Different Chakra

Through careful observation, Nichigetsu discovered something quite peculiar. The chakra of the Hyuga Clan differed from that of other ninjas; it did not fall within the five basic elemental natures. When comparing his own chakra to Mizuki's, Nichigetsu noticed a distinct difference between the two.

Both of their chakras were basic, non-elemental types, and even under close inspection, they appeared identical. Yet, Nichigetsu had a feeling that when he looked at Mizuki's chakra, his own contained something extra. He was most familiar with his own energy; the quality was excellent and highly refined, but there was simply an additional component present.

Could it be that this extra substance in my chakra is causing impurities, leading to the massive consumption of my Byakugan? Nichigetsu pondered, focusing on the foreign element within his energy. It felt like a powerful life force, seemingly originating from his own physical energy.

Nichigetsu activated his Byakugan once more, watching his chakra flow through his meridians. As the energy surged into his eyes, this extra substance was caught by a force and intercepted. It appeared as if something green was coiled around his Byakugan, filtering his chakra; a vast amount was wasted, leaving only a small portion to power his eyes. Had Nichigetsu not been an expert in cardiovascular suturing, he never would have noticed such minute changes.

Nichigetsu was startled, his expression darkening.

Could these green things around my Byakugan be...? The Caged Bird seal?!

"Nichigetsu, Nichigetsu? What's wrong?" Seeing him dazed, Mizuki asked with concern.

"Ah, it's nothing, Mizuki-jie. I've run out of chakra. Can we practice Gentle Fist tomorrow instead?" Nichigetsu snapped back to reality; he needed time to think.

"Mm, alright, let's head back then."

Nichigetsu mused, Is my Caged Bird seal different? Why is my chakra unlike that of other Hyuga clansmen? What is this extra substance in my chakra? Is it related to my lineage? Is there any way to solve this Byakugan consumption issue?

Nichigetsu touched the green mark on his forehead. Unlike other branch family members who preferred to hide it, he had no intention of wrapping a bandage around his head; he wasn't suffering from a concussion. He wanted others to see the ugly face of the main family that branded a four-year-old child.

The Caged Bird seal was used by the Hyuga Clan to seal the Byakugan. If the eyes were stolen or the user died, the seal would automatically activate to destroy the Byakugan, ensuring that no secrets could be discovered even if the eyes were obtained. Furthermore, the caster could actively trigger the seal to destroy brain cells, serving as a means for the main family to control the branch.

My Caged Bird can actually affect the chakra consumption of my Byakugan. It seems this seal of mine is no simple matter.

Nichigetsu vaguely remembered being branded by the Hyuga elders at the age of two. He hadn't been old enough to form memories, but his body had been so deeply affected by the trauma that he retained fragmented recollections. Could the reason his Caged Bird seal was different stem from that event?

At the time, three main family elders had surrounded him. The original Nichigetsu, unaware of his tragic fate, had been looking around with curiosity. Then, the elders began pressing their fingers against his forehead, using chakra needles to carve the seal, but something had gone wrong.

"Eh? His body seems to be resisting the Caged Bird!" an elder frowned.

"How can this be? Can it not be carved?" another asked, watching the situation.

"Damn it, it keeps disappearing after being carved!"

The green marks traced onto Nichigetsu's forehead slowly faded away on their own.

"What is going on?"

"I've never seen such a situation. What should we do?"

"Come! The three of us, together! Suppress him!"

Nichigetsu only remembered having a splitting headache, and then nothing else. Sigh, the Caged Bird seal was applied in the end. It seems the power of this seal is stronger than the average one; it acts like a barrier, restricting the extra substance in my chakra, filtering out most of my energy, and suppressing my Byakugan, which leads to the massive consumption whenever I use it.

Nichigetsu recalled that Sasuke had once used the overwhelming power of his Mangekyo Sharingan—[Susanoo]—to forcibly break free from the curse seal Danzo used to bind and suppress his body. This proved that immense power could resist such seals, such as ocular power. The force opposing ocular power was physical power, just as the Sage Eyes corresponded to the Sage Body. Did his own body possess a power capable of resisting the Caged Bird?

Is my bloodline unique? While thinking, Nichigetsu arrived at his parents' room. No one had touched it since his father left, and he only came to clean it when he had time. He looked at the photos: his parents' wedding portrait, his mother's pregnancy photo, himself in swaddling clothes... of course, his mother had already passed away by then. Looking at the parents he had never met in this life, Nichigetsu felt a pang of sadness and sighed. After all, they had given him this body, and since he had become Hyuga Nichigetsu, they were his parents.

He looked at the wardrobe. Ugh, the Hyuga people really love wearing kimonos. I can't wear those; I'll have to get some Hanfu custom-made when I have the chance. Mother had so many clothes, too.

Eh? What is this... Nichigetsu discovered a mark on the cuff of his mother's garment. He naturally recognized it, and it wasn't strange for it to appear here. However, when he connected this mark to his current situation, he realized the problem. This mark was as famous as the Uchiha's ping-pong paddle; shaped like a double-headed trident, it was the clan crest of the Senju Clan. His mother, Senju Naoko, was a commoner from a branch of the Senju, so it was perfectly normal for her clothes to bear the crest.

But Nichigetsu knew that the Senju Clan, descendants of Otsutsuki Ashura, possessed the Sage Body. This explained everything: he was a hybrid of Hyuga and Senju. His chakra possessed the characteristics of the Hyuga while being mixed with the bloodline of the Senju. Only the bloodlines of resilient clans like the Senju or Uzumaki could make the Hyuga's non-elemental chakra behave differently. Nichigetsu guessed this was the extra substance in his chakra—the characteristic of the Senju: a powerful life force, the hallmark of the Sage Body.

Nichigetsu had roughly guessed the reason for his Byakugan's massive consumption. His Senju bloodline autonomously resisted the suppression of the Caged Bird, so the elders had strengthened the seal to suppress the life force within his Senju blood. His body contained the power of the Senju; when chakra was channeled to his Byakugan, the Caged Bird seal activated to suppress this life force, which in turn suppressed a large portion of his chakra—effectively filtering it. Thus, only a small amount of chakra was used to maintain the Byakugan, causing his consumption to be dozens of times higher than that of an ordinary person.

The Senju bloodline, huh? Maybe I can even use the five elemental releases, or perhaps the legendary Wood Style! Haha! [Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence]! Heaven once again ignored Nichigetsu's shameless request.

Sigh, forget it. It's not like I haven't tested it with chakra paper; there was no reaction after injecting chakra! It means my chakra doesn't exhibit the five elemental changes; it is non-elemental. At least for now. Nichigetsu mocked himself.

So, how do I solve the Byakugan problem now?

Nichigetsu tried using the Byakugan again, this time reducing his chakra output. The Caged Bird still filtered out a large amount, which was presumably wasted. If he channeled too little, he couldn't activate his eyes at all, as the energy was completely consumed by the seal. Through testing and control, he managed to extend his activation time to six minutes. The Caged Bird seal was like invisible shackles locking away his Byakugan's potential.

If I can't keep the Byakugan open for long, the Hyuga Clan's signature Gentle Fist is basically useless. I can't use the five elemental releases either. It seems you really want to play me to death, Heaven! Nichigetsu pointed at the ceiling and complained.

However, do you think this will make me give up? If the consumption is massive, then I'll just open them for six minutes at a time! Gentle Fist doesn't strictly require the Byakugan to be used! I can still strike acupuncture points without it!

Since he couldn't rely on the Byakugan, Nichigetsu resolved to train his memory of acupuncture points diligently. He demanded that he memorize the location and effect of every point so thoroughly that he could strike them all with his eyes closed. Of course, there might be slight variations between different people, so he required himself to be able to memorize an enemy's acupuncture points instantly after a brief activation of his Byakugan—training his instantaneous point-memory. Combined with his professional knowledge of the meridian system, he could still strike every point accurately.

At the same time, his Byakugan had blind spots, so he had to train his senses and reflexes. Like any other ordinary ninja, he needed sharp instincts to detect enemies nearby and react quickly and appropriately.

Nichigetsu planned to build a simple mechanism in a small room, training his reflexes and senses by constantly dodging wooden projectiles flying from all directions. Even if his Byakugan had blind spots or couldn't be kept open for long, he wouldn't be easily exploited by enemies. With the solution decided, Nichigetsu immediately added it to his daily training schedule.