Within the Hyūga clan, every branch member was assigned to a main family individual.
They were called attendants.
In practice, they were property.
Some main family members were mild. Many were not. Those unlucky enough to be assigned to violent temperaments served as both servants and training implements.
Hyūga Shinya's assigned master fell into the latter category.
The man in front of him, however, was not the master.
Only an enforcer.
Shinya's smile thinned. He did not respond to the provocation and continued walking toward the gate.
The guard froze for half a second, unprepared for defiance.
"Hyūga Shinya," he barked. "I am speaking to you."
Shinya did not stop.
Might Guy followed with a shrug.
"Trash! Stop right now!"
Air tore behind them.
The guard reached for Shinya's shoulder with no restraint. No hesitation. Full force.
Guy halted, frowning, preparing to intervene.
The hand made contact.
Shinya's body shifted.
A short, controlled vibration ran through his frame. Force transferred cleanly through bone and muscle. The grip failed instantly.
Before shock could register, Shinya rotated his torso and stepped inside the guard's balance range. The movement was compact. Circular. Close.
One palm pressed into the abdomen.
The strike detonated at point-blank range.
A low, concussive impact burst outward. The guard's body folded forward as if struck by a blunt weapon.
Blood surged into his throat.
"Bleeding would be inconvenient," Shinya said calmly.
His second palm rose.
A light upward strike connected under the chin.
Bone clicked.
The blood was swallowed back down.
The guard collapsed to his knees, choking, clutching his abdomen.
"You… how dare you…"
His Byakugan flared weakly.
He looked up.
Met Shinya's eyes.
The rest of the sentence died before reaching his mouth.
There was no rage in that gaze. No excitement.
Only calculation.
Fear set in without invitation.
Shinya placed a hand on the man's shoulder in a gesture that appeared almost kind. The body beneath it trembled.
He turned and left the compound.
Guy let out a low whistle as he walked alongside him.
"That was unexpected," Guy said, sounding more intrigued than alarmed. "You've been hiding something impressive."
Shinya inclined his head slightly. "They are still my clan. I avoided excess."
Guy laughed. "Restraint is also a form of youth!"
SYSTEM LOG
Social Interaction Assessment:Target: Might GuyBelief Acceptance Level: HighEmotional Response: Mild elevationResource Gain: +200 Units
Shinya ignored the notification.
The strike had not been for emotion.
It was demonstration.
Being silent for too long reduced value. Being harmless erased influence.
Influence determined whose words survived scrutiny.
Force shifted that balance.
Bloodline alteration progressed internally first. Physical reinforcement followed. Without intervention, the process would stabilize slowly.
Too slowly.
Higher-value observers were required.
That meant visibility.
Which meant escalation.
He recalled his eyes.
SYSTEM QUERY
Materialization Request:Pure Byakugan compatible with post-integration activation of Tenseigan
Cost: 10,000 Units
"…Available?" Shinya paused.
He adjusted the query.
SYSTEM QUERY
Materialization Request:Complete method to activate Tenseigan via direct fusion of pure Byakugan and Ōtsutsuki lineage
Status: Insufficient Units
So prerequisites remained unmet.
Direct fusion was not yet viable.
Only accumulation remained.
Hyūga Byakugan were sufficient in quality. Not in quantity.
The conclusion was obvious.
Responsibility, however, would belong elsewhere.
Shinya continued walking, expression composed.
Those with authority would move first.
He only needed to wait.