The Hyuga Brothers

After two more months of training, Riyue felt that he had probably reached the level of a Genin. However, he had never compared himself to anyone, so he needed to find someone to test himself against.

"When Sister Mizuki gets back, I'll start the next stage of training," Riyue said to himself as he walked into the kitchen. He searched for a while but couldn't find anything to eat.

"Huh? We're out of instant noodles, too?" Riyue glanced at the empty cupboard and refrigerator, then looked up at the calendar.

"Maybe I should go collect this month's living expenses while I'm out. It's not right to keep having someone bring them to me." Riyue tidied up and left the house, heading down the street toward the Hokage's office building.

"Here's your living allowance for this month, kid." The staff member handed Riyue an envelope full of money.

"Thank you. I'll be going now." Riyue tucked the envelope away, smiled at the staff member, then turned and walked out.

A civilian nearby watched Riyue leave and shook his head. "Poor kid. He's so young, and already has to collect survivor's benefits. He must be all alone now, right? Damn this war..."

"Is that the Hyuga Branch Family's Cursed Seal on his forehead? He's so young, and they've already branded him with that ugly mark. He'll have to bear it for the rest of his life." The people around them looked at Riyue sympathetically.

Riyue had heard them, of course. He smiled wryly and thought, As expected, these are my father's survivor's benefits. If the old Riyue knew his father had died, he'd be devastated. As for the Caged Bird Seal, I'll just think of it as an ugly green tattoo on my forehead. I'm a modern person; I've seen all kinds of things, like those nonconformist and flamboyant styles. They're way more visually shocking than this seal.

"I might as well buy something to eat while I'm out." Riyue headed toward the market...

Half an hour later, Riyue was walking home with several large bags in one hand and a skewer of dango in the other, chewing away. He looked thoroughly satisfied as he exclaimed, "Mm! These dango taste pretty good. No wonder Anko and Itachi like them."

Riyue swallowed the last of the dango and said as he chewed, "Still, Kung Pao chicken and fish-fragrant eggplant are more to my taste. Oh, heavens, why not let me transmigrate into Cooking Master Boy for once?" Heaven, of course, ignored Riyue's bizarre request yet again.

Just then, a voice came from behind him.

"Well, well! Who do we have here? It's that useless Hyuga Riyue."

Several people rushed forward and blocked Riyue's way, surrounding him with ill intent. Riyue furrowed his brow. His good mood was gone in an instant.

"Haven't we taught this loser enough of a lesson? He still dares to walk around in public!"

"Exactly! When he sees us, he should tuck his tail between his legs and run!"

"My hands have been itching for a fight lately!"

"Hahahaha..."

Hyuga Nisshin stood in front of Riyue with a few lackeys, mocking him relentlessly. Twelve-year-old Nisshin was more than a head taller than four-year-old Riyue. Riyue glanced at him calmly. Nisshin was skinny, with a long, narrow face and a sly, malicious grin. Even Zhao Ming, the man who had transmigrated into Riyue, found people like him utterly repulsive. The memories of fear and resentment that belonged to the old Riyue made him uncomfortable; it was as if he himself hated the man standing before him. But the Riyue of today wasn't afraid anymore.

Nisshin really is a small-time nobody. He'll never amount to anything. Sigh, am I supposed to be like Naruto? With a face so unbelievably taunting that I get picked on every time I go out? Riyue thought, utterly speechless.

"I heard you were lying down for over a month, Riyue. Did you turn into an idiot from lying there so long? Didn't I tell you last time that you weren't allowed to walk around in the streets anymore? Have you got such a short memory, you moron?" Nisshin looked at Riyue with disgust and continued provoking him.

"Nisshin, if you don't have anything else to do, could you let me pass?" Riyue looked at him expressionlessly, ignoring his taunts and showing not the slightest fear.

"Sure!" Nisshin's lips curled up slightly. He raised a leg and planted his foot on a wooden crate nearby, then pointed between his legs. "As long as you crawl through here! And remember, from now on, you're only allowed to crawl in the streets!"

"Get under there! Crawl, crawl!" one of the lackeys jeered.

Crawl through your sister! Is this some 'humiliation beneath Han Xin's legs' routine? I'm not learning from Han Xin. Riyue cursed inwardly, then turned and walked away without another word.

"Hey, you! Stop right there! Don't run!" Several lackeys rushed toward him. Riyue simply looked at them, calm and unruffled, as if they were insignificant. Nisshin was infuriated by the look in his eyes.

"Beat him up! Don't stop until he begs for mercy!" Nisshin punched Riyue hard in the face. Riyue clutched his bags and fell to the ground as the others swarmed him, kicking and punching him.

Sigh, I have to be patient if I want to achieve anything. I'll treat this as practice for basic chakra defense. I'll get them back someday! Riyue suppressed the urge to fight back.

He remembered how, during the Chunin Ninja Exams, Rock Lee and Tenten had been stopped at the classroom entrance and beaten by Chunin disguised as examinees. Rock Lee and Tenten had looked battered, but they hadn't actually been injured. The technique involved gathering chakra over the surface of the body to defend against an opponent's blows. It was a little like the protective qi in martial arts stories. It couldn't stop sharp weapons like Kunai, but it worked well against punches, kicks, and blunt weapons. Riyue did the same, using chakra to shield the parts of his body being hit. He looked dusty all over, but hadn't even scraped his skin.

"Looks like Nisshin's still a rookie. Is that all the Main Family can do? A twelve-year-old with that little strength? Big Brother Hiashi, your rival for the clan head position is pathetic." Riyue felt the force of Nisshin's blows while enduring the group's beating.

Seeing that Riyue still hadn't made a sound, Nisshin grew even angrier.

"Trash! Looks like you still haven't learned your lesson! Let me show you the power of the Cursed Seal. A Branch Family dog ought to know his place!" Nisshin raised one hand with his index and middle fingers extended, poised to activate the Caged Bird Seal on Riyue's forehead. A cold glint flashed in Riyue's eyes. Beneath the paper bags, his right hand had quietly drawn six iron Shuriken. If Nisshin so much as moved, Riyue would take all six of them down in the next instant.

"Stop! Nisshin, what do you think you're doing?!" A voice rang out, reaching everyone at the scene. Before it had even finished, a figure darted forward and grabbed Nisshin's raised hand. At the same time, another figure rushed in. Smack! Smack! He blocked the others' kicks and punches, shielded Riyue, then helped him up and brushed the dust off his clothes.

The newcomer gave Nisshin a cold look. "Nisshin, remember that you're one of the candidates for clan head! Don't bring shame on the Main Family!"

"What incredible speed!" Riyue was startled. He quietly put away the Shuriken. Since someone had stood up for him, there was no need to reveal his strength. He took a closer look at the two of them. They looked familiar: a pair of twins, around fifteen or sixteen, both rather handsome, wearing Forehead Protectors and long black hair. They wore matching white robes, and their pale eyes were fixed coldly on Nisshin.

"Neji? No, that's not right..." Riyue immediately realized who they were, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his face.

"Hyuga Hiashi, Hyuga Hizashi, what are you two doing here?" Hyuga Nisshin was furious that they had suddenly intervened, but he was wary of them too and didn't dare act rashly.

The ones who had stopped Nisshin were the brothers Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hizashi. They were twins and looked almost exactly alike.

"Nisshin! Riyue is our younger brother. As a member of the Hyuga Main Family, how can you bully your own clan member?" Hizashi said indignantly.

"Hmph. This Branch Family brat disrespected me. Doesn't he deserve to be punished?"

"Riyue is only four years old, and you're twelve. How could he bully you?! Even if he disrespected you, couldn't you show a little restraint? Nisshin! You know perfectly well what you were about to do to Riyue. The disputes between the previous generation belong to the previous generation. Don't use such despicable methods on your own four-year-old little brother!" Hiashi said sternly, anger in his eyes.

"Hmph! Hyuga Hiashi, stop lecturing me like some big brother. You're not clan head yet! Let's go!" Nisshin shook Hiashi's hand off and left with his lackeys.

As Hyuga Nisshin walked away, he clenched his fists and thought bitterly, Damn it! Once I become head of the Hyuga Clan, I'll be the only one in the Main Family. I'll brand both of you brothers with the Caged Bird Seal. Hmph! Just you wait!

After Nisshin left, Hiashi and Hizashi turned to look at Riyue, and Riyue studied them in turn. Hizashi gently patted Riyue's head and asked with concern, "Are you all right, Riyue?"

Is this Neji's father? He really is peaceful and values family. And this one is Hinata's father? He looks so stern and rigid. Hinata must have a hard time with him. Riyue sighed inwardly. Though the two were twins, their temperaments were different. Hiashi was stern, wore a serious expression, and rarely smiled, while Hizashi was gentler and wore a warm smile.

Hizashi and Hiashi studied Riyue too. They thought their little brother was rather strange: he wasn't crying or making a fuss, just looking at them very calmly. Had he been so frightened that he'd gone quiet? Riyue had no idea what they were thinking and continued secretly sizing them up.

After a while, Riyue shook his head and replied, "I'm fine. Thank you, Big Brother Hiashi, Big Brother Hizashi."

Hizashi nodded and carefully checked Riyue for injuries. He was indeed fine, with only a few scrapes. The dust on him made it hard to tell if he had any internal injuries. Smiling, Hizashi said, "Riyue, sorry about this. The Main Family will make sure Nisshin is properly disciplined. We'll walk you home."

"Mm!" Riyue nodded, thinking, Discipline him? They'll probably just give him a token punishment. All the resentment that idiot Nisshin feels will still end up being taken out on me. Sigh, is this what it feels like to be treated like an ant? Do people care about an ant's suffering? They don't think they've done anything wrong. The only one at fault is the ant.

Still, it's not certain who the ant is in the end! An ant might think of itself as a person, but people don't care what an ant thinks. I'll get it all back someday! An eye for an eye, double the payback! Riyue tightened his grip on the paper bags. Thankfully, the beating hadn't damaged anything he'd bought.

After walking Riyue home, Hiashi and Hizashi prepared to say goodbye. Hizashi took out a small box of ointment and gave it to Riyue. Smiling, he said, "This is a medicine for bruises and sprains. It works really well. Keep it safe, Riyue."

"Mm. Thank you, Big Brother Hizashi." Riyue nodded, thinking, The Hyuga Clan's medicine is incredibly effective. Hinata gave some to Naruto before. Maybe I should see if I can get a little more to keep? Then Riyue looked up at Hiashi with pleading eyes. Hiashi felt a little unnerved by Riyue's unblinking stare.

"Big Brother Hiashi, could you give me some medicine for bruises?" Riyue asked timidly.

"Huh?" Hiashi looked confused.

"I'm worried one box won't be enough for later." Riyue smiled sheepishly, shamelessly making his request. Hiashi and Hizashi felt a pang in their hearts.

This child was beaten, yet he can still face it so calmly. He wasn't the one at fault, but he still responds to such cruelty with a smile? Hiashi couldn't help sighing. A smile in the face of sorrow was truly the most moving thing.

Of course, that wasn't what Riyue was thinking. He just wanted to scrounge up as much medicine as he could. It was an unexpected perk of getting beaten up, and that was why he was grinning. If the two brothers knew what Riyue was thinking, they'd have been so annoyed they would have asked him to give the medicine back.

Hiashi nodded, took out a large box of ointment, and handed it to Riyue. Inside were four small boxes. Riyue accepted it with a smile, his heart bursting with joy. This medicine should last me a year or two. Hahaha!