Hyūga Kumokawa snapped back to his senses, a faint trace of apology flashing across his face.
"Forgive me, Lord Hizashi, I thought it was—"
"There's no need for you to apologize. The one intruding uninvited is me."
Wearing a black kimono, Hyūga Hizashi waved his hand, not minding Kumokawa's reaction.
He hid his slightly trembling hand behind his back, his eyes carrying a hint of admiration as he looked at Kumokawa.
With a smile, he asked,
"May I come in and sit for a while?"
"Please, come in." Kumokawa had no reason to refuse. After a light smile, he stepped aside to make way.
"Pardon my intrusion." Hizashi stepped through the entranceway.
His gaze swept across the simple, spacious interior of the house, pausing briefly on another room with an open door, where training equipment was neatly arranged.
"I already heard about what happened this morning. You acted cautiously when you noticed someone infiltrating the estate—that was the right call."
The two sat down in the living room. Hizashi let out a sigh and spoke first:
"Still, I never thought someone would dare to make a move on you inside the village. How are your injuries?"
Noticing Hizashi's eyes lingering on his palm, Kumokawa smiled.
"By sheer luck, it's nothing serious."
"There's only the two of us here. You don't need to act so distant in private," Hizashi said with a nod. "Your father and I were on very good terms back in the day. It's my neglect that I haven't looked after you properly. Seeing you safe now eases my mind."
In truth, this man, the nominal head of the branch family—was rather well-regarded among the branch. His demeanor toward Kumokawa was gentle, more like a senior elder than a strict clan head.
Hizashi asked a few questions about Kumokawa's current situation. But as the conversation went on, he suddenly paused.
After a moment of hesitation, he decided against scolding Kumokawa for his actions earlier that afternoon, as the Main Family elders had suggested.
Looking at Kumokawa's still-young face, Hizashi couldn't help but think of his deceased father. He thought of how Neji now viewed the Main Family, and a sigh rose in his heart.
With the Main Family's cruel conduct and oppressive attitude, how could resentment not take root? All Hizashi could do was try his best to ease it.
"Those training posts outside—you were the one who shattered them, weren't you?" Hizashi shifted the topic, remarking with some admiration. "I didn't expect your progress to be this great. To think misfortune actually allowed you to awaken the Byakugan. Still, you must be careful of your limits. Don't end up injuring yourself."
"You flatter me, Lord Hizashi." Kumokawa remained polite, but didn't echo the praise. Instead, he spoke calmly:
"After all, from now on I'm the only one left. I can only rely on myself."
Those words made Hizashi freeze for a moment. Immediately, guilt and sorrow welled up inside him again.
Looking at Kumokawa, outwardly calm yet inwardly grieving, Hizashi felt that the questions he had wanted to ask could no longer be voiced.
What would he ask?
Would he really ask why this boy, once a cowardly failure, had suddenly become strong?
Wasn't the answer obvious?
Losing one's only family which was his father—was enough to change any timid child.
"…"
Hizashi instinctively moistened his dry lips, only then realizing the boy hadn't even prepared tea for his guest.
Yes, there was still resentment in his heart.
All he could do was try to console him as best he could.
"Well then, if you ever face any difficulty, come to me." Hizashi stood up. "I'll be heading back now. You must be tired too—get some rest early."
But he did not leave immediately. Instead, he took out two scrolls from his robe and placed them on the table before him.
His tone was warm as he said,
"Since you've already awakened your Byakugan, you should have mastered the Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms by now. These are the advanced forms—the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms."
Kumokawa's eyes flickered faintly as he looked at the scrolls.
He understood that Hizashi, moved by guilt and pity, had made this impulsive, costly decision.
The Main Family wanted the Branch to be strong enough to protect them, yet not so strong as to become a threat.
Apart from the ultimate secret technique, Eight Trigrams: Rotation, the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms was one of the techniques that required the Main Family's explicit approval before a Branch member could study it.
To the level of the Five Kage, it wasn't of much significance. But in close combat against most jōnin, the Sixty-Four Palms was a deadly art.
At its lightest, it slowed and blocked chakra flow. At its worst, it left the opponent unable to use jutsu, waiting helplessly for death.
Only Branch members who proved their loyalty and faithfully protected the Main Family could ever hope to be granted permission to learn it.
As for the so-called Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms—Neji only used it once in a filler episode of the anime, never in the manga.
Thus, the Sixty-Four Palms was likely the true current pinnacle of Gentle Fist.
If the Main Family learned that Hizashi had privately passed down the Sixty-Four Palms, he would surely be punished severely—perhaps even forced once more to endure the soul-rending agony of the Caged Bird Seal.
In fact, the very moment Hizashi produced the scrolls, regret already began gnawing at him. But before he could take back his words, Kumokawa had already picked them up.
"Thank you." Kumokawa lowered his head. His face was cast in shadow, his shoulders trembling slightly.
"My father's scrolls and his notes were all confiscated. If it weren't for you, I really wouldn't know how to move forward."
"…"
Hearing this, Hizashi's mouth opened slightly, as if he wanted to speak. But in the end, he remained silent. After a long pause, he sighed.
"Do not resent the Main Family. This is the fate of us Branch members. Your father certainly wouldn't want to see you in such pain."
Having said that—and fearing he might regret it further and take back the gift—Hizashi truly took his leave this time.
Kumokawa sat in the living room, his head still lowered. The sorrowful expression on his face gradually smoothed into calm.
Slowly, he lifted his eyes toward the deepening night sky beyond the window.
[Ding! Your lie has been judged as [Feigning Sincerity]. Hyūga Hizashi experienced a strong emotional fluctuation, reaching the level of [Self-Doubt]. You have gained 300 Truth Points.]
[Remaining Truth Points: 11,093]
"Today turned out quite fruitful," Kumokawa murmured as he looked at his total. "If only there were more good people like Hizashi and Guy."
But seeing the growing number of points at his disposal, he felt the restlessness within him stir again.
To be safe, he would keep ten thousand points as reserve. That left over a thousand he could spend on stirring up trouble.
The first name to come to mind was, of course, the one he respected the most—Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru's scrolls might be worth tampering with a little."
To Kumokawa, Orochimaru was nothing more than an experiment subject—an extremely useful one.
And right now, Kumokawa had a particularly bold idea.
He pondered for a moment, then whispered in his heart:
"Materialize—add a continuation to the scroll in Orochimaru's possession. Set it so that only by mastering Living Corpse Reincarnation can the seal be lifted and read. The content should describe how, when a ninja dies harboring deep resentment, their soul can manifest in physical form…"
Kumokawa detailed his requirements mentally. Soon, the response came.
[Cost: 100 Truth Points. Proceed with Materialization?]
Since it was only text and a simple seal, the cost wasn't very high.
"Materialize," Kumokawa responded.
Once the materialization was confirmed, his eyes flickered again—this time, thinking of Hyūga Neji, whom he had seen earlier today.
Orochimaru was far away. Any results there would take time to surface.
He couldn't just sit idle. He needed to work with people closer at hand—and Neji was an excellent choice.
After a moment of thought, Kumokawa whispered in his heart:
"Materialize—an outfit capable of concealing one's identity, blocking the Byakugan and other sensory perception, and never becoming damaged."
[Cost: 800 Truth Points. Proceed with Materialization?]
"Truly dark…" Kumokawa's face darkened. But he still answered, "Yes."
[800 Truth Points deducted. Remaining: 10,193]
As the system's response echoed in his mind, Kumokawa waited for the item to appear. But instead, he saw his shadow shift.
Black liquid surged up from his shadow at his feet, climbing his ankles like fluid before gradually engulfing his entire body.
Kumokawa raised his head to look in the mirror.
He now wore a hooded black robe. Its hem flowed and rippled, not like fabric, but like a living thing.
His face was completely hidden, shrouded in unfathomable darkness.
[Shadow Robe: A black robe formed from shadow. Regardless of the host's physique, it adapts its form as needed. Perfectly conceals identity, disrupts most surveillance and sensory techniques. Any damage will mend itself like liquid. Normally remains hidden within the user's shadow. (Bound)]
At that moment, only one thought filled Kumokawa's mind—
These 800 points were worth every bit.