Nichigetsu didn't care what the higher-ups thought. He was too busy celebrating having broken Kakashi's record of becoming a Chunin at six. After all, Hyuga ninjas had an overwhelming advantage while they were Genin and Chunin. How could lower-ranked ninjas who didn't know high-level jutsu withstand a storm of Gentle Fist attacks? Rotation alone could leave a whole crowd stunned. Even Naruto had needed to activate his "Nine-Tails Chakra cheat" to beat Neji.
Nichigetsu called over Kushina and his Ino-Shika-Cho friends to celebrate. Everyone already knew he'd become a Chunin, so they all gathered at his house for a meal.
Nichigetsu hosted an outdoor teppanyaki barbecue in the little courtyard of his home. Wisps of smoke curled around the iron griddle, oil sizzled, and the savory aroma of meat filled the air. With practiced movements, he used a spatula to toss slices of meat, eggs, squid, and fresh vegetables across the griddle. Three Shadow Clones helped out: one chopped vegetables, another marinated and seasoned the ingredients, and the third stir-fried them.
Choza, who loved barbecue, was delighted at the sight of the teppanyaki and eagerly dug in, eating until his mouth was greasy. He nodded as he ate, remarking that teppanyaki and charcoal-grilled barbecue each had their own distinct flavor. He'd have to eat more of it from now on. He was already asking Nichigetsu when he could have teppanyaki again, barely moments after taking his first bite. Shikaku and Inoichi enjoyed the meal, too. Nichigetsu was glad teppanyaki was such a hit, though it was a shame he hadn't seen Japanese-style teppanyaki anywhere in the shinobi world.
The steak made on the griddle was a hit with Inuzuka Tsume and her puppy, Kuromaru, too. Nichigetsu had considered frying up a couple of grasshoppers, but when he looked up and saw the melancholy in Aburame Shibi's eyes, which even his sunglasses couldn't hide, he decided against it.
Kushina was happy that her good friend Nichigetsu had become a Chunin so quickly. She was the liveliest person at the table, teasing him while she ate. At the same time, she quietly resolved to work even harder herself.
Just then, Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi arrived and joined everyone in conversation. Nichigetsu left his Shadow Clones to keep cooking and went over to eat with the others. He drank juice and enjoyed the tender, juicy barbecue with his friends.
Hiashi slowly came over and said to Nichigetsu, "Nichigetsu, Grandfather asked me to tell you that if you want to learn the Gentle Fist, he'll teach you personally. You can also train in the Main Family's secret techniques. Grandfather has decided to teach you everything he knows. The clan will focus on training you. From now on, you can train with my brother and me."
Nichigetsu smiled. "Thank you, Clan Head. I'll take him up on that. But first, I have to go to the front lines and study under Lady Tsunade. After all, I made a promise to Lord Hokage."
Hiashi was a little disappointed, but he nodded in acceptance. Nichigetsu was already one of the Sannin's disciples, after all. Still, Nichigetsu was a member of the Hyuga Clan, and that would never change.
Hiashi took out a scroll and handed it to Nichigetsu. "This contains some insights and experience with the Gentle Fist. The Clan Head asked me to give it to you. I hope it helps."
Nichigetsu took it and put it away. "Thank you, Big Brother Hiashi."
Hizashi thought, That scroll contains generations of our clan's hard-earned knowledge. It's been passed down through the Main Family for generations. I hope Nichigetsu won't show it to anyone else without the Main Family's permission, and won't share the secret techniques inside. These techniques were never supposed to be taught to members of the Branch Family. Nichigetsu, you have to work hard and live up to Father's expectations.
Hizashi patted Nichigetsu on the shoulder and fired off a string of questions. "Nichigetsu, how did you train your Gentle Fist? Is there a special trick to it? Doesn't Gentle Fist normally just seal the opponent's chakra points? Why do your strikes have such unusual effects? And you hit such unusual points, too. Also, how could you badly injure Hyuga Hiroshi without using chakra? Can you damage an opponent's chakra points just with the force of your fingers? Oh, and you seem able to see your opponent's moves before they happen. How do you do that?" Hiashi leaned in and listened intently, just as eager to learn Nichigetsu's secrets.
Nichigetsu smiled knowingly. Faced with Hizashi's rapid-fire questions, he leaned close to Hizashi's ear and replied in a mysterious whisper, "Big Brother Hizashi, I invented my own style of Gentle Fist. I've added a lot of special ideas to it. The trick is... a secret!"
The two Hyuga brothers froze. Nichigetsu laughed and got up to join the others for some juice. As he left, he added, "Some of my ideas are still a work in progress. The techniques aren't mature enough to teach to everyone yet. I don't want us all going down the wrong path. I'll tell you about them later, Big Brother Hizashi!"
Hizashi smiled helplessly, and Hiashi shook his head. Still, they knew that if Nichigetsu said he'd tell them, he would.
That evening, Nichigetsu opened the scroll and looked through it. It didn't just record the various ways to use the Gentle Fist, along with a wealth of insights and practical experience. It also contained... "Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm? Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin? Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms?" Nichigetsu cried out in surprise.
"It looks like these are secret techniques the Main Family keeps to itself." Nichigetsu nodded. The contents would be very useful to him.
"My biggest weakness is my lack of long-range attacks. I'll start by practicing Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm. So it gathers chakra in the palm and releases it as a shock wave..." Nichigetsu immediately began training. The Hyuga Clan's secret techniques were rare treasures.
"I won't bring shame to the Hyuga Clan."
News always spread quickly. Nichigetsu's performance in the Chunin exam had made him famous. Almost every ninja in Konoha knew within a day that a five-year-old boy from the Hyuga Clan named Hyuga Nichigetsu had become a Chunin—the youngest in history.
Everyone was asking around about Nichigetsu. Quite a few people had heard some of the details: for instance, that Hyuga Nichigetsu had badly injured an Elite Chunin with a technique he'd invented himself, and that the Chunin probably wouldn't be able to work as a ninja again. They'd also heard that Hyuga Nichigetsu had graduated from the Academy and become a Genin just a few months ago, and that Lady Tsunade had taken him on as her student. And, of course, that Hyuga Nichigetsu liked barbecue—the BBQ Q restaurant had even gotten a little boost in business because of him.
Everyone in Konoha was talking about the news.
"I heard Lady Tsunade, one of the Sannin, took Nichigetsu on as her student because she recognized his strength."
"Of course. A five-year-old Chunin—that's a genius among geniuses."
"The Hyuga Clan has finally gotten one over on the Uchiha. The Uchiha Clan has never produced a genius like that."
"Hyuga Clan members are walking around with their heads held high whenever they run into the Uchiha now."
"The Hyuga Clan is going to focus on training Nichigetsu, right?"
"Definitely. But first, Nichigetsu has to meet Lady Tsunade."
"We should all train harder, too. The young are coming on strong."
"That's right. In ten years, Konoha will probably have another great figure like the Sannin."
Nichigetsu didn't care what people said about him. He was walking down the street, hoping to buy himself a new outfit. He'd already received his certificate for passing the Chunin exam, and his records had been updated to list him as a Chunin. He'd also been issued a green Chunin flak jacket, and he'd taken another photo under the photographer's uncertain gaze. This time, he wore the jacket and held his certificate in a full-body photo to commemorate becoming a Chunin.
What annoyed Nichigetsu was that even the smallest jacket was too big for a five-year-old. Wearing one that was a whole size too large, he looked as if he were carrying a giant tortoise shell on his back. It left him speechless. In the end, he had no choice but to use the Transformation Technique to make himself a Chunin vest for the photo. The staff at the Hokage's office said they'd have a smaller jacket specially made for him, but it would take half a month.
Nichigetsu went into a clothing shop in Konoha. The owner was friendly and treated him warmly, even though he was just a child. Since Nichigetsu was still growing, he didn't buy many clothes. He got a black, long-sleeved, stand-collar jacket with a flame-shaped Hyuga Clan crest sewn onto the back, a pair of white pants, a pair of ninja pants, several tight-fitting training outfits, a few T-shirts, and some other clothes.
It had to be said, custom-made clothes really were good quality. Nichigetsu zipped up the black jacket. It fit him snugly, and paired with the white pants, it gave him a simple, polished, and handsome look. It looked good with the white ninja shorts, too. He wrapped bandages around his legs to prevent injuries while training.
Nichigetsu also asked the owner to make him a few sets of Hanfu. Hanfu was similar to kimono, which had descended from it, so the owner quickly understood the style. He agreed to make three outfits for Nichigetsu and even wanted to make a few more for other people to try.
Nichigetsu walked down the street in his new clothes, a Forehead Protector on his head. He had no intention of wearing the oversized green flak jacket. It made him look like a green turtle carrying an enormous shell on its back. Plenty of people on the street watched him, the five-year-old Chunin kid. Some were envious, some jealous, some admiring, while others thought he was nothing special. The Uchiha members of the Konoha Military Police Force looked at him with obvious irritation, as if he owed their family money.
"Ah, the 'Uchiha, number one in the universe,'" Nichigetsu scoffed. He ignored their stares and kept walking.
"I haven't had dumplings in ages. I should go get some."
"Boss, ten dumplings!" Nichigetsu called to the owner.
"Coming right up!" The owner glanced at Nichigetsu, paused, then asked, "Kid, are you Hyuga Nichigetsu?"
Nichigetsu nodded. "That's me."
The owner eagerly asked, "Are you the five-year-old Chunin, Lady Tsunade's student?"
"Uh... sort of." Nichigetsu scratched his head. How had word gotten around so quickly?
"Here you go, ten dumplings. I'll give you twenty percent off," the owner said with a smile.
"Thanks. Here's the money."
"Keep it up! Become a powerful ninja!" the owner called, raising a hand.
Nichigetsu sat down to eat while the people nearby watched him and whispered.
"That kid is the youngest Chunin."
"Oh? He looks so little. What a handsome boy."
"Don't underestimate him. He's a formidable kid, and Lady Tsunade's student."
At that moment, Nichigetsu finally understood how Naruto and Sasuke felt. One thing about the people in the Naruto world was that they were incredibly nosy and gossipy. They could stare at you all they wanted, but they also loved talking about you behind your back—and they did it loudly enough for you to hear.
"That kid's a monster. He's the Nine-Tails that attacked the village in disguise." "That's the Uchiha Clan's genius. He's so handsome." "Wow, that's the Uchiha Clan's orphan. Poor thing—his brother wiped out the whole clan." "Look, is that Naruto, the hero who defeated Pain? He's amazing!" "Wow! Look! It's Naruto, the senior who saved the Shinobi World! I'm going to get his autograph and take a picture with him!"...
Once you became famous, some of the ordinary people in the Naruto world would always watch you curiously and talk about you, buzzing around you like flies. They didn't care how you felt. They even made sure you could hear them, and couldn't keep their gossip truly private. It was a lot like the nosy old ladies and paparazzi from his previous life.
"Ugh." Nichigetsu sighed and thought, I guess being famous isn't always a good thing. Keep a low profile as a person; make a big impression with your work. Keep a low profile as a person; make a big impression with your work...
Before you continue