Hyuga had made this suggestion partly because of Nara Dan's words yesterday,
and partly because the Hyuga Clan had discussed it all night after Hyuga Nana returned.
If she couldn't achieve her goal as a woman, she could try becoming his student instead.
Of course, their original plan had been a last resort. Nara Dan was too solitary—or perhaps simply too flawless.
He had no concrete needs beyond cultivation and strength.
As for everything else, Nara Dan seemed not to care.
Take White Fang, for example. Before his death, Nara Dan had been fairly familiar with him. In terms of exchanging ideas about cultivation, Nara Dan and White Fang had been the closest of companions. To outsiders, they could even be considered friends.
But when the White Fang incident blew up, right up until White Fang's death, Nara Dan never left his home. He had no desire to show any political allegiance.
Only after White Fang died did he accept Kakashi, repaying the old favor.
And in the Hyuga Clan's eyes, their teachings had been valuable when Nara Dan was weak.
Now that even the Hyuga couldn't fight him, who would still care about their Gentle Fist secret techniques, which could only be fully used with a Kekkei Genkai?
The only person who seemed even remotely close to Nara Dan was Kurenai Yuhi. That was why, in their desperation, the Hyuga had come up with this sort of approach.
"Yes, Teacher Nara."
Hyuga Nana endured the pressure of being watched by some of the strongest people in the Ninja World.
Her head lowered, she wore a loose kimono. From this distance, one could see her fair neck and delicate collarbones, even the deep, pale curve of her cleavage.
Her cherry lips parted, and a clear, lilting voice emerged.
"This is also the will of the Hyuga Clan."
Nara Dan didn't respond. He simply watched Hyuga Nana.
His deep eyes held not the slightest trace of desire for the opposite sex. Instead, they carried the oppressive scrutiny of a superior judging a subordinate.
Under his almost tangible presence, cold sweat dampened Hyuga Nana's back, revealing the elegant lines of her slender spine.
This man isn't normal.
He doesn't react to women at all. It's as if he can see right through every thought in my head.
No—not as if. He really can.
Just as the clan head said, this man shows no mercy before you've gotten to know him.
And even after you've gotten to know him—no, to this man, the very idea of friendship probably doesn't exist.
She straightened her back, concealing her many graceful curves, and didn't dare use any of the techniques the elders had taught her.
Instead, she took a scroll from inside her kimono. Her pale, jade-like hand contrasted beautifully with its black surface.
"This is the gift for taking me as your student."
"The clan head said you would definitely be satisfied, Teacher Nara."
"Is that so?"
Nara Dan suddenly chuckled. The oppressive atmosphere in the room instantly dissipated, and Hyuga Nana felt the pressure lift. She let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"I thought the gift your clan head would be most satisfied with was you."
His gaze was like a cat toying with a mouse. Though Hyuga Nana wasn't very experienced, she felt a chill in her heart.
"Heh... Teacher Nara, you're teasing me."
"The Hyuga only want to be friends with you, Teacher Nara."
But Nara Dan ignored her attempt to ease the tension and picked up the scroll to examine it.
Hyuga Nana's spirits sank. The unpleasant feeling returned.
It was precisely Nara Dan's way of handling things—no matter how many tricks you tried, he would answer with just one—that made everyone who wanted to get close to him feel utterly frustrated.
Nara Dan didn't fall for the usual emotional appeals or social tactics.
In a way, it wasn't that he didn't understand them. On the contrary, he saw through them too well, and so found them pointless.
Now that he had opened the scroll, Nara Dan was absorbed in its contents. He had no time to wonder what the woman was thinking.
Gentle Fist—Secrets Seen Through the Byakugan
The Rules Governing Chakra's Flow Through the Meridians
The Relationship Between Acupoints, Meridians, and Chakra
Chakra Shape Transformation—How to Increase the Destructive Power of Gentle Fist Against the Human Body
As he read, Nara Dan nodded with satisfaction.
"These are the Hyuga's most closely guarded teachings."
"Actually, I don't need to study the basic principles of Gentle Fist in detail."
"Any ninja can memorize a diagram of the human body's acupoints after looking at it a couple of times."
"And the so-called Eight Trigrams Palms is just a matter of striking specific acupoints with your own Chakra at specific moments."
"But the real value lies in those specifics."
"Only through the Byakugan can you clearly see every Chakra pathway and every movement of the human body."
"But anyone who doesn't possess the Byakugan has no way of learning these secrets."
"Or rather, even if they did learn them, they still wouldn't be able to use Gentle Fist properly."
"But that might not be true for me."
"I've practiced Taijutsu for years. I understand the human body no less than a Byakugan user—and when it comes to movement patterns and muscle structure, I understand it even better."
"If these secrets were passed on to me, it would be like stripping Gentle Fist naked and laying it out for me to butcher. It wouldn't be able to resist at all."
That was also why Hyuga Hiashi had refused to give these teachings to Nara Dan before.
Giving them to Nara Dan would be no different from stripping Gentle Fist naked and tying it up as well.
From then on, any Gentle Fist user who faced Nara Dan would be utterly powerless to resist.
"But things are different now. Since my strength surpasses the Hyuga Clan's, these teachings are nothing more than a modesty cloth."
Nara Dan sneered inwardly. He had to admit, clans that had survived for hundreds or even thousands of years possessed a keen instinct for survival.
When it was time to stand firm, they stood firm. When it was time to kneel, they knelt without hesitation.
"Still, it'll broaden my perspective and deepen my understanding of Taijutsu."
Suddenly, Nara Dan recalled Hyuga Nana's words. She had said he would definitely be satisfied.
"The Hyuga Clan knows these teachings have value, but for me, they're only better than nothing."
"'Definitely satisfied'..."
As he thought, Nara Dan turned straight to the last section of the scroll.
Nara Dan froze, caught off guard.
Eight Inner Gates
"So the Hyuga Clan, like all these old clans, isn't to be underestimated."
As he read about the supreme Taijutsu technique he had been thinking about lately—the Eight Inner Gates—Nara Dan sighed.
"The Hyuga Clan actually had a copy of the Eight Inner Gates hidden away. Who knows where they got it."
"As a clan founded on Taijutsu, they would never let any possibility slip by."
"The possibility of breaking through the limits of Taijutsu."
Nara Dan even found notes on training and related data, including data from experiments on the human body.
Clearly, the Hyuga Clan hadn't just acquired this secret technique. They had studied it, and had even quietly begun introducing it to their higher-ups.
But the Hyuga had evidently failed to discover the key to advancing their Taijutsu. The Eight Inner Gates might have been a good technique, but it didn't suit the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist system.
Thanks to Hui Tai Lang Marries Mei Yang Yang for the tip. Thanks, boss!
Also, as always: recommendations and follows, got it?!
Don't make me get down on my knees!
Before you continue