Using her Byakugan to locate her, Hinata found her near Nagato's chamber. "I need to eat," she said respectfully, "and take my medicine."
Konan studied her with unreadable eyes. As Nagato's closest confidante, she silently weighed the risk before nodding. "Wait here."
She went to consult Nagato. After a short discussion, she returned and gave her approval.
Hinata hesitated, then added, "I have… a rather large appetite. I don't just need food—I need good food."
Konan's expression didn't change. She merely turned on her heel and went back to report again.
Nagato, ever composed, only gave a faint smile between coughs. "It's fine. Thanks to our long years of fundraising, Akatsuki's coffers are full. No country in the world is wealthier than we are right now. Let her eat whatever she wants. Keep her calm. There's no need to rush."
Konan gave no opinion, but later summoned Kakuzu, the man in charge of Akatsuki's finances.
What followed was a rather intense conversation.
By the time Kakuzu appeared before Hinata, his expression was strained. "Tell me what you need," he said flatly. "I'll buy everything at once."
Hinata fidgeted nervously, her fingers tapping together. "Um… rhinoceros horn, tiger bone, deer antler, sea dragon, seahorse, ginseng, lingzhi mushroom, donkey-hide gelatin, and… he shou wu."
Kakuzu's brows twitched.
But Hinata wasn't finished. "Also, delicacies—land and sea. Seafood, of course, but also tigers, lions, elephants, gorillas, bears, and snakes."
By the time she finished listing, Kakuzu was staring at her in disbelief. Is she planning to feed an army?
Seeing no sign of her stopping, he held up a hand. "Wait."
He left, fetched a scroll and a brush, and gestured for her to repeat everything. "Go slowly. There's too much."
Hinata nodded obediently and began again. All the while, she kept her Byakugan subtly active. She would never allow any Akatsuki member to approach too close—not even Kakuzu, who, in his eerie stillness, looked almost harmless.
By the end of her list, Kakuzu had filled nearly seven full pages. After double-checking for omissions, he turned and left without another word.
The next morning, an enormous pile of food and medicinal ingredients appeared outside Hinata's door.
Hinata inspected them carefully. "Not enough," she said flatly. "I want more."
Kakuzu didn't even look back. "Eat what you have first."
That night, Hinata sat on the floor, a fishbone between her teeth, absently picking them clean. She rinsed her mouth, patted her still-flat stomach, and sighed.
Then she looked toward the doorway, where Kakuzu stood.
"Not enough," she said again, her tone quiet but serious. "That wasn't even enough for one day."
Kakuzu blinked. Then blinked again.
Finally, his composure cracked. "Forget the food—what about the medicinal herbs? You ate those too?!"
…
Food can only fill the stomach, but the medicinal properties of herbs—if consumed carelessly—can be fatal.
Hinata calmly pointed to the corner of the room. "Some are for brewing medicinal wine, some are for medicinal baths, and the rest are to be made into pills," she explained. "But the quantity is still too little. I can't afford to use them freely."
Kakuzu took two slow steps back, rubbing his forehead in silence. He stood there for a long moment, speechless, then finally turned and left without another word—headed straight to find Konan.
Konan frowned slightly when she saw him. "If she wants to eat, let her eat. What's the big deal?" she said dismissively. She hadn't expected Kakuzu to come to her over something so trivial. Did the man have no opinions of his own?
Kakuzu said nothing. He simply pulled a folded bill from his sleeve and handed it to her.
Konan took it, and her usual calm expression immediately cracked. "Three million, seven hundred and twenty thousand… just for today?"
Kakuzu nodded once.
"How is that even possible?!" Konan pressed her fingers to her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"None of the delicacies she requested are cheap," Kakuzu replied dryly. "The medicinal herbs are even worse. I've already negotiated the lowest possible prices, but the quantities she demands are astronomical."
Unable to make the decision herself, Konan went to consult Nagato.
When Nagato read the itemized list, he was silent for a long time. Finally, he said quietly, "If she truly possesses the Ten-Tails' chakra, then she might be the key to achieving our goal in a single step. Compared to the cost of capturing the other tailed beasts, the expense of accommodating her is insignificant. Buy everything she wants—and continue observing her."
…
The next morning, when Hinata opened her door, she was greeted by piles of food and medicinal herbs stacked neatly outside. Her white eyes glowed faintly as she activated her Byakugan, scanning through the ingredients. She separated the safe ones from the contaminated or tampered items, then nodded in satisfaction.
She stretched lightly, performing a few simple warm-up exercises before directing one of her puppets to begin cooking.
That day alone, her expenses exceeded three million yen, mostly due to the rare medicinal materials. Over the following days, she managed to regulate the cost somewhat, maintaining an average of 800,000 to 1.5 million yen per day, depending on how many pills she refined.
In less than a week, her total consumption had surpassed ten million yen.
But there was a reason.
Hinata had recently achieved a major breakthrough; after absorbing the chakra from the Gelel Stone vein, her physical ability had nearly doubled.
The most direct result of that improvement was her increased appetite. It was as though she had become a bottomless pit, unable to ever feel truly full.
Of course, this wasn't a necessity. Three balanced meals a day were enough to sustain her. But Hinata wasn't the type to settle for "enough."
She wanted to grow stronger.
It wasn't about competing with others—it was about being better than herself. To be stronger today than yesterday, and stronger tomorrow than today. Even the smallest step forward counted. That was Hinata's personal creed.
As the saying goes, "The poor study literature, while the rich study martial arts." The principle applied even among ninjas.
At just twelve years old, Hinata could run several kilometers effortlessly—while wearing three thousand pounds of weighted gear.
For an ordinary genin of her age, one who lacked the resources for quality food or supplements, even lifting that much weight would be impossible, let alone moving freely under it.
Without sufficient financial backing, the pace of one's growth—and the limit of their potential—would always be painfully low.
Hinata's devotion to eating wasn't gluttony. It was discipline.
First, because food brought her genuine joy, one of the few pleasures she allowed herself.
Second, because food was energy—and energy was strength. Every bite was fuel for training, recovery, and progress.
…
Meanwhile, at Konoha—
"What?! You sent that kid to investigate Akatsuki?!" Jiraiya nearly jumped to his feet, his face pale with shock.
Tsunade didn't flinch. "She has the Byakugan, and strength on par with Orochimaru's. Even if she can't defeat them, she can at least escape."
Jiraiya exhaled sharply, then pulled a chair and sat opposite her. His expression was grave. "Tsunade… you don't know how dangerous Akatsuki really is."
He began recounting everything he knew—facts, theories, and whispers collected over the years. Many details were uncertain, some only rumors, but they painted a chilling picture nonetheless.
He hadn't intended to burden Tsunade with such information before. Too much of it was unverified, and he didn't want to cause her unnecessary anxiety. But now, it was unavoidable.
By the time he finished, a cold sweat had formed on Tsunade's brow. "Still… Hinata should be fine, right? If it's only two Akatsuki members, she should at least be able to protect herself long enough to escape…"
Jiraiya sighed deeply, unable to reassure her.
Just then, an ANBU appeared silently, placed a sealed letter on the desk, and vanished without a word.
Tsunade composed herself, broke the seal, and began reading. Halfway through, her eyes widened. "Jiraiya! You jinxed it—your words came true!"
Jiraiya snatched the letter and read quickly, his brow furrowing. According to the intelligence report, Hinata's last known sighting was near the border of the Land of Fire—accompanied by more than a dozen unidentified figures wearing black cloaks with red clouds.
Tsunade's hands trembled. "It's over…" She buried her face in her arms, voice thick with regret.
Hinata wasn't just another ninja—she was the Hyuga clan's heir, their pride. If she had truly been taken by Akatsuki… how was Tsunade supposed to face Hiashi?
Death seemed the most likely fate. Or worse, capture and torment. The more Tsunade thought, the heavier her heart became.