Hanabi obediently sat beside her.
"Hanabi, what do you think we strive for when we train hard and become stronger?"
"Of course, it's to protect the Hyuga Clan!"
Hinata smiled gently.
"That's certainly the correct answer, but..."
"It shouldn't be the only answer."
Hanabi blinked her eyes.
"Then, what else is there?"
Hinata looked out at the night sky, where the crescent moon cast a hazy, clear glow.
"Everyone is different, I suppose..."
"To gain the recognition of others, to prove oneself, to fulfill one's dreams..."
"Or..."
"To protect the people one loves."
"But the most important thing..."
"Is to become a better version of oneself."
Hanabi seemed to understand, yet not quite: "Become a better version of oneself?"
"Couldn't Big Sister have done that before too?"
Hinata sighed softly and shook her head.
"That's different..."
"Hanabi, your talent is superior to mine, but you are still too young. There are many things in the clan that you don't fully understand yet..."
"Although, I'm the same..."
Hanabi scratched her head: "Then, Big Sister, do you have someone you like now?"
Hinata's face instantly turned red, but she didn't try to hide it from her younger sister.
"...Yes."
Hanabi's eyes immediately lit up, her face full of anticipation: "Ah, who is it, who is it, who is it!"
Chapter 35: Sakura Haruno: How can that be the same?! Please give me your monthly votes!!!
Hinata looked at Hanabi's gossipy eyes, feeling both shy and amused.
She poked Hanabi's little nose.
"I'll tell you later..."
"It's a secret for now."
Hanabi pouted: "...Oh."
But the little devil in her heart bared its fangs.
"Hehe, I can find out on my own..."
Hinata stood up again and patted Hanabi's head.
"You go to sleep first, Hanabi."
"I still need to train for a while longer."
Hanabi nodded, walked out the door, and just as she was about to close it, she turned back and said.
"Big Sister, don't overwork yourself..."
"Mm."
The door closed, and soon Hinata's voice was heard again from the training room.
Neither of the sisters noticed that their father, Hyuga Hiashi, was in the courtyard and had heard their entire conversation.
"Hinata..."
Hyuga Hiashi's brows furrowed slightly.
He remembered the past, his strictness towards Hinata, which had truly reached the point of harshness.
But... he had no choice.
As the clan head, as the head of the Main Family, he had reasons why he had to do it.
Even if she was his own daughter, it was the same.
Because he had grown up that way too.
In fact, the Main Family and Branch Family had been like this for thousands of years... but... Hyuga Hiashi also looked up at the crescent moon in the night sky.
Had it always been like this, was it truly right?
He saw that face again... a face identical to his own, but with the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead.
"Hizashi, what... what should I do?"
"Will the tragedy between us brothers continue?"
"Hinata..."
"Has she always been resisting so-called fate in her own way?"
"Instead, I, this clan head, this father, have done nothing all this time, dared to do nothing..."
"The cowardly one, it was me all along..."
Listening to Hinata's diligent training sounds, he let out a sigh under the lonely night sky... By the time Naruto finally finished his day's training.
It was already deep into the night again.
Under the system's urging, he immediately fell into a deep sleep with almost no delay.
His Divided Attention ability gradually became more proficient with his continuous efforts in training.
Chakra Refining Technique, Transformation Technique, and Divided Attention all received significant improvements simultaneously.
Chakra Refining Technique proficiency: 88 points!
Transformation Technique proficiency: 76 points!
Sexy Technique proficiency: 70 points!
Divided Attention proficiency: 61 points!
Chakra volume also increased to 66 points!
Of course.
The training had not ended; it had just begun.
In his dream, Naruto once again faced a Ninja sparring match with Sasuke.
Only this time, Naruto began to try and control himself.
While maintaining fighting spirit and killing intent, he tried not to completely lose his mind.
In other words, he could let his fighting will boost his morale and combat power, but he couldn't let this boost become frenzied, or even completely berserk.
This was not the system's special training.
It was Naruto's new, strict demand on himself.
Of course, in this state, he still had to do his best to defeat Sasuke!
With the real battle against Sasuke during the day, Naruto felt a bit more confident.
Because he understood that although he was on the verge of losing control and was ultimately stopped by Lord Third Hokage, he had, in any case, finally gained the qualification to fight Sasuke fairly!
That was the root of his confidence.
That night, Naruto grew a lot more... The next day, Naruto felt his right leg still throbbing faintly, but gritting his teeth and enduring it was no big deal.
With his special physique, this level of injury was already recovering rapidly.
He did not abandon his training just because he was injured.
The system didn't give him that option either.
On the way to school, he still walked on his hands with weights, plus studying academic subjects with Divided Attention.
However, compared to yesterday, Naruto's Divided Attention was already effortless.
Only the weight on his right leg made him wince a bit.
But he persevered to the end.
On another road in Konoha Village.
Ino saw that incredibly familiar back, her heart stirred, her brows furrowed slightly, but quickly relaxed, replaced by her usual bright and radiant smile.
She quickly walked forward and patted the other person's shoulder.
"Morning, Sakura."
However, Sakura Haruno's face was as cold as ice.
"Don't touch me."
She twisted her shoulder, shook off Ino's hand, and strode away.
Ino's hand hung in mid-air.
"Sakura..."
She chased after her again, unwilling to give up.
"Are you... are you still angry?"
"I've already apologized to you..."
"Can't you still forgive me?"
Sakura Haruno said with a cold face: "Don't think I don't know."
"After we argued yesterday, you went home with Hinata on the way back from school, didn't you?"
"I think you've made your choice."
"Our friendship means nothing to you, it seems."
Ino's heart trembled.
Did she see?
But... "That doesn't mean anything, I just talked to Hinata for a few minutes..."
Sakura Haruno said: "No, as my best friend, you chose to stand with Hinata and Naruto. There's nothing more to say."
Ino also couldn't help but raise her voice.
"But Hinata and Naruto didn't do anything wrong..."