Branch Family Members Need a Proper Lesson

Hyuga Shunichi...

Hiashi knew him—a child from a Main Family Jonin household within the clan.

Since he was several years older than Hiashi and Shuji, they had never interacted much.

So had he gone mad?

He had laid hands on Hinagiku and Hizashi.

"Shuji, what do we do?"

Looking up, Hiashi asked Shuji.

There was no helping it. The age gap between them was considerable, and Hiashi knew that on his own, he could not do anything.

At most, he could risk getting beaten up and bully Hyuga Shunichi's younger brother.

Even then, he would have to use the Caged Bird to do it.

"Hm?"

Shuji froze at that, looking at Hiashi in surprise.

"What do we do? What can we do? Did you want to invite him to dinner?"

Hiashi pursed his lips helplessly and said nothing.

"Get some rest. I'll bring you something good to eat later."

Seeing that, Shuji turned back to Hinagiku, whose face was swollen to three times its normal size as she lay on the hospital bed.

For Branch Family members who had been bullied by the Main Family, external injuries were the least serious consequence.

"What are you going to do?"

Hinagiku turned her head to look at Shuji.

Honestly, Hinagiku did not really want Shuji going after Hyuga Shunichi.

On one hand, he was a ninja close to graduation. Shuji might be a genius, but it was hard to say whether he could defeat Hyuga Shunichi.

On the other hand, if Shuji went looking for trouble with Hyuga Shunichi, then Hyuga Shunichi would probably trouble her every time he saw her afterward.

"What am I going to do? I'll show you just how disgusting the real Main Family can be."

As he spoke, Shuji rolled up his sleeves, snorted at Hinagiku, and turned to leave.

Shuji had originally thought that, as a member of the Hyuga Clan's Main Family, with both parents being Jonin, having become Tsunade's disciple, and having crossed paths with Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen yesterday, he could more or less cultivate peacefully until graduating from the Ninja Academy.

But he had truly overlooked these problems within the Hyuga Clan.

His steps paused briefly. Shuji formed hand seals with both hands, leaving behind a Shadow Clone Technique to look after Hinagiku and Hizashi, then walked out of the ward without looking back.

How impressive was the Main Family, really?

Nawaki and Hiashi exchanged looks, then silently followed Shuji.

As someone from the Senju family, Nawaki should not have interfered in this matter.

But he followed anyway. What a joke. A friend he trained with every day had been beaten into this state.

If he did not do something, what kind of person would that make him?

As for why Hinagiku and Hizashi had been beaten so badly?

Did that matter? It did not. What mattered was that it had already happened.

Tsunade might beat him up for this, but so what?

At worst, he would break an arm or a leg.

It was not like Tsunade would really beat him to death.

Worst case, they could all be hospitalized together. No big deal—he could treat it as a break.

On the road one had to take from the Ninja Academy to the Hyuga Clan.

Shuji, Nawaki, and Hiashi squatted neatly by the roadside, watching the passersby.

It could not be helped. They could not make a move at the Ninja Academy. If the teachers stopped them before they even got started, what would be the point?

"Hey, see him? That one. Find a way to lure him into the woods."

When Hyuga Shunichi appeared, Shuji spoke quietly to Nawaki beside him.

"Don't worry, leave it to me!"

Nawaki nodded, rose to his feet, stretched his legs, and strode toward Hyuga Shunichi, who was walking with his younger brother, Hyuga Yuichi.

Shuji and Hiashi exchanged a look, rounded a corner, and headed toward the woods.

The so-called woods were where Shuji and the others often gathered before.

Hardly anyone went there normally, making it a quiet place.

"You're Hyuga Shunichi, right?"

Arriving before Hyuga Shunichi, Nawaki asked bluntly.

"Yeah. What is it?"

Hyuga Shunichi stopped and looked at the six-year-old brat blocking his path, though his gaze fell on the Senju crest on Nawaki's clothes.

What did a brat from the Senju family want with him?

"I heard your Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist is pretty impressive. Dare to give it a try?"

Nawaki sneered disdainfully. Though he was much shorter than Hyuga Shunichi, even with his head tilted back, he made Hyuga Shunichi feel as though he was looking down on him.

"Hah? Sure!"

Hyuga Shunichi nodded and agreed immediately.

If Nawaki had spoken properly, then out of respect for the Senju, Hyuga Shunichi might have said something polite.

But Nawaki's attitude thoroughly pissed him off.

So what if he was a Senju? Did that mean people from the Senju family could do whatever they wanted?

The First and Second Hokage were already dead.

"Hmph. Follow me."

Nawaki snorted contemptuously, sizing Hyuga Shunichi up and down.

Then he turned and headed toward the woods.

"Hyuga Shunichi."

After following Nawaki into the woods, Hyuga Shunichi had not even had time to speak before he heard another unfamiliar voice.

Hyuga Shunichi paused and turned toward the sound, seeing Hiashi and Shuji squatting side by side on a tree branch.

"I thought it was just some ill-mannered brat from the Senju family. So it was you two?"

With his arms crossed, Hyuga Shunichi looked disdainfully at Shuji and Hiashi on the branch and sneered.

"What? Isn't it only proper for Branch Family members to receive the punishment they deserve when they fail to greet the Main Family, refuse the Main Family's instruction, and even speak disrespectfully to them?"

After saying that, Hyuga Shunichi continued questioning Shuji and Hiashi.

Never mind what had actually happened; Hyuga Shunichi had his justification ready.

That was also why he had dared to lay hands on Hinagiku and Hizashi.

If a Main Family member wanted to pick a fight, then Branch Family members had no recourse other than death.

Even before Hyuga Tokuhiro, Hyuga Shunichi would have something to say about this matter.

At most, he would be scolded for hitting fellow clansmen too hard and, to a certain extent, worsening the conflict between the Main Family and Branch Family.

"Hey!"

Hiashi immediately sprang to his feet, glaring down at Hyuga Shunichi with a hostile expression.

"Ah~"

Seeing that, Shuji grabbed Hiashi's hand and stood up as well.

"Senior Shunichi is right. Branch Family members are just ignorant. They need a lesson—a proper lesson."

Hiashi looked at Shuji beside him in surprise.

What was this guy trying to do?

Ignoring Hiashi's startled look, Shuji watched the faint smile appear on Shunichi's face, then shifted his gaze to Yuichi behind him.

"This Branch Family member looks like he could use a lesson too. Would you mind, Young Clan Head Hiashi?"

As he spoke, Shuji asked Hiashi beside him.