Aburame Ryōma believed he had already held Hyūga Yu in high regard.
From the moment Yu's resume and appointment letter were intercepted from the Hokage Building and delivered to his desk, Ryōma had sensed something was off. The kid seemed to be hiding himself, yet, on paper, he truly had nothing worth hiding.
Byakugan, Taijutsu, and Medical Jutsu.
These three elements formed the external assessment of Hyūga Yu's value: a ninja of mediocre talent who was clever for his own good—a stubborn boy pushing himself to the brink just to become a Chunin.
Next, Ryōma had retrieved the video tapes of Yu's matches during last year's Chunin Exams. From the footage, it was clear that Yu had indeed given his all. Whether in Taijutsu or tool throwing, his performance was on par with an Uchiha (specifically, the one who hadn't awakened his Sharingan, Obito).
Furthermore, during the exam, Yu had deployed his most powerful technique: Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms. He had come agonizingly close to sealing all of Obito Uchiha's chakra points, failing only because his chakra reserves ran dry. Unable to land the final strikes, he collapsed from exhaustion and lost the match outright.
Viewed through the conventional lens of the shinobi world—where a ninja is judged by their mission success within a standard framework—Hyūga Yu's "value" ended there.
However, that was merely the evaluation for a conventional ninja. If judged by the training standards of Foundation (Root), which existed outside the normal system, Yu's value instantly amplified tenfold.
In areas such as solo operations, intelligence gathering, stealth assassination, dismantling enemy tactical systems, manipulating information and the battlefield, and even interrogation, Yu demonstrated a rich "value" far removed from that of a normal ninja.
He was like a proud, solitary lion. It was as if he were born to be a ninja who prowls through the darkness.
Truth be told, Ryōma felt a certain "hunter's delight." It was the subtle thrill of finding someone worthy of the dark, unspeakable skills he would eventually take to the grave—the desire to pour everything he knew into a pupil and watch them step-by-step surpass him, walking so far down the path of the Hidden Leaf's shadow that even Ryōma could no longer see his back.
But that wasn't enough.
If it remained only at this level, then even with Ryōma's help to resolve his chakra deficiencies, the end result would be nothing more than a "second Aburame Ryōma." A second-in-command of Foundation.
There would still be an insurmountable chasm between Yu and the Chief of Foundation—that old man directly titled "The Darkness of the Shinobi."
Yu had to become filthier, more shameless. He had to discard more of himself and dig even deeper into his potential.
He had to... demonstrate even greater value.
At this moment, even though Ryōma had internally acknowledged Yu's performance in this mission and decided to take him under his wing, he kept his emotions tightly reined in. Instead, letting out a mocking, thin laugh, he looked at Yu expressionlessly and gave his answer:
"Not enough."
"Your value is not yet sufficient for Foundation to absorb you. You should understand your status—a member of the Hyūga Branch House who could leak secrets or be controlled at any moment."
"Unless..."
Yu smiled as well, mulling over the word. "Unless?"
Ryōma said indifferently, "Unless you still have things hidden even now—trump cards you haven't exposed. And..."
"You must prove that you have the... capital to resist the Caged Bird!"
Yu took a deep breath, straightened his back slightly, and looked at Ryōma with a serious expression. He asked, "So, does this count as a formal Foundation job interview?"
Ryōma's eyes narrowed behind his dark sunglasses, momentarily uncertain of the boy's intent. Then, he let out a muffled chuckle and said coolly:
"Don't bother using such petty tricks to provoke me."
"You are a smart man and an ambitious ninja. But sometimes, if your value cannot match your ambition, the result is nothing but misery. You know full well that a so-called 'Foundation Outlier' is nothing more than a pawn to be sacrificed at any time."
"To change that, you must show Foundation greater 'value.' It is like a scale: on one side lies the Byakugan of the Hyūga Clan; on the other stands you, with your hidden motives."
Ryōma paused, looking at Yu. A tangible killing intent rose in his eyes as he spoke coldly:
"Let me be even clearer—this is an investment."
"You want to use Foundation to break free from the Main House? No problem. You want to use Foundation to increase your strength? Also no problem. Foundation can give you things beyond your imagination!"
"But if the value you demonstrate is not enough to offset your status, or if your strength does not match your ambition..."
"Then... I will kill you immediately."
As the words landed, Yu felt a chill run down his spine. He clearly sensed the absolute, unwavering killing intent in Ryōma's voice—the feeling that his life could end at any moment based on the other man's whim, a sensation that brought with it a sudden detachment from the world.
However, Yu simply looked up, casting aside the discomfort. He looked at Ryōma calmly.
"Then, what is the criteria for this interview?"
"Bring back a Byakugan."
"Fine."
Yu did not hesitate for even a second, agreeing to Ryōma's absurd demand at lightning speed.
"Bringing back a Byakugan" carried two meanings:
First, in the face of the known enemy ahead—Ao of the Mist (a sensory Jonin), the duo of Kushimaru Kuriarare and Jinpachi Munashi of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and a squad of no fewer than twenty Mist ninja—he had to reach the Main House member, Hyūga Genko.
Second, while under the constant threat of the Caged Bird curse mark which could strip him of his ability to resist at any time, he had to gouge out Hyūga Genko's Byakugan.
At the same time, Yu had his own goal: he had to rescue Hyūga Natsu while fulfilling all the above conditions.
And the person tasked with completing all of this—Hyūga Yu—was only a Genin.
Despite the stakes, Yu felt no fear, nor did he lose his cool. He thought frantically about how to accomplish the impossible.
Then, he took his first action.
Yu stepped forward two paces, coming to a stop in front of Akamaru, who was on the verge of fainting from the pain. Yu condensed a ball of eerie green light in his palm using the last of his remaining chakra.
"Healing Power Chute (Delicate Illness Extraction Technique)!"
This was a medical technique used to isolate toxins and pathogens at the cellular level. It was a B-rank Medical Jutsu that required the user to have the diagnostic ability to see the affected area, the precision to make "incisions" with chakra, and absolute control.
But as everyone knows, when Medical Jutsu is not used for healing, it often serves an unexpected purpose.
For instance, the Chakra Scalpel can be used like the Hyūga's Gentle Fist in a fight. Similarly, the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique, which can strip away substances at the cellular level, can naturally be used to perfectly strip away other things as well.
Akamaru's eyes bulged.
"Wait... what... what are you doing now?!"
"No! Stop! No!"
"Aaaaaaaaaggghh!!!"
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