Chapter 2: The Byakugan That Sees Destiny
Seeing his own death upon activating his Byakugan, Hyuga Tatsumi immediately broke down. He even wanted to immediately have the Caged Bird Seal inscribed on himself, so that he wouldn't be a primary target on the battlefield and wouldn't die so miserably.
But when he came back to his senses, he was confused again: his father clearly had the Caged Bird Seal inscribed on his head, so why didn't he?
He decided to ask his kind aunt, Hyuga Yue, the woman who pretended to be young and insisted he call her 'Elder Sister,' and who was the inheritor of the Hyuga Main Family Elder position in their lineage.
"Your father voluntarily accepted the Caged Bird Seal for my sake. Of course, the Hyuga Main Family Elder position must be passed on to you."
Hyuga Yue's tone at the time was calm, as if she were stating the obvious!
Hyuga Tatsumi was profoundly shocked. Right, this was the world of Hokage, a world where people rushed forward shouting about youth and bonds, not the Daiqing Dynasty where nine princes fought for the throne in a succession struggle.
Hyuga Hizashi was so dissatisfied with the system of Main Family and Branch Family that he even contemplated killing Hyuga Hinata for the sake of Hyuga Neji, yet he ultimately chose to die voluntarily to protect his brother and the Village. What was the relinquishing of a Hyuga Main Family Elder position by his Family compared to that?
However, the Hyuga Main Family Elder position wasn't something Hyuga Yue could decide on her own; the Family had its own system. But Hyuga Yue had never married or had children, resulting in him being the only heir in their lineage, which is why the Caged Bird Seal hadn't been inscribed until now.
This made him suspicious again. He had just heard Hyuga Yo say that the Caged Bird Seal would be inscribed on him tomorrow. But why was there no Caged Bird Seal in the destiny he saw for himself? Otherwise, his Byakugan wouldn't have been dug out by Ao.
Hyuga Yue must have done something!
Thinking of the struggles Hyuga Yue undertook for him, Hyuga Tatsumi was deeply moved. He turned his head and asked, "Sister Yue, do you have someone you like?"
"No!" Hyuga Yue answered decisively, yet her eyes held longing. What young girl doesn't dream of romance?
"If Sister Yue has someone she likes, go ahead and marry him. It doesn't matter if I get the Caged Bird Seal inscribed."
Hyuga Tatsumi wasn't afraid of the Caged Bird Seal. After activating his Byakugan, he experimented and found that his Byakugan could not only see his own destiny but also fragments of others' destiny every so often. By changing their fate, he could receive rewards, which, besides boosting his strength, would evolve his Byakugan. He believed he would eventually break free from the Caged Bird Seal's restraints.
Moreover, in his view, the original intention behind creating the Caged Bird Seal was good; the problem lay with the related systems and some stubborn old members of the Hyuga Main Family. Change only required a revolution.
Hyuga Yue didn't know what Hyuga Tatsumi was thinking; she only assumed he was considering her feelings, and her heart almost melted.
"Kids just need to eat and sleep well; you don't need to worry about adult matters." She pulled Hyuga Tatsumi into her embrace, rubbed his head, and braided his long hair into two adorable pigtails.
"Never mind, let's not talk about that, Sister Yue, I want to attend the Ninja Academy." Hyuga Tatsumi shook his head, unable to escape her playful hands, and could only let her fuss over him.
Hyuga Yue's teasing hands paused, and she asked in astonishment, "The Ninja Academy's educational standard is far inferior to the Family's. What could you possibly learn there?"
The educational standard of the Ninja Academy holds little appeal even for minor families with Secret Techniques or Bloodline Limits, let alone a major Family like the Hyuga Clan.
"The Family is too serious. I want a change of environment and to make new friends," Hyuga Tatsumi said expectantly. "Sister Yue will help me, right?"
"That might be difficult. As you know, the Hyuga Main Family holds a somewhat detached status in the Village."
"But I'm from the Branch Family."
Hyuga Yue stroked his little head and said seriously, "I won't let you be bound by the Caged Bird Seal."
Noticing that Hyuga Yue's mood was off, Hyuga Tatsumi rolled his eyes and changed his approach: "It's already the Era of Ninja Villages. The Hyuga Clan must keep up with the times and integrate with the Village to secure a better foothold. The Ninja Academy is a good start."
"Wait... you understand politics at such a young age?" Hyuga Yue looked at the small Hyuga Tatsumi with a strange expression.
"Oh, just tell me if you'll help or not?" Hyuga Tatsumi shrank his neck. He couldn't exactly say that his two lifetimes combined made him older than her, could he?
After pondering for a moment, Hyuga Yue nodded. "I will discuss it with your father later."
"Thank you, Sister Yue!"
"You're welcome. You are also considering the Family's interests. However, you must think clearly: if you go to the Ninja Academy, you will largely have to follow the Village's arrangements, and the Family cannot interfere excessively. The Ninja World is not peaceful, and you will be assigned dangerous missions."
"I understand." Hyuga Tatsumi nodded. Then, remembering something else, he asked, "Will the Family also not interfere with the methods used by certain shadowy individuals in the Village to control people, such as placing curses on tongues?"
Hyuga Yue looked puzzled. "Are you talking about Root? You know about that?"
"A little, a little, hehe. I always see things I shouldn't when practicing my Byakugan."
"You absolutely cannot speak of this outside, or there will be big trouble!" Hyuga Yue warned sternly. The Byakugan's ability to pry is practically a bug, which might be why the Hyuga Clan always has friction with the Village.
"I remember the Ninja Secrecy Regulations very clearly." Hyuga Tatsumi quickly nodded. He wasn't stupid; how could he possibly talk about such things outside?
Hyuga Yue nodded in satisfaction and said, "Don't worry. Because of the Caged Bird Seal, Root won't recruit members of the Branch Family. As for the Main Family... hmph, Danzo isn't qualified to touch them."
"That's good!" Hyuga Tatsumi breathed a sigh of relief. It made sense. Besides their strength, the Hyuga Clan were also nobles of the Land of Fire. Even the Hokage's ascension required the Daimyo's approval—though it was just a formality—it proved that the system of nobility still had some use in this world.
Although he found it strange how Ninja possessing extraordinary power could tolerate ordinary people lording over them, he didn't want to change anything. As a beneficiary, restraining himself was good enough; he wasn't a Saint.
After resting for a while, he walked back into the courtyard, took a deep breath, and assumed a special starting stance.
"Byakugan!"
Hyuga Tatsumi's eyes turned bluish-white, black markings appeared in his pupils, and the veins around his eyes bulged, making him look somewhat fierce.
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Dense palm strikes flew through the courtyard, tearing the air and producing bursts of explosive sounds.
After finishing sixteen palms, Hyuga Tatsumi stopped, breathing heavily. Even though he had changed the fate of a few bystanders after activating his Byakugan and the rewards had strengthened him slightly a few times, his age meant his physical condition couldn't support him executing the full Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
Just as he was about to deactivate his Byakugan, suddenly, within his 360-degree, unobstructed field of vision, a phantom light and shadow emerged from Hyuga Yue's body.
That was the light and shadow that revealed destiny!
"Tatsumi, this way you won't need to have the Caged Bird Seal inscribed..."
"Farewell forever, dear brother, and Tatsumi..."
The light and shadow slowly dissipated, and the Byakugan closed. Hyuga Tatsumi was suddenly startled, staring wide-eyed at Hyuga Yue, who was sitting quietly under the eaves.
She actually harbored a death wish!