The Name of a Genius

"Clan Head, since Brother Hizashi offended me, as a member of the Main House, shouldn't I be the one to carry out this punishment?"

Soji solemnly negotiated with Clan Head Hyuga Ryusuke.

"Oh? You want to personally punish Hizashi? Fine. So, what do you intend to choose?"

Hyuga Ryusuke looked at the little Main House boy before him with great interest.

"Does that mean the Clan Head will not interfere no matter what punishment I choose?"

Soji asked cautiously.

He had to lay the groundwork first, lest Hyuga Ryusuke go back on his word later. Though it was unlikely for a Clan Head to turn hostile, it was better to be safe.

"Of course. As the Clan Head of the Hyuga Clan, I naturally will not casually change my word. You may rest assured."

Seemingly dissatisfied that Soji doubted him, Hyuga Ryusuke casually waved a hand.

"Then, since the cause of this matter was that I forced Brother Hizashi to spar with me for guidance, my punishment for Brother Hizashi is this: if I make a similar request next time, no one else from the Main House may interfere."

After saying that, Soji stared seriously at Hyuga Ryusuke.

The two stared at each other for a while. Just as Soji was about to crack and lower his head, Hyuga Ryusuke finally looked away.

Soji also let out a breath of relief.

That was close. I nearly got crushed by the Clan Head's gaze, Soji thought to himself.

"Hahaha."

Just as Soji was about to ask whether Hyuga Ryusuke agreed to this request, the other man had already turned around and walked away with a laugh.

"Did the Clan Head agree?" Soji muttered to himself.

"Brat, say goodbye to the two young masters. We should be heading back. Training continues this afternoon, so there's no time for you to slack off."

Seeing his grandson still standing there dumbfounded, Hyuga Kumokawa helplessly shook his head. He then followed Hyuga Ryusuke and left first. The hint in the Clan Head's eyes before leaving likely meant he had a few words for him, but did not want the three children to hear them.

The two stopped only after walking some distance away, ensuring their conversation could not be overheard.

"Clan Head, it really wasn't easy playing along with you. You scared my brat half to death."

In truth, the moment Hyuga Ryusuke mentioned punishing Hizashi Hyuga, Hyuga Kumokawa had sensed that something was off.

After all, the older generation of elders all unconditionally supported whatever their Clan Head did. To Hyuga Kumokawa, Clan Head Hyuga Ryusuke was one of his own.

And among their own people, there was absolutely no need to escalate a children's scuffle or sparring match to the point of using the Caged Bird Curse Mark to punish one of their children.

Thus, Hyuga Kumokawa immediately guessed that the Clan Head might be testing something, and the most likely target was his grandson. So he directly chose to cooperate.

"Elder Kumokawa, I did not want to do this either. It is just that in recent years, our Main House has basically produced no powerful ninja capable of commanding respect. If this continues, the ninja blood in our Main House will truly be extinguished."

At this moment, Hyuga Ryusuke looked nothing like an ambitious Clan Head. Instead, he resembled an old man worried about his descendants. Although Hyuga Ryusuke was only in his thirties and could still be considered in his prime, once the heart had grown old, a young body was of no use.

Hyuga Kumokawa fell silent. In fact, several elder Main House elders had noticed this phenomenon long ago, but there was no way to change it.

Though the Clan Head held the highest status in the family, he did not truly have much authority over the other Main House members. If several Main House elders joined forces, they could even strip the Clan Head of his power.

The Clan Head could control the Branch House, and Main House members could do the same, but neither side could use control of the Branch House to restrain the other.

Therefore, when most Main House members wanted to do something, even the Clan Head could not oppose them!

For the Hyuga Clan, the Clan Head's authority was only effective over the Branch House. Whether the Main House obeyed the Clan Head's orders truly depended entirely on their own willingness!

That was also why, when the Third Hokage ordered every clan to prepare for war and remain ready to enter battle at any time, the older Main House elders had desperately hoped that the Main House members would also experience the blood and storms of the battlefield.

Not only could this improve the Main House's steadily declining strength in recent years, it could also strengthen the cohesion of the clan members, especially those of the Main House.

"Then why did the Clan Head test Soji this time?"

"That child is truly outstanding. He awakened the Byakugan at five years old and has mastered the Gentle Fist—Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms. In another two or three years, once his body develops, he should naturally be able to learn the Thirty-Two Palms. After graduating from the academy, mastering the Sixty-Four Palms should not be difficult either."

Hyuga Ryusuke quietly gave his evaluation of Hyuga Soji.

Hyuga Kumokawa had not expected Clan Head Hyuga Ryusuke to think so highly of his grandson. His own prediction had been that Soji would only master the Gentle Fist's Sixty-Four Palms at around twelve years old. The Clan Head's estimate was two years earlier than his.

"Isn't the Clan Head overestimating that brat?" Hyuga Kumokawa voiced his doubts.

It was not that he did not want his grandson to grow stronger quickly. He merely feared that Soji might not be able to bear such enormous pressure from them.

"Hehe, that is not even the most important thing. What I value more is that the child's heart is not constrained by the Hyuga Clan's rules. He knows how to adapt. Our generation is already too late to make changes, isn't it?"

After a pause, Hyuga Ryusuke continued, "In our generation, the rules set down by our ancestors must be right. Otherwise, the Hyuga Clan will absolutely fall into internal strife! But in the future, I hope our descendants will believe that all of this is wrong!"

After saying this, Hyuga Ryusuke, the Clan Head, wore a deeply melancholy expression. He was the Clan Head and had to oversee the entire clan. The pressure he bore was actually the greatest.

One wrong step from him, and what awaited the Hyuga Clan would be utter ruin!

This was the first time Hyuga Kumokawa had heard the Clan Head's true thoughts. Sometimes, he too had asked himself whether the clan rules were wrong.

But he did not dare answer.

"Clan Head, you have worked hard all these years." Hyuga Kumokawa did not know what else he could say to comfort him.

"Elder Kumokawa, do you know what pleases me most about that child? It is that when he looked at Hizashi, his gaze was one of equality. In other words, there is no distinction between the Main House and Branch House in his eyes. A Main House member who cares for his clansmen—that is what I value most!"

Hyuga Ryusuke spoke these words with incomparable seriousness.

Hearing the Clan Head's final words, Hyuga Kumokawa was startled.

He suddenly recalled that ever since Soji woke up from his fainting spell, he seemed to have treated the household servants as equals. And earlier, he had addressed Hizashi as Brother Hizashi, an honorific. He was treating Hizashi as an older brother.

He had not noticed it normally. Perhaps he had been too familiar with his own family, but after the Clan Head's guidance, Hyuga Kumokawa immediately remembered various everyday details.

For this reason, Hyuga Kumokawa's expression became complicated. He considered himself fairly kind toward Branch House members, and he had never used the activation incantation for the Caged Bird Curse Mark on any of them.

But honestly, Hyuga Kumokawa still believed his status was superior to that of the Branch House.

"How shameful. If the Clan Head had not brought this up today, I might never have considered these details until the day I died." Hyuga Kumokawa smiled bitterly.

"It is not too late to notice now. Therefore, Elder Kumokawa, I hope to present Soji as the genius of the Hyuga Clan's Main House. What do you think?"

Hyuga Ryusuke asked Hyuga Kumokawa for his opinion.

"I will follow the Clan Head's every instruction."

Soji had no idea that his grandfather and the Clan Head had already sold him out.

After his grandfather and the Clan Head left, Soji quickly helped the two brothers, who were still kneeling there dumbfounded, to their feet.

"Brother Hizashi, I am truly sorry about this. If I had not forced you to spar with me, you would not have suffered like this. It was all my fault. I am truly sorry."

After helping the brothers up, Soji bowed deeply to Hizashi in sincere apology.

"No, no, Lord Soji. I was the one who failed to control my strength. How can this be blamed on you? Besides, if not for you, I might already be suffering through the activation of the Caged Bird Curse Mark."

Hizashi Hyuga truly could not get used to a Main House member bowing and apologizing to him.

"That's right, Soji. Thank you so much for helping Hizashi avoid this punishment. If you ever need help in the future, come find me. I will certainly do everything in my power!"

After his younger brother finished speaking, Hyuga Hiashi also solemnly thanked Soji with a serious expression.

Soji did not know what to say. It was clearly his fault that had nearly gotten Hizashi Hyuga punished, yet he was now receiving the other party's thanks!

What kind of world is this? To hell with the Main House and Branch House.

Soji once again cursed this damned clan system in his heart.

"Well then, Young Clan Head, Brother Hizashi, I'll be leaving first. See you next time."

After saying that, Soji waved to the two brothers, then turned and ran toward his grandfather, who was waiting for him by the entrance.

Halfway there, Soji hurriedly ran back.

He ran over to Hizashi Hyuga, leaned close to his ear, and whispered a few words. Then he turned and left again.

This time, Soji did not run back.

After hearing Soji's whisper, Hizashi's face first showed shock. Then he could not help clenching his legs together, feeling an inexplicable sorrow in his groin. After that, he revealed an expression of utter disbelief.

"Hizashi, what did Soji say to you? Why did your expression change so unpredictably?"

Watching his younger brother's expression change two or three times within a second after Soji whispered to him, Hyuga Hiashi could not help asking.

"Uh, Brother, Lord Soji hopes I can accompany him in training again next time, and that I won't hold back."

Hizashi was far from honest as he only told his brother half of it. The latter half was not suitable for his brother to hear.

"I could tell that from your reaction. But what I want to know is what Soji said in the second half that he could not let me hear. If that was all, Soji would not have avoided me and whispered only to you."

Hyuga Hiashi spoke with certainty.

"N-No, that was all. Brother, don't overthink it."

Facing his brother's gaze, Hizashi could only guiltily avoid it.

"Hizashi, do you really think you can hide it from me? During our exchange, when you turned around for the final move and attacked my right hand, you should also have been able to avoid my attack on the two acupoints on your back, right?"

"Brother, I... I'm sorry."

In fact, this was what Soji had said in the latter half of his whisper. He had noticed something wrong in that final moment.

Hizashi had clearly intended to twist his shoulder and avoid Hiashi's acupoint strike, but he had forcibly stopped himself.

Soji had thought he was the only one who saw that scene. Since Hizashi wanted to hide it, he had not intended to tell Hiashi directly. He had not expected Hiashi to have noticed long ago.

"Hizashi, we are twins. We grew up together. If Soji could notice it, did you think I would not?"

Hiashi spoke helplessly. It seemed that after the Caged Bird was engraved, his younger brother truly no longer trusted him as he had when they were children.

The two fell silent for a while and did not continue discussing the subject. The knot in their hearts had already formed, and it would not be so easy to untie.

"Brother, I think Soji is very different from the other members of the Hyuga Main House."

Hizashi was ultimately the one to break the silence between them.

"Yes, I feel it too. We can interact with him more in the future."

Hiashi agreed with his younger brother.

Both of them felt that Soji was a friend worth knowing deeply.

Afterward, the two returned to their respective rooms.

After saying goodbye to the two brothers, Soji went to his grandfather Hyuga Kumokawa's side and bade farewell to Clan Head Hyuga Ryusuke, preparing to return home.

Before leaving, Clan Head Hyuga Ryusuke said to Soji, "Soji, if Hiashi and Hizashi ever face danger that threatens their lives, I hope you can lend them a hand."

As he said this, Soji could see a trace of pleading in the Clan Head's eyes.

Although neither Hyuga Kumokawa nor Soji himself knew why the Clan Head would say such things to a child of only five, both of them solemnly agreed.

Then the old man and the child left the Clan Head's residence and headed home together.

Standing at his doorway, Hyuga Ryusuke heard an argument between grandfather and grandson drifting over from afar.

"Soji, to correct your disgraceful moves, you will not be resting today. I will properly teach you the Hyuga Clan's correct methods for dealing with enemies."

"Ah, Grandpa, what disgraceful moves?" Soji still tried to argue.

"Hmph. You know perfectly well."

"You have to believe me, Grandpa, I really didn't..."