Gentle Fist

To demonstrate the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist, Hyuga Kumokawa first performed a set of Gentle Fist—Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms against the wooden post in the courtyard.

Since it was only a demonstration, Hyuga Soji could still clearly observe details such as the angles of force, strength, and techniques behind the Gentle Fist, even though his Byakugan had only just awakened.

After finishing the set and withdrawing his force, Hyuga Kumokawa turned to Soji and asked, "How much did you see clearly?"

"About fifty percent, I think," Soji replied uncertainly.

"Very good. With a newly awakened Byakugan, being able to see about fifty percent of my Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms is already remarkable. You should know that most people would be doing well if they could see ten or twenty percent. Next, try performing a set against the wooden post. Don't think about completing all sixty-four palms at once. For you, managing eight palms counts as success."

Although Hyuga Kumokawa said that, by his own estimation, the chance of Soji managing eight palms on his first attempt was not high.

Still, it would serve as encouragement for Hyuga Soji.

Thinking that Soji would fail to complete eight palms shortly, allowing him to harshly knock his grandson down a peg so the boy would not become arrogant just because he was a genius—

As he thought about it, Hyuga Kumokawa could not help but reveal the sly smile of an old fox whose scheme had succeeded.

Meanwhile, Hyuga Soji stood before the wooden post, recalling Hyuga Kumokawa's sequence of movements before beginning to gather his breath.

Then he shouted, "Gentle Fist—Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms! Two Palms, Four Palms, Eight Palms, Sixteen Palms, Thirty-Two... ah."

As his shout fell, Hyuga Soji began striking the wooden post before him with sixteen consecutive palms at tremendous speed. When he tried to transition into Thirty-Two Palms, he finally could no longer hold in the breath in his chest.

This also meant that Hyuga Soji could currently perform only the Gentle Fist's Sixteen Palms.

Afterward, Hyuga Soji compared it to the Gentle Fist his grandfather had just performed. He knew he still had many shortcomings; in every aspect, his Gentle Fist fell far short of his grandfather's.

Hyuga Kumokawa, watching from the side, no longer knew what to say. He had originally planned to discourage his grandson a little, but now he was the one who had been dealt a blow.

What had he been doing when he was five? Probably still training his physical fitness, right?

After awakening his Byakugan, how many palms had he managed in his first Gentle Fist? He seemed not to have even succeeded at eight palms, and he had already been eight years old when his Byakugan awakened.

What a gap! Still, Hyuga Kumokawa made up his mind that if Soji asked later, he would rather die than admit it.

"Grandpa, sorry. I can only barely perform Sixteen Palms right now. I'm still a long way from Thirty-Two Palms."

After speaking, Soji embarrassedly scratched the back of his head.

"Cough, cough. Mm, well... it's good that you know that. Learning has no end. Still, being able to perform Sixteen Palms on your first try is already quite good—about the same as your grandfather back then. Yes, that's right. You still need to keep working hard."

With no other choice, in order to preserve his dignity before his genius grandson, Hyuga Kumokawa could only exaggerate his former strength by the tiniest little bit!

"Yes, Grandpa. I understand. I'll keep working hard."

Still very naive at this moment, Hyuga Soji did not doubt his grandfather's words in the slightest. After all, in the original owner's memories, Hyuga Kumokawa had always been a powerful ninja.

Although Hyuga Kumokawa was already over fifty, he had experienced the First Ninja World War and was an Elite Jonin who had emerged from blood and fire. Though he was no longer at his peak, he was still somewhat stronger than most jonin.

As for the other Main House members from the various branches who now lived pampered lives within the Hyuga Clan, they were even less capable than Hyuga Kumokawa.

Among the Hyuga Clan's current nine Main House branches, including the Clan Head and elders, fewer than half of the Main House members retained any real strength.

"Soji, let's spar next. I'll correct the flaws in your Gentle Fist techniques and force."

At this moment, Hyuga Kumokawa also abandoned the idea of suppressing his grandson's confidence.

A genius should be trained like a genius.

"Alright, then I'm coming, Grandpa."

Facing another person for the first time, Soji felt both excitement and nervousness. Although this match was essentially just a grandfather guiding his grandson, he still could not suppress his excitement at experiencing this kind of power for the first time.

Soji and Hyuga Kumokawa faced each other, then simultaneously assumed the opening stance of the Gentle Fist.

"Ha! Gentle Fist—Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms!"

Soji was not foolish enough to try directly performing the Gentle Fist's Thirty-Two Palms to contend with his grandfather. If he really did that, he might be on the ground before he even finished.

Hyuga Soji had at least that much self-awareness.

"Good, come at me. Not bad. The force on the second palm is correct, and neither the angle nor the technique has any problem."

"The angle at the fourth palm is wrong. There are no acupoints where you struck. The Gentle Fist is meant to send your Chakra into the enemy's acupoints, thereby damaging their internal organs. So when striking the fourth palm, the angle should be lowered another ten degrees."

"The problem at the eighth palm is even greater. Both your force and technique are wrong. That kind of strength cannot even send Chakra into the enemy's body. Are you giving the enemy a massage? And that kind of palm technique can easily be blocked midway by the enemy."

"As for the Sixteen Palms, every part of it is problematic. Your force varies from weak to strong. You must understand that when facing an enemy, if you cannot be sure whether your Gentle Fist has sealed their acupoints, then you are gambling with your life. You should also choose the enemy's most obvious acupoints, rather than those that are difficult to hit. Your technique can be more tricky as well, leaving the enemy with no way to block it."

During their exchange, Hyuga Kumokawa strictly carried out his duty as an instructor without any leniency, pointing out every one of Hyuga Soji's flaws.

Hyuga Kumokawa blocked all of Hyuga Soji's Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms. Not a single palm landed on his grandfather.

As the grandfather, Hyuga Kumokawa remained on the defensive throughout, countering each move without launching a single attack against Soji. Otherwise, Soji would never have lasted this long.

After completing one set of Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms, Hyuga Soji was exhausted enough to stop and rest.

About five minutes later, Hyuga Kumokawa asked Soji, whose breathing had gradually steadied, with a serious expression, "Soji, can you continue?"

"Ah, no problem. Let's continue, Grandpa."

Hyuga Soji refused to show weakness. He had already resolved to take control of his own fate, so how could he retreat at the very beginning?

Soon afterward, all kinds of shouts from grandfather and grandson rang out through the courtyard of the Hyuga Main Family.

"Soji, the technique here..."

"Soji, the angle of your palm should be..."

"Soji, control the force of your palm strikes..."

During this time, sometimes the two sparred, sometimes Soji practiced alone against the wooden post, and sometimes Hyuga Kumokawa demonstrated for Soji.

Training time always passed quickly. They began at noon, and only stopped their tireless training in the evening, when the sun set.

During that time, maids from the Branch House delivered tea and towels no fewer than ten times, showing just how intense their training had been.

After an afternoon of training, grandfather and grandson took a bath together. Then, after the maid served their meal, they ate together while discussing what they had gained that day.

Hyuga Soji liked this feeling, whether it was training or chatting with his grandfather after dinner.

Although most households had rules forbidding conversation during meals, there were only grandfather and grandson here. Who cared about such dull, rotten rules?

Rules were for others to see. When no outsiders were around, naturally one should do whatever felt comfortable. Only someone witless would keep binding themselves with restrictions.

After dinner, the two sat on the wooden floorboards outside the house, with tea and sweets prepared by the maid beside them.

"Soji, if your parents were still alive, they would surely be very gratified to see how you are now."

Looking at the moon in the sky, Hyuga Kumokawa spoke with feeling.

Hyuga Soji did not know how to respond. The original owner had not retained even a single memory of his parents.

There were only two photographs of them in the house. Soji's mother was clearly very beautiful, with long hair hanging to her waist, graceful and delicate features, and a gentle smile.

Soji's father looked cheerful. He vaguely resembled his grandfather Hyuga Kumokawa, with a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corners of his mouth.

As for Hyuga Soji himself, unlike most members of the Hyuga Clan, he did not wear his hair long. His simple black hair was cut short, only extending slightly below his neck, while a stray lock on his forehead drifted toward the left.

Above his pure white pupils were double eyelids. His features were gentle, and his lips always carried a faint smile similar to his father's. He gave people an approachable feeling, yet somehow also made them feel distant from him.

Hyuga Soji himself was also quite satisfied with his appearance. He was not devastatingly handsome, yet he possessed a distinct charm. Unlike feminine softness or the rugged masculinity of most men, he seemed to combine the two, making his face unforgettable at a glance.

At this moment, Hyuga Soji instead thought first of his parents from his previous life.

I wonder how Dad and Mom are doing. They must have been devastated by my sudden disappearance—or death. He shook his head helplessly. What was the point of thinking about it? He could no longer return, so he should not keep grieving over the past. He should cherish the present instead!

Seeing his grandson's silence, Hyuga Kumokawa clearly misunderstood, thinking Soji was sad because he had grown up without parents.

"I'm sorry, Soji. I made you remember unhappy things again."

Hyuga Kumokawa also felt miserable inside. After all, his grief was no less than his grandson's. But since he had raised the subject himself, he should also be the one to end it.

"Don't worry, Grandpa. I'm fine. I let go of it a long time ago."

Putting aside his thoughts, Soji hurriedly comforted the old man before him instead.

"That's good. Since that's the case, Soji, you should rest early too. We still have training tomorrow." As he spoke, Hyuga Kumokawa rose and walked toward his room, happy inside at how sensible his grandson was.

"Mm, Grandpa. Good night."

Only after watching Hyuga Kumokawa enter his room and put out the lights, then waiting a while longer, did Soji withdraw his gaze and instruct the servants attending them to rest as well.

However, Hyuga Soji had no intention of sleeping yet. It was only a little past the middle of the Hour of the Dog, roughly eight in the evening by the time of his previous life. For most young people, nightlife had only just begun at this hour!

He returned to the courtyard where he had trained at noon. Nearly twenty wooden posts had been replaced over the course of the afternoon, all broken beyond use during training. The one before Soji now had just been newly installed by the household servants and was originally intended for use tomorrow.

Since this place was some distance from the sleeping quarters, Soji was not worried that the noise would wake anyone, whether his grandfather Hyuga Kumokawa or the household servants.

Soji also did not want to waste such precious time, and continued practicing the Gentle Fist and the points of attention his grandfather Hyuga Kumokawa had taught him during the day.

"Bang, bang, bang." "Crack, crack, crack."

That night, the training grounds of the Third Branch of the Hyuga Clan Main Family elder's residence echoed continuously with the sounds of Gentle Fist striking wooden posts, occasionally accompanied by what sounded like splintering wood.

The sounds continued until well past midnight.

During that time, Hyuga Soji, immersed in his training, did not notice a pair of white pupils watching him from the corridor by the entrance. Only after Soji returned to his bedroom did that gaze withdraw, and its owner return to their room...