Dusk settled over Konoha in quiet stillness.
Night fell like a gray overcoat draped across the village, while the four carved faces on the Hokage Monument loomed like gaunt giants, gazing calmly upon a land where undercurrents churned beneath the surface.
Inside a courtyard, Hyūga Gin stood alone at its center, dressed in a white training uniform, eyes closed.
Wood chips and splintered fragments were scattered everywhere.
Every wooden post around him had been smashed apart.
The carefully maintained lawn was riddled with craters and gouges, and some broken posts were still stained with fresh, drying blood.
"It worked."
Gin opened his eyes and glanced at the status panel before him, smiling faintly.
"Finally… a nin–taijutsu style with both range and finishing power."
[Taijutsu]
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms (C-rank)
Eight Gates: Gate of Healing (Kyūmon) (Forbidden)
Gentle Fist: Single Strike Body (B-rank)
Gentle Fist: Vacuum Wave (A-rank)
"I modeled it after Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's Eighty Gods Vacuum Fist," he mused.
"For someone with her physique, that technique must've been nothing more than brute force—pure overwhelming power."
Shaking off the thought, he surveyed the ruined courtyard.
After a moment's hesitation, he chose not to clean up and instead turned back into the house.
After a morning of intense training with Might Guy and an afternoon spent exhausting himself developing new techniques, all he wanted now was rest.
But not long after—
A figure appeared outside the courtyard.
The newcomer froze at the sight before him.
…What happened here?
Frowning slightly, he moved in without making a sound. After standing at the door for a few seconds, he finally reached out.
The instant his hand touched the handle—
Bang!
The door exploded outward from inside.
A violent surge of force blasted through the doorframe, roaring along the handle—
as if to smash him apart and scatter his remains across the lawn.
Or worse—
as if it meant to flood directly into his body.
"Hm?"
The man reacted instantly, planting his palm against the door and unleashing Gentle Fist chakra in a sharp burst, barely neutralizing the incoming force.
The two opposing energies dissolved into nothing—like waves breaking against each other and vanishing into the sea.
Inside, Gin stopped mid-motion.
He had realized who it was.
Click.
The door opened fully.
Seeing the man outside, Gin froze for a split second.
"Lord Hizashi?"
He quickly recovered and lowered his head apologetically.
"My apologies, Lord Hizashi. I thought it was—"
"You've nothing to apologize for,"
said Hyūga Hizashi, dressed in a black kimono, waving it off gently.
"I'm the one who came unannounced."
He slipped his faintly trembling hand behind his back and looked at Gin with clear approval.
"May I come in?"
"Of course." Gin smiled and stepped aside.
"Thank you."
Hizashi entered, his eyes sweeping across the simple, nearly empty house.
They lingered briefly on the open room filled with training equipment.
"I already heard about what happened this morning," Hizashi said as they sat down.
"You acted cautiously when you sensed someone intruding—that was the right call."
He sighed softly.
"I just never expected someone to attempt an assassination inside the village. How is your hand?"
Noticing Hizashi's gaze, Gin smiled.
"I was lucky. It's mostly healed."
"There's no need to be so formal when it's just us," Hizashi replied gently.
"Your father and I were close. I failed to look after you properly."
Seeing Gin unharmed eased something in his heart.
As the nominal head of the branch family, Hizashi was widely respected among them.
His manner now was more that of a concerned elder than a clan authority.
They spoke for a while about Gin's situation.
Several times, Hizashi hesitated—clearly holding back the reprimands the main family elders had suggested regarding Gin's actions at noon.
Looking at Gin's youthful face, remembering his deceased father…
and thinking of Neji's growing resentment toward the main family—
Hizashi could only sigh inwardly.
With the main family behaving like this, how could bitterness not grow?
And all he could do was try to soothe it.
"You destroyed all those wooden posts outside, didn't you?" Hizashi said, changing the subject.
"I never imagined you'd improve so much. Awakening the Byakugan was a blessing in disguise—but be careful not to push yourself too hard."
"Thank you, Lord Hizashi," Gin replied politely, then added calmly,
"But now… I only have myself to rely on."
Hizashi froze.
Guilt and regret surged again.
Looking at Gin's calm exterior hiding quiet grief, Hizashi realized the questions he wanted to ask had no meaning.
Why was he once considered a failure? Why did he grow so strong so suddenly?
Wasn't the answer obvious?
The death of one's only family member was enough to force any timid child to change.
"…."
Hizashi pressed his dry lips together.
Only then did he notice—
there wasn't even any tea prepared.
There's resentment here after all…
He could only try to ease it.
"If you encounter any difficulties in the future, come to me," Hizashi said, standing.
"You should rest. I'll take my leave."
Before going, he took two scrolls from his robe and placed them on the table.
"Since you've awakened the Byakugan and mastered the Thirty-Two Palms, this is the next step—
Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms."
Gin's eyes flickered.
Hizashi wasn't holding back—this was a genuine, impulsive act born of guilt and sympathy.
The main family wanted branch members to be strong—but never too strong.
Aside from Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation, which was passed down orally within the main family, the Sixty-Four Palms was one of the few techniques that required explicit main family approval.
Against most jōnin in close combat, it was devastating—
lightly blocking chakra flow…
or completely sealing it, leaving the opponent helpless.
If the main family learned that Hizashi had secretly taught this technique, he would be severely punished—most likely forced to endure the Caged Bird Seal again.
The moment he placed the scrolls down, Hizashi already regretted it.
But before he could take them back—
Gin picked them up.
"Thank you," he said softly, head lowered, shoulders trembling.
"My father's scrolls and notes were confiscated. Without you… I truly wouldn't know how to move forward."
"…."
Hizashi closed his mouth.
After a long silence, he sighed.
"Do not hate the main family. This is our fate as the branch. Your father wouldn't want you to suffer like this."
Fearing he might change his mind again, Hizashi finally left.
Gin remained seated in the living room.
The sorrow on his face slowly faded.
He lifted his head and gazed into the deepening night beyond the window.
[Ding!
Your lie has been classified as Feigning Sincerity.
Hyūga Hizashi experienced intense emotional fluctuation and entered Self-Doubt.
You gained 1500 Reality Points.]
[Remaining Reality Points: 12,293]
"Not a bad haul today," Gin muttered, glancing at the total.
"If more good people like Lord Hizashi and Guy showed up, life would be much easier."
With his points growing comfortable, restlessness crept in again.
He decided to keep ten thousand in reserve.
A little over a thousand was more than enough to stir trouble.
The first person who came to mind—
Orochimaru.
"The scroll Orochimaru has… it's time to adjust it."
To Gin, Orochimaru was a test subject.
A very useful one.
After some thought, he murmured inwardly:
"Manifest—add follow-up content to the scroll Orochimaru possesses.
Requirement: mastery of Living Corpse Reincarnation to解除 the seal.
Content: when shinobi with extreme resentment die, their souls materialize…"
The system responded quickly.
[Cost: 100 Reality Points. Manifest?]
"It's just text and a simple seal," Gin noted.
"Manifest."
His eyes then shifted slightly as he remembered seeing Neji earlier that day.
Orochimaru was too far away—results would take time.
Waiting idly wasn't his style.
Neji… was a good alternative.
After a moment's thought:
"Manifest—clothing that conceals identity, blocks the Byakugan and other sensory techniques, and cannot be damaged."
[Cost: 2000 Reality Points. Manifest?]
"That expensive?" He frowned, then nodded.
"Yes."
[2000 Reality Points deducted. Remaining: 10,193]
Gin waited for a physical item to appear—
But instead, his shadow began to change.
Black liquid surged from beneath his feet, crawling up his ankles, flowing over his body.
He raised his head toward the mirror.
A hooded black robe now covered him.
Its hem rippled like living matter rather than cloth, and his face was swallowed by unfathomable darkness.
[Shadow Robe]
A black robe transformed from shadow
Adapts to the wearer's body
Disrupts most forms of observation and sensory detection
Automatically repairs damage like liquid
Remains hidden within the user's shadow when inactive
Bound item
Gin had only one thought.
Those 2000 points were worth every last bit.
(End of Chapter)