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Chapter 16: Code Byakugan: Hotaru of the Revolution.
Part 6: Cries of the Lamb
Hyuuga Hanabi, secondborn of Hyuuga Hiashi, dislikes Makoto Hotaru.
He, a mere clanless brat who's best achievement in his paltry life is to be promoted into the A class, back when he was enrolled in the Academy, by the mere luck of awakening a new Kekkei Genkai. He is a barbaric child who on the first day of his transfer, decides to punch the daughter of Councilman Haruno for the crime of attempting to get to know him. He is an anarchist who over and over again defy authorities. He is a bully who abuse his undeserved power to wreak terror upon his classmates and humiliate them in sanctioned combat, just to stroke his ego. He is a monster who crippled her cousin and completely unrepentant of his crime.
Why do her father give the uncivilized brute the honor of tutoring one of the Heir of Hyuuga Clan? She cannot understand why. Word has it that he had created a Taijutsu that surpassed her clan's famed Gentle Fist. She scoffed over the ludicrous notion. Gentle Fist is the finest martial art, refined over centuries of proven combat under the gaze of the All-Seeing Eyes. As if a brute born with dubious bloodline can create a martial art that got even close to the ankle of the the art created by the sacred bloodline of Hyuuga, descendants of Goddess Kaguya, The Sacred Mother herself.
She secure the belt of her gi. Today, Hinata will be tested for the first time after weeks of training under Makoto Hotaru's tutelage. She frowned. She loves her older sister dearly, but simply was not born to be a fighter. She has a temperament more suited to be a broodmare to continue their prestigious bloodline. Hanabi is simply the better of the two sisters. That is cold hard fact. Today will be no different. She will defeat Hinata yet again, and end this ridiculous notion of allowing an outsider sycophant to put his claws into their excellence.
"Both of you, raise the Sign of Confrontation.", Hyuuga Hiashi will preside over this match himself, witnessed by the Five Elders. "Today, we hold a match between you sisters, to determine the progress of Hyuuga Hinata new form of training. This match will be accounted into the overall assessment of which of you sister will inherit my position. Both of you will take this match seriously.", Hiashi give a stern warning stare toward Hinata. "Now, Elders, declare your presence to witness this match."
"Hyuuga Tetsu, here to witness."
"Hyuuga Aramaki, here to witness."
"Hyuuga Tensa, here to witness."
"Hyuuga Bishamonten, here to witness"
"Hyuuga Jouseki, here to witness."
"The Elders' presence has now been declared.", Hiashi confirmed. "Let the match begin!"
Hanabi did not waste time. Not even activating her Byakugan. Let this nonsense be done with. She will end this in a strike, then-!
SLAP
Hanabi's eyes went wide. Hinata had parried away her first strike. Her eyes looked different. Before, Hinata's gaze will be frantic, stuck between following father's expectations or fearing of hurting her sister in the process.
Now, her gaze is focussed. Filled with determined clarity. Her hesitance is gone.
"You are different today, elder sister.", Hanabi commented.
"I am.", Hinata replied.
"What is different with you today, Hinata?", Hanabi asked.
"I simply has found my resolve, little sister.". Hinata answered, but did not elaborate further.
While Makoto had kept Hinata's chakra control training in the open, with a special request, he had asked to keep the Taijutsu training part of the regiment to be a secret. Makoto had been tutoring Hinata privately within the clan's secret training room, shielded with walls build with secret materials which blocks even the gaze of the Byakugan. Hanabi had felt icky that the sacred room had been defiled by the boy's presence.
Hanabi activates her Byakugan, as Hinata do the same. In the span of a breath, both of them engage to a trade of flurry blows.
Her eyes went wide and she grit her teeth, hissing a hint of pain. In the span of ten seconds, over 30 blows had been traded between them. Hanabi is familiar with the pain of parrying Gentle Fist strikes. The martial art strength is mainly focussed on the tip of the fingers, shooting an injection of chakra with each thrust. The Gentle Fist is a lance embodied into a palm.
This new Gentle Fist which Hinata has been modifying and refine for several weeks, is a pair serrated blades.
Hanabi had no choice but to retreat by few steps. What Hinata just did was dangerous.
The Elders and Patriach of Hyuuga Clan's eyes went wide.
Loath for them to admit, the Gentle Fist lethality lies only in the tips. It is not that dangerous elsewhere. The art cannot be blocked, for it will pierce through any defense, but if it is parried, it is hardly that damaging. The Gentle Fist is a Spear of Earth. Hard, but fragile.
Electricity is different. All it need to do to damage is to simply make contact and it will flow and infect and rip apart anything in its way. It is limited to conductor materials, sure. But the human body has holes in its defense. The pores, the countless sweat glands across the skin, are holes in human's defensive layer which Lightning can infiltrate through and poison and burn them from the inside.
Sparks of Lighning Chakra emits from Hinata's clawed hands.
Hanabi's arms trembles, not out of nervousness nor fear. It is involuntary, traces of Lightning Chakra wreak havoc within her chakra vessels. Lightning beat Earth, the affinity advantage caused the Lightning to cut with its serrated edge far easier through Earth affinity compared to other affinities.
"The match is over. Hinata wins!", Hiashi declared.
Hanabi was shocked! What?! It had only been 10 seconds! Why did father stops the match now?!
"Father! Why?! I haven't lose!", Hanabi demands her answer. This is atrocious! She had not lose!
"This is for your own good, Hanabi. Any further contact with Hinata's new Gentle Fist will cause a repeat of the tragedy that happens to your cousin, Neji.", Hiashi explained.
"This is not fair! Why father?! Why are you doing this to me?! Let me fight! I can still win!", Hanabi demanded.
Hiashi grunted. "Hinata, explain to us what your new Gentle Fist just did."
Hinata nods. "While I'm still so far away to achieve the required control to target the nerves, adjusting my newfound control affinity to the Gentle Fist chakra injection is something doable, even with my rudimentary control. While simply making skin contact with my palm is enough to electrocute, I had modify enough with the chakra injection principal to inject Lightning Chakra directly into the Chakra Vessels."
Hanabi eyes went wide. She know enough of Chakra Nature Theories to make her own conclusion over what Hinata just did, and why it is too dangerous for the match to continue.
Lightning Chakra has the properties of Three of the Four Major Elements. It Flows, Burns and Cuts. It does not do the Elemental property as well as Wind, Fire and Wind, but that does not mean it is less lethal. There is a reason why Earth Chakra lose to Lightning Chakra. Normal electricity do not do well against actual earth, but when it comes to chakra, what Lightning do against Earth is infiltrate between its gaps and cracks of Earth with the property of Flow of Water, weaken the integrity of Earth structure with Burn of Fire, then widen the flaw within Earth with the Cut of Air. When Lightning meets Earth, it grinds it to dust.
This means that when Lightning Chakra is injected into Chakra Vessels through Gentle Fist, it flow across the vessels, burning and cutting the vessels along the way. And the effect double to triple when it is Earth affinity.
Hinata had just started learning Lightning Chakra control for a few weeks. Barely able to generate a few watt of power. But that is enough to determine her win. If Hanabi continues to fight her further….
The damage to her Chakra Vessels will be irreversible. She will be crippled, unable to flow chakra across her body anymore.
Hanabi… No, no one in the Hyuuga clan can win against Hinata in Taijutsu match anymore. At least in the future, where Hinata physical strength improves to higher rank ninja.
Hanabi stares the floor in disbelief. As long as it is pure Taiijutsu match, she will never be able to defeat Hinata. Not unless using the Lightning Chakra is banned.
She did not even hear her father call on her as she runs to her room in tears.
)))))))))))
"This put Lady Hinata in the lead.", Tensa concludes.
"We merely expects minor improvement from her by modifying the Gentle Fist to Lightning properties, but to think it lead to our own style to be obsolote? This is ludicrous!", Tetsumaki was in outrage.
The Gentle Fist shutdown and seal tenketsu and block chakra flow by using the principal of Earth's Stillness. It by itself however does not harm the Chakra Vessels. Eventually, the Earth Chakra will dissipate, and chakra can flow back.
The Hyuuga clan, in their arrogance, had never thought what the Gentle Fist could do with the principles of other elemental properties.
Hinata's new Gentle Fist has surpassed the traditional one. They may squirm, they may deny, but that is fact. The regular Earth Gentle Fist need to close tenketsu one by one in order to have the desired result, which is why the Hyuuga members had trained as early as they can to jab as fast as lightning, however ironic does that sound.
The Lightning Gentle Fist can cause much more damage with less effort. It may not be as effective against Lightning and Wind affinities, but ripping apart Chakra Vessels weren't what they aim with back when they force Makoto Hotaru to reveal Raijin Fist's secret.
What they got, can be said to be far better, actually. They had known from Natsu report that Nerves Interference which Makoto does with his Raijin Fist require insane Lightning control that will take dozen of years to achieve without the clanless brat Kekkei Genkai's absolute dominion over Lightning. But ripping apart chakra vessels and leave their enemies crippled even if they survive?
The next generation of Hyuuga Chiefs will be undefeatable.
"Should we even bother with these assessments anymore? Lady Hanabi will never be able to surpass Lady Hinata at this rate. We should just give Lady Hanabi the favor of no longer giving her false hope. Let us just choose Lady Hinata as the formal heir now.", Aramaki reasoned.
"But, Lady Hinata does not have an ideal temperament to be the leader of our clan.", Jouseki disagrees.
Bishamonten presents his opinion. "We seen her determination today. She is young. Her timid nature can be tempered. Lord Hiashi here used to be timid himself. But look at him now. Nothing a few real missions to the outside world cannot fix."
Jouseki nod and give the Elders' ultimatum, "Lord Hiashi. Make your conclusion. Let us not waste time with this Heir Selection already. We have humored you for the last 3 years, but no more. Make your choice, and focus to groom your next heir."
Hiashi hide how much he wants to scream inside.
How he loathed this cruel practice.
To pit siblings against one another just for one to be heir while the others banished into the Branch House. This practice is wrong.
But the Hyuuga Clan is as stubborn as a rock. And refuse to change. He wanted his daughters to grow together as loving sisters. Perhaps it is his love as a parent. Perhaps it was his selfishness to see the bond of those two to last longer than his with Hizashi. He simply wanted to avoid the coming to this tragedy.
Hizashi was the stronger one. Always had been. But to spare him from being banished, he had purposely pretend to be weaker.
Always the sacrificing brother, his twin was.
And Hiashi had always been the coward who hides behind his back.
He didn't want to do this. He loves both his daughters dearly, even if he doesn't show it. How could he not when they were the two love he had left? How can he ask forgiveness from his late wife? For disowning their daughter with a single sentence?
"I have made my decision.", Hiashi steeled his heart.
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))
"Go away…", Hanabi sulked as she lies on her bed.
"Nope.", Makoto Hotaru, the most bastard of all time, decide to harass her anyway.
"I don't want green milk tea right now so go away…", Hanabi still sulked.
"Who tells you I made this for you? I'm just here to drink this in front of you."
"Urrghhh."
Leave it for this uncouth brute to annoy her. Ever since she met this brat, he has been nothing but a source of perpetual headache to her. What annoy her the most is that Hotaru is actually polite to everyone, and generally does not make trouble, which is shocking considering how much of a violent savage rumors had claimed him to be.
No, Hotaru is only act like an annoying bastard against her. He will seek her in his free time just to make her mad.
"I'm not in the mood to play with you today, servant."
"Haha, Princess Hanabi sulking because she finally get beat by big sis."
Hanabi clicked her tongue. This is what annoy her most. You see, despite how much of annoying conversationalist Hotaru is, he says it all with this almost perpetual emotionless face and his voice usually has a flat, dry tone almost lacking of any emotion for anything.
But he only act a little bit… for lack of a better word, alive when he's around her. Hinata says Hotaru had never smiled to anyone, but she hardly doubts it. It's not like Hinata ever hang around Hotaru back when he's in school. Hotaru always has a stupid mocking smirk on his face when he's harassing her. Clearly he has emotions like any normal person, bastard he may be.
"Anyway, I just finished drawing this manga. Try it.", Hotaru toss a freshly binded book beside her head.
"What's a manga?", Hanabi had to ask.
"Its like novel but better."
"Haha, as if an uncultured swine like you know anything about writing literature."
"You can diss me after you read it.", Hotaru smirk, looking as if waiting for a trap to spring.
"Hmph. I bet it's all filled with bad grammar and terrible sentence structure."
Hotaru didn't bother to retort back. He just fold his arms and sit on a chair by her study table.
Hanabi looked at the cover. Bambi and Lambi was the title, and it has the illustration of two deer fawns. She open the book, expecting the usual wall of text, but instead she was greeted with a series of pictures with some writings written in black circles.
"Huh?"
"That's a manga. It's like picture book, but more complex in structure."
"Really? I never heard of this kind of books?"
"That's because I pretty much invented it."
Hmph. As if Hotaru came up with this quirky invention. He probably just copying someone else idea. She at least knows Hotaru actual can draw. She seen him to that sometimes, so she recognized the artstyle.
She continue to read, taking a bit to understand how to read the book format.
Before she knew it, she was immersed. A picture can tell a thousand words, they say, and she found herself staring at pictures details telling the stories, only dialogues written to convey what pictures could not.
Bambi and Lambi is the story of two sisters, fawns of a deer. They lived a happy life by the beautiful lake deep within the forest,
But one day, their mother was killed by a hunter.
The story tell of the journey of Bambi and Lambi, who has no guardian anymore, journey across the forest through many perils and cruelty of life. Bambi was the elder, yet timid. Lambi was the younger, and reckless. The two dysfunctional siblings has to work together against all odd to journey across the perilous forest to find the fabled Sacred Sanctuary. Their journey was hard and sad, but they surpass against all their obstacles through their sisterly bond overcoming their flaws.
It was a mostly sad and heart-wrenching story, but when it all pay off in the end, her heart leapt in joy. She actually cried as she read through the 400 pages book. It was as if she really was there walking alongside with the main characters. Hanabi wasn't really a fan for books, usually getting bored by several dozen pages over the wall of text, but reading a manga is a different experience altogether.
"There's no way you made this! I refuse to believe it!", Hanabi refuse to believe this barbarian can make a book with such compelling storytelling!
The bastard just hold his tongue out as response.
"When I'm done with my mandatory service, I'm going to make manga full time. I will be very famous. You can keep that as a one of a kind heirloom. Trust me, that book is going to worth millions in the future.", Hotaru bragged.
"Haha, as if you're going to be famous. I bet you just rip off this story somewhere. You're going to get sued, I bet!"
Hotaru just smirk to her, like he know a secret no one knows.
For starters, Hotaru's predecessor never watched Bambi movie. All he knows was, Bambi mom died. Bambi so sad.
"That's book is now yours. Let's just say its an early birthday gift."
"My birthday is in March! You're like 9 months early!"
"I am a very early person."
"No take backsies, okay! I'm not giving it back even if its just for you to Copy-paste!"
"Wow, that possessive already? Yikes, I didn't know I am this deep into the Hanabi route."
"Since when I am a road?", Hanabi asked, half confused, half offended.
"Eh, since…"
knock knock
Hanabi opened the door.
"Lady Hanabi, you are called by Lord Hiashi to the Kaguya Shrine."
"Oh, okay.", She put down the book by her nightstand.
)))))))))))))))))))))))))
For some reason, Hotaru had a bad feeling. So after Hanabi left, he went to outside of the fence of the Kaguya Shrine. As if the fact that the Hyuuga worships Kaguya as their goddess isn't dreadful enough.
He just think it was odd as for why Hanabi is called to the shrine. It is a shrine, so he figures, you don't go to shrines unless if you're really religious or has some official ritual stuff to do.
When Hanabi's scream of pain pierce across the estate from within the shrine. Hotaru immediately acted on instinct.
No, it can't be?! It couldn't be, right?! Hanabi was always the more favored for an heir but thats like long time away right?! They couldn't have decide to stick with Hinata just because she beat Hanabi once unlike in canon where Hinata got beat up by her 5 years younger sister all the time?!
[Dark Slayer: Trick Action]
Hotaru become Lightning itself and jumped across quantum entanglement to reform as Hotaru inside the shrine. He had expanded enough chakra reserve to do this twice, leaving him with half of his chakra left.
When he saw what's going on in the shrine, his vision went red.
Hanabi is in the process of being branded with the Caged Bird Seal.
Hotaru know from personal experience how much of painful experience that is, restoring his brain connection to his pain receptors before being branded himself so that the Hyuuga executives did not realize the extent of his Self-Gaslit ability.
It was a pain no one should be subjected.
Especially by their own FATHER!
"HIASHI!". Hotaru screamed on top of his lungs as he lunged toward the Hyuuga Patriach, his clawing hand is pumped with so much chakra that he recreated Chidori on the spot.
"HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!", Tensa bellowed, as he intercepts and drived a Gentle fist strike with enough force to send Hotaru flying to the wall. The wall cracked like spiderwebs in pattern as Hotaru's child body crashed onto the granite wall with great force.
Yet, as if not recognizing that he had just had 2/3 of his bones cracked, he stands back, charging up Chidori(?) once again.
"STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING! YOU'RE HURTING HER!", Hotaru yelled as he lunged forward, Chidori in hand toward Hiashi once again.
However, regardless of his supreme control over Lightning, the fact remain that…
Hotaru is only a mere Genin in strength and speed.
The Elders may be past their prime. But a mere Genin brat is still a mere ant to them.
Tensa kicked him away, deftly avoided from losing his leg from Hotaru's Chidori Claw with his superior speed. And Aramaki settled the dispute with a quick activation of the Caged Bird Seal.
Yet, despite being in great pain with his body battered and broken, Hotaru kept moving forward. Through Self-Gaslit, he forcefully move his body. One step at a time. Sparks of lightning emits across his body.
GAANGG
Bishamonten slammed his thick cane to Hotaru's head like a baseball bat.
But, Hotaru kept trying to get up.
GAANGG GAAANNGGG GAAAAANNNGGGGGGG
Bishamonten slammed his cane to his head 3 more times, trying to make the damn brat fall unconscious.
Still, with the last bit of his energy and consciousness, despite bleeding from his cuts and internal bleeding, he kept crawling toward the screaming, writhing in pain Hanabi.
"S...stop…." He muttered.
GAAANNNNGGGGG
All that Hotaru saw was black.