บท 2: The Silent Game with the Fifth Elder

As the older individual softly slid open the Japanese-style door to Hikari's room, he stepped inside. Hikari, with his Byakugan activated, quickly took in every detail of the man's appearance.

He appeared to be in his mid-forties, which was close but slightly past the prime 'peak' age for a shinobi in this world, generally considered to be around forty.

Hikari knew from his memory already that this man was a father, with three qualified children who had already been married and living on their own in different places.

These children now resided in different areas of the Main Branch's central housing within the stretched-out Hyuga compound.

This man had one of the highest authorities within the Hyuga clan, besides the Hyuga Patriarch himself, as he was one of the Hyuga clan's Main Branch's nine and only Elders.

His youngest child, already in their mid-teens, was considered an adult by the standards of this world, with the others being in their early and mid-twenties.

So, alongside his wife, and some Branch Family 'attendants' she was in charge of, they were the only current inhabitants of this large Fifth Elder's line's main estate.

It was located right in the center of the entire Hyuga's compound, just near other Elders' main estates and in the last circle of housing in front of the Patriarch's own.

'Despite being slightly past his prime, this man is certainly very strong and not to be underestimated. He's on a completely different level compared to those branch members I observed earlier...', Hikari concluded almost instantly after his thorough examination.

Through the precise vision of his Byakugan, Hikari could see the exceptional level of training and care the man had put into maintaining his body.

His chakra pathway system was notably well-developed, indicating a significant reservoir of chakra potential that spoke to his prowess as a shinobi.

Moreover, Hikari noted the man's overall bearing, which radiated the authority of someone accustomed to wielding great social power within the clan.

Every step he took was measured and deliberate, characteristic of a seasoned professional whose movements were honed to perfection, always ready to jump into action.

His facial expression was that of a battle-hardened veteran, giving away nothing. In great contrast to the branch family members Hikari had observed before, this man's demeanor revealed absolutely no weaknesses or emotions, his face as unreadable as a poker player's.

As his feet touched the tatami floor of the room, designed in the classic Japanese style, his aura was unmistakable. He radiated a sense of strength and authority.

Clad in the traditional attire of the Hyuga clan, his long hair perfectly complementing the distinctive white eyes that marked their heritage, the elder's entrance into the room was commanding.

Notably, his forehead was also unmarked, free of the Cursed Seal that members of the Side Branch typically bore, further showing his status within the main family and the clan's hierarchy. Side Branch members were all expected to cover the Cursed Seal at all times.

'Takumi Hyuga, the 5th Elder of the Hyuga Clan, one of the most powerful Elite Jonin in the entire clan, if my limited memory serves me right...', Hikari thought, quickly piecing together and analyzing the identity of the man before him.

In fact, there was no difference in power or strength between various Elders, they were just historically numerically sorted randomly, and alongside the Patriarch's line they constituted the so-called Main Branch.

As he tried to piece together this information, he simultaneously made an effort to rise from his large bed, intending to show the proper respect and salute while saying, "Fifth Elder -sama!"

"It's alright, Hikari-kun! Don't get up, just rest, you were pretty hurt before...", Takumi responded with a calm yet firm tone, moving swiftly to Hikari's side.

He assisted the young boy with confidence and ease, guiding him back to rest against his pillow and gently but firmly preventing him from rising again with a still calm look on his face.

On the other hand, after nodding and stopping moving, throughout this interaction, Hikari couldn't shake the feeling that Takumi's keen eyes were also evaluating him silently. As the elder drew closer, his gaze seemed particularly drawn to Hikari's still-active Byakugan.

Aware that he himself had the potential to someday rise to a position of influence on par with Takumi's, Hikari nonetheless recognized the current reality of his situation.

At just three years old, he was at the very beginning of his journey, and the shadow cast by his parents' past actions—actions he deemed bizarre and detrimental—also complicated his path to getting a great role within the clan, such as that of a Third Elder, that should rightfully belong to only him now, in the foreseeable future.

The extent of this impact and the steps he needed to take to mitigate or reverse its effects remained unclear to him.

Given these developments, Hikari understood the importance of adhering to the clan's deeply rooted values. In the presence of an elder like Takumi, and within the hierarchical structure of the Hyuga clan—a clan that places immense value on tradition, history, manners, and a clear understanding of one's place—he needed to exhibit the utmost respect now.

Recognizing his current position as akin to that of an infant in the eyes of the clan's leadership, and his lower standing within the clan hierarchy, Hikari chose to act like that.

Such conduct was essential, not just for maintaining harmony now but also for laying the groundwork for his future endeavors within the clan. Therefore, if the Elder didn't stop him on time, he would've really at least stood up to salute as well. As for bowing to him, it was probably only something that the Side Branch members had to do in the presence of elders.

Meanwhile, Takumi's demeanor softened slightly as he still continued to speak, "Hikari-kun, in the future, there's really no need to greet me with such formality. After all, I am legally your custodian at the moment. And please, feel free to call me Takumi-san, or even Takumi-sensei if you agree to become my student as we talked about before next that is.",

He suggested, still maintaining a close proximity to Hikari's bed, well within what could be considered the 'family' social circle radius Hikari knew about in his past life. Despite the sternness that usually marked his expressions, there was also a noticeably warmer pitch in his voice now for some reason.

As Hikari quickly processed the events of the past few moments, his mind began to spin with thoughts 'The activation of the Byakugan at my age is probably a much bigger deal than I initially thought. This is a very good development for me...',

He analyzed almost instantaneously, soaking up every bit of information like a sponge. This time, his observations weren't limited to the physical closeness, the tone of voice, or body language; Takumi's choice of words, especially in comparison to their interactions before Hikari's Byakugan activation, was particularly telling.

The fact that Takumi added the suffix "-kun" after Hikari's name, despite being an elder of the clan and considering Hikari's mere three years of age, was nothing short of extraordinary.

It was exceedingly rare for anyone in their world to address a three-year-old so formally and seriously, which spoke volumes, especially given Takumi's esteemed status within the clan.

Moreover, the shift from using "-sama" to "-san" about himself suggested a significant change in Takumi's view of their relationship. It implied that Hikari's standing should be considered much higher than before, not yet equal but far removed from the respect typically expected from a child of Hikari's age towards someone of Takumi's rank.

Although the Byakugan enhanced its wielder's ability to psychoanalyze opponents by observing physiological responses—such as increased sweat production, accelerated heart rates, and other chemical changes in the body—making it difficult for most people to deceive or act in front of a Hyuga, Hikari's couldn't use that approach currently, due to obvious reasons, to analyze Takumi, so he applied some broad knowledge from his previous life.

His Byakugan had only recently awakened, leaving his abilities in a nascent, almost blank state. Furthermore, the majority of the Hyuga, especially elite jonin-level figures like Takumi, have mastered the art of controlling these external indicators.

Their profound understanding of the Byakugan, combined with an intimate knowledge of their own body's workings, allows them to regulate their physiological reactions meticulously.

As the conversation unfolded, Takumi continued to inquire about Hikari's health, displaying a semblance of concern that seemed somewhat out of character compared to their previous interactions.

Hikari, for his part, assured Takumi that he was completely fine now, answering each question in turn.

This exchange, he noted, constituted a significant portion of the total time they had spent together since Hikari had moved into the Hyuga complex a few months ago, following the death of his parents.

Takumi, as a prominent elder of the clan, had numerous responsibilities that kept him away from this housing estate.

He was deeply involved in managing the Hyuga clan's private commercial ventures that his own Fifth Elder main line was historically involved, or their own 'share of the pie' better said.

Additionally, his duties extended to various roles within the clan and possibly even assignments inside of the Konoha administration as well, leaving him little time for personal interactions between them.

The conversations they had had in the past were brief and marked by a cooler, more distant demeanor from Takumi.

The main thing Hikari got from those interactions is that he could soon start his training with him after he turned three years old, which Hikaru did around a month ago, but refused to start trying due to some childish reasons.

And, now, with Hikari being the last surviving member of the Third Elder main line and still just a child, it fell upon Takumi to oversee Hikari's inheritance and responsibilities as well.

As their conversation progressed in a following few minutes, Hikari began to get the gist of Takumi's underlying motives at the beginning of their seemingly casual exchange between an elder and a youngin; To evaluate Hikari's capabilities for his motives and also his future role within the Hyuga clan likely on some kind of 'mission' from the rest of the higher-ups.

'It's good that he's so ambitious and risk-taking. At least he won't stand in the way of me claiming my rightful property and status in the future if all goes according to plan...', He thought, feeling a surge of relief before he suddenly experienced piercing pain in his eyes.