Hiashi had devoted his entire life to studying the Byakugan and Gentle Fist. In these two areas, there was likely no one in the entire ninja world who could surpass him. Neiki gained a great deal from listening to Hiashi's lifetime of insights and reflections.
Using the Byakugan's ability to see through everything, Hiashi proposed two principles:
Summarise the Present.Describe the Future.
These were the result of centuries of refinement and innovation in the Hyuga clan's millennia-old heritage. The specific techniques and methods hadn't been created yet, but the direction for the Hyuga's future evolution had already been set.
It might take two or three generations before a Hyuga descendant could stand on the shoulders of their ancestors and, using these principles as a starting point, develop new Gentle Fist techniques—or even entirely new fighting styles.
For example, Hiashi's chakra points had been sealed, making it impossible for him to release chakra in the usual way. But by exploiting the gaps in his shattered hands and shifting his remaining tenketsu slightly, he was able to release slender chakra threads.
This tiny amount of chakra couldn't cut the chains binding him, but it could precisely and swiftly extract both Hinata's and his own eyes.
Wasn't that a new application of Gentle Fist, born from accurately "summarising his present" situation?
Even if the use case was very narrow.
Neiki rubbed his chin. He felt that these two principles oddly matched the abilities he'd unlocked as his Byakugan evolved.
In a sense, [Insight], [Analyze], and even [Replicate] could all be seen as ways of "summarising the present." The question was: could he also use them to shape the future?
[Insight] and [Analyze] were easier to understand. The former could help Neiki predict enemy movements and pinpoint the weakest link in their actions, allowing him to seize the opening and break through. The latter helped him master and develop various ninjutsu, which already fit Hiashi's idea of "describing the future" to some extent.
But what about [Replicate]?
Creating something from nothing, learning from one to infer many… it sounded amazing, but the chakra cost was absurd. Neiki found it hard to believe that chakra alone could replicate truly "everything."
Perhaps it was simply that he'd obtained [Replicate] too early and hadn't yet dug into its full potential. Right now, that ability only had a "present," not a "future."
"By the way, Hanabi isn't dead," Neiki said suddenly. "I broke my word earlier. I didn't kill her."
With this thought—that this would be their last meeting before the clan gathering—Hiashi had freely shared the core heritage of the Hyuga clan.
Hiashi was stunned, then slowly nodded.
"…Thank you."
Neiki picked up the unconscious Hinata, preparing to leave, when Hiashi's voice sounded again behind him:
"Hanabi is very gifted. I once thought about abandoning Hinata and grooming Hanabi as the next clan head. If you really do slaughter all the Hyuga in a few days… take her with you. She would make an excellent subordinate."
Neiki turned, a little surprised. "Do you understand how dangerous a rogue ninja's life is?"
And you still dare to send your daughter with me?
"I've realised one thing," Hiashi answered calmly. "You mustn't put all your eggs in one basket."
"Do you understand why I have to annihilate the Hyuga?" Neiki asked, shaking his head a little. "You're not worried I'll just gouge out her eyes too?"
"I believe she can bring you far more value than a pair of Byakugan," Hiashi replied.
It sounded like a flimsy excuse.
Neiki thought about it for a moment, then slowly pieced it together. He asked:
"Who are you afraid of in Konoha?
"Danzo? The Uchiha?
"Surely not the Third Hokage?"
"You'd rather trust me—the one killing your clan—than your colleagues in Konoha?" he pressed.
Hiashi fell silent for a while, then said quietly:
"Your father Hizashi's death was actually…"
"It was Konoha's way of putting pressure on the Hyuga, I know," Neiki interrupted with a wave of his hand, not letting him continue dredging up old grievances.
Hiashi pressed his lips together. He didn't correct Neiki for saying "your Hyuga clan" instead of "our Hyuga clan." He shook his head slightly, as if trying to dislodge something crawling inside his empty eye sockets, then continued:
"You're clever. You should understand the foundation for my last request."
"If the Hyuga clan could preserve even half of its strength, I could trust my colleagues in Konoha enough to let Hanabi remain in the village."
"But after this clan meeting, the odds of the Hyuga retaining that much strength are slim. Among the survivors you've allowed for the Hyuga, there are probably only two spots for juniors."
"One is your brother. He's bound by the Cursed Seal of the Caged Bird, so in the eyes of my colleagues, the only true target worth eliminating will be Hinata… If she were the only one, they might let the Hyuga bloodline linger."
"But if there's a second girl, Hanabi, things will change. Many people would prefer to wipe out the main family line entirely rather than leave 'too many' loose ends."
Neiki nodded slightly. He hadn't expected that just casually revealing Hanabi's survival would prompt the old clan head to start making contingency plans and list so many seemingly reasonable arguments.
"And from my perspective," Hiashi went on, "her chances of surviving and continuing the Hyuga legacy while staying in Konoha are lower than yours outside it. That's why I want you to take Hanabi away."
Entrusting his daughter to a mass-murderer and making her an accomplice—that wasn't a choice a normal father could make. But as the Hyuga clan head, it was the best solution he could see to preserve the clan's future under these circumstances.
At its core, it wasn't any different from passing the Hyuga's secret teachings on to Neiki.
Passing down the Hyuga heritage with words was teaching. Letting Neiki take Hanabi was passing on the person along with it.
"We'll see," Neiki said noncommittally, carrying Hinata out of the room.
As he reached the entrance to the study—where Hiashi had mentioned the hidden compartments—a small figure approached.
"Koharu was cleaning up the paint spill. I'm just here to tidy up," Hanabi's clear voice came from behind.
"Bandage her eye," Neiki said, handing the unconscious Hinata over to Hanabi. Then he stepped into the study alone.
The secret room was supposed to be on the left wall and required a summoning technique to open.
On the left side, he soon found a dark wall that exuded a faintly ominous aura. Neiki bit his finger and was about to perform the summoning sequence exactly as Hiashi had described… when he suddenly stopped.
He stared at the dark wall, his expression uncertain, then formed a hand seal.
A shadow clone appeared and walked up to the wall while Neiki quietly retreated out of the study.
Even though Hiashi now looked like a dying man offering nothing but advice and last-minute requests, who could say for sure that this wasn't one final trap? In the end, Neiki was about to wipe out the entire Hyuga clan.
If killing Neiki could solve all of the clan's current crisis, Hiashi might very well sacrifice himself to do it.
Neiki had no intention of being "moved" into carelessness by a few sentimental words.
Using the clone's eyes, he carefully examined the symbols on the wall. Once he confirmed that it was indeed just an ordinary summoning-type sealing formula, he nodded slightly.
The clone drew a bit of blood from Neiki's fingertip, ran through the prescribed hand seals, and activated the summoning.
Boom!
With a deep rumble, the dark wall rotated, revealing a narrow secret chamber.
Neiki's breath almost stopped as the clone walked out, both arms full of twelve pairs of Byakugan.
He glanced at the tiny line on his retina:
[Essence Collected: 7.1%]
Then he eagerly seized the Byakugan.
Some time passed. When Neiki opened his eyes again, all of the Byakugan in his hands had crumbled to dust.
[Essence Collected: 59.6%]
PS :
Shikaku Nara -Nara clan head, main battle strategist.
Kakashi Hatake - Jōnin, ANBU experience, attendee at the larger war council.
Takizawa (ANBU) - ANBU operative involved in:
Investigating missing Hyuga branch members (Tokuma, Tsukune, etc.).
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