Byakugan: Chakra

In fact, Hyuga Yu had already mastered two types of chakra nature transformation.

One was Wind Release Chakra nature transformation,

and the second was a highly unique type of chakra cultivated through the Hyuga Clan's innate Kekkei Genkai, the Byakugan, combined with their famously powerful Nintaijutsu, Eight Trigrams Palms.

This chakra had no specific name. To members of the Hyuga Clan, it seemed to be an entirely ordinary and unremarkable thing.

Hyuga Yu named it Byakugan Chakra.

After careful comparative study, Hyuga Yu unexpectedly discovered that this chakra possessed properties that ordinary ninja could not begin to understand.

First, it was necessary to explain a common misconception.

The Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist could not simply be understood as a style of fist fighting or Taijutsu, like Tai Chi, that had the effect of striking pressure points.

Even describing it as Nintaijutsu was somewhat inaccurate. More precisely, it was a bloodline secret technique developed from a Kekkei Genkai.

After activating the Byakugan, members of the Hyuga Clan could see the chakra pathways throughout their bodies. By practicing their inherited Gentle Fist, they could release this flowing Byakugan Chakra from any part of their body.

And the chakra naturally generated through practicing Gentle Fist Style

had an absurdly powerful effect—

The chakra in Gentle Fist could invade and destroy any element transformed from chakra, as well as any substance containing chakra.

The Kaguya ancestor had smashed Susanoo with three punches, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had kicked the giant mech's pilot out of the cockpit, and Hyuga Neji had turned the tables on Kidomaru by pinching a single spider thread made from sweat.

At their core, all of these were manifestations of this special chakra's effects.

Of course, the ability's effects varied greatly from one individual to another. Hyuga Yu suspected they depended on the quantity of chakra, the user's chakra control, and the chakra's quality.

At least, judging by his own tests, his Byakugan Chakra couldn't even form an external defensive barrier. If he struck the dozen-meter-tall Susanoo, he would probably only splash up a tiny droplet.

For now, this ability could only help him break down the chakra he had extracted from his body, allowing him to safely practice unstable techniques.

In that respect,

the Hyuga Clan's legacy was no inferior to the Uchiha Clan's.

Once he understood the nature of the chakra generated by the Byakugan, Hyuga Yu understood what Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack was.

That's right—it was Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, performed eighty times in a row!

The principle behind Kaguya's Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack was no different from that behind an ordinary Hyuga ninja's Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.

The ancestor really hadn't held anything back. The strongest Taijutsu in Shippuden was truly something every Hyuga had access to.

Unfortunately, the descendants were simply too obedient.

They inherited everything the ancestor passed down, good or bad: the Main House and Branch House system, Gentle Fist, refusing to learn ninjutsu, and so on. They never distinguished between good and bad. If it came from the ancestor, it had to be good. Surely the ancestor wouldn't lead them astray?

Since the Ōtsutsuki had no concept of techniques, the traditional Hyuga Clan—despite being top-tier at chakra control—simply refused to learn ninjutsu. What was the point of learning such trash? Their ancestors had never used it!

The ancestor was the greatest.

Still, all those flashy tricks were useless. In the later stages, facing the Ōtsutsuki, one still had to rely on Taijutsu and Senjutsu. So the Hyuga Clan's path hadn't actually been wrong, and their ancestor hadn't led them astray.

Even flashy trash like Susanoo was still something the Ōtsutsuki could smash with a punch or a kick.

It was just a shame that, throughout the entire Naruto series, the Hyuga Clan hadn't produced anyone with Naruto's level of chakra—not even someone with as much chakra as Kisame, the Raikage, or Gaara.

Hyuga Yu couldn't help feeling regretful.

But he quickly came back to himself and focused on the technique in his hands.

He had no right to mock anyone. At least someone like Hyuga Hiashi, a complete Hyuga, could contend with one of the Ten-Tails' tails.

Hyuga Yu, with his mediocre talent, could only abandon the Hyuga Clan's traditions and force himself down a path whose direction he couldn't see.

Morning, 7:00.

The morning sunlight fell across Konoha Gate, casting a vast shadow.

Having gained an initial grasp of Wind Release: Vacuum Blade and finished preparing his gear, Hyuga Yu arrived.

During wartime, Konoha imposed strict regulations on ninja waiting for orders within the village. Leaving without authorization meant being branded a rogue ninja.

Although Hyuga Yu had received a verbal order from Root the previous night,

the order had no written documentation and no official recognition. Apart from Hyuga Yu himself, probably no more than a handful of people knew about it.

At that moment,

Hyuga Yu walked up to the registration desk in front of Konoha Gate, feeling somewhat apprehensive.

The two future gatekeepers of Konoha weren't on duty yet. Two Chunin from Konoha's Barrier Team were taking turns guarding the gate. When they saw Hyuga Yu approach, one asked:

"Name?"

"Hyuga Yu."

"Are you leaving the village?"

"Yes."

"Yes? Where are your mission papers?"

Hyuga Yu's mouth twitched. He could only pull the Main House order sent over by Hyuga Iroha that morning from the scroll pouch at his thigh.

The gatekeeper Chunin snatched the scroll from him and unrolled it.

"Hm? The time doesn't look right. Are you—?"

Sure enough, after seeing the departure time marked on the scroll, the gatekeeper Chunin looked puzzled.

Before he could question him, the other Chunin, who had spiky hair, turned and said:

"Anbu informed us this morning that some missions had their times changed after being reviewed at the Hokage Building. You forgot?"

"Oh, right." The gatekeeper Chunin suddenly remembered. He gave Hyuga Yu an apologetic smile, went inside, and took out a document to compare with the order.

"Hyuga Yu, headed to Grass Wave Coast to reinforce the eastern coastline front as a Medical Ninja. Yes, that's right."

The gatekeeper Chunin quickly stamped Hyuga Yu's order, then shook his head as he handed the scroll back.

"Such a young Medical Ninja is being sent to the battlefield too... Sigh."

"Good luck out there."

"Thank you."

Hyuga Yu nodded calmly and walked through Konoha Gate.

He followed the straight road beyond the village, growing smaller until he disappeared over the horizon.

Soon,

a squad of ninja hurried up behind him.

At the head was a Jonin from the Hyuga Clan's Branch House. Behind him were Hyuga Tetsu, a ninja from the Aburame Clan, and a member of the Inuzuka Clan with a dog.

"Hey, doesn't that figure look familiar?"

Hyuga Tetsu watched the resolute figure walking alone, gradually disappearing over the horizon, and raised his head in confusion.

His teammate beside him looked up, puzzled. "Does it? You must be mistaken."

Still, Hyuga Tetsu couldn't shake his unease.

"Could that be Hyuga Yu?!"

Instinctively, he was about to activate his Byakugan and investigate.

But then,

a tall, burly figure appeared in a flash and reached out to press a finger against his temple. With a stern expression, he said:

"Tetsu, don't activate your Byakugan in a sensitive place like this."

"The Main House member will be here any moment!"