Hyuga Ginka and Hyuga Natsu

"If any Uchiha dares to cause me trouble, I'll show them who the number one clan in the Hidden Leaf Village really is!"

Hyuga Tetsu said, his head clouded by a sudden rush of blood.

Under normal circumstances, he certainly wouldn't have said such a thing. But catching a glimpse of Shimizu Uchiha's handsome face from afar, he felt a sudden surge of resentment and refused to appear weak in front of his crush.

The naive love of a young boy is just that simple; he liked to boast of his own strength through irrational behavior.

"Stop talking, what if Shimizu hears you?"

Hyuga Natsu was startled.

She didn't know what had gotten into Hyuga Tetsu, but he had suddenly shouted that out, truly unafraid of being overheard by Shimizu Uchiha.

"So what if he hears? Natsu, you have to trust in my strength. I know exactly how Shimizu Uchiha performs at the academy; it's just that I haven't shown my true skills yet."

"Oh, is that so?"

While Hyuga Natsu and Hyuga Tetsu were talking, the very person they were discussing had appeared behind them at some point!

"The Uchiha are a naturally evil clan?"

Shimizu asked with a look of interest.

The source of this claim likely stemmed from the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, and it had become widely circulated throughout the Hidden Leaf Village.

"We are of the Hyuga, I advise you not to maliciously incite conflict between our two clans."

Hyuga Tetsu's pupils constricted; Shimizu Uchiha's speed was simply too fast.

It was so fast that neither he nor Hyuga Natsu had noticed anyone standing behind them.

"Shimizu-kun, Tetsu didn't mean it."

Hyuga Natsu's eyes were snow-white, her short green hair draped behind her neck and swaying in the breeze, dressed in the attire of a servant.

Shimizu glanced at Hyuga Natsu.

In the original story, both Hyuga Tetsu and Hyuga Natsu were mere background characters with little screen time.

In the future, Hyuga Natsu would become the servant of the Hyuga clan's second daughter, Hanabi Hyuga, as a member of the branch family.

Hyuga Tetsu would eventually become a teammate of Anko Mitarashi, possessing only average aptitude and only being assigned to a team late after graduation.

He knew a bit more about Hyuga Natsu; Hyuga Tetsu was in the class next door, while Hyuga Natsu was in his own class.

"He's the one telling me not to maliciously incite conflict between our clans, yet he's the one shifting the blame."

Shimizu said indifferently.

He had transmigrated into this world many years ago, and had been with the Uchiha since he was still an infant in his mother's womb.

Humans are not unfeeling creatures; over these years, he had developed some affection for the Uchiha.

When his parents died, Shimizu was only a few months old. If no one had taken care of him, he would have already speed-run his way through the ninja world, having long since starved or frozen to death.

Uchiha Hazuki had taken good care of him, though he heard she had already married. Coupled with Shimizu being busy finding ways to train, their contact had dwindled significantly over the last two years.

"The reputation of our Uchiha clan will not be questioned by others. If I hear it again, it won't be handled so easily."

Shimizu turned, preparing to leave.

"Sorry to bother you, Shimizu-kun. Another day, Tetsu and I will come to pay a formal visit."

Perhaps due to her long-term status as a branch family member and a servant to the main house, Hyuga Natsu spoke with great humility and caution.

"Natsu, why are you acting so subservient to this guy!"

Seeing Hyuga Natsu's humble demeanor, a nameless fire ignited in Hyuga Tetsu's heart.

He and Natsu were both branch family members who had grown up together since childhood.

Within the clan, they were often summoned and dismissed at the whim of the main family, and now, even outside, they were still this submissive.

Did that mean they were destined to be lowly branch family members everywhere they went?

"Shimizu Uchiha, I know you're strong. If you have the guts, let's have a one-on-one. This has nothing to do with Natsu; it was my own big mouth that caused this."

Hyuga Tetsu called out to stop Shimizu.

If he could defeat Shimizu, who had excellent grades at the academy, both Natsu and the main family would have to look at him with new eyes.

"Hmm, very well."

Shimizu nodded and stopped in his tracks.

Since Hyuga Tetsu was as stubborn as his name suggested, he would teach him a lesson.

It was a good opportunity to test how his recent training had been going and see how much he had improved.

Hyuga Tetsu was just a student with mediocre grades. Even before he had obtained his simulator, he had been a top student in his class; beating him would be effortless.

The two agreed to meet in a small alleyway.

Shimizu looked at the alley; it was the same place where he had sparred with Kurenai Yuhi last time.

He had been intentionally avoiding Kurenai Yuhi lately to avoid upsetting her and ruining his lifelong reputation.

"Byakugan!"

The veins around Hyuga Tetsu's eyes bulged as he activated the Byakugan, the bloodline limit unique to the Hyuga clan.

"Gentle Fist!"

Hyuga Tetsu's figure flickered as he struck a palm toward Shimizu.

"Is that all? Just the Gentle Fist?"

Shimizu dodged the move with a single sidestep.

If it had been the Eight Trigrams Palm, it would have been more troublesome, but what Hyuga Tetsu was using now was merely the most basic Gentle Fist.

Within the Hyuga clan, members of the branch family are prohibited from learning many exclusive family taijutsu techniques.

Techniques such as Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms and Rotation are only passed down to the Hyuga main family.

When Neji Hyuga used the main family's exclusive techniques during the Chunin Exams, Hiashi Hyuga had exclaimed that it was impossible, marveling at Neji Hyuga's terrifying talent and suspecting that the blood of Tenin Hyuga flowed through his veins.

For such techniques, one must either be a genius like Neji who realizes them through self-enlightenment, or wait patiently to be taught, just like Hinata; no matter how poor her aptitude, as long as her status was that of the main family, she would be taught step by step.

Hyuga Tetsu had mediocre aptitude and was not of the main family, so he could only use the ordinary Gentle Fist.

"Ha!"

Seeing his Gentle Fist strike empty air, Hyuga Tetsu pulled back and spun, observing the points of muscle exertion on Uchiha Shimizu to strike at his weak spots.

Poof!

As a cloud of smoke dissipated, all Hyuga Tetsu had struck was a piece of wood.

"Your Body Replacement Technique is surprisingly proficient."

Cold sweat broke out on Hyuga Tetsu's forehead; Uchiha Shimizu's grades were not inflated in the slightest.

He was more than qualified to graduate early, and while Tetsu had yet to master his own Three Basic Techniques, Shimizu was already capable of using them in actual combat.

"Give up."

Shimizu stood behind Hyuga Tetsu, the kunai in his hand only a centimeter from Tetsu's neck.

"Tetsu!"

As a fellow clansman, Hyuga Natsu naturally couldn't be absent while Hyuga Tetsu dueled Uchiha Shimizu, and she had been watching silently from the sidelines.

Seeing that Hyuga Tetsu had lost, she couldn't help but cry out in worry.

"I..."

Hyuga Tetsu's eyes were bulging so wide that Shimizu could see the bloodshot veins surrounding his Byakugan.

"I yield."

Hyuga Tetsu finally admitted his defeat with deep unwillingness.

"It seems the Uchiha are indeed the number one clan in Konoha, wouldn't you agree, classmate Hyuga Tetsu?"

Shimizu sheathed his kunai.

"I am truly sorry, classmate Shimizu."

Hyuga Natsu stepped forward and bowed in apology.

Shimizu waved his hand, said nothing more, and left carrying his Military Ration Pill.

The hour was still early; he had to return and continue his training.

Once Uchiha Shimizu's figure had faded into the distance, Hyuga Natsu said cautiously:

"Tetsu, let's go back."

Hyuga Tetsu didn't say a word, straightened his disheveled clothes, and left directly.

Hyuga Natsu pursed her lips, feeling quite dissatisfied.

She had debased herself for Hyuga Tetsu's sake, yet he still wore such a sour face.

If Hyuga Tetsu hadn't inexplicably said those things that invited trouble, none of this would have happened.

The two returned to the Hyuga clan compound while maintaining this strange, tense atmosphere.

"Natsu, are you saying that Hyuga Tetsu got into a fight with an Uchiha?"

"Yes, My Lady."

Hyuga Natsu knelt on the ground, burying her head deep.

The main family mistress she served now had a strong desire for control and required a report of her daily itinerary.

Slap!

Hyuga Ginka struck Hyuga Natsu across the face.

The Hyuga clan could inject chakra into others' bodies, and their slaps were significantly louder than anyone else's.