Once inside the treehouse, Hizashi and Hirito knelt opposite each other.
"Hirito, that dodging technique you just used... how did you do it?" Hizashi asked eagerly, unable to hold back his curiosity.
Hirito smiled before answering. "Brother Hizashi, how long has it been since you last visited the clan?"
Surprised by the question, Hizashi paused. "It's been two months, but why ask?"
"Two months..." Hirito murmured, nodding. "Then, have you ever heard of something called [Return of Life]?"
"Return of Life?" Hizashi repeated, looking puzzled.
Hirito explained, "It's a secret technique I developed over the past year."
"A secret technique?" Hizashi's posture straightened with interest. Any skill Hirito deemed a "secret technique" was bound to be extraordinary. Could this be the reason for his predictive evasion?
Hirito continued, "Return of Life allows you to control every part of your body by focusing your spiritual awareness on specific areas. With it, you can fully control your muscles, hair, nails, organs, and even your blood."
As Hizashi listened, his eyes grew wide, astonishment flashing across his face as he processed the information.
"This technique even lets you strengthen fragile areas, like your internal organs and meridians, through targeted training," Hirito said.
Hizashi's expression shifted through surprise, awe, admiration, and excitement, finally settling into a look of deep respect. "Hirito... your talent is beyond words," he said quietly.
As a taijutsu expert of the Hyuga clan, Hizashi understood the implications of such a skill better than most. For the Hyuga, whose Gentle Fist targeted the meridians and organs, Return of Life was revolutionary.
With this skill, a Hyuga could toughen their own meridians and organs, allowing the Gentle Fist to be used with greater force and precision. Such a technique would only enhance the strength of the Hyuga's already fearsome Gentle Fist.
Over the years, Hizashi had come to understand that while Gentle Fist was powerful, it had its limits—primarily the natural resilience of the meridians. Unlike muscles, meridians and organs couldn't be strengthened quickly. Day-by-day training helped, but it was often slow and came with high risks, as overexertion could result in irreversible damage.
But Hirito's technique was different.
With Return of Life, this gap in the Gentle Fist system could finally be bridged, and meridians could become as resilient as the rest of the body.
"Hirito, you have to keep this technique a secret," Hizashi advised seriously. "Something this powerful could redefine the limits for any ninja, especially those who specialize in taijutsu."
Hirito nodded. "I understand, Brother Hizashi. After I created it, I turned it over to the clan for safekeeping, but I think only a few have even heard of it."
A shadow of disappointment crossed Hizashi's face. While he agreed that such a technique should be guarded closely, he also worried that it might be restricted to the main family alone, depriving the branch family of its benefits. After all, even as the clan head's son, he'd only heard about it through Hirito himself.
Seeing Hizashi's concern, Hirito chuckled lightly. "Return of Life is no easy skill to master. It takes years of practice and a good deal of natural ability."
"Natural ability?" Hizashi's eyes brightened as he realized what Hirito was implying. Not everyone possessed Hirito's level of talent. Even within the Hyuga clan, powerful techniques required a high aptitude to learn.
For instance, not all Hyuga could perform [Revolving Heaven], and even fewer could master it completely.
"How far have you come in mastering it?" Hizashi asked curiously before catching himself. "Ah, forgive me. I didn't mean to pry. I just…"
Before Hizashi could apologize, Hirito waved it off with a smile. "No worries, Brother Hizashi. I've only managed to control the muscles in my limbs and the surface of my skin. I'm still far from mastering Return of Life."
"Even with partial mastery, you have such predictive ability?" Hizashi asked in astonishment. The implications were enormous. If this was what Hirito could achieve with minimal mastery, the fully-realized technique could be game-changing.
Realizing the potential of this secret technique, Hizashi's expression grew serious. "Hirito, you must be careful about who you share this with, even within the clan. Information is a ninja's most precious asset."
"I understand," Hirito replied. "But you're my cousin, Brother Hizashi. I trust you."
Hizashi was visibly moved by Hirito's trust. However, his sense of responsibility as an elder cousin prompted him to warn, "Still, even with those closest to you, it's wise to hold back at times."
Hirito's smile widened, then he changed the subject. "Well, now that you know about it, why don't I teach you Return of Life?"
Hizashi opened his mouth to respond, but words failed him. Of course, he wanted to learn this technique, but the irony of the situation wasn't lost on him. Just moments ago, he had lectured Hirito on secrecy, only to be offered the very technique he'd advised keeping guarded.
Seeing Hizashi's hesitation, Hirito chuckled. "You don't need to be so reserved, Brother Hizashi."
With that, Hirito began explaining the foundation of Return of Life, along with examples from his own training. "The essence of Return of Life is controlling spiritual awareness within your body. My ability to predict movements, which I call 'Eight Trigrams Ting Jin,' is just one of its applications. It's all about developing heightened sensitivity through the skin."
Intrigued, Hizashi pushed his reservations aside, focusing instead on absorbing every detail Hirito shared.
Hizashi began to understand: the core of Return of Life lay in its extreme control of body awareness. Hirito's technique not only allowed him to evade but granted him an extraordinary sensitivity, almost a sixth sense. It was as if he could hear movements in the air and respond before an attack landed.
Hirito continued, "Eight Trigrams Pure Breathing amplifies the skin's sensitivity, letting me sense changes in air pressure, vibrations, and even slight shifts in body language."
Hizashi's eyes gleamed with admiration. This heightened sensitivity could enable a Hyuga to predict an opponent's moves purely through subtle sensory information.
"Return of Life involves training your awareness and control gradually," Hirito added.
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