On the way home, the exhaustion finally caught up with me.
It wasn't sudden, but it crept in slowly, settling into my legs and shoulders with a familiar, dull heaviness. Each step felt just a little slower than the last, and I found myself genuinely grateful that the path back to the house was short and mercifully flat. No hills, no stairs—just a straight walk through the quiet paths of the compound.
When we arrived, Hikari wasted no time.
I was ushered straight into the bath despite my immediate and very vocal displeasure. I complained the entire time—about the water temperature, about being tired, about how unfair it was that I had trained so long only to be scrubbed like this afterward—but none of it had any effect. Hikari remained completely unmoved, efficiently washing me as if my protests were nothing more than background noise.
Once clean, I was dressed.
In a kimono.
Again.
By now, the garment had become part of my daily life, no matter how much I disliked it. When I complained—yet again—that I would much rather wear pants and a shirt, maybe even something with long sleeves that didn't restrict my legs, the response was the same as always.
"Proper ladies dress properly," Hikari told me, smoothing the fabric with practiced ease. "They move properly. They behave properly."
Which, apparently, also meant etiquette training.
The afternoon passed in a familiar rhythm. Posture, sitting correctly, controlled movements, polite speech. Every motion was corrected, every habit refined. By the time the sun began to lower, my mind felt just as tired as my body.
The next morning, we returned to the training grounds.
Hanato was already waiting when we arrived, several scrolls laid out neatly beside him. After the usual greetings, he turned his attention to me immediately.
"Hinata-hime," he said, "I would like you to explain again—slowly and in detail—how you reinforce your body with chakra."
I did.
I described how I guided chakra into my muscles, joints, and bones, how I adjusted intensity based on exertion, and how improper application led to pain rather than strength. I explained it as precisely as I could, careful not to skip over the smaller details.
As I spoke, Hanato compared my explanation to the diagrams and text within the scrolls he had brought.
After a while, he nodded.
"Your description aligns closely with the publicly available medical writings authored by Lady Tsunade," he said. "These texts describe bodily reinforcement as effective, but dangerous if misused. Improper application can result in excessive strain, severe fatigue, and injury."
I nodded. "That matches my experience. If I use too much chakra to move faster, my legs hurt badly. But I noticed that if I pulse the chakra in a certain rhythm, the pain fades very quickly."
That stopped him.
Hanato stared at me, then returned to the scrolls, scanning them more intently. Several long moments passed before he spoke again.
"How did you arrive at the idea of pulsing your chakra?" he asked.
"I noticed it while trying to copy the chakra reinforcement used by shinobi," I answered. "They don't keep the chakra steady—it changes. That gave me the idea."
He exhaled slowly. "I see. Then show me."
We moved outside.
At his instruction, I performed a short sprint, deliberately pushing more chakra into my legs than I normally would. Hanato activated his Byakugan immediately, watching my chakra flow closely.
When I stopped, I pulsed the chakra through my muscles, guiding it into a healing pattern. The soreness vanished almost instantly.
Hanato's expression shifted from curiosity to genuine astonishment.
"Now I understand," he said quietly. "You are using a form of healing technique. And no one taught you this?"
"No," I replied. "I learned it while reinforcing my body."
He nodded slowly. "According to these records," he continued, tapping the scrolls, "training with chakra reinforcement is actually more efficient, as it allows the body to endure greater strain. However, it greatly increases recovery time."
He studied me carefully. "That does not seem to apply to you. How do you feel after using this technique? Are you fatigued?"
"No," I said honestly. "Not at all."
Hanato was silent for a moment.
"Very well," he said at last. "We will proceed as before. Begin with cardio and strength training. You may use as much chakra as you deem necessary—but approach your limits carefully. Injury at this stage would be unacceptable."
I nodded.
Training began.
As we moved through our routine, I noticed a change. Hanato was no longer simply observing—he was training alongside me. Matching my pace. Repeating the exercises. And all the while, his Byakugan remained active.
Watching his chakra flow, I understood why.
He struggled.
Guiding chakra out of the established network and into the muscles was clearly difficult for him. The flow was uneven, hesitant, lacking the instinctive control I had developed. It took him visible effort to achieve what I did naturally.
Out of respect, I said nothing.
We completed our usual routine, followed by stance training. I transitioned between forms more smoothly now, and Hanato corrected me less frequently—except when he deliberately increased the speed of his commands.
Throughout it all, his Byakugan never left me.
Near midday, Hikari arrived to take me home.
This time, Hanato approached her directly, speaking in low tones while gesturing toward the still-open scrolls. I couldn't hear what was said, but I didn't need to. The topic was obvious.
The body reinforcement.
Back at home, the routine resumed.
Bath first.
Then clothing.
Another kimono.
I protested out of reflex alone, but the response was as unyielding as ever.
"A proper lady must dress and behave appropriately," Hikari reminded me calmly.
I sighed internally.
AN: Feedback :-) Comment/E-Mail/Smoke Signals i dont care :-)