Chapter 52: The Path to Shadow-Level Mastery - The White Eyed Princess of Konoha

### Chapter 52: The Path to Shadow-Level Mastery Hinata was well aware that Kakashi was an excellent cook. Even Obito and Rin had personally praised his culinary skills. On this trip to the Land of Waves, Hinata made a point to bring a fishing rod with her. At Tazuna's house, there were fishing nets and other tools for gathering seafood, so they could enjoy a seafood feast. In addition to this, Hinata brought along some sealing scrolls, intending to seal some seafood and take them back to Konoha for Hanabi and Neji to try. After all, being in the center of the mainland, Konoha had little access to fresh seafood, and it wasn't common for anyone to use a sealing scroll to preserve seafood. The main benefit was saving money. The sealing scrolls were from her family, but her wallet was her own. Before gaining full control, she still needed to save some private funds. Before becoming a ninja, Hinata had ample allowance every day. But after donning the ninja badge, her family's support dwindled, and she had to be frugal. She couldn't very well steal Hanabi's pocket money, could she? Moreover, Neji was at the age where he should be dating, and he needed some money in his pocket to have the confidence to ask a girl out. As the heir of the main family, Hinata had to consider these matters. After resting for a night, early the next day, Hinata followed Tazuna to work on the bridge, while Kakashi took Naruto and Sasuke to a secluded place for training. On the bridge, Tazuna led the workers in constructing the bridge, while Hinata sat at its edge, fishing with her rod. Before leaving, Hinata borrowed some cooking utensils and condiments from Tazuna's house. Once she caught some fish, Kakashi could cook them into a feast. Hinata wasn't sure what kind of advanced techniques Kakashi would teach Naruto and Sasuke, but she imagined they would both become much stronger through this training. By the time the Chunin Exams rolled around, Naruto hopefully wouldn't be bullied by Kankuro with just a chakra string anymore. As for Hinata herself, there wasn't much she needed to train on right now. It was mainly about increasing her chakra reserves, maintaining basic daily exercises, practicing gentle fist techniques, and developing advanced moves. As for mastering Yin-Yang Releases, Hinata hadn't found a clear direction. Without guidance from a shadow-level master, she'd have to wait until her Tenseigan awakened, and then use its power to develop Yin-Yang techniques. When it comes to a ninja's strength, moving from Genin to Chunin is fairly straightforward. Once someone learns a few C-rank or higher ninjutsu and gains combat experience, the majority are capable of attaining Chunin-level combat ability. However, advancing from Chunin to Jonin is quite challenging. Without exceptional talent and insight, ninety-five percent of ninjas will remain Chunin for life. As for advancing from Jonin to Shadow level, not only does it require immense talent, but also personal guidance from a shadow-level master. In the original story, Orochimaru was mildly surprised when he saw Kakashi using the Evil Sealing Method to seal the Cursed Seal on Sasuke and even praised Kakashi for it. That's because Kakashi had delved deep into Yin-Yang Release, which is a marker for ninjutsu-specialized ninjas to progress to the shadow level. For a taijutsu-focused ninja to reach shadow-level, it requires not just relentless practice, but also mastering powerful taijutsu techniques. Take Might Guy's Eight Gates technique, or Tsunade's monstrous strength, for example. The Hyuga clan's Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms might seem weaker in comparison, but if one masters it, they too can possess quasi-shadow level strength. Hiashi Hyuga, for example, currently resides in that realm. To advance in the path of the gentle fist to the shadow level, it's essential to elevate the basic gentle fist techniques. Hinata currently had two ideas in mind: First, refine her Sage Techniques. Once successful, these alone could elevate her to the shadow level. Second, develop her expertise in Yin-Yang Release, integrating its intricate transformations into her gentle fist, thus breaking the shadow level barrier. Of course, these points mainly pertain to Hiashi Hyuga. As Hiashi is already in his forties and his body begins to age, if he wishes to break into shadow-level, his best option is the second point. For Hinata, however, there's also a third choice. She possesses undeniable talent and is currently in a period of rapid power growth. As long as she continues to delve into the basics of the gentle fist and further refine her Twin Lion Fists, achieving shadow-level through the gentle fist is only a matter of time. The shadow level isn't merely an augmentation of attributes over a Jonin; it involves mastering powerful secret arts. Mastery of jutsu is essential for a ninja. Hinata needs to solidify her foundation so that in the future, regardless of which path she takes, she can achieve shadow-level mastery directly. However, if Hinata manages to advance to shadow-level via the gentle fist before mastering Sage Techniques, Yin-Yang Release, or the Tenseigan, she would achieve a breakthrough to super shadow-level fast, once any of those powers are attained. No fear! After all, with Ōtsutsuki lineage and the benefit of three pre-crossing wishes, Hinata may now be just a lowly Genin, but the Great Shinobi War is over three years away. She hopes during that time, Obito Uchiha can spare her hardship, considering she's Kakashi's disciple. The float slightly twitched, and Hinata gently pulled her rod, then scooped up the hooked fish with a net, placing it in the bucket. The first fish was caught. But where was Kakashi? Why hadn't he appeared yet? Tazuna had already started work with the laborers, and the clanking noises were bound to scare away many fish. Hinata glanced at Tazuna with a hint of dissatisfaction; clearly, her luck and his were at odds. After all the trouble traversing mountains and waters to reach the Land of Waves, not only did it take time and effort, but it also brought life-threatening dangers and ended up with heavy expenses. However, considering Tazuna's age and the fact that his actions were for his country, Hinata couldn't treat him like she did Kakashi and Naruto, despite having the utmost respect for her elders. Just as these thoughts passed through her mind, Kakashi appeared beside Hinata in a flash, glanced into the bucket, and teased, "Wow! You've already caught a fish!" Hinata, eyes still fixed on the water, replied without looking back, "Then I'll leave lunch to Kakashi-sensei! I still need to catch a few more fish, otherwise, Naruto and Sasuke will have nothing to eat for lunch." Kakashi was slightly moved by this; Hinata had considered Naruto and Sasuke's needs. Given their personalities, if they weren't brought lunch, they would likely train themselves to complete exhaustion. Kakashi settled beside Hinata and pulled out his copy of "Icha Icha Paradise" from his ninja pouch, starting to read. After a moment of silence, Kakashi suddenly remarked, "Hinata, if you slack off like this, Naruto and Sasuke might surpass you." Was this an attempt to make awkward small talk? Hinata responded nonchalantly, "That would be wonderful! Once they surpass me, they can protect me. Then, during missions, I won't have to work so hard." After all, Naruto was her knight number three. Should she recruit Sasuke as well? With that thought, Hinata glanced at Kakashi, amusedly smirking, "After all, supporting in battles is a girl's specialty. We leave the fights to our teammates and teachers. My role is to just cheer you on from behind." And just like that, the topic fizzled out.