My Kekkei Genkai Is Kinda Weird?!

Chapter 34 — Recruiting The Hyūga Branch Family

A hunched figure slowly stepped forward.

Under the pale moonlight, Monk Bunpuku's aged face appeared unusually distinct. His hands were pressed solemnly together in prayer, a rosary of Buddhist beads swaying gently from his neck. He looked no different from a ordinary old monk.

But Yumeko Hyūga's Byakugan told a far more chilling truth—

Within that frail, decaying vessel lay dormant a monstrous power.

"H-He's looking this way!" Yumeko's voice sharpened with panic.

Rin immediately placed a firm hand on Yumeko's shoulder. "Deactivate your Byakugan."

Just as Yumeko shut down her dōjutsu, Monk Bunpuku's gaze seemed to pierce through the darkness, landing directly upon their hidden position. Rin felt the blood in her veins freeze solid—Tailed Beasts (Bijū) were extremely sensitive to hostile intent, and Yumeko's probing gaze may have already exposed them.

"Retreat," Rin whispered, barely more than a breath.

"Slowly. Don't run. Just… step back."

The four of them moved like prey under a predator's watch—retreating in slow, cautious steps. Every motion felt precarious, like dancing along the edge of a blade. Though they could no longer see Bunpuku's eyes, Rin could feel his gaze linger.Yet, mercifully, the old monk made no move.

Only after retreating to a safe distance did Rin dare to increase their pace. Once the Sunagakure encampment was fully behind them and out of sight, the team finally stopped to catch their breath.

"He saw us," Jin Go said, his face pale. "Why didn't he pursue?"

Rin was silent for a beat, then replied thoughtfully, "Perhaps he didn't want to reveal the presence of the Jinchūriki, or…" Her thoughts returned to that composed, unreadable gaze.

"perhaps… he has no intention of fighting at all."

Chika collapsed to the ground, exhausted. "Are we… are we still continuing the mission?"

"The mission is already complete," Rin said firmly. "Discovering that a Jinchūriki has been deployed to the battlefield is more valuable than anything else. We're returning immediately to report."

Using the darkness as cover, the squad retreated in silence. Yumeko kept her Byakugan active the entire time, guiding them along the safest possible route. The team successfully avoided every patrol point and ambush zone. By the time the sky began to lighten, the familiar outlines of the Konohagakure encampment finally appeared on the horizon.

"You're back!" The chūnin on night watch breathed a sigh of relief. "Orochimaru-sama ordered that you report to the command tent immediately upon return."

The atmosphere in the camp was noticeably more tense than when they had left.

Outside the command tent, two shinobi stopped them. "Please wait a moment. Orochimaru-sama is currently in a strategic meeting."

Through the narrow gap in the tent flap, Rin glimpsed Orochimaru hunched over a sand table, moving unit markers with silent precision. His dark hair was neatly tied back, his face focused and grim—far more severe than his usual serpent-like indifference.

Soon, several jōnin exited the tent one after another. Among them was Hyūga Hiashi, who gave the squad a subtle nod in greeting. The last to exit was Orochimaru himself—his golden, slit-pupiled eyes gleamed slightly upon seeing Rin's team.

"Mission report?" he asked directly.

Rin stepped forward and gave a concise, clear report of their discovery regarding the Jinchūriki. Orochimaru listened without interruption, one long finger rhythmically tapping his folded arm.

"So… Bunpuku came to the front lines himself."

He muttered the words, his expression sharpening.

"That is… significant. Very significant."

A rare solemnity crept across his pale face.

"This is valuable intelligence. Well done."

His gaze drifted across the four of them, lingering a little longer on Yumeko.

"Especially the Hyūga's Byakugan. It played a pivotal role in this reconnaissance."

Yumeko blushed immediately, stammering a polite thank-you.

"Go rest," Orochimaru said, turning to re-enter the tent—only to pause mid-step. "Rin-kun, report to the medical corps tomorrow morning. I hear your medical ninjutsu is progressing well, and we have patients in need of precise treatment."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama," Rin answered, bowing slightly.

After leaving the command tent, Chika let out a long sigh of relief. "Thank goodness… Mission accomplished."

Jin Go rubbed his sore shoulders. "I need sleep. I've burned through most of my chakra and stamina."

Yumeko hesitated before turning to Rin. "Um… Rin-chan, can I talk with you for a moment?"

"Of course," Rin saw no reason to refuse.

The two of them walked to the edge of camp beneath a quiet tree. Yumeko fidgeted with her fingers for a long while before finally speaking.

"Actually… before we departed, Hiashi-sama instructed me to pay special attention to your safety."

Rin raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"He said… he said you're the Hokage's student, and we couldn't afford for anything to happen to you." Yumeko's voice grew softer. "I know you might be suspicious of me, Rin-kun, but I truly have no ill intentions…"

Rin let out a soft chuckle. "Then please thank Hiashi-sama for his concern."

So that's what this is about—trying to win me over, is it?

Yumeko gathered her courage and looked up, her cheeks faintly flushed. "Um… would it be alright if I joined your team again in the future? Please don't misunderstand—I just think Rin-chan is… very reliable."

"Of course," Rin answered without hesitation. "You're a reliable comrade too."

What Rin hadn't expected was that Yumeko was backed by Hyūga Hiashi himself. And just the mention of the Hyūga brought to mind their internal structure—specifically, the Main and Branch Family system.

The Hyūga clan, one of Konoha's oldest shinobi lineages, was deeply committed to protecting the secret of their kekkei genkai, the Byakugan. To that end, they divided themselves into the Main House and Branch House. Members of the branch house bore the Caged Bird Seal—a cursed mark that would destroy their Byakugan upon death.

But far more insidious was the seal's other function:

It could be activated at will by the Main House, bringing excruciating pain or even death.

To hear it from the Main House, the seal was a necessary safeguard for the clan's preservation.

But to the Branch members… it was a shackle. A mark of subjugation.

When a person's life is held at the mercy of another's hand—how can they ever be equals?

This was the fundamental fracture between them.

Most Main House members viewed the Branch as expendable servants. And the Branch, cowed by the ever-present threat of the Caged Bird, dared not defy them. Such a clan, stewing in centuries of bitterness, would one day face ruin if ever a genius emerged from the Branch house.

Hiashi's younger twin, Hizashi, was born mere minutes later than his brother—yet that was enough to doom him to a life of servitude in the Branch house. Not just him—his descendants, and their descendants, would all be bound in chains, living and dying under the command of the Main family.

How could he ever accept that?

---

The following morning, Rin arrived at the medical corps tent as scheduled. Unexpectedly, Orochimaru was already inside, instructing a few medical-nin as they tended to severely wounded patients.

"Ah, you're here," Orochimaru said, his golden pupils gleaming faintly with interest. "Perfect timing. This patient's chakra network is damaged. We need fine-tuned precision."

Rin let out a small breath of relief—It seemed she had been overthinking. She stepped forward without hesitation, channeling green healing chakra into her hands. Her movements were fluid and exact, gently repairing the torn tenketsu and chakra pathways.

Orochimaru watched from the side, occasionally nodding in approval.

"Your technique is quite refined… If Tsunade were to see this, she'd probably want to take you as her apprentice."

Rin focused intently and gave no reply. But inwardly, she protested:

"Take me as a disciple? Isn't she technically my senior sister?"

Then again… things were always messy when it came to seniority in Konoha.

After all, Kakashi, student of Minato, ended up teaching Naruto, who was Minato's own son. Meanwhile, Minato's sensei Jiraiya also became Naruto's teacher…

So how were any of them supposed to keep track of generational hierarchy?

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