Almost every member of the Hyuga branch family had a designated main family member they served. While called "attendants," they were, in truth, little more than servants.
And not every main family member was as gentle as Hinata. If you were unlucky enough to be assigned to someone with a bad temperament, then your role would include being a "training punching bag."
Unfortunately, the main family member that Hyuga Shigure served was precisely that kind of person—someone who didn't treat branch members' lives as lives at all.
As for the clan member blocking his way now? Just a loyal dog.
Shigure's smile faded slightly. He ignored the man's thinly veiled provocation and simply kept walking.
The clan member didn't expect the usually meek and silent Shigure to brush him off. His face darkened, and he barked sharply, "Hyuga Shigure, I'm speaking to you!"
Still ignored, Shigure continued walking, Guy merely shrugged and followed along.
"Trash! I said stop!"
Enraged, the man lashed out. The whistle of wind followed his hand as it reached for Shigure's shoulder with no hint of familial restraint.
Guy frowned and prepared to intervene.
But the moment that hand touched Shigure's shoulder, his body jolted like a pine tree shaking off snow. A surge of inner force rippled through him and into the attacker's arm, numbing the man's hand instantly.
Before the stunned clan member could react—
Without even turning his head, Shigure stepped forward with his left foot, his arm curling back. His body rotated fluidly, drawing a perfect circle, and the hem of his white robe swirled gently. His abdomen, muscular and defined, briefly flashed into view as he thrust his palm forward.
Anyone from Shigure's previous life would instantly recognize the movement and shout: "Tai Chi!"
To the Hyuga onlookers, his arm had been knocked aside, and Shigure suddenly vanished, appearing low and close, palm touching the man's abdomen.
Then—an overwhelming force surged through that palm, like a tide drowning him.
Boom!!
The explosive impact detonated within a fraction of an inch. Power strong enough to crush rock slammed into the Hyuga clan member, making him fold like he'd been struck by a battering ram.
Just as blood welled in the attacker's throat—
"Can't have blood being spilled," Shigure said calmly.
His right hand moved up; elbow down, palm upward—he gently struck the man's chin.
Crack.
A crisp sound. The rising blood was forced back down his throat.
"Cough! Cough!"
The Hyuga dropped to his knees in agony, clutching his throat and stomach.
"You dare…"
Veins bulged around his pale eyes. He glared upward—but the moment his gaze met Shigure's calm eyes, the rest of his words caught in his throat.
An inexplicable chill crept up his spine, like a venomous snake slithering over him.
He was… afraid?
Afraid of this "failure"? Impossible…
"That strike was repayment," Shigure said, now smiling once more. "Lady Aoi's training is in the afternoon. Next time, don't throw your weight around."
He patted the man's shoulder and walked past, ignoring the trembling body, with Guy in tow.
"I didn't expect you to go that far!"
On the way, Guy's tone remained casual, more curious than surprised.
He'd heard rumors about Shigure, but he considered him a friend. To him, Shigure was no "failure."
That unfamiliar technique—a fusion of Gentle Fist and Strong Fist—was already far beyond those stuck-in-their-ways Hyuga elites.
He just didn't understand why Shigure had tolerated the abuse for so long.
"Sorry to make you see that," Shigure replied, feigning embarrassment. "They are my kin, after all. I didn't want to go too far."
Guy shook his head and grinned. "You did nothing wrong. Youth must never be sullied."
Shigure smiled back, sighing lightly. "Still, it's been frustrating."
[Ding. Your lie has been evaluated as 'glib nonsense.' Might Guy has experienced a minor emotional fluctuation, reaching a state of 'complete belief.' You've gained 200 Reality Points…]
Of course, it was all a lie.
Why had he tolerated it before?
Partly because his plan involving Orochimaru wasn't complete, and playing the harmless "failure" role was more useful.
Partly because—
"When one dog barks at the village gate, the rest follow. But they don't know why they're barking."
"If I stopped to throw stones at every barking mutt, I'd never get anything else done."
Shigure sneered inwardly.
He felt no emotional reaction toward that nameless nobody.
Attacking him served two purposes: testing a new technique, and setting the stage for his next move.
Only rats hide in the gutter. No one trusts a rat's words.
But if someone with authority lies, even the wildest claims become gospel.
Hyuga Shigure understood this well.
His evolving Ōtsutsuki bloodline had been transforming him from the inside out. If left alone, the process would be slow—natural evolution over time.
But he couldn't wait. To gain more Reality Points, he had to reach higher-value targets. That meant showing his worth.
His little act of "defiance" was just the beginning.
Soon, more people would learn he was a survivor of Orochimaru's experiments.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had likely already taken "Kinoe," now known as Yamato, under his wing. As one of the only other living test subjects, both Hiruzen and Danzo would inevitably try to use him.
Thinking of that, Shigure's thoughts returned to his eyes. They gleamed.
"Materialize: A pure Byakugan fused with Ōtsutsuki bloodline, capable of awakening the Tenseigan."
[Cost: 10,000 Reality Points. Proceed?]
"It's exactly enough?"
He hesitated, then tested another command:
"Materialize: The method to awaken the Tenseigan by fusing pure Byakugan with pure Ōtsutsuki bloodline."
[Insufficient Points.]
"…"
His face darkened. "So something's still missing."
Good thing he didn't impulsively waste everything. If he had blown all his savings for a pair of useless eyes, he'd have no tears left to cry.
"Looks like the second method is safer," he muttered, frowning.
The Hyuga Byakugan might be purer than those of the lunar Ōtsutsuki. But the latter had sheer numbers on their side, having ruled the moon for millennia. He didn't even know if gouging out the entire clan's eyes would be enough…
"Ahem."
Realizing how dark his thoughts had become, Shigure coughed awkwardly.
He wasn't some monster like Uchiha Itachi.
He'd only harvest the eyes of those who'd already awakened the Byakugan. The rest were useless.
And, of course, he wouldn't do it himself.
He had someone far more suitable in mind.
Now, all he had to do was wait—wait for those old men to reveal their ugly true faces.