The atmosphere in the ancestral hall was unusually tense. The air felt as if it had solidified into something tangible. Hyuga Mizuki and several of the clan elders had their gazes fixed squarely on Hyuga Satoru.
After a long silence, Satoru opened his mouth, a trace of bitterness crossing his face.
"I'd like to go to the family's training grounds, but most of the ones who train there are Chuunin and Genin. I'm not even a ninja yet, how could I possibly compete with them? So, I've just been training at home."
"The Magnet Release bloodline ability is something I only recently developed. Before this, I knew very little about bloodline limits. My parents passed away early, and I've been living alone, with no energy to think about much else."
After finishing his explanation, Satoru fell silent. The best approach in this situation was to play the fool and act clueless. After all, he was just a small, invisible figure in the branch family. Even if the main family had his information, it probably wouldn't be much.
Hyuga Mizuki exchanged a glance with the elders around him. Indeed, they had already investigated Satoru's background. If not for the dual bloodline matter, he was probably the most inconspicuous member of the family, with few people paying him much attention.
After nodding slightly, Hyuga Mizuki's voice softened a bit, "Since you've awakened another bloodline, you can no longer live as you did before. From today on, your living allowance will be tripled."
"Thank you, Clan Leader."
Satoru bowed in gratitude, as that was one of the reasons he had come here.
Hyuga Mizuki nodded, but his expression suddenly grew serious. He gazed at Satoru and said, "I've heard that after you awakened Magnet Release, you've looked down upon the Gentle Fist. But you must understand, the Hyuga clan has stood at the top of the ninja world for over a hundred years, and we owe it to the Gentle Fist and the Byakugan."
Satoru sneered inwardly. He figured this information had come from Iryūba. He then spoke calmly.
"Clan Leader, I'd like to ask, while the Gentle Fist has helped the Hyuga clan stand tall for over a hundred years, has it ever changed in all these years?"
Hyuga Mizuki thought for a moment, then responded, "Although the Gentle Fist has evolved since its inception, it has remained fixed over time, becoming the most suitable technique for our clan, capable of adapting to all changes. It has remained the same for over a century."
"Since it can adapt to all changes, may I ask, Clan Leader, can the Gentle Fist deal with the Tailed Beasts?"
"This..."
Hyuga Mizuki faltered.
"I've heard that the Uchiha clan next door has the ability to counter the Tailed Beasts, but we, the Hyuga, who are as renowned as the Uchihas, don't have such an ability."
"What are you trying to say?" Hyuga Mizuki's tone had grown slightly irritated.
Satoru hesitated for a moment, then cautiously said, "The Gentle Fist has its limits."
"Impudent!"
The moment Satoru spoke, an overwhelming pressure erupted from Hyuga Mizuki's body. The entire ancestral hall was filled with a heavy, oppressive aura.
The branch family guard standing next to Satoru trembled, lowering his body. His face showed helplessness, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
He couldn't understand why Satoru would bring up this topic. The elders in the main family were particularly sensitive to it.
"The Gentle Fist might have limits, but does that mean other abilities do not have limits? The Hyuga clan has lasted this long because of the Gentle Fist and the Byakugan. Don't think that just because you awakened Magnet Release, you can take another path. Let me tell you, compared to the Gentle Fist, Magnet Release is nothing!"
Satoru sneered internally. He had only spoken half the truth. The full statement was: The Gentle Fist has its limits, so I won't train in it anymore!
If Hyuga Mizuki had heard the full version, he'd probably be furious enough to pull his hair out.
Not to mention that the Gentle Fist had nearly no long-range capability, and the only technique capable of it—the Air Palm—was a close-range attack. That limitation had already capped the potential of the Gentle Fist. The rigid training structure of the Hyuga clan also made it almost impossible for them to explore the other abilities of the Byakugan!
The Gentle Fist may have been the foundation of the Hyuga clan's strength, but now, it had become a shackle—just like the Caged Bird Seal.
It may have been a good intention at first, but over time, it had turned into a double-edged sword.
Hyuga Mizuki waved his hand impatiently, "Enough. This matter ends here. You may leave now."
"Yes."
After Satoru and the branch family guard left, Hyuga Mizuki turned to the young man standing beside him and spoke in a deep voice.
"Hiashi, what do you think of that Hyuga Satoru?"
Hyuga Hiashi, the young man standing next to him, was someone Hyuga Mizuki had always been fond of, having raised him as his successor.
Hiashi thought for a moment before replying, "Since he is the first dual-bloodline ninja in Hyuga history, his future development will undoubtedly be impressive. However, his lack of respect for the Gentle Fist might become an obstacle in his path."
Hyuga Mizuki snorted coldly.
"Abandoning the study of the Gentle Fist to research some esoteric techniques will only limit his achievements. In the end, he will remain just a branch family member."
Upon hearing this last remark, Hyuga Hiashi opened his mouth as if to say something but fell silent.
Outside the ancestral hall, the branch family guard wiped the sweat from his forehead and anxiously watched Satoru.
"Satoru! You have too much courage, to dare speak ill of the Gentle Fist in front of the Clan Leader! Do you realize that if the Clan Leader had wanted to punish you, you would've already been subjected to the Caged Bird Seal?"
"I know," Satoru replied nonchalantly.
"Then why did you say that?" The guard stared at him in confusion.
Satoru's eyes flickered. This was his first time interacting with the higher-ups of the main family, and he had to test them somehow. But the result was disappointing. This family had decayed and become stubborn to the extreme, with little chance of salvation.
If he wasn't mistaken, in the Naruto series, there was a plotline where the Hidden Cloud Village ninja kidnapped Hinata, only for Hiashi to kill him to appease the anger of the enemy. To avoid further conflict, a high-ranking elder of the Hyuga clan persuaded Hiashi to have his brother, Hizashi, take the fall and commit suicide in his place. This elder, he realized, was none other than Hyuga Mizuki, the current Clan Leader.
Hyashi and Hizashi were likely his sons, and to have persuaded his son to have his brother take his place and commit suicide... it was evident just how deep his obstinacy ran!
Thinking of this, Satoru scratched his head, then smiled at the branch family guard.
"Thanks for your concern, Uncle. By the way, I don't think I've ever asked your name."
Since Satoru had been living alone for a long time, this was the first time someone had shown him kindness.
"Hyuga Shuu, just call me Shuu-uncle."
"Alright, Shuu-uncle."
Hyuga Shuu seemed to remember something and looked into the distance, a slight nostalgic expression on his face.
"Your father, before he passed, also worked with me on several missions. Though we didn't talk much, I could tell he was a very honest man."
"I've had many tasks every day, and aside from distributing your compensation, I haven't had much chance to talk to you, but if you need any help with your training in the future, you can come to me."
"Thank you, Shuu-uncle."
Satoru smiled. Hyuga Shuu was a Jonin, and even if he didn't follow the Gentle Fist system, there was still much he could teach.
"By the way, Shuu-uncle, I was wondering if you could help me with something?"
"What is it?"
Satoru hesitated slightly, then scratched his head. "The living allowance is usually given at the end of the month, right? But I'm a bit tight on funds right now... Could I get it a little earlier?"
"I see."
Hyuga Shuu thought for a moment. The Hyuga clan had specific accounts for living subsidies each month. Since the Clan Leader had just increased Satoru's allowance by three times, he had been planning to go to the account office anyway. Since it wasn't against the rules to take the money now, he agreed.
"Alright."
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter