At this point, Naruto and Sakura remained blissfully unaware that Hinata had intercepted the intelligence from Temari. They assumed Hinata had simply "figured it out" herself.
Hinata, having already gained far more than she'd hoped for, decided to leave the steamship incident and its spoils entirely to Sunagakure.
As night fell, the trio found themselves deep in the wilderness, far from any village or settlement. With no choice but to camp, they pitched tents beneath the clear starry sky and lit a warm campfire.
Hinata didn't allow Naruto to eat instant noodles this time, and Sakura joined in with rice balls. From her storage scroll, Hinata unsealed dried meats, canned food, and cooking utensils. She even went hunting in the nearby forest, returning with a bundle of fresh game.
With proper pots, pans, and a full assortment of seasonings—oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, chili, and more—Hinata prepared a meal that would rival any restaurant. The aromas of roasting meat and stewing broth filled the air.
Sakura watched her in awe. "Hinata, you'll make a perfect wife someday!"
Born into nobility, Hinata was beautiful, powerful, refined, kind, and humble. Now, seeing her cook with such skill, Sakura couldn't help but admire her even more.
Naruto glanced between them and suddenly said, "I like you more!"
Sakura blinked. "Huh?"
Before he could elaborate, Sakura's fist came crashing down.
"Idiot! You're supposed to be watching the fire!"
"Really?" Sakura added with mock sweetness. "Well, thanks, but I already like Sasuke!"
Naruto groaned, rubbing his head. "Worth a shot…"
Hinata hid her laughter behind her sleeve as the three of them shared a simple but lively dinner.
Later that night, as they chatted around the campfire, the conversation eventually dwindled, and fatigue set in.
"I'll keep watch," Hinata offered. "You two rest."
Sakura yawned, too tired to argue. "Thanks, Hinata."
Naruto mumbled something incoherent before crawling into his tent.
Left alone, Hinata sat on a small stool beside the fire, propping her chin with one hand while gently stirring the embers with a branch. Her pale eyes reflected the flickering flame as she gazed at Naruto's tent, a quiet sigh escaping her lips.
After a long moment, she stood and moved silently through the darkness, setting traps and sensory seals in a wide perimeter around the camp—precautions against any surprise attack.
Once she was certain Sakura and Naruto were asleep, Hinata walked a few hundred meters away and entered the forest clearing. There, alone under the moonlight, she took a deep breath and activated her new Ten-Tails Chakra Mode.
Her entire body became wrapped in radiant chakra. Power surged through her—so dense and immense it made the air hum.
She raised a hand and gently touched the two small horns of chakra atop her head. They looked soft, but under her touch, she felt their hidden strength.
Like steel wrapped in silk, she thought. Deceptively gentle, yet unbreakable.
Her high collar now shielded her neck completely, the dark pattern of tomoe standing out against the glowing white fabric. The newly formed culottes were light, unrestrictive, and moved as fluidly as her chakra itself.
Testing her stance, Hinata could feel the balance between power and control. She was confident now—if she ever faced Orochimaru and his Eight-Headed Serpent Technique again, she could endure it head-on.
Then her gaze shifted to the small, black sphere hovering behind her.
"What… is this?" she murmured.
The memory of her absorption returned vividly. The Ten-Tails' chakra had acted as a filter, transforming the Gelel Mine's violent, ancient energy into raw vitality that rebuilt her body from within. But when her body reached its limit, the excess had nowhere to go.
So the Ten-Tails' chakra had absorbed it all—condensing that overwhelming energy into the black orb that now followed her.
The horns, the collar, the tomoe, the garments—all were physical manifestations of her enhanced physiology. But the black sphere… that was something else entirely.
By her estimate, perhaps only twenty percent of the Gelel energy had been assimilated into her own body. The rest—filtered and refined—had fused into the Ten-Tails' chakra and crystallized into that ominous sphere.
Hinata's face grew serious. Activating her Byakugan, she attempted to peer into it.
Her vision blurred.
Even her Byakugan—renowned for seeing through everything—couldn't penetrate the darkness. The sphere distorted her perception, twisting space itself. The only thing she could feel was the terrifying concentration of energy within it.
She turned slightly, and the orb moved with her—always behind her waist, perfectly in sync.
Hinata extended her hand, trying to control it with her wireless puppet technique, but it was useless. It refused to move even a millimeter.
She tried again, switching to chakra strings—no response.
No matter how she turned or leapt, the black sphere followed smoothly, matching her motion as if tethered by an invisible force.
When it brushed against a nearby rock, the stone disintegrated instantly—reduced to fine dust without a trace left behind.
Hinata's eyes widened.
She extended a hand covered in Ten-Tails chakra and touched the sphere. She could feel its surface—smooth, cold, humming faintly with destructive power—but she couldn't lift or control it. It floated beyond her will.
Yet it followed her. Always.
If she willed it to destroy, it could disintegrate matter in an instant.
"..."
After nearly two hours of experimentation and contemplation, Hinata finally exited her Ten-Tails Chakra Mode.
…
Her gains this time were nothing short of extraordinary. The few minor imperfections she noticed were negligible compared to the overwhelming benefits she had achieved.
Standing still for a moment, she slowly stretched her limbs. The familiar heaviness she once carried had vanished completely. The improvement in her physique had multiplied both her strength and agility.
From her scroll, Hinata retrieved a new set of gravity weights and began strapping them on—gradually increasing the load until it reached three thousand jin.
[Note: 3,000 jin = 1,500 kilograms (or 1.5 metric tons).]
The difference was immediately apparent.
Her maximum load capacity had nearly doubled—from 1,600 jin to 3,000. The weight pressed down on her body, but it was no longer unbearable.
Training the body was a slow and disciplined process—one that required time, resources, and unwavering persistence to reach true breakthroughs.
By her own estimation, it should have taken at least one or two years to reach this level naturally. Yet the power she had drawn from the Gelel Mine had accelerated her progress exponentially.
Hinata silently offered her thanks—to Temari and her entire family, in fact. Without their efforts in uncovering the mine, she wouldn't have found it, nor gained the strength she now possessed.
I really do owe them for saving me so much time and effort, she thought with quiet gratitude.
…
Meanwhile, somewhere in the desert, Temari sneezed several times in succession. She rubbed her nose irritably, helping her brothers Kankuro and Gaara tally the spoils and supervise the prisoners.
"Someone must be talking about me," she muttered, unaware that Hinata was silently thanking her from afar.
Temari scowled, her frustration still simmering. They had suffered a significant loss for no reason—and she knew exactly who to blame.
"That Hyuga girl…" Temari gritted her teeth, her voice low. "When I get the chance, I'll teach her a lesson she won't forget."
…
Hinata, unaware of the curses hurled her way, was still brimming with quiet joy. After a bit of light exercise to test her balance, she finally calmed her excitement and returned to camp.
She brewed a pot of tea and began practicing her origami and tea ceremony, steadying her mind and spirit.
Never let power control you.
Power is just power—the one who must remain in control is you.
Her thoughts wandered briefly to the ancient civilization that had once flourished under the power of the Gelel Stone… only to perish because of it. That alone was warning enough.
By the time her tea cooled, her heart had fully settled. She lifted the cup, took a slow sip, and smiled faintly.
"It's good to be alive," she murmured.
Her previous life had been like walking a tightrope—one misstep, and it would all end in blood and ruin. She would never allow herself to repeat that mistake again.
Feeling peaceful, Hinata picked up a small sheet of paper and folded it delicately in half. Soon, a beautiful origami flower rested in her hands. One after another, she crafted more—each as precise and gentle as her movements.
Under the soft flicker of the campfire, the Byakugan Princess sat gracefully, surrounded by the quiet rustle of the night. Two tents stood nearby, and the wildflowers swayed gently in the evening breeze, forming a tranquil, unseen masterpiece.