"As your Jonin team leader, I haven't really taught you any jutsu." Hizashi felt a little guilty, too. On their last mission, if Shiyu hadn't stormed the Jashin Cult and saved him, a Jonin, Hizashi wouldn't have made it back alive.
"Although I don't have the final say in the Hyuga Clan, I can guarantee that you won't be bullied by those Uchiha Clan members in Konoha."
"By the way, a secret message from the Hyuga Clan says that the Uchiha candidates seem to be planning to come after you during the Chunin Ninja Exams." Hizashi let slip another piece of news.
Shiyu narrowed his eyes. "The Uchiha? To me, they're a bunch of useless nobodies."
Now that Shiyu had mastered Flying Thunder God Three Stages, how could he possibly be defeated by a bunch of Uchiha Genin?
But this time, Shiyu had figured out Hizashi's intentions. As his Jonin team leader, Teacher Hizashi must have become somewhat suspicious of his eyes during their last mission.
After returning to the clan compound, Hizashi had naturally found something unusual in his family's genealogy. Hiashi likely knew the truth, so he had told Hizashi about it.
And when Hizashi discovered that his talented student had Hyuga Clan blood in his body, and might already have awakened the Byakugan, he naturally hoped Shiyu would rejoin the Hyuga Clan.
Why did he want Shiyu to join? Wasn't the reason obvious? Becoming a Genin at five was unprecedented. On top of that, Shiyu had extraordinary talent and had been taken on as the Third Hokage's personal student at such a young age.
On his first mission abroad, he had fought a Jonin as a Genin—and he even possessed the Kekkei Genkai of both of Konoha's major clans! In terms of both potential and strength, he was undoubtedly Konoha's number one right now!
As for Konoha's other rising stars? There was Kakashi Hatake from Minato Namikaze's Team, his mentor Minato Namikaze, and Uchiha Shisui from the Anbu.
They were all older than Shiyu, and none had as many bloodlines as he did. And in terms of seniority, Shiyu was of the same generation as the Sannin!
With everything so clear, wouldn't it be foolish not to bet on Shiyu? Hizashi Hyuga would become the Branch Family's clan head in the future, and he was far more perceptive and intelligent than most people.
"Shiyu, I won't force you to give me an answer. You just have to make sure you don't regret your choice. No matter what, I'd like to teach you my Hyuga Style Taijutsu." Hizashi said.
Since someone was offering to teach him, Shiyu naturally wouldn't pass up the chance. After all, he hadn't copied the Hyuga Clan's unique pressure-point techniques yet—notably, the legendary Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
This series of strikes would eventually seal a person's chakra. Almost no one could stand back up after being hit by it.
And Hizashi's son, Neji Hyuga, had even extended the technique into the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms.
"Teacher Hizashi, if you want to fight me, then I'm happy to oblige." Shiyu thought it over and decided to accept.
First, fighting would help him become more familiar with the Hyuga Clan's taijutsu. Second, he wanted to copy Hizashi's Hyuga secret technique through combat. Third, it would give him a chance to learn Hizashi Hyuga's true strength.
Shiyu didn't believe that Hizashi Hyuga had shown all his abilities back in the Land of Hot Water. After all, Hizashi was in his prime.
"Mm, good. I'd like to learn more about your strength, too." Hizashi Hyuga nodded, then said, "But, Shiyu, there isn't much room here, so let's avoid using large-scale jutsu."
Shiyu suddenly found that a little amusing, but he nodded. "Understood."
Hizashi nodded as well, then walked to the center of the courtyard and bowed. Shiyu followed suit and bowed too.
"Then let the battle begin!" Hizashi got into an attacking stance. "Byakugan! Activate!"
With Hizashi activating his Byakugan right in front of him, Shiyu could clearly see a large amount of chakra gathering around his eyes.
Seeing Hizashi open his eyes, Shiyu naturally called out, "Activate!"
"I won't hold back this time! Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!" Hizashi Hyuga thrust out a fist, sending a wave of air rushing toward Shiyu.
Shiyu naturally refrained from using any large-scale jutsu.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"
"Ninja Art: Lion Attack Technique!"
Shiyu's hair instantly grew longer, wrapping around his entire body. Then it transformed into nine lion heads that lunged ferociously at Hizashi.
Hizashi's Byakugan saw everything clearly.
"So this is Lord Jiraiya's technique! You've mastered it quite well!" Faced with the attacking lion heads, Hizashi immediately began to spin.
"Rotation!"
Shiyu hadn't expected the Lion Attack Technique to defeat Hizashi. He simply thought it could be used for both offense and defense, so he'd combined it with Needle Jizo.
After releasing Needle Jizo, Shiyu immediately used Shadow Clone Jutsu, creating two clones.
Hizashi got into an attacking stance, realizing that Shiyu was about to make his move.
"Teacher, let me show you my new jutsu!" Shiyu quickly applied the Flying Thunder God Formula to his shadow clones.
The two shadow clones charged at Hizashi, who started fighting them both at once.
Hizashi then struck one of the shadow clones down with a palm, but the other clone managed to throw its shuriken at the last moment.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The shuriken, already numerous, multiplied into a swarm. Every one of them bore the Flying Thunder God Formula.
"The Third Hokage's jutsu? Rotation!" Hizashi used Rotation again, knocking away the kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God Formula.
But these weren't ordinary kunai. Chakra threads were wrapped around them, and the shadow clone controlled the threads, waiting for Hizashi's Rotation to end.
Hizashi wasn't stupid. He knew he couldn't keep using Rotation—the area around him was covered in Shiyu's shuriken.
"In that case, I'll break every last one of them!"
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" Hizashi Hyuga unleashed the Hyuga taijutsu secret technique, striking at the shuriken flying toward him.
"One palm! Two palms! Four palms!" Hizashi Hyuga's strikes grew faster and faster.
"Eight palms! Sixteen palms! Thirty-two palms!" Hizashi Hyuga's hands were moving so fast they were almost impossible to see.
Shiyu watched the display with keen interest through his White Rinnegan.
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!!" Hizashi declared, full of confidence. Nearly all of Shiyu's kunai had been knocked away.
"I see. He uses the Gentle Fist to strike the body's sixty-four pressure points quickly and precisely?" Shiyu copied the entire technique.
"Where's your new jutsu?" Hizashi asked.
Shiyu smiled. "Teacher Hizashi, you've already lost!"
Before you continue