Almost every branch member of the Hyuga Clan had a "main family" member they were assigned to serve. The official term was attendant, but in practice, it was more like servant—or depending on the temperament of the main family member, sometimes even punching bag.
Not everyone was as gentle and kind as Hinata Hyuga. If your luck was bad, you might end up serving one of the more… "colorful" personalities in the main family—those who treated the lives of branch members like spare change.
As luck would have it, the main family member Unkawa Hyuga served was exactly that kind of bastard.
The guy standing in front of him, on the other hand?
Just a well-trained dog.
Unkawa's polite smile faded slightly. He didn't bother responding to the Hyuga clansman's obvious provocation. He simply continued walking, one step at a time, toward the exit.
The man, clearly not expecting this response from someone who usually just swallowed insults with a nod, scowled and barked his name.
"Hyuga Unkawa! I'm talking to you!"
Unkawa didn't even glance back.
Might Guy—who had been quietly observing from the side—just shrugged and followed.
"You worthless mutt! I said STOP!"
The shout was followed immediately by the whoosh of rushing wind.
The man had actually reached out to grab Unkawa's shoulder. And judging from the force behind it, he hadn't held back in the slightest—not even out of family courtesy.
Might Guy stopped in his tracks, eyebrows lifting. He was just about to step in—
—but the moment that hand landed on Unkawa's shoulder, something unexpected happened.
It was like snow sliding off a pine branch after a heavy storm.
Unkawa's body shuddered slightly—not from fear, but from a precise and powerful internal motion. A wave of energy exploded outward, transmitting a biting shock through his shoulder and down his attacker's arm.
The man's palm immediately went numb.
And before he could even react to the sensation, Unkawa moved.
He didn't turn his head.
His left arm curled in. His right leg stepped diagonally forward. His body rotated, forming a subtle circle, while the hem of his white robe spun with him. For a brief instant, it revealed a toned abdomen with tight muscle definition.
And then—his palm struck.
If someone from Unkawa's past life had seen the move, they would've immediately cried out:
Tai Chi — Intercepting Force.
To the Hyuga clansmen watching, it looked like this: one second Unkawa was in front of the attacker, and the next, he vanished like a ghost, reappearing low and close.
Then his palm was on the man's abdomen.
And then—
BOOM!!
The force was terrifying. It detonated in the space of half a centimeter. The kind of force that could pulverize stone was now blasting into the man's stomach. His body curled from the impact like a trebuchet projectile had hit him in the gut.
Blood surged up his throat—
—but then a calm voice interrupted.
"Can't have blood flying everywhere. Not a good look."
With casual indifference, Unkawa's right hand shifted: palm up, elbow down, he tapped the man lightly under the chin.
CRACK.
The sound was sharp, the motion precise. The blood caught in the man's throat was forced back down.
"Cough! cough! Hack—!"
Pain twisted across his face as he clutched both stomach and throat, dropping to his knees in front of Unkawa like a puppet with its strings cut.
"You dare—!"
Veins bulged around his eyes. His Byakugan flared. His glare locked onto Unkawa.
But then… something odd happened.
He met Unkawa's eyes—calm, indifferent, cold—and the rest of his sentence froze in his throat. A chill crept up his spine like a snake sliding under his skin.
Fear.
Why was he afraid?
Afraid of him—of this useless failure?
Impossible.
Unkawa gazed down at him, a smile slowly returning to his face.
"That was payback," he said lightly. "Lady Aoi's extra training is scheduled for this afternoon. Try not to act tough around me before that."
He patted the man on the shoulder gently, ignoring the slight tremble, and turned to walk away with Might Guy.
"I didn't expect you to go that far!" Guy remarked cheerfully, jogging up to walk beside him.
He didn't seem angry or disapproving—just mildly surprised and somewhat intrigued.
He'd heard the rumors about Unkawa. Everyone had. But Guy considered him a friend, and friends didn't let a few rumors get in the way.
Besides, that technique—somewhere between Hyuga's soft fist and a steel-hard strike—wasn't something you saw every day. Definitely more impressive than the rigid, outdated moves of the clan's traditionalists.
He couldn't help but ask, "Why've you been keeping quiet all this time?"
Unkawa offered an apologetic smile. "Didn't want to stir things up too much. They're my clanmates, after all."
Guy shook his head and grinned wide. "You did the right thing. Youth should never be tarnished by bullies!"
Unkawa chuckled faintly. "Well, I was getting a little tired of pretending."
[Ding! Your lie has been judged as "Utter Nonsense". Might Guy experienced a minor emotional fluctuation. Relationship status upgraded to "Believes You Without Doubt". You've gained 200 Reality Points.]
Of course it was a lie.
Why hadn't he fought back before?
Partly because his plan to deal with Orochimaru hadn't reached the crucial stage. Keeping up the image of a harmless, obedient "waste" had been more convenient.
And also...
"When the dog at the village gate barks, all the other strays join in. But none of them really know why they're barking."
"If I had to stop and throw stones at every dog that barked at me… I wouldn't get anything else done."
Unkawa's smile faded as his inner thoughts turned cold.
That random background character? Not even worth his contempt.
He'd only struck back because he wanted to test a new technique—and because it helped lay the groundwork for his next move.
The transformation brought by his bloodline wasn't just about power. It was internal, spiritual, and physical. His perception, his instincts, even the strength of his muscles—everything was evolving.
But if left to progress naturally, it would be a long, slow process.
He didn't have that kind of time.
To get more Reality Points, he needed access to high-value targets. And to do that, he'd have to reveal just enough of his power to make himself useful—and dangerous.
That little "revolt" back there?
Just the beginning.
Soon, more people would start whispering about the "survivor" of Orochimaru's human experiments. Rumors would spread.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had probably already taken in "Yamato," aka test subject A. That left only one other survivor from those experiments—Unkawa himself.
Hiruzen and Danzo would definitely come sniffing around soon.
Thinking of all this, Unkawa's gaze drifted down to his own eyes. A flicker of anticipation danced in his pupils as he muttered silently:
"Materialize item: Purified Byakugan that, when fused, can awaken the Tenseigan."
[Requires 10,000 Reality Points. Proceed with materialization?]
"Exactly 10,000, huh?" Unkawa murmured.
But instead of confirming, he hesitated.
Cautiously, he tried again:
"Materialize item: Fusion method for purified Byakugan and Ōtsutsuki bloodline to awaken the Tenseigan."
[Insufficient points.]
"...Figures." His expression darkened.
He'd almost walked right into the damn system's trap.
If he had impulsively spent everything and ended up with a pair of eyes he couldn't even use… he might've cried on the spot.
"No choice, then. Gotta go with the second plan. It's safer."
He frowned.
The Hyuga clan's Byakugan was likely even purer than the version the Ōtsutsuki branch had maintained on the moon for thousands of years.
The only issue?
They didn't have the numbers.
Still… if he could gather enough pure Byakugan…
He froze.
"Cough cough."
Even thinking about gouging out everyone's eyes made him cough. He hurriedly muttered a quick prayer of apology.
Digging out every Byakugan in the clan? That was just evil. He wasn't that guy.
Not Itachi Uchiha-level evil, anyway.
He'd just target the ones who had already awakened their Byakugan. No need to waste effort on the regular folks.
And besides…
He had someone else in mind for the dirty work.
All he had to do now… was wait for those crusty old men to show their true colors.