After enduring five days of what felt like a persistent 'cold and fever,' Hyuga Neji finally returned to the familiar surroundings of the Hyuga clan compound. The five days could be roughly divided: the first three were marked by the 'illness' itself—the expected side effects of Habara's 'vaccine' taking hold—while the last two were focused on adaptation and recovery as his body adjusted.
There were certain truths one simply had to acknowledge within the framework of this world, primary among them being that the origin, development, and eventual outcome of many things were fundamentally based on bloodline. Reality was simply thus; if a ninja possessed a sufficiently 'pure' or potent bloodline, even something as relatively simple as a targeted stimulating injection would yield significantly better results compared to its effect on others with less remarkable lineage.
This morning, Hyuga Neji, now fully recovered and seemingly back to his normal, composed state, was personally escorted back to the Hyuga main compound by Habara and formally returned to the care of his father, Hyuga Hizashi.
After the brief 'handover ceremony' concluded politely, Hizashi instructed an attendant to offer Habara refreshments in a guest room while he temporarily took Neji back into the private inner residence. His stated reason was innocuous—merely to help Neji change into fresh clothes and tidy up his appearance after being away. However, despite not knowing exactly what procedures or training his son had been subjected to during his days under Habara's sole supervision, Hizashi undoubtedly harbored a host of suspicions and deeply rooted concerns. Naturally, he needed to check Neji over himself, discreetly but thoroughly.
His first, almost instinctive check confirmed that Neji's eyes hadn't been gouged out and replaced with glass beads – a dark, perhaps exaggerated fear, but one stemming from the inherent vulnerability of the Byakugan and uncertainty about Habara's methods. Seeing his son's eyes intact brought Hizashi an immediate, profound wave of relief.
"Father," Neji stated, his young voice clear and steady, "I've become stronger than before."
As Neji spoke these words, Hizashi's gaze fell upon the boy's shoulder, noticing the distinct, dark red, lotus-like pattern imprinted on the skin where the injection had likely occurred. The relief he'd just felt instantly evaporated, replaced by a familiar knot of anxiety tightening unpleasantly in his chest. It was a well-known, if unspoken, fact that a significant portion of the Hyuga clan harbored severe, trauma-induced aversion—PTSD, essentially—regarding anything resembling Curse Marks or external seals modifying the body.
"What is this?" Hizashi asked immediately, his voice sharp with resurfacing concern.
Hyuga Neji considered the mark for a moment, then replied with childlike honesty, "I don't know, Father."
Hizashi: "..."
At that precise moment, Hizashi found himself unable to conduct a more thorough examination of his son's condition or the mysterious mark; he couldn't keep Habara, an influential figure and Neji's official tutor, waiting indefinitely, after all. He would simply have to check more closely later, when privacy allowed.
In truth, he could directly question Habara about the mark and demand an explanation. However, doing so risked implying direct interference with Habara's chosen teaching methods and implicitly questioning Habara's qualifications and authority as Neji's appointed tutor – a potentially insulting and politically awkward move. Unless absolutely necessary, Hizashi preferred to avoid actions that could easily cause misunderstandings or offense, especially with someone as unpredictable as Habara. Since Neji currently appeared perfectly healthy and, indeed, seemed stronger, any excessive alarm or interrogation from Hizashi might simply come across as overly anxious or doting parenthood.
Therefore, Hizashi decided pragmatically to observe further for now.
He emerged from the inner residence with Neji, now freshly dressed in clean Hyuga robes, and rejoined Habara, smoothly changing the subject.
"Habara-sensei," he began respectfully, "Neji will now proceed with his daily training routine, which today includes sparring practice. I wonder if you might be interested in observing? It would be an opportunity for you to see his current progress, and perhaps identify any particular weaknesses he demonstrates during combat. As you know, our clan places great importance on the rigorous nurturing of the younger generation."
Given his vested interest in his new student – and the effects of his recent 'gift' – Habara decided he would indeed like to see Neji's training progress firsthand. "Of course," he accepted readily.
Under Hizashi's guidance, Habara proceeded deeper into the sprawling Hyuga clan grounds. After a walk of about ten minutes, they arrived at a very large, impressive indoor training hall – a formal dojo.
At this time of day, the dojo was already bustling with activity, filled with many young Hyuga clan members spanning various junior age groups. Besides the young ninja present for instruction and the senior Hyuga members acting as teachers overseeing them, the Clan Head himself, Hyuga Hiashi, was also present, standing with quiet authority at one end of the hall. Accompanying Hiashi were several stern-faced elders, positioned respectfully behind him.
This unexpectedly high-level assembly made Hizashi involuntarily frown slightly. Under normal circumstances, this routine morning training session would absolutely not warrant such significant, high-level attendance. It was, after all, just basic training for the children; why would figures as important as the Clan Head and Main Branch elders be personally observing today?
Hyuga Hiashi and the elders flanking him shared a common, defining feature: their foreheads were conspicuously unmarked – clear evidence that they were all members of the Hyuga 'Main Branch.'
Hizashi located his customary viewing spot along the edge of the training floor, mentally debating whether he should take Habara over to perform formal introductions to his brother and the elders. Just then, he happened to see Hiashi glance subtly in their direction and offer a slight, almost imperceptible, acknowledging nod.
Habara, noticing the glance and the nod, also offered a faint, polite smile in return. This brief, silent exchange served as a sufficient greeting between them, simultaneously signaling that Habara, as an esteemed guest (and Neji's tutor), wouldn't need to disrupt the Hyuga's established training routine with cumbersome formalities or introductions. Although this daily morning practice was a routine affair for the Hyuga, it wasn't treated lightly or casually. On the contrary, its nature was quite solemn and carried significant weight. Cultivating the next generation was the eternal, paramount theme for ancient, powerful clans like the Hyuga. If they didn't properly nurture their successors, ensuring the continuation of their strength and traditions, how could they possibly hope to maintain their ancient lineage and influence?
Next, Habara watched with genuine interest as the group of children began meticulously practicing their Gentle Fist katas, moving with impressive discipline and precision for their age. The instructors moved among them like sharp-eyed hawks, occasionally pausing to correct the stances or fine-tune the movements of one or two children.
Habara held some intrinsic interest in observing the Hyuga clan's methods for cultivating young ninja; ancient traditions, however rigid, often held their own unique value and insights. After watching the drills for a while, however, Habara found his specific interest in the Gentle Fist style itself beginning to wane. The intricate style, he noted clinically, inherently required the active use of the Byakugan to achieve its full, devastating potential; without the enhanced perception and chakra-point targeting provided by the dōjutsu, its overall combat effectiveness was drastically reduced, becoming merely a sophisticated but less potent form of taijutsu.
He observed the children more broadly. The younger ones all looked immaculately neat and proper, embodying the distinguished, disciplined bearing expected of a major clan's scions. However, observing those just slightly older, perhaps entering their Academy years, one could clearly see the dark green, intricate tattoo-like patterns sealed onto their foreheads – the infamous mark commonly known as the Caged Bird Seal. It was the primary tool utilized by the numerically small Hyuga Main Branch to maintain absolute control and subservience over the vastly more numerous Branch Family ninja. Of course, the official explanation endlessly parroted to outsiders claimed it was purely a defensive measure, designed solely to protect the secrets of the Byakugan from ever falling into the hands of rival villages should a Branch member be captured or killed.
The Hyuga children practiced their synchronized drills, moving almost like participants in a highly complex form of calisthenics, for about an hour. Afterwards, they were granted a fifteen-minute break, following which they transitioned into more targeted, practical training exercises: specifically, combat-oriented sparring matches.
Habara had also been discreetly provided with basic information sheets on the participating children – names, ages, lineage. As the sparring matches commenced, he casually cross-referenced the data on his list while listening to Hizashi's quiet, informative commentary whispered beside him, providing context for each match.
Soon, Habara heard Neji's name called out by an instructor.
"Next match: Hyuga Neji versus Hyuga Sosuke."
Habara glanced down at the information sheet in his hand, noting the ages, then turned to Hizashi beside him with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Is this matchup alright?"
His opponent, Sosuke, was listed as eight, nearly nine. At this young, formative age, that year-plus difference in physical and chakra development represented a potentially significant gap. On paper, at least, the match seemed inherently unbalanced, possibly unfair to Neji.
"It's perfectly fine," Hizashi explained, his tone outwardly calm but unable to completely conceal the subtle undercurrent of paternal pride. "Neji has always sparred against slightly older children throughout his training. Honestly, putting him against someone his exact same age at this point would actually be somewhat unfair... to the opponent."
But when the match actually began, the situation unfolded in a manner far more dramatic and impressive than even the proud Hizashi had perhaps anticipated.
Because Hyuga Neji's fighting this time was vastly more refined, focused, and lethally precise than anything Hizashi had witnessed from him before. He wasn't just going through the basic motions and stances of the Gentle Fist anymore—while his older opponent, Sosuke, struggled mightily to even land a glancing blow, Neji was moving with fluid grace, effortlessly evading attacks while actively and accurately employing Gentle Fist pressure point strikes.
This stunning display indicated Neji wasn't just practicing forms; he was utilizing Gentle Fist in its true, terrifyingly practical combat application.
Even more significantly, and this was the revelation that made Hizashi's breath catch in his throat, it meant that Hyuga Neji—at only seven years old—was now able to smoothly, naturally, and effectively utilize his own Byakugan in the fluid chaos and high-speed demands of actual combat.
Seeing those pure, translucent white eyes activated, perceiving the incredibly pure and potent dōjutsu power now radiating almost palpably from his young son, Hyuga Hizashi's body couldn't help but tremble slightly. His overwhelming mixture of excitement, astonishment, and profound joy was almost physically tangible, entirely understandable to anyone who knew the weight of the Hyuga legacy. Habara watched Hizashi's reaction dispassionately and felt that if the man suddenly burst into unrestrained tears of overwhelming pride right then and there, it wouldn't be the least bit surprising.
The brief battle concluded swiftly with Neji's clear victory. The supervising instructor declared the winner, offered measured praise and commendations to both combatants, and then provided a brief, targeted analysis suggesting specific areas for improvement for each participant…
It had to be said, Habara conceded internally as he observed the process, this intensive, personalized, almost tutorial-like style of Hyuga education was indeed highly effective at cultivating truly elite, technically proficient ninja from a very young age.