"It's snowing."
Hinata slowed her pace, watching the gentle flakes drift from the sky. Choosing a sheltered area, she built a small fire and pitched a simple tent.
Zetsu emerged half from the ground, its voice a mix of exasperation and amusement. "Resting again?"
"A regular schedule is good for one's health," Hinata replied evenly as she stirred a pot of boiling water. "My mother always said that. I make sure to follow it strictly."
She poured noodles into the pot, stirred them quietly, then glanced over. "Would you like some?"
Zetsu stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "You can follow your little habits if you want, but remember — we're on a mission. Orochimaru moves frequently, and every minute we waste makes it harder to track him. Wouldn't it be better to finish sooner and rest afterward?"
"Perhaps," Hinata said lightly, "but not all things worth doing are meant to be rushed."
…
In truth, Hinata's slow pace was deliberate.
With someone as unpredictable as Zetsu watching her, she needed to maintain her samurai persona flawlessly. Every action, every routine had to be consistent — even sleeping twelve hours a day.
That long "rest" period wasn't wasted time.
Construction of her Homeland Space required materials — something she could only accumulate when her warehouse was filled. Once complete, Hinata could enter the supergravity space for intensive training. The time difference — ten to one — made it invaluable.
Of course, she couldn't risk letting Zetsu discover that her body physically vanished into another dimension when she trained. There was no explaining that.
So, every night, she repeated the same act: pretending to fall asleep.
…
"What a troublesome girl," Zetsu muttered one evening after watching Hinata finish her meal, clean up, and crawl into her tent without another word.
Satisfied she was truly asleep, he sank back into the ground to attend to his own tasks.
Inside the tent, Hinata kept her breathing slow and steady until the faint ripples of Zetsu's chakra signature finally disappeared.
Then, with a quiet sigh, she whispered, "Is he gone?"
She loosened a minor chakra seal and activated her Byakugan, scanning her surroundings.
No sign of Zetsu.
At first, he used to linger, watching her through the night. But after several days of seeing Hinata truly sleep for twelve uninterrupted hours, he lost patience and stopped wasting his time.
"Perfect," Hinata murmured.
She left a shadow clone in her place, while her real body vanished into the supergravity space, where twelve hours in the outside world equaled nearly five full days inside.
Plenty of time to train.
…
Within the vast, oppressive gravity field, Hinata pushed herself harder than ever. Her muscles trembled, her breath came ragged, yet she never faltered.
Around her, shadow clones worked tirelessly — one set perfecting sword techniques, another practicing seals, another mastering the Tailed Beast Ball, while a fourth group developed her evolving Sound Ninja Art.
Though shadow clones couldn't build physical endurance, their experiences and techniques returned to her upon dispersal — a priceless advantage.
Hinata's goal was clear: to overcome her physical limits and create new ways to fight that didn't rely solely on chakra.
The Ten-Sword Style alone wasn't enough.
She began developing a sword-drawing technique, one designed for instantaneous offense — fast, decisive, and lethal.
Her clones practiced endlessly, drawing and sheathing, drawing and sheathing, until the motion became pure reflex — a living instinct engraved into her body's memory.
…
At the palace's entrance within the gravity space, one clone held a sphere between her palms — black with a faint violet hue — spinning violently and radiating immense destructive energy.
The Tailed Beast Ball.
The unstable sphere fluctuated wildly in size, its energy pulsing erratically. Wind pressure burst from it in violent waves, scattering dust and sending shockwaves across the marble floor.
Hinata observed calmly. It was unstable, yes — but that would change with practice. The more she trained, the more precise her control would become.
In another corner, three clones were immersed in sealing arts, surrounded by parchment and scrolls.
Sealing was a vast, intricate field — capable of restraining anything if one possessed enough strength and understanding.
Hinata's initial motivation had been practical: to neutralize enemies who couldn't be killed. That purpose remained unchanged.
And in another chamber — one filled with the deep echoes of roaring — a final clone continued to experiment with the Lion's Roar technique.
Since the name implied the essence of a lion, Hinata had actually gone as far as capturing a few — male and female — to study their behavior and the resonance of their roars.
By analyzing their frequencies and tonal vibrations, she gradually began fusing that primal power into her own voice-based ninjutsu.
Progress was slow, but promising.
…
Twelve hours passed in the real world.
The next morning, the tent's zipper slowly opened, and Hinata poked her head out. A snowflake landed delicately on the tip of her nose.
She blinked, watching it melt, then smiled faintly.
After washing up and dressing neatly, she donned her Akatsuki cloak and straw hat before setting out once again — her pace steady, her presence calm.
When she reached a ridge overlooking the forest below, Zetsu appeared, sprouting half his body from a nearby tree.
"It took longer than expected, but Orochimaru hasn't changed locations," he reported.
Hinata nodded, tightening her cloak around her. "Good. Then let's move."
She glanced ahead, her Byakugan already scanning the distant horizon.
Snowflakes swirled through the air, dissolving against her warm breath.
Orochimaru…
Her fingers brushed the hilts of her swords.
Let's see what kind of secrets you're hiding this time.
…
Zetsu, standing nearby, tilted his head curiously.
"What exactly are you planning to do? I've already told you everything I know about Orochimaru. He's not simple. His overall strength might not rank among Akatsuki's highest, but when it comes to escaping death—no one does it better."
He paused, his tone sharpening.
"If you can't retrieve the ring, you'll never be recognized as a true member of Akatsuki. Dragging this out too long will only make you look incompetent. Let's be honest—you only get one chance. Miss it, and even if you get the ring later, it won't matter."
Hinata said nothing. Her silence was deliberate, her eyes unreadable beneath the shadow of her straw hat.
…
Elsewhere, Orochimaru had already sensed the presence of intruders near his domain. When he confirmed that the chakra signatures belonged to Akatsuki, he frowned, but curiosity soon curved his lips into a thin smile.
"Oh my… what rare guests," he said as he stepped out to greet them, his golden eyes gleaming. "You actually managed to find this place. Truly impressive. It seems nowhere is hidden from Akatsuki."
"It wasn't me who found you," Zetsu replied coolly, gesturing toward Hinata. "It was her."
A flicker of surprise flashed across Orochimaru's face.
Hinata removed her straw hat, revealing her delicate features and calm expression. "Nice to meet you. I'm Takahashi Kei, a new member of Akatsuki. Please take care of me, Orochimaru-senpai."
Her polite tone and faint smile contrasted sharply with the tension in the air.
Orochimaru's snake-like gaze swept over her. "And what brings you here, Takahashi Kei?"
"The ring," Hinata answered simply. "Nothing else."
"..."
Orochimaru's smile stiffened slightly. The last thing he wanted was direct involvement with Akatsuki again, but he knew better than to show weakness before one of their own.
"I see," he said slowly, his tongue brushing the corner of his lips. "I could give it to you… but let's make it interesting."
Hinata raised a brow. "An exchange?"
Orochimaru's grin widened. "Precisely. I have a young man here—around your age. Quite talented, actually. If you can defeat him in a spar, the ring will be yours."
Hinata's expression didn't change, though her thoughts stirred.
Someone my age? Could it be…
She nodded. "Understood."
"Good."
Orochimaru led the way through a narrow corridor and out into a snow-covered forest beside the base. The air was cold and silent, save for the distant hiss of the wind.
"Wait here," Orochimaru said smoothly. "I'll bring your opponent."
He disappeared into the trees.
More than half an hour later, he returned—with Sasuke Uchiha walking beside him.
The moment Sasuke saw the Akatsuki cloak, his expression darkened.
"Akatsuki…" he muttered, his tone laced with contempt.
"Sasuke," Orochimaru said with a hint of amusement, "I've found you a suitable opponent. She's their new recruit—a samurai, no less. Though she doesn't use chakra…"
Sasuke's eyes flicked toward Hinata, assessing her quietly. When he realized she was his age—and seemingly unremarkable—he smirked.
"Heh. So this is Akatsuki? Looks weaker than I imagined. Don't underestimate the Uchiha."