Promise to the Hyuga Clan

Chapter 42: Promise to the Hyuga Clan

While watching Naruto, I learned that the Hyuga Clan had a Kage Level expert during the Warring States Era, and I thought the Hyuga Clan was truly formidable.

But as the story progressed and all sorts 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 only so-so.

Especially after seeing the Uchiha Clan reveal a new Sharingan—the eye known as the Mangekyō Sharingan—looking back at the Hyuga Clan, they really did not have a single ninja worth mentioning.

So 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. As clans that both relied on ocular techniques, they were simply the little brother of little brothers compared to the Uchiha Clan.

Now that Hyuga Tennin had taught him a lesson, he finally understood that anyone who had made a name for themselves in the Warring States Era possessed genuine strength, regardless of what clan they came from.

When he arrived at Hyuga Tennin's home and experienced the Hyuga Clan's ancient and cumbersome etiquette, he felt that the Hyuga Clan really 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 tossed in, and it tasted worse than the iced black tea sold in supermarkets during the scorching summer.

Hyuga Tennin said, "That subordinate of yours has the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku as well, doesn't she? Has your Uchiha Clan already mastered a method for transplanting the Kaguya Clan's Kekkei Genkai? Aside from the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku, can the Kekkei Genkai of other ninja clans be transplanted?"

Uchiha Jobu was somewhat surprised. Ying had clearly never displayed her Shikotsumyaku, 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 was no way the Hyuga Clan could have intercepted such intelligence.

However.

Uchiha Jobu felt that there was something unusual in Hyuga Tennin's tone, as though he was trying to convey something. After thinking it over, he said, "Ying was a refugee. She did not have much talent as a ninja before, but after undergoing the experiment, she adapted to the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku. Only then did her talent as a ninja truly awaken."

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

The Shikotsumyaku and the Hagoromo Clan's Kekkei Genkai?

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

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 for transplanting the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku, while he was shocked, he wanted even more to know whether it could be used on other ninjas.

If this method could only be used to transplant the Shikotsumyaku and the Hagoromo Clan's Kekkei Genkai, then although its value would still be astonishing, it would not be enough for Hyuga Tennin to offer up the entire Hyuga Clan.

What Hyuga Tennin wanted was to obtain the 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 just the Shikotsumyaku.

Uchiha Jobu seemed to have guessed what Hyuga Tennin was thinking. He silently thought that people with ulterior motives had indeed remembered the intelligence from back then. He wondered how many clans aside from the Hyuga Clan had set their sights on the Shikotsumyaku that had appeared within the Uchiha Clan.

Of course, for the current Uchiha Clan, being watched 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 the supplies and logistical support. Fighting 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.

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

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

To put it plainly, the Uchiha Clan did not truly distinguish between a Main Family and a Branch Family. There were only differences in responsibilities.

But with the Hyuga Clan...

Uchiha Jobu frowned. If his guess was confirmed and the Hyuga Clan truly joined the Uchiha Clan's side, then only the Branch Family would be able to contribute. The Hyuga clansmen of the Main Family would absolutely not take to the battlefield easily.

Strategically, the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan was highly useful, but if they were only Branch Family ninjas, they would not be worth much in terms of combat strength.

Just as Uchiha Jobu's thoughts were wandering, 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 Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai?"

Ying had obtained the Shikotsumyaku by transplanting genes from a Kaguya Clan ninja.

But before Ying succeeded, more than fifty people Uchiha Jobu had selected from among the refugees 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 certainly damage their vitality. Especially since it was certain that the Hyuga Clan wanted to draw closer to the Uchiha Clan. In Uchiha Jobu's view, the Hyuga Clan's overall combat strength should not suffer any losses.

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

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

"If your Hyuga Clan can truly align itself with the Uchiha Clan, I can make the decision to produce a Hyuga ninja with the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai for you."

"Only one?"

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

There was a huge gap from what he had expected, but for the Hyuga Clan, being able to cultivate a top-tier ninja who possessed both the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan and the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku was worth it even if the sacrifices were great.

Because in the Ninja World of the Warring States Era, only when a clan had powerful ninjas protecting it would the wolfish, tiger-like greedy gazes of the world not turn toward it.

Every generation of the Uchiha Clan's leaders had been Clan Leader Tier experts—Elite Jonin—so the Uchiha Clan's prestige could spread widely throughout the Ninja World.

The only clan capable of standing on equal footing with the Uchiha Clan was the Senju Clan. The other ninja clans were neither qualified nor capable of cultivating Clan Leader Tier experts.