Chapter 18 C18

The first to notice something was amiss was the third elder of the main family.

He witnessed firsthand the enormous ball of lightning, powerful enough to destroy a mountain, emerge from Hyuga Kana's slender wrist, which seemed as if it could snap at any moment. He was also shocked by the incredible speed and reaction abilities she displayed in the battle, which were beyond what one would expect for an eight-year-old.

On the afternoon of the day the curse mark was inscribed, Hyuga Kana graduated from the Ninja Academy ahead of schedule.

Even the slowest person should have realized by now—Hyuga Kana, who was considered to have no potential, is actually a genius that their clan has been desperately seeking for decades.

The main family selects orphans within the clan who have lost both parents but possess exceptional talent to take under their wing and train them. Although their status as members of a branch family cannot be changed and they are still marked with a curse seal, in addition to the naked and straightforward control relationship between the main and branch families, there is also something that is similar to the kindness of raising children, which is something that can easily corrupt people's hearts.

If they had known Kana had such potential back then, they would never have so easily agreed to Hizashi's offer.

But it's too late to regret it now.

At the first weekly clan meeting of the new year, the eldest elder of the main family, sitting in the first seat to the left of the patriarch, broke the silence first: "That child, let her participate in the clan training starting the day after tomorrow."

Previously, it was felt that there was no need to waste time on useless gravel, so it was not mandatory for all branch families to participate in clan training. After all, the clan training was ultimately for the benefit of the main family and to provide sparring partners for the main family's heirs.

But now, before Hinata enters the Ninja Academy and becomes the true pride of their clan, since Kana has temporarily become the symbol representing the Hyuga generation, she must shoulder the responsibility of promoting the Byakugan bloodline's prestige, rather than being known for her Lightning Release technique learned from who-knows-where.

Since her parents passed away, Kana has been as inconspicuous as a shadow in the corner. No one has ever taught her the most basic physical skills. She hasn't even opened her eyes yet. Now, apart from a pair of bright white eyes, she has no resemblance to the Hyuga people.

“Neji, Hizashi’s son,” the Second Elder recalled the scene he had witnessed earlier, “let him participate as well.”

That's why Kana sits here at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning.

There were only three children under ten years old in the room: Kana, Neji, and Hinata Hyuga, who was sitting in the main seat.

Techniques like the Reincarnation Technique and the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, which are slightly more powerful, are classified as secret ninjutsu of the main family and are usually not taught to branch families who are "not qualified". Therefore, the branch families who are brought in for weekly training only learn some of the most basic Gentle Fist techniques.

The Japanese team and a senior member of the branch team are practicing on the field.

Use the Bagua Sixty-Four Palms to strike thirty-two palms, and use a 360-degree field of view to strike three hundred and fifty-nine degrees.

This direct sparring method subtly brainwashes the branch families, implying they are inferior to the main family and their only responsibility is to protect the main family who can carry forward the Byakugan tradition.

Over time, the main branch of the family actually came to believe that they were naturally more capable than the branch.

Well… Kana found an adjective that describes it, and it really is shameless.

She had just stayed up all night practicing a new ninjutsu and was still a little sleepy. She quietly yawned and got caught.

The Third Elder had been observing Kana ever since she sat down, and finally couldn't take it anymore when she became so lazy that she dared to doze off during the training observation: "Kana!"

"arrive…"

He looked listless and weak.

The Third Elder's anger began to rise rapidly. "Step forward! I will be in charge of your training today."

Upon hearing this, the First Elder turned his head, his eyes slightly surprised. Normally, the guidance of children under the age of twelve from the branch family would not be personally provided by members of the main family. What was he doing?

Kana thought it was a normal ninja fight, but as soon as she raised her hand, she was met with a barrage of insults: "Who gave you permission to use ninjutsu?"

If you're so capable, why don't you say that to your opponent on the battlefield? Whether you die from a shuriken, a Gentle Fist attack, or an S-rank ninjutsu, you're still dead. There's no distinction of rank or status, and your tombstone won't say who died from what kind of attack on what day.

Even if she fought Itachi, it wouldn't restrict him from using the genjutsu that the Sharingan excels at—although her resistance to genjutsu is maxed out.

"The first step in learning Soft Fist..." Before she could finish speaking, the Third Elder struck her with his palm, "...it's opening your eyes."

Many clansmen awakened their Eyes of Power during physical training, in the face of danger, and through the explosive development of their potential. He believed that since Hyuga Kana had the ability to graduate early, she would certainly be able to follow in the footsteps of her predecessors and achieve the same success.

"Eight Trigrams and Thirty-Two Palms".

Hiashi Hyuga, kneeling in the center of the seat, narrowed his eyes. Thirty-two palm strikes were far too harsh on a nine-year-old child who had not yet awakened his eye, and might even cause injury...

...missed.

Kana perfectly dodged every palm strike, her dodging speed even faster than the Third Elder's attack speed.

It's hilarious! Why would someone who's afraid of pain choose to start learning ninjutsu with the highly difficult Lightning Release? It's because Lightning Release is the fastest of all chakra types. In martial arts, speed is the ultimate weapon.

With her final strike, Kana flipped backward, tracing a semi-circle in the air before landing, simultaneously creating a two-meter distance between herself and the enemy.

In complete silence.

Kana bowed slightly. "Thank you for your guidance."

"Come back!" The Third Elder's roar stopped Kana from returning to her seat. "Today, you must train until you open your eyes."

Kana's face seemed to say, "Why didn't you say so earlier?" Then, as if suddenly realizing something, the meridians around her eyes bulged, and her pupils focused the light, like a candle being lit in a vast expanse of falling snow. She directly opened her white eyes.

He had opened his eyes as he wished, but the Third Elder seemed even angrier. "When did you open your eyes?"

"Three years old?" Because he didn't have much contact with other members of his tribe, he wasn't very clear about the average age at which people's eyes opened, so he told the truth.

Hyuga's usual practice is to awaken her Sharingan through extensive and arduous training. However, according to her observation, taijutsu training is actually just to make the chakra in the body flow and impact the pressure points in the eyes. Therefore, as long as the chakra is precisely guided to impact the corresponding points, the same effect can be achieved.

So even without much physical training, she can still open her eyes.

The Third Elder's clenched fist trembled slightly from the force of his grip. "Six years... six years..."

He clearly possessed such precious talent, and abilities that others could only dream of. If it were him, he would surely be moved to tears with gratitude for God's gift, working diligently day and night without ever slacking off.

For six years, she wasted her time, wallowing in self-pity, without actively seeking guidance in physical skills or making the most of her time to practice Soft Fist.

The veins around his eyes bulged more intensely, and he gathered strength in his feet, suddenly lowered his body, and shot out like an arrow.

This old man is targeting her so much... could it be that he has a grudge against her parents?!

Kana stopped dodging and kept her eyes open. She twisted her body to create some distance between them, then took a step back with her left leg, unfolding the Bagua formation under her feet, and turned her right palm outward.

"System, lower pain sensitivity."

The movements Hizashi practiced in the courtyard flashed quickly through her mind, and her chakra flowed orderly between the acupoints throughout her body, obeying her will.

The main family might be angry if I told them, but although she can't compare to Shisui and Itachi, at least she seems, should, or perhaps can be considered a genius among them.

“Eight Trigrams…” Amidst someone’s exclamation of “Impossible!”, she parted her lips slightly, “…Thirty-two palms.”