feeling his touch, Ino's spirits instantly lifted, a smile blossoming on her face.

"And me?!" Karin instinctively leaned closer to Ino, colliding with her.

The two girls pressed against each other, their legs tensed: Ino's pale thigh beside Karin's dark thigh-high sock.

"Enough," Shinho said, separating them and moving them to either side. "Don't disrupt the Exams."

"Hmph, I'll let it slide, for Shinho-kun's sake," Karin said, huffing as she happily clung to Shinho's arm.

Were it not for the public setting, she might have clung to him completely.

Ino felt a warmth in her hand.

Glancing down, she saw her left hand held by Shinho's.

Instantly, she forgot about Karin, her cheeks tingling with warmth. She tightened her grip instead of letting go.

Shinho, without thinking, compared the two hands in his grasp. Both girls' hands were soft and smooth.

Hinata stood frozen, clutching her collar, her mind a whirl with uncertainty.

Could it be… Shinho-kun doesn't want me anymore?

Her thoughts spiraled with anxiety.

Up in the stands, Gaara suddenly frowned.

He felt an icy presence and followed it to its source—Tsunade.

What on earth was going on?

Gaara hesitated to say anything and eventually decided to stay silent.

Tsunade bit her lip, her face darkening.

That little brat!

During such a solemn Chūnin Exam, he was standing there with two girls on either arm. It was… it was truly scandalous!

"Match two: Hinata Hyūga vs. Neji Hyūga," Genma announced, glancing at the slip.

Hinata's head shot up, eyes wide with surprise.

Her opponent was Neji-nii?

She felt her confidence plummet. Having sparred frequently with Neji, she usually lost. The rare wins she had were due to his mercy.

"Hinata."

Shinho walked over to her. Ino and Karin glanced at each other behind him before both looked away. 

Compared to Hinata's gentle demeanor, the rivalry between them seemed fierce and unyielding.

Neji took a single glance at them before stepping into the arena to wait.

He had no reason to worry after having sparred with Hinata countless times.

While Shinho's support had bolstered her confidence, natural talent couldn't be altered. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't beat him.

"Go for it. Defeat him," Shinho encouraged her.

He understood Hinata's hesitation. Against others, she might not feel so insecure even if she struggled, but facing Neji was, it was different.

The tension of the Hyūga clan's main and branch family divisions weighed heavily on her. 

Because of Shinho, Neji had restrained his resentment, yet he hadn't forgotten his father's death at the hands of the main family.

The only difference was that, now, he could treat Hinata civilly.

"Can I… can I really do it?" Hinata whispered, looking up at him.

"Don't forget your secret weapon," Shinho said, holding out his hand. There was nothing in his hands, but hinata understood his words—he meant the Snow Fairy Gu.

"Do you remember what I told you before?" Shinho asked gently. "Don't think about anything else. Just throw your punches."

Hinata's body tensed with recognition.

Those were the words Shinho had said when he rescued her in the snow

Of course, she remembered.

"Shinho-kun!" Hinata clasped his hand, her eyes flashing with newfound courage. "I… I'll show you what I can do!"

"I believe in you."

Shinho gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I… I'm going up…" Hinata whispered, looking down shyly as a blush spread across her cheeks.

She released his hand, took a deep breath, and stepped into the center of the arena.

From the spectators' seats:

"What's he doing now?" Hiashi Hyūga observed the two, his tone displeased.

"I think big sis is nervous," Hanabi chimed in, trying to ease the tension. "Brother in law's probably worried for her too."

"Brother in law?" Hiashi frowned.

"Future fiancé," Hanabi blurted out, quickly covering her slip by doubling down.

"…"

Hiashi's mouth twitched. "It's not decided, so don't rush to call him that."

Besides, that boy seemed fickle. Just moments ago, he'd been practically clinging to both Ino and Karin.

Thanks to his Byakugan, Hiashi saw everything clearly.

He'd have to find a chance to warn that kid. The Hyūga clan's heiress would not be treated as a mere concubine.

Or rather, she wouldn't have to share her husband.

It was worth noting that many feudal traditions still held sway in the Five Great Nations. It was common for daimyo to have multiple wives.

"Yes, Father."

Changing the subject, Hanabi asked, "Do you think big sis can win?"

"It's unlikely," Hiashi admitted with a shake of his head.

Hanabi sighed. This was what she'd expected. 

While she wanted Hinata to win, Neji's skill was unquestionably superior.

Seeing that they had completed the Seal of Confrontation, Genma called out;

"Begin!"

"So, Shinho's given you another pep talk, hasn't he?" Neji asked, eyeing Hinata's determined look.

Not only was Shinho powerful, but he had a silver tongue that Neji had experienced first-hand when Shinho had convinced him to join the Heavens Will. 

"Yes," Hinata replied with a nod.

"Then let's get started." Neji shifted into his Gentle Fist stance. "Let's see if his words make any difference."

With a swish of air, Neji moved like lightning, his palm striking toward Hinata.

He didn't hold back, immediately launching into the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, his strikes coming in relentless waves.

Hinata responded swiftly, matching his moves with her own Gentle Fist technique. 

Within seconds, they each exchanged dozens of blows aimed precisely at each other's chakra points.

But despite having learned from the same teacher, Hinata's mastery of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms couldn't match Neji's.

Thwack! Thwack!

Hinata staggered back, her right arm tingling from a chakra point he'd struck.

Thankfully, only one point had been hit, so the effect was limited.

"If that's all you have, you might as well forfeit," Neji said, shaking his head.

It seemed that pep talks could only go so far.

"…"

Hinata took a deep breath.

In terms of pure Gentle Fist skill, she couldn't beat Neji. Her only option now was to use the Snow fairy Gu.

With a thought, a wave of cold energy radiated from her, causing the temperature around her to plummet.

"What?" Neji's eyes widened in shock.

The crowd let out gasps of surprise. The shinobi world was full of strange abilities, but this was unlike anything they'd seen.

"Am I seeing things?" Hanabi Hyūga stared in awe at Hinata. "Sister looks… amazing!"

"???"

Hiashi Hyūga's face twisted in confusion, three question marks were practically floating over his head.

Was that really his daughter?

No, was she even human?

"Ice Release?" Tsunade muttered, frowning slightly.

It was the only logical explanation that came to mind, but it still made no sense.

How could Hinata know Ice Release?

Then again, Tsunade had seen Haku's Ice Release, which hadn't looked quite like this—Haku couldn't fully transform into ice, let alone appear as a full-blown Snow fairy.

Tsunade's gaze shifted to Shinho.

Though far away, her trained eyes noticed that he alone among the spectators didn't look surprised.

Of course. It had to be his doing!

Tsunade recalled the laifespan Gu he had given her. Considering that, maybe turning into a Snow Fairy wasn't so outrageous.

Just how many tricks does this kid have up his sleeve? Tsunade thought, her curiocity irreparably piqued.

"Neji-nii."

Hinata's presence grew colder as she spoke, "Shinho-kun said I could beat you, so I want to give it a try."

"…"

Neji's mouth twitched slightly.

This guy again—truly, she was blinded by love!

Then he frowned, asking, "This transformation… did Shinho give it to you?"

"Yes," Hinata admitted.

"Of course," Neji replied, his tone turning serious. "Then let's see what you've got."

No sooner had he spoken than Hinata raised her hand.

In an instant, chakra condensed into a barrage of ice spikes, which flew at Neji in a flurry.

Eight Trigrams Air Palm!

Neji's palms struck out repeatedly, compressing air into invisible bullets.

The ice spikes shattered under the force, scattering in all directions.

Neji pressed on, sending more Gentle Fist chakra blasts directly at Hinata.

Just as he closed in, an ice shield materialized in front of her, absorbing the blows.

"Stronger defense than those ice spikes," Neji murmured thoughtfully.

In a flash, he disappeared.

Reappearing behind Hinata, he struck her with a powerful palm.

But as soon as he made contact, his expression changed drastically.

Hinata had no chakra points.

More precisely, her body had no flesh and blood—she was entirely made of ice and snow.

No chakra points meant no way to block her chakra flow.

What's more, her defense was unnervingly high.

His attack left her completely unscathed.

In that brief moment of shock, he noticed a chilling wave on either side of him.

He was surrounded by ice spikes.

With a low grunt, Neji unleashed a massive burst of chakra.

Revolving heaven!

His body spun rapidly, creating a powerful shield of chakra.

Boom!

Hinata was forced back, but she quickly flipped mid-air, landing smoothly.

"Revolving heaven?" Hinata murmured, staring at Neji in awe.

Revolving heaven was one of the Hyūga clan's legendary techniques, an absolute defense that required both offensive and defensive mastery. It was incredibly powerful and difficult to learn.

Hinata had never managed to master it. Not yet.

"Neji truly is a genius," Hiashi murmured, unable to suppress his admiration as he watched.

Despite receiving no special training, Neji had learned Revolving heaven simply by observing others—a talent so rare it was nearly unmatched in Hyūga clan history.

Had he been born into the main family, the elders would have been overjoyed.

"But Sister's doing well, too!" Hanabi's eyes sparkled. "I wonder if I could learn her ice jutsu?"

"This looks like Ice Release," Hiashi said uncertainly. "Which means it's probably not something she could pass on."

"Then how did she learn it?" Hanabi asked, frowning.

"I haven't the slightest idea ," Hiashi replied bluntly.

Ever since Hinata had met Shinho, she'd been changing in unexpected ways.

Wait a minute.

Could this be Shinho's doing as well?

Back in the arena, the match had entered a strange rhythm.

Neji and Hinata had reached a stalemate—Neji couldn't disrupt her chakra points, and she couldn't break through his Revolving heaven.

After several minutes, Neji raised his hand.

"I forfeit," he said.

His chakra was exhausted.

Revolving heaven required an immense amount of chakra to sustain its rapid, defensive spin.

The fact that Neji had held out this long was a testament to his considerable chakra reserves.

But in the end, Hinata had the upper hand.

As a Snow Fairy, she could control ice instinctively, and it barely drained her chakra at all.

"The winner is Hinata Hyūga!" Genma called out.

Hinata stood frozen in shock.

Did… did I win?

She could hardly believe it.

[Achievement unlocked: Hinata Hyūga, 'I'm Not Human Anymore!' Reward: Grass Puppet Gu.]

[Grass Puppet Gu: Rank 4 Gu worm. Allows the user to turn surrounding plants and trees into weapons for attack and defense]

Shinho blinked, surprised.

This thing was practically Wood Release!

join my patreon for 125+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL