Couldn't Stand by and Watch

With a puzzled look, Shen Ye walked toward the source of the noise and found a spacious clearing behind the Hyuga Clan compound.

Hyuga Yuexing was training with another member of the Hyuga Clan, and it seemed she was having trouble keeping up.

Shen Ye decided to lean against a nearby tree and watch for a while, so he could get a better idea of Yue Xing's strength.

But before long, he noticed something strange. Yue Xing's opponent wasn't holding back at all; every strike could inflict a fatal injury.

"Hey! Don't you know how to be gentle with a girl?"

The two were interrupted by Shen Ye's sudden shout, and they both turned to look at him.

When Yue Xing realized it was Shen Ye, a smile appeared on her face. She seemed to want to get up and run over, but hesitated and stayed where she was.

"I heard you two training over here early this morning, so I thought I'd sneak a look."

"After I was kidnapped and brought shame on my family, I decided I had to train hard and become stronger."

"Damn it, even if you want to get stronger, you don't have to wreck your body like this."

"Where did you come from? How dare you interfere in the affairs of the Hyuga Clan?"

Shen Ye rolled his eyes at the guy, took Yue Xing by the arm, and led her to a shady spot, intending to let her rest before she continued training.

That only enraged the guy even more. He leaped in front of them and spread his arms, blocking their way.

Shen Ye sighed deeply. From their expressions and the brief exchange between them, he already understood what was going on.

The somewhat stronger guy was a member of the Hyuga Clan's Branch House. From birth, he was destined to be treated as inferior, forever protecting the Main House.

Though Hyuga Yuexing wasn't very strong, she had been born into the Main House, which set her apart from the start.

That was why the Branch House members had reacted so strongly after what had happened. To them, it was even worse than suffering a personal defeat.

Deep down, the Branch House members might have resented it a thousand times over, but they still had to follow the family's rules. They cared even more about the clan's honor than the Main House did.

All of that had built up until the Branch House member couldn't help but use excessive force while training Yue Xing. By now, she was covered in bruises.

"I don't want to meddle in your clan's affairs, but I won't let you keep bullying Yue Xing."

Shen Ye brushed the guy's hand aside, then led Yue Xing to a small chair in the shade.

"How are you feeling? Are your injuries bad?"

Yue Xing shook her head. There was still a faint eagerness to train in her eyes. It seemed being kidnapped had left a deep shadow in her heart.

"Hey, Little Byakugan. You're from the Branch House, aren't you?"

"What did you say? Who are you calling Little Byakugan?"

"Who else here has a Byakugan besides you and Yue Xing? Did you think I was calling Yue Xing that?"

The Branch House guy's mouth twitched. He'd never imagined Shen Ye would call him that.

"Fine, fine. You've really made me angry now. Looks like I'll have to teach you a proper lesson."

Little Byakugan clenched his fists, but as a member of the Hyuga Clan, he kept his anger in check.

"The village doesn't allow people to fight whenever they want, but I can give you a chance."

Little Byakugan immediately perked up. Getting a chance to beat this guy to a pulp sounded great. It was just what he needed to vent the anger he'd been bottling up.

"Let's hear it."

"I'll make a bet with you. If I win, Yue Xing gets to rest here for a while. If I lose, you can do whatever you want with me."

"Deal!"

Little Byakugan agreed without hesitation. He couldn't even imagine losing.

Yue Xing stared at Shen Ye, wide-eyed. She knew how strong they both were, and judging by Shen Ye's performance the other day, he had no chance of beating Little Byakugan.

She tried several times to get up and stop Shen Ye, but each time his gaze held her back.

For some reason, the moment their eyes met, an inexplicable sense of safety washed over her.

Shen Ye gestured for him to go first, full of gentlemanly grace.

Little Byakugan didn't hold back. He strode to the middle of the clearing and raised his hands into a ready stance, prepared to attack at any moment.

"Byakugan, activate!"

"Hurry up and attack. I don't want to waste time on trash like you. Today, I'll show you why they call us the Branch House!"

Shen Ye planted his feet slightly apart and stared expressionlessly at Little Byakugan.

At the moment, the only attack technique he had mastered was Strength of a Hundred. But against a member of the Byakugan clan, he had no advantage at all; Little Byakugan could easily dodge his attacks.

So the only way to win now was to gather chakra and enter Sage Mode.

Little Byakugan, already furious beyond control, charged at Shen Ye, immense power gathered in his fist.

The Hyuga Clan was best known for the Byakugan, whose abilities all served to enhance taijutsu. Little Byakugan's strength couldn't be underestimated.

Shen Ye curled his lips and threw a fierce punch. Hidden in his fist was Strength of a Hundred.

Little Byakugan immediately noticed how unusual Shen Ye's punch was, but as a member of the Hyuga Clan, he wouldn't stoop to dodging by exploiting a loophole.

Their fists collided, sending ripples through the air.

Yue Xing sat to one side, unable to look away for even a moment. She watched their fists clash intently.

"Who are you? How can you have so much strength? I've only ever seen one person in the whole village use it."

"You mean Big Sister Tsunade? I'm staying at her house right now."

Shen Ye shook his fist. Their brief exchange hadn't revealed much to an onlooker, but both of them knew the outcome.

"I lost. Training is over for today."

Little Byakugan turned toward the compound, his expression dim. The fight seemed to have hit him hard.

Shen Ye leaped to Yue Xing's side, gathered chakra in his palm, and gently massaged the injured spots on her body.

Yue Xing's gaze was a little unfocused. Even though Shen Ye had rescued her before, deep down she still thought of him as the pervert who'd peeked at girls bathing.

She'd never imagined he could be so gentle and considerate. It completely overturned her impression of him.