Romance and Ninjas: In Naruto With Infinite Skill Points!

Time moved quickly, and before he knew it, a whole year had passed since Yuuki joined the academy.

Now, with summer vacation in full swing, the academy had temporarily suspended classes, giving the students a break.

But for Yuuki, today was far more important than any school lesson—his first official training in Medical Ninjutsu was about to begin.

As he carefully prepared himself, ensuring everything was in order, elsewhere, within the Hyuga clan compound, the sharp sounds of fists and kicks echoed through the air.

Just like every morning, the clan's children engaged in rigorous training, whether collectively in groups or privately honing their skills with parents or tutors.

Hyuga Sanada watched intently as his two sons sparred, his gaze thoughtful and heavy with unspoken thoughts.

When he saw Hiashi struggle against his younger brother, Hizashi, and ultimately lose, Sanada couldn't hold back. With a sharp command, he shouted, "Stop!" The boys immediately separated. Anger flickered in Sanada's eyes as he turned to face Hiashi.

"Tell me, what was that?"

Stumped by his father's question, Hiashi lowered his head. "I... I was..."

A sharp crack shattered the tense silence as his father's palm connected with his face. Stunned, Hiashi stared up at him, eyes wide with confusion.

"I've told you before—stop holding back your fists!" his father thundered. "Today, you're training with your brother. Tomorrow, you could be on the battlefield. Do you think your enemies will show mercy? They'll do whatever it takes to kill you!"

Then, he turned to Hizashi, his gaze softening slightly but remaining firm.

"You too. You don't want to see your brother suffer in the future, do you?" His voice was measured but resolute. "Don't hold back. As his sparring partner, chosen specifically for him, your duty isn't to protect him—it's to push him, to give him the best training possible. That is how you truly help him."

Clenching his fists, Hizashi bowed deeply, his narrowed eyes betraying the anger he forced himself to suppress.

"Yes, Patriarch!"

Taking a slow, steady breath, he lifted his gaze, locking eyes with his brother for a brief moment before stepping back into his stance.

Without another word, the spar resumed.

After a while, Sanada was called away by one of the elders, forcing him to leave the training grounds.

The two brothers, who had been sparring fiercely, continued for another half-hour before exhaustion finally caught up with them.

When they could no longer push themselves, they collapsed onto the tatami, their bodies aching from the strain.

A heavy silence hung between them.

Despite being brothers, there was always a lingering unease in their presence, an invisible wall neither of them knew how to break.

After what felt like an eternity, Hiashi finally spoke, his voice low and uncertain.

"It's strange, don't you think?"

Hizashi barely spared him a glance, his tone sharp and uninterested, laced with irritation.

"What?"

Hiashi caught the undercurrent of anger in his brother's voice, and though it stung, he simply lowered his gaze, hiding the bitter look in his eyes.

"Father… He never used to push us this hard."

Hizashi let out a short, bitter scoff, his lips curling in displeasure.

"Hmph. Speak for yourself, Hiashi-sama." His voice was sharp, laced with resentment. "We branch members only know struggle."

"Brother… You don't have to call me that when no one else is around."

Hiashi's voice carried a hint of irritation, but beneath it was something deeper—sadness. He met Hizashi's gaze, searching for some kind of understanding.

Hizashi, however, remained unmoved. His lips curled into a small, mocking smirk as he lowered his head in an exaggerated bow.

"Please forgive me, Hiashi-sama." His tone dripped with sarcasm, yet there was an undeniable weight behind his words.

"I'm unable to comply with that order. I don't wish to end up as an example like that boy. The branch clan must always maintain its respect for the main house."

Hiashi flinched.

Hizashi's expression hardened, his voice losing all playfulness as he added,

"As for what the lord patriarch does or doesn't do, that is not for me to question."

Looking at his brother, Hizashi's anger flared, his frustration boiling over.

"Don't forget, us branch members are merely tools for the continuation of the clan." His voice was laced with bitterness, each word carrying the weight of deep-seated resentment.

"We exist only to protect the main house."

His eyes darkened, a cold smirk creeping onto his face.

"As for why the lord patriarch is pushing Hiashi-sama so hard… isn't it obvious?"

He let out a short, mocking laugh before continuing, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"How could a mere dog of the branch clan be allowed to surpass the prince of the main house? Such blasphemy! Haha!"

His laugh was empty, filled with nothing but resentment and scorn.

"If not for the lord Hokage, do you really think something like that would be tolerated? Naturally, the patriarch had no choice but to improve Hiashi-sama's training."

"Y-you!"

Before Hiashi could finish his words, a sharp glow flared from the seal on Hizashi's forehead.

A pained cry tore through the training hall as Hizashi dropped to his knees, clutching his head in agony.

Sanada, who had just returned, stood at the entrance, his gaze cold and unreadable as he looked at his son.

His hands were still held in a hand seal—the clear proof that he was the one who had activated it.

The room fell into a tense silence, broken only by Hizashi's heavy, uneven breaths as the pain finally began to subside.

Sanada stepped forward, his stern gaze shifting between both sons.

"Listen carefully, both of you!" His voice was firm, carrying the weight of a command that could not be questioned.

"You must never forget the precepts of the Hyuga clan. The branch house was not created to oppress or harm its members—it is a necessity to prevent the destruction of the clan."

His eyes lingered on Hizashi, whose body still trembled from the pain.

"You are both my sons, but rules are rules. You must never forget your positions and your responsibilities."

He took another step closer, his gaze hardening.

"And this is especially for you, Hizashi."

Hizashi's fingers dug into the tatami, his breathing ragged, but he lifted his head, forcing himself to meet his father's gaze.

"Do not think low of yourself." Sanada's voice remained firm, yet there was an underlying weight to his words.

"This seal on your forehead signifies your place in the branch clan, but it also grants you a greater freedom than anyone in the main house."

Hizashi, still panting from the lingering pain, narrowed his eyes in silent defiance.

"Unlike us of the main house, you are free to leave the village regardless of the situation. You can fight without restraint, without fear of your eyes being stolen—protected by the very seal you curse."

Sanada studied his son's face, seeing the flickers of anger, resentment, and confusion swirling in Hizashi's expression.

"I know that in your heart, you must hate me. Perhaps you hate your brother as well." He let out a slow breath, his tone momentarily softening.

"But I hope, one day, you will look beyond the surface and see the bigger picture…"

With a deep sigh, he released the seal, allowing Hizashi to finally breathe freely again.

Sanada turned away slightly, his expression unreadable.

"One day, you will understand the plight of our Hyuga clan."

Clenching his fists and biting his lip, Hizashi pushed himself to his feet. His body still trembled, not from the pain of the seal, but from the rage burning deep inside him.

His gaze burned with resentment as he glared at both his father and brother, his vision blurred by a whirlwind of emotions.

Without a word, he turned on his heel and walked away, his footsteps heavy with frustration.

Only he knew the weight of this pain, the unbearable truth he was forced to accept.

His own father had branded him a slave.

He was nothing more than a tool, a being without the right to have his own opinions, his own future.

And why?

Just because he was born a few minutes later?

Why?!

Shouldn't talent matter more?

Why did the clan refuse to see it? Why was his useless brother deemed more suited to be a member of the main house, simply because of something as meaningless as birth order?

His teeth clenched harder, his nails digging into his palms as he walked away, leaving behind the two people he should have been able to trust the most—but never could.

Just as Hizashi turned a corner inside the compound, he collided with someone.

He instinctively stepped back, about to apologize, when his expression suddenly froze.

His breath hitched, his eyes narrowing in shock and recognition.

"Y-you… It's you…" His voice carried a mixture of awe and disbelief. "The kid who defied the clan!"

Yuuki blinked, momentarily stunned by the strange way he was being addressed. He studied the boy in front of him, curiosity flickering in his pale, pupil-less eyes.

"Who… are you?"

Hizashi's bitter smile formed almost instantly.

Of course.

Of course, he wouldn't know.

This was Hyuga Yuuki, the boy who stood against the clan without fear—someone who didn't even bother memorizing the faces of the patriarch's own sons.

If only… if only he could be like him.

"My name is Hizashi…" he said at last, hesitating for a fraction of a second.

He considered telling the truth—but in the end, he chose not to mention that he was the son of the patriarch.

"I'm also from the branch clan, just like you."

His eyes flickered with admiration, mixed with something deeper—something that bordered on envy.

"I heard about what you did." His voice dropped slightly, carrying a hint of something unspoken.

"I was very impressed. You're probably the only person who's ever managed to defy the clan!"

Hizashi's expression hardened, anger burning in his pale eyes.

"I wish I could be like you! Free from the clan!" His teeth clenched, fists trembling with barely restrained fury.

"All they do is treat us like tools! I really don't understand how this system has lasted so long. Those bastards deserve to die for what they've—"

Before he could finish, Yuuki raised a hand, his expression darkening.

"Stop right there. Think carefully before choosing your next words."

Hizashi froze, caught off guard by Yuuki's sudden interruption. He met Yuuki's hardened gaze, momentarily stunned by the warning in his tone.

"Do you have some misunderstanding about me?" Yuuki's voice was calm but firm.

"From your perspective, does it seem like I hate the clan?"

Hizashi opened his mouth to respond instinctively, but… no words came out.

Did he really see Yuuki as someone who despised the Hyuga clan?

Now that he thought about it—he wasn't sure.

Yuuki shook his head, exhaling in mild frustration.

"The Hyuga clan, as an entity, isn't entirely wrong." His voice was measured, controlled.

"On the contrary, compared to the Uchiha, our clan was actually smart to create something like the Cursed Seal."

Hizashi's eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the statement.

Yuuki's gaze shifted, turning toward the patriarch's mansion and the side of the compound where the main house resided.

"The problem isn't the system itself. The problem is that the main clan allowed power to twist their thinking."

His voice grew colder, more resolute.

"The technique created to protect the clan's Kekkei Genkai became a leash—one that controls the branch clan's every action."

His fingers curled slightly as memories of his father surfaced.

"My goal isn't to defy the clan. It's to change it from the inside."

His voice lowered, but the weight of his words remained unshaken.

"And to prevent situations like what happened to my father from ever happening again."

"But... they even killed your father!" Hizashi exclaimed in disbelief, his fists tightening at his sides.

"Don't you think this seal must be destroyed?"

Yuuki shook his head, his expression calm but unwavering.

"The darkness of our world runs too deep, Hizashi. There will always be people coveting the Kekkei Genkai of others."

His pale eyes hardened, filled with cold determination.

"Rather than destroying the seal, it must be improved—turned into something better. Something that protects, but does not enslave."

Hizashi stared at him, still struggling to understand, but Yuuki's voice remained steady.

"I've already said this at the academy… I will become the village's strongest sword."

His hands clenched, his body filled with resolve.

"And I will change the Hyuga clan forever."

His gaze sharpened, reflecting an unyielding will.

"When I reach my goal, there will be no branch house, no main house."

His voice lowered, but the weight behind his words did not falter.

"There will only be the Hyuga."

A flicker of cold fury passed through his eyes as he added,

"As for those who killed my father…"

For a brief moment, an icy silence filled the space between them.

Then, his voice dropped even lower, carrying a promise etched in stone.

"They will receive their due punishment… in time."