Within hours, Konoha launched an urgent rescue operation, with the Hyuga and Inuzuka clans at its core. Other families provided tactical and military support.
The search spanned half a month, but even with the Hyuga's eyes and the Inuzuka's ninja dogs, they made little progress.
Hinata's scent was everywhere—circling, overlapping, leading to dead ends. It was as though she had deliberately erased her trail, or perhaps… someone else had.
No matter how sharp the dogs' noses were, they couldn't find a single true lead.
…
"Lord Hiashi, please, you must eat something. You haven't touched food in days!" a branch family attendant pleaded softly.
Hiashi sat in silence, his expression heavy with grief. "How can I eat," he murmured, "when I don't even know if my daughter is alive or dead… or what suffering she's enduring right now?"
Jiraiya placed a steady hand on his shoulder. "Not eating won't help the search. If we find Akatsuki, we'll likely have to fight. You'll need your strength. For Hinata's sake—eat."
Hiashi said nothing for a long time. He wasn't truly hungry; his heart felt hollow.
All he could think of was his daughter's radiant smile, her lively appetite, and her joy whenever she ate. The thought of her starving—or worse—made his chest ache.
What haunted him most wasn't fear of her suffering.
It was the possibility that his daughter might already be gone.
…
Hinata sat at the dining table, fully immersed in her meal. The puppet beside her moved smoothly and precisely—serving dishes, clearing plates, and pouring soup in a rhythm that seemed almost rehearsed.
Her life under Akatsuki's watch was, ironically, not bad at all. In fact, it was even more comfortable than living at home—thanks entirely to Akatsuki's immense wealth.
In just half a month, the amount of money spent on her had surpassed eighty million yen—almost ninety. Rounded up, it was one hundred million. A staggering sum most people couldn't even imagine, let alone spend.
The first week had been relatively modest, with expenses totaling just over ten million. But why had her costs skyrocketed in the following two weeks?
The answer was simple: Hinata had built a medicinal pool.
Five meters wide, ten meters long, and two meters deep, it was filled with precious herbs of every kind—those that replenished blood, restored energy, strengthened the kidneys and liver, nourished the heart, soothed the stomach, and revitalized the body.
She spent most of her day soaking in that pool, letting the warmth and medicine seep into her body while swimming gently in its depths. The cost alone was astronomical.
Then there was her diet.
Her daily six meals had increased to eight—two extra meals added between one and two in the morning, and again between four and five before dawn.
Because she was confined to Akatsuki's base, Hinata could no longer rest in her Homeland Space for long periods without feeling uneasy. Often, she'd wake in the middle of the night to check her surroundings.
Since she was awake anyway, she used that time to train—and after training, came hunger.
Thus, eight meals a day became her new routine.
On top of that, she snacked on medicinal pills and drank herbal wine infused with ingredients that nourished her blood and strengthened her bones. The combination of her diet, the medicinal baths, and the endless training contributed to her near-constant expenditure.
In just half a month, Hinata had indeed spent close to one hundred million yen.
Her time spent in the Homeland Space counted as sleep for her physical body. Each short visit there allowed her to rest while continuing construction or research, without delaying her development.
At first, she worried that this new routine—so focused on eating, healing, and maintaining her health—would leave her no time to study sealing techniques, improve the Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist, or refine the Tailed Beast Ball.
But those concerns vanished sooner than expected.
After all, Akatsuki was full of geniuses.
Kakuzu, though old, possessed vast knowledge and experience in techniques that defied imagination.
Itachi Uchiha, a prodigious genius, was calm, analytical, and frighteningly perceptive.
Kisame Hoshigaki, known as the Monster of the Hidden Mist, was also a master of ninjutsu.
Under their influence, Hinata's Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist evolved dramatically—it became more precise, more efficient, and less draining on her chakra reserves.
Then there was Sasori, the puppet master who had transformed himself into a living puppet.
When Hinata showed him her own three puppets—exquisitely crafted and capable of wireless control without chakra—Sasori, initially disinterested, changed completely.
What began as a brief conversation turned into days of discussion and experimentation. They exchanged insights and theories; Hinata improved her own puppet techniques, while Sasori found new inspiration from her unconventional designs.
Even Konan impressed her greatly. Her mastery over paper manipulation opened Hinata's eyes to new possibilities for both chakra control and weaponized precision.
But Hinata's greatest progress came in the realm of the Tailed Beast Ball.
The first obstacle had always been the inability to distinguish between the Yin and Yang aspects of the Ten-Tails' chakra. Without that distinction, it was impossible to balance the two energies to form the orb.
It was Obito who gave her the answer.
He had learned the fundamentals from Madara Uchiha himself. Though he shared only a few words with Hinata—simple guidance on discerning Yin from Yang—it was enough.
Following his advice, Hinata experimented in her Homeland Space and eventually succeeded in separating Yin and Yang within her chakra.
This single achievement changed everything.
It meant that, with enough practice, she could one day perform the Tailed Beast Ball—an S-rank technique that only tailed beasts and jinchūriki could use.
Life in Akatsuki, for all its hidden dangers, was strangely productive.
Still, Hinata lived by a strict rule: no contact with Akatsuki members unless absolutely necessary. She avoided close interactions and refused to let anyone touch her, ever cautious of traps or hidden motives.
She didn't know what they were waiting for, but their patience worked to her advantage.
A single drop of her blood could spell disaster. If it fell into the hands of Hidan, his ritual would bind her fate—making escape impossible.
Konan, Obito, and Zetsu had once tried to obtain that drop, but their efforts failed thanks to Hinata's constant vigilance and defensive habits.
Outwardly, everything seemed peaceful. But beneath that façade of calm coexistence, the tension was razor-sharp.
And yet… the benefits she gained were undeniable.
Ding!
"Homeland Space expansion complete. Reward: one of the Rinnegan's abilities—Attraction and Repulsion."
The message echoed in her consciousness, the concepts of gravity and force embedding themselves instinctively into her mind.
Then another voice followed:
"Perfect evaluation achieved! Bonus reward unlocked. Choose one: Limited Tsukuyomi, Yin-Yang Release, or Yomotsu Hirasaka."
Hinata froze.
Her heart raced as she stared at the glowing text. The usual reward—attraction and repulsion—was impressive, but not particularly helpful for escaping Akatsuki. The bonus, however, was different.
She examined the three options carefully. All were extraordinary, but she didn't fully understand their potential.
The Homeland Space had always granted her powers that defied reason—but could one of these truly help her escape?
Before she could decide, the selection wheel began spinning on its own.
Hinata held her breath.
The wheel slowed, clicked, and finally stopped on—Yomotsu Hirasaka.
Instantly, knowledge surged into her consciousness—the theory, the control, the sensation of folding space itself.
"!!"
Her eyes flew open, shining with pure white light, the veins around them faintly visible.
For the first time since being captured, her lips curved into a small, trembling smile.
She was safe now.
Even if Akatsuki surrounded her with an army of S-rank rogues, Hinata finally possessed a way to leave whenever she wished.
Her chest rose and fell softly. When no new missions appeared in her Homeland Space interface, she looked around, puzzled.
"…Strange," she murmured. "Is it… finally over?"
The rain outside Amegakure fell harder, as if answering her question with a whisper.
…
Moments later, glowing words appeared across the Homeland Space Control Interface:
"Complete the construction of one million homes to initiate the sacrifice. If successful, the space will be transformed; if unsuccessful, the one million-Homeland Space will return to nothingness."
----
[Translator's Note:]Here's a deal: if we reach 250 Power Stones tomorrow, I'll upload all the chapters of the Hinata vs. Akatsuki arc!