26-30

*Chapter 26: As a Father, I Thank You*

Hiashi Hyūga’s sharp gaze focused on Touji.

There was no time to dwell on what had happened before. Hiashi's mind had a singular goal: to find a way to bring Touji into the Hyūga clan.

Although the Hyūga clan was currently the strongest family in Konoha, in reality, Hiashi was the only one at the top.

One could say that the Hyūga clan's reputation was built entirely on the strength of their Byakugan.

But after seeing Touji, Hiashi saw hope.

If someone could train Hinata Hyūga, a timid girl, to become as strong as she is now, then bringing this person into the Hyūga clan could surely elevate it to new heights.

Then the unfortunate incident with his brother would never happen again.

"Kakashi, this boy seems close to you, doesn't he? If you let him marry into the Hyūga clan, I’ll help smooth over your... issues."

Kakashi Hatake shuddered.

Ever since Kakashi left the Anbu, he had been under surveillance constantly, even while using the bathroom or taking a bath. He could feel the hostile gazes.

Especially after he last left the village, he had been surrounded by a dozen shinobi.

Kakashi feared that he wouldn't die by the hands of enemy shinobi while on a mission, but by his own village.

Hiashi Hyūga was one of the few people who could resolve this situation. It would be a lie to say Kakashi wasn’t tempted.

"Sorry, but you’ll have to ask him yourself."

Hiashi frowned slightly, a little displeased, but still accepted the answer.

He then continued observing Touji.

Meanwhile, Hinata Hyūga was growing more confused. Touji didn’t seem to be fighting her at all—he was completely instructing her.

Moreover, Touji appeared to be very familiar with her fighting style, reacting to her every move and offering corrections.

But when she thought about it, Touji hadn't done anything too over the top—except for the final move that had made her a little mad.

"Touji, could there be some misunderstanding between us?"

*Ding! Hinata Hyūga’s favorability increased by one point! Current favorability: 31 points! Alert!*

Touji frowned. He hadn’t expected Hinata to be so perceptive.

Even the final warning strike had lost its intended effect; it seemed unlikely he could continue the battle.

But his main goal had already been achieved.

Just as Touji was about to explain, three figures suddenly appeared.

"Father! Why are you here?"

Hinata's face turned bright red. After all, what excuse could a girl give for meeting a man in the woods late at night? It was improper, no matter the reason.

Especially considering what had just happened—her strict father would definitely be disappointed in her.

"Father, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have come out alone."

Hiashi silently stared at his daughter for a long time before slowly speaking, "Hinata, you’ve grown."

"I’m sorry, Father. I’ve let you—" Hinata started to respond out of habit but then realized something was off. She looked up and saw her father smiling at her, a smile she hadn’t seen since she was a child.

"Father..."

"Hinata, you did wonderfully!"

Hiashi’s gentle words surprised Hinata so much that she couldn’t control her emotions.

This time, she didn’t blush. Instead, tears streamed down her face.

Hinata had always sought her father’s approval but had never succeeded.

That’s why she had developed a special fondness, even admiration, for Naruto Uzumaki, who was always optimistic and full of energy.

But at this moment, Hinata no longer needed to admire anyone else—because she was the happiest person right now.

She kept wiping her tears with her sleeves, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

Seeing this, Hiashi’s heart ached inexplicably.

Hiashi began to question whether his strict parenting had been a mistake. His daughter had always worked so hard, longing for his approval.

This battle had completely awakened him.

Hiashi then turned to Touji with grateful eyes and bowed slightly.

"As a father, I want to thank you."

*Boom!*

Hinata felt like she’d been struck by lightning, the sound of thunder echoing in her mind.

Why was her father thanking him?

Had her father known everything from the beginning?

Had Touji intended to help her all along?

During the fight, Hinata had sensed something was off, and now, with her father’s words, all her suspicions grew stronger.

Hinata felt a surge of anger. Why hadn’t Touji just said something from the start?

She regretted it now—she had hit Touji with a palm strike earlier. She wondered if it still hurt.

Hinata felt confused. She didn’t know how to face Touji anymore.

*Ding! Hinata Hyūga’s favorability increased by 30 points! Current favorability: 61 points!*

*Ding! Hinata Hyūga’s favorability increased by one point! Current favorability: 62 points!*

*Ding! Hinata Hyūga’s favorability increased by one point! Current favorability: 63 points!*

...

*Ding! Hinata Hyūga’s favorability increased by one point! Current favorability: 73 points! You can now sign in!*

*Ding! Hiashi Hyūga’s favorability increased by five points! Current favorability: 64 points! You can now sign in!*

Touji’s eyes lit up.

Not only had Hinata’s favorability risen, but surprisingly, Hiashi’s and Might Guy’s had also increased.

Might Guy’s favorability had even reached 91 points.

The higher the favorability, the harder it was to increase, so this rapid progress was beyond Touji’s expectations.

"Sign in for Hiashi Hyūga, Hinata Hyūga, and Might Guy!"

*Ding! Signed in for Hiashi Hyūga! You have acquired the Transformation Jutsu! Favorability increased by five points! Current favorability: 69 points! You can now sign in again!*

*Ding! Signed in for Hiashi Hyūga! You have acquired the Shuriken Jutsu! Favorability increased by four points! Current favorability: 73 points! You can now sign in again!*

*Ding! Since you already possess the Shuriken Jutsu, the lower-level skill will be converted into experience for the higher level!*

*Ding! Signed in for Hiashi Hyūga! You have acquired the Gentle Fist! Favorability increased by three points! Current favorability: 76 points!*

*Ding! Since you already possess the Gentle Fist, the lower-level skill will be converted into experience for the higher level!*

*Ding! Signed in for Hinata Hyūga! You have acquired the Body Flicker Technique! Favorability increased by three points! Current favorability: 76 points!*

*Ding! Since you already possess the Body Flicker Technique, the lower-level skill will be converted into experience for the higher level!*

*Ding! Signed in for Might Guy! You have acquired the Eight Gates! Favorability increased by one point! Current favorability: 92 points!*

*A new journey begins! Shower me with your recommendation votes!*

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 27: Arrogance*

Monday had Touji feeling over the moon.

Several basic ninja techniques had improved dramatically, especially the Body Flicker Technique. Touji couldn’t even imagine how fast he could become! And he had drawn the nearly godlike ability, the Eight Gates.

It’s worth noting that when all eight gates are opened, it’s a move powerful enough to end battles outright—just imagining himself kicking Uchiha Madara into the air felt awesome.

However, the Eight Gates were techniques that harmed both the enemy and the user, so Touji didn’t dare to use them recklessly.

Just as Touji was caught up in his excitement, Hyuga Hiashi coughed, pulling him back to reality.

“Kid, as a father, I appreciate you teaching Hinata well, but now let’s talk about what happened earlier—and about the Gentle Fist technique!”

Touji’s heart sank.

There’s no way out of this!

Flirting with someone’s daughter? Death sentence!

Stealing the Gentle Fist technique? Death sentence!

The worst part was that Touji had no idea how to explain himself.

He couldn’t very well say that he was just joking with Hinata earlier, and that he happened to pick up a book on the Gentle Fist technique lying by the roadside.

Even Touji wouldn’t believe such a story.

As Touji was trying to figure out how to explain, Hinata tugged on Hiashi’s hand and began to shake it.

“Father, don’t be so harsh, okay?”

Hiashi felt a headache coming on. Now he truly understood the phrase "a daughter is destined to be lost to others."

But Hiashi hadn’t planned on punishing Touji too harshly.

After all, talent like his was best befriended, not alienated.

“Alright, since Hinata’s speaking on your behalf, I won’t hold those two things against you. But I have one condition: teach the members of the Hyuga clan the Gentle Fist technique!”

Touji didn’t react much to these words, but both Kakashi and Guy trembled.

Though "teacher" sounded like a simple title, the benefits that came with it were far from ordinary.

If this truly happened, then every member of the Hyuga clan would call Touji "teacher."

This meant that from now on, the Hyuga clan would always have Touji’s back.

As long as Touji didn’t betray the Leaf Village, the village wouldn’t dare do anything to him.

Seeing Touji hesitate, Kakashi and Guy desperately hoped he would accept the offer or that Hiashi would let him off the hook.

Touji hesitated for a moment, then shook his head slightly.

“I refuse!”

Everyone present shuddered.

Such a favorable condition, and Touji had actually rejected it! Anyone else, even without such favorable terms, would have been forced to accept.

After all, Hiashi was the head of the Hyuga clan.

And the Hyuga clan was the most powerful family in the Leaf Village!

Offending the Hyuga clan was like offending half the village, while pleasing them would ensure smooth sailing in the future.

Kakashi and Guy were torn between hoping Touji would change his mind and praying Hiashi wouldn’t hold this against him.

“If you’re willing to teach our clan, I’ll find a way to get you a Byakugan! And—” Hiashi glanced at Hinata.

“Byakugan!”

Even the always-calm Kakashi lost his composure at the mention of the Byakugan.

The Byakugan was the Hyuga clan’s bloodline limit, and also its greatest secret.

To prevent the Byakugan from being leaked, the clan had branded the branch family with the Caged Bird seal. If their eyes were ever removed, the Byakugan would self-destruct.

Because of the seal, the Byakugan from the branch family was no longer perfect.

This showed just how seriously the Hyuga clan took the Byakugan.

And now, as the head of the clan, Hiashi had just promised to give Touji a Byakugan.

This was completely unprecedented.

If word got out, it would cause a seismic shift in the Leaf Village.

Touji smiled wryly.

The Byakugan was no doubt the dream of any taijutsu ninja, but Touji wasn’t particularly eager for it.

After all, as long as he improved his favorability with Hinata, he would eventually obtain the Byakugan.

But the key issue was that Touji couldn’t teach the technique.

Touji could only teach Hinata because he had learned her specific style of Gentle Fist.

He understood her techniques inside and out.

But beyond those he had signed in for, Touji had no idea how to teach anyone else.

“I’ll only teach three people: Hinata, Neji, and you!”

Hiashi looked at Touji in surprise.

Hinata and Neji he could understand, but why include him? Hiashi was puzzled.

“You’re saying you can teach me?”

“Exactly. If it’s just the Gentle Fist technique, I can teach you.”

Hiashi couldn’t help but frown at Touji’s words.

It made sense for Touji to teach Hinata and Neji, but to teach him? That was a joke.

Hiashi had been practicing Gentle Fist for decades—being taught by a kid would be ridiculous.

Hiashi forced a laugh.

He had thought Touji was a rare talent.

But now it seemed that Touji was arrogant—too confident for his own good.

*[Ding! Hiashi’s favorability decreased by 5 points. Current favorability: 71 points!]*

Kakashi, noticing Hiashi’s displeasure, quickly spoke up on Touji’s behalf.

“Lord Hiashi, I believe Touji means that everyone has their own unique understanding of ninjutsu. Perhaps his insights could benefit you. As the saying goes, ‘The stones of other mountains can be used to polish jade.’”

Hiashi’s expression softened somewhat at Kakashi’s explanation.

“No need. I’m too old to improve any further.”

“Actually, you should try it. I can genuinely help you with your Gentle Fist.”

Hiashi’s anger flared up at Touji’s words.

The older generation of the Hyuga clan was mostly gone, and Hiashi was now the pinnacle of Gentle Fist mastery. Yet here was a kid claiming he could teach him—was he saying Hiashi’s decades of training were for nothing?

“Alright, alright. I’d love to see how you plan to teach me the Gentle Fist technique!”

Kakashi, about to intervene, stopped when Hiashi glared at him.

Kakashi instantly understood.

Hiashi wasn’t truly angry; he was just disappointed that such a talented individual was being so arrogant.

Touji was like an unpolished gem, and Hiashi’s goal was to refine him—helping him grow into a valuable and powerful ninja, both for Touji’s own sake and for Hinata’s.

“No other techniques or chakra, right? Just pure Gentle Fist?”

“That’s right. If it’s just the Gentle Fist, I can guide you,” Touji nodded slightly. Chakra was his weakest point, and if chakra were involved, he’d lose in an instant.

As for other techniques, Touji hadn’t signed in to get them yet, so naturally, he couldn’t teach them.

“Alright then. Today, I’ll seek your guidance on Gentle Fist!”

*Chapter 28: The Elbow Bends Outwards*

Hinata Hiashi glanced indifferently at Touji.

If he needed to be completely serious in a fight against Touji, then all his years of experience would have been for nothing.

Although he couldn’t use chakra, with decades of combat and Gentle Fist training, how could he possibly lose? What would he lose with?

"Kid, you can make the first move!" Hiashi struck a Gentle Fist stance and motioned Touji to begin.

"I'm giving you guidance here; of course, you should attack first."

At that moment, Kakashi Hatake couldn’t help but cough. It was obvious to anyone who was stronger, yet Touji was still saying such reckless things.

This was practically seeking his own demise!

Hinata Hyūga grew worried as well.

When she was at home, she had to be very cautious and respectful around her father. Even the Hokage showed him respect.

But Touji was speaking so boldly.

Hinata wasn’t worried that her father would kill Touji—if he tried, she'd be the first to intervene.

What scared her was that Hiashi might severely punish Touji.

Hinata had been trained by her father since childhood, often facing harsh discipline.

Remembering those lessons made her tremble.

Hiashi was so infuriated that he almost laughed. Originally, he had planned to give Touji some guidance, but now he decided that Touji needed a taste of reality!

"Very well, show me what you’ve got!" Hiashi gritted his teeth and charged straight at Touji.

A single palm strike!

Although he didn’t use any chakra, this blow was still strong enough to shatter a rock.

If it hit a person, it could crush their internal organs.

Hiashi immediately regretted the strike.

This match was meant to assess Touji’s strength, but if this hit connected, Touji would at least be seriously injured, if not worse.

But the most crucial thing—

Touji showed no intention of dodging.

Hiashi cursed silently and was about to hold back when Touji calmly raised his arm and lightly tapped Hiashi’s wrist.

"You were a little off to the left."

Hiashi’s face flushed. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Touji was right.

If his strike had angled slightly to the right, it would have hit a person’s blind spot perfectly, making it awkward to counter and harder to defend.

And that slight delay in defense could mean the difference between life and death.

But the Gentle Fist wasn’t just about a single strike.

It was a continuous fighting style, a series of blows designed to push an opponent into a corner.

So just one strike didn’t mean much—or at least, that’s what Hiashi thought.

Hiashi immediately launched a flurry of attacks at Touji. His speed and power increased significantly.

The only thing that remained unchanged was the lack of chakra.

"Father is taking this seriously!"

Hinata couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

She couldn’t remember the last time Hiashi had been this serious. The last time was probably when she had been kidnapped.

But seeing Touji hold his own against Hiashi made her recall her own training sessions.

Even with chakra, Hinata was sure Touji could defeat her in just one move!

If Touji had any ill intentions, Hinata knew she wouldn’t be able to escape.

"Of course, Touji is doing all this for my sake. I misunderstood him!" Hinata thought, her face turning red as she occasionally stole glances at Touji, cheering for him silently in her heart.

If Hiashi knew his daughter was cheering for his opponent, he’d probably vomit blood in anger.

But Hiashi was too occupied to notice.

At this point, sweat was pouring down Hiashi’s forehead—not from exertion, but from anxiety!

No matter how many blows he threw, Touji effortlessly countered them.

The most frustrating part was that Touji corrected him after each move.

Even worse, Touji was always right.

It felt like when Touji had been teaching Hinata earlier!

Hiashi was certain that, after this fight, he would gain a new understanding of the Gentle Fist and perhaps even reach Kage-level mastery.

"This move should be more to the left."

"That one needs to go higher!"

"What was the point of that strike? What have you been learning?"

Hiashi’s face grew darker with each comment, and his attacks became increasingly desperate.

Kakashi finally snapped out of his shock, glancing at Might Guy with a wry smile.

"Guy, it looks like Hiashi-sama is getting flustered."

"Yeah, his technique is full of openings."

"His pride must be taking a hit."

"…"

If it had been any other opponent, Kakashi could have accepted it more easily.

But Touji wasn’t even a genin, yet he was effortlessly handling Hiashi Hyūga, the head of the Hyūga clan.

In fact, it wasn’t even a fight anymore—Hiashi’s Gentle Fist was completely ineffective against Touji. It was as if they were rehearsing a choreography.

"Come on, focus! Have you forgotten everything I just taught you? Why are you winking at me? I don’t like men!"

Hiashi: "I—!"

Hinata: "..."

Kakashi: "..."

Might Guy: "..."

Hiashi was growing more and more panicked. If things kept going like this, he wouldn’t be able to defeat Touji and might even lose to him.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if they were in private.

But with Kakashi and Guy present, there was no way Might Guy’s big mouth wouldn’t spread the news all over Konoha by tomorrow.

The worst part was that Hinata was also watching.

If he lost, where would his fatherly authority go?

And Touji wasn’t reading the room at all.

Would it kill him to throw the match?

Would it kill him to give Hiashi an out?

Hiashi knew he couldn’t keep this up. He had to win today!

"Kid, you’re good. But now I’ll get serious!"

Kakashi and Guy both covered their faces.

What did he mean by "get serious"? He had already been completely serious. Was he just bluffing?

Just then, Hinata trembled, her face filled with worry.

"Touji, be careful! Father is going to use chakra!"

Hiashi twitched.

At this point, he seriously doubted if Hinata was his real daughter. Was she swapped at birth?

Why would she expose him like this?

But Hiashi no longer cared. Winning was better than losing, no matter the method!

With a surge of chakra, Hiashi generated a fierce gust of wind and charged at Touji.

"Watch closely, kid—this is my serious Gentle Fist!"

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 29: The Opening of the Eight Gates!*

Using Gentle Fist without chakra and with chakra are two entirely different concepts.

Without chakra, the Gentle Fist is merely a highly refined taijutsu technique.

But when chakra is used, everything changes.

The terrifying aspect of the Gentle Fist isn't necessarily landing a hit on the opponent. Even if the strike misses, the chakra released from the palm can injure the enemy and even block their chakra points.

Once the enemy can't control their own chakra, they become powerless, like fish on a cutting board.

Especially when someone like Hyūga Hiashi uses the Gentle Fist.

With a surge of chakra infused into his fists, a single strike could easily knock down an entire forest.

Though Hiashi wasn't using his full power at the moment, even a casual strike could easily break a tree.

If he hit Touji, the needle-thin chakra would instantly pierce into his body, causing significant internal damage.

Any mistake could leave permanent harm.

This could be the downfall of a genius.

"Kid, surrender! No, dodge quickly, or it’ll be too late!"

Hiashi knew the power of his strike, so he was more anxious than anyone.

But Touji had no intention of dodging and remained still in place.

Hiashi’s strike was already in motion, too late to pull back.

In that moment, Hiashi felt a pang of regret and sorrow.

Was he about to destroy the future hope of the Hyūga clan himself?

Just then, Touji finally moved. The remaining chakra in his body started to surge.

Kakashi Hatake shook his head slightly.

Using Gentle Fist against Gentle Fist was indeed the best option, but the problem was that Touji had too little chakra. Even with training, he barely had more than an average person.

How could he possibly match Hiashi?

"No, Touji’s chakra is increasing!" Kakashi stared in disbelief at what was happening, then glared at Might Guy. "When did you teach him the Eight Gates?"

"I didn’t!" Might Guy’s face was full of confusion.

Ever since he met Touji, there hadn’t been time to teach him anything; Kakashi had taken him away immediately.

Plus, something as dangerous as the Eight Gates wouldn't be taught to him now.

Suddenly, Guy trembled, his mouth opened and closed a few times before he spoke:

"I demonstrated it earlier. Could that kid have learned it just by watching?"

"Impossible!" Kakashi was shaken by Guy's words.

Although the three of them weren’t far from Touji at the time, the trees blocked the view, making it difficult to see clearly.

Moreover, learning a technique like the Eight Gates by just watching was nearly impossible.

Even Kakashi, known as the Copy Ninja, couldn’t master such a technique under those conditions.

But it was the only explanation that made sense!

"Should we go down and stop this?" Guy asked with a bitter smile.

"Let’s wait and see. Be ready to step in at any moment," Kakashi replied, lifting his forehead protector to reveal his Sharingan.

With sufficient chakra, Touji’s palms were immediately surrounded by chakra. He struck out, breaking Hiashi's attack.

"How is this possible? How does this kid know the Eight Gates? That Guy actually taught him this technique!"

As Hiashi pondered, Touji vanished from sight.

"The Flying Thunder God technique? No, it’s the Body Flicker Technique! To escape my sight using the Body Flicker, how many secrets is this kid hiding?"

Though shocked by Touji’s speed, Hiashi didn’t take it too seriously.

Ordinary eyes couldn’t keep up with high-speed movements, but the Byakugan could.

With its 360-degree vision, even the fastest movements couldn’t escape its range.

"Byakugan!"

In an instant, the veins around Hiashi’s eyes bulged as he activated his Byakugan, scanning the area with a gaze that seemed to pierce through everything.

"Got you! Wait, how is he so fast!"

Hiashi couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Touji’s speed had surpassed Hiashi’s understanding. Several times, Hiashi thought he saw Touji, but it was just an afterimage left by his incredible speed.

Guy let out a bitter laugh. He had already become numb to Touji’s speed.

Even before opening the Eight Gates, Touji’s speed had reached an extreme level. Now, with the Eight Gates open, his speed had become something beyond reason.

"The third gate, the Life Gate! When did this kid learn the Eight Gates?"

Opening the Eight Gates could greatly enhance one’s abilities, with each gate unlocked providing even more power.

But with each additional gate opened, the toll on the body increased. If the eighth gate were to be opened, there was only one outcome: death.

At this point, Touji’s speed had become bizarre. Even with the Byakugan activated, Hiashi could only see afterimages.

"I only used a little chakra, but this kid is already going all out!"

Hiashi shouted, realizing he couldn’t afford to be careless anymore.

If he lost even after using chakra, his reputation would be ruined.

At that moment, Touji appeared right in front of Hiashi, thrusting a palm towards his chest.

The palm strike looked soft and harmless, but Hiashi felt an overwhelming sense of danger.

He quickly tried to retreat, but just as he was about to move, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He was sent flying back, stumbling several steps before regaining his balance.

"A visual illusion!" Hiashi couldn’t believe what had just happened.

The Hyūga clan relied heavily on their vision, so when their sight deceived them, they were left completely vulnerable.

Normally, Hiashi could have easily dodged Touji’s attack or used his Rotation defense.

But due to the visual illusion, he thought he was still safe, which left him wide open to the attack.

Hiashi looked at Touji seriously.

Visual illusions were typically created through genjutsu, but regular genjutsu was ineffective against the Byakugan, as it could easily see through them.

Touji’s attack, however, was purely due to his speed.

His speed had reached such an extreme level that it created a visual illusion.

Compared to genjutsu, this was even more terrifying!

Hiashi let out a cold snort.

Speed that could create visual illusions was impressive, but for a battle-hardened warrior like Hiashi, it wasn’t a decisive advantage.

"Kid, I admit you’re impressive, but this ends now!"

Hiashi said, closing his eyes and spreading his hands slowly.

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

---

end.

*Chapter 30: Eight Gates Formation and the Thousand Years of Death*

Hinata Hiashi had completely given up using his Byakugan and was now relying solely on his instincts to sense Touji’s position.

At that moment, Touji appeared behind Hiashi, his stance not yet stable, when Hiashi suddenly spun around and began to unleash his strikes.

“*Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!*”

Hiashi’s hands moved like a downpour of rain, rapidly striking at Touji.

Each strike carried incredible force.

“No matter how strong Touji is, he can’t be a match for that old fox,” Kakashi Hatake muttered with a resigned shake of his head as he slowly started walking toward Touji.

However, after only a few steps, Hinata suddenly grabbed Kakashi.

“Touji hasn’t lost yet!”

Kakashi smiled bitterly, wondering whose daughter Hinata really was. But, considering that Touji had already been hit by the Sixty-Four Palms, it seemed hopeless for him to win.

Just then, Kakashi noticed Hinata’s activated Byakugan, and his body tensed.

Hiashi had deactivated his Byakugan to avoid any optical illusions, but Hinata’s was still active.

This meant Hinata could see things that Hiashi couldn’t.

Quickly, Kakashi turned to look.

To his surprise, Touji was crouching behind Hiashi, hands forming the tiger seal.

“*Thousand Years of Death!*”

Kakashi’s heart skipped a beat.

Hiashi was a seasoned ninja, and even with his eyes closed, his sixth sense was far superior to most people’s.

But Touji had managed to trick Hiashi’s sixth sense and get behind him to unleash this cruel technique.

And, to make matters worse, it was the Thousand Years of Death, powered up by the Eight Gates.

One strike, and Hiashi would probably be bedridden for months.

Kakashi twitched and quickly appeared by Touji’s side, grabbing his hand.

“This time, you really can’t do it!”

Hearing Kakashi’s voice, Hiashi opened his eyes.

The Touji in front of him suddenly turned into a puff of smoke, replaced by a large wooden log.

When Hiashi turned again, he saw Touji crouching on the ground, hands forming the tiger seal.

Usually, ninja techniques that ended with the tiger seal were very powerful.

If someone got hit, the outcome of the battle was pretty much decided.

Hiashi couldn’t understand how Touji had managed to get behind him!

A flush of red crossed Hiashi’s face as he coughed awkwardly.

“Kakashi, why did you intervene? Fine, let’s just call it a draw,” Hiashi said, looking slightly irritated.

Kakashi twitched again.

Why did I intervene? If I hadn’t, you’d have been seriously injured! As the head of the Hyuga clan, you’d have been stuck wearing diapers for the next few months!

But Kakashi only thought this to himself. Outwardly, he still had to flatter Hiashi a little.

“Touji is really something. Lord Hiashi was just playing around, but the kid went all out. He just doesn’t know any better!”

Hiashi’s face flushed red again at Kakashi’s words.

“Forget it. He’s just young and doesn’t know any better,” Hiashi muttered before leaning closer to Kakashi’s ear and whispering, “I’ll handle your situation, but you must never speak of today’s events!”

Kakashi felt a wave of joy.

He hadn’t expected Hiashi to offer his help. Even if Hiashi hadn’t asked, Kakashi wouldn’t have dared to spread this around. This unexpected bonus was definitely a pleasant surprise.

Standing nearby, Might Guy’s eyes lit up, and he cheerfully ran over.

“Lord Hiashi, my student, Lee, needs to increase his weighted training. Could you, perhaps…”

Hiashi’s face darkened.

This was clearly extortion. But for the sake of his reputation, he had no choice but to nod in agreement.

“Training is important. Come by tomorrow to pick up some weights. But keep this quiet!”

Might Guy nodded eagerly.

As long as he got what he wanted, his lips would be sealed tight.

Hiashi looked at Touji with a complex mixture of emotions.

There was no doubt that Touji was incredibly powerful—so powerful it made Hiashi feel uneasy.

But what really stung was that Touji had shown him no respect during the fight.

Under normal circumstances, Touji wouldn’t have gotten away with this.

However, seeing Hinata’s pleading eyes, Hiashi could only sigh in defeat.

What else could he do? He had no choice but to forgive him.

Hiashi stood sternly before Touji, who was visibly in pain from the aftereffects of the Eight Gates Formation, shaking his head helplessly.

“Kakashi, I’ll take Touji with me today.”

Kakashi panicked and quickly ran over with a smile. “Touji has training tomorrow morning. How about letting him stay with me?”

Hiashi frowned, his displeasure clear.

“Do you think I would harm a young ninja? You don’t trust me?”

Kakashi did have his concerns, but now that Hiashi had spoken, there was no room for argument.

On second thought, letting Touji go to the Hyuga clan might even help shake off some unwanted attention. It could reduce future problems.

“Of course not, Lord Hiashi. It’s just that Touji can be a bit unruly. If you insist, please make sure he goes straight to train with Guy tomorrow morning.”

Kakashi gave Guy a meaningful look, then quickly stood up and left with him.

After they’d walked a fair distance, Guy stopped and complained, “Kakashi, how could you leave Touji with that old fox Hiashi? What if he holds a grudge and takes revenge?”

Kakashi’s expression grew serious.

“Since Touji came back to the village with me, there have been countless people watching him. Tonight, he’s going to the Hyuga clan, and those spies will finally back off for a while.”

Guy listened intently, his demeanor changing to match Kakashi’s seriousness.

Once the organization had its eye on you, there were only two choices: either Touji gives up being a ninja and lives peacefully as a civilian, or he continues down the path and eventually becomes an outstanding ninja.

Given Touji’s talent, being a civilian for life was not an option. He was bound to rise as an exceptional ninja.

But with Touji’s background as Kakashi’s returnee, any unclear details about him would be thoroughly investigated. Even the slightest inconsistency would lead to his ruthless elimination.

Now, with Hiashi taking Touji under his wing, the Hyuga clan’s alliance with the Hokage faction would ease some of the troubles.

“Maybe this really is the best option. I’ll pick up Touji early tomorrow,” Guy decided.

Touji, now in the Hyuga clan, had been taken to a small room. Across from him sat Hiashi.

After an awkward ten minutes, Hiashi finally spoke seriously, “Gentle Fist is the Hyuga clan’s secret technique. Since you’ve learned it, I’m giving you two choices.”

Touji immediately straightened up.

He knew full well that if he didn’t take this seriously, he might end up as fish food in a river.

“First, marry into the Hyuga clan and wed Hinata!”

“Second, as you’ve promised, you will teach Gentle Fist to three of our people. But you’ll also need to teach one more person—my younger daughter, Hanabi!”

(End of chapter)