Morning.
Konohagakure.
A faint glimmer of light appeared on the horizon, carefully soaking the light blue sky.
Under the soft sunlight, everything seemed vibrant and vigorous.
Some vendors had already set up their stalls and started calling out their wares.
But the buildings in some areas were eerily quiet, devoid of any commotion.
The Hyuga clan compound.
A delicate and handsome young boy stared at his reflection in the mirror.
To be precise, he was staring at the faint blue mark on his forehead in the mirror—a blue cross-shaped mark with two hooks pointing in opposite directions. This was the "Cage Bird" curse mark of the Hyuga clan.
It was clear that this young boy was a member of the Hyuga branch family.
But the boy's eyes didn't hold the same sense of resentment and hatred that the other branch family members possessed, or perhaps… he had simply hidden them deep within his heart?
His gaze held an unusual calmness for someone his age.
"Tch~"
"Two years have passed, and still, I can't shake this feeling of frustration… Fate, you see…"
"My destiny is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven…"
"That sounds a bit edgy, but…"
A glimmer of determination flashed in the boy's eyes.
"With one's life and fate hanging on someone else's whims, who wouldn't feel something?"
"Freedom…"
"Such a simple word, yet it's a luxury I can't afford right now."
"What's more, in this world of endless war and strife, children must learn to kill from a young age, and by their teens, their hands are already stained with blood. Life… is truly like a blade of grass…"
Thoughts raced through his mind as the boy slowly tied his short hair into a ponytail, with a few wisps of bangs falling to either side of his face, giving him a casual and comfortable look.
Unlike the other branch family members, the boy didn't wear a forehead protector or bandages, instead, he let the blue curse mark be visible.
It was a constant reminder.
"A dragon can grow large or small, ascend or hide; when it's large, it can summon clouds and spew mist; when it's small, it can conceal itself and change form…"
"Until I have enough power to defy fate, I can only go with the flow…"
"Knock knock…"
There was a knock on the door.
"Master Nanaya, Elder Soyan wants to see you."
A gentle female voice sounded, belonging to Hyuga Touken, the maid who took care of his daily life.
After all, even the Hyuga clan had members without ninja abilities.
"Creak~~"
The door opened.
The boy, dressed in a white training uniform, stepped out and greeted her politely.
"Good morning, Touken-san."
"Good morning, Master Nanaya."
Seeing the boy's gentle demeanor, unlike other branch family children who were either sullen, deranged, or weighed down by bitterness…
Touken's smile softened even more, her eyes nearly squinting shut.
When she was assigned to care for Master Nanaya, she thought he would be like the other branch family boys, but unexpectedly, he was surprisingly easy to get along with!~
She still remembered their first meeting. Upon learning her name, he called her "Touken-san," and said that since they were all of the same bloodline, calling her "sister" according to age was only natural, wasn't it?
………………
Walking through the stone-paved courtyard, the rocks and plants seemed to be arranged casually yet not haphazardly, following their own set of rules.
This was the elegant charm of the noble Hyuga clan.
Facing this seemingly simple yet extraordinary arrangement, the boy was composed and at ease.
Anyone who had seen the same scenery for six years would consider it ordinary.
As he passed by some clan members and maids, all with white eyes, he greeted them politely.
However, his mind occasionally flashed back to his first encounter with them, when he was astonished, or perhaps frightened, to see that everyone was "eyeless".
After all, who could truly understand the feeling of seeing their fantasies become reality?!
"Master Nanaya is so gentle…"
"Yeah, he doesn't act like a young master at all…"
"I heard he's a genius too, and has already learned the Gentle Fist technique…!"
"Really?! He's only six years old…"
Nanaya couldn't hear the whispers of the clan members behind him; he had already stepped into a training ground.
The training ground was filled with wooden posts, and in the center stood a bronze statue almost as tall as a man, covered in countless red dots all over its body.
Standing in front of the statue, a grey-haired elder stood with his hands behind his back, his presence heavy and imposing.
It was Elder Soyan of the Hyuga branch family.
Nanaya bowed and said, "Good morning, Uncle Soyan."
Soyan turned and looked at Nanaya, still with a stoic expression, but a glimmer of satisfaction shone in his eyes.
"Nanaya, do you know the significance of this bronze statue?"
"It's a treasure that helps Hyuga clan members learn the Gentle Fist technique."
"Correct. Only our Hyuga clan's Byakugan Kekkei Genkai can see through the human body and observe the entire network of acupoints. If we hadn't provided a complete map of the human body's meridians, the Konoha Hospital's medical ninjutsu wouldn't have developed so quickly."
Soyan's tone remained indifferent.
He looked down at Nanaya, who barely reached his waist.
"Attack me! Let me see your progress."
"Yes, Uncle Soyan."
Nanaya lowered his body slightly, feeling his center of gravity. Chakra surged from his feet, and his figure moved from stillness to motion in an instant.
"Bang!~"
His arm was effortlessly blocked by Soyan, who didn't even move a step.
Nanaya didn't falter. He twisted his waist, and his other hand swung out in a horizontal strike.
"Bang bang bang……"
For a moment, the sounds of fists and palms colliding filled the air.
The two of them were exchanging blows so fast that they left afterimages, hard to imagine that this was the strength of a six-year-old boy.
"Not bad, your strength has increased, and your speed is faster than before…"
Soyan could calmly comment on the exchange, which showed his ease.
After all, Nanaya was only six years old, and this was a high-intensity physical confrontation. Nanaya's stamina quickly depleted.
After another clash, Nanaya jumped back a few times, sweat dripping from his forehead. He continuously adjusted his breathing rhythm.
Feeling his chakra almost depleted, Nanaya's eyes hardened, and the veins on both sides of his eye sockets bulged.
Seeing this, Soyan activated his Byakugan.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Palm!"
Nanaya's fingertips were covered in chakra, resembling razor blades as he thrust them out. The air was torn apart, creating a hissing sound.
"Four Palms!"
"Eight Palms!!"
In less than two seconds, perhaps even more, Nanaya had launched fourteen attacks in a row, each aimed at Soyan's waist.
He had no choice, he was too short.
He couldn't possibly jump up and attack, could he…
However, Soyan's face darkened as he intercepted each attack at an even faster speed.
This little rascal… smiling so innocently, but his attacks were so damn insidious!~
Nanaya was confused.
Did Uncle Soyan get angry?