Hyuga Hizashi

"No." Yuun shook his head and sat down, unconcernedly using the chopsticks the little girl had licked to eat his lunch.

"You!" Hana Inuzuka's face flushed red with anger. She viciously stomped down at Yuun's foot, but he had already pulled it back, and she missed. "I hate you!" With that, she ran out of the classroom.

Yuun sucked on his chopsticks and sighed. If this girl were not so crazy when they fought, he would not have minded having someone to spar with. But once she used the Four-Legged Technique, she truly became like a wild beast, pouncing with teeth and claws together. A moment of carelessness would leave him injured, yet he could not hit her too hard either, or people would say he was bullying a little girl.

Still, Yuun had always found it strange. Didn't the Inuzuka clan imitate canines? Why did the Four-Legged Technique they developed resemble the fighting style of felines more? Under normal circumstances, shouldn't canines use their teeth?

That afternoon's ninja tool throwing was not Yuun's strong suit. Fortunately, Hana Inuzuka nearby looked equally troubled, as though she was not very good with ninja tools either. Otherwise, Yuun would have been genuinely worried that the girl might suddenly ambush him someday. Judging by how furious she had been at noon, the possibility was not low.

Just as Yuun was agonizing over his terrible ninja tool throwing, a commotion broke out beside him. It was the boy who had always sat quietly in the corner. Nine hits out of ten on a fixed target ten meters away was merely passing for a ninja, but for students trying ninja tool throwing for the first time, it was an absurdly good result.

"This guy is so annoying." At some point, Hana Inuzuka had come over, apparently now sharing a common enemy with Yuun.

Yuun snorted with laughter. Was this the united front of poor students? "Yeah, this guy really is annoying."

"Huh, you think so too?" Hana Inuzuka smiled until her eyes curved into crescents. "I've always thought ninja tool throwing was the most annoying thing. Teeth and claws are clearly enough for me."

"Heh." Yuun replied helplessly, thinking that his first heh since transmigrating had been used just like that.

It was not until the teacher announced the results after class that Yuun learned the guy was Itachi Uchiha. No one had told him before, so he truly had not known. First place obviously belonged to Itachi. Yuun's results were neither good nor bad, acceptable overall. As for Hana Inuzuka, she had it rough. Being dead last, she was kept behind by the teacher to practice.

"How about I stay and keep you company?" Yuun asked helplessly as he looked at the pitiful little girl.

"No need." Hana Inuzuka set up the target and nodded toward the entrance to the practice grounds. "Someone's waiting for you."

Yuun turned around and discovered it was those two Hyuga boys without Curse Marks on their foreheads. "Sorry..."

"Hmph." The little girl turned her head away and ignored him.

Yuun shrugged helplessly and walked toward those two clansmen. If only those two had been waiting for him, he could have discussed it with them. After all, Yuun had gotten along fairly well with them over the past few days. But besides them, there were another seven or eight Branch House boys, as well as one adult Hyuga clansman in plain sight and an unknown number in the shadows. Yuun did not dare act arrogantly before them.

Even so, Yuun apologized to them. After all, he was the one at fault. More than ten people had waited at the entrance for quite a while because of him alone.

"Bad guy!" Staring at Yuun's departing back, Hana Inuzuka gritted her teeth and fiercely threw a kunai, which sank deeply into the target.

After returning to the clan, Yuun quickly noticed that something was off about the atmosphere. Unlike the solemn mood from before yesterday, today felt much more relaxed. Smiles had appeared on the faces of adults and children alike. Unable to suppress his curiosity, Yuun pulled aside a clansman and learned that Konoha's war with Hidden Sand had ended.

Although only the war with Hidden Sand had ended, people who had long hoped for peace were more willing to believe that the war would end completely before long. When Yuun returned home, he found a young man standing at his door, seemingly having waited there for a long time.

"Hello, may I ask what you need?" Yuun stepped forward.

"You're Yuun?" The young man looked at him, then suddenly bowed deeply. "I am truly, deeply sorry."

"Um... who are you?" Yuun froze. He was not worried about who this man might be; the fact that he also possessed the Byakugan made his identity obvious. There was no possibility of an impostor. The Byakugan could easily see through the Transformation Technique. Trying to infiltrate the Hyuga Clan with the Transformation Technique would be a joke.

"My name is Hyuga Hizashi, the commander dispatched by the clan to the Hidden Sand front. Your father died in battle under my command..." Hyuga Hizashi stopped halfway through, because he noticed that Yuun's expression had not changed at all. "Well, don't you hate me?" Hizashi frowned slightly.

"Why would I hate you?" Yuun shook his head and answered calmly. "Since the clan trusted you enough to appoint you commander, that means you had the ability for it. My father sacrificed himself for the clan, and afterward, the clan gave my family sufficient compensation. I believe my father's spirit in heaven would not want me to hate the clan because of this."

"That's wonderful." Hizashi let out a breath of relief, thinking that although this child was young, his mind seemed very mature. With that thought, he examined Yuun more carefully and smiled. "Yuun, are you interested in learning the Gentle Fist from me? You should have already started learning to extract chakra at school, right? You should also be about ready to awaken the Byakugan..." Hizashi looked at Yuun's smooth, unmarked forehead and froze for a moment, then nodded with a trace of gratification.

"I am." Yuun suppressed the joy filling his heart and answered seriously. "Please teach me the Gentle Fist and the Byakugan, Sensei."

"You still have classes now, so I'll come teach you once every two days." Hizashi thought for a moment. "I'll come during the two holiday days as well. You must be mentally prepared to endure hardship. The Gentle Fist is not something you can master easily."

"I understand. Thank you, Sensei." Yuun bowed deeply to Hizashi. Having a teacher from his own clan would be ideal. Though he did not know how strong Hizashi was, someone who could serve as the clan's commander against Hidden Sand had to be a Jonin at the very least.

"Make your preparations today. I'll start teaching you tomorrow." Hizashi considered it. "I'll prepare the training ground, equipment, and medicine for injuries. Just make sure you get enough rest."

"Won't you come in and sit for a while, Sensei? Have a cup of tea?" Seeing that Hizashi seemed ready to leave, Yuun spoke up to stop him.

"No, I still need to visit some of my old subordinates." Hizashi shook his head. "Go on inside. I'll wait for you here tomorrow afternoon."

"Goodbye, Sensei." Yuun saluted him. Only after Hizashi had left did he enter the house and cheer aloud. "Great! I have someone to guide me, and the Byakugan too. Hehe, I can't wait!"

Outside, Hizashi, who had returned at some unknown point, stood with his back against the wall for a long while before smiling and leaving.