4 - A Humiliation Beyond Measure!

It was nighttime.

The stars twinkled faintly, and the bright moonlight streamed through the window, casting its glow on the boy.

Yuto Souta was embarking on a new round of research.

The daytime scuffle had long been forgotten. Before leaving, he'd confirmed that none of the Hyuga kids were in mortal danger.

And that… was enough.

After all, they'd started it, hadn't they? Who could they blame for being outmatched?

As for the power of liquid nitrogen… he was fairly satisfied.

Sure, today's opponents were just kids, and the liquid nitrogen had only immobilized and mildly frostbitten them.

But that was because he still struggled to form hand signs properly… Given time, with the double-power boost from his Ninjutsu Master aura, Nitrogen Release would surely become one of his trump cards.

Still… relying solely on liquid nitrogen wouldn't be enough to survive in the ninja world.

That wasn't realistic.

But no matter…

The six months he'd spent hadn't just resulted in adding a step to Wind Release to create Nitrogen Release…

He'd also gained a preliminary understanding of chakra, the energy within the body.

He'd chosen Wind Release to unlock the system simply because he was confident in it.

Now… he'd decided to start exploring his other chakra affinity.

Fire Release.

A conventional chakra nature with immense destructive power, rivaled only by Lightning Release in terms of lethality.

Bold hypotheses flowed from his pen.

[Flames: A manifestation of chakra energy. Does flame temperature depend on chakra quality?]

[When chakra quantity is insufficient, can sacrificing range increase potency?]

[Can multiple Fire Release techniques coexist within the same chakra batch? For example, hiding two Grand Fire Dragons inside a Great Fireball?]

[When Fire Release is compressed to its limit, can it form a high-temperature lethal beam?]

Nested Great Fireballs, a lethal high-temperature beam—these were, in Yuto Souta's eyes, the proper way to wield Fire Release!

The night deepened.

But for the boy, it was only the beginning…

Meanwhile, in Konoha, at the Hyuga clan compound.

Much like Yuto Souta's solitary little room, tonight was destined to be sleepless for the Hyuga clan as well…

Five of their clan children had been injured, their wounds so shocking they couldn't be ignored!

By the time they were found and brought back to the Hyuga estate, the five were barely clinging to life. The oldest among them had even had both arms broken!

The nearly fifty-year-old Hyuga clan head, Hyuga Nissei, stood outside with a face as dark as iron.

Inside, the Hyuga clan's medical ninjas bustled around the children.

Though they were branch family kids, there was no trace of disdain in the clan head's eyes.

On the contrary, he was seething with rage!

A humiliation beyond measure!

This was clearly a provocation against the Hyuga clan!

Surgery and treatment had been ongoing for nearly three hours.

Finally, a burly Hyuga clansman stepped out.

"Clan Head!"

"The five children are out of danger. Four of them have no lasting issues from their frostbite and bruises, but…"

The clansman paused, sneaking a glance at the clan head's expression before mustering his courage.

"The oldest, Hyuga Shin, may never be able to practice the Gentle Fist again…"

With that, the clansman let out a sigh.

Hyuga Nissei's face darkened even further!

Who could dare provoke the Hyuga clan like this?!

It obviously wasn't the work of enemy village spies.

Otherwise, these kids wouldn't have been found alive by the Anbu and brought back.

The injuries were strikingly consistent—frostbite, bruises, yet not fatal. Clearly, the attacker hadn't dared to kill.

"We'll wait until the children regain consciousness," Hyuga Nissei said, his voice as cold as a winter stream.

"If they can recall the attacker's appearance, perfect. If not… we'll report this straight to the Hokage!"

In all of Konoha, who would dare do this and hold a grudge against the Hyuga?

Who else but the Uchiha?

Looking at the pitiful state of his clan's children, Hyuga Nissei made up his mind.

This couldn't possibly be the result of a mere scuffle between peers.

Today's disgrace would be repaid by that wicked Uchiha clan, no matter the cost!

Morning arrived.

When Yuto Souta finally paused his endless research fervor, he belatedly realized the night had passed.

The new ninjutsu wasn't complete yet.

But since the system activated, his Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique proficiency had surged, nearly catching up to his Wind and Nitrogen Releases.

"Guess the youngest kid gets the best treatment, huh?"

Raising an eyebrow, Yuto Souta let out a hearty laugh, the exhaustion of a sleepless night seemingly swept away.

"But this life energy… it's a bit low, isn't it?"

Glancing at the unchanged values for life energy and chakra, Yuto Souta felt a touch of helplessness.

The body is the foundation of all endeavors—these two stats were the real priorities!

After a moment's hesitation, his gaze settled on his 100 research points.

Maybe… he should reward his hardworking self?

But just then, a chill ran down his spine. Whirling around, he saw a man standing behind him!

The man had black hair, purple eyeshadow at the corners of his eyes, and an unnaturally pale yet strikingly handsome face. He stared at Yuto Souta unabashedly, a smile playing on his lips…

Yuto Souta's brow furrowed.

He knew this man… One of the Legendary Sannin, steeped in poison—the only villain to survive until the end of the series and even into Boruto.

Orochimaru.