Now officially a Rain shinobi, Hinata lived quietly in her new quarters.
She kept a low profile, rarely leaving her room, while pondering her next move.
She couldn't stay hidden forever. If Akatsuki completely lost track of her, they might eventually turn their eyes toward Konoha — her home, her family.
Even if Konoha could resist, the cost would be devastating.
Hinata didn't particularly care about the lives of others, but she couldn't ignore her family — her parents, her sister, her clan.
Her supplies, however, were dwindling fast.
What once lasted weeks now disappeared in days, thanks to the accelerated time ratio inside the supergravity space — ten days there equaled just one in reality.
To sustain both her training and survival, she needed to resupply regularly. She also needed to retrieve the provisions her family had prepared for her.
By her calculations, she would have to return home within six days at most — or risk running out of food and medicine entirely.
As a samurai, she couldn't afford to attract attention by eating excessively or replenishing supplies too often. To truly rest and nourish herself, she had to enter the supergravity realm.
After careful thought, Hinata clenched her fist, determination flashing in her eyes.
She went to Amegakure's mission office and accepted a two-week protection assignment.
With her official status as a Rain shinobi, traveling became much easier. Rogue ninjas were unlikely to attack a village-affiliated shinobi unless provoked.
…
Two days later, she crossed the border into the Land of Wind.
Moving cautiously, she observed her surroundings. Once she confirmed no one was following her, she loosened a small seal, allowing her Byakugan to activate briefly.
After a final scan, she released all thirty-two suppression seals.
Swoosh!
Instantly, an immense wave of chakra erupted through her body — pure, overwhelming, and alive.
She took a deep breath, feeling her true strength return, then began to remove her disguise — the wig, the colored contacts, the false scar.
Her features softened back into her original form.
For a moment, she stood silently beneath the open sky, the desert wind tugging at her cloak. Then, without hesitation, she formed a single hand sign.
A pitch-black void tore open before her.
Without looking back, Hinata stepped into the Yomotsu Hirasaka(*Underworld Slope Hill), vanishing from sight.
…
In the back room of the Hyuga residence, Hiashi was performing the tea ceremony with calm precision. The faint aroma of tea filled the air, blending with the quiet rustle of water and the subtle sound of his steady breathing.
Across from him, Hanabi sat upright, imitating her father's every motion, her small hands trembling slightly as she tried to pour tea without spilling a drop.
Just then, a dark vortex opened in the center of the room — and Hinata's head suddenly popped out.
"!!"
Hiashi choked mid-sip, coughing violently. Hanabi instinctively opened her mouth to cry out, but Hinata quickly covered it with her hand.
"Father!" she whispered urgently, her eyes wide but smiling. "I came back to get something!"
Hiashi gave her a long, searching look, then quietly set down his teacup and stood up. Without a word, he left the room to give his daughters privacy.
…
Hinata crouched down and lifted Hanabi by the armpits, raising her high before rubbing her cheeks affectionately against her sister's.
"Hanabi! Did you miss your big sister?" she asked warmly.
"I did!" Hanabi pouted. "When will you come back? There's no one to play with!"
Hinata chuckled softly. "I'm busy right now, but once I finish, I promise I'll come back. Next time, alright?"
"Next time, next time! You always say that!" Hanabi puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms, glaring up at her.
Hinata smiled mischievously. Then, a playful thought crossed her mind. Setting her sister down, she disappeared for an instant — entering her supergravity space — and returned almost immediately with something hidden in her hand.
"Close your eyes," she said sweetly. "I have a surprise for you."
The moment Hanabi heard the word "surprise," her sulking vanished. She closed her eyes and stood still, excitement bubbling up inside her.
Hinata gently tugged open her sister's collar and slipped several tiny ice cubes — fresh from the supergravity space's food storage — down her back.
"Eeeek!"
Hanabi shrieked, jumping up and down like a startled monkey.
Hinata burst into laughter.
Hanabi, red-faced and shivering, clenched her tiny fists. The same mischief, the same smug look… She wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. "I trusted you! You bully!"
With a squeal of frustration, Hanabi lunged and began punching her older sister's arm with her small, harmless fists.
Hinata smiled, amused by the soft, ticklish blows, and opened her palm again — revealing more ice cubes.
"Hanabi," she said teasingly, "the world is a dangerous place. You can't trust everything people say — or you'll be the one who gets hurt."
Hanabi gasped, turning to run, but Hinata was faster. She grabbed her from behind, pinned her gently across her lap, pulled her collar slightly open, and dropped in another handful of ice.
"Ahhh! Cold! Cold!" Hanabi squealed, squirming frantically as Hinata laughed until her stomach hurt.
Outside, the winter air howled softly, but inside, the laughter of two sisters warmed the Hyuga home.
…
After a while, Hiashi returned, holding an armful of scrolls — at least twenty or thirty of them, neatly tied and color-coded.
"These blue ones contain medicinal herbs," he explained. "The red ones are for food ingredients. I've sorted them for convenience. Based on your… appetite," he added dryly, "this should last about a month."
Hinata picked up a few and glanced at them. "Forget the ingredients. I'll hunt for food myself and save the funds for medicine."
Hiashi nodded approvingly. Hinata bowed respectfully to him, then went to find her mother to say goodbye. Before leaving, she gave Hanabi a pile of origami toys, pinched her little nose affectionately, and smiled.
Reluctantly, she turned and left.
…
With her Byakugan activated, Hinata could see every person entering and leaving the village. Her first stop was Kurenai's house.
After chatting briefly, Hinata was preparing to leave when Kurenai called her back and took out a small gift box from the cabinet.
With a soft nod, Kurenai gestured for her to open it. Inside lay a pair of sleek, fingerless chakra gloves.
"I prepared these a few days ago," Kurenai said gently. "Since I hadn't heard from you, Asuma left them with me. Now they're yours."
Hinata slipped them on. They were a little big, but when she clenched her fists and released chakra, the metal shimmered faintly with power.
Forged from chakra-conductive metal, these gloves were designed to enhance chakra flow and increase striking power. With them, Hinata's Gentle Fist would become far deadlier.
Kurenai smiled. "You're growing quickly. If I had them made smaller, they'd be useless in a few months. Better to give you room to grow. What do you think?"
Hinata blushed slightly and smiled. "Yes… I like them very much. Thank you, Sensei."
Kurenai chuckled softly, her eyes warm. She then invited Hinata to stay a while longer — not out of worry, but to discuss genjutsu theory.
For several hours, they spoke in depth about illusion techniques. Whenever Kurenai posed a question, Hinata responded thoughtfully. The exchange deepened her understanding and gave her valuable insights she hadn't considered before.
After parting ways with Kurenai, Hinata went to the Hokage's office, reported to Tsunade, and updated the assassination list with the rogue ninjas she had recently eliminated.
She had planned to visit Tenten and Sakura afterward, but they were both out on missions.
Just as she was leaving the village, Hinata froze. Two signatures flickered at the edge of her Byakugan's vision — dark, familiar, and unmistakable.
Hidan and Kakuzu.
"You've finally shown yourself!" Hidan shouted, a manic grin on his face. "We've been looking for you!"
Hinata immediately dropped into a defensive stance, testing them briefly with precise, measured strikes. She didn't linger — within moments, she retreated, vanishing before the rest of Akatsuki could arrive.
"Don't run!! Damn it!"
She knew better than anyone the true danger of overconfidence.
Obito also possessed space-time ninjutsu — if she grew careless, she might not escape next time.
Until she had absolute certainty, Hinata refused to engage Akatsuki head-on.
…
Once she reached the Land of Wind, she changed back into her samurai disguise — sealing her chakra, donning her wig, colored lenses, fake scar, and half-mask. The five swords were secured at her sides once more.
This time, her assigned mission was a protection contract connected to steamship transport.
Apparently, a wealthy investor had purchased a ship at an inflated price, only to face a financial crisis when funds ran short. Unable to hire high-ranking shinobi from the great nations, he turned to Amegakure, where the rates were lower but the strength was adequate.