Xiaojin Isn't a Chick

"You want to go to the Ninja Academy, really? Didn't you say before that you didn't want to be a ninja?"

Having just finished his meal, Hyuga Kamen thought his ears were playing tricks on him when he heard Hyuga Gen say he wanted to attend the Ninja Academy.

He knew all too well how much his grandson had resisted becoming a ninja; he had tried every method, even forced him, but nothing had worked.

To hear him suddenly ask to go to the Ninja Academy—how could he not be shocked? He had already made up his mind to send him to a regular school next year.

"Yes, I want to go to the Ninja Academy."

Hearing Hyuga Gen say this, Hyuga Kamen felt a complex mix of emotions. Ever since Hyuga Gen's parents died in battle, Hyuga Kamen had stopped planning for him to become a ninja.

After all, he was the only seedling left in the family; if Hyuga Gen became a ninja and died too, that would be the end of their lineage.

"Cough, cough. Actually, I think what you said before was right—there's nothing great about being a ninja. I'll send you to a regular school to study next year."

Hyuga Gen looked at Hyuga Kamen, speechless. If you really thought that, why did you force me so hard before? Still, he understood Hyuga Kamen to an extent; after all, his parents were already gone.

"No, I want to go to the Ninja Academy. I was young and ignorant before, but now that I've grown up, I want to become a ninja like my parents and contribute more to the village."

Hyuga Gen feigned an expression of someone for whom the village was everything, someone willing to go through fire and water for its sake.

"Well, alright then."

Hyuga Kamen looked at Hyuga Gen with a strange expression, finding it incredible that he would have such resolve. Ever since the Nine-Tails Incident, he had found it increasingly difficult to read his grandson.

However, he knew that once this kid made up his mind, not even eight oxen could pull him back. Though he was small, his temper was anything but, and he was incredibly stubborn.

Since he wanted to go, he would let him. Ever since his parents died, Hyuga Kamen had become indifferent to everything; he only hoped Hyuga Gen could live a happy life. Since this was what he wanted, what was there to say? He would just let him go.

Time slipped away unnoticed, and in the blink of an eye, the day for the Konoha Ninja Academy to open was approaching.

"Brother Dongyi, where is Xiaojin?"

"I don't know where he ran off to."

Hyuga Gen felt a bit helpless. He hadn't seen a shadow of that guy, Xiaojin, lately; he had no idea where he'd gone to sneak some food.

Xiaojin was the little creature that had hatched from an eggshell back then. Seeing that its beak was golden, Hyuga Gen had given it the name "Xiaojin."

At first, Hyuga Gen thought Xiaojin was a chicken. It was raised to be plump and round, not much different from a meaty, delicious bird. But as time passed, Hyuga Gen realized it wasn't a chicken at all, but an eagle.

That's right, an eagle—a Golden Eagle. Ever since he discovered it was an eagle, Hyuga Gen was overjoyed. His "Heroic Eagle" dream had awakened, and from that day on, Xiaojin's days of being pampered were over.

You look like a ball of meat without a single muscle, and you have the nerve to call yourself an eagle?

The king of the skies can't even fly yet? This won't do.

From then on, Xiaojin lived a "brutal" life. It fell from heaven into hell, dragged out by Hyuga Gen every morning to run, followed by flight lessons.

I've been teaching you for so long and you still can't fly? Hyuga Gen took Xiaojin to the edge of a cliff and threw it off. If you can't fly, then just fall to your death; what use are you to me?

Xiaojin looked at its master with grief and indignation, but it was useless. It had to fly, or it would really die, so it had no choice but to flap its wings with all its might.

Sure enough, the method worked, and just like that, Xiaojin learned to fly.

Learning to fly is just the beginning. You'll have to carry me in the future, so you need to fly with a load. What? You can't fly and don't want to? And so, Hyuga Gen would head back to the cliff edge.

As long as it doesn't kill you, push it to the limit. In this way, Xiaojin grew rapidly over the past half-year, making even more progress than Hyuga Gen.

Ever since it learned to fly, it wasn't easy to catch, and a battle of wits between Hyuga Gen, Hyuga Natsu, and Xiaojin ensued.

After a few tries, Hyuga Gen realized it was just a silly eagle, and it didn't take much effort for the two of them to catch it.

It's not that I'm stupid, it's just that you city folk know how to play too hard. Can't you show an eagle some respect?

Hyuga Gen knew it was only easy now because Xiaojin wasn't big enough yet; once it grew larger, catching it wouldn't be so simple.

"Xiaojin isn't here? What a pity, I even prepared a new outfit for him."

Hyuga Natsu said with a look of regret.

Good thing he isn't.

Hyuga Gen's mouth twitched, and he muttered to himself.

Recently, Hyuga Natsu had been learning to make clothes from her mother and always wanted to use Xiaojin as her model. Of course, she had asked Hyuga Gen to do it once, but after trying it once, he never wanted to do it again, and so Xiaojin gloriously took over the role of the model.

From then on, one could occasionally see a flamboyant eagle wearing random red and green clothes. Seeing how much it loved to dress up, if Hyuga Gen didn't know its gender, he would have definitely thought it was a female eagle.

Such a flamboyant eagle was now known to everyone in the Hyuga compound; everyone knew it belonged to Hyuga Gen.

As for why everyone knew, it was because the guy had caused quite a bit of trouble. Many people came to the house to complain, but after learning the situation, they didn't say much, as everyone in the clan had received some favor from Hyuga Kamen at one point or another.

However, after that, Xiaojin calmed down and didn't act as recklessly as before. This was mainly because Hyuga Gen had passed a message through Hyuga Kamen that if it were caught causing trouble again, it would be beaten to death.

Knowing it belonged to the Kamen household, everyone felt embarrassed to take action, but since they had no other choice, they could only come to complain.

Every time someone came to complain and Xiaojin was caught by Hyuga Gen, it would suffer inhuman discipline, which was why it had improved so much.

Sometimes it would still go out to steal food, but it tried its best not to be seen. Of course, not being seen wasn't easy, because this was the Hyuga clan, and the Byakugan wasn't just for show.

The Byakugan could generally be activated once one reached a certain age and possessed enough chakra; it was only a matter of time. The earlier it was activated, the higher one's talent.

Neji, who activated his Byakugan at four, was not called a genius of the Hyuga clan for nothing. Not everyone could learn the Rotation and the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.

Moreover, as a member of the branch family, his Byakugan wasn't omnidirectional—it had a one-degree blind spot. That he could still learn the Rotation and the Sixty-Four Palms so early under such circumstances showed just how immense his talent was.

One had to know that Hinata, as a member of the main family, had never been able to master the Rotation skill; talent was truly important.

Perhaps influenced by this eagle, Hyuga Gen found that the once lifeless and solemn Hyuga clan had gained a touch of vitality, though this vitality didn't last long.

"Xia, I'm going to the Ninja Academy. Do you want to come with me?"