Swoosh….
Under the shadowy trees.
Hinata, Tenten, and Hanabi waited expectantly, eyes fixed on Hinata as she channeled her chakra into a green leaf-shaped paper crane.
Back at the Root base.
Kiyoshi had left the Hyuga house early that morning and was currently immersed in refining the Flying Thunder God transmission seal with his wood clones.
He sensed something and raised an eyebrow.
In the next instant, the Flying Thunder God technique activated.
Kiyoshi instantly appeared in front of Hinata, Tenten, and Hanabi.
"Hinata, Tenten?" Kiyoshi looked around, surprised, his gaze landing on little Hanabi. "What's going on?"
"Kiyoshi, it's been so long." Tenten beamed happily.
Though she often thought of him, she usually didn't want to disturb Kiyoshi unless necessary.
"Kiyoshi-nii." Hinata said nervously, "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"
Worried that she had disturbed him, Hinata feared he might be upset.
"Not at all. I was just working on some ninjutsu." Kiyoshi reassured her.
Beside them, Hanabi gazed wide-eyed at the young man in front of her.
So this is Kiyoshi, she thought, the one helping her sister grow stronger.
Her father had mentioned that Kiyoshi possessed the Wood Release power of the First Hokage and strength that might even surpass the Third Hokage.
What was even more astonishing was that simply by inputting chakra into a green paper crane, Hinata was able to summon him instantly.
"You must be Hanabi, Hinata's sister," Kiyoshi said with a kind smile.
"Hello, Kiyoshi-nii." Hanabi, who had been brought up with impeccable manners by the Hyuga family, gave a polite bow. "I am Hyuga Hanabi. Nice to meet you."
"Ah, there's no need to be so formal. You're Hinata's sister, so you're family." Kiyoshi smiled as he looked at the adorable little girl.
Hanabi blushed, feeling Kiyoshi's kindness. "For our first meeting. I have a gift for you." Kiyoshi extended his left hand thoughtfully.
Under the amazed gaze of Hinata, Hanabi, and Tenten, a surge of chakra began to gather in his hand.
A crystal pendant, deep green and intricately carved, materialized, glistening in the light—a perfect miniature of Hanabi herself.
"This... It's beautiful." Hanabi's eyes widened. The pendant's design—was it really her?
Hinata immediately activated her Byakugan, her voice trembling with shock. "Is this... the legendary chakra crystal?"
"What?" Tenten was stunned. "Chakra…. can crystallize?"
"I heard my father mention that only the First Hokage could perform such a feat." Hinata explained with admiration.
"Tsunade-sama even possesses one of the First Hokage's chakra crystals, and it's said that selling it would yield enough money to buy several mountains containing gold mines."
Tenten's mouth hung open in astonishment. Hanabi, too, stared in awe at the exquisite green pendant in Kiyoshi's hand, still trying to process what she was seeing.
Kiyoshi just smiled, choosing not to respond immediately. In front of the three girls' dazzled gazes, his hands blurred into action, forming seals at lightning speed.
One after another, intricate black sealing symbols appeared in mid-air, weaving onto the crystal pendant.
"This chakra crystal was formed using my Wood Release abilities." Kiyoshi said, as a green woven string materialized in his hand.
He looped the string through the pendant and, in Hanabi's dazed gaze, placed it around her neck.
With a gentle pinch of her soft, chubby cheeks, he smiled and said, "Consider this your first gift from me, Hanabi."
"Uh…. can I really accept this?" Hanabi's hand gently touched the delicate crystal pendant, her eyes lighting up at the adorable miniature figure.
Remembering her father's teachings—that she shouldn't accept gifts too freely—Hanabi hesitated, torn between wanting to keep the pendant and knowing she should decline.
Her young face twisted in a mix of longing and modesty, and she looked up at her sister for guidance.
"Kiyoshi-nii, this..." Hinata began to protest, feeling the gift was too valuable.
"It's fine. You're family, there's no need to stand on formality." Kiyoshi interrupted with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Hinata blushed, gently patting her sister on the head, and whispered, "Go on, Hanabi, accept it."
"Thank you, Kiyoshi-nii." With her sister's permission, Hanabi beamed with joy, holding the pendant close to her heart, enchanted by its beauty.
"If you two would like, I could make one for each of you as well," Kiyoshi chuckled, seeing the glint of envy in both Tenten and Hinata's eyes.
He playfully knocked his knuckles against their foreheads.
"I've set a barrier inside the pendant," he explained, holding Hanabi close with a smile.
"Others won't be able to sense its chakra, but if you ever face danger, just infuse it with your chakra. It will create a shield strong enough to withstand most attacks—like a protective charm."
"Really?" Hanabi looked at the pendant in amazement, then up at Kiyoshi's face, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
At such a young age, she had already developed a level of maturity from her Hyuga upbringing, yet much of what Kiyoshi said felt like a magical feat she could barely grasp.
"Is that even possible?" Hinata and Tenten shared looks of disbelief. They had assumed it was an ordinary chakra crystal but had no idea it had a protective barrier too.
"To put it in terms of your Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist," Kiyoshi explained, "the pendant will keep the chakra barrier up until it's depleted.
Even if your father used techniques like Palm Rotation or Eight Trigrams attacks, they wouldn't break through."
Kiyoshi shrugged slightly. In the past, he wouldn't have been able to create such a protective charm. But with his recent studies, this was now well within his abilities.
"....." Hanabi blinked in amazement.
"....." Hinata was speechless.
"Kiyoshi... you're unbelievable," Tenten finally muttered, staring at him, unsure whether he was explaining its function or simply showing off.
"By the way, Hinata, why did you summon me so suddenly?" Kiyoshi asked, turning his attention to her.
The two had just spent the previous night together, sharing a peaceful night's sleep.
Although he found that cuddling her was as sweet as hugging a cherished pillow, he didn't think she'd call him back so soon.
"Oh, Kiyoshi-nii, actually." Hinata remembered the reason she had called him and quickly explained the Hyuga clan's plan to place the Caged Bird Seal on Hanabi.
"I see." Kiyoshi nodded with a slight smile.
"I once inspected Neji's Caged Bird Seal. While removing it externally is difficult, handling it internally is a different matter."
"Leave it to me."
"Really?" Hinata was overjoyed. "That's wonderful."
She knew that Kiyoshi never made empty promises. If he said he could do it, she was certain he could.
Hanabi blinked her pure white eyes in disbelief. She had always heard the Caged Bird Seal was unbreakable. Could this be true?
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