The expressions of Guy and Lee, which had been brimming with emotion, instantly turned to horror. The last time they accidentally made Hinata mad, she used a quick pressure point trick to knock them out—and then stuffed their mouths full of herring cans. Since then, the mere mention of "herring can" made Guy and Lee shudder. They still couldn't shake off the memory of that horrifying stench.
In reality, those herring cans were something Haku had found in Zabuza's luggage. Supposedly, they were a local specialty from a remote town in the Land of Water. Originally, Zabuza had kept them as a nostalgic memento of his hometown. But during the party celebrating Haku's move into his new home, Kiba—acting unusually restless—accidentally opened one of the cans. This led Haku to immediately gather up all of Zabuza's treasured herring cans to throw them away, but Hinata stopped him. Eventually, all the herring cans ended up in Hinata's possession, where she repurposed them as a brand-new punishment weapon.
Exactly what she planned to do with them, Hinata never clearly explained. But after that day, when Kiba unintentionally opened just one can, its overpowering stench sent him straight to the hospital for three days. Others also ended up vomiting non-stop and being hospitalized. Afterward, the new house nearly became uninhabitable. Because of this experience, practically nobody dared inquire about herring cans ever again.
"Hinata, did you bring more herring cans from the Land of Water?" Sakura and the others stiffened the moment that thought crossed their minds. That thing was worse than a biological weapon—it was a living nightmare.
"Yeah! It took me a lot of effort, but I finally found some herring cans in a very remote little town in the Land of Water. I bought a huge stockpile and kept them at home. They work extremely well as a punishment method!"
Hinata smiled smugly, clearly in a great mood. "I've already slightly revised the Hyuga clan's rules: any Hyuga clansmen who commit offenses will be locked inside a sealed dark room to experience varying intensities of herring-can smells. For severe cases, they must not only endure the stench but also eat different quantities of herring. Ever since I revised our clan's rules, everyone in the family has become remarkably obedient!"
Sakura and the others twitched their mouths slightly. This kind of punishment was nothing short of terrifying. Just smelling it made one wish for death—it was absolutely unbearable. Having to inhale that smell *and* eat that gross fish? One bite was probably enough to ruin someone for life.
"The only tricky part is, every time I open a herring can, I have to seal off the room as quickly as possible; otherwise, the stink spreads across an entire street within seconds."
Hinata said, somewhat dissatisfied. Because of this, Hiashi Hyuga nearly lost it completely. As clan leader, when this punishment was first implemented, he stood outside, curious to see how the person inside was holding up. Unfortunately, during the initial execution, due to an operational mistake by the clan member in charge, the door wasn't properly closed. The moment the odor spilled out, Hiashi nearly fainted on the spot. Ever since, every time Hiashi sees a herring can, he gets a splitting headache.
"I think Hinata should share her methods with Ibiki. This approach would definitely be very effective against spies and criminals in the jail!"
Sakura thought for a moment, deciding to help out someone from the Hyuga family. After all, they were still from the same village, and she couldn't stand to see one of her own suffer needlessly.
"I'll consider it," Hinata said thoughtfully. Hinata nodded slowly—it was actually a rather compelling suggestion.
"Hey examiner, are your Konoha people going to continue the exam or not?" Nagare from Sunagakure shouted angrily from below. He was standing there like a fool in the middle of the arena, drawing stares from every corner of the stands, like some kind of circus act.
"Please have Rock Lee enter the arena." Hayate Gekko calmly coughed lightly. This was Konoha's territory, and no matter how furiously Nagare shouted, he wasn't afraid.
"Lee, go on now and show everyone the fruits of your many years of effort!" Guy wiped tears from his face. With Hinata watching so intently, he didn't dare keep clowning around. "Let everyone witness your Ninja Way!"
"Yes, Mr. Guy! I will definitely prove that even without knowing any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, I can still become a powerful ninja! Hard work can surpass genius!"
Lee's expression was very serious. "I will absolutely become a ninja you can be proud of, Mr. Guy!"
"Lee, remember this: Self-restraint."
Guy looked at his student, a smile appearing on his face, his white teeth gleaming.
"Yes."
Lee replied, gripping the railing before launching himself down to land opposite Nagare.
"Rock Lee, the successor of Konoha's Proud Blue Beast, has arrived."
"Tch, what a freak!" Nagare snorted disdainfully, looking down on Lee from the bottom of his heart.
Chapter 195: The Lotus of Konoha Will Bloom Again [Lower] [Konoha's Ultimate Taijutsu Technique]
"The match begins."
Hayate Gekko waved his hand downward, then wisely moved to the corner to stay safe.
"Hey kid, I'll give you a chance. Surrender now so you won't end up injured and needing treatment at the hospital later!" Nagare dug in his ear casually, letting his eyelids droop as if he'd already won.
"No way. Mr. Guy said that youth must never surrender without a fight! If I lose during battle to you, I'd gladly accept that result. But asking me to surrender before the fight? That's impossible!"
Lee refused while shaking his head and explained, "As I've said, I will become a ninja worthy of Mr. Guy's pride. Therefore, I will do my utmost in this battle. Please be careful!"
"What a troublesome guy! Looks weird and is stubborn too!"
Nagare scoffed disapprovingly, a glint of killing intent flashing in his eyes. "I'm not someone like Kankuro who lost to a woman. Don't expect me to hold back against you!"
"Putting everything into a fight is the greatest respect you can show an opponent. I don't want you to hold back either!"
Lee said seriously. "Let's both give it everything and fight a battle worthy of our youth!"
"It seems your Sand Village isn't that harmonious after all!" Sakura overheard the conversation between Lee below and that Sand Village ninja named Nagare. She couldn't help but lightly laugh without even turning her head, speaking to Temari beside her, "I thought Sand Village ninjas were supposed to be close and loving. Imagine that! Even your little brother doesn't seem to be very popular at all!"
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