Chapter 82: The Ultimate Secret of the Hyuga Clan - The White Eyed Princess of Konoha

### Chapter 82: The Ultimate Secret of the Hyuga Clan Hinata had not seen Naruto, Sasuke, or Kakashi for quite some time. If everything went as expected, Sasuke should be training under Kakashi to master the Chidori, while Naruto had encountered Jiraiya, that old pervert. A few days ago, Hinata, along with Sakura and Ino, visited Lee at the Konoha Hospital, where he was recovering quite well. After all, unlike in the original story, he hadn't had his limbs crushed by Gaara. With only muscle and tendon strains, the medical team at Konoha Hospital could handle the treatment. On their way back, Hinata took a moment to warn Sakura and Ino not to visit the hot springs for the next month because of a pervert lurking around. Recently, Neji had also been training with his father, Hiashi, and not a trace of him could be seen. With the third round of the Chūnin Exams drawing near, everyone was seizing the opportunity for one final push. Those who passed the exams aimed for even better results, and those who didn't pass didn't want to fall behind others. Hinata had gone out several times to play, but hadn't found anyone to chat with. Instead, she ended up having dango with Anko, the eccentric elder sister-type, and they'd grown quite familiar. Tokuma from the Hyuga clan had also brought in a gambling expert for Hinata, from whom she learned a great deal during her free evenings. Though... when it came to gambling with Tsunade, the odds of winning were practically zero. But since Hinata had never encountered these games before, she needed to understand the basic rules and strategies. Days went by, and Hinata's schedule for new ninja techniques became packed. In the training room, Hinata and Hiashi fiercely separated with a "smack," leaving Hinata looking a bit disheveled, while Hiashi was panting heavily. Although Hiashi could still suppress Hinata using his seasoned Gentle Fist experience, his chakra reserves couldn't match hers. Over time, Hiashi found it increasingly difficult to continue fighting. Moreover, Hinata's recent progress was swift. Initially, Hiashi could hold back some of his strength, but now, facing Hinata without giving his all would be courting disaster. Looking at Hinata, who stood steady and at ease, Hiashi felt a mix of helplessness, bitterness, and relief. His daughter had surpassed his decades of hard training in less than ten years herself. Even though she was his own daughter, it still felt somewhat unsettling. "Tsk tsk tsk!" Hinata looked at the exhausted Hiashi with a tinge of pride. This is the difference between a regular player and a player with cheats! After training hard for decades, a player with cheats can achieve more in an instant, especially if those cheats are paid for. After a pause, Hiashi steadied his breath and said calmly, “It seems you’ve also reached this stage of training... a barrier every Hyuga clan member must face!” Hinata nodded slightly, understanding what Hiashi meant. Gentle Fist had its limitations, just as all martial arts did. Hiashi's prowess had long plateaued, and his daily training now served only to maintain his condition. The same was true for Hizashi. The two brothers’ capabilities were on par, but both had reached their limits. Hiashi explained, "While the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist is hailed as the strongest martial arts style, integrating defense, close-range, and long-range attacks, it does hold certain restrictions." Having been contemporaries with Minato, Hiashi had survived the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, making him knowledgeable and perceptive. With intelligence gathered over the years, Hiashi had a clear understanding of the top-tier warriors in the shinobi world. The highest level shinobi possessed one or several trump cards. These trump cards were often forbidden jutsu or super jutsu with S-rank potency and practicality. The Hyuga clan's current strongest technique was the Mountain Crusher, which, although powerful, was somewhat lacking against the elite forces. Of course, most shinobi are high-attack, low-defense assassin types, and those mastering defensive techniques are still rare. This is why the Hyuga clan can claim the title of "strongest" because there are fewer monstrous figures in the shinobi world at this time. However, Hiashi was well aware that individuals like village jinchūriki, the village leaders, and those mastering formidable forbidden jutsu were beyond his league. At most, he could maintain an unbeaten record for a certain period. Hyuga's reputation as the 'strongest' was merely relative to ordinary shinobi. Hiashi continued, "All forbidden jutsu either push the five-element techniques to their limits or involve Yin-Yang Release... and you should be well aware of this by now." “Our clan specializes more in taijutsu and rarely trains in ninjutsu. While progress is swift in the early stages, reaching our level makes further advancements difficult.” “Your Twenty Divine Air Strikes may appear powerful but are essentially just auxiliary in nature.” Hiashi's observation wasn't wrong—Twenty Divine Air Strikes required the Mountain Crusher and Air Palm for their full effect, inherently lacking power on their own. Because Hinata’s move was not truly a degraded version of the Eighty Gods Vacuum Fists... Hinata earnestly inquired, "Is there truly no further progress once we've reached this stage within our clan?" Hiashi shook his head and explained, "Taijutsu can largely be divided into three types: Gentle Fist, Iron Fist, and Ninja Taijutsu." “When we reach our level, we're no longer confined to taijutsu alone but incorporate ninjutsu into it.” Hinata nodded in understanding. Indeed, techniques like Guy’s Eight Gates, Tsunade’s Monster Strength, and the Raikage’s Ninja Taijutsu were not purely taijutsu but leaned heavily on ninjutsu. Hiashi continued, "And our Hyuga clan's power comes from the Byakugan." Hiashi's following statements aligned closely with Hinata's previous analysis. The Byakugan and Gentle Fist were symbiotic, with the Byakugan enhancing more than just Gentle Fist combat but also altering the chakra nature within Gentle Fist. The Byakugan could influence Gentle Fist chakra, while mastering Gentle Fist could augment the Byakugan’s power. With a serious expression, Hiashi looked at Hinata and said, "Hinata, your talent is extraordinary. To reach this stage at twelve is remarkable, and as your body continues to mature, your abilities will grow exponentially." “However, Hizashi and I lack that extraordinary talent, reaching the peak of Gentle Fist as our bodies began to decline.” Hinata replied earnestly, “So, I'm the hope of the Hyuga clan, then?” Indeed, I'm quite extraordinary. Hiashi ignored Hinata's self-praise, maintaining a serious demeanor. “There's a generational secret passed down orally within our Hyuga main family. Except for the clan heads of each generation, no one else knows it.” Hinata's curiosity piqued, and she eagerly asked, “What’s this secret?” Hiashi took a deep breath, activated his Byakugan to inspect their surroundings. Even though no spies were present, he lowered his voice. “It’s the ultimate secret of the shinobi world, encompassing the mysteries of the Sage of the Six Paths and the tailed beasts... and the ultimate secret of the Byakugan.”