Chapter 411: One Hand Cannot Clap
An entire wall.
From the floor straight to the ceiling, it was filled with heavy, thick volumes in various shades of color.
They were neatly arranged on ancient wooden bookshelves; some titles on the spines were already blurred, while others still had small labels attached.
At a rough glance, there were at least hundreds, if not thousands, of volumes.
Meanwhile, Hiashi was carefully picking up a few ancient books of "average thickness" from a large desk nearby; even those seemed quite heavy in his hands.
"These..."
Hiashi looked at the daunting wall of books.
"These are all classics related to the Family's origins, ancient secrets, Bloodline research, and Gentle Fist development... collected, organized, or passed down by successive Clan Chiefs.
The parts concerning the ancestors are mixed within the records, travelogues, and research notes of various eras.
Trying to find a definitive 'path' among them is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
The Hyuga Clan was a Family with a history of several centuries, if not a millennium.
It was understandable that successive Clan Chiefs had collected so much material; after all, entertainment in those eras was limited to eating, drinking, visiting courtesans, gambling, and traveling.
However, the Hyuga Family's discipline was very strict. Excessive indulgence, visiting courtesans, and gambling were not behaviors a Clan Chief, who needed to set an example under the Hyuga Family's influence, would engage in.
Hiashi had lived as a widower for many years without remarrying, and it seemed the Clan Chiefs before him were much the same.
Because of the Caged Bird Seal, even the Hyuga Clan Chiefs were reluctant to have many descendants.
For the Main House of the Hyuga Clan, having more children was like breeding more enemies.
If Hinata hadn't been a girl, Hiashi probably wouldn't have even considered a second child.
Living like an ascetic every day, it was only natural for successive Hyuga Clan Chiefs to write things down to pass the time when they had nothing else to do; it just made things difficult for descendants trying to find specific information.
"Let's start searching."
Naruto scratched his head, then used the Multiple Shadow Clone to create thousands of Shadow Clones. Each one grabbed a book and began flipping through them rapidly throughout the Hyuga residence.
Naruto was everywhere—on the floor, in the rooms, on the roof, and even in Neji's house next door.
Just passing the books around took over ten minutes.
It was a good thing the Hyuga estate covered such a large area.
"Is this really okay?"
Hiashi's brow twitched as he looked at the courtyard full of Narutos.
He knew Naruto had a lot of Chakra, but this was the first time he had seen Naruto use it in such a lavish, almost wasteful manner.
"It's fine. Once we find it, I'll just choose not to receive the memories from the Shadow Clones."
Hearing this, Hiashi felt a bit more at ease, but a complex emotion also welled up within him.
Naruto was truly being serious; as an elder, Hiashi felt both moved and gratified.
He said no more and silently sat in the chair opposite Naruto, picking up an ancient book himself to join the search for a "needle in the sea of books."
However, before he could even flip through a few pages, the Naruto opposite him put down his book, a grin on his face so bright it was almost annoying:
"Alright, Uncle Hiashi, let the Shadow Clones flip through them slowly. I'm going home to cook.
For dinner tonight, Hinata and Hanabi won't be coming home; I've told them to come straight to my place to eat!"
After saying that, without waiting for Hiashi to react, Naruto used the Flying Thunder God Technique and left.
Hiashi: "..."
His fingers tightened around the ancient book, the pages letting out a faint, strained sound.
The gratification he had just felt was instantly swept away by a mix of helplessness, irritation, and the bitter sense that "his own cabbage was being carried off, pot and all."
This kid! This kid is really taking everything for granted!
, , , , , , , , , ,
Slap.
A crisp slapping sound echoed in the kitchen.
Naruto, who was busy at the stove, suddenly stiffened and quickly turned his head.
His azure eyes held a hint of bewilderment and alertness as he scanned behind him.
What the?
Who has the guts to touch a tiger's backside!
There was no one behind him.
Hmm?
His gaze instinctively lowered.
Then, he saw Hyuga Hanabi, who had snuck into the kitchen at some point and was now looking up with a small, cunning, and triumphant smile.
The young girl's pure white eyes were sparkling, like a cat that had successfully stolen a dried fish.
"Why, you!"
Naruto put down his spatula and stood with hands on his hips, putting on a mock-serious face. "You've got some nerve! Daring to touch a tiger's backside."
Hanabi wasn't intimidated by his "seriousness" at all; instead, she giggled and leaned in closer.
Seeing this, Naruto's feigned sternness instantly vanished, replaced by tenderness.
He reached out and naturally ruffled Hanabi's soft hair with a gentle motion.
Hanabi enjoyed the familiar "head pat," but then she said something that made Naruto's movements pause slightly: "Our teacher said that one hand cannot clap."
She tilted her head.
"But I just tried it, and it was actually quite loud!"
However, the smile on Naruto's face slowly faded because of those words.
He stopped ruffling Hanabi's hair and crouched down so his eyes were level with hers, his tone becoming serious and calm:
"Hanabi, tell Naruto-elder brother, which teacher said that?"
"It was Teacher Yamamoto from our class."
Hanabi answered straightforwardly, seemingly just answering Naruto's question. "He said it to a classmate named Kotaro."
Hanabi's homeroom teacher was Yamamoto Kazuo, who also served as the theory teacher, while the Practical Combat Class was taught by Might Duy.
Yes, Might Duy had also entered the Ninja Academy as a teacher.
Although he needed to burn his life force to reach his peak level, as a Ninja who could defeat the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist using only Taijutsu, his practical combat skills were beyond doubt.
Naruto's voice was gentle, but Hanabi could sense that his focus was no longer on their playful banter.
"Oh? Did something happen? Why did Teacher Yamamoto say that to Kotaro?" Naruto asked, guiding her, his gaze focused on Hanabi.
Hanabi thought for a moment, organizing her words: "Well... during break, a few older students were bullying Kotaro. They stole his snacks and pushed him. Kotaro was very angry and sad, so he went to the office to tell Teacher Yamamoto.
But..."
Hanabi's small brow furrowed, seemingly confused by the teacher's handling of the situation.
"After Teacher Yamamoto heard it, he didn't criticize the older students. Instead, he told Kotaro, 'One hand cannot clap; you should reflect more on why you are the one being bullied.' Then he sent Kotaro away, saying he was disturbing the teacher's rest."
Naruto's gaze darkened further. It really was a case of seeing who was swimming naked once the tide went out!
Sixty to seventy percent of the Ninjas in the Village were away, and quite a few of those left behind were becoming quite arrogant.
But he didn't explode immediately; instead, he continued to listen patiently.
Hanabi paused, seemingly remembering something, and added another detail that confirmed Naruto's bad premonition: "By the way, Naruto-elder brother, I heard... this Teacher Yamamoto seems to be a former student of Teacher Toyama."
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