"How about letting me discuss it with the clan first?"
Uchiha Fugaku's stern expression finally relaxed.
As long as he hadn't refused, that was good enough. As for whether it would succeed—
The "get married first, then ask for forgiveness" approach wasn't just for eloping. It worked for arranged marriages between clans, too.
"Of course. The clan's opinion is naturally important."
Uchiha Fugaku wore a smile that said his scheme had worked.
"But surely that doesn't stop you from getting to know Mikoto first."
"Even if the marriage alliance doesn't work out in the end, you can still be friends."
"..."
At this point, Nara Dan could only laugh helplessly.
Good grief. You powerful clans really had all kinds of tricks.
At the same time, the Hyuga Clan was also discussing Nara Dan.
Hyuga Hiashi solemnly put away the scroll Nara Dan had given Nana. Hyuga Nana sat kneeling beside him.
"Dan-kun is still the same as ever: he distinguishes clearly between favors and grudges."
"He won't take even the slightest advantage of someone else."
"So that's what it means for the strong to provide for themselves in all things."
"And..."
Hyuga Hiashi looked at the scroll he had put away, his expression complicated.
The Gentle Fist, the technique the Hyuga Clan prided itself on, had been surpassed just like that. It wasn't simply that they had been overpowered by sheer strength.
The technique had been completely taken apart and reassembled, its essence laid bare.
"Nara-kun's Taijutsu... has already surpassed the limits of the Gentle Fist."
Naturally, the scroll given to Hyuga Nana wasn't meant for her alone. It was also repayment for the Gentle Fist secret manual and the Eight Inner Gates the Hyuga Clan had given him earlier.
It didn't contain many profound theories of Taijutsu. Instead, it offered two Secret Techniques tailored to the circumstances, corresponding to the Gentle Fist secret manual and the Eight Inner Gates the Hyuga Clan had given him.
The first was a Secret Technique Nara Dan had developed after comprehending the Gentle Fist secret manual. He had built upon its foundation and extrapolated a new technique.
Gentle Fist—God Vacuum Attack!
That's right. It was a simplified version of Kaguya's Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack.
Drawing on his perspective from a previous life and his insight into the essence of the Gentle Fist as a Taijutsu Expert, Nara Dan had traced it back to its roots and deduced this Gentle Fist Secret Technique.
It was genuinely a Gentle Fist technique, after all. It was a move once possessed by the Hyuga ancestors.
But through diluted bloodlines or lost teachings, the Hyuga had lost the technique long ago.
Of course, it couldn't match Kaguya Otsutsuki, whose fist seals could blanket the entire sky and shatter even a Perfect Susanoo.
An ordinary Hyuga Jonin could probably fire only four or five shots with their Chakra.
Even so, its power far surpassed that of the much cruder Gentle Fist—Air Palm.
It was enough to make up for the Hyuga Clan's weakness at long range, despite their strength in close combat.
The other Secret Technique was an internal Gentle Fist technique Nara Dan had developed from the lofty perspective of God-Seeing Indestructibility.
Gentle Fist—Golden Needle Acupuncture!
It used the Gentle Fist's distinctive technique of striking Chakra into an enemy's body, but applied it to oneself.
Chakra was driven into specific acupuncture points and organs in one's own body,
stimulating the body's potential and temporarily improving one's physical abilities.
Though it didn't provide as great a boost as the Eight Gates, its side effects were extremely mild. At worst, one would feel weak for a while before recovering.
And with repeated doses of secret medicine, the duration could be extended considerably. Afterward, all one needed was a few days of rest.
Most importantly, unlike the Eight Inner Gates, it didn't send Chakra into a frenzy and greatly reduce one's control over it.
That was why the Hyuga Clan had discarded the Eight Inner Gates: uncontrolled Chakra couldn't be used for the Gentle Fist.
Golden Needle Acupuncture didn't have that problem. It acted only on the body and wouldn't make Chakra run wild.
It was also an improved version of the Gentle Fist that Nara Dan had previously "liberated."
The two Secret Techniques were quite interesting, and Nara Dan's intentions were obvious.
God Vacuum Attack corresponded to the Gentle Fist secret manual, while Golden Needle Acupuncture corresponded to the Eight Inner Gates, another Secret Technique that stimulated one's potential.
There was no doubt about their value. What Nara Dan had given far surpassed what the Hyuga had given him.
His meaning was clear: repay a mulberry with a peach.
If you followed me, Nara Dan, you wouldn't lose out. But don't think you can take advantage of me every day, either.
"What do you think?"
"Can you learn them, Nana?"
"These two Secret Techniques?"
Hyuga Hiashi asked Hyuga Nana beside him.
"I can probably manage the second technique."
"It only involves the basic principles of the Gentle Fist."
"But the first technique requires advanced Chakra shape transformation and a change in the nature of Yang Release Chakra."
Hyuga Nana knew her own limits. She lowered her head slightly in embarrassment.
If God Vacuum Attack were that easy, the Hyuga wouldn't have lost it for so long. They would have worked it out themselves.
"It might take some time."
"I see."
Hyuga Hiashi sighed. As expected, the technique itself wasn't what mattered. What mattered was having someone capable of learning it.
"Someone like Dan-kun, who can develop techniques..."
"He could be called a strategic asset."
Hyuga Nana hesitated, but still spoke up.
"But Teacher Nara also taught us a method of Standing Meditation."
"From my own practice, it's very effective for training physical fitness,"
"coordinating the body's force and even healing injuries caused by regular training."
"I think it's worth even more than these two Secret Techniques."
"Clan Head, should I write it down?"
Hyuga Hiashi's expression didn't change. He waved a hand, cutting off what Hyuga Nana was about to say.
"Your task now is to play your part well,"
"spend more time with Dan-kun and train."
"You don't need to worry about anything else."
"Keep the technique and lose the person, and you lose both the person and the technique."
"Keep the person and lose the technique, and you'll get both the person and the technique."
"What you gain now isn't important."
"What matters is the future!"
Though Hyuga Hiashi's words sounded so righteous, how could Hyuga Nana, clever as she was, fail to understand what her clan head meant?
He clearly intended to win Teacher Nara over even further. Once Teacher Nara truly became one of their own—
Then they could have any technique they wanted.
The clan head really was the clan head.
Even his beauty trap sounded so upright.
I still have a lot to learn.
Hyuga Nana answered that she understood, her expression resolute.
Meanwhile, Ino Rinya, who had also been given a scroll, had an unexpected visitor in his otherwise modest home.
Ino Rinya sat on the floor, panting, drenched in sweat, his clothes rather disheveled.
Nearby, two sinister-looking men were talking,
as though they had done something unspeakable to Ino Rinya.
"How is he?"
Danzo asked the Root shinobi beside him.
"What changes has he undergone?"
The Root shinobi reported respectfully,
"After the sparring test just now,"
"his physical abilities have improved by forty percent."
"His reaction speed has improved accordingly."
"The most incredible thing is..."
The Root shinobi paused unusually, as if weighing his words,
trying to figure out how to describe the strange changes in Ino Rinya.
Still kneeling just the same!
Don't let it pile up!
Before you continue