白日
Gentle Step, Twin Lion Fists
The Jūho Sōshiken is a high-level secret Gentle Fist technique taught only to the main branch of the Hyūga clan.
The user changes the shape of chakra released from both hands into large guardian lion-shaped shrouds. Doing so greatly increases range and destructive power. The lion heads drain the chakra network of those they touch. It is an extremely difficult ability to learn, as the slightest mistake in chakra control will lead to failure, meaning it is a feat requiring the Byakugan.
Yet, for the first time in all the recorded history of the generations of Hyuuga, someone learned it before she activated the byakugan, someone none other than their failure.
It was a simple taijutsu fight with Hanabi. As usual, her father was supervising it—in other words, shooting the dirtiest look at Hinata while watching Hanabi with eyes that said "as expected of my daughter." A few elders were there as well. They could be separated into two groups, the ones with their byakugan activated and the ones who did not. The first group, the deactivated byakugan group, were the ones who had doubts about Hiashi's decision to switch the main house's heritage to the second born child, and even after many grueling demonstrations of Hinata's weakness, they still had doubts, because it defied their tradition and blood.
These stubborn traditionalists were the very ones who would later support Hinata through her eventual advancement in clan status.
The spars were meant to be training sessions for the second born. She was only three, yet she always thoroughly shred up Hinata. Not that it was a difficult feat; Hinata cried at the slightest pain, whimpered at the smallest burst of killing intent, shriveled under any fleck of attention, cowed away upon meeting anyone-not anyone outside her family—not only at her father's stern gaze—but anyone, sister and servants included. Birds, puppies, and bugs too.
All lifeforms were out to get her.
The number of traditionalists was large at first, because the clan consensus was to seal everyone's brains at age three; how could any heir not be suited for his role, when raised with such impeccable care and preparation? It certainly worked out ten generations, until Hinata was born. After that, everyone's opinions changed, except a few senile old people with their brains rooted to the old ways. They were so obsessed with this tradition that they completely forgot about the other tradition of said heirs being male only—otherwise, they might have relented, even more so if Hanabi was born a son. But she wasn't, so the sexist thought hadn't crossed their minds. They were definitely growing senile.
But that was just the ones with their eyes off. Now, about the second group, the ones with their eyes turned on...
There wasn't much to say about them. They weren't exactly Hanabi-supporters. The ones who were, knew Hanabi was destined to lead the clan and would no doubt win her daily fight; such people had better things to do than watch their strong heir spank a weakling who couldn't even use her byakugan.
Thus, what comprised of the second group were sadists who just wanted to see Hiashi's spawn beaten and whipped. They were perverts who thrived on Hinata's suffering after a long day of tedious shinobi work. Not that anyone would dare phrase it that way. But you could see them for what they were, activated eyes taking in every detail.
Basically, the entire audience was there for Hinata and no one was really there for Hanabi, except Hiashi, but that was why he missed out.
(This was the true answer to Hiashi's conundrum as to why Hinata always attracted more attention even back when she was weaker than Hanabi. He wrongly assumed they merely had better foresight and saw Hinata for what she was, a genius, even before he did.)
Back to point, that would explain why no one missed a thing when Hinata started making subtle movements of an ancient technique. By then Hinata was bruised all over her body, gagging out blood, clothing in tatters, blood oozing out her skin and bones broken beyond repair. Her hair was a mess and her face was swelling, and she looked ready to spend a week in the hospital. In fact, she could spend it on the floor.
The girl laid sprawled out face-down before a slightly panting Hanabi.
"Get up," Hiashi stated coldly.
And miraculously, her corpse twitched.
"You can still fight." They could all see that he just wanted to crush every last bit of life she had left. But Hinata's eyes were pressed to the wooden floor, and even if she was inches from his face, she would still soak in the encouragement the same way she would with Naruto's...in a future chuunin exam.
Desperately, she clung to every word, pushing her body up through sheer willpower and tattered limbs. She took a minute to stand up and stumbled, tripped, and slammed to the floor with a loud thump and a louder splash in a pile of her own blood.
"You are a useless, pathetic wretch. I'm disgusted to have you as my daughter...Thus, from now on you are no longer one of-"
It all happened in a flash. A blue one.
Hinata's audience gaped.
Hiashi Hyuuga was unlucky to have blinked.
The activated byakugan group of elderly spectators were the only ones who traced the whole event with their eyes. They saw the infectious chakra clogging the tenketsu points suddenly burst free and forced to the ends of her limbs, feet and fists, expelling out of her body. Little glows at her fingertips like a hijacked version of unmistakably the gentle step technique, but that was impossible, Hinata couldn't do even the gentle fist, plus that wasn't possible in her state.
Then her body, moving like a puppet with strings attached to an invisible teleportation spirit, lashed out and burned the entire chakra system of the younger sister, her skin heating up to show for it. She passed out before she hit the ground, at the same time Hinata returned to her previous position.
To everyone else, it looked like the two sisters switched positions. A few seconds, realization dawned and the traditionalists instantly grasped the chance to advocate Hinata despite not tracking the movement.
The sadists who would've normally argued it to be a fluke held their tongues, burning the sight into memory. It was a vivid vision, history changing before their eyes.
Hinata turned to face the only man with a furious gaze in the room. She strained a smile.
"Fear is necessary for evolution. The fear that, at any given moment you could perish and vanish from existence. Thank you, father." Thanks to your efforts, I've finally risen to an existence that surpasses my older self.
She didn't realize she was lying to herself.
Hiashi's eyes widened. Then suddenly words came out naturally, like he had predicted this to happen all along. Perhaps he did. "You are welcome, my daughter."
Soon afterwards, everyone always watched Hinata like hawks.
She couldn't see the admiration and awe in their eyes. She wouldn't let her ego swell. They were watching for any misstep. Any excuse to disown her. And she knew it.
Despite her apparent 180 change in demeanor, Hinata hadn't changed. In fact, her fear only intensified. After that act, Hanabi was bound to retaliate. Hinata knew that when the clan heir turned 3, she was supposed to get a green seal on her forehead. Hanabi was already three. It was only a matter of time.
She sobbed every time she was certain she was by herself. Hinata loved Hanabi and yet...She feared her own sister. To be enslaved to this person? Why would she want to bind herself with the devil?
The same night, Hinata requested to attend council meetings with her father. He was only too eager to train her in clan politics before the other elders got to her. They would have suggested a spoils system and they didn't have the insight the direct head of a clan did.
But that wasn't enough to pacify her fear.
In event of the day they tried to force her into their servitude...
Perhaps she should improve that weird attack she did earlier. So she did, trembling under the burden of keeping it a secret. In some ways she was like Neji clandestinely mastering Main House techniques. Without the technique, she flunked every match, yet rapidly improved—years of training condensed in a few hours for a match. It impressed them enough not to seal her fate.
But there was no need. Father showed her the proper way it was done, and the massive size of the dragon fists, and warned her not to try it because of its chakra drain (no one foresaw her using it on a certain someone in the future.) But since he showed her and not Hanabi yet, surely she was still his daughter, right? Right?
Hinata finally let out a held breath when her birthday was so well-received with all of the clan council. She didn't even care that none of her friends came—she had none.
Freedom is a beautiful sight.
黑日
this is a history flashback! I'm looking at chapter 1 and it looks so different!
🎁 Haruko Ai / Cross Marian / E . Knucks / beartes / euroteres 🎁:
^^Thanks for the reviews! Tobi feels happy!