81. Do you think I have grown soft?

Sasuke shook his head, took a deep breath, and spoke with a clear tone: "Fight me."

Yes, even though they'd already clashed a few times—and he had lost every time—Sasuke, as a shinobi, had no intention of giving up on challenging Hinata. Admittedly… he originally wanted Naruto to join him for the rematch, but now… Sasuke no longer wanted that dobe involved.

"Oh? Interesting… Trying to test your current limits? Using me as a benchmark?"

Hinata's brow eased slightly at the request. As underhanded as Sasuke could be, at least he rarely lied. Since he clearly stated this was a request for a duel, she could assume there were no ulterior motives.

"Exactly. Besides, as heirs of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, I'd imagine you also feel a bit of competitive pride, right?"

Staring straight at Hinata, Sasuke steadied his heart. Hinata's presence had become increasingly overwhelming lately, but if he stripped away all that pressure and regarded her as just another practitioner of the Seven Holy Fists, then maybe… just maybe, they could fight as equals.

"Hm… fine. But I don't fight for free. If you lose, you know what happens. There's going to be a punishment."

Hinata narrowed her eyes slightly. The timing Sasuke chose was telling—right as all three of them completed one phase of training and were preparing to enter the next. He clearly wanted to measure their relative strength at this stage, before they advanced with their ultimate techniques.

Or maybe…

"You think I've gotten soft chasing influence and power?"

Resting her left hand on her hip, Hinata smirked sharply, raising her right fist with unwavering confidence.

"Then let's go~ Or are you thinking of starting right now?"

The dangerous edge in her final words made Sasuke's nerves instinctively tighten. He understood exactly what she meant—but he didn't back down.

Instead, he nodded.

"Yeah. This is a shinobi duel, not some samurai showdown… so let's begin—now!!"

BOOM!!

A burst of fire erupted the instant Sasuke spoke. Grinning viciously, Hinata had already slammed her fist into where Sasuke had just been standing. But the boy who was launched back with a stunned expression exploded into a burning log mid-air.

Substitution jutsu.

But Hinata wasn't fooled. With smooth, unbroken motion, the white-eyed girl leapt upward, heading straight for the rooftops! Meanwhile, Sasuke had darted off into the nearby forest. Though the Byakugan could see the general area, it lacked the fine detail required to counter a chaotic environment—like a dense forest.

Now this… this was the kind of personal interaction that truly belonged to the two of them!

---

Shinobi battles were fundamentally different from samurai duels. The terrain, tools, methods, and even timing were fluid and ever-changing. More than a fight, it was a hunt—each combatant seeking to claim the other's life.

Hinata's greatest strength among the current generation of academy students was her complete acceptance of this brutal truth. Compared to someone like Sakura—a pampered greenhouse flower of a ninja—Hinata understood and embodied the true essence of a shinobi: in battle, there is no mercy—only life and death.

Add to that her ability to remain clear-headed and logical no matter the situation, and even if her actual strength were equal to her peers, her chance of victory would still be the highest.

Trying to use forest traps against her? Sorry, she wasn't the type to walk face-first into grass like a noob.

Seeing Sasuke vanish into the trees without looking back, Hinata smirked. True, that was a smart move against the Byakugan.

Though the Byakugan had a wide and penetrating visual range, the user's attention span was still finite. The broader the field of view, the harder it was to focus on individual details. In close combat, she could zero in on a single person—seeing their chakra and tenketsu with crystal clarity. But with multiple opponents or complex terrain, some details inevitably slipped through.

Even Kaguya, with her god-tier Byakugan, was ultimately caught off guard in the original story—missing Sakura above her head, leading to her defeat.

To fight the Hyuga clan effectively, individual prowess wasn't enough. You needed support—be it allies or carefully placed traps. The same held true for Sharingan users. Unless you were up against monsters like Itachi or Madara, coordinated attacks and traps were valid and effective. Otherwise, the Uchiha and Hyuga wouldn't have suffered such losses in the Great Shinobi War.

Given that Sasuke had initiated the challenge himself, Hinata had no reason to hold back. She decided to treat the forest ahead as a no-go zone. Sasuke's Lightning Burial Fist was best paired with metal tools, and with the Uchiha's infamous sleight-of-hand shuriken techniques and other gadget-based ninjutsu, Hinata had every reason to believe that walking into the forest meant getting shredded by shuriken from every direction.

"Don't treat me like some brute who only knows hand-to-hand. I quite enjoy these little shuriken toys too."

Stopping at the edge of the forest, Hinata chuckled coldly. She pulled two kunai from her pouch and wrapped them with explosive tags—then, without hesitation, she hurled them toward Sasuke's position!

Normally, explosive tags were too valuable to use so casually—especially when the enemy was hidden. Forest terrain could easily absorb the blast, and pinpointing targets was difficult.

But!!

First: Hinata was rich. Rich enough to treat explosive tags like confetti.

Second: She had the Byakugan, so she could see exactly where Sasuke was—and the best angle to strike.

Third: Hinata was no idiot. She had no intention of charging into a trap-laden forest for a melee brawl. Instead, she would exploit her strengths and rain hell from a distance.

So—

BOOM!!

The explosion echoed through the forest, muffled by layers of branches. A startled flock of birds burst into the sky, and smoke rose through the trees.

Sasuke, face smudged with ash, barely managed to roll away and absorb the shock of the blast. No doubt about it—Hinata had just caught him completely off guard.

All those traps he painstakingly set? Wasted.

Once again, Hinata had proven that her real danger wasn't just in her fists—but in her intellect.

Grimacing, Sasuke clutched his shoulder, numbed by the blast, and ducked behind a large rock. His elaborate trap-laden forest was supposed to counter Hinata's overwhelming close-quarters prowess and Byakugan. He'd even planned several follow-up attacks.

But she hadn't taken the bait. Instead, she flipped the script and used her own long-range tools to blow him out of hiding.

"Such clarity of mind and decisiveness… this child truly embodies the shinobi ideal."

In a quiet courtyard, the Third Hokage watched Hinata through his crystal ball with undisguised admiration. Seated across from him was none other than the current Hyuga clan head—Hinata's father, Hiashi Hyuga.

"Ah… that child has changed so much. Before I even realized it, she had grown to this level…"

Hiashi's voice carried a hint of guilt as he stared at the crystal. As the father who had abandoned his eldest daughter, it felt like he had discarded a rough stone—only to discover too late that it held a precious gem inside.

"You didn't invite me here just for tea, did you? Just say what's on your mind. I've seen the sacrifices the Hyuga have made for Konoha. And… I swore: I will never let another Uchiha incident happen again."

The Third's voice was calm, tinged with quiet regret. He understood Hiashi's concern well.

Compared to the Uchiha, the Hyuga clan was extremely low-profile. Hiashi was known for his unwavering loyalty to the village. That was why the Hyuga still stood strong—while the Uchiha had been wiped out.

"Ah… it's like this. The academy's graduation is approaching. If you don't mind, I'd like Hinata to be placed on the same team as Shino Aburame and Kiba Inuzuka."

After a moment's hesitation, Hiashi made his request. The Third Hokage looked up—his gaze sharpening slightly.

"That child's personality, while vastly different now, still may not be suited to a team with the Uchiha heir or the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki. I'm worried… something dangerous could happen."

Now that the conversation had started, Hiashi spoke without reservation. His tone was calm and direct.

Indeed, the Hyuga were in a stable position. Hinata had proven her genius in business, and Hanabi had shown exceptional talent in Gentle Fist. The clan's resurgence was all but assured.

So why take unnecessary risks by tying themselves to the Uchiha remnant—or to the unpredictable, ticking time bomb that was Naruto Uzumaki?

Besides, based on Hinata's leadership qualities, she would naturally become team leader if grouped with Shino and Kiba. That would also bind the Hyuga to both the Aburame and Inuzuka clans—strengthening their influence. The Hyuga had no plans of rebellion, but gaining allies was never a bad thing.

"Hiashi… I may not have the right to ask this, but… is this suggestion coming from you as a father, or as a clan leader?"

The Third set down his teacup, his gaze turning complicated. He understood what Hiashi was trying to do—cut off unstable variables at the source. Pairing Hinata with Shino and Kiba would earn her their goodwill, and even if she didn't fully identify as a Hyuga, the clan would benefit from her reputation.

Whereas if she were teamed with Sasuke and Naruto… well, Sasuke was practically a hostage used to manipulate Itachi, and Naruto… Naruto was the Nine-Tails jinchuriki. The risks involved would be astronomical.

That was exactly why, in the original, they paired Sakura—a non-clan girl—with Team 7. She was easy to manage and carried no political baggage, if she got deleted there would little to no consequences.

"I… speak as the head of the Hyuga."

Hiashi hesitated, unable to deny it. He knew where he stood—he was a clan leader… not a father.