Gentle Fist Chakra

Hyuuga Nen walked over to the black panther, sat down opposite it, and said, "I've known you for so long, yet I don't even know your name."

"Kuromaru. That is my name," the black panther replied.

"Nice to meet you, Kuromaru. I am Hyuuga Nen. I look forward to working with you."

After saying this, Hyuuga Nen extended his hand. Upon hearing his words, Kuromaru reached out a paw, and it rested gently against Hyuuga Nen's hand.

"I do have many questions I want to ask you," Hyuuga Nen said, deep in thought. "First, what was my father's purpose in arranging for me to stay outside of Konoha?"

"That? It was merely the impulsive act of a prisoner seeking freedom. He didn't think it through when he did it, which brought risks to him, as well as to you and your mother."

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Hyuuga Nen detected a hint of reproach in Kuromaru's tone.

"Then, what kind of person is my father?" Hyuuga Nen asked, carefully weighing his words.

"Your father is a cautious man, yet also a very hypocritical one," Kuromaru said with a tone of pity mixed with mockery.

From Kuromaru's assessment of his father, Hyuuga Nen realized that the relationship between the two was not what he had imagined. He asked, "Can you tell me about your history with my father?"

"I originally lived in a grassland in the Land of Fire. By chance, Taro and I mastered the power of chakra. Later, we met your father and signed a summoning contract. That was over a dozen years ago. However, my relationship with your father is one of an equal contract, so as you can see, my attitude toward him is not particularly respectful."

Kuromaru seemed to anticipate what Hyuuga Nen would ask next and answered accordingly.

"I see. Now, do you have any understanding of the Hyuga Clan?" Hyuuga Nen continued.

"I know quite a bit about the Hyuga Clan. After all, I've spent over a dozen years with your father. I know almost all of his secrets."

Having said this, Kuromaru curled the corner of its mouth slightly.

"Returning to the Hyuga Clan, they possess a bloodline limit known as the Byakugan. Like the Uchiha Clan, they are a family with a special ocular bloodline limit. These two clans are known as the strongest in Konoha."

Next, Hyuuga Nen asked Kuromaru several questions regarding the Caged Bird seal, the Byakugan, and the system of the Main and Branch Houses. Kuromaru's answers were largely consistent with the information in the scroll his father had given him.

Just as Hyuuga Nen was pondering what else to ask, he heard Kuromaru say, "Hold out your hand and condense your chakra."

Without overthinking it, Hyuuga Nen extended his hand toward Kuromaru. The panther reached out a paw and placed it on Hyuuga Nen's wrist.

After a moment, Kuromaru lowered its paw and stared intently at Hyuuga Nen. "Your chakra is even more unique than that of the average member of the Hyuga Clan."

"Hyuuga Clan chakra? What does that mean?" Hyuuga Nen asked, looking at Kuromaru with a puzzled expression.

"When you use elemental ninjutsu, have you ever felt that something was off?" Kuromaru asked, stroking its whiskers.

Hyuuga Nen thought for a moment. "Something off... yes, actually. The elemental ninjutsu I release seems to have more power than what is recorded in the scrolls, but the release speed is a bit slower."

"Anything else?"

"If I try to increase the speed of my ninjutsu, my meridians feel uncomfortable. It seems like they are under greater pressure when I release techniques."

"That is indeed correct. This is the unique aspect of the Hyuga Clan's chakra. I call this 'Gentle Fist chakra.' Every member of the Hyuga Clan possesses it."

"Compared to the chakra of ordinary people, this type of chakra has more destructive power. No, that's not quite accurate—it's more that both its positive and negative effects are more potent."

"When the Hyuga Clan uses elemental ninjutsu, it is indeed more destructive, but it also places greater stress on their meridians. They are forced to slow down their release speed; otherwise, their meridians would suffer severe damage, leaving them crippled. Of course, the impact on non-elemental ninjutsu is much smaller."

Hearing this, Hyuuga Nen was startled. "Have I been affected?"

"If your meridians don't feel uncomfortable, then you haven't been affected. If it's only a minor injury, it can recover with rest, so there's no need to worry too much."

Hearing this, Hyuuga Nen finally felt at ease. Then, Kuromaru's voice sounded in his ears once more.

"Because of this situation, the Hyuga Clan rarely uses elemental ninjutsu in battle. They developed a style of taijutsu to replace it: the Gentle Fist. When combined with the Byakugan, the Gentle Fist can unleash tremendous power. This combination of ocular jutsu and taijutsu is what defines the Hyuga Clan today."

"Gentle Fist... so that's how it came to be," Hyuuga Nen muttered to himself.

"I have told you most of what I know about the Hyuga Clan, the Gentle Fist, and the Byakugan. Do you have any other questions?"

"I read the scroll my father gave me this morning. It records both the Gentle Fist and the Strong Fist, and their techniques are clearly different. Why was the Gentle Fist designed this way?" Hyuuga Nen continued.

Upon hearing the question, Kuromaru paused, then smiled and nodded. "You are very sharp. I didn't expect you to have such thoughts on your very first day learning about the Gentle Fist. It seems the Hyuga Clan has produced another genius."

Hyuuga Nen felt a bit embarrassed by the praise, but since he couldn't explain himself, he could only scratch his head awkwardly.

"There are two main reasons why the Gentle Fist is the way it is."

As it spoke, Kuromaru extended a sharp claw and lightly scratched the ground. Then, it retracted its claw and slid its forepaw across the earth, leaving two marks of varying depths.

"The first reason is intensity. The smaller the contact surface, the greater the intensity. This allows the Gentle Fist chakra to be better driven into the enemy's body, damaging their internal organs and meridians. That is why the Gentle Fist contains many thrusting motions."

"The second reason is that Gentle Fist chakra affects even the members of the Hyuga Clan themselves. Even though they have a much higher resistance to this chakra than ordinary people, they cannot be completely immune to its negative effects. Therefore, compared to the Strong Fist, the speed, force, and range of the Gentle Fist are somewhat smaller. As a result, the Gentle Fist prioritizes stealth and precision, making it look a bit more elaborate than the Strong Fist."

"These two reasons account for the difference between the Gentle Fist and the Strong Fist. In truth, the Hyuga Clan's development of the Gentle Fist was a choice born of necessity. The Gentle Fist made the Hyuga Clan what it is, but it also limits them. One could say it has both advantages and disadvantages."

Hyuuga Nen was shocked—partly by the secrets of the Gentle Fist, and partly by how much Kuromaru knew about it.

Seeing the look of surprise on Hyuuga Nen's face, Kuromaru pursed its lips and said, "These aren't actually my own thoughts; your father told them to me. After all, I don't practice the Gentle Fist."

"I never imagined my father had such a deep understanding of the Gentle Fist."

"Your father is now one of the strongest members of the Hyuga Clan. His understanding of the Gentle Fist has reached its peak. Even so, he still cannot escape the limitations of the style."

"However, you are different from the others in the Hyuga Clan. Your Gentle Fist chakra is more powerful than theirs. You might walk a path different from theirs, or you might collapse even faster."

"You must pay closer attention to how your Gentle Fist chakra affects you. Whether you are using the Gentle Fist or ninjutsu, you must be extremely careful."

Hearing Kuromaru's earnest warning, Hyuuga Nen nodded heavily.