The Insecure Genius!

Only after the Branch Family members activated their Byakugan one after another did they see that Shinichi Hyuga, who was currently fighting Hiashi Hyuga in the arena, had lion-shaped Chakra Cloaks wrapped around both fists.

The Chakra Shinichi Hyuga released was not dense enough to solidify, making it invisible to the naked eye. Yet beneath the Byakugan's Kekkei Genkai, his true state was finally revealed before them.

"Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist!"

"That child had mastered far more than just the secret technique, Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"

Noticing the shocked faces around him, Hizashi Hyuga could not help but smile. His nephew's excellence brought a measure of glory to him as an uncle as well.

Outsiders had some misconceptions about the Hyuga Clan's Nintaijutsu. Even within the Hyuga Clan itself, some members had an incomplete understanding of their clan's secret techniques.

People often distinguished the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist from the so-called Hard Fist.

As the name implied, Hard Fist relied on powerful physical strength when attacking an enemy. The greater the force used, the greater the damage inflicted upon the enemy's flesh, bones, muscles, and internal organs. Its principles were simple and straightforward. The Senju Clan's monstrous strength, as well as the taijutsu practiced by the vast majority of shinobi, all fell under the category of "Hard Fist."

The Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist, however, was different. Due to its unique nature, Hyuga Clan Members who had activated the Byakugan and mastered the Gentle Fist did not need tremendous physical strength to harm their enemies through blocking their chakra pathways.

This caused some Hyuga Clan Members to neglect physical training. After all, even if they merely "gently touched" their opponents, they could still inflict damage. The convenience brought by a Kekkei Genkai would inevitably make some people slack off.

The distinction shinobi made between "Hard Fist" and "Gentle Fist" had also caused some people to misunderstand the Hyuga Clan's taijutsu. In truth, the taijutsu inherited by the Main Family had never separated its Gentle Fist from the so-called Hard Fist.

After all, the ultimate purpose of any technique was to kill the enemy. Why fuss over whether one killed an enemy gently or smashed their head apart with brute force?

Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist was actually a Nintaijutsu developed by the Main Family's predecessors to increase the range and destructive power of their punches.

By releasing Chakra externally and adding shape transformation, Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist was a standard hand seal-less technique. After learning this secret technique, Shinichi even felt that its potential for growth surpassed the Rasengan, the hand seal-less ninjutsu developed by the Fourth Hokage.

Did Chakra have to be attached only to one's fists? Could it not be attached to the body as well? Wasn't Kaiten an offshoot of this very technique?

If Chakra could be successfully attached to the body, did it have to be limited to Chakra shape transformation? What would happen if Chakra nature transformation were added to the Chakra surrounding one's body?

Was the Lightning Release Armor secretly passed down by Kumogakure's Tsukuyomi Clan a variation of this type of Nintaijutsu?!

Within the Training Ground, Shinichi Hyuga, who was fighting Hiashi Hyuga with Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist, had long formed a rough idea and plan for the direction he needed to pursue while studying the Main Family's secret techniques.

As a transmigrator, if Shinichi Hyuga thought he could live safely in such a world merely because of his status as a member of the Hyuga Main Family, then he would be far too foolish.

The Shinobi World was far from peaceful. Although the Third Shinobi World War was nearing its end, peace had not truly arrived. The Land of Fire, the Land of Lightning, and the Land of Water no longer had large-scale shinobi wars, but small conflicts and friction continued without end.

On those unseen battlefields, countless shinobi still died every day. During the years Shinichi had lived in the Hyuga Clan, he had already lost track of how many funerals for clan members he had attended.

Although the Main Family was well protected, Byakugan Kekkei Genkai still ended up falling into outsiders' hands during the Third Shinobi World War.

Shinichi had no desire for his eyes to become trophies others flaunted.

Besides, even if Shinichi could hide safely in the village and make it through the Third Shinobi World War, would trouble simply stay away from him?

The Nine-Tails Attack; Orochimaru's plan to destroy Konoha; Deva Path Pain's "make the world feel pain"; the Fourth Shinobi World War that Obito started to create a "world with Rin"; and even after Naruto and Sasuke saved the world, one "alien" after another still emerged, intending to destroy it.

Judging by Shinichi's age, his life was destined to be filled with calamities. If he wanted to live it out safely, he would have to survive those disasters. And what could help him do that was his own strength!

Fortunately...

While many other transmigrators had to worry about Konoha Pot King Danzo's schemes, Shinichi, born into the Hyuga Main Family, did not need to fear Danzo and his Root.

No matter how far Danzo's reach extended, it could not touch a "genius of the Hyuga Main Family" like him.

Thus, Shinichi had never suppressed his own potential. He unleashed all his talent for the sole purpose of becoming stronger.

Over the years, Shinichi Hyuga had trained diligently. On one hand, Hiashi's training was indeed harsh, but Shinichi himself enjoyed that harshness because he truly wanted to grow stronger.

People might laugh at me, but Shinichi... I'm really afraid of dying!

Inside the Training Ground, as the spar continued, Shinichi Hyuga's originally storm-like assault gradually began to "slow."

Shinichi Hyuga possessed a terrifying amount of Chakra. Perhaps it was because of his exceptional talent, or perhaps because the Hyuga Clan bloodline within him had undergone a certain degree of atavism. In any case, despite being only five years old, Shinichi Hyuga's Chakra reserves were enormous.

If he had to find a comparison, Shinichi Hyuga's Chakra reserves could probably rival Naruto's during his youth under normal circumstances. To put it more plainly, he had a full hundred "ka" worth.

The Hyuga Clan Members did not find Shinichi's terrifying Chakra reserves strange. He was a genius, after all. Only such a performance could be worthy of being called a genius, wasn't that right?

Although Shinichi Hyuga possessed immense Chakra reserves, a child of his age still had limited stamina. During such an intense battle, the severe drain on his physical strength inevitably slowed his movements.

When Hiashi caught the opening created as Shinichi's strength waned and counterattacked with a palm strike that sent Shinichi back, the two of them stopped almost simultaneously.

Panting heavily, Shinichi Hyuga steadied his breathing before respectfully bowing to Hiashi Hyuga in front of him.

"Thank you for your guidance, Father."

Great clans placed great importance on rules, especially in full view of everyone. As for Hiashi, this bargain-bin father who was about the same age as Shinichi had been before transmigrating, calling him Father was not all that difficult.

Hiashi had given him life and raised him in this life, enough to deserve that title. After all these years, Shinichi had long since come to terms with it and accepted his new identity.

As soon as he finished speaking, the Hyuga Branch Family members watching from the side broke into applause. Shinichi Hyuga's displayed strength and talent had earned everyone's recognition.

Yet after the spar ended, Shinichi's face was filled with deep disappointment. He felt no joy whatsoever at the applause of the clan members around him.

Too weak... He could not even defeat his bargain-bin father. Shinichi felt that he was simply far too weak.

When he thought of super geniuses like Minato Namikaze, Kakashi Hatake, Shisui Uchiha, and Itachi Uchiha in the village, Shinichi Hyuga's expression darkened further.

Minato Namikaze had killed more than a dozen Cloud Ninja who had abducted Kushina Uzumaki without suffering a scratch when he was twelve and still attending the Ninja Academy. Kakashi Hatake had already become a Chunin at six and was only twelve when he became a Jonin.

There was no need to say anything about those two from the Uchiha Clan. Shisui had already made a name for himself at a young age. Even Itachi Uchiha, who was now around Shinichi's age, had been taken to the battlefield of the Third Shinobi War by his father at the age of four to see blood. He had been only thirteen when he wiped out his clan.

Compared to those people, Shinichi, who was likewise called a genius, felt that his growth was simply too slow.

Shinichi often felt somewhat inferior whenever people called him a genius. He felt that he did not deserve the title.

But the deadly part was that people kept calling him that. Few could understand that shameful feeling of believing oneself unworthy of one's position.

"..."

"Stop clapping, stop clapping, please stop clapping..."

Listening to the enthusiastic applause of the clan members around him, Shinichi Hyuga's eye twitched slightly. He screamed inwardly, wanting only to leave this place that made him feel so embarrassed as quickly as possible.