Emerging Edge

Several days later, at the frontline camp.

Hyuga Tianyi sat cross-legged inside his tent, his eyes half-closed and his focus absolute.

His palms faced each other, about a foot apart.

Wisps of pale blue chakra drifted like living threads.

They darted lightly between his hands, winding and weaving themselves into intricate geometric patterns.

At times, they stretched into straight lines; at others, they curled into rings.

This was one of the chakra precision control exercises Tsunade had taught him.

It required him to maintain chakra's form and stability without relying on any physical medium.

Only after achieving sufficiently exquisite control would he qualify to learn more advanced Medical Ninjutsu.

And even Tsunade's Chakra Enhanced Strength, famed throughout the Ninja World.

Sweat slid down from his temples, but his breathing had become much steadier.

After the enhancement from his attribute points and the all-around improvement from advancing to Chunin.

His ability to sense and control chakra had indeed undergone a qualitative leap.

At this moment, he was immersed in the fulfillment brought by the subtle growth of his strength.

"Whoosh!"

The tent flap was violently thrown open without the slightest courtesy.

Several figures entered together.

Tianyi frowned slightly, dispersed the chakra between his palms, and slowly opened his eyes.

An old man dressed in the traditional attire of the Hyuga Main House stood before him, his expression stern and rigid.

His gaze swept across the somewhat shabby tent before finally settling on Tianyi, who had just risen to his feet.

"Hyuga Tianyi." Hinata Tokugen spoke in a tone that habitually issued commands.

"By order of the clan head, I have come to the frontlines to commend you. The clan has learned of your merits on the Land of Rain front."

Tianyi blinked, genuine confusion appearing on his face.

Who the hell is this old bastard? He barged in without even greeting me, and he acts like he owns the world?

He searched through his memories and confirmed that he had never met this person.

Seeing that Tianyi had not immediately bowed respectfully and instead wore a puzzled expression.

Hinata Tokugen's brow furrowed, anger rising within him.

A mere Branch House member dared show such an attitude before an elder of the Main House?

He had clearly grown wild outside. After earning some trivial merit, he had forgotten his place!

"Hyuga Tianyi!" Tokugen raised his voice, his tone filled with rebuke.

"You dare be so disrespectful upon meeting a Main House elder! Do you still have any regard for the clan rules?!"

Oh, someone from the Main House. Tianyi understood at once, and his confusion was instantly replaced by realization.

No wonder he was so arrogant. He was used to throwing his weight around in front of the Branch House.

The trace of confusion on his face disappeared.

"The clan's reward?" Tianyi's tone was flat, as though he were discussing something unrelated to himself.

"Then give it to me."

"Is there anything else? I'm training, so it isn't convenient for me to entertain guests."

That offhand attitude was blatant contempt for the authority of the Main House!

Elder Tokugen's brow twitched, and fury surged straight to his head.

He laughed in extreme anger. "Hyuga Tianyi, what kind of attitude is this?! You are a member of the Hyuga Branch House!!!

Your Byakugan, your life, everything you have belongs to the Main House! Put away that arrogant attitude of yours!"

Faced with this near-roaring accusation, Tianyi merely let out a soft "Oh."

Then he nodded and said in a tone of sudden understanding, "Mm-hm, I know I'm from the Branch House."

He paused, then looked up at Tokugen. His gaze was calm and still, yet it inexplicably made Tokugen's heart tighten.

"But," Tianyi said clearly and steadily, "I am also Lady Tsunade's disciple.

I'm not some stray cat or dog, nor can any nobody who crawls out of nowhere point fingers at me."

"Y-You insolent brat!" Elder Tokugen flew into a rage, his face instantly reddening!

He had never imagined that a Branch House brat would dare defy him like this, even invoking Tsunade to pressure him!

"Just as I thought! You earned a tiny bit of merit and received a little favor from outsiders, and now you've forgotten who you are.

You've forgotten who bestowed your power upon you, and forgotten what the Caged Bird is!"

In his fury, Tokugen stopped wasting words. He swiftly raised both hands, pressing his index and middle fingers together.

Caged Bird!

Just as his fingers were about to touch his forehead.

"You're too slow."

Tianyi's icy voice rang out.

Almost the instant his words fell!

"Whoosh—!!!"

A thin waterline shot out at tremendous speed from before the index finger of Tianyi's right hand, which hung at his side!

The activation time of the intermediate Waterline Slash had been compressed to under two seconds!

"Hyuga Tianyi! You dare?!" One of the Branch House guards beside Tokugen reacted the fastest.

Roaring, he drew a kunai and tried to step forward to block it, while the others moved at the same time.

But the waterline was too fast!

"Squelch!" "Squelch!" "Squelch!"

Several soft sounds rang out in succession, accompanied by brief screams!

The arms of the three Branch House guards charging at the front, the ones holding kunai.

Were cleanly severed at the elbows! Their kunai and severed arms hit the ground together, blood spraying everywhere!

The waterline did not stop after cutting through their arms. It abruptly changed direction.

It brushed past the right temple of Hinata Tokugen—

"Rip!"

With a soft sound, Elder Tokugen felt a chill at his right ear, followed by searing pain!

Stiffly, bit by bit, he turned his head. From the corner of his eye, he saw a small piece of his ear.

Mixed with blood, fall onto the clothing at his shoulder.

The waterline now hovered less than an inch before his left eye.

If it moved forward even slightly, it would pierce through his eyeball and even his brain.

Deathly silence filled the tent, broken only by the suppressed groans of the guards with severed arms.

Cold sweat instantly soaked Tokugen's back. All his previous rage, arrogance, and condescension froze away.

Only boundless terror and lingering fear remained.

The hand he had formed into a seal hung stiffly in midair, and he did not dare move even a fraction.

He feared that the slightest motion would get him killed on the spot.

All the remaining Branch House guards were pale-faced and did not dare take another step forward.

Their eyes were filled with horror as they looked at Tianyi. This Branch House member... he had truly dared to kill just now!

And he had the ability to do it!

Tianyi slowly lowered his right hand, and the suspended waterline gradually dispersed into the air.

He took two steps forward, his footsteps exceptionally clear within the silent tent.

He stopped before Hinata Tokugen, whose face was pale and whose entire body trembled faintly, then tilted his head slightly upward.

He looked at the Main House elder, who had been so imperious just moments ago.

"Elder of the Hyuga Clan's Main House." Tianyi's voice was not loud.

"Go back and tell whoever sent you, and tell everyone else who still harbors similar thoughts."

His gaze swept across the terrified Branch House guards supporting their companions with severed arms.

Then it settled once more on Tokugen's bloodless face.

"My merits, Hyuga Tianyi's merits, were earned by risking my life. My future will be decided by me.

Lady Tsunade is my teacher, and I respect her.

But my identity as a member of the Hyuga Branch House, and everything that comes with it..." He paused, and his voice suddenly turned cold.

"Including that so-called Caged Bird, has never been, and never will be, a reason for you to do whatever you please to me."

He leaned slightly closer and spoke word by word in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Next time, if you dare form that seal at me again..."

His gaze dropped to Tokugen's right ear, which was still bleeding profusely.

"...what falls off won't be something as simple as an ear."

After saying that, he did not spare the ashen-faced Tokugen another glance. He turned and walked back to where he had been training.

He sat down cross-legged again and closed his eyes, as though the counterattack just now had never happened.

"Get out." Two faint words.

The remaining Branch House guards felt as if they had been granted a pardon. In a panic, they began bandaging their companions' severed arms.

Then, trembling with fear, they helped up Elder Tokugen, who could barely stand.

They fled the tent in disarray and vanished from the frontline camp in disgrace.

The tent returned to silence, leaving behind only a faint scent of blood.

A moment later, the tent flap was gently lifted again.

Tsunade stood at the entrance with her arms folded, looking at Tianyi as he sat inside with his eyes closed.

There was no expression on her face, but something complicated flickered deep in her eyes.

"Actually, you didn't have to go that far," Tsunade said calmly.

"With me here, they wouldn't have dared do anything serious to you."

Tianyi slowly opened his eyes and looked at his teacher, a smile appearing on his face.

"Master, there are some things only I can do," he said seriously.

"Besides, if I spend my whole life relying only on your protection, wouldn't that make me... too weak? Hahaha."

Tsunade was briefly stunned. Then the corners of her lips curved upward. She lowered her arms and nodded.

"Fine." She turned to leave. "As long as you know what you're doing."

The moment her words fell, her figure vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.

Inside the tent, Tianyi's smile gradually faded.

He lowered his head and looked at the index finger of his right hand, the one that had just unleashed Waterline Slash.

His fingertip seemed to retain the faint numbness of chakra racing through it at high speed.

"This time, we're at the frontlines. They let their guard down, and I caught them off guard..." Tianyi murmured softly.

His gaze deepened. "But once I return to Leaf Village and stand on territory the Main House has controlled for centuries.

It won't be this simple anymore."

Hinata Tokugen's behavior today was merely the tip of the iceberg when it came to the Main House's attitude.

Testing, suppression, control... and perhaps even more drastic measures lay ahead.

The Caged Bird... that sword hanging over his head remained the greatest hidden danger.

Tokugen's actions had just proven that the Main House truly would use it against him.

Even if he was Tsunade's disciple, even if he had rendered great service.

"Relying solely on my current strength and the internal struggles within Leaf Village still isn't secure enough..."

"But I have powerful backing."