Hyuga Masayuki looked at Akira, whose face showed no emotion at all.
There wasn't even the slightest hint of regret on the boy's face, and Masayuki frowned.
Turning to Hyuga Hizashi, he said, "Since you've pleaded for him, the punishment can be reduced, but it can't be removed entirely. Three days of detention."
"Father," Hizashi tried to speak up for Akira again.
But Masayuki had already made up his mind. "That's enough. Stand down."
Two Hyuga clan members escorted Akira away, heading toward the Hyuga family's detention area.
The detention cell was in the backyard.
Many people saw them along the way. Unlike before, this time it wasn't one in front and one behind, each man held one of Akira's arms as if escorting a prisoner.
This was clearly meant as a warning to the rest of the branch family.
The Hyuga family's prison was a dungeon. A small house above ground led to a staircase that descended below.
Inside the dungeon, torches lined the walls in even intervals. Between every two torches was a tightly sealed iron door.
Who would have thought this place was prepared for their own people?
To be precise, for the branch family.
However, open defiance like Akira's was rare, and there weren't many people in the dungeon at all.
The two clan members unlocked one of the cells and threw Akira inside.
Without a word, they slammed the iron door shut, cutting off the last trace of light.
In the darkness, Akira opened his eyes.
"One plays the bad guy, one plays the good guy."
He sneered.
If Hizashi thought this would earn his loyalty, he was truly dreaming.
"Byakugan."
Activating his Byakugan, Akira swept his surroundings. Once he confirmed there were no surveillance devices, he retrieved an item from his inventory.
A lamp.
"Good thing I was prepared."
Although it was his first time being imprisoned, he'd long heard of the Hyuga family's punishments, the dungeon was infamous.
Many branch members absolutely hated this place.
He turned on the lamp.
A bright light illuminated the small stone cell. The dungeon wasn't large, just a small room with a narrow ventilation shaft.
There was a chair in the cell. Judging by the chains next to it, it wasn't hard to guess what it was for.
Akira pulled out some dried meat from his inventory and began chewing.
What was torture for others wasn't necessarily torture for him.
He had plenty of supplies in his inventory. He could live here for years if needed.
"Three days and I'll be back. Just need to be careful..."
Can't afford to gain weight in here.
He began training right then and there.
Although, he might not even need to stay the full three days.
…
The next day.
Tsunade, the princess of Konoha, visited the Hyuga estate.
Inside the council chamber.
This time, the room held only Hyuga Masayuki and Tsunade. Between them sat a wooden table with two cups of tea.
Behind Tsunade, the sliding doors opened onto a lush lakeside view.
"Jōnin Tsunade, are you satisfied with my son's performance?" Masayuki asked directly.
He hoped Tsunade would take Hizashi as a disciple, though since Hizashi hadn't been assigned to her through the academy, there was no official student-teacher bond.
At best, they were simply superior and subordinate.
That was the only reason the Hokage had agreed to assign the three Hyuga members to Tsunade's team.
Tsunade frowned slightly. "Your son is competent, but too impulsive. However, that's not why I came here today."
Masayuki put down his teacup, expressionless. "Then why has Lady Tsunade come?"
"Hyuga Akira," she said without hesitation. "To prepare for future missions, I need to conduct special training with him."
Masayuki's brow furrowed slightly. He hadn't expected Tsunade to come on Hyuga Akira's behalf.
And her reasoning was quite legitimate, a team leader could train their subordinates.
"Then does Lady Tsunade intend to train my two sons as well?" Masayuki shifted the topic.
Though the Third Hokage's position was currently stable, it had come at great cost and required long-term effort.
That effort came at the expense of Hokage authority, and the gain of clan influence.
For example, even if Masayuki refused to hand over the boy, Tsunade could do nothing. This wasn't the time of the First or Second Hokage anymore.
But Tsunade's status couldn't be ignored.
Masayuki didn't want to offend her, but he also couldn't let the boy go so easily.
Tsunade just raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "I plan to teach Hyuga Akira medical ninjutsu. If Hizashi and Hizashi's brother are interested, they're welcome to train alongside him."
This put Masayuki in a difficult position.
His true hope was for Tsunade to train his two sons. Having been trained by both Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Second Hokage, she could certainly help them grow rapidly.
But he didn't want his sons to become medics.
Tsunade hadn't yet introduced the concept of the "Medical Ninja." At this stage, most shinobi looked down on medical techniques.
So, her intention was clearly to extract Akira, not to invest in any real exchange.
This also proved that Hyuga Akira and Tsunade didn't have much of a relationship.
Still, Masayuki didn't want to offend her.
And he didn't want to let Akira go either. After only a day, the boy hadn't suffered nearly enough. Hizashi still hadn't managed to win him over.
The room fell into a quiet silence.
Tsunade calmly sipped her tea. The greenish hue of the tea reflected her face.
There was no pressure, no bargaining, only Masayuki's decision.
If he agreed, it might mean nothing. If he refused, it would certainly offend Tsunade.
Tsunade clearly didn't care either way.
"I want to know why," Masayuki asked, cutting to the heart of the matter.
Why would Tsunade stick her neck out for a mere branch family member, someone she had little to no connection with?
This entire team had been the result of an agreement between the Hyuga clan and the Hokage.
Tsunade gently placed her teacup down and replied, "Hyuga Akira is my subordinate."
Masayuki could tell she wasn't willing to elaborate. With a helpless sigh, he said, "Very well."
He still didn't want to make an enemy of her.
…
"891."
"892."
"893."
Akira was upside down, balancing on one hand, pushing his body up and down repeatedly.
Sweat streamed down his face, pooling into a small puddle on the floor.
Suddenly, soft footsteps echoed down the corridor, and Akira froze mid-motion. He stepped forward, packed away the trash and his lamp.
The room was plunged into complete darkness.
He had no intention of letting anyone see those items.
The inventory was his greatest secret.
Clack.
The door lock turned, and Akira looked toward the entrance as a sliver of light cut through the dark.
Luckily, he hadn't been in pitch black the whole time, so the light didn't affect him.
"Hyuga Akira, your detention is over." A familiar voice came from outside.
Akira's lips curled into a grin as he stepped out the door.
Hyuga Hizashi stood at the entrance, face conflicted. When he saw Akira walk out, his expression immediately turned solemn.
He extended his hand. "We're on the same team. Let's work well together going forward."
<><>---------------------------------------
200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters
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🚨 TL/N 💥
Hello guys Fanfic recommendation!
Check out my other work:
💥> Naruto: Mind Control (Highly Recommended)
💥> Bleach: Sephiroth Template
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