Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
*****
Ximen Zhen was so familiar with the girls that he subconsciously treated them like children.
But in reality, they were about to graduate as ninjas and had undergone professional training at the academy—including mental endurance.
Being soaked in cold water in winter wasn't enough to break them.
Sakura was the first to resist the sting of the icy wind and water, stepping across the waves to reach the shore.
Next came Hinata, and finally Ino.
As Ino shivered violently, she cast a somewhat resentful glance at Hinata.
She had assumed that a pampered heiress like Hinata wasn't strong—after all, even the Hyūga clan had seemingly given up on her.
Yet she ended up being the last to make it, which stung Ino's naturally competitive spirit.
But before thinking about that, they had a more pressing issue to deal with—how were the three of them supposed to get home soaking wet?
At that moment, another Ximen Zhen off in the distance dissolved into a puff of smoke.
The three girls stared in surprise as Ximen Zhen picked up a scroll from the ground—the one his shadow clone had just used to buy clothes and cooking supplies.
Ximen Zhen only wanted to train them, not make them sick.
He handed them the new clothes and used Earth Style: Tectonic Core Shift to form a simple four-walled stone enclosure, giving the girls privacy to change.
"Wow, thank you! That's so thoughtful!"
Ino was so moved that she rushed forward and gave Ximen Zhen a hug before taking her clothes and heading inside to change.
Sakura, not to be outdone, also gave Ximen Zhen a hug, then turned to Hinata and said, "Come on, Hinata, hurry up! It'll be dark soon."
Hinata stood pale and flustered.
To her, this situation felt overwhelming.
Changing clothes outdoors? And with others nearby?
Fortunately, Ximen Zhen had blindfolded himself. Otherwise, she wouldn't have known how to face him.
"Hm?"
Noticing Hinata hadn't moved, Ximen Zhen asked, "Don't tell me… you want a hug too?"
"N-No, that's not it!" Hinata waved her hands frantically. "I just noticed you're soaked too. Don't you have a change of clothes?"
"I don't need one."
Ximen Zhen shook his head. Sakura and Ino didn't just hug him out of excitement.
They had used those hugs to squeeze their soaking wet bodies against him—so he'd experience for himself how unpleasant it felt to be drenched in this weather.
"But…"
Hinata wanted to say more, but Ximen Zhen raised an eyebrow and said, "Hinata, caring for others is a virtue—but only when it's actually needed."
"Unnecessary concern can be annoying, and concern alone doesn't solve anything."
Ximen Zhen understood that Hinata was the gentle, nurturing type—her ultimate dream was probably to settle down and raise a family, not to fight and shed blood as a ninja.
But before she could reach that point, she had to survive the Fourth Great Ninja War first.
"Okay…"
Hinata didn't argue further. She took the clothes and stepped into the stone enclosure.
Soon, laughter and surprised exclamations could be heard from inside—Sakura and Ino had apparently discovered some "secret" about Hinata's body.
Ximen Zhen didn't try to listen, nor did he use his sensory ability to peek.
Compared to how the girls were now, he was more interested in simulating what they'd become when they were older.
A few minutes later, the girls leapt out from behind the wall, now dressed in warm clothes suited for the season.
Even their hair had been dried. With color returning to their cheeks, they looked fully refreshed.
When they saw that Ximen Zhen had started a campfire and was already cooking food, they felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
"We're saved!"
"Yay!"
"Let me help!"
Hinata immediately stepped forward to lend a hand. This time, Ximen Zhen didn't stop her. Instead, he extended a hand toward Ino.
Ino looked confused but obediently placed her hand in his.
The next moment, a soft blue chakra glowed in Ximen Zhen's palm and slowly entered Ino's body.
Ino had been a little tense at first, but as a wave of warmth surged through her, she let out a surprised cry—it felt like she was soaking in a hot spring.
Sakura looked puzzled by Ino's reaction, while Hinata blushed furiously.
"Ino-pig, what are you squealing about? Got a stomachache or something?"
Ino stuck her tongue out at Sakura, then pointed to Ximen Zhen and said, "He's amazing! That felt sooo good!"
Ximen Zhen flicked Ino's forehead and said, "Don't say things that can be easily misunderstood. It's just a basic application of medical ninjutsu."
In his simulations, Ximen Zhen had been researching how to convert chakra into life force.
So now, turning chakra into revitalizing Yang-style energy was second nature to him.
Besides, his affinity for Yang-type chakra had already reached the intermediate level.
That might not sound high, but most people couldn't even register Yang chakra affinity at all.
Even the Akimichi clan—famous for their body-enhancement techniques—probably only had similar levels. Any higher would be in Tsunade or Hashirama territory.
Ino enjoyed five minutes of chakra massage, then sat dreamily by the fire, looking utterly content.
"My turn, my turn!"
Sakura rushed up excitedly.
She didn't care what Ximen Zhen had done to Ino—based on that expression alone, she wanted to experience it too.
Five minutes later, Sakura and Ino sat shoulder to shoulder, both with dazed smiles on their faces.
Ximen Zhen turned to Hinata.
Hinata immediately waved her hands. "I-I don't need it!"
"If you get sick because of my training, that's my responsibility."
"How about this—I can treat you through a handkerchief."
Ximen Zhen assumed she was just being shy. Looking at Sakura and Ino—who were acting like they were tipsy—this didn't seem like simple embarrassment.
As he walked closer, Hinata tried to run, but ultimately ended up caught in Ximen Zhen's grasp.
Five minutes later, steam rose from Hinata's body, and her face was so red it looked like it might burst. She buried her face in her arms, too embarrassed to be seen.
Her reaction was even more extreme than Sakura's and Ino's—for some reason, she even fainted.
When Ximen Zhen woke her, she thought it was already the next morning—drool glistened at the corner of her lips.
Ximen Zhen put away the handkerchief, staring at Hinata in mild surprise. He hadn't expected her to have such low resistance to Yang chakra.
Could it be she had no Yang chakra affinity at all?
Yang Release governed life force. Most ninja had at least some affinity with it—otherwise, surviving would be difficult.
Hinata seemed particularly weak in this area… Could that explain why her potential was so difficult to manifest?
"Hey, this one passed out."
Just then, Sasuke appeared, carrying an unconscious Naruto on his back.
Ximen Zhen looked at them in surprise. "You two became friends already?"
"Hmph. I'm just bringing this idiot to the doctor. He knocked himself out. If he dies, wouldn't I get blamed?"
(End of Chapter)