Emerging Edge

Several days later, at the front-line camp.

Hinata Tianyi sat cross-legged inside his tent, his eyes lightly closed and his focus absolute.

His palms faced each other, about a foot apart.

Strands of pale blue chakra, like living threads,

darted lightly between his hands, intertwining and weaving themselves into complex geometric patterns.

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

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

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

Only by achieving sufficiently exquisite control could he qualify to learn more advanced medical ninjutsu,

or even Tsunade's famous monstrous strength technique.

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

Thanks to the enhancement from his attribute points and the overall improvement brought by advancing to Chunin,

his perception and control of chakra had indeed undergone a qualitative leap.

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

"Rustle!"

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

Several figures entered together.

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

Before him stood an old man dressed in the traditional attire of the Hyuga Main House, his face stern and rigid.

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

"Hinata Tianyi." Hinata Tokugen spoke in his usual commanding tone.

"By order of the clan head, I have come to the front lines to reward you. The clan has learned of your achievements on the Land of Rain front line."

Tianyi blinked, genuine confusion appearing on his face.

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

He searched through his memories and confirmed that he did not know this person.

Seeing that Tianyi not only failed to bow respectfully at once, but instead wore a puzzled expression,

Hinata Tokugen's brows drew together as anger rose in his heart.

A mere member of the Branch House dared show such an attitude before a Main House elder who had come in person?

As expected, he had grown wild outside. He had earned a bit of insignificant merit and already forgotten his place!

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

"How dare you be so disrespectful before a Main House elder! Do you still have any regard for the clan's rules and discipline?!"

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

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

The last trace of confusion vanished from his face.

"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's not convenient for me to entertain guests."

That casual attitude was nothing less than blatant contempt for the Main House's authority!

Elder Tokugen's brow twitched sharply as anger surged straight to his head.

He laughed in fury. "Hinata 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 ignorant, overconfident attitude of yours!"

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

Then he nodded, speaking as though he had suddenly understood. "Mm-hmm, I know I'm a member of the Branch House."

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

"But," Tianyi said in a clear, steady voice, "I am also Lady Tsunade's disciple.

I'm not some stray cat or dog that any nobody crawling out of nowhere can order around."

"Y-You insolent brat!" Elder Tokugen flew into a rage, his face flushing crimson in an instant!

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

"Just as I thought! You gained a little trivial merit and earned a little favor from outsiders, and now you've forgotten your identity.

You've forgotten who granted you your power, and you've 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 sounded.

Almost the instant his words fell!

"Whoosh—!!!"

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

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

"Hinata Tianyi! How dare you!!!" One Branch House guard beside Tokugen reacted the fastest.

He roared as he drew a kunai and tried to rush forward to block it, while the others moved at the same time.

However, the waterline was too fast!

"Pfft!" "Pfft!" "Pfft!"

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 elbow! Their kunai and severed arms fell to the ground together, blood spraying everywhere!

The waterline did not lose momentum. After severing the three arms, it suddenly changed direction.

It skimmed past Hinata Tokugen's right temple—

"Ssshh!"

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

Stiffly, inch by inch, 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 advanced even a fraction farther, it would pierce through his eyeball and even his brain.

The tent fell deathly silent, leaving only the suppressed, agonized groans of the guards with severed arms.

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

Only boundless fear and lingering dread remained.

The hand forming his seal froze in midair, and he did not dare move even slightly.

He feared that the smallest movement would get him killed on the spot.

Every Branch House guard still standing had gone pale 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 hovering waterline gradually dissipated into the air.

He took two steps forward, his footsteps unusually distinct in the silent tent.

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

He looked at the Main House elder who had been so high and mighty moments ago.

"Hyuga Clan Main House elder." Tianyi's voice was not loud.

"Go back and tell the person who sent you, and tell everyone else who has similar ideas."

His gaze swept over the terrified Branch House guards supporting their injured companions.

Finally, it settled once more on Tokugen's bloodless face.

"My achievements, Hinata Tianyi's achievements, were earned by risking my life. My future will be decided by myself.

Teacher Tsunade is my mentor, and I respect her.

But my identity as a member of the Hyuga Branch House, along with everything attached to it..." He paused, and his tone 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 in slightly 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 fell upon Tokugen's right ear, still bleeding without stop.

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

"Get out." Two calm words.

The remaining Branch House guards felt as though they had been granted amnesty. They hurriedly bandaged their companions' severed arms.

Then, trembling with fear, they supported Elder Tokugen, who could barely remain standing.

They fled the tent in disgrace and vanished from the front-line camp.

The tent returned to silence, leaving only a faint smell 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.

Her face showed little expression, but there was a trace of complexity deep in her eyes.

"Actually, you didn't need to go this far," Tsunade said calmly.

"With me here, they wouldn't dare truly do anything to you."

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

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

"And if I spend my whole life thinking only of relying on your protection, then wouldn't I... be too weak? Hahaha."

Tsunade was briefly stunned. Then the corners of her lips curled 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 in a Body Flicker.

Inside the tent, the smile on Tianyi's face gradually faded.

He lowered his head and looked at the right index finger he had used to cast Waterline Slash.

His fingertip seemed to retain the faint numbness of chakra rapidly flowing through it.

"This was the front lines. They let their guard down, and I caught them off guard..." Tianyi murmured softly.

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

it won't be so simple."

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

Testing, suppression, control... and perhaps even harsher measures were likely still to come.

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

Tokugen's actions just now had already 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 only on my current strength and the internal struggle within Leaf Village isn't secure enough..."

"But I have backing."