Youth had the edge in a fight

After forming the Seal of Confrontation, Zou Hyuga assumed the opening stance of the Gentle Fist and looked straight at Hyuga Yu.

They had been training like this for years. After all, Zou Hyuga had no parents, and apart from what he had learned at the Ninja Academy, everything he knew about being a ninja had been taught to him by Hyuga Yu.

Not daring to let his guard down, Zou Hyuga advanced cautiously with the footwork of the Gentle Fist and activated his Byakugan.

Naturally, he could not use senjutsu in a fight with family. Zou Hyuga did not want to reveal that he could use it, either, but the Byakugan was fair game.

Thump! Thump!

The two white-clad figures closed in on each other in an instant, exchanging more than a dozen blows in a matter of moments.

Since both possessed the Byakugan, every strike targeted a vital point.

As Zou Hyuga did his utmost to evade the Gentle Fist's attempts to seal his chakra points, he searched for an opening in Hyuga Yu's defense. As long as he managed to force his opponent back, he would win this training bout.

But without using senjutsu, that was very, very difficult.

Hyuga Yu was one of the clan's elite jonin. He had said he would only use the strength of a chunin, but his perception and experience remained unchanged.

Even in his old age, he was not an opponent Zou Hyuga could underestimate.

Thump! Thump!

Feeling the force behind those fists and palms, Zou Hyga marveled inwardly at Hyuga Yu's strength as he was forced several steps backward.

The Gentle Fist's name did not mean its blows were truly gentle. It merely emphasized unpredictable, ever-changing strikes.

The force behind them was still terrifying. By his estimate, a single palm strike from his uncle Hyuga Yu could shatter a rock, let alone a ninja's body.

That was precisely why the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist could claim to be the foremost taijutsu in the shinobi world.

Zou Hyuga had little objection to that claim. Although he remembered the forbidden Eight Gates Release being more powerful than the Gentle Fist, its strength was fleeting. In terms of fame and versatility, it fell far short of the Gentle Fist.

Shifting his feet, Zou Hyuga retreated a few steps and went on the defensive.

He used his Byakugan to see the flow of chakra inside Hyuga Yu's body and prepare his defenses in advance.

His mastery of the Gentle Fist was naturally inferior to Hyuga Yu's, but youth had the edge in a fight, and he held a considerable advantage in stamina.

After more than ten minutes of fighting, Hyuga Yu began to tire.

Zou Hyuga made several probing feints, then aimed a sneak attack at the side of his waist.

The elderly Hyuga Yu tried to counter with the Eight Trigrams Palm, but he was too late. Instinctively, he used Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin to defend himself.

A whirlwind rose from the ground, knocking the attacking Zou Hyuga several meters back.

A deep, curved crater also appeared in the ground where they had fought, a testament to the force of Zou Hyuga's attack.

Looking at the marks left on the ground, Hyuga Yu waved a hand. Their first sparring match in several weeks had once again ended in his defeat.

Ever since he had lost to Zou Hyuga's underhanded tactics two years ago, he had never won again. Every time, he was forced to use Rotation.

The strength he allowed himself to use had also risen from genin level to jonin level. Every sparring match was a test of Zou Hyuga's strength.

Yet even after completing his training and reaching the highest levels of Gentle Fist mastery within the clan, Zou Hyuga still had no intention of becoming a chunin.

Still, given how cautious he was, he should be able to work out how to use Rotation through their repeated bouts.

Rotation was a secret technique of the Main Family and could only be taught to its members. This was the only way Hyuga Yu could pass it on.

After forcing his uncle to defend with Rotation, the panting Zou Hyuga formed the Seal of Reconciliation with him, marking the end of their sparring match.

He had long since guessed Hyuga Yu's intentions and had mastered the secret Rotation technique through their repeated practice.

But he rarely had the opportunity to use it. Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin was a closely guarded secret of the Main Family, capable of defending against ninjutsu and taijutsu attacks from every direction.

Still, Zou Hyuga had always felt that using the Byakugan for close combat wasted its capabilities.

If not for his lack of talent in ninjutsu, he would have wanted to develop a set of long-range lightning release ninjutsu, something like a railgun.

Wasn't long-range combat tempting enough?

Unfortunately, he had no talent for ninjutsu. He could only fight alongside Oto Uchiha, his useful helper, and help her develop new techniques.

After their sparring match, a sweat-drenched Zou Hyuga returned home, took a medicinal bath, and drifted off to sleep.

Without those medicinal baths, he would never have been able to keep practicing the Gentle Fist as a child.

A few days later, early in the morning.

Zou Hyuga left home and headed for the mission center. He planned to pick up a D-rank mission and spend another ordinary day as a genin.

But the bustle within the clan caught his attention.

In the strictly hierarchical Hyuga Clan, everyone followed the rules. Such lively scenes were rare.

After asking around a little, Zou Hyuga learned the reason for the excitement.

The clan head Hiashi's younger brother, Hizashi, had welcomed a child-a boy. The birth of a newborn was indeed something worth celebrating.

"Hizashi's child... is that Neji?"

Zou Hyuga murmured to himself, remembering that strong-willed child. In terms of talent, Neji might have been the best the Hyuga Clan had produced in decades. Unfortunately, as a member of the Branch Family, he still could not escape the fate imposed by the Caged Bird Seal.

At that thought, Zou Hyuga touched the blue-green mark on his forehead. He, too, was bound by the Caged Bird Seal.

Could a life bound by the Caged Bird Seal really be called free?

If only I could break the Caged Bird Seal...

Sorry... His thoughts had wandered back to that haven in the Land of Iron. The Land of Snow and the Land of Demons seemed like good options, too.

After lingering in the clan grounds for a while and delivering his congratulations and a gift to Hizashi's home, Zou Hyuga set off for the mission center.

A short while later.

In the open space outside the mission center, Oto Uchiha stood on tiptoe and looked around. Only after spotting Zou Hyuga did a faint smile appear on her face.

Zou Hyuga scratched his head and said apologetically, "Sorry. There was a happy occasion in the clan, so I'm late."

"It's fine. I only just got here myself," Oto Uchiha said, pretending to be casual. In truth, she had already been waiting there for an hour.

Zou Hyuga glanced at Oto Uchiha, knowing she had been waiting for quite some time.

He might have to buy her a new shuriken as a gift later.

Oto Uchiha was one of the few ninja who shared his cautious outlook. Zou Hyuga did not want their relationship to fall apart. If it did, he might have no one willing to team up with him.

Other people thought he was far too cautious, and no ninja would willingly keep taking D-rank missions forever.

"All right, let's go pick a D-rank mission. I'll need your help with the ninjutsu later, too. Sorry for the trouble."

"Sure..." Oto Uchiha nodded, then tilted her head and asked, "Zou, what was that happy occasion you mentioned?"

"Lord Hizashi of our clan had a child, a boy..." Zou Hyuga answered casually.

"That really is good news..." After a pause, Oto Uchiha recalled what had happened the day before and said, "Speaking of which, I ran into our clan's genius, Shisui, yesterday. I thought he seemed a little strange."

"Shisui Uchiha!" Zou Hyuga stopped walking and turned to Oto Uchiha. "You're right. That guy really is a little strange. We'd be better off staying away from him and just being genin in peace."

Although Oto Uchiha did not understand, she still nodded.

So far, Zou Hyuga had never steered her wrong.