Hyuga Shin awoke from his dream.
Sizzle!
"Ugh!"
Hyuga Shin felt a wave of pain in his head.
"Ugh..." He struggled to sit up.
But as his vision gradually cleared, he froze in confusion.
"What is this...?" Hyuga Shin looked into the distance, where the corpse of an insect lay on the ground.
The next moment, an even more intense pain struck him.
Hyuga Shin curled up on the ground as an unfamiliar figure suddenly appeared in his mind.
It was a white-haired man with a cloth covering his eyes and black, tattoo-like markings on his face.
Under the pitch-black night sky, Konoha had no curfew, but after midnight, no businesses remained open. The man swaggered down the street, seemingly saying something.
Hyuga Shin could not make it out clearly.
The scene soon faded away.
A large number of fragmented memories flashed back, but before Hyuga Shin could distinguish them, the fragments had already vanished.
Hyuga Shin was feeling much better.
Suddenly, he felt his stomach roil. He rushed to the bathroom and vomited violently.
Only then did he feel a little better.
The good-natured Hyuga Shin was puzzled. He felt the main reason for his poor condition was probably the torture he had endured yesterday. Otherwise, he would not have been in such terrible shape.
At least he felt a little better now.
Hyuga Shin even felt that his mental strength seemed to have improved somewhat.
Hyuga Shin used the wall for support as he left the bathroom, though his body was still inexplicably weak.
I should go out and get something to eat first.
As Hyuga Shin went out to eat, many members of the Hyuga Family's Branch Family looked at him.
Hyuga Shin chose to eat ramen.
While he waited for his ramen, a member of the Hyuga Family walked over. "Shin... this is your reward from the clan."
He then handed over a Ninjutsu Scroll and a large sum of money.
Hyuga Shin hurriedly stood up to accept them. "This... this is too valuable."
"This is what you deserve." After saying that, the Hyuga ninja left.
Many other members of the Hyuga Family's Branch Family had also witnessed the scene.
Hyuga Shin said nothing. He returned home to put the items away, and by the time he came back out, the ramen was ready as well.
"Tap, tap..."
A series of footsteps approached.
As Hyuga Shin slurped his noodles, he saw the cold-faced Uchiha Miya walk over.
He stopped and looked at Hyuga Shin.
Hyuga Shin: "...?"
Then Uchiha Miya turned around and walked away.
Hyuga Shin: "?"
After taking only a few steps, Uchiha Miya came back and sat beside Hyuga Shin. "Give me a bowl of ramen. No, two bowls!"
Hyuga Shin looked at Uchiha Miya.
Uchiha Miya: "What? Why are you looking at me?"
"No..." Hyuga Shin scratched his cheek. Why did Uchiha Miya seem so strange today?
Uchiha Miya crossed his arms. "Honestly... the Hyuga Family is full of vermin. But as long as you can still eat that much, it probably isn't a serious problem. My family is full of useless people too. We've held so many Clan Meetings, but have they accomplished anything? They're nothing but places to complain."
"Ahaha..." Hyuga Shin awkwardly agreed.
He did not know much about the Uchiha Clan's affairs. It was better not to say anything about matters he knew nothing about.
"Eat more."
When the two bowls of ramen arrived, Uchiha Miya pushed one of them toward Hyuga Shin.
"Huh?"
"My treat."
"Then... thank you!"
Hyuga Shin did not refuse. He was indeed hungry, and for some reason, he felt terribly exhausted.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Miya buried his head in his noodles. After eating a few mouthfuls, he turned to glance at Hyuga Shin. In his eyes, Hyuga Shin seemed delighted simply because he had been given a bowl of ramen. Uchiha Miya then lowered his head and continued eating.
But a flash of crimson passed through his eyes. His eyes briefly entered the Three Tomoe state before returning to normal an instant later.
"Wow, I'm stuffed!"
Hyuga Shin cheerfully patted his stomach.
Then Uchiha Miya suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Let's go."
"Huh? Where?"
"The training grounds... the Hyuga Family's... no, my family's... no, let's go to the woods instead."
Thus, Hyuga Shin was inexplicably dragged by Uchiha Miya into a small grove.
While the Byakugan-wielding boy stood there in confusion,
Uchiha Miya's eyes turned blood-red, and Three Tomoe appeared within them as he stared fixedly at Hyuga Shin.
"The Uchiha Clan respects strength. Shin, don't hold back. Fight me!"
The Three Tomoe Sharingan revolved, flashing with a cold light. The sharpness born from battle appeared on his small face.
"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time!"
"But... what about your injuries?" Hyuga Shin troubledly scratched his head.
"Don't worry about them! They're nothing but minor wounds!"
"All right, then let's spar. We'll stop before either of us gets seriously hurt."
Hyuga Shin assumed a fighting stance, veins bulging around his eyes.
Seeing this, Uchiha Miya also revealed a delighted smile.
Whoosh!
The two instantly charged at each other.
Bang, bang, bang!
Their fists and feet collided, whipping up waves of wind.
Relying on the Sharingan's insight, Miya could always predict the trajectory of Hyuga Shin's attacks and deftly neutralize them.
But Hyuga Shin was no pushover either. The Eight Trigrams Palms had long since become part of his muscle memory, and every strike carried tremendous force.
The two fought for more than a dozen exchanges, evenly matched and unable to determine a winner.
Uchiha Miya formed hand seals and became the first to use a ninjutsu.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!
Boom!
Hyuga Shin still used the Eight Trigrams Palms, directly deflecting it.
But at that moment, Uchiha Miya's body swayed.
Hyuga Shin hurriedly said, "Your injuries really haven't healed yet!"
"Shut up! Keep going... You, of all people, after being treated so brutally by the Hyuga Family, how can you still smile? I can't imagine the Uchiha Clan doing something like that to me!" Uchiha Miya cursed angrily.
His blood-red eyes fixed on Hyuga Shin, filled with pride. He could never understand this ever-smiling, cheerful boy.
"This... thanks for your concern, but I've gotten used to things like this... After all, I'm a member of the Hyuga Family's Branch Family." Crazy hatred surged in Hyuga Shin's heart, but it vanished almost the instant it appeared. In the end, he said those words.
A trace of blood leaked from the corner of Uchiha Miya's mouth, yet he broke into wild laughter. "Shin, you've grown stronger, but you're still weak-willed. You're simply..."
"Like a slave."
A huge wave of shame, anger, and other negative emotions exploded inside Hyuga Shin once more.
But afterward, he smiled.
"Miya."
Then lightning coiled around one of Hyuga Shin's arms.
"The name of this technique is... Lightning Release: Liger Bomb."
"Record it with your Sharingan. I can teach it to you too."
Uchiha Miya fell silent for a moment.
"Why?"
"Why what...? We're friends, aren't we? And comrades too... partners who fought together on the battlefield. If you learn this, it might improve your chances of survival on the battlefield in the future."
Uchiha Miya bit his lip, gritting his teeth.
Then he exhaled slowly.
"I'm sorry... I was too harsh just now."
"I was wrong, Shin. Please forgive me."
Before you continue