The Gentle Fist has Limits!

The atmosphere in the main hall was unusually oppressive, and the air seemed to solidify into substance. Mizuki and a few others kept their gazes locked on Satoru.

After a moment of silence, Satoru opened his mouth, his face showing a hint of bitterness.

"I also want to go to the clan's training grounds, but most of the people who train there are chunin and genin. I'm not even a ninja, so how could I compete with them? I can only train at home every day."

"The bloodline ability of Magnet Release is something I recently developed. Before this, I knew very little about bloodline limits. My parents passed away early, leaving me to live alone, and I didn't have the energy to think about so much."

After saying this, Satoru fell silent. In this situation, the best method was to act pitiful and pretend to be clueless. After all, he was like a nobody in the clan. Even if the main branch had some information on him, they would never have much.

Mizuki and the elders exchanged glances upon hearing Satoru's words. Indeed, they had already investigated Satoru's situation. If it weren't for the matter of dual bloodlines, he would be the least noticeable person in the clan, and hardly anyone would pay attention to him on a regular basis.

Nodding, Mizuki's voice softened a bit, "Since you've awakened other bloodlines, regardless of the circumstances, we won't let you continue living as before. From today on, your living allowance will triple."

Heh! They finally discovered my value, huh? An investment, perhaps?

Although he felt disdain in his heart, Satoru still bowed and thanked him. After all, that was one of his purposes for this visit.

"Thank you, Clan Head."

Mizuki nodded. Then his expression turned serious as he looked at Satoru and said, "I've heard that after awakening Magnet Release, you have developed some contempt for Gentle Fist. But you need to understand that our Hyuga clan has stood in the shinobi world for over a hundred years, relying on Gentle Fist and the Byakugan."

Satoru snorted inwardly. No doubt, this information came from Iruha.

"Clan Head, may I ask a question? Gentle Fist has allowed the Hyuga clan to stand in the shinobi world for over a hundred years, but has it undergone any changes during all these years?"

Mizuki pondered for a moment and replied, "Gentle Fist did undergo some evolution since its inception, but it later stabilized and became the most suitable technique for our clan, capable of adapting to any changes. It has remained the same for centuries."

"Since it can adapt to any changes, may I inquire, Clan Head, if Gentle Fist can counter tailed beasts?"

"This..." Mizuki was momentarily speechless.

"I heard that the Uchiha clan next door has the ability to stand up against tailed beasts, but we, the Hyuga clan, are on par with the Uchiha clan, yet lack such ability."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Mizuki's displeasure was evident.

Satoru paused for a moment and spoke softly, "Gentle Fist has its limitations."

"How dare you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a massive aura swept out from Mizuki, and the entire main hall was filled with a heavy, oppressive feeling.

The branch family guard standing next to Satoru trembled and bowed his body, his face showing a helpless bitterness. A drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead. He couldn't understand why Satoru would bring up such a sensitive topic. The elders of the main branch were highly sensitive to this matter.

"Gentle Fist may have its limitations, but does that mean there are no limitations to other abilities? The reason our Hyuga clan has stood strong to this day is precisely due to the foundation of Gentle Fist and the Byakugan. Don't think that just because you awakened Magnet Release, you can walk a different path. Let me tell you, compared to Gentle Fist, Magnet Release is worth nothing!"

Satoru sneered inwardly. He had only said half of his original statement: Gentle Fist has its limitations, so I won't practice it anymore!

If Mizuki were to hear the second half of his statement, it would likely drive him crazy.

"Not to mention that Gentle Fist has almost no long-range capabilities; even the one technique, Kaiten (Rotation), is meant for close combat. This limitation severely restricts the potential of Gentle Fist. Moreover, the rigid focus on training in Gentle Fist has almost cut off the possibility for Hyuga ninjas to develop other abilities of the Byakugan!

Gentle Fist may have been the foundation that allowed the Hyuga clan to stand strong in the shinobi world, but now it has become a shackle, like a caged bird, for our clan.

Perhaps it was well-intentioned, but with the development of the times, it has become a double-edged sword."

Annoyed, Mizuki waved his hand impatiently and said, "Alright, let's put an end to this matter. You may go now."

"Yes."

After Satoru and the branch family guard left, Mizuki turned to look at the young man behind him and asked in a deep voice, "Hiashi, what is your opinion of Hyuga Satoru?"

Hyuga Hiashi was a highly regarded descendant of the main branch, whom Mizuki had been grooming as a potential successor.

Hiashi thought for a moment and replied, "Since he is the first Hyuga ninja to awaken dual Kekkei Genkai in our history, his future development will undoubtedly be remarkable. However, I am concerned that his lack of emphasis on Gentle Fist might become an obstacle on his path."

Mizuki snorted coldly.

"Giving up on the study of Gentle Fist and focusing on unorthodox methods will surely limit his achievements, ultimately relegating him to just a member of the branch family."

Upon hearing the last sentence, Hiashi opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.

...

Outside the main hall, the branch family guard wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked anxiously at Satoru.

"Satoru! You have too much nerve to dare speak ill of Gentle Fist in front of the Clan Head."

Satoru nodded his head, "I was just speaking the truth."

The branch family guard stumbled over his words "Do you know... if the Clan Head wanted to punish you, you would have suffered the Caged Bird Seal punishment."

"I know," Satoru replied calmly.

"Then why did you still say it?" The guard looked puzzled.

Satoru's eyes flickered; it was his first time interacting with the higher-ups of the clan, and he wanted to test the waters. However, the result disappointed him greatly. The clan had become so decayed and rigid that there seemed to be little hope of changing anything.

If he remembered correctly, in the Naruto anime, there was a scene where the Cloud Village ninjas kidnapped Hinata and were killed by Hyuga Hizashi. To quell the anger of the other village, a highly respected elder of the Hyuga clan advised Hyuga Hiashi to use his younger brother, Hyuga Hizashi, as a scapegoat and commit suicide. That elder seemed to be the current Clan Head, Hyuga Mizuki.

Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hizashi were probably both his sons, and the fact that he advised his own son to sacrifice his younger brother showed how extreme and obstinate his mindset had become!

With these thoughts in mind, Satoru scratched his head and smiled at the branch family guard, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle. By the way, I don't know your name."

Since he arrived in this world, he has lived in solitude. Today, at least this branch family guard was the only one who showed kindness to him.

"I'm Hyuga Shuu," the guard replied. "You can call me Uncle Shuu."

"Okay, Uncle Shuu."

Shuu seemed to remember something as he looked into the distance, his face filled with a tinge of nostalgia.

"Your father, before his passing, worked with me on missions. Though we didn't talk much, I could tell he was a very honest person."

"I have a lot of tasks to handle every day, and it's difficult to have much interaction with you aside from distributing the financial support. But if you have any questions about training in the future, you can come and find me."

"Thank you, Uncle Shuu," Satoru said with a smile. Shuu was a Jonin, and even if Satoru didn't follow the Gentle Fist system, there might be things he could seek advice on.

"By the way, Uncle Shuu, there's something I'd like to ask for your help with." Satoru hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"What is it?"

Satoru scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. "Isn't the monthly stipend usually given at the end of the month? I'm a bit tight on money right now, so could you advance it for me?"

"I see." Shuu pondered for a moment. The Hyuga clan provided monthly financial assistance to its members, and the Clan Head had just increased Satoru's allowance threefold. He had originally planned to go to the accounting office now, so it shouldn't be against the rules to give it to him early.

"Sure."