Chapter 14: The So-Called Combat Talent
Ryosuke's Byakugan had a unique trait—an illusionary ability that could disrupt and control parts of a person's nervous system. Hiashi knew this very well.
Ryosuke had already mastered the Three Basic Techniques, and among them, he was especially proficient in the Clone Technique. His hand seal speed was fast enough to deceive most opponents—something Hiashi had witnessed with his own eyes.
Yet despite knowing all this, Hiashi still fell into Ryosuke's trap during their recent spar. It wasn't the techniques themselves that had caught him off guard—it was the way Ryosuke played with psychology.
Meticulous. Calculated. Ruthless in execution.
These were the traits Hiashi used to evaluate Ryosuke after their spar. Among all the practical training exercises, Ryosuke's performance earned the highest praise.
Combat talent wasn't about brute strength or raw speed. True combat talent was the ability to instantly analyze a battlefield and maximize the damage dealt to the enemy in the shortest amount of time.
Today's match left Hiashi thoroughly impressed. He even wore a smile through dinner—something that hadn't happened in a long time, despite his own somewhat embarrassing performance during the fight.
This reaction, in fact, was even stronger than when Ryosuke had flawlessly learned the Gentle Fist technique. Why? Because in the ninja world, there were countless individuals with great abilities who never truly learned how to use them. Even someone like Hiashi had limitations of his own.
As clan head, Hiashi had a broader perspective than most. Many average shinobi believed that the number of jutsu they knew, the strength of their chakra, their physical condition, or their prowess in taijutsu determined their strength. They worked tirelessly to improve those traits, hoping to gain access to more powerful techniques.
But Hiashi knew better.
In reality, talent alone wasn't the deciding factor. The time it took to learn techniques, one's chakra nature, the variety of ninjutsu or genjutsu they mastered—these were just the foundations of being a ninja.
In a major village like Konoha, the infrastructure was in place to develop shinobi. Students trained at the Ninja Academy for a minimum of six years. Those with exceptional talent could graduate early by passing the required tests. During this time, students learned everything needed to become full-fledged ninja.
After graduation, they were assigned to a veteran jonin squad leader, whose job was to guide them and reduce rookie casualty rates. As long as the village wasn't at war, most genin would safely transition to chunin without serious danger—unless something unexpected happened.
True life-or-death missions only began after becoming a chunin and mastering at least one or two solid survival techniques.
With such an extended training period, any student who paid attention and worked hard could learn how to win battles. But knowing how to fight and actually executing that knowledge were two different things.
Most ninjas, early in their careers, could only utilize 5% to 10% of what they had learned in real combat. With experience, that number improved, but even then, few surpassed 50%.
Only the truly gifted—combat geniuses—could apply 70%, 90%, or even 100% of their knowledge in battle.
The Fourth Hokage had been one of them. Born a civilian, he carved a path to greatness purely through unmatched combat instincts and execution. That was what real fighting talent looked like.
That's why Hiashi's reaction had been so strong.
Ryosuke might be that rare individual—a genius in both training and battle. A natural-born shinobi.
But after a while, Hiashi composed himself. His earlier excitement gave way to cautious deliberation.
It was still too early to say for sure.
Their match had only been a sparring session, not a real fight. Ryosuke's talent needed to be tested in life-and-death situations before any conclusions could be made.
And then there was the danger outside the village. If Ryosuke left on missions, he'd likely encounter threats beyond his control. The possibility that this promising child might die before reaching his full potential made Hiashi hesitate.
Of course, Ryosuke had no idea what was going on in Hiashi's mind.
Right now, he was strolling around Konoha with Hinata.
Training was fulfilling, but it could also get boring after a while. Ryosuke didn't mind the grind, but even he needed a break now and then.
"You've got such a serious face, you scared the guy at the dango stand," Ryosuke muttered, giving Hinata a helpless look.
Hinata remained silent, staring straight ahead with a cold, expressionless face. She hadn't spoken a word since they left the house.
That in itself wasn't so strange—Hinata had always been a bit reserved. But this time felt different. Her demeanor was stiff, almost like she was imitating someone.
In fact, Ryosuke recognized it—she was copying the version of herself he had controlled during their previous illusion training. The cold, composed persona with just a touch of authority. She was trying to become that version of herself.
He could tell she was learning—studying how to be the future head of the Hyuga clan.
Finally, Hinata turned to him. Her stiff expression softened slightly as she leaned closer and whispered, "I don't really know how to be a good clan leader... but I think my father is a good one."
She wasn't trying to act cool. She was just scared. Imitating her father was her way of coping with that fear and uncertainty.
"You think staying quiet makes you look more like a boss? Eh, fair enough." Ryosuke chuckled and shook his head, both amused and exasperated.
But deep down, he understood. Being a clan head wasn't about acting a certain way—there were many kinds of leadership. Fierce, cold, calm, commanding—every style had its own strengths. If Hinata could discover her own path through this imitation phase, then Ryosuke wouldn't interfere.
Besides, this was just her public face. At home, she was still the same warm girl, free of that stern mask.
As they walked, people on the street couldn't help but stare. Hinata, after all, was the Hyuga heiress. And lately, rumors had been flying.
Stories about what happened in the park had already spread. Children who witnessed the incident told their parents, who then shared the tale at dinner or in casual conversation. As usual in Konoha, word traveled fast.
But a single incident wasn't enough to truly change public perception.
"School's about to let out," Ryosuke said, glancing at the sun. "We're enrolling next year anyway. How about we swing by the academy, check out the place, and maybe see what kind of level Neji's class is at? I wanna know what it takes to be top of the class."
He turned to Hinata with a grin.
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