Hinata returned to the Uchiha compound on schedule before nightfall, and just as she'd expected, both Shikamaru and Shino had completed the tasks she'd assigned.
"Here is the payment, and the signed contract from the photo-developing shop owner."
Shikamaru and Shino pushed the cash boxes and contract toward Hinata. Their expressions differed, but the meaning was clear—they expected her to verify everything.
"No need. I trust you both. So take your shares and enjoy yourselves—this is the reward you've earned."
She shoved the contract carelessly into a cash box and pushed the whole thing aside. Trust required giving something up, and besides, Shikamaru and Shino were exactly the sort of people who warranted it.
"Now then—you must be the photographer joining our crew, Mr. Matsuoka, correct?"
She turned her gaze to Kakashi, seated quietly in a corner. Having to address someone by a fake name when she knew exactly who he was felt decidedly awkward.
"Much obliged. If you'd have me, I couldn't ask for more."
Scratching the back of his head, Kakashi nevertheless found himself deeply impressed by the girl. It wasn't her combat ability—it was this command presence, this organizational grip, displayed by someone so young. Even through an adult's critical eye, he couldn't find a single misstep in how Hinata operated. No wonder the clan heirs around her fell in line instinctively.
"I don't care about your real identity. But as a photographer, you must demonstrate skill. Prove yourself capable and the pay will be generous. Slack off, and you'll learn we aren't children who can be easily deceived."
Hinata took a stack of bills from the cash box and slid it to Kakashi, her pale eyes carrying an air of unquestionable authority. "Consider this my trust and my acceptance. I expect you to carry your weight within this crew."
"Yes, ma'am! I will give it my all!"
Even Kakashi couldn't maintain his usual nonchalance under those eyes and those words. He lowered himself formally to the tatami and touched his forehead to the floor. This old-fashioned bow—once used by samurai swearing fealty to a daimyō—had been repurposed in modern times for formally joining an organization. Given his cover as a photographer, it was entirely appropriate.
"Good. Our next shoot begins three days from now. In the meantime, Mr. Matsuoka, I'd like you to stay here and familiarize yourself with the surroundings. That won't be a problem, will it?"
Hinata arched an eyebrow. Since Kakashi was here to embed himself as a surveillance operative, she might as well keep him out in the open. Better than having him skulk around causing trouble later.
"Not at all. I'm on my own right now—free lodging would be a dream come true."
"Good. Sasuke, you don't mind?"
"Do what you want. You know what I actually care about."
Sasuke was long past caring what Hinata did with the Uchiha compound. Right now, the only thing that mattered was getting the next piece of whatever would make him stronger. Thunder-Burial Fist training had been agonizing, but the tangible sensation of growing power had him hooked.
"Very well. Everyone, dismissed. Reassemble here at dawn in three days. Oh—and there should be a few rooms available. Mr. Matsuoka, pick one and clean it up yourself. Don't wait on us for dinner."
Hinata stood. Shikamaru and the others drifted out with casual farewells—they were still eleven-year-old kids, after all, and staying away from home indefinitely wasn't an option.
"The three of us have some training to do. Mr. Matsuoka, please settle in on your own. No need to wait up."
Hinata regarded Naruto and Sasuke, her lips curving upward. "Alright, you two. Follow me."
No need to go far. The Uchiha compound's training ground was right there—neglected and overgrown, carrying a desolate air, but flat, spacious, and perfect for taijutsu practice.
"Come on, come on! Hinata, give me the awesome technique scrolls already!"
Naruto was practically vibrating with excitement. The iron-sand training had been brutal but dull—he was itching for something flashier.
"Hmph. I've been waiting too. So—the scrolls?"
Sasuke burned with equal anticipation. He could feel himself getting stronger through the iron-sand regimen, but the fight with Naruto had driven home just how limited his offensive options were.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu and shuriken techniques were fine, but his offensive options were too one-dimensional. More importantly, failing to knock out the blond dead-last in a taijutsu-only match had left the Uchiha prodigy deeply dissatisfied.
"Patience. This time the scroll is a little special. Specifically—there's only one set of techniques."
Hinata produced a freshly inscribed technique scroll from her hip pouch and gave a small shrug. "We'll need to understand what these techniques mean before we begin."
This scroll was the product of an entire afternoon's work: Hinata had cross-referenced the fighting-game moves stored in her memory with real taijutsu principles from the library, filtering and optimizing until she'd distilled four techniques. In terms of versatility and general applicability, these four should handle most combat situations.
"Huh? The same techniques?"
Naruto's face was a canvas of confusion. Sasuke frowned. "Are you joking? We're training different disciplines—how can the techniques be the same?"
"And yet they are. The ancient manual only records one set. I was puzzled myself at first, but the commentary from previous practitioners cleared things up."
Unrolling the scroll, Hinata's ability to fabricate on the fly had reached an art form. She pointed to a series of simple movement diagrams and explained. "The notes say the South Dipper Seven Sacred Fists were abandoned after a single generation because the training methods were too extreme. So only one set of techniques was ever passed down. However, the genius who created the Sacred Fists could produce entirely different effects with each technique depending on which Fist attribute was active. My interpretation is that while the techniques appear fixed, the attribute channeled through them creates different results and extensions."
"I see... That does make sense. Different chakra natures have different properties. Fire chakra burns and deals area damage. Lightning chakra paralyzes and pierces. Wind chakra cuts and flows. The same technique, augmented by different chakra types, would naturally produce different effects..."
Sasuke's dark eyes contracted with intensity. He'd clearly entered full theory-crafting mode—which saved Hinata enormous effort, because as long as Sasuke bought in, Naruto would follow regardless of whether the idiot understood the reasoning.
"So here are the four entry-level techniques. Two strikes, one counter, one kick—all basic. Once we've mastered these, we can move on to the secret techniques."
She spread the scroll on the training ground floor and cleared her throat. "Pay attention. They are: the strikes Aragami and Kohou, the counter Nue Tsumi, and the kick R.E.D. Kick. Only after you've internalized these four foundations can you progress further."
"They look... pretty simple."
Sasuke studied the scroll skeptically. He understood that techniques started simple and built in complexity, but the four stick-figure movement diagrams looked remarkably crude.
"Yeah, these don't look all that impressive..."
Naruto pouted from the sidelines. Hinata had anticipated this reaction. She stood and rolled her wrists. "Whether they pack a punch or not—why don't we find out?"
These four techniques were all adapted from the most practical moves she remembered from arcade fighters, refined through the taijutsu force-mechanics she'd studied in the library.
Aragami—a straight punch. Good for frontal charges or as a jab to control distance.
Kohou—a rising-dragon variant. Using the momentum of a jump and upward thrust to deliver devastating impact to the vulnerable underside of an opponent's jaw.
Nue Tsumi—slightly more complex, but essentially a raised-elbow guard. The vertical forearm deflected or parried incoming strikes, creating openings for a counter.
R.E.D. Kick—the most common of all: a spinning aerial heel drop. Rotate the body, launch into the air, and bring the heel crashing down from above.
In theory, every one of these was mechanically sound. Their simplicity meant users could easily adapt them to individual fighting styles. But whether they actually dealt damage—that needed testing.
So let's test it. After all that hellish iron-sand training, even a basic straight punch should carry serious force now. With proper biomechanics behind it, there was no reason it shouldn't connect hard.
"Starting with the strike—Aragami."
She chose a tree roughly as thick as a person could wrap their arms around. Drawing a deep breath, Hinata prepared to validate whether her theory-crafted techniques could deliver real power.
If there was any scenario where failure was not an option, it was this one.
She clenched her fists and settled into her stance. In her mind, she ran through every principle of power generation she'd absorbed from the library, coaxing her muscles and chakra into alignment.
First—drop the center of gravity. Left foot forward. Right fist cocked and coiled. Then—left foot drives forward hard! Ride the momentum of the planted step to launch the fully coiled right fist straight ahead!
"HAH!!"
With a sharp kiai, Hinata's right fist hammered into the tree trunk. What followed was the brittle crack of wood being violently torn apart. The solid trunk shattered like a cookie, and Hinata's fist—outwardly soft and smooth—punched clean through, blasting a gaping hole through the tree.
"Guh—!!"
Naruto and Sasuke flinched, pupils contracting in unison. They could see perfectly well just how savage that blow had been. Punching through a tree trunk meant punching through a human body would be trivial.
By concentrating her body's chakra into her fist and throwing it with everything she had—this was the destructive power she could achieve now?
A feral grin spread across Hinata's face. She'd done it again. Or rather—the path she'd been walking was definitively the right one.
True, a single Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu from Sasuke could probably produce far more raw devastation than this punch. But that comparison had to account for the hand-seal time and the heavy chakra expenditure the jutsu demanded.
This Aragami, by contrast, required no seals, burned almost no chakra, and delivered blunt, devastating force.
"Gentlemen—it seems the Sacred Fists our predecessors created were the real deal."
Pulling her arm free from the hole in the tree, Hinata turned back. Her eyes blazed with fierce confidence and a hint of something savage.
"Now then—let's train these techniques properly!"
"I can hardly wait to master the basics and start learning the real secret techniques!"