"Ninjutsu: Clone Technique!" Hinata's voice rang out, and a puff of white smoke rose beside her. As it cleared, a perfect replica of the young girl appeared.
Hinata tilted her head, inspecting her clone with a satisfied nod. It was her first practical attempt at ninjutsu, and though she dreaded failure, she was prepared to try again. Thankfully, she didn't embarrass herself in front of Naruna. The clone was flawless, indistinguishable from her.
"It has no combat ability, can't speak, and only follows the caster's intent at creation. A light touch makes it vanish—the simplest ninja illusion," Hinata explained. "Naruna, recover your chakra. Your turn."
Naruna's wide-eyed awe at the clone made Hinata blush, secretly relishing her admiration. She poked her clone, dispersing it under Naruna's gaze, and continued her lesson.
Drained from giving Hinata her chakra, Naruna sat cross-legged to recover. Thanks to a belly full of Ichiraku ramen, her energy returned quickly, and she eagerly began refining chakra, impatient to try the technique.
Nearby, Takao, engrossed in fishing, dropped his rod in shock. As Hinata's guardian, he knew her chakra limitations better than anyone in the Hyuga clan. She shouldn't have enough chakra for even the basic Clone Technique. Holding back his astonishment during her lesson, he waited until she was free to ask, "Lady Hinata, can you refine more chakra now?"
The entire Hyuga clan cared about this. They saw Hinata's effort and believed that, without her "ailment," her diligence could make her a top ninja.
Hinata's smile faded, her head lowering. Naruna's chakra showed her a path to ninjutsu, but relying on it was a temporary fix. A ninja dependent on another could never claim the Hokage title. For now, without a permanent solution, she clung to this stopgap.
She considered asking Naruna for chakra during training but refused to bind her friend to her side. That would admit defeat in their Hokage rivalry, and Hinata wouldn't lose. Shaking her head at Takao, she said, "Naruna lent me her chakra. I'm still the same me."
Disappointed, Takao forgot to ask how a novice like Naruna shared chakra. Dazed, he retrieved his rod and resumed fishing for their dinner.
As the sun dipped, Naruna, chakra restored, stood and practiced the hand signs Hinata taught. Her first "Ram" sign took nearly ten seconds, fumbled at first, but her memory was sharp, and Hinata's patient guidance helped. After an hour, she mastered the signs—Ram, Snake, Tiger—reducing the sequence to the Clone Technique's required five seconds.
"Ram-Snake-Tiger!" Naruna called, shouting, "Ninjutsu: Clone Technique!"
Her enthusiasm was fierce, but no clone appeared—not even smoke. Her first attempt failed completely. No mocking crow cawed, no bored toad yawned; the air was still.
Hinata stifled a laugh at Naruna's sour expression, her earlier envy of Naruna's chakra talent fading. "Feeling let down?" she teased, seeing Naruna's eyes glisten. To prevent tears, she added, "If you mastered it in one try, you'd be a monster, not a genius. Keep practicing. I couldn't use chakra before, but I practiced the motions plenty."
Wiping Naruna's tears with her finger, Hinata stood closer, comforting her. Naruna, face redder than ever, mumbled, "Okay," and stepped back, practicing silently.
From noon to dusk, Takao grilled fish, its savory aroma wafting over the grove. Naruna still hadn't succeeded. Hinata first blamed unfamiliarity, then doubted Naruna's talent, then her own teaching. Finally, she wondered if Naruna's body had a flaw for ninjutsu, recalling a frog-clad ninja she'd seen who couldn't use techniques.
But Naruna proved her wrong. A puff of smoke revealed a pale, limp clone, soft as cream. A success, barely. Why was it so hard? Hinata's inexperience left her stumped, but her eyes could find answers.
With Naruna's chakra still in her, enough to activate her Byakugan briefly, Hinata said, "Naruna, try the Clone Technique again."
Naruna nodded. Hinata focused her chakra to her eyes, feeling the strain. As Naruna formed the signs—"Ram-Snake-Tiger"—Hinata's Byakugan saw her chakra flow. All was normal until it reached her abdomen, where a vast, indescribable chakra disrupted her own, scattering the technique.