Library

Having earned enough money, Hyuga Iwa became low-key again. But no matter how low-key he was, with the halo of a genius over his head, he was still the subject of discussion wherever he went. Even Might Guy, who was quite close to him, often joked about him.

To be fair, with the full support of the Hyuga Clan, the food company's development truly took off like it had grown wings.

Moreover, at Hyuga Iwa's suggestion, they established an R&D department specifically to develop all kinds of new foods.

Though there were failures, they still successfully created several decent snacks, which achieved solid sales after entering the market.

The food company had entered a virtuous cycle.

The Hyuga Clan made a great deal of money from it, while Hyuga Iwa earned far more than before. It was a win-win situation, and both sides were very satisfied.

With money in hand, Hyuga Iwa's ambitions began to stir. Taking advantage of the food company's growth, he ordered some research equipment and officially began conducting experiments.

Time passed quickly, and two years flew by amid all the bustle and chaos.

That day, Hyuga Iwa sat cross-legged on a rock by a small river, practicing Zen meditation.

His body was by the river, but his presence seemed faint and elusive.

Several birds curiously looked at him. To their eyes, the thing before them seemed rather strange. However, they could sense that it posed no threat to them.

By now, Hyuga Iwa could initially control that state of perception, though its range was still small—only around a dozen meters. Beyond that, everything became extremely vague, almost impossible to sense.

But this was still a tremendous improvement. Through this method of perception, Hyuga Iwa achieved a 360-degree, no-blind-spot view that the branch family's Byakugan could not accomplish—and it required no chakra at all!

Hyuga Iwa then turned his attention inward. Fine channels carrying chakra appeared within his perception one after another, and he seemed to hear the gurgling flow of chakra beside his ears.

The tiny channels gradually converged, passing through acupuncture points before finally flowing into several major meridians in his body. His chakra grew a little stronger along with it.

Hyuga Iwa smiled knowingly. He then controlled his chakra, spreading it as evenly as possible across the surface of his body. With a thought, he sealed all the pores across his body, completely locking the chakra within himself.

Hyuga Iwa had modeled this method after one application of Nen from Hunter x Hunter. Only after trying for a long time had he barely managed to achieve it. His ultimate goal was to prevent his chakra from leaking away.

Although Hyuga Iwa still could not maintain it around the clock, much less seal himself perfectly, it had greatly reduced the loss of chakra. Even the chakra he had not specifically trained had visibly increased.

Hyuga Iwa guessed that to perfectly seal his chakra and prevent it from leaking away, he might need Sealing Jutsu. However, he had no chance to learn it yet. Still, there was no need to rush. He believed he would have an opportunity in the future.

Hyuga Iwa was already very satisfied with his current progress, but one matter left him deeply regretful: ever since entering the Lake of the Mind once two years ago, he had not successfully entered it again.

He had made many attempts. Perhaps because he had been too deliberate about it, every attempt ultimately ended in failure.

Hyuga Iwa guessed that his mind needed to be sufficiently calm. But everything that had happened over the past two years had gradually caused him to lose his former state of mind, which was why he had not succeeded even once.

Since then, Hyuga Iwa had put away his restless emotions and distanced himself from crowds. He came alone to the riverbank to practice Zen meditation, and his agitated heart gradually began to settle.

Just then, a burst of footsteps sounded out. The birds were startled into chirping as they flew away, though they did not go far. They perched in a tree ahead and watched the figure below.

"Iwa, are you here?" A young boy pushed aside a cluster of branches and spotted Hyuga Iwa sitting cross-legged on the rock. He grinned. "Haha, I knew you'd definitely be here."

Hyuga Iwa opened his eyes helplessly. Before him stood a sturdy boy around four feet tall, with a strange bowl cut and a green jumpsuit that looked utterly bizarre. This oddly dressed boy was Hyuga Iwa's good friend—Might Guy.

"Guy, congratulations on becoming a Genin."

"Huh? I haven't even told you yet. How did you know?" Guy looked at Hyuga Iwa curiously and asked.

Hyuga Iwa could not help but smile. "You're wearing a ninja forehead protector. Did you think I wouldn't recognize that?"

"Ah? Ah! I got so happy that I forgot to take it off. Iwa, your observation skills are amazing."

"Uh... wouldn't anyone notice that?" Hyuga Iwa smiled speechlessly. Looking at Guy's forehead protector, he sighed and said, "Guy, actually, you didn't need to be in such a hurry."

Guy knew what Hyuga Iwa wanted to say. Although he had tried hard to convince himself not to care, even when others often mocked him as the son of an eternal Genin, mocked him for being unable to use ninjutsu, and mocked him for being weak, Guy could endure all of it. But there was one thing he could not endure: Kakashi Hatake, his lifelong rival, had already become a Chunin, while he, as Kakashi's rival, was not even a ninja yet!

Guy could endure it when Kakashi had not yet become a Chunin. But after Kakashi was promoted to Chunin some time ago, Guy became increasingly unable to bear it.

So, without telling Hyuga Iwa, he submitted an application to graduate, hoping to become an official ninja, even if he could only become a Genin!

Since the die had been cast, Hyuga Iwa did not say anything more. Everyone had their own thoughts, and constantly suppressing them was not necessarily a good thing.

After congratulating Guy, Hyuga Iwa asked about his training progress.

From Guy, he learned that Guy could already vaguely sense the area around his body!

At the same time, Guy had discovered that his control over chakra had indeed risen to a new level. Though he still could not control it well, at least he could now see the road ahead, clear as day!

To be honest, Guy was thrilled. But Hyuga Iwa had kept a low profile recently and rarely interacted with others, so Guy had not found a chance to share this good news with him.

Hyuga Iwa was delighted that his method had helped Guy, and he was sincerely happy for Guy's hard work.

"Come on, then. Let's celebrate properly today." As Hyuga Iwa spoke, he hooked an arm around Guy's neck and headed toward the village.

"Iwa, let's go eat cake."

"No, we're having barbecue today. Akimichi Clan barbecue!"

"Akimichi Clan barbecue? Haha, great..." Guy's eyes lit up at once. The tempting flavor of Akimichi Barbecue surfaced in his mind, and saliva began streaming from his mouth.

"Hey, Guy, your drool is dripping onto my hand!"

"Barbecue, Akimichi Clan barbecue..."

"..."

Akimichi Barbecue did not use ordinary meat. Their barbecue used venison raised by the Nara Clan, paired with a secret seasoning blend that fully brought out the flavor of the venison, making those who tasted it unable to stop eating.

Of course, its price was equally staggering, and it was not something ordinary people could afford.

But Hyuga Iwa's plan to open a shop had been very successful, earning him a considerable amount of money. He could still afford to eat there once in a while.

Come to think of it, perhaps because he had spent so much time around Hyuga Iwa, even Guy, who originally had no particular preferences when it came to food, had become a little picky.

After treating Guy to a delicious serving of secret grilled venison, Hyuga Iwa rubbed his flattened wallet with a pained expression.

As soon as he returned home, he saw Hizashi Hyuga standing at his doorstep, talking with his mother.

"Hello, Lord Hizashi."

"Mm, Hyuga Iwa. The clan head sent me to notify you that your application has been approved. Come with me."

"Right now?"

"Mm."

Hizashi took the lead, walking ahead. Hyuga Iwa quickly picked up his pace and followed closely behind.

"Can you tell me why you want to visit the clan library?"

Hyuga Iwa smiled. "There's nothing I can't say. Our Hyuga Clan has endured for a thousand years, hasn't it? So I became interested in the clan's history and wanted to learn more about it."

"I see. Did you discover some problem with the clan's history?"

"No. I'm simply interested in the clan's history. I also wanted to see whether there are any records in the clan concerning the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan."

"The Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan? There should be. During the Warring States era, clans deliberately gathered intelligence on those great clans. After all, either side might become an enemy at any time. More intelligence meant a better chance of survival."

"Yeah, the Warring States era... It's fortunate that Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha reconciled. Otherwise, this might still be an age of war."

Hizashi Hyuga gave Hyuga Iwa a surprised look. In the Leaf Village, there were not many people left who could casually speak the names Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. He had not expected this "genius" before him to say those two names so calmly.

As they spoke, the two arrived at the library.

Hizashi Hyuga took out a token from his person and handed it to a member of the main family guarding the library.

After the man verified it, he took out a key and opened the library doors.

Then, under the gaze of the two men, Hyuga Iwa entered the library.