Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Hyuga Aozuki

The sound of shouting echoed through the forest, reaching Uchiha Takashi's ears and causing him to slow his steps.

"Let me handle this!"

"How dare she not kneel before Ryosuke-sama, beat her!"

"Hmph, cutting off just one leg was the clan leader's mercy. Her parents caused Elder Sosuke to get injured. If it were up to me, both legs should be cut off!"

...

The continuous voices allowed Uchiha Takashi to clearly understand the situation within the woods.

It turned out that the main family's young master was leading a group of branch family members to bully a branch family girl.

This branch family girl's parents were blamed for failing to protect the main family's elder, resulting in her having one of her legs cut off.

As for her parents?

They had died in battle.

The Hyuga clan was truly ruthless.

The Caged Bird! In the anime, only a fraction of its cruelty was shown.

But in the real world of the Hyuga clan, only the main family were considered human, while the branch family were all slaves and tools.

No wonder the once-renowned Hyuga clan from the Warring States period never produced any Kage-level powerhouses later on.

Because no matter how strong the branch family became, they could only serve as dogs for the main family. What was the point of trying hard? They might as well just give up.

If it weren't for the future princess, their fate wouldn't be any better than the Uchiha's.

In the village, the Hyuga clan's Caged Bird was a complete taboo.

Before long, a dozen Hyuga clan youths left.

"Hyuga... huh?"

Uchiha Takashi murmured to himself, then stepped into the woods.

He was quite interested in this clan.

After all, they possessed the godly 'Otsutsuki' bloodline, which was a rare material.

In the past, he had no way to collect it, but now that he had the chance, he wouldn't let it slip by.

Upon entering the grove, he immediately saw the slender figure with only one leg remaining, alongside the broken crutch and the bloodstained ground.

Tragic! Truly tragic! But Uchiha Takashi wasn't a saint; he simply stood silently behind a tree, intending to collect the blood on the ground after she left.

It wasn't that he was cold-hearted, but he understood one thing clearly.

Know your limits!

This was a matter for the Hyuga clan, and even the village wouldn't intervene. He had neither the right nor the power to interfere.

Bang, bang!

However, her injuries were so severe that she couldn't even stand up, let alone leave.

"Sigh..."

After watching for a while and noticing her movements becoming slower and eventually stopping, Uchiha Takashi finally stepped out from behind the tree.

His heart wasn't hard enough.

The most correct action would have been to watch her die here.

But having only been in this world for two and a half years, his worldview couldn't yet be as cold as the people of the ninja world, who treated others as less than human.

If it were an enemy or a villain, he could have watched without issue.

But watching a girl around his age die in front of him was something he couldn't quite bear.

He approached the unconscious girl on the ground.

So beautiful! That was Uchiha Takashi's first reaction upon seeing her face.

Even though it was covered in bruises and swollen, he could still vaguely see her delicate features and smooth skin.

Moreover, compared to his fiancée, her figure had a clear advantage.

'Could this be the Hyuga's hidden specialty?'

Thinking of the future princess's figure, Uchiha Takashi's expression turned strange.

He pulled out a bottle of diluted healing potion and quickly poured it into her mouth.

Her injuries were too severe; without immediate treatment, she would definitely die. And these external injuries were exactly what the healing potion was meant to treat.

Consider it a reward for providing material—Uchiha Takashi thought to himself.

Then he quickly collected the blood on the ground.

The Hyuga girl slowly regained consciousness with a soft moan.

And Uchiha Takashi promptly left.

### Chapter 14: Hyuga Aotsuki

"Wait!" The girl struggled to open her eyes, but all she could see was the retreating figure of Uchiha Takashi.

On the other side, Uchiha Takashi heard the call behind him, but he had no intention of turning back.

What difference would it make if she knew he was the one who saved her?

After all, he was a "married man," and getting too involved with her wouldn't be a good idea.

A young man out in the world must take care of himself.

Just like the Root, always coveting his body.

For the next half month.

Team Three took on D-rank missions every morning, then trained under their teacher's guidance in the afternoons.

Walking on water, tree climbing, chakra control... these basics improved rapidly under the guidance of a Jonin like Minato Namikaze.

However, the leisurely days were about to end.

Because Team Three couldn't stay in the village doing D-rank missions forever.

So, the main course was about to begin.

Starting tomorrow, they'd be taking on C-rank or higher missions.

The key point is... shedding blood.

Being a ninja is inherently a profession of killing, so bloodshed is inevitable.

Once the basics are mastered, it's time to face bloodshed.

Minato Namikaze had taken on a B-rank mission to clear out bandits for them.

If it were just bandits, it would be a C-rank mission, but the possibility of encountering other ninjas raised the rank by one.

For a regular Chunin-led team, it wouldn't be possible to take on a B-rank mission so soon.

But with Minato Namikaze, taking on such a mission was no problem.

His strength was enough to ensure their safety.

The question was whether he had mastered the "Flying Thunder God" technique at this point.

If he had, he was at Kage-level strength.

If not, he was likely an elite Jonin or quasi-Kage level.

Sometimes, a single jutsu can truly transform one's strength.

And such jutsus are mostly S-rank forbidden techniques.

While pondering these thoughts, Uchiha Takashi continued training in the training ground, leaving only when it got dark.

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of white eyes appeared after he left.

"Uchiha Takashi... is it!"

Hyuga Aotsuki walked into the training ground, murmuring to herself as she watched Uchiha Takashi's retreating figure.

In fact, she had found Uchiha Takashi the very next day.

After all, knowing his approximate age and seeing his ninja tools, it wasn't hard to figure out who was using the nearby training grounds.

So, for the past half month, she had been observing him from the shadows.

Thanks to her unique Byakugan, even Minato Namikaze hadn't noticed.

And Uchiha Takashi had no idea that the girl he saved had been watching him from afar every day.

It could only be said that while the Byakugan might not be great in combat, it's unparalleled in reconnaissance, which is why so many covet it.

The next day! At the entrance of Konoha Village.

The two giant wooden gates adorned with the ninja emblem swung open, and Team Three gathered.

Villagers and merchant caravans came and went.

With a population of hundreds of thousands, Konoha Village had only this entrance, so one could imagine how bustling it was.

To the side was a registration desk, where two ninjas handled entry and exit registrations.

Note, they only dealt with ninja-related matters.

The village also had a barrier, so there was no worry of ninjas sneaking in unnoticed.

Future figures like Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi could infiltrate not because the barrier was ineffective, but because they were once high-ranking members of Konoha and knew its weaknesses.

"Alright, let's head out!"

Minato Namikaze finished the registration and signaled the three, who were carrying their packs, to follow.

Sleeping bags, fire-starting materials... all essential items for the outdoors, which they had purchased after taking on the mission the previous day.

As Uchiha Takashi stepped out of the village for the first time, he seemed to sense the scent of blood in the air.

According to the protagonist's law, if nothing unexpected happens, something unexpected will definitely happen.

Whether it was Minato Namikaze or Kakashi, they were protagonists, so something was bound to occur.

Read Advanced Chapters at:

P@treon.com/ChakraMaster