The Tenseigan started from the Hyuga main family.

Before Danzo could speak, Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled out the Chunin Exam application form from the documents beside him and placed it in front of Danzo.

"Hmph, the Hyuga clan has kept such a genius a secret all this time, which shows their despicable intentions. The safest way is to bring him into 'Root'."

Danzo's gaze swept over the registration form, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, clearly knowing that this was Hiruzen Sarutobi's excuse.

"Enough, Danzo! Don't forget, I am the Hokage!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been keeping a close eye on Danzo, seemed to be enraged by Danzo's disdain. He slammed his hand on the table again, causing half of the stacked documents to fall to the ground with a crash.

"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"

As with countless arguments before, Danzo forcefully slammed his cane to the ground with a loud thud, uttered a single sentence, and then turned and left.

"It seems he's about to lose his temper..."

As the office door slammed shut, the anger on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face vanished instantly, and he muttered something under his breath in a voice only he could hear.

-----------------

Hyuga Zetsu was naturally unaware of the argument in the Hokage's office. At this moment, he was standing in the Hyuga clan's territory, facing Hyuga Hiashi, the head of the main clan, and Hyuga Hinata and Hyuga Hikaru, two little girls, one older and one younger.

Hinata Hyuga, who had a slightly worried look on her face, gave him a reassuring look before speaking.

"I wonder what business the patriarch has with me?"

Faced with Hinata Sawatatsu's obvious question, Hinata Hiashi, with his flowing black hair and wearing a Japanese robe, turned sharp.

"I heard you fought Neji today and severely injured him?"

Chapter 9 Hiashi Hyuga's Astonishment

Faced with Hyuga Hiashi's accusatory look, Hyuga Zechen remained calm and nodded without offering any explanation.

Although, in terms of blood relations, Hyuga Neji, as the nephew, is certainly closer than Hyuga Sawatatsu, in an ancient family like the Hyuga that has a history of thousands of years, what matters is not the closeness of blood ties, but rather the vast difference in status between the main family and the branch family.

Aside from the fact that they cannot be executed without cause, each member of the main family has absolute control over the branch families. If Hyuga Neji dares to challenge Hyuga Sawatatsu within the Hyuga clan's territory, even if Hyuga Sawatatsu uses the Caged Bird Seiryu as punishment, Hyuga Hiashi has no right to interfere.

"I heard you keep saying that the family's Soft Fist - Bagua Sixty-Four Palms is a useless martial art?"

Hyuga Hiashi showed no emotion whatsoever in response to Hyuga Zechen's attitude, and immediately changed the subject, raising another question.

“That’s right. If you’re facing an enemy weaker than yourself, there’s no need for the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. If you’re facing an opponent stronger than yourself, you’re lucky to land even one palm strike. How could you possibly land sixty-four consecutive palm strikes? If you really had that ability, it would be much more effective to use the Soft Step Double Lion Fist to attack the opponent’s internal organs, wouldn’t it?”

Looking at the entire Naruto storyline, the battles of the Hyuga clan are rather lackluster. Not only are there very few instances where they successfully land all sixty-four strikes on their enemies, but most of the enemies are already dead after taking all sixty-four strikes. There is no need to identify any pressure points or seal the flow of the enemy's chakra.

The only person whose chakra was successfully sealed was Neji, who appeared once during the Chunin Exams. Unfortunately, his target was Naruto Uzumaki, an overpowered character who had a fox inside him, making the chakra sealing a joke.

"How about I, as the head of the family, personally instruct you in the practice of Soft Fist?"

As Hiashi Hyuga spoke, he took off his robe, revealing the tight-fitting combat suit he was wearing underneath.

Looks like they were prepared!

Is this a matter of weighing my strength, or is it an attempt to avenge my nephew?

"If the patriarch is willing to personally instruct us, we would naturally be extremely pleased."

Hinata Zechen raised his eyebrows and spoke with pleasure.

"Father..."

Seeing the tension between the two gradually escalating, Hinata Hyuga's eyes were filled with worry. She had just opened her mouth to try to dissuade them when she was intimidated by Hiashi Hyuga's sharp gaze. Her face turned pale, and she subconsciously took two steps back.

So, is Hanabi really more suitable to inherit the position of head of the family?

However, everything depends on whether he can gain my approval!

"Hinata, the clan head is just giving me some pointers on my training, don't worry. Didn't I tell you, I'm very strong?"

Hearing Hinata Hyuga's optimistic and confident voice brought a touch of color back to Hinata's face, and her eyes even held a hint of shyness.

However, hearing Hyuga Zetsu's arrogant words made Hyuga Hiashi's face darken even more.

How dare he seduce my little cabbage right in front of me?

How old is Hinata?

Damn it!

"Come on, let me see your skills. I hope they're as sharp as your words."

Seeing Hyuga Hiashi wave and signal to attack, Hyuga Zechen glanced around the courtyard and spoke.

"Patriarch, let's go to the training ground. After all, once we start fighting, it will be difficult to control the situation."

Although Hyuga Hiashi wanted to retort, "With my strength as an elite Jonin, how could teaching a thirteen-year-old boy a lesson cause any damage?" But remembering the information that Hyuga Zechen was skilled in Water Release techniques, after hesitating for a moment, Hyuga Hiashi still took the lead and headed towards the Hyuga clan's training ground.

Hiashi Hyuga was curious to know just how many tricks the main branch of the family, who was known as a good-for-nothing in the clan, had been hiding, since he had suddenly revealed such amazing strength.

Inside the Hyuga clan's training ground, Hyuga Zetsu and Hyuga Hiashi stood facing each other, while Hyuga Hinata and Hyuga Hanabi stood at a distance.

"You make the first move!"

Hyuga Hiashi immediately adopted the starting stance of Gentle Fist and waved to Hyuga Sawatatsu.

Then I'm welcome.

Under the watchful eyes of Hyuga Hiashi, Hyuga Zechen did not choose to close the distance and then clash with Gentle Fist techniques as was the usual practice among the Hyuga clan. Instead, he leaped backward, and while his body was still in mid-air, his hands had already begun to rapidly form hand seals.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

After leaping backward and creating a distance of several meters, by the time Hyuga Zechen's legs landed again, he had already formed six hand seals, completing the execution of the ninjutsu.

"What? He used a B-rank ninjutsu right off the bat, and with just six hand seals, he successfully unleashed the Water Dragon Bullet?"

Hiashi Hyuga's expression shifted, his contempt vanished almost entirely, and the veins around his eyes bulged as he activated his Byakugan.

The complete Water Dragon Bullet Technique requires forty-six hand seals. After being improved by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, it was simplified to only three hand seals to be successfully performed.

While Hyuga Sawatatsu may not yet reach the level of Tobirama Senju, his simplified version with six hand seals is sufficient to be used as a regular ninjutsu in battle.

In the originally dry training ground, azure water surged from the ground, then suddenly rose, forming a huge water dragon several meters high, opening its ferocious maw to bite at Hyuga Hiashi.

"Eight Trigrams - Empty Wall Palm!"

Even elite Jonin wouldn't dare to withstand the bombardment of a B-rank ninjutsu with their bodies. So Hyuga Hiashi formed a tiger shape with both hands, and pushed his retracted arms forward at the same time, releasing two vacuum shockwaves that instantly shattered most of the water dragon into pieces.

"Water Release: Water Needle Technique!"

Before Hyuga Hiashi could even catch his breath, Hyuga Zechen's voice echoed once again in the training ground.

The water dragon, which had just been cleaved into pieces, suddenly stopped in mid-air, then contracted and lengthened, transforming into sharp water needles the length of a palm, which shot towards Hyuga Hinoshita from all directions.

"The landing point of this water needle attack..."

The Water Needle Technique was originally just a C-rank water escaping technique, relying on high-speed water needles to hit the enemy's vital points, thereby producing penetrating damage for attack.

However, in Hiashi Hyuga's Byakugan vision, the water needles shooting in from all directions each aimed directly at different pressure points on his body, giving him an inexplicable feeling that there was no way to avoid them.

They've actually combined ninjutsu and Byakugan, forging a path distinct from taijutsu?

"Bagua Palm - Reversal of Heaven!"

Hiashi Hyuga's eyes lit up with surprise. He lowered his hands, and chakra surged from all the pressure points in his body. His legs propelled his body into a high-speed spin, forming a 360-degree sphere that deflected all the water needles that shot towards him.

"It's as if my father was forced to use the Heaven-Returning Technique for defense. This cousin is quite powerful."

At the edge of the training field, seven-year-old Hinata Hanabi suddenly spoke, her tone carrying a maturity beyond her years.

"So Brother Zechen really wasn't lying to me, he's really amazing."

Hinata Hyuga, standing to the side, had eyes as bright as stars, and her gaze never left Hinata Zechen for even a moment.

Chapter 10 Review

Even though Hiashi Hyuga was using his full power to execute the absolute defense of the Rejuvenation Technique, the Byakugan's powerful perception allowed him to catch a glimpse of the different expressions on his two daughters' faces.

Seeing the undisguised joy on Hinata's face made Hiashi Hyuga's chest heave, and he almost couldn't maintain his resurrection state.

My little cotton-padded jacket is letting in the wind!

This can't go on!

After deflecting all the water needles coming from all directions, seeing that Hyuga Zechen was still retreating rapidly, and his hands began to form hand seals again, Hyuga Hiashi couldn't care less about maintaining the demeanor of the clan leader. The chakra under his feet exploded instantly, and he used the Body Flicker Technique, leaving an afterimage in his original position before his body appeared in front of Hyuga Zechen.

"Let me show you just how powerful the Gentle Fist of the Hyuga clan really is!"

Hyuga Hiashi appeared almost instantly and unleashed the same Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms as Neji. However, in terms of both speed and power, the two were on completely different levels. If it weren't for Hyuga Zechen's Byakugan power being far superior to Hyuga Hiashi's, it would have been difficult to even see the trajectory of the opponent's hands.

As expected of the strongest member of the Hyuga clan, he is far superior to those rigid Jonin in the training camp. Even with his powerful eye power, Hyuga Zechen could see Hiashi's every move clearly, but his body couldn't keep up with the pace, and he could only watch helplessly as the palm slowly approached.

"puff!"

Amidst the splashing water, ripples spread across Hyuga Zechen's body once more, attempting to dissipate the force contained in the incoming palm strike. However, unlike Hyuga Neji's simple and brutal Gentle Fist, Hyuga Hiashi's palm unleashed three streams of chakra, one gentle and one forceful, which almost instantly pierced through the defensive water ripples and struck Hyuga Zechen's chest pressure points directly.

"Under the attack of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, remember why the Hyuga is the strongest clan in Konoha!"

Catching the look of surprise in Hyuga Zetsu's eyes, Hyuga Hiashi's lips curled up slightly.

Although Neji possessed extraordinary talent, mastering the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms technique—a skill reserved for the main branch of the Hyuga clan—no matter how exceptional one's talent, how could it possibly compare to the accumulated efforts of generations of the Hyuga clan's ancestors? As an ancient and prestigious clan of Konoha, the Hyuga clan has never relied solely on a pair of Byakugan!

"Clap!"

Using the momentum already ingrained in his blood, Hyuga Hiashi unleashed a continuous barrage of Bagua Sixty-Four Palms strikes on Hyuga Sawatatsu's body.

However, from the moment the first palm strike landed, Hiashi Hyuga's expression turned extremely grim. Hiashi Hyuga, who had used Gentle Fist to kill countless enemies before, immediately realized that something was wrong and forcibly stopped his next move after only a few palm strikes.

Whoosh!

Almost instantly, Hyuga Zechen, who had been struck seven or eight times in succession, collapsed. He first transformed into a humanoid figure formed from a wave of water, and then fell to the ground, turning into a pool of clear water.

"Impossible. After being locked onto by the Byakugan, your chakra fluctuations haven't changed at all. When did you switch to your water clone?"

Without needing Hyuga Zetsu's answer, Hyuga Hiashi, who had participated in the Third Shinobi World War and possessed rich combat experience, immediately locked onto the answer.

At the start of the battle, partly due to his status as the clan head and partly out of slight disdain, Hyuga Hiashi didn't immediately activate his Byakugan. Therefore, Hyuga Sawatatsu, using the Water Dragon Bullet technique as cover, directly replaced his main body with a water clone!

No wonder the Water Dragon Bullet Technique was only a C-rank Water Release ninjutsu. It wasn't that Hyuga Sawatatsu lacked stronger A-rank ninjutsu; rather, his water clone, possessing only one-tenth of his original strength, couldn't unleash more powerful Water Release ninjutsu!

So where did his true form go?

found it!

Using his Byakugan to simultaneously perceive all 360 degrees, Hyuga Hiashi suddenly raised his head and saw Hyuga Sawatatsu leaping high into the air, as well as the water cannons that looked like bullets bombarding down from the sky.