Chapter 165: Hiashi: Hizashi, You Fool!

Inside the Hyuga clan’s main compound. Hiashi quietly listened as Hizashi recounted all the events of his journey. A trace of helplessness inevitably flashed across his face. "Hizashi, you did very well, but there is one thing you were truly careless about." "Ah?" Hizashi had a rough idea of what it was, but his face remained blank and puzzled. Hiashi patiently explained, "Although there are only nine members of the Kaguya clan, Raizo did not treat us unfairly. He gave us seven pregnant women. If they can multiply, perhaps the clan’s bloodline can be continued." "Mm." Hizashi nodded. Hiashi continued, "Then, who has the final say over the Kaguya clan’s affairs?" This was what Hiashi cared about. In his view, when the Kaguya clan came to Konoha, they should naturally fall under the jurisdiction of the Hyuga clan and be managed by them. But now, with Kyohiko’s string of operations, it seemed very much like the village would be arranging for the Kaguya clan. Hizashi fell silent, then bowed his head. "I didn’t think of that. It is my mistake." "It’s not entirely a mistake. You are upright and value relationships, unwilling to think about such practical matters. But as the head of the family, I have to consider more," Hiashi’s tone was gentle. A slight smile appeared on his face. "You also took a risk this time. Although not perfect, it can be considered a success. You’ve worked hard." "It was all for the clan. A pity... it wasn’t perfect," Hizashi expressed deep regret. Hiashi chuckled lightly. "That kid doesn’t do anything without a profit motive. How could he easily let our Hyuga clan take all the benefits? You can’t be blamed for this." He stood up. "Get up. I’ll teach you a technique." "Ah?" Hizashi was bewildered, but after a moment, he understood and quickly followed Hiashi’s steps. Outside, Hiashi took a stance. "Now I will teach you the secret technique that only the main family can master. Watch carefully." "Yes!" Hizashi activated his Byakugan. He then saw Hiashi raise his palm, chakra gathering throughout his body. Immediately after, chakra erupted from his tenketsu points. This is... A trace of shock appeared in Hizashi’s eyes. Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven! In the Hyuga clan, this was passed down only by word of mouth within the main family; no secret scrolls were left behind. Theoretically, only the main family could learn it. However, at this moment, Hiashi was slowing down, demonstrating the key points of the Revolving Heaven. His body spun, and the chakra erupting from his major tenketsu points formed a powerful defensive barrier. Hizashi swallowed. The way Hiashi was demonstrating, it was no different from directly teaching him. After stopping, Hyuga Hiashi looked at him. "Did you see clearly?" "Yes." Hizashi nodded. Just as he was about to say something, Hiashi nodded slightly and took his stance again. "Watch carefully." Then, his palm gathered a high concentration of chakra—he struck out with one palm. The condensed chakra agitated the air, and together they formed a powerful palm strike, directly hitting a wooden dummy in the distance. Bang! With a dull thud, the wooden dummy exploded into countless fragments. Such power! Hizashi was shaken. Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm. He had seen this move before, and he knew it himself, but Hiashi’s Vacuum Palm was more powerful and terrifying. "Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm is known by both the main and branch families, but this move actually has a higher form. It’s just that many techniques are limited to the main family’s mastery, for example..." As Hiashi spoke, his eyes focused. He struck out with both palms. Eight Trigrams Vacuum Wall Palm! The two hands combined, but it wasn’t a simple one-plus-one. The two streams of chakra superimposed and compressed, driving the air to explode. Boom! Another wooden dummy completely disintegrated, and at the same time, a deep pit was blasted into the ground behind it. What a terrifying palm strike. Hizashi was utterly shocked. At this moment, the casual words of Orochimaru and Kyohiko flashed through his mind. The Hyuga are strong, but it’s a pity... Before, he didn’t understand what was a pity, but now, he somewhat understood. They clearly had so many powerful secret traditions and techniques, yet due to various restrictions, the clan’s strength could not advance further. He dared not voice any opinion. Hiashi’s attitude had improved, and he was willing to teach him some of the main family’s secret techniques, but that didn’t mean his fundamental nature had changed. If he had any opinions, in Hiashi’s eyes, it might be seen as pushing his luck. However, as his thoughts reached this point, Hizashi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. I’ve changed too! In the past, if Hiashi taught, he would learn, without thinking so much. "After the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm is the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Wall Palm, and then there is one more move, Eight Trigrams Mountain Crusher. But for now, you should focus on mastering the Vacuum Wall Palm," Hiashi withdrew his power. The Eight Trigrams Mountain Crusher was immensely powerful but was more for close-quarters combat, while the Vacuum Wall Palm was a powerful mid-to-long-range palm strike, comparatively more useful. After a slight pause, Hiashi said, "Hizashi, you are my greatest support. You must not have any accidents..." "Brother." Hizashi was moved. Hiashi continued, "Also, you must help me ponder how to improve them further." "Yes!" The Hyuga clan had indeed been resting on its laurels for too long! A simple pressure point strike, Kyohiko could concoct numerous derivatives and variations, yet they hadn’t made much progress in hundreds of years. It was clear that the family’s legacy was not perfect and required more thought to perfect and research. They had not done enough in this area. The reason was—many techniques were only qualified to be practiced by the main family, but the main family did not innovate. Hizashi sighed inwardly, feeling more and more that there was a problem with the main family system. Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of a solution. As Hizashi left the main family head’s residence, the figure of a certain person flashed in his mind. Perhaps Kyohiko can help? But... he would have to think of a way to phrase it. --- In the Konoha Hospital, Kaguya Eisuke lay in his room, his heart filled with anxiety. For hundreds of years, no one had been able to cure the family’s bloodline disease. Before coming to Konoha, he had already given up on himself. If it weren’t for his wife and unborn child, he would never have agreed to leave the Land of Water. But now, he couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope in his heart. This was Konoha. And outside was the best medical ninja in the entire shinobi world, Tsunade. What if it can be cured? When there is hope, it’s hard not to feel a sense of wishful thinking. He gave a bitter smile. At this moment, instruments were on his body, closely monitoring his physical condition. Additionally, Tsunade’s chakra was being infused into his body through chakra threads. With the combination of chakra and instruments, Tsunade’s expression grew more and more solemn. In the end, she silently looked at Kyohiko and Sarutobi Biwako beside her, sighed softly, and said, "You two take a look." With that, she walked to the side and said no more. Kyohiko had already seen it. He had a general understanding of Eisuke’s condition; looking again wouldn’t reveal anything new. As for Tsunade, she sat to one side, her brows furrowed. "Big Sis, what do you think?" "It’s very tricky. First of all, his blood and organs have multiple toxins and bacterial infections. Years of accumulation have made it difficult to reverse. Even with treatment..." Tsunade shook her head. The result of treatment would likely only be to alleviate the condition and let Kaguya Eisuke live a few more years. However, it wouldn’t be of much help for Kaguya Eisuke’s bloodline disease. At least, she had no solution. Kyohiko nodded. The Kaguya clan’s disease was very complex. On one hand, there were infections and toxins; on the other, his hematopoiesis (blood production) itself seemed to be the problem. Although they hadn’t performed surgery yet, just based on observations from ninjutsu and instruments, the probability of a problem with the hematopoietic system was very high. Otherwise, the human body could heal itself. The former was easy to solve. Bloodletting, blood transfusions. With medical ninjutsu, safe treatment was not difficult. But the latter was tricky. Current medical ninjutsu had great difficulty treating such a disease. If the body’s blood production was faulty, even blood transfusions would be futile in the end, and could even deplete his vitality and accelerate death. "As expected of a bloodline disease," Tsunade sighed. She got up to open the door, but thinking of the expectant gazes outside, her hand dropped again, somewhat hesitant to open the examination room door. Tsunade turned back. "Kyohiko, you always have a lot of ideas. Do you have a solution?" "Not at the moment." Kyohiko shook his head. The original Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto were not weak, and their research on the human body might even be more extensive than theirs now. But they were also helpless against Kimimaro’s disease. However, compared to Kimimaro, Kaguya Eisuke was not as bad off. He thought for a moment. "Let’s try the basic plan first. Use the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique to remove the toxins and bacteria from his body, and then observe the follow-up." "That’s a given." Tsunade nodded. It had to be done, but she could predict that this treatment wouldn’t cure the root cause. She had originally thought Kyohiko might have some fantastic idea... Sigh, she was asking too much of him. Tsunade collected herself. "Let’s go." She was rather glad that Kaguya Eisuke’s illness was not the first case in the Kaguya clan, and Kyohiko had also warned them about the difficulty of treatment. Kaguya Ayako must have been mentally prepared. Indeed, after a discussion, Kaguya Ayako was not surprised. If Kekkei Genkai diseases could be cured so quickly, they wouldn’t have been a headache for so many Kekkei Genkai clans for so long. Even Tsunade... couldn’t do any better in this regard. However, Tsunade said, "Let’s first try to extract the toxins and bacteria from his body, and then prohibit the use of the Shikotsumyaku for a period of time to see the subsequent effects." "Yes, I will warn him." Kaguya Ayako nodded. Tsunade once again urged, "You few should also temporarily refrain from using the Shikotsumyaku." Although the Shikotsumyaku was strong, the current Konoha had not yet reached the point where they needed it. Especially the pregnant women. Even if a war broke out, it wouldn’t reach the point where the old, weak, and pregnant had to go to the battlefield. At this moment, Kaguya Ayako truly felt that although they were all one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Konoha’s style was really different from Kirigakure’s. After bidding farewell to Kaguya Ayako, Tsunade finally thought of a key problem. Living quarters! "Kyohiko, the Iburi clan rented and bought places to live. What about them? How should we arrange for them?" Tsunade asked in a low voice as they walked. "Don’t worry, they have money," Kyohiko said. Kaguya Raizo might not like to use his brain, but he was by no means a stingy clan head. While letting them take nine people, he also gave them a lot of money. That was all from the Daimyo and nobles of Kyoto, given to their clan. So, with some subsidies and help, they would have no problem surviving in the short term. As for the future, they would need to work together to create benefits for Konoha; they couldn’t always rely on charity. Kyohiko explained his thoughts, and Tsunade nodded, already having an idea. "They are different from the Iburi clan. Let’s waive their rent for two years first, at least until the children are born. Kaguya Eisuke’s treatment will be counted as research expenses. As for the other one... the research on prosthetic limbs is a good opportunity for him to try." At Kyohiko’s suggestion, Konoha Hospital had started in-depth research on prosthetic limbs and had recently made significant progress. "Good, I will communicate with him." Kyohiko agreed. The other Kaguya member was only missing his right hand. With a prosthetic limb and some puppet technique modifications, he would at least be a decent fighting force. Perhaps because they had just arrived in Konoha, all the Kaguya clan members were crowded in the Konoha Hospital, including the man who was missing his right hand. Kyohiko vaguely remembered... his name was Kaguya Ippei. He was nearly forty years old, but apart from the missing hand, he still looked strong and healthy, even healthier than Kaguya Eisuke. Sensing Kyohiko’s approach, he looked up, slowly stood, and was about to bow. "I remember, you’re Kaguya Ippei?" "Yes, Kyohiko-sama." Kaguya Ippei bowed his head. Kyohiko asked, "Can you tell me what happened to your right hand?" "It’s nothing. The enemy was strong, and it was cut off in battle," Kaguya Ippei said very calmly. "This kind of thing was common in the Kaguya clan before. Now, well, many of the wounded and disabled have already died in battle." As he spoke, he paused for a moment before adding. If not for the war ending quickly, he and Kaguya Eisuke would also have died on the battlefield, not be here like this. From his tone, Kyohiko could easily tell... the Kaguya clan didn’t think living like this was a good thing. Fortunately, Kaguya Eisuke now had his wife and child to care for; otherwise, such a mentality would only make his illness worsen faster. Kyohiko thought to himself, then said, "We certainly can’t heal your hand, but we have a new type of prosthetic limb that needs to be used with chakra. Are you interested in trying it?" "Prosthetic limb?" Kaguya Ippei was stunned. A few seconds later, he finally reacted. "A fake hand?" "You can think of it as a fake hand that requires a certain foundation in puppet techniques to control. But I will provide training in this area. With your abilities, it shouldn’t be difficult to master." Hizashi had said before that Kaguya Ippei was at the level of an elite jounin, and even stronger with the Shikotsumyaku. Although he was missing a hand, with a prosthetic limb, he would definitely not be weak. Kaguya Ippei said, puzzled, "Konoha shouldn’t be short of ninjas, right?" "We’re not. You don’t necessarily have to be a ninja after getting the prosthetic limb, but you have the right to regain your health," Kyohiko said. Kaguya Ippei was somewhat moved. Kirigakure had always followed the principle of survival of the fittest, and the Kaguya clan, which advocates battle, also believed in this philosophy. Before, he had never thought about prosthetic limbs or not being a ninja. Kaguya Ippei didn’t think for long. "I’ll do it." "Follow me." Kyohiko led him towards the research lab. The person in charge of the research lab was mainly young elites represented by Hebi Ame, with rookies like Shizune and Kanpo also assisting occasionally. A few minutes later, Kyohiko got a prototype. "The appearance is very rough, but the structure and function are complete." Hebi Ame blushed a little. Since the prosthetic limb and chakra point research projects were established, she had rarely participated in surgeries, yet the progress was very limited. Kyohiko fiddled with it for a while. "In terms of ninjutsu..." Hebi Ame was about to explain when she saw the prosthetic limb in Kyohiko’s hand clicking and moving. Then the fist popped open, revealing an iron tube in the middle. "Is this intended to house poison smoke or poison needles?" "Poison needles." Hebi Ame was still a bit shocked and answered instinctively. She watched Kyohiko skillfully manipulate the prosthetic limb and couldn’t help but ask, "Have you studied puppet techniques?" "No, I’ve seen them used. Controlling just one hand is simple." Kyohiko tossed it to Kaguya Ippei. "You try." Kaguya Ippei caught it, looked at the two of them, and then put on the prosthetic limb. The prosthetic limb, which was so nimble in Kyohiko’s hands, now seemed rusted; he couldn’t even extend the fist. Hebi Ame quietly breathed a sigh of relief. That’s more like it! She secretly glanced at Kyohiko. It’s not my problem, it’s this guy who’s too much of a monster! Hebi Ame said softly, "Don’t be nervous. Our puppet prosthetic limb is still in its first version, so it’s normal for it to be difficult to control." "It is a bit," Kaguya Ippei couldn’t help but say. After trying for a long while, he slowly mastered some of its uses. Then, he raised his hand as if to draw out a bone. Kyohiko immediately pressed it down and handed him his own ordinary blade. "Don’t use the Shikotsumyaku ability unless absolutely necessary." "Yes." Kaguya Ippei took the blade. Clang! The blade fell to the ground. He picked it up and fumbled with its usage. Kyohiko would also give him tips on what to do. After half an hour, Kaguya Ippei could slowly control the blade. After a trial run, he became somewhat excited, his fighting spirit soaring, looking like he wanted to find someone for a fight. Kyohiko quietly used a genjutsu to influence and soothe his emotions, telling him not to get too excited, while asking, "How does it feel?" "It’s so much better than having no hand!" After Kaguya Ippei became proficient, even the genjutsu had difficulty suppressing his emotions. "Kyohiko-sama, I want to go outside and try it." "You can. Go outside the door and try," Kyohiko nodded. Kaguya Ippei walked out and quickly manipulated the puppet hand. The blade speed was very fast! But what was even more incredible was his body. Kaguya Ippei was very flexible. When he swung the blade, his figure was like dancing, like willow catkins. Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Willow! Kyohiko instantly drew his sword. Clang! The blades touched. A flash of excitement crossed Kaguya Ippei’s face, and his blade movements changed again. His blade was precise and fast, quickly stabbing towards Kyohiko’s vitals. His hands and body were soft, often allowing for unpredictable changes in moves. With every change, his blade was precise and deadly. Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Camellia! However, Clang! Clang! Clang! Kyohiko’s blade was able to meet his every time, and... after several exchanges. Crack! After a faint cracking sound, Kyohiko retreated, jumping out of the battle. "A joint in the prosthetic limb has cracked." "What?" Kaguya Ippei, whose fighting spirit was high, was a little uncomfortable with the sudden stop. Hearing Kyohiko’s words, he was stunned for a second. Hebi Ame on the side quickly walked over. After a quick inspection, she was shocked as she touched the lower joint. "It really cracked!"