After having "experimented" on her sister and father, Hinata decided to broaden her field of research—starting with the Hyuga branch family members who lived nearest to her.
Under the innocent pretense of sparring, she tested various "flavor-based combat techniques." Sometimes, she'd hide behind walls or crouch in bushes, secretly releasing faint scents to observe everyone's adaptability and resistance to different aromas.
Within just a few days, chaos spread through the branch family.
Complaints poured in from every direction. People developed splitting headaches and stomachaches seemingly out of nowhere. Soon, a full-blown mask-wearing craze swept across the compound. Every branch member began wearing masks—claiming they were "safe and environmentally friendly."
Several families even teamed up to establish a small mask workshop, producing and selling homemade masks to fellow Hyuga members.
Faced with this unexpected "defensive evolution," Hinata sighed in defeat and decided to redirect her efforts elsewhere.
…
Her next targets were her peers—the newly graduated genin of her year.
But one by one, she discovered that most of them were out of reach.
Shikamaru had been dragged away by his father for intensive training in preparation for the next round. Sasuke had vanished under Kakashi-sensei's watchful eye, and Naruto's whereabouts were unknown. Shino, like Shikamaru, was training within his clan's secret facility.
Neji and Lee were under Guy-sensei's personal supervision. Hinata knew well that Neji, being from the branch family, had limited clan resources, and Guy's brutal training was the most efficient way to hone his skill. It was said that "getting beaten by Guy was the fastest path to growth."
Realizing she couldn't reach any of them, Hinata turned her attention to the few she could—Ino, Tenten, Sakura, Kiba, and Choji.
She invited them to the best restaurant in Konoha, generously treating everyone to a hearty meal. Only after everyone had eaten their fill did she bring up her request—to "help her test something small."
…
Choji, leaning back with his belly round and full, gave her a satisfied grin.
"Leave it to me! For this meal alone, my life is yours!"
Hinata was both flattered and flustered, waving her hands quickly.
"Ah! N-no, no, that's too much!"
Still, the two left the private room together. A few minutes later, Hinata returned alone.
Ino blinked, looking around.
"Huh? Where's Choji?"
Hinata fidgeted with her fingers, her cheeks faintly pink.
"He… um… went to the bathroom."
Ino frowned.
"Seriously? He promised to help, and now he's in the bathroom? How rude! Don't worry, Hinata, I'll help you!"
And with that, Ino left.
A few minutes later, Hinata returned again—still alone.
…
Sakura tilted her head.
"Where's Ino?"
Hinata looked down timidly.
"She… she's also in the bathroom."
Sakura sighed.
"Unbelievable. Well, let me help you."
She stood up, flashing Hinata a bright smile.
"Don't worry, I'll be right back!"
She wasn't.
Minutes later, Hinata reentered the room once more, calm as ever.
…
By now, Tenten's instincts were screaming.
Something wasn't right.
Three people had left, and none had come back. From what she'd heard from Neji, Hinata was not to be underestimated—quiet, polite, but terrifyingly capable.
"I'm… going to the restroom," Tenten muttered, slipping away discreetly.
As she rounded a corner, she spotted Hinata walking calmly down the hall. Quickly ducking behind a decorative vase, Tenten watched as Hinata disappeared into the private room again before making a beeline for the restroom.
…
Inside, Tenten had barely sat down when she heard it—retching sounds from the stalls beside her.
Left side first.
Then the right.
The two seemed to be competing in who could vomit louder.
Tenten's face turned pale.
"Ugh… what did you two eat? You're going to throw up your stomachs!"
Ino's weak voice came from one side.
"Ugh… I can't take it anymore! My stomach hurts—I feel so sick!"
Sakura's voice followed, strained and miserable.
"Whatever Hinata made us smell—it's horrible! It's disgusting! My head's spinning, ugh!"
Tenten clamped her hand over her nose and mouth, grimacing.
"Stop talking! If you keep it up, even I'll start throwing up!"
Ino groaned.
"Next time Hinata treats me, I'm not going!"
"Same here!" Sakura wheezed.
From their conversation, the truth became clear—Hinata's "request for help" had been another experiment. She'd asked them to smell an invisible scent, potent enough to make their noses sting and their stomachs revolt.
Tenten's lips twitched.
"Just one meal, and I end up in a situation like this… Fine. I'll just return the favor next time."
Straightening her clothes, she flushed and exited the restroom—only to bump into Kiba and Akamaru, both of whom were pale and rushing toward the men's bathroom.
And there, not far away, stood Hinata, watching her quietly.
For a moment, the two just stared at each other in silence.
Tenten forced a laugh, scratching her cheek nervously.
"Hahaha! Hinata, what bad timing! Guy-sensei gave me some training homework to finish, and, well—no time to waste! How about we just forget about today? I'll treat you to dinner tomorrow, okay? Sorry!"
Hinata's gaze lingered on her, curious.
"Really? You're treating me?"
"Of course!" Tenten said quickly, nodding like a bobblehead. "Eat as much as you want!"
Hinata remembered her father's words—to eat out as much as possible and spare the family's kitchen—so she nodded politely.
"Can I bring one more person?"
Tenten blinked.
"One person? Who?"
Please don't say Choji, she prayed silently.
"My sister," Hinata replied simply.
Relieved, Tenten smiled.
"That's fine! Bring her along!"
How much could one little sister eat, anyway? Hinata herself was slender and delicate, hardly the type to eat like Choji. Still, to be safe, Tenten decided to ask her parents for extra pocket money—just in case.
…
The next day, Tenten went to the Hyuga residence to pick Hinata up.
There, she met Hanabi, Hinata's five-year-old sister—a tiny, bright-eyed girl with twin buns in her hair.
"Aw, she's adorable," Tenten said warmly.
Hanabi beamed, clutching Hinata's hand.
The three of them set out together—not to the same restaurant as before, but to a different one, cheaper yet generous with its portions.
Tenten initially thought Hinata was simply being considerate—trying to save her some money. She kept insisting that it wasn't necessary.
"Hinata, if you want to eat, let's go to the best restaurant! Don't worry about the cost."
But Hinata politely refused, and no matter how Tenten tried to persuade her, she wouldn't budge. Caught up in their cheerful conversation, Tenten didn't notice the way Hanabi kept glancing at her—her small face wearing an oddly knowing expression.
…
Once they arrived and took their seats in the private room, Hinata politely asked the waiter for the menu. Opening it, she quietly activated her Byakugan and scanned through every page from start to finish in a matter of seconds.
Tenten blinked in disbelief.
"It's just ordering food, not a mission report!"
Hinata blushed lightly and smiled shyly, her fingers tracing down the menu.
"Then… these five, please."
The waiter nodded and memorized the dishes, ready to confirm. But just as he opened his mouth, Hinata added gently,
"And aside from those five—bring three servings of everything else."
The waiter froze, his expression blank.
Tenten took a sip of water, still chatting absently—until the first few dishes started arriving.
Then came the next wave.
And another.
Beautifully plated meals filled the table, steam rising and scents mixing in the air. Only then did the full impact hit her. Tenten's mouth fell open.
By the time the restaurant was preparing to close, she was still sitting there in stunned silence, watching dish after dish disappear into Hinata and Hanabi's stomach as if into bottomless pits.
When the bill finally arrived, Tenten's scalp tingled as she looked at the total. That one meal had consumed more than two months' worth of her allowance, plus the extra money she'd borrowed from her parents the day before "to treat the Hyuga sisters."
The waiter, trying to be helpful, smiled and said,
"Miss Hyuga already paid half. This is just the remaining half."
"..."
Tenten couldn't even respond. She stood up in a daze, stepped outside, and let the evening wind hit her face. Only then did her senses return—and she realized something truly tragic.
She hadn't eaten a single bite.
"Aliens… they must be aliens!" she groaned. "Compared to them, the Akimichi clan's appetite is a joke!"
That day, Tenten swore she would never—ever—invite Hinata to dinner again.
"Eat as much as you want," she muttered under her breath. "That's where it all went wrong…"