First Signs of Brilliance

"Hyuga Sho!! I challenge you to a duel!!"

Hyuga Suetsuchi ran to the doorway and pointed at Hyuga Sho as he shouted.

"Suetsuchi~!"

Hyuga Natsu jogged over, doing her best to keep the food on the wooden tray balanced so it would not spill.

Hearing that Suetsuchi and Sho were going to duel, she became terribly worried.

Because Sho-kun was...

The Dead Last of the Hyuga Clan!

"Hehe, Suetsuchi, have you eaten yet?"

Hyuga Sho gave him a sincere smile.

Perhaps that "honest and sincere" expression convinced him.

Suetsuchi nodded. "Not yet."

"Mm, neither have I. Why don't we eat together?" Hyuga Sho took the bowl from Hyuga Natsu's hands.

"Eat... eat my ass! I'm here to duel you, Dead Last! Whoever loses isn't allowed to talk to A-Natsu ever again!"

Realizing something was wrong, Suetsuchi immediately dragged the conversation back on track.

"Fighting isn't good..."

Hyuga Sho waved his hands repeatedly and shook his head.

"We Branch Family Members practice the Gentle Fist to Protect the Main Family..."

"Cut the crap, you Dead Last!"

Hyuga Suetsuchi was already furious, and he was suffering the unbearable pain of being a Minotaur.

Consumed by rage, he struck out with his palm.

I, Suetsuchi, am a genius. I'll crush Hyuga Sho, that Dead Last, in seconds.

Could I possibly lose?

One palm is all it'll take!

"Ah~!"

Hyuga Natsu cried out, and the wooden tray clattered onto the ground.

Thankfully, the porridge was in Hyuga Sho's hands.

Facing the incoming palm strike.

Hyuga Sho instantly judged the truth of his opponent's strength.

Weak.

His opponent was weak. Hyuga Sho had more than ten ways to punish him.

Then they saw...

Hyuga Sho close his eyes as though he had panicked.

He threw a punch, seemingly by sheer luck, and it landed on the other boy's eye sockets despite being launched later.

Suetsuchi cried out in pain and staggered back several steps.

The next moment, Suetsuchi regained his footing, hardened his resolve, and pounced.

In his "panic," Hyuga Sho dodged left and right, then "accidentally" stepped on Suetsuchi's foot.

With that step.

Hyuga Sho used the force to "involuntarily" pitch forward, his head slamming into Suetsuchi's chin with a thud.

Suetsuchi bit his tongue and collapsed in agony. He could only roll around on the ground, completely unable to attack again.

And like someone fighting for the first time, Hyuga Sho turned around in apparent "fear" and "fled with his head in his hands," darting into his room and locking himself inside.

"Sho-kun... won?"

Hyuga Natsu stared at the scene in utter disbelief.

The course of events, and the final outcome, had unfolded in a way she had never imagined.

After a long while, she blinked, glanced at Suetsuchi rolling on the ground, and asked, "Suetsuchi... are you okay...?"

[Doka Degree: 4.3%]

Back in his room, Hyuga Sho stared at the number that had appeared before him, his gaze tightening slightly.

"Actual combat really can change the Doka Degree..."

Training was one part of becoming stronger.

Actual combat was as well.

The same principle applied in every world.

"In that case, Hyuga Suetsuchi is a pretty good Tool Person. I'll turn him into a punching bag when I get the chance."

Minotaur Warrior Hyuga Sho immediately assigned Pure Love Warrior Suetsuchi the role of Tool Person.

Hyuga Natsu was Tool Person Number One.

Hyuga Suetsuchi was Tool Person Number Two.

Thinking that, Hyuga Sho glanced at the rice porridge in his hand—not a single drop had spilled—and began eating.

Before long, there was a knock at the door.

After Hyuga Natsu entered, she sat kneeling on the tatami.

She put away the bowls and chopsticks, then looked at Hyuga Sho. Her clear white eyes held an indescribable feeling.

"Sho-kun... you were amazing. You actually beat Suetsuchi..."

Hyuga Suetsuchi.

Though he was a Brat, he was considered highly talented among the Children of this generation.

According to the assessments of the other Branch Family ninjas.

Hyuga Suetsuchi had the potential to become a Jonin in the future.

In comparison.

They believed Hyuga Sho's aptitude was utterly ordinary. At most... he might reach the level of a Chunin.

Only one or two Jonin emerged from every hundred ninjas.

A Chunin, meanwhile, was the most ordinary, most numerous, and most common rank.

A Dead Last defeating a genius...

Hyuga Natsu's eyes grew brighter and brighter as she looked at Hyuga Sho.

"Just luck. A random punch beat a Master..."

Hyuga Sho smiled honestly.

But even though Hyuga Sho said that, Hyuga Natsu regarded him more and more highly.

Because...

I've seen how hard Sho-kun has worked...

Scenes of Hyuga Sho desperately training over the past few days rose in Hyuga Natsu's mind.

After chatting for a while.

Hyuga Natsu mentioned.

Tomorrow, the Patriarch would summon Hyuga Sho, so he needed to be prepared.

"We can't resist the Main Family, because they can use the Curse Mark to punish us Branch Family Members... We can't even entertain thoughts of resistance, or the Main Family will notice..."

Hyuga Natsu listed the things he needed to watch out for one by one.

When the Caged Bird Seal was triggered, it did not merely cause splitting headaches and agony worse than death.

It could even damage the Brain Nerve, directly destroying the brain and the Byakugan.

It was an "absolute terror" that enforced total control.

"Mm. We Branch Family Members were born to Protect the Main Family. A-Natsu, don't worry. I'll definitely satisfy the Patriarch!"

Hyuga Sho nodded with a harmless expression, indicating that he understood.

"Then I'll be going..."

Hyuga Natsu rose and pushed open the door.

"..."

After Hyuga Natsu left, however, a completely different thought arose in Hyuga Sho's heart.

A destiny decided at birth? Destiny is in my own hands! One day, I'll break free from this cage called the Caged Bird!