Desolation of the Caged Bird

Worthless.

"Your duties as the clan heir?"

"Yes, Elder."

"Well, as the Clan Heir you'll inherit the position of Clan Head once the current Clan Head either retires or dies —"

"Besides that."

"You'll gain access to Clan-specific Jutsu and techniques —"

"Ninjutsu?"

"Certainly not. I'm referring to more advanced forms of our esteemed taijutsu —"

"Anything else?"

"Anything else? Is that not enough?"

"Do I get special privileges?"

"What sort of privileges?"

"Unlimited funding, private tutoring from the best craftsmen in the village, unrestricted access to high-level tools and resources to boost my cultiva— I mean, my progress as a shinobi."

"Haha, no one ever told me you were quite a jokester, Neji-kun!"

Worthless.

Utterly Worthless.

It had been a week since the fight between himself and his uncle was ended prematurely to the man's decision to forefeit. He'd spent half of that time recuperating in bed, having consumed a significant portion of his physical energy and spiritual energy to have survived a week with neither food nor water. 

As agreed with his grandfather, Hideyoshi, he had been moved into the residence of the Clan Head, and was now recuperating in a bed that had previously belonged to his cousin. 

In the process, he'd endured being fretted upon and fawned upon by numerous maids and servants, and received different visitors in the form of the Clan Elders and others of the Main House.

Elder Suguru was one such Elder, and Zi Wuji sought to learn more about his ill-fated position as the Clan Heir. Seeing as how his plan to kill his uncle had failed, and he was now more of a mighty and noble figure in the Clan, he decided to lean in fully and reap the benefits of his newfound reputation and position, wherever they may be.

Except, the benefits were utterly worthless. 

In the Rain World, the Heirs of powerful Clans were venerated and untouchable. Not only did they enjoy a vast amount of status and power, but they were also personally tutored, given access to the best resources, given all sorts of elixirs, pills, tonics, cultivation manuals, swords, and techniques that a layman would only dream of.

To be the Heir of a Clan should have been the equivalent of princehood. It should have meant being able to do and undo as one wished. A position of power was meant to be balanced, to have benefits and advantages that came with responsibility and authority. Responsibility without authority was slavery, and power without privilege was merely punishment.

"The position is one of serious responsibility, Neji-kun! As the Clan Heir, you're now the face of the clan! Your actions will represent us as a whole and —"

Worthless.

The position of Clan Heir was worthless. Beyond that, the entire Hyūga Clan was worthless. His attempt to gleam at the silver lining was soured beyond salvation. Of what benefit was such a perfunctory title to him? He cared little for the secret techniques of the Hyūga, as no matter how good their techniques were, they would vastly pale in comparison to the repertoire of techniques he knew as a Cultivator.

If their techniques held no value to him, then surely, the Hyūga would possess a vault of treasures and special tools which he could make use of, certainly?

No.

The entire clan was filled with nothing but taijutsu-obsessed fools. Hyūga did not use weapons. They were not an alchemical family nor were they a craftsman clan, so they had no pills, no herbs, no mystical remedies, no ancient treasures —

They had nothing.

Bar a couple of plots of farmland, the Hyūga Clan's major source of income was utilizing shinobi to go out and undertake missions, at which point, the shinobi that returned would contribute about 10% to 30% of their earnings, depending on their rank.

Watching the Elder ramble endlessly about the prestigious nature of his newfound title, Zi Wuji's teeth slowly began grinding against each other. Shall I just kill them all and be done with it?

As things were, he did not doubt that his progress in recreating the Yin Peculation Art and the Flutter-Forcing Finger Art would be diminished to a great degree. He'd previously estimated being able to fully recreate both techniques once he turned thirteen of age, but now, he could no longer be sure how long it would take.

"...he has even started contemplating who will be a suitable fiancée, and receiving offers for arranged marriages! Haha, I've never seen Hideyoshi so spirited to —"

"What?"

Elder Suguru quickly realized he'd spoken too much.

"Elder, did you just say that my grandfather is —"

"No, no, you must have misheard," the Elder cleared his throat. "A-anyway, I should leave you to recuperate —"

"Elder."

Zi Wuji latched on to the old man's hand. His smile was sickeningly sweet.

"You have a young grandson, correct? Would you not like to ensure your grandson can comfortably live life in future, in a cushy position?"

Elder Suguru hesitated. "W-well —"

"As the future Clan Head, I am certain there are ways I can ensure his prosperity."

The old man swiftly activated his Byakugan and deactivated it, ensuring that no one was watching them.

"You did not hear this from me, Neji-kun, okay?" the Elder grumbled. "Hideyoshi is over the moon with your actions and victory. He has been bragging nonstop to his old allies and teammates from other clans about his prodigious grandson, and, some of them have displayed an interest in forming an alliance with us via marriage." 

Elder Suguru suddenly had a smug and satisfied look.

"Hideyoshi has never been one to brag, even considering both of his sons, your father, and uncle, as merely being inferior or average talents. So, when he started bragging about you, his old friends must have realized that you truly were a genius, and are now desperate to curry favor with us now, before our meteoric rise!"

Zi Wuji's teeth were grinding so hard blood started pouring from his lips.

"Is that so?"

Elder Suguru didn't notice and continued rambling. "Truly, it is a new dawn. We've not received marriage requests from other clans since the era of Hashirama and Tobirama! Hah! Back then, as we were rivals to the Uchiha, Tobirama was insistent on having us on his side, so much so that the Senju Clan would send their little vixens to try and seduce us… heh… they didn't know that we'd seen all they had to offer, and weren't interested — ah! Neji-kun! You're bleeding!"

The Elder quickly called over a maidservant, much to Neji's distaste, and they began fretting and worrying over him again. Through it all, Zi Wuji's irritation with the situation continued to grow. The entire Hyūga Clan had put their hopes and dreams on him, and they sought to use him in the manner a merchant dragged their most lustrous goat to the market to be seen and admired.

Zi Wuji pursued away all servants and turned down all visitors in an attempt to think of a means to approach.

Massacring the entire Clan was not an option, if only because it would make him an enemy of Konoha and force him to go into hiding. He'd yet to successfully recreate the Flutter Forcing Finger Art nor had he recreated the Yin Peculation Art, and it would be more difficult to do so whilst he was a wanted fugitive on the run. 

Besides that, being a fugitive would make it more difficult to target the Uzumaki woman and drain the copious amount of chakra she possessed.

Although he was certain that he could kill them all with minor difficulty, it would only hinder his plans rather than accelerate them. So, that meant he needed to find a solution that would enable him to reap the most benefits and at the same time, ensure that the Hyūga Clan members kept their distance from him.

Another day passed with him remaining in bed, and although he believed himself fully healed, he was told to take his time properly resting. At the very least, one minor benefit of his new position was that the meals he ate were of a richer quality and taste than the ones he'd previously enjoyed while in the Branch Clan, and they came on a strict, almost perfect schedule.

He'd learned from one of the maidservants that his aunt was responsible for the meals. The fact had surprised Zi Wuji. Ever since moving into the room which previously belonged to his cousin, he'd seen his aunt only once. His uncle, likewise, had arrived only once, simply telling him to heal quickly so his 'advanced' lessons would commence.

Despite living underneath the same roof, his aunt seemed confined to her bedroom almost all the time. Alas, the Hyūga Clan was a Clan where no secrets could exist. Zi Wuji's Byakugan was always active, and as such, he found that the woman's sickly condition had amplified tenfold. She busied herself with meaningless housework and tasks, and would often weep solemnly in her bedroom while lamenting her daughter's name.

Upon his uncle's return, the two would argue incessantly. The woman never rose her voice or screamed, and his uncle in turn never yielded. It was not hard for him to decipher what they were arguing about. Only one thing could make a couple argue that intensely.

"You promised me, Hiashi! You promised that I wouldn't lose Hinata!"

"And what would you have me do, woman? It is not my fault that the heavens decided to make Hizashi's son a once-in-a-generation prodigy. If I were to leave the clan in Hinata's hands when there is someone with far more talent —"

"I don't care about his talent! I don't care about the clan! I just want my daughter, Hiashi! I want my Hinata!"

"Enough! Do you think I do not care for her too? Were you not aware of the depths I was ready to dive in order to keep her?"

"You surrendered! Had you fought —"

"I am not foolish enough to fight an unwinnable battle. Had I killed him as you begged me to, I'd have made the entire Branch Clan revolt against us. Had I won with him in such a state, I'd have been made a laughingstock. My pride as the Clan Head —"

A loud slap echoed. Zi Wuji's brow rose sharply. He'd not expected such a frail woman to actually raise a hand against the Clan Head. Even more so, he was shocked that his uncle had not retaliated.

"Is your pride more valuable than our daughter, Hiashi?"

""I will forgive that offense, only once, because of the circumstances. Our daughter is still alive. Even though she will no longer be under the same roof, there is nothing stopping you from summoning her over as much as you want under the guise of having her do chores —" 

"She will be made into a slave!" 

Hiashi fell silent.

"... Sacrifices must be made for the good of the clan."

"Hiashi… you — you would sacrifice our only daughter?"

"If she is the cost I must pay to ensure the clan's prosperity, then so be it."

A hand moved again. Hiashi caught it firmly. The sickly woman's face burned with a fiery intensity that Zi Wuji did not expect.

"I should never have married you."

After that argument, his aunt slept in a separate room, one reserved for guests, whereas his uncle slept alone in their bedroom. The entire debacle did not bother Zi Wuji. He could not let himself be concerned with such matters. The clan had planted such fruit by possessing such a stupid law in the first place, as such, they were only reaping what they sowed.

He doubted that the woman would have fought so hard for his sake, where he the one to have been branded a slave. No, in spite of how kind she appeared, she'd likely remain silent and let 'fate' take its course. Now that it was her daughter being moved by 'fate' she found a voice to cry foul.

Zi Wuji snorted.

Still, he'd found it odd that the woman was the one preparing his meals. He decided to be cautious with anything he ate. Poison was the most commonly chosen weapon of discontented housewives. Regardless how kind she appeared, Zi Wuji was more than aware that when pushed to the brink… 

Even a worm will turn.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Awaken, Neji-kun!."

The next morning, he was awoken by his grandfather, Hideyoshi, who appeared with a grinning face. The man swiftly ordered the maids to move him out of bed, bathe him, and place him in the finest robes, which, he'd learned, the man had bought himself. 

His aunt greeted the elderly man frostily, but if he noticed, he did not show it.

"Yes, you have to eat well and enough to ensure you grow up strong Neji-kun!"

"These meals are fine, but the quality is just so-so. Hiashi, is your wife lacking money for proper ingredients? Remember that this is the future of the clan! Spare no expense on Neji-kun's welfare!"

It was the first time he had eaten breakfast with his grandfather. He'd also learned that it was the first time that was not a holiday or special occassion that the man had eaten breakfast with one of his sons.

"Is there something you need Neji for, otou-sama?"

"Do I need a reason to come and visit my grandson, eh, Hiashi?"

Hideyoshi's expression soured.

"Even so, otou-sama, this is —"

"Bah, do not worry. I won't be staying long. I want Neji-kun to accompany me somewhere. There are a few tricks of mine that I want to show him. Heh… with his talent, he should pick them up before lunch."

Zi Wuji tried his hardest not to grind his teeth into paste. As expected, his personal time was greatly cut short now that he was idolized and beloved by the Clan as its 'prodigious' Heir.

His grandfather had all but dragged him away after breakfast was finished, and Zi Wuji was certain that his aunt did not poison it, because not only had she eaten out of it, her husband and his father had eaten from it as well.

As they moved through the halls of the Main Branch, many deferred their heads in respect to his grandfather, and others, towards him. There were still a few frosty expressions, but none of them would dare show defiance before the previous Head of the Hyūga Clan.

"Where are we going, grandfather?"

"It is a surprise."

They departed from the Main Branch, and continued deeper into the Hyūga Clan Territory. They followed a footpath along a densely populated forest and passed the numerous farms by which the Hyūga Clan grew its personal produce. They walked for nearly thirty full minutes, before arriving at a river that flowed downstream into a waterfall.

Zi Wuji knew of all the secluded forest beyond the farmland, and he'd even glimpsed at the river as well using his Byakugan. Even then, he'd never personally gone there to train, not willing to risk someone else using their own Byakugan to spy on him.

"Come, this way."

His grandfather led him behind the waterfall, and there, to Zi Wuji's surprise, was an ornate, grand wooden door. Seeing the door surprised him because the sheer size and elegance of it was enough that it should have been visible prior to moving behind the waterfall. Even stranger, he could see that the door possessed an inordinate amount of chakra. The chakra was special somehow, being so abundant with life energy that it seemed almost natural. The door felt less like a door and more like a living tree.

"Activate your Byakugan, Neji-kun."

He removed the 'transformation' from his face, allowing it to appear that he just now activated his Byakugan, in order to hide the secret that he'd long mastered how to keep it activate 24/7. Then, he allowed surprise to come across his face.

"I cannot see through it?"

His grandfather laughed. "That is what surprises you? Not the fact that it couldn't be seen ordinarily?"

What?

Swiftly, he deactivated his eyes and found, that without his Byakugan activated, the door vanished. In its place, was nothing but an ordinary rock, albeit one covered with green moss. He activated his eyes again, and the door reappeared.

"...How?"

Hideyoshi's grin widened significantly. The old man approached the door and bit against his thumb. Then, he smeared his blood all over the wooden door. At once, a sharp breath escaped Neji's lips. He understood immediately.

The door was suddenly lit up with several kanji. There were seals, and Zi Wuji analyzed each and every one of the seals as easily as reading letters on a page. It was high-level work, at least, when compared to the low standards that this world possessed. The work was engraved beautifully, but there was a strange sense of familiarity to the style.

No, familiarity would not cover it. The letters looked as though he were reading the handiwork of someone who he already knew. Except, there were only two fūinjutsu styles he'd so far encountered. Both of which belonged to women named Uzumaki.

"Grandfather, were those seals engraved by Uzumaki Mito?"

Hideyoshi spun towards him, eyes wide. The disbelief on his face slowly turned into incredulity, and the old man let out a bark of a laugh. "Truly, you've surprised me once again, Neji-kun. How did you know she was the one who engraved this door?"

The style and handwriting gave it away… 

He looked over the work again.

Although, it seems less… mature. 

There was a nonchalant airiness to the style. He deduced it was done when the woman was far younger. At least, younger than when she'd written that annoying book.

"Father once granted me a fūinjutsu book for my birthday. I took an interest in it, and noticed the writing style was similar to the works done by the First Hokage's wife." 

"A book on fūinjutsu? That useless son of mine did that…?"

Hideyoshi bore a thoughtful expression. A wicked grin appeared on Hideyoshi's face.

"If such is the case… then perhaps…"

The large wooden door opened inwards with a long, sharp creak. His grandfather stepped forward, and Zi Wuji followed. They entered a long, ornate, and highly stylized corridor, filled with numerous portraits, many of which were drawn, before, eventually, they were 'photographed'. 

Past the corridor, they entered into a large room that Zi Wuji could feel was designed according to the proper rules of feng shui. There was sand on the ground, white and black sand, arranged into the pattern of the Taiji Symbol, with yin and yang being engulfed, and there being yin in yang and yang in yin.

The room was clearly a training room, and it was overflowing with a form of energy Zi Wuji had not experienced before. He almost mistook it for True Qi but he did not believe it was the same. It felt too… natural.

"From now on, Neji-kun, you'll be able to come here to get away from the busybodies in the clan and train quietly to your heart's content."

Zi Wuji rapidly snapped his head towards his grandfather.

"Hah, you geniuses are all the same," his grandfather snorted, but, there was amusement in his eyes. "Did you think I wouldn't know? You must be itching to hone your skills and grow even stronger. My grandfather, your great—great—grandfather was just the same. He hated people interrupting his training more than anything. He had even grievously injured those who would dare disturb his progress on occasion."

"Was it your grandfather who built this place?"

At that, Hideyoshi's expression fell significantly. 

"Scan the surroundings."

Zi Wuji didn't understand why the question discontented the man so much. Still, he utilized his Byakugan and peered through the walls to get a full scope of this hidden area.

To his surprise, there was another room hidden deep inside. It stood out because of how ridiculously extravagant it was. It was enamored with gold, expensive pelts, a large, king-sized bed, and all manner of trinkets, gemstones, and treasures that were designed to draw the eye.

Beside that room, was a kitchen that dwarfed the one his uncle had, and the shelves were all stocked to the brim with ingredients, many of which looked like meat or other perishables, yet, they remained in perfect condition.

The entire place was in perfect condition. Not a speck of dust could be found, or so much as a single cobweb.

Stasis seals?

Zi Wuji's eyes furrowed. He recognized the stasis seal which was typically deeply entrenched in the creation of storage scrolls which enabled whatever material placed into the scroll to emerge in the exact same condition when removed.

To place so many stasis … who would… no, why would anyone…

Glancing deeper into shelves, he noticed that nearly all the food items available were exotic. Tiger's penis, red ginseng, saffron, fenugreek, rhinoceros horns, violet gingers — 

Wait.

Zi Wuji's brows rose sharply.

These are all aphrodisiac foods meant to increase one's virility and sexual prowess.

Zi Wuji glanced towards the luxurious bed chambers, and the items in the cupboard, and he put one plus one together.

"This place was created by my father, your great-grandfather," Hideyoshi's voice clearly exuded distaste. "He was a man who fell easily into his vices. So, he had this place created so he could meet in secret with his lover, under the guise of a private place for Clan Heads to train in seclusion."

"His… lover?"

"They had been smitten with each other since they were children. However, their families had them engaged to different people for political reasons. Rather than letting any affection they held for each other die, they debased themselves with adultery…" 

Hideyoshi spat to the side.

"Disgraceful."

Zi Wuji zoomed in on the wooden door, and particularly to the etchings written upon it. Such things were common in the Rain World. Even he knew, that there were many individuals in arranged marriages who would often pluck fruit from the roadside. For some, their childhood sweethearts would always remain dearer than the individual they'd sworn an oath of obligation to. 

"Did my uncle —"

"You and I are the only two living people aware of the existence of this place. To begin with, the seals on the door make it so it can only be detected when up close, and only be seen by the Byakugan of someone from our bloodline, someone bearing my father's blood."

His grandfather let out a long sigh.

"In truth, I wanted to completely destroy this place when I was younger. It served as a constant reminder of my father's weakness of character. Yet, as I became the Clan Head and fought in the wars, there were so many responsibilities on my plate that I forgot about it entirely. I only remembered its existence after your match with Hiashi."

Hideyoshi ruffled his hair, regaining a smile.

"Though he was a wastrel, he will contribute to your progress now, through having this place built. No expense was spared in the construction of this place. Even the Shodai contributed by making that door with his Kekkai Genkai. The fool had believed he was doing so for the overall benefit of the Hyūga Clan."

Hideyoshi snorted.

"In a way, he'd not been wrong."

Zi Wuji's lips twitched.

"I sense that you do not like the First Hokage, grandfather."

"Of course, I do not like him." 

Hideyoshi replied instantly. 

"Never in the history of warfare has peace been attained by arming one's enemies."

Zi Wuji held the same sentiment. He knew the event by which Hideyoshi was referring to. Even he had considered such an action to be bereft in logical thinking. There was no Sect Leader, Demonic or otherwise, that would ever believe that arming other Sects was the best way to attain peace. Such a method of thinking would lead to ruin and destruction, and that Sect Leader would all but certainly be assassinated and replaced.

"The Shodai was an optimistic fool," Hideyoshi continued. "He sought to see the good in everything and everyone. Usually, such individuals do not live long in our world, but, he was a rare case. He was fortunate enough to have been strong, and his strength shielded him from the consequences of his optimism."

Hideyoshi paused, stroking his frayed grey beard.

"No, it is better to say that he was at liberty to be an optimist, only because he was strong. A powerful optimist can sway any individual with power, and not realize their power had been what brought their optimistic ideals to fruition. Whereas a weak optimist?"

Hideyoshi snorted. 

"A weak optimist is a dead optimist."

Zi Wuji's lips twitched once more.

"The reason numerous clans joined together to form this village was not because they shared his mad ideal. No. It was because he was powerful. Frighteningly so. Being his enemy would spell disaster. Likewise, being the enemy of his then-partner, Uchiha Madara. Had they no power, Konohagakure no Sato would not exist."

His grandfather then turned to him, eyes sharp.

"Which is why you must remember, Neji-kun, that power is the most important thing for a shinobi. Your instructors in the Academy and other shinobi will try to convince you of that useless Will of Fire, but it is a lie. Konoha can only believe in the Will of Fire because it is strong. If we were the weakest village we would not dare spread such nonsense."

"I understand, grandfather."

He bowed formally.

"I will cherish this gift."

For once, Zi Wuji meant his words. A private place to train where he would not be bothered or disturbed by anyone? Better still, it was undetectable to everyone except those with the same blood?

Could he have asked for a better gift?

"If you wish to show your gratitude, then impress your grandpa and learn these in one week."

Hideyoshi withdrew three scrolls from his pocket and handed them to Zi Wuji. 

"These are…?"

"The first scroll contains the prized defensive technique of the Hyūga Clan. it is a secret taijutsu art learned only by the Clan Head and the Heir. It is called Hakkeshō: Kaiten."

The words were somewhat new to his ears, so it took a moment for Zi Wuji to translate them as Eight Trigrams Palms: Revolving Heaven.

"The second is the prized offensive technique of our clan. It is also only learned by the Clan Head and Heir. It is called Jūkenhō: Hakke Rokujūyon Shō." 

Zi Wuji translated those words to mean: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. 

"And the third?"

"The third scroll contains the method to engrave the Caged Bird Seal."

His eyes snapped towards his grandfather.

"Grandfather?"

"It is typically tradition that the Caged Bird Seal be applied to a new generation on the third birthday of the Clan Heir. However, your cousin is no longer the Clan Heir… and you are nearing five years of age."

Hideyoshi grumbled.

"We will go ahead with the ceremony anyway. But you will be the one to brand the next generation."

"Understood, grandfather."

Zi Wuji did not bother protesting or inquiring more. He didn't need to. Considering he finally had a place to pursue his efforts in private, he had started to look at Hideyoshi in a slightly positive light.

"Good," Hideyoshi grinned. "I'll leave for now and give you time to practice. In the meanwhile, I'll instruct your cousin to deliver meals here to you in secret, so you can focus completely on your training."

Hideyoshi departed shortly after, showing him the method to exit and re-enter the secret training spot behind the waterfall. After he departed, Zi Wuji quickly raced towards the center of the white and black sand and tossed the scrolls he'd been given unto them.

He wanted to have them done by the end of the day at the very latest, so he could pursue his more worthwhile endeavors.

Revolving Heaven? Such a paltry clan dares use the heavens as a name for a technique… I bet it's not even remotely…

…

…

…

…

What utter fuckery is this?

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Zi Wuji's Technique Breakdown Journal

Technique Name: Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven

Learning Difficulty: Mid-Heaven Tier [B-Rank](Special Jōnin Level)

Mastery Difficulty: High-Heaven Tier [A-Rank](Jōnin Level)

Mastery Requirements: Three

Effective Range: Short

…

Zi Wuji stood in the center of the black and white Taiji sand, then, with a single deep breath, began spinning his body counterclockwise. At the same time, he exuded chakra from every single tenketsu in his body. The sheer speed of the rotation and the force of the chakra created a great barrier around him, a giant sphere by which nothing could leave and nothing could enter.

Once he completed the spinning, he stopped, feeling an immense amount of irritation.

Two Hours.

It had taken him two hours to finally get the blasted thing down.

There was only one reason he managed to master it so quickly. The most difficult step in utilizing the technique required one to be able to project chakra from every single tenketsu and maintain that projection for a long period of time while spinning rapidly. It was considered an extremely difficult task, and, supposedly, the part of the technique that many failed to grasp.

This, however, was something Zi Wuji already knew how to do. 

His Phantom Treading Steps that enabled him to turn invisible was a technique he'd painstakingly learned, and it worked by expelling chakra from every tenketsu to reflect light. It was a technique he'd been able to recreate from the common Tree-Walking exercise. He'd believed it was something others would also be able to learn, that is, if they had the time and energy to spend mastering it.

According to the scroll his grandfather gave him, being able to naturally expel chakra from every tenketsu was something exclusive to those born in the Hyūga Clan. Those outside of the clan could only do so after rigorous or harsh training, and even then, there would be some tenketsu in which they could not expel chakra from. Learning to expel chakra from the perineum or the tailbone would be utterly beyond most people, because they could not see those places, and as such, could not properly mold and guide the chakra to such a tiny spot.

The Byakugan granted a Hyūga shinobi absolute knowledge of their body. They could peer into every single corner of themselves, and peer deeper still into the tenketsu. Whereas someone without the Byakugan would be unable to even see the tenketsu, making it even more difficult for them to be able to mold chakra in a place they were not even aware could do so. 

As such, his Phantom Treading Steps was technically an exclusive Hyūga-only technique. This was because only a Hyūga would be able to expel chakra that finely and precisely throughout their entire body, and do so with enough control to perfectly reflect both sound and light. Even more so, one would need the Byakugan to be able to ensure the technique was properly performed, such that the areas of the body they could not see would also be shrouded.

Yet, none of these things bothered Zi Wuji. 

Am I indeed to believe this?

What bothered him, was the ridiculous nature of the technique.

One can attain invulnerability simply by… spinning.

At first, he hadn't believed it was possible. Zi Wuji searched hard for a flaw or weakness of the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven. He tried his hardest to find a means wherein one could break through the defense and attack the user inside.

Yet, he'd not found a single one.

Once the technique was activated, that was it.

Absolute Invulnerability.

Nothing could break through it. The only way to stop the defense was to prevent him from spinning. If one failed to do so, then they would essentially have no choice but to watch helplessly as their opponent remained out of their reach.

Of course, if there was some absurd chakra-cutting sword out there, then it would be possible to dispel the technique by slicing through the chakra within. Though, doing so would be difficult. The sheer might of centrifugal forces supporting chakra made the revolving sphere akin to a solid object. Anything which struck it would be repelled. 

It seems I have underestimated the might of this Clan…

The technique truly was worthy of being referred to in the same breath as the Heavens. It was an absolute defense. It was already an absolute defense before he was brought into the equation. 

It must be improved! 

The easiest and fastest way Zi Wuji could fathom improving the technique was by removing the need to rotate. Doing so would mean he could cast the technique instantly. This would mean an absurd level of chakra control, enough so that he would essentially be using his own will to rotate chakra at an absurdly high speed.

Heh… I do not believe anyone has ever performed such a technique!

The difficulty of such a thing would easily place it at the pinnacle of Shape Transformation. Creating a sphere of incredibly fast rotating chakra instantly would be out of the realm of possibility for many. 

Would I not be able to use such a thing for attacks as well?

Zi Wuji momentarily pondered the thought. 

What if he were to compress the rotating centrifugal force of chakra into a palm-sized ball? From there, it would simply be a task of firing it at his enemies, which would cover for his lack of long-range combat abilities. 

Yes… yes… such a thing…

After doing that, he would need to shrink the overall radius and diameter not only of the technique but of the sphere. Rather than palm-sized, finger-sized would be far better. Also, if he could shrink the rotation enough so the technique simply covered his skin in a rapidly rotating layer of chakra…

Even better, were he able to reverse the force of the rotation, such that rather than being a centrifugal force, it was a centripetal one, it would eliminate the major weakness of the limited range of his techniques…

And this was all without even adding Nature Transformation into the equation! 

Zi Wuji glanced toward the other two scrolls. He already knew how to engrave the Caged Bird Seal, and add alterations and moderations to it. As the Zodiac Formation King, such a thing was child's play. 

The Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms on the other hand was nothing special. He'd mastered it on his first attempt. One only needed to possess the necessary speed and have an understanding of the Taiji and the key tenketsu to strike their enemies sixty-four times in rapid succession.

The Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven was the true gem of the lot. Zi Wuji had not realized that chakra was bound to numerous physical laws, such as obedience towards space, time, strong forces, weak forces, and gravity. For if chakra was not constrained by certain physical laws, then one merely spinning their body should have had no effect on their chakra. 

Having this knowledge deeply enriched his understanding of Chakra! The sheer number of applications it possessed were boundless!

I see! All this while, I've been on the wrong path!

A bark of a laugh escaped from his lips.

Truly a Heavenly Technique! Merely from learning it, I have received enlightenment!

Zi Wuji did not hesitate to intensify his attempts to improve the technique. From what he had now discovered, this technique would be what would aid him in being able to successfully recreate the Yin Peculation Art!

Day rapidly turned to night, and night turned to day once more. Throughout that time, Zi Wuji did nothing but practice the Revolving Heaven, fine-tuning his perfect chakra control and tweaking it bit by bit, making astronomical progress with each passing minute.

Seven days!

Zi Wuji declared.

If I have not completed my goal in these seven days, let the heavens render my name from me, for I am no longer Zi Wuji!