A request

Hatake Sakumo?

Yui was a little stunned. She had only come out to train her chakra control, yet she had run into the future legendary White Fang of Konoha!

"Are you... okay?"

Hatake Sakumo looked at the little girl before him in confusion.

Why was she staring at him with her Byakugan, veins bulging around her eyes?

It was pretty creepy!

"Oh... sorry!" Coming back to her senses, Yui realized she had been rude. She deactivated her Byakugan and apologized. "Sorry, that was rude of me."

"My name is Yui Hyuga..."

Yui Hyuga? That's a pretty nice name.

"By the way, why did you come here alone at night to train?"

Hatake Sakumo found it a little strange. If she wanted to train, shouldn't she go to Konoha's training grounds?

What could she train here?

Of course, he wasn't including himself in that. After all, he was a clone right now.

Yui's face darkened at his question. He was one to talk.

"I came to train my chakra control."

Hatake Sakumo looked puzzled.

"Chakra control? What's that?"

After all, he was still an Academy student, so it was perfectly normal for him not to know about things like this.

Hearing Hatake Sakumo's question, Yui thought for a while.

Only after a long pause did she explain to him what chakra control could do.

"So that's how it works..." After hearing Yui's explanation, Hatake Sakumo finally understood its benefits.

"Aren't you afraid I'll steal your training method now that you've told me?" Hatake Sakumo asked in confusion.

He found it strange. Why would she tell him something so important?

They had known each other for less than thirty minutes!

Yui smiled at his question, then said, "It's not really a secret. Even if you don't know about it now, you'll learn about it eventually."

"If you can learn it from just the few scraps you've heard, that means you're a genius."

"And if you're that kind of genius, consider it a favor."

After hearing that, Hatake Sakumo fell silent for a moment.

A long while later, he finally spoke. "Thanks..."

He really did know what to do now, and he was itching to give it a try.

But this clone of his was about to disappear.

"By the way, will you be attending the Jonin Academy?"

He would be going to the Jonin Academy tomorrow. It would be nice if they were in the same class.

"No..." Yui replied. She wanted to go, too, but there was nothing she could do.

Hatake Sakumo looked a little disappointed at her answer.

In the faint night light, he could make out the green Cursed Seal on her forehead.

A genius was destined to wither away within a stubborn clan.

"Ah..." He couldn't help sighing.

Now he felt sorry for her. The Hyuga Clan's traditions were notorious throughout Konoha.

Suddenly, he felt a sense of emptiness inside his body.

"Not good..." he muttered a curse.

He hadn't retrieved his sword yet. Throwing it earlier had used up too much chakra.

Now he was out of time.

Just as he was about to say something to Yui-

Poof!

After a puff of smoke, Hatake Sakumo vanished before her eyes.

Yui stared blankly at the spot where Hatake Sakumo had disappeared.

"That explains it..." Earlier, she had sensed his unstable chakra through her Byakugan.

She had wondered about that. It turned out he was a Shadow Clone!

He had already learned the Shadow Clone technique before even starting at the Jonin Academy!

He truly lived up to his future reputation as the White Fang of Konoha.

Based on the chakra flow she had observed with her Byakugan earlier, perhaps she could try using the Shadow Clone technique, too.

After all, she knew the hand seals.

But she had a problem now.

She stared at the short sword by her feet, her mind going blank.

Isn't this the weapon that made the White Fang of Konoha famous?

He seemed to have forgotten to take it with him.

Yui stood there for a while, waiting for him to come back and retrieve his sword.

But no one came. She glanced at the sky, then went off to train.

A pale band of light appeared along the distant horizon.

Dawn was coming. Yui stopped training. She had to hurry back to the clan before daybreak.

After all that practice, she could now stand steadily on a tree trunk.

Her training on water, however, still hadn't made any progress at all.

She looked at the short sword in her hand. He hadn't come back all night.

She had to go home now, and Hatake Sakumo still hadn't arrived, so she would hold on to it for him.

With that thought, she hurried toward the Hyuga Clan compound.

At the Hyuga Main Family...

Knock, knock, knock!

"Clan head, Nai Hyuga has an important request..."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Only after a long pause did a voice come from inside.

"Come in!"

Entering the room, Nai Hyuga saw a stern-looking young man seated on the floor.

"Oh, it's little Nai. Aren't you supposed to report to the Ninja Academy today? What brings you to your uncle?"

Nai Hyuga walked up to the young man and knelt before him.

The young man's name was Hyuga Feng, and he was the head of the Hyuga Main Family.

"Clan... head... Nai Hyuga has a request..."

Nai Hyuga seemed nervous in front of him, even stumbling over her words.

"This is about that little girl from the branch family, isn't it?"

Hyuga Feng seemed to have seen through her.

"Last time, you begged for her to learn the Chakra Method reserved for the Main Family. What is it this time?"

"Do you want me to remove her Caged Bird Seal?" Hyuga Feng asked calmly.

Nai Hyuga hurriedly shook her head. "No..."

"I want her to attend the Academy with me..."

"And she's really talented. In just a few months, her basic Gentle Fist Taijutsu is already about to surpass mine."

"Hah..." Hyuga Feng didn't believe that last claim.

After all, Nai Hyuga was the greatest genius the Hyuga Clan had produced in a hundred years. She had awakened her Byakugan at just three years old.

She was six now, and her future held boundless promise. If he had no children of his own, she would probably become the next clan head.

"It's true..." Seeing his disbelief, Nai Hyuga hurried to explain. "She really is talented."

"If you don't believe me, you can test her..."

"Oh...?" Seeing the certainty in the little girl's eyes, Hyuga Feng grew a little interested.

"All right. As long as she passes my assessment, I'll submit a request to the Third..."

"If she fails, she'll stay in the branch family and grow up there like a good girl!" Hyuga Feng added pointedly, "But even if she passes, she must return to the clan after graduating from the Academy and contribute to it..."

Nai Hyuga was excited when he agreed, but her eyes dimmed again at his last words.

Still, she had at least secured Yui a chance to attend the Jonin Academy. That way, she could stay by her side.

For some reason, she always felt something inexplicable toward Yui.

"All right, you may leave!"

"Tell her the assessment will be this afternoon!"

"She just needs to come to the training grounds."

Seeing that there was no room left for discussion, Nai Hyuga obediently withdrew.