Staggered by Hinata's push, Hikari wasn't angry. Instead, he smiled.
He was very happy.
Because this was the Hinata he wanted to see.
This meant Hinata still had things she cared about. If she cared, then she still had spirit—still had potential to be drawn out.
The thing most terrifying in a person... is when they stop fighting for anything.
Someone who never strives for anything is nearly impossible to train.
"Hikari-senpai, I'm sorry!"
After her impulsive action, Hinata looked at Hikari in a panic, thinking she had done something wrong.
"Why are you apologizing?"
Hikari gently placed his hand on her head. "I was a bit harsh with my words just now. You should be angry. Now I want to ask you—do you want to be with Naruto?"
Hinata timidly nodded, making Hikari roll his eyes.
"Want it, or not? Say it!"
"I... want it!"
"Louder!"
"I want it!"
"Louder!"
"I... WANT IT!"
As she forced herself to speak her true thoughts out loud, Hinata suddenly realized—she wasn't blushing, nor feeling shy. Instead, she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her chest.
She felt... different.
Of course, people don't change that easily. Hikari had subtly used a few genjutsu tricks, amplifying Hinata's inner desires and helping her take this step.
"For some things, just wanting isn't enough. Unless you want to watch the boy you like chase after another girl right in front of you, you have to act. You have to let him know you like him."
"Then what should I do?" Just thinking of Naruto gave Hinata a surge of fearless courage.
As long as Naruto was ahead of her, she feared nothing.
"First, you need to change that timid personality of yours."
"Naruto definitely won't like a girl who acts this way. And as the Hyūga clan's eldest daughter, you should have confidence in yourself. Look at Ino—she's not exactly the prettiest, but she never feels ashamed about it!"
Hinata's jaw dropped.
She really wanted to ask Hikari whether his eyes were broken. Ino was an adorable little beauty—how did she become "not pretty" in his words?
If Ino heard that, she'd definitely start a fight.
Of course Hikari knew this. That's why he only said it behind her back.
And Hinata wouldn't go around spreading it.
"I know expecting a huge change from you right away is difficult. So next—you're going to beat Naruto using taijutsu."
Beat Naruto?
If it was just taijutsu, Hinata actually felt confident.
The Byakugan was no joke. Back when Naruto defeated Neji, it was due to many different factors coming together.
Taijutsu was Naruto's weak point.
"Isn't... isn't that a bad thing?" Hinata felt uneasy. If she beat up Naruto, what if he ended up hating her?
"How is that bad?"
Hikari encouraged her. "Naruto's the type who needs to get knocked around before he notices anything. Look at his training partner—it's always Sasuke. That's because, in Naruto's eyes, no one else can keep up with him. If you can stay by his side now and beat him up from time to time, don't you think he'll remember you?"
"But beating Naruto, he might..." Hinata still couldn't get over that mental hurdle.
Seeing this, Hikari realized a normal strategy wouldn't work.
His eyes lit up as a new idea formed.
"Hinata, do you know why Naruto likes Sakura so much?"
Hinata's eyes instantly brightened. Clearly, she was extremely interested.
"Why?"
"Because Naruto naturally likes strong girls. Only strong women can earn his affection."
While saying that, Hikari silently prayed for forgiveness from Minato and Kushina. 'It's for your son's future happiness—I'm helping him get a beautiful wife, please don't blame me.'
"Naruto-kun... likes strong women?" Hinata found the statement strange, but the more she thought about it, the less she could refute it.
"Of course!"
"Think about how many times Sakura has punched Naruto. If you replaced Naruto with Sasuke, don't you think Sasuke would've snapped?"
Hinata seriously considered it and nodded in agreement.
Forget Sasuke—even Kiba or Shino would get angry.
"So what you need to do is become stronger and then give him a good beating during training. Once you're strong enough, you can train alongside him. The two of you will naturally start having private conversations, and over time... won't your chances increase?"
This reasoning sounded so logical.
Hinata admired it inwardly and cheered herself on.
'Hinata, you can do it! For Naruto-kun... you must beat him up!'
"All right, if there's nothing else, go train with Naruto. And remember—don't hold back. That won't help Naruto grow!"
Hikari believed that if Hinata went all out, Naruto right now could not match her in taijutsu.
Of course, that applied only to taijutsu. In overall skill, Naruto was already at a standard chunin level, and if he drew on the Nine-Tails' chakra, he'd be on par with a jōnin.
"Hikari-senpai, I'm ready!"
Hinata felt like she was brimming with confidence.
No one had ever talked to her about this kind of topic before. Now that she had heard it, she felt a clarity in her heart and a different perspective on the future.
Before, she had been lost, only able to like Naruto secretly in her heart. Now, after hearing Hikari's advice, she would take the initiative.
She would not let herself live with regret.
When she returned, Naruto was indeed still diligently practicing the one-handed Rasengan.
Shadow clone after shadow clone disappeared due to the Rasengan's explosive force, only to be replaced by more clones released by Naruto.
Right now, he felt his chakra control had improved yet again.
Even the Nine-Tails' chakra, which previously surged out to interfere from time to time, was quiet—one might even think it had disappeared.
Seeing Hinata approaching, Naruto didn't think much of it.
In his heart, Hinata's presence was optional—below Ino and Tenten, even.
"Naruto-kun, please train taijutsu with me!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Hinata felt like she might faint from nerves. Her heart was pounding like a startled deer.
"Sure!"
Naruto didn't refuse. First, it was Hikari-senpai's arrangement, and second—he always liked helping others.
The two of them moved to an open area, formed the Seal of Confrontation as a sign of respect, and then began.
Naruto didn't hold back in the slightest. He didn't go easy just because she was a girl—on the contrary, because he knew Hinata specialized in taijutsu, he attacked seriously.
The courage Hinata had barely managed to muster instantly evaporated. All she could do was dodge and defend against Naruto's onslaught.