---
Almost every member of the Hyuga Clan's Branch House had a specific duty serving a member of the Main House. Though they were called "attendants," in reality, they were little more than servants.
And not every Main House member was as gentle as Hinata Hyuga. If one was unlucky enough to be assigned to a cruel or temperamental Main House heir, their role would go beyond servitude—they'd also serve as a training dummy.
Coincidentally, Unkawa's assigned Main House superior was exactly that kind of heartless bastard.
And the man standing before him now? Just another obedient lapdog.
Unkawa's smile softened slightly. He chose not to acknowledge the clan member's provocation and simply continued walking forward.
The other man clearly hadn't expected this—Unkawa had always been the type to quietly endure rumors and insults. His face darkened, and he barked out sharply, "Unkawa! I'm talking to you!"
Still, Unkawa didn't respond. He kept walking. Might Guy merely shrugged and followed.
"You good-for-nothing waste! I told you to stop!"
A furious voice rang from behind, followed by the sharp whistle of an incoming strike.
The man actually reached out to grab Unkawa's shoulder, his grip devoid of any familial respect or restraint.
Might Guy stopped in his tracks, frowning, ready to intervene.
But just as the hand made contact with Unkawa's shoulder, the latter's body gave a sudden, powerful shake—like a pine tree shedding snow under a strong wind. A bone-deep force rippled through his frame and into his shoulder, causing the attacker's palm to go numb instantly.
Before the stunned Branch House member could react—
Unkawa didn't even turn around. With a single bent arm, left foot stepping forward, he pivoted in a perfect arc. His white shirt flared slightly with the motion, revealing the taut muscles of his abdomen as he thrust his palm outward.
Anyone familiar with martial arts from his past life would have recognized it immediately.
Tai Chi – Intercepting Force.
To the eyes of the Branch House member, his hand was first repelled, then Unkawa vanished like a blur—moving so fast it seemed like a Shunshin. He dropped low, placing his palm against the attacker's abdomen.
Then came a surge of power far beyond anything the man could comprehend—a tidal wave of force that crashed through him.
BOOM!!
The explosive force detonated within half an inch, strong enough to shatter stone. It struck the Branch House member like a battering ram, arching his body violently backward.
As blood rose to the edge of his lips—
"Spilling blood here would be inconvenient."
A calm, indifferent voice reached his ears.
Unkawa placed his right palm gently beneath the man's chin, elbow downward. With a light touch, he delivered a final blow.
There was a crisp *crack*, and the blood rising to his throat was swallowed back down.
Cough cough! Cough!!
Clutching his throat and stomach, the man's face twisted in pain as he collapsed to his knees before Unkawa.
"You dare…!"
His Byakugan bulged slightly, veins popping across his temples, eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
But when his gaze met Unkawa's—calm, emotionless—his next words caught in his throat.
A sudden chill crawled up his spine, icy and suffocating, like a snake slithering over his skin.
Was he… afraid?
Of this useless brat? Impossible…
"This is for you," Unkawa said, looking down at him with a faint smile. "Lady Hana's extra training starts in the afternoon. Don't play lapdog in front of me again."
He patted the man's shoulder lightly, ignoring the tremors running through the other's body, and walked off alongside Might Guy.
"I didn't expect you to go this far!"
As they walked, Might Guy remained cheerful, clearly intrigued by what had just happened.
He'd heard the rumors about Unkawa before, but Guy considered Unkawa a friend, and he never believed those stories about him being a failure.
Forget everything else—the taijutsu he'd just used was unlike anything Guy had seen, blending elements of both the Strong Fist and the Gentle Fist. In his opinion, it surpassed the rigid, outdated techniques of the Hyuga clan.
Still, he couldn't understand why Unkawa had let the rumors persist for so long.
"My apologies for making you witness that," Unkawa said with a slight bow. "They are still my kin. I don't wish to push too far."
Might Guy shook his head and grinned. "You did the right thing. Youth must not be tainted."
Unkawa smiled wryly. "I suppose I've grown tired of all this drama."
[Ding! Your lie has been classified as [Blatant Deception]. Might Guy experiences a minor emotional shift and reaches [Complete Trust]. You gain 200 Reality Points...]
Of course, that was a lie.
Why had he ignored them before?
Partly because his plan involving Orochimaru hadn't yet succeeded. At that time, it was better to maintain the image of a harmless "failure."
And partly…
"If the dog at the village gate barks, others will follow—but none know why."
"If I stopped to chase off every stray mutt that barked at me, I wouldn't have time for anything else."
Unkawa allowed himself a cold smirk.
He felt nothing toward that nameless, insignificant NPC.
Striking him served two purposes: testing a new technique he'd developed and laying groundwork for his future plans.
The bloodline transformation affecting him was gradual—starting from within, enhancing perception and talent, eventually manifesting in physical strength.
Without external intervention, this process would take years, slowly refining his body over time.
But Unkawa couldn't afford to wait that long.
He needed more Reality Points, which meant seeking out higher-value targets—and occasionally showing his strength to increase his perceived usefulness.
This small act of defiance was only the beginning.
Unless something unexpected occurred, soon word would spread that he had become one of Orochimaru's experimental subjects.
Sarutobi had already taken in "Kohaku" (Danzō's code name for Yamato), and as one of the only two surviving test subjects from Orochimaru's experiments, both Sarutobi and Danzō would likely begin probing him soon.
Thinking of this, Unkawa once again focused inward, recalling his eye ability.
He silently activated his system:
[Item Manifestation – Pure Byakugan capable of awakening the Tenseigan through fusion.]
[Cost: 10,000 Reality Points. Confirm manifestation?]
"Wait… I actually have enough?"
Hearing the prompt, Unkawa hesitated. To be safe, he tested another option:
[Item Manifestation – Method to awaken the Tenseigan by fusing pure Byakugan with pure Otsutsuki bloodline.]
[Insufficient points.]
"…" Unkawa's expression darkened. "So there's still something missing."
Good thing he hadn't impulsively spent everything.
If he'd wasted all his points on a useless Byakugan, he'd have no place to cry.
"In that case, the second method seems safer and more reliable," Unkawa muttered, frowning.
The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan should be purer than those of the Otsutsuki branch living on the moon. But the problem was quantity—there were nowhere near as many Hyuga as there were Otsutsuki who had lived undisturbed on the moon for millennia. Would harvesting all the eyes of the clan be enough to evolve a Tenseigan?
"Cough cough…"
At the thought, Unkawa coughed slightly, quickly muttering a silent apology.
That was too sinister—he wasn't some monster like Itachi Uchiha.
Just target the ones who've awakened the Byakugan. Those without it weren't worth the effort anyway.
Of course, he wouldn't do the dirty work himself.
He had someone far more suited for that.
All he had to do now… was wait for those old bastards to reveal their true, ugly faces.
---