Did a Chick Hatch?

Looking at the egg before him, it was no larger than a chicken egg, but unlike a common egg, its shell was sky-blue and occasionally emitted a faint azure glow, making it look quite beautiful.

This egg was a gift brought back to Hyuga Gen by his parents the last time they went out on a mission.

"Be good, Dongyi, and listen to your grandfather. Once you hatch this egg, we will be back."

These were the words his mother said before departing for her mission, and they were the last words she ever spoke to her son.

Because of this, Hyuga Gen treasured the egg dearly, tending to it with great care every day in the hope that the little life inside would soon break through its shell.

That way, he would be able to see his parents again.

It wouldn't be a dead egg, would it? Something that can't be hatched at all? Hyuga Gen felt a twinge of doubt. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed—that his mother had intentionally given him a dud.

With that thought, Hyuga Gen activated his Byakugan without hesitation to examine the egg in detail.

"Brother Dongyi, you can already activate your Byakugan? That's amazing!"

Seeing the sudden change in Hyuga Gen, Hyuga Natsu naturally understood what was happening; her own mother could activate the Byakugan and had explained it to her before.

When the Byakugan is activated, chakra flows into the eyes, causing the meridians and blood vessels at the corners of the eyes and temples to bulge, while the person's entire aura becomes cold and murderous.

"That's right, Xia. Aren't you afraid of Brother Dongyi looking like this?"

Hyuga Gen was a bit curious, seeing that Hyuga Natsu only showed curiosity and admiration without a hint of fear.

"I was scared the first time I saw my mother do it, but after hearing her explain it, I wasn't afraid anymore."

"I see. Well, remember to keep it a secret that I can activate my eyes. Only you know now; let's make it a little secret between us, okay?"

Hyuga Gen did not want others to know he had already unlocked the Byakugan.

"Okay, I promise I won't tell anyone."

Hearing that it was a secret between the two of them, Hyuga Natsu gave her word without hesitation.

Although she didn't know why Brother Dongyi didn't want others to know he could activate the Byakugan, the thought that it was their "little secret" made everything else seem unimportant.

Hyuga Gen understood that if the rest of the clan found out he had activated his Byakugan at five years old, it might cause a stir, which was not what he wanted right now.

So far, he had never heard of anyone in the Hyuga clan activating the Byakugan at five—though, of course, there would later be a genius of the Hyuga clan named Neji who unlocked it at four.

He vaguely felt that his ability to activate the Byakugan might be due to his arrival in this world and the fusion of his previous soul; otherwise, it would have been unlikely for the original owner to unlock it so early.

Hyuga Gen also had a faint feeling that his Byakugan was somewhat unique and was slowly improving, though he wasn't entirely sure yet.

Putting other thoughts aside, Hyuga Gen carefully observed the strange egg.

Thump-thump, thump-thump.

Hyuga Gen seemed to hear the sound of a heartbeat, as he could see something pulsing inside the shell. He tried to get a clearer look, but he couldn't make it out; after all, he had only just learned to use his eyes, and he was already starting to feel a bit dizzy.

It seems I need to practice using the Byakugan more. I'm not skilled at all, and my chakra is draining very quickly.

However, based on his observation, the egg was likely not dead. He could feel a strong vitality within, and it might even hatch soon.

"Brother Dongyi, how is it? Will a little chick hatch out?" Hyuga Natsu asked curiously once Hyuga Gen finished his observation.

"It should be able to. It might not take long to hatch, though I'm not sure if it will be a chick."

In Hyuga Gen's opinion, the chances of it being a chick were slim.

He had seen the eggs in this world, and they were no different from the eggs in his original world, so it was unlikely that this beautiful blue egg was laid by a chicken.

"Oh! Brother Dongyi, look! It's glowing blue, and there seems to be something inside."

Hyuga Gen didn't need Hyuga Natsu to tell him; he saw it too.

Could it be that it will hatch today? That's not impossible. It's been so long, and my observation just now showed its energy isn't weak.

In truth, he felt a spark of curiosity and anticipation, wanting to know exactly what would hatch from this egg.

"It moved! It moved! Brother Dongyi, it looks like something is about to come out!" Hyuga Natsu shouted with excitement.

He could see a shadow inside the shell struggling vigorously, as if trying to break free from its confinement, and faint cracks began to appear on the surface of the egg.

However, these cracks weren't enough to break the shell, and as the movement slowed, the little life inside seemed to be running out of strength.

"Brother Dongyi, quick, let's help it! It looks like it's failing; it's barely moving anymore."

Hyuga Natsu was growing anxious.

"Xia, we can't help it. It has to break out of the shell on its own."

Even though Hyuga Gen didn't want this life to perish, he knew the truth.

"Why? Can't we just help it break the shell and save it?"

Hyuga Natsu reached out as if to try and crack the shell herself.

"No, Xia. It has to rely on itself. We can't help it. If we break the shell for it, it might die immediately. You don't want to see it die, right? All we can do is believe in it."

Hyuga Gen blocked Hyuga Natsu and looked at her with a serious expression.

"Breaking from within is a new birth; breaking from without only accelerates its death. Even if it survives by luck, it will likely struggle to live due to various defects."

This was something Hyuga Gen had read somewhere, though he couldn't quite remember where.

Time ticked by second by second. Hyuga Gen stared at the egg, hoping for a miracle. A new life was on the verge of being born, and he didn't want to see it die inside the shell.

It seemed as if the heavens had responded to Hyuga Gen's request, for a small head suddenly poked out from the shell. As it struggled with all its might, the egg tipped over, and the little creature slowly crawled its way out.

Before long, it finally broke free from the shackles of the eggshell, though it seemed completely exhausted by then, lying there without moving a muscle.

"That's great, it's finally out! But Brother Dongyi, what is this? It's all bald and looks hideous."

Hyuga Natsu, meanwhile, was acting rather repulsed.

Who was the one crying with worry just a moment ago? Now she's already starting to find it ugly? Hyuga Gen couldn't quite grasp her train of thought.

"This wouldn't really be a little chick, would it? It looks a bit like one, but I'm not entirely sure. It's just a little ball of flesh; I suppose we'll be able to tell once it grows a bit."

"I'm not sure either. Once it grows up a little, we should be able to tell."

"Then you take good care of it, Brother Dongyi. It's getting late, so I'll head back now. I'll be waiting for you at my place tomorrow morning!"

With that, Hyuga Natsu skipped away.

"Got it."

Since she was willing to go, Hyuga Gen couldn't have asked for anything better.

"But how am I supposed to raise it? I should ask Aunt Hui; she ought to know."

Hyuga Gen was a bit uncertain, but she would certainly be better than him. With that thought in mind, he ran off to find Hyuga Hui for help.