Third Person P.O.V.
The battle between Hyuga Meng and Setsuna started on a rather high note. Both sides advancing and exchanging taijutsu strikes one after another with their byakugan active, both using their Byakugan and Gentle Fist during the fight.
The Eighth and Ninth elders both grew excited at what they were seeing, at how Setsuna, while certainly much higher in level than the other genins, was still not able to make up for the flaws of being so young. His reach was smaller with his attacks, so the older male had a considerable advantage.
However, Tsunade on the side looked slightly bored as she saw this and realized quite easily that her student was NOT trying his best.
After two minutes of this and Setsuna getting four of his tenketsus blocked, Tsunade's irritation started bubbling up. This brat, he clearly was trying to study the other side's movements to see if there was any new information or technique from the main branch he might learn from this.
And yet, even after all this time the other side showed no signs of using any of his secret techniques.
Jumping back, Setsuna said.
"Guess I will have to force you to go serious. Just, please try and not lose too fast."
All elders, hearing such words from a brat against one of those with their superior destiny and fate, furrowed their brows in displeasure. If not for Tsunade and the others's presence, there was every chance that they would use the Cage Bird on him this instant just by acting without giving the appropriate amount of respect towards a member of the main branch.
Not that Setsuna knew any of that, instead taking a deep breath.
"Seven Heavenly Breaths: First Breath activate."
With that the veins around Setsuna's Byakugan grew even more pronounced as his lungs were filled with many times more oxygen than previously. His body grew a few centimeters in all directions as his muscles expanded and Setsuna darted at his shocked opponent who saw that even the tenketsus he managed to block before were now unsealed.
This was why fights between two Hyugas was a fight not only of Taijutsu but one of chakra control. The one with the best chakra control can even forcefully unlock their tenketsus after they are sealed by the Gentle Fist.
"Vacuum Palm!" Meng shouted, trying to keep a distance and attack Setsuna who, to the shock of the elders, dodged the attack by jumping to the side at the right moment before following it up by executing the same ninjutsu back at his opponent.
The Ninth elder stared in disbelief as his grandson was launched several meters away, the impact of this strike being most certainly far more severe than anyone would have expected.
Setsuna did not stop though, his speed continuing to accelerate as he danced around his enemy to get to an opening. Meng was doing his best to keep up, to not give Setsuna an opening, but even with his experience in combat this was a whole new experience for him.
Just in time, Meng saw Setsuna powering up for another Vacuum Palm. Not wanting to be hit, Meng started to spin.
'Revolving Heaven!' Meng muttered in his head as he began to spin to block the opponent. Chakra from all his tenketsu points being exhaled and used to create a dome around him as well as accelerate his speed.
The patriarch was shocked at seeing that there was someone else besides Hiashi that knew the technique that was normally reserved to the Patriarchal line alone. He could only assume that Meng had been watching when Hiashi was training it and learned some details from that, copying it.
It was not yet the perfect Revolving Heaven, but this certainly showed that Hyuga Meng was a genius of the main branch and was far more worthy of investment.
Setsuna, however, did not know or care about the thoughts of the patriarch. Instead, he merely aborted the vacuum palm, instead proceeding to spin in the same way as Meng did, only in the opposite direction. The patriarch and the other Hyuga Elders jumped off their feet as they saw that a kid so young and that was never personally and properly taught the jutsu was able to execute it so easily.
This was one of the defects of many of the Hyuga clan's secret techniques, they are simple. Sure, they are near impossible for those without the Byakugan to even begin to try and replicate, but from the moment one obtains awareness of all their tenketsus and learns to use them all it becomes almost trivial to develop techniques like the Vacuum Palm and Revolving Heaven. This was how those techniques were designed, after all, they had to be impossible for outsiders to learn, but easy enough that future generations would absolutely be able to learn and master them to the point they can pass it to the next generation.
The moment the two spins hit, chakra exploded in all directions but what shocked the patriarch the most was that Setsuna managed to overpower the older Meng quite easily. That, however, would not surprise someone like Sakumo and Duy who knew very well just how fast and strong Setsuna was. Setsuna's own physical conditioning was the very best possible for his age and with the Seven Divine Breaths active his speed and physical strength was strengthened a few times over!
With the revolving heaven technique depending on mastery, chakra strength, and rotation speed, the match was decided. Even with Setsuna not overly focusing on the Gentle Fist, he still has been practicing it daily for years now and he had known the secret for some of the family jutsus for a long time, as such his mastery of the jutsu was superior. His chakra did not lose out in any way compared to Meng, and his rotation speed with the power of the Seven Divine Breaths completely crushed Meng.
With his technique broken, Meng was flung back from the chakra impact. Setsuna, seeing his chance, went in for the kill, his determination increasing as he felt his forehead becoming warner. Clearly someone from the main branch had activated the Cage Bird Seal to try and interfere, but Setsuna had already prepared just in case by deactivating his pain receptors so there would be no one using such cheap tricks against him..
This act, though, reinforced Setsuna's disgust towards the main clan. They were the ones to force him into this fight one-sidedly, they were the ones who caused trouble after trouble, and now they were even using such cheap tactics. But hey, they were also the ones who wanted to see the ideal Hyuga, right? They wanted to make sure he used the Gentle Fist even if all their secrets and higher levels were never taught, right? Then, he might as well make sure to end things from start to finish without even needing to use his Strange Force Technique!
Coming in close, Setsuna entered the stance.
"Eight Trigrams: Two Strikes!"
"Four Strikes!"
"Eight Strikes!"
"Sixteen Strikes!"
"Thirty Two Strikes!"
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Strikes!"
At the last one, the clan elder's chins were just about to hit the floor. Sure, they could see that the tenketsus closed were not all the correct ones, the technique had plenty of room for correction and growth, but this was still absolutely monstrous!
None of them knew just what to say as they saw the kid finish his attacks and Meng stayed frozen, incapable of moving or doing anything anymore.
That was when Setsuna felt a discomfort on his forehead, his head growing blurry as he felt pain start to appear on his head despite his preparations.
'How can I still feel pain when I close off my pain receptors?' Setsuna questioned himself. True, the pain was much less than before, but that was like saying that breaking a leg hurts less than having it be eaten by a pack of dogs. The first may be better, but it still fucking hurts.
As Setsuna fell to the floor holding his forehead, the first to move to his side was none other than Guy. The kid, despite anything that might be said, worried greatly about his friend and did not pay attention to anything, moving straight up to help Setsuna. Not a few seconds after was Shizune and Asuma who came, both worried for him just as well but just being slower than Guy.
The adults, though, did not come. No, instead they all turned to the main house members who were watching and especially at the Sixth Elder who, even under the glares from so many strong people, refused to stop the activation of the Cage Bird Seal.
How DARE that mere side branch orphan actually hurt a member of the main house? To steal and secretly learn the secrets and techniques that should belong only to the main house, that was a crime punishable by death! In truth, he was one of the more extremist of the current elders, hating that the noble and superior Hyugas even had to wear the headband of Konoha. Having lived in the time of Hashirama and Madara, being of the same generation as those two, this old man only had held his tongue at the time of joining because of the overwhelming power of those two.
What choice did the Hyuga clan have when it was Madara who first came to bring them into the fold? But now, there were no Madara and Hashirama so this and some of the older elders all refused to admit being part of Konoha and did not pay any attention to the ninjas in it. The Hyuga and their laws were absolute and that was that in this elder's mind.
Thankfully, the patriarch was actually not so old as to have lost his mind to that extent. Instead, the old patriarch stood up and yelled.
"Stop this at once!"
The sixth elder glared back before stopping it before speaking.
"Lord Patriarch, what should be the punishment then to someone of the side branch who hurt a main branch's noble existence?"
"There will be no punishment." Hiashi was the one to speak, not allowing his father to bend to the will of the overbearing elders further. "This was a sparring match to test young Setsuna, he showed incredible mastery of his Byakugan and even learned the secret techniques of the clan by himself. He is the greatest talent of our clan, and you want to punish him for winning a match?"
"The match doesn't matter! The laws of the clan are clear, any side branch member that hurts a member of the main branch must be either tortured by the cage bird or whipped for every wound caused! This is one of the laws passed forward by our ancestors for generations, you want to rebel against them!? Do you want to betray the history and glory of the clan for just that sinner!?" The Sixth elder yelled, his toothless mouth shouting as he tried to look intimidating.
Hiashi, though, felt intimidated as the label of 'betrayal' was put in front of him. Everyone here could see what was and wasn't right, but the law was like what the elder said. The law that was created generations ago by the main branch to ensure that no spars between them and a member of the side branch would get too out of hand.
This, however, was as far as Tsunade could handle as she said.
"Hoh, then this is the Hyuga main branch? Good to know you all well for the first time since barely any of you ever go to the frontlines." Tsunade said before cracking her knuckles and saying. "I don't care what you all think, but I will be clear now. The next person to try and use that seal on my disciple, I will kill."
"You- You dare interfere with a clan's internal politics!?" The ninth elder, who was secretly cheering on the sixth, said in shock.
He and all the Hyuga elders hardly ever imagined someone, anyone, would dare touch them, much less inside Konoha's walls. The contract signed when they joined Konoha specifically stated that only a minimal amount of main branch members was ever needed to go to the front and that the clan's internal policies were not to be interfered with by Konoha.
Tsunade, however, did not give two shits about that contract as she said.
"You all forget one thing, I." STOMP. "DON'T." STOMP. "CARE!" STOMP.
The ground beneath Tsunade's feet cracked in all directions by her merely stomping hard on the floor. The elders, seeing this, seemed to snap back to the reality that, should this woman, no, this MONSTER start a fight here and now, they are likely to die no matter how many side branch ninjas sacrifice to protect them.
Fear, an emotion they were no longer used to, started to fester in their hearts as they looked at Tsunade and those around her in fear.
So, they all just stood there as they saw the three kids bring back Setsuna who had passed out from the pain caused from the seal's long activation. The group left with Sakumo patting Kakashi's head who, even if he did not run ahead like the others, already had a hand on his sword and was about to rush at anyone who tried to act any further. The White Fang understood that, even if still socially awkward and not good at this, his son had truly found good friends much like Sakumo himself did.
As for the clan elders who were left behind, they could only watch with clenched fists as they were rudely reminded of reality. This is a world where the stronger rules, and the Hyuga Clan lacked any truly strong one in it. The strongest one they had was an Elite Jonin, none could even hope to compete or be 'Kage Level'.As such, the elders could only be left there, frustrated as they saw a 'sinner' leave intact even after seriously hurting a main branch ninja. Worse, it happened in front of so many ninjas from the side branch, weakening the mighty and imposing position the Main Branch had in their hearts.
Today, for the elders, was the first of many losses they would go through, while for the Side Branch it was the first time they felt a ripple, small but existing, that things might change in the future. After all, if the rules were bent and broken once because of strength, what if they themselves were strong, or if a strong person helps them? Wouldn't things change too? If they, like Setsuna, had some backing outside, maybe they too could get away with 'sins'.
As such, the dreaded seed for change in the Hyuga clan took root.
Later that night, Hiashi felt exhausted. No way, his dad got extra grumpy after what had happened and Hiashi had had no choice but to accompany the old man to drink. His father was old already, being over 60 years old, and he looked older still. By now the old man had lost most of his vigor, but his ability to grumble and to drink seem to have continued as strong as always.
Hiashi had to wonder if the old man was only alive because of him being simply too stubborn to die, it would certainly explain some things.
The patriarch, being one of the ones who fought on the frontlines during the Sengoku era before the joining of the village, still maintained a strong mentality from that era. Sure, he was not nearly as stuck in that time as the elders who did not even walk out of the clan compound as if they still feared enemy shinobi attacks even if they were inside the village, but the patriarch was still too extremist in his way of thinking in Hiashi's mind.
The clan heir honestly could not comprehend it: why his dad looked troubled and slightly frustrated with what happened earlier that day. Sure, the interference of Tsunade was not all that welcome on the clan's internal business, but that just means that his dad should have been the one to act!
Hiashi, having experienced the same generation as Sakumo, knew what a genius represents, and what a TRUE MONSTER represents. Hiashi and his brother were geniuses at that time, but Sakumo was a monster for their generation. That man alone propped up the name of the Hatake Clan to all corners just based on his own strength, even as his clan was just a former samurai clan previously with barely any inheritance besides their first rate sword techniques.
And Hiashi knew after seeing earlier today, Setsuna would be big. He was the hope for the clan to gain more honor, power, and fame than they did since who knows how long! And yet, his father was too indecisive in protecting him when it counts, why?
Is him being of the side branch that important that even such a raw talent and potential that can improve the whole clan, maybe even allow the Hyuga Family to sit in the position of Hokage, means nothing?
Hiashi could not understand it, nor agree to it. As such, Hiashi went to go check on his brother and talk with him, discuss what they should do about Setsuna and try to figure out some sort of way to improve the relation with the kid as well as how they can protect him (a talent like that, when it becomes known, would inevitably be a target).
"-ARE TO NOT INFORM THE CLAN!"
"TRAITOR!"
"YOU THINK YOU MEAN ANYTHING BECAUSE OF WHO YOU FATHER IS, WORM?! THAT HE OR YOUR POSITION WILL PROTECT YOU FROM THIS SIN?!"
Hiashi froze as he heard those words coming from inside his brother's house accompanied by several 'thump' sounds. Shunshining to accelerate, Hiashi walked in without hesitation to a scene he never imagined seeing before.
His brother, Hizashi, prostrated on the floor clutching his head in pain as four of the elders were kicking and throwing insults at him.
On auto-pilot, Hiashi moved first and did not think twice on what to do. Regardless of anything they can say or explain, Hizashi was his brother and he would not let others do this to him!
Jumping ahead, these old men who never leave the clan lands had no time to react as Hiashi acted, his hands like thunder as he pierced all of them with his gentle fist, instantly incapacitating each and every one of them. Well 'gentle' was not the right word for his strike though considering that all four elders were launched in all four directions by this strike, hitting the wall as this happened.
Hiashi, without giving a single glance at the elders who have had no time to even utter a single word in, Taking his passed out brother in his arms Hiashi began running towards the medical center.
Thankfully one of the only four doctors of the clan was still there, so they could start treatment right away… but-
"Sorry, it seems that whoever acted was quite vicious. Eight bones on his left hand were broken, I am not fully capable of healing something of that extent without leaving any sequelae." The doctor said and Hiashi's fists clenched tighter at this, his white eyes almost turning as red as a sharingan out of sheer rage as he said almost to himself.
"Why have they done this?"
"It is because I allowed it." Hizashi said, making Hiashi freeze and turn his gaze to his waking up brother. "I was the one who indicated Setsuna to join ninja school as well as was the one who taught him the basics of the gentle fist as well as let him watch from a distance some of the training of the main branch. Honestly, I never thought he could learn those techniques at all, I just wanted to motivate him into his gentle fist training and to show him the good of being a Hyuga. Heh, kinda ironic now, I suppose."
Hiashi, hearing this explanation, grew somehow even angrier and would have gone to finish off those four when-
"Nurse, we have emergency cases here!" A few main clan members shouted as they walked in while carrying over the said elders.
The elders were put on stretchers for their injuries and as for Hiashi, he was itching to finish them off here and now.
If not for so many main clan members present he would have done so. But, seeing as he would not be able to do it now, he decided to go with the best next thing by going to his father and talking to him about stopping the elders from acting in such a way. They were clearly not right on this, his father would certainly act and punish them!
The next day, Hiashi was forced to kowtow and apologize to those four for the injuries he caused, inside though Hiashi's fists clenched at this. But what could he do? The elders were simply using their rights to 'reprimand' and extract 'information' of someone from the side branch. They, as elders, had that right by family law, they could do so any moment in time and to any side branch member they so desire as long as no killing was done and it was done with a justification.
The family law did not specify that the justification had to be good, just there being one. Such were the ancient rules of the Hyuga clan stipulated by the elders at the time.