Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui exchanged a brief glance without speaking. Although the Hyuga Clan's reputation rivaled that of the Uchiha, neither of them let their guard down.
After a quick wordless discussion, they decided that Uchiha Itachi would step forward to face the Great Elder's grandson—Hyuga Rin.
Hyuga Rin hurried to the training grounds. Having heard that his grandfather had found him a worthy opponent, he understood that winning this match would bring immense glory to the Hyuga Clan.
With that in mind, he wasted no time rushing over. When he saw the two Uchiha shinobi, his eyes immediately burned with fighting spirit.
"So you're the two who want to fight me?" Hyuga Rin raised an eyebrow, his gaze filled with arrogant disdain.
According to the Hyuga Clan's teachings, the Byakugan was the number one kekkei genkai in the ninja world.
What Sharingan? Nonsense.
The Byakugan was supreme. Once mastered to a high enough level, it could even grant resistance—if not outright immunity—to genjutsu. Of course, very few people had ever reached that level.
At present, only Hyuga Hiashi had crossed that threshold, and even then, it merely strengthened his defensive resistance. Even Hiashi himself didn't fully understand why the Byakugan was considered equal to the Sharingan.
Perhaps during the Warring States Period, the Hyuga Clan had not been much weaker than figures like Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama—but by their current generation, the gap had grown painfully obvious.
Hyuga Hiashi was drawn over by a servant's report. He, too, wanted to see just how strong Uchiha Itachi really was.
After all, Itachi had long served in ANBU. His ninjutsu, abilities, and combat records were all classified, yet his reputation was widespread.
Was he truly as exceptional as the rumors claimed—or was it exaggeration?
The answer would be clear soon enough.
Uchiha Itachi said nothing. He simply stood there, his gaze fixed calmly on Hyuga Rin.
To him, Rin was riddled with openings—far less cautious than even Neji.
Itachi couldn't tell whether the Hyuga Great Elder had spoiled his grandson too much, or if the Hyuga Clan's younger generation was truly this lacking. If it was the latter, then the Hyuga were not far from fading out of the ranks of the great clans.
Seeing that Itachi didn't respond, Hyuga Rin frowned.
"Let's begin," he said impatiently. "I'll finish off an ill-mannered guy like you quickly and go back to training."
With that, he assumed the standard Hyuga starting stance—knees bent slightly, hands formed into palm blades in front of his body.
The posture carried a faint hint of a seasoned fighter's presence, but in Itachi's eyes, it looked utterly foolish.
Hyuga Rin's legs trembled subtly, his waist was hunched, and his footing was unstable. His training was sloppy, his foundation weak—his body clearly hollowed out. Facing someone like this actually gave Itachi a headache; he was worried he might accidentally kill him.
And right now, the Uchiha were negotiating important matters with Hyuga Hiashi. Causing a major incident here would do no one any good.
Seeing that Itachi still hadn't made a move, Hyuga Hiashi spoke up:
"Itachi, there's no need to hold back on my account. The young members of the Hyuga Clan can afford to lose."
The moment those words fell, everyone turned to look at him.
Hyuga Hiashi's expression was calm and impartial, instantly igniting excitement in the crowd. All eyes shifted back to the training ground—while the Hyuga Great Elder's expression darkened.
How could he not know Uchiha Itachi's identity and strength?
It was precisely because the Uchiha had come seeking the Hyuga's cooperation that he had pushed his grandson forward—to save face and boost his reputation.
In Konoha, there were only two ways to gain fame:
One was earning military merit on the battlefield.
The other was challenging well-known powerful shinobi.
As long as one remained undefeated, admiration would naturally follow.
Uchiha Itachi carried many titles:
—Son of the Uchiha Clan Head
—Future successor of the Uchiha
—ANBU squad leader
Each one testified to his strength.
As long as his grandson wasn't defeated, it would greatly benefit his future. But now that Hyuga Hiashi had openly allowed Itachi to fight seriously, it was clear he was deliberately ruining that plan.
The Great Elder shot Hyuga Hiashi a vicious glare.
Hyuga Hiashi merely smiled faintly.
"Does the Great Elder have any objections?"
The Great Elder fell silent and turned his gaze back to the field.
Deep within Hyuga Hiashi's eyes flashed a trace of cold killing intent. The Hyuga Clan's dignity had been dragged down by people like this. If, during the coming coup, the Great Elder were to die quietly and unnoticed…
Uchiha Shisui raised his right hand high.
"I declare—the match begins! (Senzu beans at the feast!)"
Hyuga Rin stepped forward, his body surging toward Uchiha Itachi at high speed. With a sharp thrust of his palm, he unleashed Eight Trigrams Empty Palm, striking straight toward Itachi's face.
Uchiha Itachi stood completely still, as if he hadn't noticed at all.
In the next instant—just as the palm strike was about to land—Itachi's body burst apart into a swarm of crows, scattering in all directions as their harsh cries echoed across the field.
Hyuga Rin froze for a split second.
Then—a chill ran down his spine.
Uchiha Itachi had appeared behind him.
A short blade flashed in Itachi's hand as he lunged forward. At the same time, three shuriken were thrown, curving around Hyuga Rin's sides and converging in front of him. The shuriken collided with each other mid-air and shot straight toward their target.
Hyuga Rin instantly realized he was under attack from both front and back.
Danger!
He immediately poured chakra into his body and unleashed the Hyuga secret technique—Rotation.
A semicircular barrier of spinning blue chakra erupted around him, blocking both the shuriken and Itachi's charge.
Itachi withdrew at once, retreating backward and suspending himself briefly in mid-air. Both hands reached into his ninja tool pouch, fingers clamping onto more shuriken, waiting for Rotation to end.
The Hyuga Great Elder immediately understood Itachi's intent and instinctively moved to rush onto the field—
But Hyuga Hiashi's hand settled firmly on his shoulder.
"Don't make it look like our Hyuga Clan can't afford to lose," Hiashi said calmly.
His grip tightened. The Great Elder's shoulder let out a faint creak.
A chill ran through the old man's heart.
He hadn't expected Hiashi to threaten him—for the sake of an outsider.
"Hyuga Hiashi, let go!" the Great Elder roared.
"Don't you know this battle concerns the honor of the Hyuga Clan?
Don't you know that if we lose, the Hyuga will never be able to hold our heads high again?
Don't you know that the one fighting out there is my only grandson?!"
Three consecutive Don't you know!—each one overflowing with fury.
"Great Elder, there's no need to get so agitated," Hyuga Hiashi replied with a smile.
"Am I agitated?!" the Great Elder fumed.
"Look!" someone suddenly shouted. "Hyuga Rin's Rotation has stopped!"
Both Hyuga Hiashi and the Great Elder snapped their attention back to the field.
On the training ground, Hyuga Rin staggered as Rotation ended. His footing was unsteady, his head spinning—he was clearly no longer able to continue fighting.
At that moment, Uchiha Itachi seized the opening.
Eight shuriken flew from his hands.
They landed around Hyuga Rin, not piercing his body.
But as Rin regained his senses and tried to struggle, his pupils shrank in horror.
His hands and feet were bound tightly by steel wire.
Under the sunlight, the wires gleamed—
they were connected to those shuriken.
(A/N)
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Bonus Chapter will be uploaded soon just as promised.