บท 23: Learning Advanced Clan's Techniques

On a bright sunny morning, the serene atmosphere of the Hyuga clan's training and garden courtyard was punctuated by the sound of gentle footsteps and the rustle of leaves.

Hikari, now a 6-year-old, was preparing to spar with Takumi, the Fifth Elder, who at 48 retained his youthful vigor, his hair still a deep black, embodying the standard Hyuga appearance.

As they faced each other within the courtyard, both stood at the ready, within the ranges of their "Eight Trigrams," a distance they had measured with practiced ease.

Without a word, both Hikari and Takumi assumed the stance of the "Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms," a fundamental yet advanced technique that was a testament to Hikari's exceptional progress.

The air around them seemed to vibrate with anticipation as they launched into the dance of combat unique to their clan.

Their palms moved with precision, each strike aiming to outmaneuver and deflect the other's, while their fingers, agile and sharp, sought weaknesses in their opponent's defense. The courtyard echoed with the sound of their controlled breathing and the swift movements of their hands, a ballet of power and discipline that exemplified the Hyuga fighting style.

Despite the intensity of the spar, it was evident that Takumi held the upper hand. His experience and mastery over the Hyuga techniques gave him an edge that Hikari, despite his prodigious talent, could not yet overcome. The elder's moves were a blend of wisdom and strength, honed over decades, making it clear why he was a respected figure within the clan.

Eventually, Takumi emerged as the victor, his final strike a gentle yet firm tap against Hikari's shoulder, signaling the end of their spar. Hikari, though bested, showed no signs of disappointment.

"It can finally be said that you've mastered this technique, Hikari-kun...", Takumi, with a rare, soft smile breaking through his usually stern demeanor, acknowledged Hikari's achievement.

The shift in his expression from the rigid Elder of the Main Branch to a more approachable mentor reflected the significance of this moment. He added, "Only now can it truly be said that you've become a real Hyuga Main Branch member...",

"Moreover, you've just set another record; there has been no one in our history who managed to master this move at an earlier age than you presently.",

He was referring to Hikari's adept execution of the Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms, a defining skill of their lineage.

The Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms technique, a hallmark of the Hyuga fighting style, demands not just physical prowess but also a deep connection with the Byakugan's unique capabilities.

By envisioning themselves at the center of an Eight Trigrams symbol, the Hyuga can unleash a precise flurry of strikes within the symbol's boundary, targeting sixty-four specific tenketsu points in their opponent's body. This effectively blocks the flow of chakra, rendering the opponent unable to move and symbolizing the true power of a Hyuga Main Branch member.

"It was all thanks to your guidance and the clan's generous support, sensei..." Hikari responded, his tone humble and disciplined yet tinged with a childlike inability to fully conceal his pride.

This mixture of respect and subtle pride was the demeanor he often presented outwardly, embodying the disciplined and respectful image expected of him within the clan outside.

However, beneath this exterior lay a different reality. Hikari's inner world was driven not by humility or pride in his achievements thus far but by a very calculating and ambitious core.

For someone with his aspirations—to climb to the very pinnacle of the 'food chain' of this world within the shinobi world—mastering the Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms at such a young age was merely a stepping stone amongst a dozen others, not a significant milestone.

"No, Hikari, it was thanks to your talent and hard work...", Takumi complimented him once more before shifting the conversation to the future,

"Now that you have finally mastered this technique, I can begin teaching you the Eight Trigrams: Rotation, another secret technique of our Main Branch. This technique is widespread among us. Mastering these two techniques, one offensive and one defensive, gives you the potential to automatically reach Jonin level strength in the future as given."

"At the moment before the Hyuga is struck by an attack, they emit chakra from all of their body's tenketsu to block it. They then spin rapidly, repelling the attack and anything else in the vicinity away and creating a protective shield for as long as they continue to spin.",

"The greater the force of an attack, the greater the force with which it's repelled. True masters of this technique can repel attackers from several feet away and do so with such force that it plows the ground around them, cratering the terrain. And true masters can activate this technique tremendously fast, almost instinctively. Now observe this closely, Hikari-kun...",

Takumi centered himself, his posture steady and calm. Then, with an explosive burst of chakra from every tenketsu point in his body, he began to spin.

The garden around them seemed to respond to Takumi's chakra, leaves and loose earth swirling as if caught in a sudden whirlwind.

The elder's body became a blur, spinning with incredible speed, emitting a visible shield of chakra that radiated outward.

As he continued to spin, the force generated by the rotation repelled debris and even caused the ground to crater slightly around him, showcasing the technique's defensive and offensive capabilities.

Hikari watched, his eyes wide with both admiration and the keen focus of a student absorbing every detail.

As Takumi gradually slowed his spin and came to a stop, the air settled, and the garden fell silent once more.

The cratered ground around him testified to the technique's power, and his calm demeanor in the aftermath showcased the discipline and focus that true mastery demanded.

"This technique...", Takumi began, regaining his usual composure, "Requires not just physical strength but a deep, instinctual connection to your chakra and the ability to react in an instant. Mastery comes with time and relentless practice. But given your talent and dedication, Hikari, I have no doubt you'll soon enough master this technique as well...",

"You have been showing remarkable progress in using your 'Chakra Balancing Stones' for the past three years and have also fully learned the 'Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm,' which is a much simpler technique using the same fundamentals as the 'Rotation.'",

"So, you are already well familiar with ejecting your chakra from your tenketsu points and controlling that chakra, meaning this won't be too challenging for you. You're not in unfamiliar territory; what the Vacuum Palm does with your arm's tenketsu points, Rotation does with all of your body's tenketsu points.",

"You just need time to master this too. So, I plan to teach you another private technique of my lineage to fully utilize all of your time and potential. It's related to that Yin Release genjutsu stuff you asked me about a few years back. Are you ready to also put that into practice?", Takumi suddenly asked, a smile on his face indicating his readiness to share even more of his knowledge freely.

Hikari was momentarily surprised by Takumi's generous offer. However, he remembered how the attitudes of the entire Main Branch toward him had shifted since the Elder Council meeting three years ago. It seemed everyone now secretly, truly viewed him as a flag they all rallied behind—a symbol of hope and future strength for the Hyuga clan. Takumi was the biggest example of that and was also currently Hikari's biggest supporter in the clan.

However, Hikari was under no illusion about the nature of relationships within the Main Branch, the clan, and the world at large. True feelings were rare, and what really mattered were deals where both sides got something they wanted from each other.

This was especially true among those in high positions within the Hyuga Clan, like Takumi. Hikari recognized that Takumi's extensive support and guidance were also likely driven by his potential as an investment; the expectation was that once Hikari achieved great strength and prestige within the clan and the village, he would, in turn, support Takumi and his Fifth Elder Lineage in gaining more influence and power and providing them with greater protection if necessary.

But being aware of this didn't bother Hikari at all. He also didn't let feelings guide him and preferred to see things in terms of benefits and losses, just like Takumi. This made him ready to work with Takumi, knowing that while he was getting help now as a fledgling young genius of the clan, he'd be expected to return the favor when he was grown and more powerful.

Hikari accepted this way of things without any issues. He respected Takumi for the guidance and saw their relationship as a two-way street, where both sides would eventually benefit.

"Thank you so much, Sensei! I can't wait to learn more from you. I'm really grateful for all the time and effort you've put into continuing to teach me...", Hikari replied, his voice brimming with a light enthusiasm and gratitude.

His eyes sparkled with the hidden excitement of a child who had just been promised a new gift, his posture respectful and appreciative in the traditional manner taught within the clan.

However, inwardly, Hikari was already adjusting his morning training schedule in light of this new development.

In fact, three years before he transitioned from the palm-style Gentle Fist to the more advanced finger-style Gentle Fist, he had developed a rigorous, individual morning post-training regimen.

Every morning, after his session with Takumi, Hikari would stay back in the dojo, dedicating himself to practicing with custom-made targets designed for tenketsu mapping at the start.

The finger-style Gentle Fist taijutsu represented a significant advancement over the basic palm style, which was predominantly taught to beginners and children within the clan.

To get good at this advanced style, Hikari had to learn 'Chakra Point Awareness' to know all the locations of the 361 chakra points in the human body by heart. He also had to figure out the best ones to hit to mess up an opponent's chakra flow at all times, just after a quick Byakugan observation on his potential, to do it at the fastest speeds possible and not waste any time.

He aimed to know this as well as how to walk or drink water, making it something he could do without even thinking.

Additionally, Hikari incorporated training with wooden dummies into his routine to refine his speed and precision further.

He focused on rapid strikes, aiming to improve his speed by practicing quick, consecutive hits. This aspect of his training was crucial, as executing the 64 strikes of the Eight Trigrams techniques demanded both swiftness and fluidity.

Precision training was another key component, with drills designed to enhance his accuracy. He would use leaves, small objects, or designated points on training dummies as targets, honing his ability to strike with pinpoint accuracy.

During the past few years, Hikari also mastered the Vacuum Blast, a technique that, contrary to what he had believed in his past life, is actually one of the most basic abilities of the Hyuga clan. This technique is not exclusive to the Main Branch but is also taught to members of the branch families, similar to the Eight Trigrams 16 Palms.

The Vacuum Blast is a versatile technique that involves accumulating chakra within the body and then releasing it from the hands in a powerful burst. This can either be used as a single, concentrated blow for close combat or as a ranged attack that fires a shockwave of chakra to disrupt the air and target an opponent's vitals from a distance.

While the Vacuum Blast offers a significant offensive capability, especially in terms of flexibility and range, it lacks the precision damage that the Finger-Style Gentle Fist can inflict upon an opponent's chakra network during close encounters.

The more precise Eight Trigrams 32 and 64 Palms techniques offer the Main Branch members a significant advantage in close combat, making the less accurate Vacuum Palm less appealing for use at close range.

However, the vacuum palm is a valuable technique for Side Branch members who might not receive direct instruction in the more advanced 32 and 64 Palm techniques.

While it's uncommon for Side Branch members to learn the 32 and 64 Palms through mere observation—in fact, it still happens, as some of the more talented Side Branch have learned the 32 Palm through history from observation, never the 64 Palms, however,—the 16 Palms variant, they were officially instructed in, is the most commonly mastered by their members.

For the Main Branch, the vacuum palm's primary utility is its ability to address long-range combat scenarios.

Given the Hyuga clan's emphasis on close-quarters combat, the Vacuum Palm offers a strategic option to engage opponents from a distance, filling a gap in their otherwise melee-focused arsenal.

This ability to project force over a distance allows Main Branch members to control the battlefield more effectively, keeping adversaries at bay or softening them up before closing in for more precise strikes.

Some powerful Elite Jonins from the Main Branch have taken the Vacuum Palm to even greater heights, developing the skill to unleash multiple such blasts in rapid succession.

This advanced application of the technique can overwhelm opponents with a barrage of forceful chakra waves, showcasing the power and versatility of the Hyuga clan's techniques.

In fact, Hikari also learned during his research that the last 'early Kage-level' shinobi of the Hyuga clan, hailing from the Patriarch's lineage during the late Warring States period, developed an even more unique technique that no one has managed to master since then.

This technique involved using their fingers in a small, pointed thrust to barrage the enemy's chakra points from a distance.

It marked the first time the Eight Trigrams Finger Style was directly applied to long-range combat, bridging the gap between the Hyuga clan's traditionally close-quarters combat techniques and the need for versatility in the range of engagement.

That individual was the only one in the entire Hyuga clan's history who could perform the legendary Eight Trigrams 128-Palms, which were only theorized about before and after then. Hikari thought this meant he probably had the 'purest' Byakugan in the recorded history he managed to get his hands on before the information got cut, even better than Hinata's. He figured that he must have been really good at chakra control innately, too.