After staying home for two months, Neji suddenly received a summons from the Clan Head. He was slightly surprised, but after thinking it over, he understood. His father had died for him, and his father had also been the Clan Head's younger brother. Neji himself would not believe that the Clan Head felt no guilt at all. Aside from going out once after his father's death, Neji had not shown his face outside for two months. That had probably caught the Clan Head's attention.
Without dwelling on it, Neji replied to the messenger, made a few simple preparations, and headed to the Clan Head's residence. Along the way, he encountered several clan members, some familiar and some not. Neji lowered his head and greeted each of them. His body was still small, and there was not much he could do, but it was still necessary to establish an image of being humble and courteous.
Upon arriving at the Clan Head's residence, Neji was led in by the steward and met Hyuga Hiashi. At first glance, Hiashi looked quite a bit like Neji's father, though he carried himself with even greater authority.
Neji took the initiative to bow. "Greetings, Clan Head."
Hyuga Hiashi did not put on airs. After returning the bow, he had Neji take a seat and said in a deep voice, "Neji, you are over five years old now, aren't you? You should enter the Ninja Academy next year. I see that you have already refined chakra, so tomorrow I will arrange for Hyuga Hio, a Jonin of our clan, to teach you the Gentle Fist for a while. I hope you study diligently."
Neji was somewhat surprised, but he did not resist. Having someone to teach him was naturally a good thing. He bowed again and replied, "Thank you for your concern and guidance, Clan Head. I will study hard under Lord Hio."
Seeing Neji accept his goodwill, Hiashi felt slightly relieved. He asked, "Neji, is there anything else you need help with? Do not stand on ceremony with your uncle."
Neji thought for a moment, then said, "Uncle, I am rather interested in Medical Ninjutsu. Before entering the Ninja Academy, I would like to learn some basic medical knowledge to lay a foundation for studying Medical Ninjutsu in the future." This request had not been a spur-of-the-moment idea. He intended to use studying medical knowledge and ninjutsu as a pretext to gradually gain access to research on the human body and carry out the Gene Completion Plan. This was one of the most important goals among the many plans Neji had made for himself over the past two months.
Neji, who knew the plot well, understood that the Byakugan of the current Shinobi World was incomplete—defective at the genetic level. That was why members of the Uchiha Clan occasionally awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, while not a single member of the Hyuga Clan, who were likewise descendants of the Sage, could awaken the Tenseigan. The fundamental reason was the genetic defects of the Hyuga Clan. Only by completing them could one possibly awaken the Tenseigan.
And to complete the Gene Completion Plan, learning Medical Ninjutsu and medical knowledge was essential. He could search for medical knowledge himself, but it would be difficult to find everything. Through the channels of the Hyuga Clan Head, it would be simplicity itself.
Hearing Neji's request, Hyuga Hiashi did not refuse. "Very well. In the next few days, I will send someone to deliver the basic medical knowledge you need to your home. I hope you will not neglect your Gentle Fist training. After all, a ninja's strength comes first."
Neji said happily, "I will heed the Clan Head's teachings. Neji will certainly study the Gentle Fist diligently and bring glory to the Hyuga Clan."
In truth, Neji found the Hyuga Clan rather repulsive. In the beginning, the Caged Bird Seal might truly have been developed to prevent clan members from being targeted by ninjas coveting the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan.
But by this point, Neji could conclude that the Caged Bird Seal was purely a tool for maintaining the Main House's rule over the Branch Family. And unfortunately, Neji himself was one of the many Branch Family members ruled by the Main House through the Caged Bird Seal.
He did not know what Neji had thought before, but after Ning Feng merged into this body, the thought that someone else controlled his life—that he could be killed by the seal at any moment, and had to obey the Main House's commands in order to survive—made the current Neji deeply uncomfortable. It was precisely because of this dire situation that the Gene Completion Plan ranked so highly among his priorities. Breaking the shackles placed upon his forehead and reclaiming true freedom was one of his most important plans.
After chatting for a while longer, Neji rose and took his leave.
After returning home, he continued the training he had not finished that day. Over the past two months, Neji had mainly practiced a set of boxing techniques the Hyuga Clan used to build a foundation for children. The set consisted of twenty-eight forms and trained most of the body's muscles evenly. It had evolved from the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist, and becoming proficient in it would benefit his future study of the various Gentle Fist techniques.
After practicing the set ten times, he was drenched in sweat. He placed medicinal herbs into a bathing tub, poured in hot water, and immersed himself. Closing his eyes to rest, he felt a tingling sensation spread through his body. Neji could clearly sense his body slowly growing. This was very abnormal. Even if he trained diligently and supplemented it with high-energy food and medicinal baths, his growth should still have been extremely slow—so slow that an ordinary person could never possibly notice it.
There were only two possible explanations. The first was that he was actually growing very quickly, quickly enough for ordinary perception to detect it. The second was that his growth rate was normal, but his perception was exceptionally powerful, allowing him to observe his own gradual growth.
Through comparison and observation over the past two months, Neji had concluded that his growth rate was roughly forty to eighty percent faster than that of children his age—about the level of an ordinary genius. There was absolutely no way ordinary perception could detect it. Yet his sensory ability was more than ten times stronger than that of his peers. The clearest manifestation was his Byakugan. He could already see objects a kilometer away, reaching the level of a Regular Jonin, while children his age either had not awakened their eyes at all or could only see eight or nine hundred meters away.
Perhaps this was one of the benefits of being a transmigrator. The fusion of two souls had strengthened Neji's spiritual power. His memory, perception, Byakugan, and other abilities tied to the spirit had all been enhanced. It was another cheat besides his knowledge of the plot.
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