Evening settled over Konoha.
The village quieted as light drained from the streets. Shadows stretched across rooftops. From the distance, the Hokage Stone Faces watched without expression.
Inside a secluded courtyard, Hyūga Shinya stood alone.
White training clothes. Feet planted. Eyes closed.
The ground around him was ruined.
Wooden stakes lay shattered. Splinters covered the grass. Several posts were fractured from the inside out. The lawn itself was uneven, torn apart by repeated impacts. Dark stains marked a few broken fragments. Not all of the blood had dried.
Shinya opened his eyes.
"It's done."
A panel surfaced.
STATUS RECORD
Taijutsu Registered:
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms (C)
Eight Gates: Gate of Life (Forbidden)
Gentle Fist: Single-Strike Body (B)
Vacuum Palm (A)
"Remote strike and breakthrough capability achieved," Shinya said quietly. "Adequate."
He dismissed the panel and surveyed the damage.
Cleaning could wait.
Physical exhaustion settled in. Morning training with Might Guy. Afternoon spent forcing integration of the new technique.
He turned and entered the house.
Minutes later, a presence crossed the courtyard perimeter.
The newcomer halted after seeing the ground.
"…What happened here?"
He moved without sound and stopped at the door.
The instant his fingers touched the handle—
The door exploded outward.
A shockwave surged through the frame, violent enough to tear balance from bone.
The visitor reacted instantly, palm flattening against the door as Gentle Fist chakra discharged to counter the force. Energy collided and dispersed.
Inside, Shinya stopped.
Recognition halted his follow-up strike.
The door creaked open.
They met eyes.
"Hyūga Hizashi-sama?"
Shinya lowered his hand. "My apologies. I thought—"
"The fault is mine," Hizashi said calmly. He withdrew his slightly trembling hand behind his sleeve. "May I come in?"
"Of course."
Hizashi stepped inside, gaze sweeping the quiet home. Sparse. Functional. One side room contained visible training equipment.
"I've been informed about the incident this morning," Hizashi said as they sat. "You acted correctly. Someone infiltrated the compound."
He paused. "Are you injured?"
Shinya lifted his hand slightly. "Recovered."
Hizashi nodded. "Your father and I were close. I should have watched more carefully. Seeing you unharmed… that eases me."
Hizashi's tone was gentle. Uncharacteristically so for a clan official.
They spoke briefly about routine matters. Hizashi avoided mentioning the noon confrontation.
Eventually, his eyes shifted toward the shattered stakes outside.
"You broke those," he said. "Your growth is… substantial. Awakening the Byakugan under such circumstances is rare. But don't force yourself too hard."
Shinya answered evenly. "There's no one left to rely on."
Hizashi froze.
Then sighed quietly.
He reached into his robe and placed two scrolls on the table.
"You've mastered the Thirty-Two Palms," he said. "These are for the Sixty-Four Palms."
Shinya looked down at them.
That technique required main-family approval.
Hizashi had overstepped.
Shinya accepted the scrolls with both hands.
"Thank you."
His head lowered. Shoulders shook slightly.
"My father's records were confiscated. Without this… I had no path forward."
Hizashi closed his mouth slowly. Regret flickered across his face.
"…Do not resent the main family," he said at last. "That pain will only consume you. Your father would not want that."
He stood quickly, as if fearful of reconsideration, and left.
The door closed.
Shinya remained seated.
Then his expression smoothed.
He looked out the window as night deepened.
SYSTEM LOG
Interaction Type: Emotional PerformanceTarget: Hyūga HizashiResponse: Internal ConflictEffect: Resource Gain +1500 UnitsRemaining Units: 12293
"Productive," Shinya murmured. "If more decent people showed up, progress would accelerate."
He set aside ten thousand units as reserve.
The remainder was available for action.
Orochimaru came to mind immediately.
"A test subject worth continuing."
He issued a directive.
SYSTEM REQUEST
Materialization:Supplemental text for existing sealed scroll.Condition: Requires mastery of Living Corpse Reincarnation to access.Content: Post-mortem chakra residue forming semi-autonomous soul manifestation.
Cost: 100 UnitsStatus: Approved
He paused.
Another variable surfaced.
Hyūga Neji.
Closer. More immediate.
SYSTEM REQUEST
Materialization:Garment capable of masking identity.Requirements:
Block Byakugan perception
Disrupt sensory and chakra-based detection
Self-repair
Persistent binding
Cost: 2000 Units
"Expensive," Shinya muttered. "…Proceed."
SYSTEM LOG
Units Deducted: 2000Remaining Units: 10193
His shadow shifted.
Black matter flowed upward from the floor, wrapping around his body. Fabric formed where shadow met air. A hooded robe settled into place, absorbing light rather than reflecting it.
In the mirror, his face disappeared into darkness.
ITEM RECORD
Shadow MantleOrigin: Converted shadow massEffect:
Suppresses visual and sensory detection
Interferes with Byakugan focus
Autonomous regenerationStatus: BoundStorage: Shadow state
Shinya nodded once.
"…Worth every unit."