Thank You

Mukai Hyuga wore an Anbu mask, standing silently atop a tree branch, concealing his form within the shadows of the leaves.

As a side branch that had split from the Hyuga Clan several generations ago, Mukai Hyuga belonged to the branch of the branch family.

The members of his lineage were all peripheral members who could not awaken the Byakugan due to their thin bloodlines.

The main family didn't even bother to brand them with the Caged Bird curse seal.

In the eyes of the main family, the seal itself was a resource, not worth wasting on those who could never awaken the Byakugan.

And in the eyes of outsiders, the Hyuga of this lineage could never awaken the Byakugan at all.

The facts were indeed as such.

Before Mukai Hyuga, no one in this lineage had ever successfully awakened the Byakugan.

As for him, he had accidentally awakened the Byakugan in his left eye only recently, while on the verge of death during an Anbu mission.

He had never mentioned this to anyone, not even the Hokage.

He watched the figure of the young boy silently practicing the Gentle Fist in the courtyard, suddenly feeling a sense of melancholy.

If I had been born into the branch family, I would probably be just like this child, branded with the Caged Bird, right?

Mukai Hyuga mocked himself in his heart, but it was only a self-deprecating thought.

Soon, he composed his mind and locked his attention onto the boy below.

At this moment, he was not yet the Mukai Hyuga who would later betray the village's secrets for the sake of his wife and child.

Right now, he was still Jie of the Konoha Anbu.

Although he did not know why Lord Danzo had sent him to evaluate a boy from the Hyuga branch family to test if he was qualified to join Root.

But since the order had been given, he would naturally give it his all.

Kid, I hope your strength can catch Lord Danzo's eye...

He muttered to himself, his left hand slowly reaching toward his ninja tool pouch.

If that happens, even if you can't break free from the Caged Bird, you will at least be able to make a name for yourself in the village.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, he violently threw several kunai.

Swish! Swish!

The swarm of kunai scattered through the air.

A rain of death instantly enveloped Hyuga Qinglan in the courtyard.

Hyuga Qinglan, standing still in the courtyard, was clearly stunned for a moment, but he reacted quickly.

A kunai slid out from his ninja tool pouch, precisely thrown at the side of the leading kunai.

Using the reaction force from the collision, the kunai deflected toward another.

One hit two, two hit three.

The chain reaction caused by this cycle completely disrupted the flight rhythm.

Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.

A sharp palm wind followed, knocking away all the remaining kunai.

Clang, clatter. The sound of metal hitting the ground echoed through the courtyard.

Observation, reaction, did he even judge the flight trajectories?

Mukai Hyuga praised him inwardly.

As expected, the Byakugan still needs a pair to unleash its true power.

"Are you... from the Anbu?"

Hyuga Qinglan feigned confusion as he looked up at the Monkey Mask figure who had leaped from the tree branch into the courtyard.

"No, the Anbu wouldn't attack a ninja of the village for no reason."

His tone suddenly turned cold: "You are... a spy, aren't you?!"

Hyuga Qinglan assumed the starting stance of the Gentle Fist, his expression exceptionally grave.

"Trying to plot against the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan again?!"

"..."

Mukai Hyuga was momentarily speechless.

He truly hadn't expected this boy before him to label him as a village spy so quickly.

Though he felt a mix of amusement and frustration, he still spoke in a deep voice.

"Hyuga Qinglan, I..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw that Hyuga Qinglan had already made his move.

The killing intent condensed in his palm was aimed directly at his masked face!

How decisive...

Mukai Hyuga flashed this thought through his mind, yet he dared not slacken his hands.

As his chakra circulated rapidly within his body, he retreated quickly while crossing his arms to block.

Beneath his mask, the pupil of his left eye vanished in an instant, replaced by bulging veins in a concentric pattern.

"Byakugan!"

He unleashed the Eight Trigrams Palm he had developed himself and stepped forward to meet the attack.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The two traded blows, their palm strikes crossing paths.

"A member of the Hyuga Clan?!"

Hyuga Qinglan did not stop his movements, but he was inwardly astonished.

Since when did Danzo have a ninja from the Hyuga Clan under his command?!

His gaze sharpened, and the force behind his strikes gradually intensified.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

The more they fought, the more Hyuga Qinglan felt that the palm technique of the person before him was like a pirated version of the Eight Trigrams Palm.

It was even a clumsy imitation.

The essence of the style had not been fully grasped.

Yet, he had to admit that although this person's technique was crude, he used brute force and proficiency to make up for his other shortcomings.

"If that's the case..."

Hyuga Qinglan thought rapidly, and the moment his opponent revealed an opening, he abruptly changed his stance.

It was not the Eight Trigrams Palm.

It was a fierce Konoha Great Whirlwind.

He kicked toward the abdomen of Mukai Hyuga.

"Ugh!"

Mukai Hyuga was sent staggering, unable to stop himself from retreating several steps, his footing unsteady.

But it wasn't over; the remaining palm strikes followed closely, assaulting him.

He took a deep breath, continuing to block incessantly.

But as he gradually progressed from Eight Trigrams: Two Palms... Four Palms... Eight Palms...

They clashed through sixteen palms, and even thirty-two palms.

Just as it looked like he was about to unleash the Sixty-Four Palms...

Mukai Hyuga finally understood.

If he dragged this out any longer, he would undoubtedly be defeated.

"Hyuga Qinglan, I was sent by Lord Danzo to invite you to join the Anbu!"

"This is just an assessment!"

He practically roared it out, his voice carrying a hint of urgency he hadn't even noticed himself.

"Oh?"

Just as he had expected, Hyuga Qinglan's palm momentum came to an abrupt halt.

His palm stopped three inches from Mukai Hyuga's face, the wind from the strike ruffling the hair on his forehead.

"Are you really... sent by Lord Danzo?"

Hyuga Qinglan's expression was somewhat strange; he remained in a defensive posture, but the killing intent in his eyes had faded by more than half.

"Of course."

Seeing Qinglan stop his palm technique, Mukai Hyuga finally let out a long breath.

He rubbed his arms, which had been numbed by the impact, and quickly explained: "Lord Danzo appreciates your talent and has decided to invite you to join Root."

"And I am the one responsible for taking you to report."

"Then how do you explain your knowledge of the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist, and how you strike every pressure point so accurately?"

"Could it be that you also have the Byakugan?"

Hyuga Qinglan asked the question buried deep in his heart.

"As far as I know, no one in the Hyuga Clan has joined the Anbu or serves under Lord Danzo."

"Heh..."

Mukai Hyuga suddenly laughed out loud. He understood that Hyuga Qinglan had gradually lowered his guard; as long as he could prove what he said, Hyuga Qinglan would believe him completely.

He removed his mask, revealing a young yet resolute face.

"My name is Mukai Hyuga, and I am a member who branched off from the Hyuga Clan several generations ago."

"If you really want to count it, we're actually relatives."

He looked at the child before him who was gradually relaxing, couldn't help but smile, and then pulled a cigarette from his pocket, holding it between his lips without lighting it.

"This is due to recessive inheritance; as long as you possess the genetic factors, they will manifest at some point."

"Don't go around telling others about this. This is my trump card, you know." He paused, continuing in the tone of an elder, "After all, we'll be colleagues in the future, and who knows, I might even be the one to lead you..."

"Ugh!"

Before Mukai Hyuga could finish his sentence, his body suddenly stiffened, and he slowly looked down at his abdomen.

Hyuga Qinglan's hand was thrust straight into his stomach, faintly emitting a pale green glow.

"You...!"

Mukai Hyuga's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Thank you for telling me all this."

A flicker of complexity flashed through Hyuga Qinglan's eyes, but it quickly returned to silence.

"However, before that, let me borrow your body for a moment..."