You're Not an Adult!

"Impure World Reincarnation really is the perfect jutsu for the Main Branch!"

Hyuga Hane's quiet remark twisted Hyuga Meigoku's expression into a grimace. But he wasn't strong enough to break free of the Impure World Reincarnation's control, so all he could do was say coldly:

"As a member of the Branch Family, protecting the Main Branch is your duty. Anyone who harbors treacherous intentions deserves to die!"

"The Caged Bird was made for people like you!"

As he spoke, his trembling fingers rose, ready to activate the Caged Bird Technique.

Seeing this, Hyuga Hane raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You still don't understand the situation. The Hyuga Main Branch today doesn't have the kind of power it held during the Warring States period."

Since Hyuga Hane hadn't stopped him, Hyuga Meigoku did activate the Caged Bird.

But... nothing happened. Hyuga Hane showed no sign of pain.

Hyuga Meigoku's pupils contracted.

"Most sealing jutsu and cursed seals rely on the target's chakra to activate, not the caster's."

Hyuga Hane twitched his finger, and a coffin appeared behind Hyuga Meigoku. He backed into it unwillingly, and Hyuga Hane's voice reached his ears.

"After all, there's no better way to make an enemy restrain himself than to let him do it himself.

"The Caged Bird is no different. The chakra that destroys the nerves and the Byakugan belonged to the Hyuga Branch Family from the very beginning."

"But it seems the Caged Bird's ability to control chakra isn't as strong as this Byakugan of mine."

As the coffin lid began to close, Hyuga Meigoku saw those unusual Byakugan. Memories of the news passed down through generations flooded his mind, and a chill shot straight through him.

He had been hunting Hyuga clan members not to seek revenge, but to awaken the Tenseigan!

The Hyuga Clan had developed the Caged Bird out of fear that the Otsutsuki on the moon would steal their eyes. But now...

How could a member of the Branch Family know about this?

Who was he, really?

Was he an Otsutsuki? Had one of the lunar Otsutsuki disguised himself?

Filled with confusion and despair, Hyuga Meigoku sank back into slumber.

The Hyuga Clan was finished...

After recalling the Reanimated Ninja, Hyuga Hane quickly left the scene.

He was surprised, to be honest, that the Byakugan's evolution could render the Caged Bird completely ineffective.

Even if it could nullify the Caged Bird, he'd expected it to take a true Tenseigan. He hadn't imagined that a half-finished one would be enough.

It's not completely resolved. When Hyuga Meigoku activated the Caged Bird, the Byakugan's power was forced to suppress it, which affected my ability to fight.

If the Caged Bird interferes with me during battle, it could be fatal.

Hyuga Hane narrowed his eyes.

I still need to remove the Caged Bird completely!

Five kilometers from the scene, two ninja appeared in Hyuga Hane's Byakugan. He stopped walking and vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.

When he appeared again, he was standing beside a street-side izakaya.

Just then, two ninja and a Ninja Dog passed by on the street.

One of the male ninja glanced around, spotted that Hyuga Hane belonged to the Hyuga Clan, and frowned, about to approach him and ask some questions.

But the other ninja, a woman with a Ninja Dog, stopped him.

The Inuzuka kunoichi shook her head at him, then turned her gaze to her Ninja Dog.

The dog understood. It lowered its head and sniffed in Hyuga Hane's direction, then shook its head at her.

Seeing this, the woman quickly led the man and the dog away.

The male ninja held back all the way, but in the end he couldn't stop himself from asking:

"Inuzuka-senpai, it's so late. That Hyuga ninja showing up here..."

The woman cut him off gently. "Tomorrow is the day the Hyuga Clan will reapply the Caged Bird to the Branch Family."

The man understood at once.

"So the village really... has no intention of removing the Caged Bird. Sorry, I don't have a problem with the village's decision. I just have a friend in the Hyuga Branch Family."

"I understand," the woman replied. "But this is an internal clan matter. Lord Hokage actually has no authority to interfere."

"..." The man.

Seeing the mood turn heavy, the woman suddenly grinned. "By the way, do you know why that kid looked so glum just now?"

"Because of the Caged Bird?"

"No. Maybe that's why he came out to clear his head, but the reason he looked so glum is that he's not old enough. Hahaha!"

The man was taken aback, then burst out laughing once he understood.

After watching the two patrol ninja leave, Hyuga Hane walked into the izakaya without changing his expression.

Then... he was kicked out.

"Come back for a drink when you're old enough, kid."

Hyuga Hane stared expressionlessly at the owner's kindly face, said nothing, and turned to leave.

That was enough. How old was he if he counted both his previous life and this one? He couldn't even get into an izakaya.

He clearly remembered that Jiraiya and Tsunade, two of the Sannin, were both shameless. Tsunade had gambled since she was a child, and the casinos had never seemed to stop her, had they?

Was it because the First, Hashirama Senju, was the one who'd taught Tsunade to gamble, so the casinos didn't have to take responsibility and just let her do whatever she wanted?

Even now, he could still hear stories in Konoha about Big Fat Sheep's childhood!

In a complicated mood, Hyuga Hane used his Byakugan to avoid the ninja searching the area. Only after he reached his underground training ground did he carefully assess his improvements.

His chakra had doubled, just as he'd expected.

After all, his chakra had already far surpassed that of Hyuga Miyuki, who had originally been a Chunin. She'd had several times as much as an ordinary Jonin.

He had about as much as four Kakashis?

Right, he'd seen Kakashi when he was twelve and already a Jonin, about a month ago. Kakashi had been with Minato, the Fourth Hokage.

In other words, he now had the chakra of eight Kakashis.

Not a huge amount, but not a small one either.

Naruto had four times as much chakra as an adult Kakashi when he was a child. But the Uzumaki Clan were all chakra monsters, so they couldn't be compared.

After feeling his chakra surge, Hyuga Hane focused it into his Byakugan.

Buzz!

The air trembled, and even tiny cracks appeared in the floor.

"I see. I didn't notice before. Is this the Byakugan's... pressure?"

A dojutsu that Otsutsuki Kaguya had used.

After studying it carefully, Hyuga Hane nodded.

A useful ability.

It turned his ocular power into a flow of chakra that pressed down on enemies and their surroundings like gravity.

But the gap between him and Otsutsuki Kaguya in raw power was enormous. This ability could only have a significant effect on a Chunin.

To make it useful in a fight against a Kage, he would have to rely on his experience and strength.

"Lastly, this."

Eight Inner Gates—Fifth Gate, Gate of Wonder: open!

Air Palm!

The increase in chakra from the Eight Inner Gates combined with the increased chakra density from the Byakugan's evolution, making this Air Palm far more powerful than before.

Boom!

The sturdy basement wall collapsed, leaving a large hole in the middle.

"It's nowhere near as powerful as the Eight Gods Vacuum Attack. I need to keep increasing my chakra density."

Hyuga Hane murmured to himself.

"Besides, without the Eight Inner Gates, I can't even use an attack like this."

The Gentle Fist Art was only effective against humans. It had limited destructive power against huge chakra monsters like Tailed Beasts and Susanoo.

Minato Team had already left for the Iwagakure front. The time when Obito would turn into a fool wasn't far off. There was still a long way to go.