"Eight Trigrams: Two Palms!"
"Eight Trigrams: Eight Palms!"
"Eight Trigrams: Sixteen Palms!"
"Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms!"
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"
The stormy barrage was somewhat clumsy in its first few strikes, and Hyuga Shion had nearly reacted in time to dismantle and block it. But Yuzuru Hyuga soon displayed astonishing talent. Having taught himself, he did not rigidly follow the conventional system of chained attacks.
If she struck, he hit the acupoints in her arm. If she turned sideways, he hit the acupoints along her side. After taking only three consecutive strikes, Hyuga Shion unexpectedly lost the ability to resist under Yuzuru Hyuga's precise attacks.
That was the core of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. So long as the opening strike landed, the opponent's chakra would stagnate, leaving their body rigid. What followed was a flashy chain of attacks like something out of an arcade game, every strike inflicting hit stun and forcibly making the opponent take all sixty-four palms.
This was also one of the cores of Hyuga-style taijutsu. Against ranged attacks or close-range attacks that could not be defended against, one used Rotation to block them. Once close, the Sixty-Four Palms could be used at any time to inflict hit stun and launch a full combo.
Most opponents would suffer chaotic chakra after taking the full Sixty-Four Palms, left dazed by the taijutsu—or even killed outright.
Even Yuzuru Hyuga would not have been able to move after taking all sixty-four palms head-on. The truth was that he had not taken the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms at all. He had substituted other acupoints for the technique's target points, or used his muscles and bones to absorb the impact. Though it still hurt like hell, the most fatal rigidity had not been inflicted, and his chakra had not been completely disrupted.
Then, he used a method no one in the Hyuga Clan had ever imagined to dispel the rigidity caused by his chaotic, sluggish chakra.
Illusion Technique: Release.
Rotation.
Illusion Technique: Release was actually a more systematic low-level ninjutsu than the simplest method of dispelling genjutsu. Its purpose was to instantly accelerate the flow of chakra within the body, using the resulting pain in the chakra pathways to forcibly rouse the mind and break illusions.
Rotation, meanwhile, expelled Gentle Fist chakra from acupoints all over the body, forming a flawless, three-hundred-and-sixty-degree defensive barrier.
Combined, the two techniques allowed Yuzuru Hyuga, whose acupoints had been struck, to forcibly dispel his rigidity in an instant and seize the initiative.
But Hyuga Shion could not do that.
Yuzuru Hyuga's fists were unexpectedly heavy.
He was four years old!?
When Hyuga Shion was struck in the chest by the final blow and barely managed not to cough up blood, that was the first thought that crossed his mind.
He desperately tried to steady the chakra within his body and dispel the rigidity, only to discover that Rotation could not be activated at all. His chakra was completely beyond his control, and it would take at least another two or three seconds to recover.
Just like every other opponent who had taken the full Sixty-Four Palms, he was a lamb awaiting slaughter.
"Konoha Taijutsu: Shadow Leaf Dance!"
Yuzuru Hyuga pressed his advantage without the slightest mercy. He rushed forward and, in the instant Hyuga Shion was unable to defend himself, unleashed the taijutsu Uchiha Shisui had taught him once more.
The instant the Body Flicker Technique brought him close, he viciously kicked Hyuga Shion into the air. He then used the Body Flicker Technique again, catching up to his opponent in midair and even appearing above Hyuga Shion.
At that moment, inspiration struck him. He suddenly recalled Sasuke's Lion Combo from the anime, as well as the Hidden Lotus and Front Lotus that Rock Lee had followed up Shadow Leaf Dance with. Combining them with all his own abilities, he came up with a sudden idea for a finishing blow.
Rotation!
Had anyone ever seen a Rotation descending from the heavens?
He raised a hand in midair, aiming directly at Hyuga Shion. Then his entire body turned one hundred and eighty degrees, and he arched backward through the air like a leap of faith.
The next instant, a massive blue vortex appeared out of nowhere. Spinning like a drill, Yuzuru Hyuga spiraled downward and drove Hyuga Shion into the ground.
Dust flew everywhere, and the terrifying sound of impact made everyone's teeth ache.
Hyuga Shion, who had taken the move head-on, lost consciousness without a sound. He lay on the cracked ground, blood spilling from his mouth as his eyes closed.
"Medical ninja!"
Hyuga Hiashi abruptly rose to his feet and shouted for the medical ninja to act.
Yuzuru Hyuga panted heavily and nearly staggered, barely managing not to collapse. His accumulated injuries and immense chakra expenditure left his body weak, but fortunately, Life Return was rapidly refining chakra while also replenishing his stamina in reverse.
After experiencing an exciting battle, self-use experience points +459.
That's a lot of experience points!
Yuzuru Hyuga thoughtfully considered why the free experience points were so high, while subconsciously trying to calm the somewhat restless atmosphere around him.
"I didn't strike any vital points, and I held back at the end."
Yuzuru Hyuga reached up and straightened his glasses, which had become slightly crooked from the high-speed rotation. Panting heavily, he said, "So... there's no need to worry."
Hyuga Hiashi did not reply. He merely stared intently at Yuzuru Hyuga with a complicated expression. For a moment, a faint killing intent surfaced in his eyes, only for him to suddenly shudder and withdraw it.
Yet in that single instant, Hizashi Hyuga keenly sensed something. He remained motionless, his expression calm, pretending to know nothing as he angrily shouted, "Yuzuru! How could you be so heavy-handed!"
"And when did you secretly learn Rotation?"
He seized the initiative, giving no one else the chance to reprimand Yuzuru Hyuga.
Yuzuru Hyuga merely gave a bitter smile, lowered his head, and looked despondent. "Father."
As expected of my dad.
Yuzuru Hyuga had already understood Hizashi Hyuga's purpose and reason for reprimanding him. Rather than feeling hurt by it, he instinctively played along.
Hizashi Hyuga was furious. He rose and strode before Yuzuru Hyuga, his tall figure radiating oppression. "Did you teach yourself Shadow Leaf Dance too?"
"Don't think I don't know that you spend every day hanging around those Uchiha Clan people!"
He looked as though he wanted nothing more than to personally beat the exhausted, seriously injured Yuzuru Hyuga standing before him with his head lowered.
"From today onward, don't even think about taking a single step out of this house! Do you hear me? And when Shion wakes up, you must go to his home and apologize! Do you understand!?"
"Yes, Father." Yuzuru Hyuga lowered his head, biting his lip tightly. The way he gently touched his black-framed glasses made it seem as though he were wiping away tears that had accidentally fallen.
Hyuga Hiashi stepped forward and placed a hand on Hizashi Hyuga's shoulder, gently advising, "Hizashi, don't be like this."
"I believe Yuzuru's explanation."
Hyuga Hiashi looked around, delivering a final verdict on Yuzuru Hyuga's Rotation.
He declared loudly, "Just like the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms from earlier, if someone had told me before today that a person could master such techniques after seeing them only once, I would have called him mad. But clearly—"
Hyuga Hiashi raised Yuzuru Hyuga's hand high into the air. "Our Hyuga Clan has a genius capable of doing exactly that!"
"I have decided to make an exception and permit Yuzuru Hyuga to train in and use Rotation and the Eight Trigrams Palm. I hope all of you will take pride in him."
"Whether Main House or Branch House, Yuzuru Hyuga will forever be a member of our Hyuga Clan!"
The medical ninja at the side finally finished examining Shion's injuries. He let out a breath of relief and called out, "Shion is fine. He only has a broken rib and was knocked unconscious by the impact of the fall. He'll be fine after resting for a while."
A broken rib was not a serious injury for a ninja. It would heal in about a month. Though it did seem rather severe for a traditional Hyuga Clan 'spar,' it was nothing that truly mattered.
Hyuga Hiashi smiled as he looked down at the still-silent Yuzuru Hyuga, who appeared dispirited, and asked gently, "But was that Shadow Leaf Dance really learned from the Uchiha Clan?"
"Mhm." Yuzuru Hyuga did not deny it, merely keeping his head lowered.
"Don't trouble your friends anymore. The Hyuga Clan is Konoha's strongest clan. Whether ninjutsu or taijutsu, so long as you wish to learn, you can learn it within the clan."
"Your father is also a powerful ninja. Don't always be angry with him. Ask him humbly, and he will certainly teach you everything he knows."
"And... did you come up with that descending Rotation combo yourself?"
Though Hyuga Hiashi was speaking with Yuzuru Hyuga, his voice was clear enough for everyone to hear.
"Mhm. I thought of it just now. Thinking about it carefully, there may still be plenty of room for optimization and improvement." Yuzuru Hyuga spoke simply.
Hyuga Hiashi released his hand and laughed heartily. Looking at the clan members with complicated expressions, he called out, "As expected of our Hyuga Clan's genius!"
"Yuzuru, do you want to become a ninja?" Hyuga Hiashi's gaze burned brightly.
Hizashi Hyuga's expression changed slightly. Just as he was about to refuse, Yuzuru Hyuga loudly declared, "I do!"
"Good!" Hyuga Hiashi laughed.
Yuzuru Hyuga smiled as well. He glanced at his father, then lowered his head, deep in thought.
Become a ninja.
Such a simple sentence concealed turbulent undercurrents.
Before you continue