"Hmm…"
The Shadow Clone dispersed, its chakra flooding back into her.
For a brief moment, Hikari's body felt heavier, her mind staggering under the sudden influx of memories and fatigue.
It took her a second to recover.
Then—two new Shape Transformations surged into her consciousness.
Fish. Turtle.
These were the forms she'd assigned to her Water Clone for training.
After absorbing the Three-Tails' chakra, she'd assumed these shapes would synergize well with Water Release.
And… they had. Mostly.
Hikari sifted through the memories.
Her Water Clone's training had gone smoothly—no major obstacles. With the Byakugan's guidance and real-world references, progress had been faster than her own Wind Release training.
The only hiccup?
The turtle form didn't mesh well with Water Release.
But the serpent form? Refined further.
Her Water Python's crushing force could now splinter ancient oaks thick enough to require seven grown men to encircle.
Even better—
Her clone had merged Water's fluidity into the technique.
Now, the python couldn't be harmed by physical strikes… and once coiled around a target, not even Hikari could break free.
Another perfect counter to taijutsu.
A thrill shot through her.
The Shadow Clone Technique was even more broken than she'd imagined.
In just days, she'd advanced both Wind and Water Release simultaneously. If she had more chakra, she could accelerate further.
And once her "Chakra Seed" matured?
She could flood the field with clones—mastering nature transformations in hours, even developing new jutsu on the fly.
But—
Her excitement dimmed as she dug deeper into the memories.
If the Water Clone hadn't encountered issues… then the problem had to be with her "Academy Clone."
Hikari's brow furrowed.
The Academy Clone was far more critical.
Her research into Reverse Eight Gates relied on Yin-Yang Release theories—knowledge only the clan heirs at the Academy could provide.
She couldn't afford mistakes.
Quickly, she reviewed the clone's experiences—and soon found the source of its unease.
Hyūga Hinata had discovered her secret.
At first, her Academy Clone had merely tried to steal insights into the Hyūga's Gentle Fist. But Hinata reacted with unusual fear—shrinking back, heart hammering.
Hikari had dismissed it as the girl's shyness.
Until she noticed more telling signs:
The way Hinata's pupils dilated, her bladder nearly failing when Hikari approached.
After testing further, the conclusion was undeniable—
Hinata had seen her.
With the Byakugan.
Hikari had always known her physical modifications wouldn't fool another Hyūga. That's why she'd killed those guards without hesitation.
If the Hyūga clan learned of her existence, every secret would unravel.
She'd assumed Hinata hadn't awakened her Byakugan yet—in the original story, the girl struggled with training, even losing to Sasuke without activating it.
But reality differed.
Hinata had already unlocked it.
And used it on her.
Did she hold back during sparring to avoid suspicion?
More importantly—had she told her father?
Hikari weighed the risks.
Likely not.
If Hinata had spoken up, the Hyūga would've come for her already. Their obsession with the Byakugan's purity left no room for loose ends.
But why stay silent?
Recalling Hinata's trembling form, her near-terrorized state, Hikari touched her own cheek.
Ah.
Appearance had its uses.
Hinata was timid—too scared to confess to Naruto, too weak to stand up to bullies.
Faced with Hikari's monstrous physiology, she'd probably froze in panic.
That bought time.
Still, the situation was unstable.
With the Eight Gates, Hikari could fight the Hyūga—but why invite the trouble?
The Hyūga in the original story were underwhelming, but this was real life.
What if they had hidden techniques? Some elder lurking in the shadows with a Vacuum Palm strong enough to pulp her organs?
Hikari hated gambling.
She preferred overwhelming force—crushing enemies before they could react.
Failing that? Ambushes. Assassinations.
Only then could she feel truly safe.
And Hinata?
Hinata was a liability.
She needed to neutralize the threat—without sparking a clan-wide manhunt.
Kill her?
The thought flickered, cold and clinical.
But Hinata was the Hyūga heiress.
Her death would bring the entire clan down like a storm. With their Byakugan, they'd dissect Hikari's secrets in minutes.
Even if she framed someone—say, Mizuki, the snake-loving traitor—the risk was too high.
There was no fooling the Byakugan.
Sealing techniques could hide her body's abnormalities, but that'd just scream "suspicious" louder.
After hours of deliberation (and a meal with Might Guy), Hikari exhaled, letting the murderous intent fade.
For now…
A warning would have to suffice.
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