Ayato glanced at the sky with disinterest as the woods began to grow dark around him. He had walked the same path a few times now, but only at daylight. "One step, and then another," Ayato whispered aloud, as she buried his mouth and nose into his scarf to warm his face. And perhaps ease himself. There was an edge to this darkness that he did not like and made the hair on the small of his back rise. "If only I had my Byakugan, no darkness could possibly scare me." This he kept to himself as a thought not as a proclamation, even in this place where no one could possible bear near to hear him.

The night before a rain had fallen and the ground was a dump and muddy rocks and roots hidden under the crust that had formed on a new ground, waiting for the careless and the unwary to trip him up.  One hour he had been walking, farther and farther from the city square towards a dark wilderness without a name. During his previous visits, he always through that place with the ruined stone tower surrounded by trees had no terrors for him. Then again, that was during daylight. The Haunted Grove Ayato thought amusingly at first only for a feeling of nervous tension to run over him. Bastard He remembered his dream; Reiji Hyuuga rising from his grave to come and murder him. A chilling wind blew out making the trees rustle like living things, falling leaves whispering as they passed Ayato's face. He could not say he had not prepared for the cold as his wardrobe was concerned.  He wore black woolen pants black gloves and a gray long sleeved cloak over layers of clothes. His scarf was his crowning glory; dark red, same color as his hair. But the scarf was also tattered and rough as sin, unlike his hair that was smooth as silk. Yet despite these flaws, Ayato Hyuuga treasured it deeply, it belonged to his mother.

WC: 338

"Great power brings great responsibility to the one who yields it." This was his father used to tell him. "The Byakugan is a special power. Passed through the blood of our line, since the age of the founders. Remember this Ayato, the blood of heroes flows through our veins, that legacy is yours doubtless, but...you are not worthy of it. " The cloudless sky turned a deep blue then faded to black. The stars began to come and then the moon. Finally some light...Ayato was glad for it though the darkness did not bother his eyesight at all and even without the moonlight he could easily navigate through the dark forest. Still, it eased the tension he was feeling a bit.  This village was far away from Ayato's home the Hyuuga Clan compound, and no Konogakure citizen ever came close to these woods. The forests they preferred were bright and airy, where tall aspen trees spread shadows across water streams, birds singing from their nests and the air strong with the smell of flora. This place was said to have been built centuries before the founding of the village...and it was the place his father used to visit when he wished to pray alone.

WC: 204

Ayato threaded his way through a thicket then started up the slope to the low ridge where the vantage point to the “Grove” was. It was a dark primal place, two acres of old forest untouched for years. The gloomy ruins of a tower rose around it. Branches of different trees tore through where the tower's ceiling used to be. The place was of deep silence and many brooding shadows. It smelled of moist earth and rotten wood. But he knew he would find his father here tonight, he was certain even without the Byakugan. At the center of the grove a large white tree that brooder over a lake of fallen leaves. The leaves were red, like Ayato's soft straight hair.

He found his father beneath the white tree, sitting on a large stone. His white eyes were captivated into the campfire that moved like a living thing as the wind blew. Ayato made to move closer, silent as a cat. But a hundred years humus lay thick upon the grove’s floor, muffling his steps. "Ayato." The older Hyuuga called to him without turning to look, his voice formal and distant. "Father." Ayato replied softly. "I did not expect you." Seijuro Hyuuga wore a black kimono, same color as his hair and above it a blue overcoat emblazoned with the Clan crest on the back. He was every part of a Hyuuga ought to look, a trait that Ayato did not share. “Tell me, son, are you afraid?" As the glow of fire fell upon Seijuro's it was clear that the years had taken their toll on him, the wrinkles of his face, and bags under the eyes, as well as parts of his closed cropped trimmed beard going gray. Yet his white eyes speckled with lavender always burned with the same passion. Ayato could still see Seijuro Hyuuga, the legendary shinobi of Konohakugre, the man who had completed over two hundred missions and was feared as the indestructible Demon of the Hyuuga throughout the Shinobi World. "Only a little." Ayato did not lie, but his father frowned. The one thing he never tolerated was the weakness, and his last son always reminded him of that. "You must learn to face your fears. You are six and ten, a man grown."

WC: 386

"Correct." Ayato agreed, without budging even though his father words did give him a chill. "The Wind. Trees rustling, leaves falling. The hoot of an owl. Which sounds unmans you the most you, I wonder. Your brother was a Jounin at your age.” The tone of his voice was no longer formal or distant. It was rather scornful. “Is this why you came here? To remind me of your incompetency?” Seijuro said, and Ayato could feel he had added ice in his voice. "Very well, your quest was successful, now do me the courtesy and leave my sight. I have to return to my prayers." Once this might have sent Ayato crying, his father was never warm to him. Ayato had expected that much. But the intimidating presence of Seijuro Hyuuga was much more than he could handle. Ayato almost complied, but he was here for a reason. To claim what was his, by right. And there was no way his father could not deny him.  He had amassed all the courage he had to come here, he could not let it go to waste. “Byakugan!” Ayato proclaimed hotly.  “ The Hyuuga clan’s Bloodline is part of me Ayato but he wasn’t able to manifest even though I'm sixteen. You must assist me, we have the same blood. It is your duty, as a Hyuuga." Ayato announced with ice in his voice, making demands of a man he could scarcely look in the eye. Yet it was queer for a moment, he thought he sounded almost like his father.

WC: 259

Seijuro Hyuuga finally turned around to meet him, his mouth twisting into his brow narrowing down to what became to look uncomfortably like frustration. “You think you got what it takes to make demands out of me? You, who tore through your mother when you came into this world?” Seijuro Hyuuga said, his voice scorn and contempt. His piercing gaze found Ayato, one thing was for certain then, Seijuro would deny him. He may have stopped there and turned around to leave, but for someone reason, he felt strangely camp. "Tell me father, what is that you fear once I unlock the Gentle Fist? That I'll come after you for disowning your son his entire life. Or that I will turn against my brothers?” His father did not answer back, but Ayato understood what the silence meant. Anger coiled within him like a snake. What else could it be, after all, it made no sense for a father not wishing to improve his son, no matter how unsuited for combat he might have been. The fool he was, a part of him always clinging to the hope that was to keep him out of danger.  "Oh worry not then father, I have no interest in the bloody succession. What I want is the Gentle Fist."

Yes, this was true, the fighting style used by members of the Hyuuga clan. By employing the use of the Byakugan the user can target the Chakra Pathway System by surgically injecting a certain amount of his own chakra to the opponent. As a result, the affected person's chakra flow will be disrupted completely. Additionally, internal damage is inflicted to organs which are closely intertwined with the area of the chakra points struck. Unlike normal taijutsu where damage is mostly dealt according to the power of the strike with the gentle fist, even the slightest tap can cause severe internal damage. This is a powerful tactical option that Ayato wished to possess.

"However since my beloved father refuses to train me, I should try something else, Kenjutsu for instance. I won't be any good, since swords are too heavy for me to lift, so if a hostile enemy attacks me during a mission. Well, I'll make sure to yield as quickly as possible and mention that I'm the son of the great Seijuro Hyuuga. No doubt any enemy would be scared shitless then." Or rubbing his hands in excitement from ransom he could make out of Ayato. Seijuro Hyuuga wouldn't give a fig about his last son, yet he would never suffer any slights to the clan's honor.

WC: 435

There was awkward silence for a moment before the older Hyuuga rose to his feet, towering over Ayato. "You dare to threaten me? Perhaps you are not as spineless I thought." Veins bulged around his temples and his chakra began to channel into his hand, for a moment Ayato feared he might strike him. But instead, he turned around and send the palm thrust on the bark of the white tree with the red leaves. A powerful shock wave that made the tree glow blue as the entire grove quaked. Countless red dried leaves whispered in the wind as they were separated from the branches of the tree and made their way towards the ground. “Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms.” His father launched a barrage of strikes in the air, his hands moving at incredible speed. Even standing at six feet tall and well past forty Seijuro Hyuuga did not lack any grace in his movements. He did no simply extend his arms, waist legs shoulders all of his body movements were perfectly synchronized.

Ayato’s eyes swept back and forth attempting to follow each strike separately “Two strikes now four now eight now sixteen.” It was no use even with his Byakugan activated he couldn’t keep up. Hibari stopped his movement just as the final leaf disappeared. He turned to Ayato and opened his fists unleashing a curtain of leaves to join the fallen ones on the ground. How? He caught every falling leaf before it even came close to touching the ground.Switching his stance completely, Hibari lowered his body weight and extended his right arm in front of him and his left behind him.  “Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven” He roared expelling chakra from his body and began to spin. Building up momentum a dome of deep blue color formed around him. When his father stopped spinning and dispelled the dome scattered ribbons of blue chakra floated in the air only to disappear a few moments later. “Train the form of this and the Byakugan will be yours. You may even prove yourself more worthy than I think you, then.  ” Seijuro proclaimed, his Hyuuga Clan overcoat billowing behind him as the wind came up, outlined nobly against the stars.

Ayato’s voice abandoned him. He groped for words that did not come. All he did was give a nod. He understood what he what to do. With that, Seijuro Hyuuga took his leave and headed back towards the village. It was still a few hours till dawn. A few hours to train.

WC: 418

Ayato had warmed up enough by walking that distance. The fact that he no longer neglected the most crucial yet at the same boring part of training was another testament of Ayato becoming a more seasoned shinobi. He knew had to learn to refine it even more when doing ninjutsu techniques, but now simple stretching would suffice. Starting with the neck he tilted the head to the right and slowly rolled it down and to the left. Then he reversed to the right. He would repeat five times in each direction. After he was done with the rolls he bent his right ear to the right shoulder and placed the right hand over left temple and add a little extra pressure by gently pulling the head to the right. His left hand rested at his side. He held that position for about 30 seconds and then he went on to repeat the process with the opposite side as well. After the neck and remaining in a position of proper alignment, Ayato rolled shoulders up, then back, then down in a fluid motion. He repeated this backward shoulder roll movement about 10 times, then reversed it, rolling forward about 10 times. He thought with a sigh midways to the last stretching exercise. He crossed a straight right arm across his chest and used his left hand to gently pull right upper arm closer to his body. He held for ten seconds before repeating on the other side.

Ayato moved towards the tree when he was done. His fist met the wood hard and a few leaves began to make their way towards the ground. Ayato widened his stance and kept their course in check with his Byakugan. The falling leaves were to serve as a setup for Ayato to complete a successful chain of strikes. “Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms” Extending’s his arms like whips to grab the leaves, two strikes made four and four strikes almost made eight. His speed decreased with the fifth and missed the leaf on the sixth breaking his rhythm completely. He attempted to go at again and again; never making it past eight successful strikes.  After a while, Ayato was sick of watching fallen leaves touch the ground. The lack of stamina catching up with him as well Ayato felt as if his lungs were about to explode.  “I may be the only Hyuuga to break his own organs with the Gentle Fist.” He thought amusingly and cracked a smile filled with despair. Adding to his discomfort the clothes he wore were covered in dirt and his hands were sticky with tree sap.

WC: 488

“I need a break” He thought with a sight. Thankfully his father had left the campfire intact. Well, most likely he did it on purpose, to not let his son freeze to death. How much was he bullshitting Ayato had to wonder. Still, the red-haired Genin was glad for the fire and its warmth. Deactivating his Byakugan he sat in front of the fire. Wiping his hands for sap he reached into the pockets of his long sleeved gray cloak he pulled out a honey nut bar. He always carried one or two of those around. Cold and hunger are could wreck the most powerful man from the inside so he had to be prepared. “Shit, it doesn’t work.” He reflected as the taste of honey and oat exploded in his mouth “Father made it look so simple.” Seijuro Hyuuga Despite his large physique moved his entire body with grace and speed as he delivered each of the sixty-four strikes.

“Wait.” Ayato thought as he swallowed. He began to visualize again the form his father displayed. After repeating the same process for a while he thought he might have figured out something.  “I’m focusing too much on hand speed alone. I guess I neglected to balance my weight on my legs. I also have to twist my waist accordingly to add force and speed on each strike.” Drunk on his enthusiasm Ayato had forgotten to apply the basic principles of taijutsu. His back ached as he rose to his feet but he had to endure. He knew his thinking was correct, but in theory, everything seems easy. Taking up his stance he breathed deeply. The leaves rained down once again. Yelling the name of the technique he launched Ayato launched his arms, exhaling accordingly.  Shoulders and lower part of his body twisted with each strike. He lost his rhythm at 10 hits this time.  However, de-constructing the technique seems to have worked. He managed to catch double the leaves from his previous best.

WC: 333

But this was not enough so he knew. So he kept going at it, repeating the same procedure again and again. At first, he would take a break for a couple of minutes when he felt too tired. The effort made his fists burn his limbs feel enormous too heavy to lift and his back scream in pain. But he did not stop. Later on, his vision started to blur and this time he felt like giving up. "Ugh, great. Now I'm gonna pass out from exhausting." He thought about that stereotypical cliche...but he kept going at it nonetheless. He should have looked like the bigger fool in Konoha right now.

Ayato was past his limit but his body kept moving on its own. How many leaves he had caught he wondered. He stopped counting when he got thirty and two with a combination. Did the number increase since then or did it decrease? Maybe the later he felt he was getting slower with each attempt. Well, it didn’t matter soon the tree was going to run out of leaves and then he could stop. Then he could go home and sleep. But the leaves did not stop falling when he punched so he had to keep going.

WC: 208

When he started training the sky was a curtain of black decorated by the moon and stars. But now, the rising sun sent fingers of light through the pale white mist of the dawn. A brown and green plain spread out beneath Ayato. The change of scenery around him distracted him long enough to cease his efforts. Up until now, he considered the grove surrounded by the mossy ruins of a tower an unsightly place to look upon, much less to spend your entire evening in. But when bathed in morning light it had a unique kind of beauty to it. A beauty that could even encase the spiritual people of Hidden Leaf who avoided this place considering it cursed.

“After so many hours did I finally…” Collapsing from exhaustion his face met the earth hard. His sudden fall shook the pool of fallen leaves underneath him. Setting countless of them dancing into the air “Seriously, how is punching a tree, and catching leaves if going to help me awaken the Byakugan?” Ayato questioned bitterly as he laid there, the smooth skin of his face against the mud. Utterly disgusting, but he wasn’t hurting anymore so he did not make an attempt to stand up. "Ah, but of course, right about the time, I passed out from excessive training. "He felt weak and drowsy and everything started to fade to black. Peaceful like.

WC: 225
TWC: 3294

Trained: