The
Hyuga clan ( Literally meaning "Hyūga family") is one of the oldest and most powerful clans in
Konohagakure. All members born into the family possess the
Byakugan, a
kekkei genkai that gives them extended fields of vision and the ability to see
chakra. The
Uchiha clan's
Sharingan is believed to be descended from the Byakugan.
The clan is separated into two parts, the main house (宗家,
Sōke) and the branch house (
Bunke), a system that protects the secrets of the Byakugan from outsiders. The main house runs the family while the branch house protects it. The members of the branch house are branded with a
cursed seal. This seal gives the main house members absolute control over the branch members, because they can destroy the branch members' brains with a simple hand gesture, or cause them great pain to punish them. This seal also makes sure the secret of the Hyuga's Byakugan is safe, because it seals the Byakugan after the wearer of the seal dies. Because they are essentially servants, simply because of their birth order or heritage, some branch house members are hostile to those of the main house. After the Chunin exams, the two houses have managed to at least start working out their differences. In Part II, they finally brought the two Houses together as a family, which they showed when the Hyuga battled Pain in a show of family unity.
Members of the clan are instructed in the use of the
Gentle Fist style, which uses the Byakugan to view the opponent's
Chakra Pathway System and deal precise blows to disable and impede the flow of
chakra. Due to training in this style, Hyuga clan members tend to have excellent chakra control. This is emphasized in jutsu that utilize this chakra control, as well as the nuances of the Gentle Fist style. The clan's strongest techniques, like the
Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, are only allowed to be taught to members of the main house.
Neji Hyuga, however, has bypassed this restriction by learning them on his own, earning a reputation as a "genius" in the clan.
Byakugan 
Neji's Byakugan
The
Byakugan (白眼;
Viz "Evil Eye" or "All Seeing White Eye"; Literally meaning "White Eye") is a genetic trait that is shared amongst the members of the
Hyuga Clan. Those that inherit the blood of this clan have almost featureless white eyes (Neji's and Hinata's eyes seem to have tints of lavender and blue-grey, respectively). Although it is not stated directly, it is assumed that all members of the Hyuga family possess the Byakugan. It is a common, but not proven belief, that the
Sharingan is a genetic offshoot of the Byakugan.
Just like the Sharingan, the Byakugan can also be transplanted into another person, as
Ao of
Kirigakure did so. Transplanted Byakugan eyes can be activated and deactivated at the user's will, unlike the Sharingan which is always activeAbilities
The Byakugan's View.
The Byakugan is the primary focus of the Hyuga's special When the Byakugan is activated, their pupils become more distinct, and the veins near their temples bulge.
The first ability of the Byakugan gives the user a near 360º field of vision, except for one blind spot at the back of the neck above the third
thoracic vertebra.
The second ability is having the ability to see through solid objects, and can use a degree of telescopic sight. The distance and the degree of telescopic sight varies from person to person. In Part I, Neji Hyuga was able to see an area of 50 meters, but later he increases his visual range to at least 800 meters, while
Hinata Hyuga's range in Part II stretches at least as far as 10 km. During the hunt for either of the Uchiha brothers, Hinata was shown to be able to view Amaterasu's flames, and the chakra in the area, from ten kilometers away. However, the Byakugan cannot see through certain barriers, such as the
Four Black Fog Battle Formation used by the
Sound Four.
However, the third and one of the greatest uses of the Byakugan is the ability to see chakra, as well as the chakra circulation system inside another's body. It is from this particular ability that they are able to employ their ultimate attack style:
Gentle Fist. Unlike the
Strong Fist, which is focused on external injuries, the Gentle Fist style focuses on internal injuries. Each strike, when placed correctly, strikes along the
Chakra Pathway System, which is the network of vessels that carry chakra. This network is closely intertwined with the functioning of the body's organs, and so, when the
keirakukei take damage, the organs suffer as well. There is no defense against the Gentle Fist, since one cannot train one's internal organs to become stronger. The only possible defense is to stop the Gentle Fist's hits from connecting.
Particularly skilled users of the Byakugan, which appear only rarely, such as
Neji Hyuga, can take the Gentle Fist style one step further. Along the keirakurei are 361 pinprick-sized nodes called
Tenketsu, or chakra points. When struck, the Byakugan user can choose to either seal, or forcibly open these Tenketsu, thus giving the user complete control over their opponent's chakra system. So, with precision, all those points along the victim's body can be sealed, stopping the chakra flow to those areas. Neji Hyuga is the rare exception, having taught himself the ultimate Hyuga technique,
Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, along with Hinata Hyuga, who, while not able to do 64 palms like Neji, is able to do
Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms, a slightly weaker version of Neji's, albeit only in the anime. In his battle against Kidomaru, Neji attacked with
Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms. Able to strike without force, and yet do more damage to a ninja than some of the most powerful Ninjutsu, the Gentle Fist is the greatest Taijutsu style known in all of Konohagakure.
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