A Promise to the Hyuga

A Promise to the Hyuga

When watching the Naruto storyline, people learned that the Hyuga Clan had a Kage-level powerhouse during the Warring States Period and felt that the Hyuga Clan was truly formidable.

But as the story progressed and all kinds of powerful figures appeared one after another, the Kage who had once been capable of leading the major villages sounded impressive, but their actual strength was nothing special.

Especially after seeing the Uchiha Clan reveal a new Sharingan, an eye called the Mangekyō Sharingan, looking back at the Hyuga Clan made it seem as though they did not even have a ninja worth mentioning.

Thus, many Naruto readers looked down on the Hyuga Clan from the bottom of their hearts. They called themselves Konoha's strongest clan, yet did not even have an elite jonin. They were also a clan that relied on ocular techniques, but compared to the Uchiha, they were utterly inferior.

Now that Hyuga Tennin had taught him a lesson, he finally understood that anyone who had made a name for themselves during the Warring States Period possessed real strength, regardless of their clan.

Upon arriving at Hyuga Tennin's home and experiencing the Hyuga Clan's ancient, cumbersome etiquette, he felt the Hyuga Clan simply had too much time on their hands. Even drinking a cup of tea came with more than a dozen rules.

He could not taste anything special in the tea. It was like boiled water with two leaves thrown in, and it did not even taste as good as bottled iced tea bought from a supermarket during a scorching summer.

Hyuga Tennin said, "That subordinate of yours has also obtained the Kaguya Clan's Dead Bone Pulse, correct? Has your Uchiha Clan already mastered a method of transplanting the Kaguya Clan's Kekkei Genkai? Other than the Kaguya Clan's Dead Bone Pulse, can the Kekkei Genkai of other ninja clans be transplanted as well?"

Uchiha Shangwu was somewhat surprised. Ying had clearly never displayed the Dead Bone Pulse, so how could Hyuga Tennin have known? Even if she had used it while fighting the Chinoike Clan in the Land of Lightning, that had not been in the Land of Fire. There should have been no way for the Hyuga Clan to intercept that intelligence.

However.

Uchiha Shangwu felt that Hyuga Tennin's tone was rather unusual, as though he was trying to convey something. After giving it some thought, he said, "Ying was a refugee. She did not have much ninja talent before, but after undergoing the experiment, she adapted to the Kaguya Clan's Dead Bone Pulse, and only then did her talent as a ninja truly awaken."

"So far, there have only been successful cases involving the Dead Bone Pulse and the Hagoromo Clan's Kekkei Genkai that controls the form and direction of ninjutsu. We have not tried the others yet."

The Dead Bone Pulse and the Hagoromo Clan's Kekkei Genkai?

Could the Kekkei Genkai of other ninja clans not be transplanted, or had they truly just not tried?

Countless thoughts flashed through Hyuga Tennin's mind as he analyzed and speculated. Although he had confirmed that the Uchiha Clan truly possessed a method to transplant the Kaguya Clan's Dead Bone Pulse, his astonishment only made him want to know more urgently whether it could be used on other ninjas.

If this method could only be used to transplant the Dead Bone Pulse and the Kekkei Genkai possessed by the Hagoromo Clan, its value would still be astonishing, but in Hyuga Tennin's eyes, it would no longer be enough to justify giving up the entire Hyuga Clan.

What Hyuga Tennin wanted was to obtain a method of transplanting Kekkei Genkai from the Uchiha Clan. The prerequisite was determining exactly which Kekkei Genkai abilities could be transplanted; it could not possibly be limited to the Dead Bone Pulse alone.

Uchiha Shangwu seemed to have guessed what Hyuga Tennin was thinking. He secretly thought that the old intelligence had indeed been remembered by those with ulterior motives. He wondered how many clans besides the Hyuga Clan had their eyes on the Dead Bone Pulse that had appeared within the Uchiha Clan.

Of course, for the current Uchiha, being targeted by other ninja clans was no big deal. The clan's combat strength would only grow stronger and stronger, while the Branch Family would keep up with all supplies and logistical support. Even going to war with a major clan at the same time would not be a problem.

Within the Hyuga Clan, the Main Family and Branch Family differed in status and identity.

Within the Uchiha Clan, the Main Family and Branch Family were more like a division of duties. Those born with the talent to become ninjas were part of the Uchiha Clan's Main Family, and they would grow up to fight for the clan in every direction.

Those without ninja talent, or whose abilities were insufficient, were defined as Branch Family members who provided logistical support for the Uchiha Clan.

To put it bluntly, there was no true distinction between the Main Family and Branch Family within the Uchiha Clan. There were only differences in responsibility.

But here in the Hyuga Clan...

Uchiha Shangwu frowned. If his suspicions were truly confirmed and the Hyuga Clan joined the Uchiha side, the Hyuga Clan would only be able to contribute its Branch Family. The Hyuga of the Main Family would absolutely not easily take to the battlefield.

Strategically, the Hyuga Byakugan was highly useful, but if they were only Branch Family ninjas, then in terms of combat power, they had little value.

Just as Uchiha Shangwu was letting his thoughts run wild, Hyuga Tennin across from him spoke. "If the Hyuga Clan joins the war between the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan, can we obtain the Uchiha Clan's method for transplanting the Kaguya Clan's Dead Bone Pulse Kekkei Genkai?"

Ying had gained the Dead Bone Pulse by transplanting genes from a Kaguya Clan ninja.

But before Ying succeeded, more than fifty refugees selected by Uchiha Shangwu had died without a single success.

The success rate was truly low.

So, should he share this method with the Hyuga Clan?

The Hyuga Clan had many ninjas. Losing one or two hundred would not cripple them, but it would definitely weaken their foundations. Especially since it was certain that the Hyuga Clan wanted to align themselves with the Uchiha. In Uchiha Shangwu's view, the Hyuga Clan's overall combat strength should not suffer losses.

Shaking his head, Uchiha Shangwu said in a deep voice, "This method is too cruel, and its success rate is very low. It is not yet suitable for everyone to use."

"Not even if the Hyuga Clan fully aligns itself with the Uchiha Clan?"

"If your Hyuga Clan can truly align itself with the Uchiha, I can make the decision to give you a Hyuga ninja with the Dead Bone Pulse Kekkei Genkai."

"Only one?"

"The success rate of the current method is truly too low. Out of more than fifty test subjects, I only cultivated my maid Ying into someone with the Dead Bone Pulse. If I promise to cultivate one ninja with the Dead Bone Pulse for the Hyuga Clan, you must also be prepared for the Hyuga Clan to suffer many sacrifices."

It fell far short of expectations, but for the Hyuga Clan, being able to cultivate one top-tier ninja who possessed both the Hyuga Byakugan and the Kaguya Clan's Dead Bone Pulse would be worthwhile even at great cost.

Because in the Ninja World of the Warring States Period, only clans protected by powerful ninjas could avoid drawing the greedy gazes of wolves and tigers.

Every generation of Uchiha Clan head had been a powerhouse at the level of a great clan head, an elite jonin. That was why the Uchiha Clan's fame had spread far and wide throughout the Ninja World.

The only clan capable of standing on equal footing with the Uchiha Clan was the Senju Clan. No other ninja clan was qualified, nor did they have the ability to cultivate a powerhouse at the level of a great clan head.