Byakugan

Tsunade had given him a silver iron breastplate that protected his chest and back. Straps connected it at the shoulders and on both sides of the waist, allowing the wearer to adjust it to fit their build. Hyuga Shinichi followed Tsunade's instructions and put it on.

"Hahahaha, Shinichi, you look ridiculous!"

"You should wait until you've grown taller to wear that. Right now, you look like a potato! Hahaha!"

Shinichi wasn't tall enough yet, so he looked like a Wall-nut from Plants vs. Zombies. Nawaki and Gai laughed so hard they rolled around on the ground clutching their stomachs. They didn't quiet down until Tsunade punched each of them on the head.

"Thank you, Tsunade-sis. I really like this breastplate. I'm still growing, so I'll be able to wear it properly before long."

"Shinichi's such a well-behaved little brother. You two should learn from him."

The two who'd been punched nodded repeatedly in agreement. Aburame Tomohiro saw the bumps on their heads and thought, Good thing I don't talk much. I only laughed a little. Otherwise, I'd have gotten punched too.

Uzumaki Mito also took a gift for Shinichi from her sleeve: a hairpin made of jade.

"I've noticed you always wear your long hair up, so I got you a hairpin."

Shinichi hurriedly accepted it and said, "Grandma Mito, this is too valuable. I..."

Before he could finish, Uzumaki Mito raised a hand to stop him.

"I have plenty of hairpins like this. If you don't like this one, I'll find you an even better one."

Shinichi accepted it right away, thanking everyone again and again for their gifts and promising to take good care of them.

Of all the meals he'd ever eaten in his two lives, this birthday feast tasted the best.

After the feast, they tidied up and sat down again to chat about what had been happening in their lives. Tsunade's stories from her missions became the most entertaining topic of conversation.

As the sun began to set, Shinichi said goodbye to Nawaki's family. At the crossroads, he exchanged farewells with Inuzuka Gai and Aburame Tomohiro, then headed home.

Apart from the breastplate, which didn't fit him yet, he'd put on all the other gifts. He carried the breastplate over his shoulder as he walked home.

Thinking about how Hyuga Nimitsu had said he would bring the Chakra Metal today, Shinichi's steps grew light with excitement.

When he returned to the Hyuga Clan Compound, the guards at the entrance spotted him and came over to say that the clan head and elders were waiting for him in the meeting room.

Shinichi nodded to thank the guard, then went back to his room first. He took off all his gifts except the hairpin and put them away, then hurried to the meeting room.

"Clan Head, Elders, I'm here."

"Mm. Come in."

For some reason, when Shinichi heard "Come in," his whole body suddenly shuddered. He shook his head outside the door, straightened his clothes, then slid the door open, entered, and closed it behind him.

"Hyuga Shinichi greets the clan head and the elders."

The people in the room were the same as yesterday. They all acknowledged Shinichi's greeting with a nod.

A wooden box sat on the table in front of Hyuga Nimitsu. Shinichi figured it must contain the Chakra Metal he needed.

Sure enough, Nimitsu picked up the box with one hand and said, "Shinichi, here's the Chakra Metal you asked for. This piece should be enough to make a sturdy sword."

"Thank you, Clan Head."

Shinichi immediately went forward and accepted the box with both hands. He felt its weight in his palms and thought of how he would one day fight with a sword forged from this Chakra Metal. His anticipation for the future made the box seem heavier and heavier.

"If I remember correctly, today's your third birthday, Shinichi."

"Yes, Clan Head."

"Mm. Come in!"

Hearing "Come in" again, Shinichi's body jolted even harder than before.

A guard led several children into the room. Shinichi recognized them as members of the Branch House, all around his age.

He could already guess what was about to happen. It was also the last thing he wanted to face.

"These children have all turned three recently. They're ready to become your..."

"Enough!"

For some reason, Shinichi's good mood was suddenly set ablaze. He shouted over Nimitsu, wanting only to stop him from saying what came next.

He'd seen these children around before. They were among the most talented in the Branch House. They should have had the same right as him to pursue their dreams and live their own lives. Yet at just three years old, their futures had already been decided for them.

"Shinichi, even if you don't choose them, they'll still be members of the Branch House..."

Nimitsu's tone was flat, making it impossible to tell what he was feeling.

"This is the Hyuga Clan's rule. It's also how we ensure the clan's survival."

Of course I know it's meant to ensure the clan's survival, Shinichi thought. The Main House really had grown up safe under the Branch House's protection, from ancient times through the Warring States period and now, after Konoha's founding.

This system had kept the clan alive all this time. But did the clan really still need to sacrifice some of its members to ensure its survival?

"I don't know what you're talking about, Clan Head..."

Since the guard had led the children in, Shinichi had kept his head bowed. Now, after interrupting Nimitsu, he abruptly raised it and stared at everyone in the room, his voice cold.

"All I know is that if the clan can survive only by sacrificing some of its members to keep others alive, then calling ourselves Konoha's greatest clan is a joke. I refuse to accept a clan with such narrow-mindedness."

He turned to leave. One of the elders stood up, apparently to reprimand him.

Shinichi had just slid the door open when he sensed it. Byakugan activated on its own, and he turned to look back.

A tangible pressure erupted from his Byakugan, instantly filling the entire meeting room.

The force shattered the room's porcelain and other fragile objects, scattering fragments across the floor. Cracks began to spread through the wooden tables and everything else made of wood, even the wooden meeting room itself, threatening to collapse at any moment.

The elder who'd just stood up and the guard lost their balance and fell back onto the floor. The others felt the pressure bearing down on them, nearly forcing them to their knees.

Hyuga Hiashi, Hizashi, and the children were all pressed to the floor on their knees. Some even felt dizzy.

Shinichi could clearly sense that his Byakugan was different. It seemed that being able to activate it before he was three wasn't the only benefit of his reincarnation.

The real gift was these exceptionally pure eyes. That meant if he had Otsutsuki chakra in his body right now, perhaps he could awaken those eyes on the spot.

And Kaguya Otsutsuki was the only one who had ever used Byakugan: Pressure. Perhaps he wasn't as powerless to change the clan as he'd thought. He simply lacked the strength to determine its direction for now.

I can walk a different path, one that only I can take. As he felt the pressure from Byakugan: Pressure slowly fade, Shinichi continued, "If this is the only way the clan can survive, then I'll leave and walk my own path—the path that can change the clan. I'll grow stronger, strong enough to protect the clan, even everyone. Then we won't have to keep following this system, right?"

He was about to leave when a crowd of guards surrounded him outside the door. They had rushed over after sensing what was happening in the meeting room.

"It's all right. Everyone, disperse."

Shinichi looked back at Hyuga Nimitsu, who had spoken.

"Go. The clan was holding you back. From now on, make your own decisions."

The guards stepped aside to make a path. Without a word, Shinichi walked along it and disappeared into the pitch-black night.

Hyuga Nikku stood up and watched Shinichi's retreating figure. He felt his long-dormant heart begin to pound violently once more.