In the dojo of the Hyūga Clan in Konoha Village, a test was underway.
In the center of the dojo, the five-year-old Hyūga Shinichi gently exhaled, then assumed the stance of the Gentle Fist (Jūken). His clear blue eyes quietly watched Hyūga Hiashi, who stood before him with his hands at his sides. Shinichi let out a quiet shout:
"Byakugan!"
The moment he spoke, the veins near the corners of Shinichi's eyes bulged, and the scene he perceived immediately underwent a massive change.
"Although it's certainly not the first time I've seen you use the Byakugan's ability, no matter how many times I see it, it fills me with both surprise and comfort."
"You truly are a genius, Shinichi!"
Seeing Hyūga Shinichi skillfully use the Byakugan bloodline limit, his father, Hyūga Hiashi, couldn't help but chuckle. While praising him generously, his face was filled with intense joy.
As the leader of the Hyūga Clan, a powerful dōjutsu clan in Konoha, Hiashi's life had already reached its peak. Whether in terms of reputation, status, or strength, there wasn't much left for him to pursue in his position. Continuing the Hyūga Main Family's line and cultivating an outstanding successor would be the most important task of his later life.
And this most critical mission for the Hyūga Main Family was already largely achieved with the birth of Hyūga Shinichi.
As Hiashi's eldest son, the ninja talent displayed by the mere five-year-old Shinichi forced everyone in the Hyūga Clan to redefine what a "genius" was.
Seeing the pride and anticipation in his cheap old man's eyes, Shinichi sighed silently to himself.
The Hyūga Clan's scope... was simply too narrow.
Even someone of his level was being crowned with the title of genius and viewed by the clan as the hope that could lead the Hyūga family to its pinnacle.
Shinichi was not originally from this world; his presence here was purely a twist of fate. He never expected that just dozing off during overtime would lead him to wake up in this Naruto world, born into the Hyūga family as the son of Hyūga Hiashi.
Unlike many other transmigrators, Shinichi not only had both parents, but just a few days ago, his mother was found to be three weeks pregnant. If all went well, he would soon have a younger brother or sister.
Well, now. The loner from his previous life now possessed a large family, though life within such a large clan wasn't necessarily much easier than being alone. Loneliness certainly wasn't an issue anymore, but his life was packed full by Hiashi, the clan head, especially after he accidentally awakened the Byakugan when he was just over one year old—the Hyūga Clan immediately made Shinichi's education a top priority.
Possessing the soul of an adult, Hyūga Shinichi inevitably had comprehension skills far beyond his peers. By diligently studying, his rate of growth naturally surpassed that of ordinary children. Of course, even more importantly, this newly born body genuinely seemed highly compatible with the Hyūga family's various Taijutsu.
However, Hyūga Shinichi, deeply aware of this world's maximum power level, never took his rapid growth rate seriously. Genius... This world had no shortage of geniuses. Ordinary ninjas had a limit. Even if he was as exceptional as he was, coming from the Hyūga clan, what level could he ultimately reach?!
Barring any unforeseen miracles, let alone hoping to reach the limit of a civilian-born ninja like Minato, just being able to become a ninja on the level of Jiraiya or Orochimaru would be a huge blessing. And most likely, that was just wishful thinking; Shinichi felt that after he matured, he would probably only be slightly stronger than Hiashi. A ninja of that caliber would have immense difficulty even protecting himself in the future world.
Yet, in the eyes of the Hyūga clan members, he had become the highly anticipated super genius, the person most suited to inherit the Main Family bloodline in centuries.
"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!"
In the center of the dojo, Hyūga Shinichi struck out with an aerial palm, sending high-density chakra forcefully towards Hiashi. The force of the palm created gusts of wind, causing the various Branch Family members observing the trial to instinctively raise their arms to shield their faces.
While the invisible palm force was difficult for outsiders to detect, Hyūga Shinichi's opponent was Hiashi, who also possessed the Byakugan bloodline limit.
"Air Palm?"
"I never taught you that; when did you..."
Hiashi activated his Byakugan and dodged sideways while involuntarily exclaiming in surprise. As he looked back toward Shinichi, Shinichi had already rushed right up to him.
"Isn't Air Palm just a variation of the Gentle Fist?"
"A technique of this level, you just need to watch it once and you've learned it."
Hyūga Shinichi spoke calmly, answering his cheap father's question while his right hand formed a sword finger, targeting the Qì Chōng (Surging Qi) acupuncture point in Hiashi's abdomen.
The Gentle Fist is the martial art used by the Hyūga Clan in conjunction with the Byakugan. Its core principle is the injection of one's chakra into the opponent's body via precise strikes (after mastering Chakra Shape Transformation), damaging or obstructing the enemy's chakra pathway system.
The human chakra pathways are buried beneath the skin and invisible to the naked eye. However, through the Byakugan, the body's pathways can be seen clearly. The Gentle Fist, developed to complement the Byakugan's ability, is one of the fundamental secret arts that ensures the Hyūga family's longevity in the Ninja World.
As soon as Hyūga Shinichi had mastered walking after awakening his eyes, he began training in the Gentle Fist. He mastered the technique of striking with chakra from his fingertips in just one month. After memorizing the acupuncture points across the human body, he was considered to have learned the Gentle Fist.
As for the Eight Trigrams: Air Palm, though it is considered a high-level application of the Gentle Fist, mastering a technique of this magnitude was truly no great difficulty for Shinichi.
"Boom!!"
The Air Palm struck the wall behind Hiashi, blasting a shallow crater into it. The force was considerable, though still lacking in refinement. Naturally, an attack capable of leaving a mark on an earthen wall would certainly not feel good if it landed on a person.
Hiashi's Byakugan observed the shallow crater created by the Air Palm, and the joy in his eyes intensified. When a child is exceptionally capable, parents are naturally pleased. Furthermore, Hyūga Shinichi's excellence helped solidify Hiashi's position as Clan Head, and the quality of the Main Family child strengthened the clan's unity.
Blocking Shinichi's attack, Hiashi countered with a palm strike aimed at Shinichi's chest. Due to the huge height difference, Hiashi's center of gravity shifted excessively low when countering Shinichi, and this flaw was immediately exploited.
Shinichi suddenly pressed both hands onto Hiashi's wrist. Using his opponent's force, he leaped up, flipped, and kicked toward Hiashi's temple. Although Hiashi reacted in time to block the kick with his forearm, Shinichi had already seized the initiative. Upon landing back on the ground, he launched a fierce attack at Hyūga Hiashi's lower body.
Hyūga Shinichi's footwork was seamless; fundamental steps like tiptoeing, leaping, and flashing steps were already fully integrated. His hands were a blur of fists—charging punches, piercing punches, hooking punches—each move targeting a vital spot. He delivered a continuous barrage of over a dozen strikes, subtly gaining the upper hand over Hiashi and forcing him to retreat several steps.
Hyūga Shinichi's sharp offensive drew gasps of admiration from the various Branch Family members present. However, amid their astonishment, a hint of confusion appeared in the Branch Family members' eyes.
There was no doubt that, in terms of Taijutsu alone, Hyūga Shinichi's skill far exceeded their expectations. But, watching Shinichi's fierce and aggressive assault, they struggled to find many traces of the Gentle Fist style in his movements...
"Shinichi-sama's talent and skill are undeniable, but..."
"Has Shinichi-sama truly studied the Gentle Fist?"
"This... Hizashi-sama, what is going on?"
The sparring between Shinichi and Hiashi continued uninterrupted in the center, while the observing Branch Family members began discussing. They directed their internal confusion toward Hyūga Hizashi. Although everyone present, apart from the father and son Hiashi and Shinichi, belonged to the Branch Family, there were still varying degrees of closeness.
Hyūga Hizashi was Hyūga Hiashi's twin brother, and his understanding of the Main Family father and son was certainly deeper than anyone else's.
"Look with the Byakugan, and you will understand."
Hyūga Hizashi watched the rapidly striking Hyūga Shinichi, his eyes full of appreciation. Facing the clan members' inquiries, he merely replied calmly.
At this time, the bond between the brothers Hizashi and Hiashi had not yet fractured significantly; the tie of kinship outweighed any occasional feelings of resentment in Hizashi's heart. Moreover, his own son, Hyūga Neji, had just been born and was not yet one year old. Therefore, Hizashi was still able to view his exceptionally talented nephew, Shinichi, objectively.
Hearing Hizashi's words, the representatives of the Branch Family systems all activated their Byakugan. Using the power of the bloodline limit, they finally began to see the underlying truth.
"Wh-What is that?!"
"How is that possible? He's so young, how did he do that?"
...
If you want to read more, join my Patreon/kazama677
120+ advanced chapters available