Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms

Life was as dull as ever, but Kanna had grown accustomed to the solitude. With little social interaction and few amusements, his days began with a greeting to his mother, followed by breakfast and the refining of chakra. He would spend the middle of the day practicing basic strikes, reviewing tree-climbing and water-walking, and reading his parents' collection—mostly historical records, philosophical treatises, and technical manuals on ninjutsu and chakra. When Kanna Tokiomi returned home for lunch, he would occasionally test Kanna's progress or inquire about his views on the Way of the Ninja, life, and the village, effectively shaping Kanna's worldview.

Since Kanna had stolen the power of the Shikotsumyaku, his physical body had grown robust. At ten years old, he was in a period of steady physiological development, growing five centimeters in just over a dozen days. However, he had forcibly compressed his bones to keep his stature from appearing unnatural.

Kanna had a theory: although Kimimaro's physique in the original story was slender rather than bulky, this was highly unusual for a village like Kirigakure, which was known for producing brawny men. Given that his bloodline was specifically designed to reinforce bone, it was highly probable that he had compressed his bones to form a high-density, ultra-hard "iron skeleton."

Furthermore, Kanna clearly felt his body becoming heavier—not with the weight of fat or bloat, but with a dense, solid, and substantial fullness. The power of the Shikotsumyaku not only reinforced his bones but also permeated his flesh and blood, naturally strengthening his body and accelerating his progress in refining chakra.

Only now did Kanna feel a sense of grounded security. With power came confidence; although he had yet to experience real combat, he was certain that his combat strength had reached the level of a Chunin.

Therefore, if he wanted to participate in the Chunin Exams three months from now, he needed to start preparing.

Regardless of the village, participating in the Chunin Exams required a three-man squad as the basic unit. The problem was that of Kanna's graduating class, only he and Zabuza remained, and graduates from previous years already had their own teams. How to enter the exam was a dilemma.

Of course, the Chunin Exams were merely a test, with more symbolic than practical significance. They were generally held to select outstanding ninja and, incidentally, to give all candidates a chance to train and broaden their horizons.

However, for Kanna, the Chunin Exams meant more than just becoming a Chunin; they contained a rare opportunity.

Kanna knew that within the next year or two, the rogue ninja Sasori of Sunagakure would secretly infiltrate his village to assassinate the Third Kazekage—hailed as the strongest in history—and turn him into a human puppet. Kanna planned to see if Sunagakure would hold a joint exam in the next two years. If they did, he would use the opportunity to leave a Flying Thunder God marker in Sunagakure. If he were lucky, he might be able to intervene in that battle and see if he could obtain some of the Third Kazekage's and Sasori's biological material.

When Kanna asked his father about this, he received the following response.

"The Chunin Exams?" Kanna Tokiomi frowned. "While that exam is the primary path to promotion, it is not the only one. Since you lack teammates, you are ill-suited for an exam that tests group combat. You should give it up."

"But..." Kanna hesitated.

"This is the path you chose, isn't it?" Kanna Tokiomi said indifferently. "You were the one who insisted on staying home to train alone. You are a ninja, and more importantly, a man; you must take responsibility for your own words. I will not help you with this matter. Of course, if you can find companions willing to join you through your own efforts, you may register yourself. I can serve as your recommender."

"Is that so?" Kanna gave a self-deprecating smile. He was right; one must always be responsible for their own actions. Since he had chosen to walk alone, he had to be prepared to bear the loneliness and solitude.

"I understand." Kanna nodded and stopped mentioning the Chunin Exams.

"Cough... If you feel your training has hit a bottleneck, I can introduce you to various departments." Kanna Tokiomi ultimately felt for his son. He had seen Kanna's efforts over this period and was quite satisfied, so he was prepared to give him a hand.

Serving in a post in Kirigakure? Kanna thought about it. As the son of the Mizukage's aide, there would be no issue with him joining the Anbu in terms of status or standing. But how to put it—that place was too dark. Kirigakure was already oppressive enough; joining the Anbu might just drive him insane.

As for other departments, Kirigakure's medical division was nowhere near as developed as Konoha's. While important, Kanna had no desire to become a medical ninja. A ninja's energy was limited; if he were to spend time learning medical arts, the cost would outweigh the benefits. Furthermore, the intelligence division and regular forces were not suitable choices either. It was a time of peace, and the major villages were doing little more than espionage; there was no active warfare. So, staying at home was indeed for the best.

Build high walls, store grain, and bide your time. Examples like Naruto Uzumaki, who progressed through constant battle, were the minority. The path of Uchiha Obito—burying one's head in hard training until one's combat power was fully realized before emerging—was the most applicable method.

It was a matter of knowing when to hold on and when to let go; Kanna had simply been a bit impatient. After all, having tested that the Highland could analyze bloodline limits, it was only natural to covet those miraculous abilities. With the Highland in his hands, as long as he survived, he would one day be able to draw those bloodline ninjutsu and become truly powerful.

On the eve of the New Year, night fell. Ten days had passed since his last draw, and Kanna decided to aim for a B-rank ninjutsu this time.

In truth, a B-rank ninjutsu was already quite good and well-suited for Kanna's current needs. The Flying Thunder God and Shinra Tensei consumed too much chakra; they could only be used as trump cards, not as standard ninjutsu.

After issuing the command to draw a B-rank ninjutsu, Kanna received a new technique the very next moment.

"Hmm?" Kanna pursed his lips and muttered helplessly, "My luck isn't great."

The newly drawn technique was certainly not lacking in power. The reason his luck was poor lay with Kanna himself.

Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms was one of the Hyuga Clan's advanced Gentle Fist techniques. Neji was called a genius precisely because he had mastered the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms (the Hyuga Clan did not know he had also mastered Rotation, which was a secret technique of the main branch), while Hinata had remained stuck at the thirty-two palms stage for a long time before breaking through, which showed its difficulty.

This set of palms used the Byakugan to see through an enemy's meridian points, then, seizing the right timing and angle, unleashed sixty-four strikes in an instant. It could directly paralyze an enemy and sever their meridians, effectively sealing their chakra—a very powerful technique.

However, this was a technique the Hyuga Clan had prepared for themselves; it required the coordination of the Byakugan. If Kanna were to use it, it would appear quite stiff. He could only rely on experience, using his naked eye to judge the enemy's acupuncture points and guess where their chakra was concentrated. He could not compare to a true member of the Hyuga Clan.

But since he couldn't return a drawn technique, Kanna had to accept it. He immediately erased the Flying Thunder God formula and inscribed the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms in its place.

Come to think of it, the formula for the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms was more complex than the previous two, though it was not difficult for an average person to understand. Following the directions of the Eight Trigrams, the technique consisted of one general outline, eight fixed forms, and each fixed form could be varied in eight ways, totaling sixty-four palms. It was highly flexible and versatile, a technique that required wisdom and intuition.

He divided the Highland into eight sectors, inscribed each of the eight fixed forms one by one, and then, as the formula faded, a character for "Trigram" emerged.

Afterward, Kanna pushed the furniture aside to clear a three-meter radius of space and began to practice.

Starting stance: legs spread, waist lowered, chest neither protruding nor sunken, hands held high and low with palms flat.

Kanna focused slightly, shifting his center of gravity to his heels. Straighten the waist! Inhale into the chest! Extend the back! Hah! His right palm struck out, fingers naturally curling, leaving only the index finger pointing into the air.

According to the fixed form of the technique, this strike was meant to hit the enemy's carotid artery and throat bone.

He flipped his right palm into a tower-supporting stance, fingers hooked, clawing upward and digging downward, while his left hand reached out like a spirit snake emerging from its hole, feigning a strike.

Break the enemy's neck! Claw through the enemy's throat! Simultaneously, strike the enemy's heart's death point!

Stepping and turning, he stood on his left big toe, sweeping horizontally like a palm blade, then pulled his right hand to his waist and thrust it upward.

Disrupt the enemy's center of gravity, strike their kidneys, internal organs, tailbone, and spine!

As he practiced move after move, Kanna felt increasingly alarmed. From the original story, the Gentle Fist appeared to be merely a technique for striking acupuncture points, but in reality, it contained various methods of killing. The palm strikes covered every vital point on the enemy's body—striking the eyes from above, attacking the groin from below, and hitting the kidneys in the middle. It was vicious beyond measure.

"So, striking acupuncture points is just one of the variations?" Kanna stopped after finishing the entire set and began to reflect.

"If that's the case, then I was wrong before. Even without the acupuncture strikes, this set of palms is a top-tier taijutsu in the ninja world. Well, I suppose it's a fair trade."

Whoosh-pop! A series of explosions erupted outside the window, followed by a rustling sound. Kanna's face lit up, and he pushed the window open to lean out.

Outside the apartment building, the world was bright with lights. Fireworks bloomed in the sky, lingering at high altitudes to form shapes like flowers, kunai, and hand seals. Red lanterns hung everywhere on the ground, and pedestrians in brand-new, vibrant clothes were exchanging congratulations.

"Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!"

The noisy sounds reached Kanna's ears. He smiled slightly and whispered to the bright moon in the sky, "Happy New Year."