Morning light had just begun to break through the horizon when Hinata woke up. She stretched, washed up briefly, and changed into a loose and comfortable set of home clothes.
As she passed the living room, she glanced at the workshop. It was still a scene of bustling activity, with the voices of her Clones occasionally drifting out.
Hinata didn't go inside. If she did, the Clones would likely swarm her and accuse her of being a "black-hearted capitalist."
Bypassing them, Hinata went out into the courtyard, where her younger sister Hanabi was already waiting.
Facing the rising sun, Hanabi's little face was tense with concentration as she worked hard to guide the thin Spiritual Power into her body.
Compared to when Hinata first started, Hanabi's absorption was noticeably slower and more sluggish. Five-colored glimmers flickered around her, sometimes strong and sometimes weak. This was a typical characteristic of the Early Stage of cultivation for a Five Elements Mixed Spiritual Root; the Spiritual Energy absorbed was both impure and slow.
Hinata didn't speak to offer guidance, but simply watched quietly for a while.
A slow cultivation speed was limited by Innate conditions and couldn't be rushed; laying a solid foundation was more important.
After about half an hour, Hanabi slowly finished her session. She exhaled a breath of turbid air tinged with impurities and opened her eyes, looking slightly weary. Seeing her sister standing under the corridor, her eyes lit up: "Sister!"
Hinata walked over and handed her a clean towel. "Take it slow, there's no need to rush. Only with a solid foundation will the path ahead be stable."
Hanabi took the towel to wipe her sweat and nodded vigorously: "I know, Sister."
Hinata patted her head. "Go take a shower and change your clothes. We're going out in a bit."
"Going out? Where to?"
"To eat BBQ. Do you want to go?"
At the mention of BBQ, Hanabi's eyes brightened further, and the fatigue from her cultivation seemed to vanish instantly: "I do! Sister, wait for me!"
Hanabi ran off excitedly to shower. Hinata changed into casual clothes suitable for going out and then strolled out the door, heading toward Tenten's house.
At this time, Tenten was in the small training ground in her backyard.
She was practicing with her sword, holding the kusanagi sword and attempting to replicate the swordsmanship Hinata had shown that day.
"Tenten," Hinata called out.
Hearing her name, Tenten sheathed her sword and held it vertically behind her back, looking quite like a heroic Swordsman.
"Hinata!" Tenten ran over with a grin. "How do you have time to come over? Not busy anymore?"
"Yeah, I'm free for now. Let's go eat BBQ, my treat," Hinata stated her purpose directly.
"BBQ?! At Choji's family's place?" Tenten's eyes immediately lit up.
"That's great! I'm actually a bit hungry from training and was just thinking of relaxing! Let's go, let's go!"
The two of them set off together and soon arrived at the BBQ restaurant run by the Akimichi Clan.
It wasn't quite the official mealtime yet, so there weren't many people in the shop. Choji was there, sitting behind the counter munching on potato chips.
"Choji!" Tenten greeted him familiarly.
"Hinata, Tenten?" Choji was a bit surprised and quickly swallowed his chips. "What are you guys doing here?"
"To support your family's business, of course," Tenten laughed. "Hinata's treat!"
Hinata nodded. "Yeah, I suddenly had a craving for BBQ. Arrange a quiet spot for us. As for the variety... start by bringing out five servings."
Choji froze for a moment. Five servings? And that was just to "start"? He looked at Hinata's calm face and scratched his head. This posture... why was it just like his?
"Sure, but it's still early, so you'll have to wait a bit."
Hinata nodded. After she and Tenten picked a spot, she brought over Hanabi, who had finished her shower.
The three girls sat around a table. The charcoal fire was lit, and a dazzling array of meat slices, vegetables, and mushrooms was laid out.
Customers also began to trickle into the shop.
Everything was fine on Hinata's side at first, but it didn't take long for the signs to emerge.
The five servings of food were gone in no time. The plates stacked higher and higher, and they were even continuously adding more dishes.
The waitress had already lost track of how many times she had served this table.
"Hello, would you like anything else?"
Hinata's gaze fell on the menu, her tone as steady as ever as she ordered a bunch more meat.
"This... this, and this. Bring ten servings of each to start..."
The waitress recorded the order rapidly while she couldn't help but confirm once more.
"...Um, guest, this amount... is it really okay?" She looked at the pile of empty plates on the table, then at the slender girl, finding it truly difficult to connect the two.
"It's no problem, please bring it out." Hinata looked up, giving the waitress a calm and certain look, and neatly stacked several empty plates to make space.
"O-Okay! Coming right up!" The waitress suppressed the massive doubt in her heart and hurried toward the kitchen. This table had already become the focus of hushed discussions among the other employees tonight.
Tenten was dumbstruck. How did she remember Hinata having an appetite similar to her own when they ate together before? Why now... Not only Tenten was dumbstruck, but also the couple at the neighboring table.
The boy was struggling to swallow a slice of meat that had been grilled a bit too long, while the girl kept stealing glances at Hinata's table, leaning in to whisper in her boyfriend's ear in amazement.
"My god... they ordered again! Look at those empty plates! What round is this already..."
The boyfriend also took a look and clicked his tongue.
"Those are the Eldest Young Miss and Second Young Miss of the Hyuga Clan, right? Ninjas have high consumption, but this is just too... are their stomachs bottomless pits?"
On the other side, several Chunin who had just finished work and come to drink together also noticed.
"Hey, hey, look over there! That appetite... as expected of a prestigious clan, even eating with such spirit! Truly worthy of being a konoha hero..."
"Her younger sister looks so quiet and gentle, I didn't expect..."
Hanabi lowered her head a bit bashfully, but Hinata acted as if she hadn't heard. She picked up a perfectly grilled slice of meat and placed it in her sister's bowl. "Try this, the heat was just right."
"Mhm!" Hanabi nodded and took a small bite, her eyes curving. "It's delicious."
These whispers made Hanabi's face flush with embarrassment, and her eating speed slowed down a bit.
Hinata, however, seemed not to hear a thing. She picked up another piece of sizzling, fatty pork belly, wrapped it in a lettuce leaf, and handed it to Hanabi.
"Don't mind them, just eat."
"Mhm..." Hanabi took it and bit down. The crispness of the lettuce and the rich juices of the pork belly burst in her mouth, instantly dispelling that bit of unease.
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