"..."
Hinata almost smiled. That line—it had been a while since she'd heard it.
She glanced at Orochimaru. "Is this a spar or a death match?"
"Of course, a friendly spar," Orochimaru said lightly, though his tone was anything but innocent.
…
The snow fell quietly between them. Hinata and Sasuke stood opposite each other, blades ready.
Orochimaru, standing off to the side, raised his hand. "Begin."
Sasuke moved first—his body blurring as he lunged forward, Kusanagi blade flashing straight for Hinata's vital points.
In a single fluid motion, Hinata shifted half a step sideways, the sword grazing harmlessly past her. Her right arm rose in a hand chop as her left leg lifted, poised to strike.
The Sharingan flared crimson as Sasuke read the movement. He raised his arm to counter—
Only for Hinata's kick to explode against his chest with thunderous force.
Boom!
The impact sent Sasuke flying backward, slamming into a tree before crashing into the snow below.
"What—?!"
Before he could even process what had happened, Hinata was already upon him, wielding twin swords in her hands and striking with relentless precision.
The snow erupted around them as Sasuke narrowly deflected her blows, each strike heavy enough to rattle his arms.
He flipped onto a tree branch—only for seven blades to whirl through the air toward him in rapid succession.
He managed to dodge four and parry three with Kusanagi, sparks scattering in the cold wind.
Hinata landed lightly amidst the swirling snow, catching the airborne blades with flawless timing. Her movements blurred as she somersaulted forward, slashing at the tree where Sasuke had just stood.
She retrieved the remaining swords mid-motion, never slowing, her speed almost ghost-like.
…
Steel rang sharply through the clearing.
Clang! Clang! Pfft!
Sasuke gritted his teeth, barely keeping up. The Sharingan could track her attacks, but his body couldn't react fast enough.
"Damn it! Too fast!"
Hinata, however, never aimed for vital points. Her strikes sliced fabric and grazed flesh—shallow cuts across his arms and shoulders—enough to sting, but not enough to cripple.
Sasuke, frustrated at being driven back, suddenly released a burst of lightning chakra, arcs of electricity crackling across his body. His speed spiked dramatically, and he charged forward again.
But Hinata only exhaled calmly, shifting from offense to defense.
Her seven blades rotated around her like a shield—each motion instinctive, fluid, almost subconscious.
Sasuke's strikes landed fast, but she intercepted them all, countering at precise intervals, forcing him to overextend.
Every time Kusanagi met her blades, the impact vibrated through the forest.
Sasuke's attacks grew sloppier as the lightning release pushed his body past its limits. When he finally faltered, panting heavily, he jumped back to widen the distance.
Hinata didn't allow him to retreat. She surged forward, switching back to offense, her movements sharp and efficient.
In five swift thrusts, she pierced him non-lethally—arms, shoulders, side, thigh, and calf—each strike controlled, precise, deliberate.
Blood spattered across the snow.
Sasuke staggered, grimacing, but still forced out a smirk. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled a cluster of shuriken at her.
Hinata deflected them effortlessly, but the distraction gave him a brief opening.
He inhaled sharply, forming rapid hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive ball of flame roared toward her, two meters wide, heat warping the air.
Hinata felt the scorching wind on her face, her cloak catching fire at the edges.
She dropped six of her blades, keeping only one in her right hand.
Her eyes narrowed. Her focus sharpened to a single point.
The blade trembled within its sheath—vibrating from the sheer tension gathering in her arm.
Then—
Slash!
The sword drew in an instant, the air splitting apart.
The resulting shockwave howled like a storm, tearing through the oncoming fireball and scattering it into blazing fragments.
The released pressure slammed into the ground, whipping up snow, dust, and gravel into a violent surge that rolled outward like a white tsunami.
…[|]
Hinata dropped the half-broken sword in her hand, her expression calm and steady. In the next instant, she flashed to Sasuke's side. A flurry of precise hand and elbow strikes followed—each movement fluid yet devastating. The sharp crack of breaking ribs echoed through the air, and Sasuke was sent sprawling into the snow. Four ribs shattered. His right hand snapped under the force of her final blow.
The spar was over.
Sasuke slumped amid the ruins, breath shallow, his body trembling. He stared blankly at the falling snow, speechless for a long while.
Hinata glanced at him once—impassive—and said nothing. To her, this was simply a duel between two strangers. Nothing more.
She moved quietly through the field, retrieving her six intact swords and the one ruined blade. The damaged sword was still new—too new to discard.
New for three years, old for three years, and patched for another three, she thought wryly. Even if I don't use it again, I can always pass it to someone else.
From behind, Sasuke groaned and sat up with difficulty, clutching his ribs. His eyes burned with disbelief.
"You really don't have chakra?" he asked through gritted teeth.
Hinata nodded. "Yes. I don't."
"..."
Sasuke closed his eyes, pain and frustration twisting his face. His thoughts drifted—Naruto, Hinata… both of them were already so far ahead. Naruto was training under Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, while Hinata had already become a Jonin.
Why?
Why are they both moving forward, while I'm the one being left behind—getting beaten down again and again!?
He clenched his fists, resentment rising like bile in his throat.
…
"Such remarkable physical ability," Orochimaru said, his voice smooth with intrigue. "To think someone could achieve this without a trace of chakra—fascinating."
He chuckled softly. "Still, this is an age ruled by ninjutsu. No matter how strong one's body, without chakra, the end result remains the same."
Orochimaru's words carried no malice—only the calm arrogance of a scientist assessing an experiment. To him, humans had limits, and those limits could not be easily surpassed.
A ninja could achieve exponential growth through mastering powerful ninjutsu or forbidden arts. But a samurai, bound to physical effort alone, had to advance one grueling step at a time.
Hinata's performance had impressed him, but in his mind, it had already reached its peak. Without chakra, without a bloodline limit—there was no "beyond" for her.
Hinata, unmoved, raised her hand. "The ring."
Orochimaru's serpentine eyes flicked toward Sasuke, who still sat dazed in the snow, before curling into a smile. He produced a silver ring engraved with the kanji "空" — Kū, "Sky."
"Here," he said, handing it over.
Hinata accepted it wordlessly and passed it to Zetsu, who confirmed its authenticity. Without another word, she turned and left.
Orochimaru watched her retreating figure with narrowed eyes. That unsettling calmness—neither arrogant nor submissive—pricked at his curiosity.
"This base is no longer safe," he murmured. "We'll relocate immediately. Move the research data and samples."
…
Meanwhile, Sasuke, recovering under Kabuto's healing jutsu, broke the silence. "If I use the power of the Cursed Seal… can I defeat her?"
Orochimaru's laughter was low and dark. "Defeat her? Oh, Sasuke… if you use that power now, you won't just be injured. You'll die."
Sasuke glared up at him, but Orochimaru's tone remained almost fatherly.
"With your current level, she's still restraining herself—controlling her strength. But once you surpass the limit of what she can manage, she won't be able to adjust her force or angle perfectly. One mistake… and you'll die instantly."
"..."
Sasuke's fists trembled. His teeth ground audibly. The humiliation burned like fire.
…
Elsewhere, Hinata and Zetsu came to an agreement. They would only contact each other when necessary—during missions or emergencies. Otherwise, they would act independently.
Once they parted ways, Hinata walked until she was certain Zetsu was gone. Then, she exhaled softly, dispelled her disguise, and returned to her true form.
She created a shadow clone, cloaked it with a sealing technique to mask its chakra, and sent it onward in her samurai guise.
Meanwhile, Hinata herself opened a rift of darkness—Underworld Slope Hill—and stepped through.