— — — — — —
Yup, the teacher was Orochimaru.
Well, technically, it was usually just one of Orochimaru's clones doing the actual fieldwork. The Sannin still had a bit of a complicated grudge regarding Nawaki. Becoming his teacher again was a way for Orochimaru to resolve a long-standing knot in his heart. After all, Nawaki's death had been one of the sparks that sent Orochimaru down his dark path.
"Hehe, yeah!" Nawaki scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "But I mean, I am technically a senior, y'know? Wouldn't feel right jumping in with the kids."
"Big bro Minato already told me that as long as I prove myself in the field, I can get promoted straight to Chunin—or even Jonin—without the test!"
"'Big bro Minato'?"
Kurenai raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you older than the Fourth Hokage? I'm pretty sure by timeline standards you've got a few years on him."
"Hmph. Spineless as ever," Tsunade snorted in disgust, arms crossed.
She'd given up hope on her little brother. The guy was still such a wimp.
Still… as long as he was alive, it was enough.
Well, that—and the fact he needed to grow up, settle down, and bring back the Senju clan. They couldn't rely on her forever.
"Ahaha..." Nawaki gave a dry laugh. "What can I do? Physically and mentally, I'm younger now. I'm closer in age to Naruto than to Minato or Kushina. Heck, their kid's already a teenager!"
Honestly, everything felt totally out of whack. And people were giving him weird looks.
"Excuses. All I'm hearing are excuses," Tsunade narrowed her eyes at him. "You just don't want to stand up to Kushina, do you? You're scared of her, huh? Don't think I haven't noticed! Spineless little brat."
"Come on, sis! Don't roast me like that!" Nawaki flinched, saw Tsunade about to blow up, and immediately bolted. "I'm out! Later!"
Soon after, Renzo and the others arrived at the exam stadium.
"The final round of the Chunin Exams... begins now!" The proctor's voice rang out across the arena.
"For the first match—Hyuga Neji versus Namikaze Naruto!"
"All other candidates, please clear the field!"
...
"Hey, look at that... they didn't even change the match order," Renzo muttered, arms crossed as he watched from the stands. "That's rare."
The universe really had its habits.
If he didn't interfere, things often played out more or less the same way.
"What match order?" Tsunade pouted. "Ugh, these exams are so boring. It's just a bunch of kids punching each other. Honestly, I'd rather hit the slots."
"Please don't go back to gambling again," Renzo sighed.
He always had to clean up her messes.
Those gamblers who got lucky and hit it big always ended up losing even more after a few rounds. It messed with their heads.
But could Renzo just ignore it? Of course not.
Sure, he could make gold, but dumping too much of it into circulation could cause inflation and destabilize the whole world's economy.
Yeah—it was that serious.
Never underestimate what a Senju with a gambling addiction could do.
If he didn't step in, Tsunade could rack up a billion-ryo loss in a single night.
And if he just kept printing gold to cover for her?
The ninja world's entire financial system would collapse. Eventually.
"Just give up. You can't beat me."
On the field, Neji stood there arrogantly, arms behind his back, looking down on Naruto.
Sure, Naruto had a Hokage for a dad and a powerful mom too—but the guy himself? Totally unmotivated. Always playing around.
When he graduated from the Academy, he was dead last. Like, the bottom.
It wasn't until recently—after watching Sasuke get stronger—that he finally started taking things seriously.
In fact, Minato had even reached out to Renzo and asked if he could help train Naruto for real.
Renzo agreed. Once the exam was over, he'd guide Naruto, Sasuke, and the rest of the Konoha 12 for three months of intensive training.
Yeah, everyone would get that training pass. A personal favor from Renzo.
...
"Hmph! Don't underestimate me, you jerk!"
Naruto charged up a fist and roared:
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In a flash, he summoned hundreds of clones that all rushed toward Neji.
"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!"
Without hesitation, Neji activated his signature defense technique—Hakkeshō Kaiten—instantly blowing away most of Naruto's clones in a powerful burst.
"Wait... what?"
Back in the stands, Hyuga Hiashi looked genuinely surprised. "Neji's already mastered Rotation?"
"Father! That was Hakkeshō Kaiten, wasn't it?" Young Hanabi tugged at his sleeve, eyes wide. "Neji-nii already learned it? That's amazing!"
"Yeah... he really is something else," Hiashi nodded slowly.
Then, as if sensing someone watching him, he looked across the arena—and locked eyes with Hizashi, Neji's father.
Hiashi's face twisted with complex emotions.
"Father... maybe you made the wrong choice back then. Maybe it should've been my brother who inherited the main house..."
Not only were Hinata and Hanabi's talents clearly behind Neji's, but even Hiashi himself—despite all his prestige—had been surpassed by his younger brother in strength.
Sometimes, he really struggled with it.
Things between them could never go back to the way they were.
But deep down, he truly wished they could.
Just then, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Oh? So the Hyuga clan's still clinging to that old Bird Cage seal? Seriously... that's kind of pathetic."
Hiashi turned in surprise—only to see Renzo standing nearby. He sighed bitterly and forced a smile.
"Renzo-Sama... It's not that simple. This is our clan's destiny—etched into generations of rules and traditions. I... don't have the power to change it. The Elders would never allow it."
Honestly? He really envied Uchiha Fugaku.
The Uchiha clan had produced a prodigy like Uchiha Renzo—someone with not just overwhelming strength, but also incredible vision. Thanks to him, the Uchiha had turned away from their dark path and practically risen from the ashes.
Now, they were the top clan in the shinobi world. And they did it without threatening Konoha or the Land of Fire. Their relations with other clans and the village itself were stable and cooperative.
That wasn't something you could fake. Renzo had earned it.
Hiashi wished, more than anything, that someone like that would appear in the Hyuga clan.
If they had a visionary leader like him... maybe he wouldn't feel so stuck all the time.
"Tch."
Renzo scoffed, voice cold and dismissive. "Rules passed down for generations? Elders? You know what those are for? To be broken."
"If you cling to outdated traditions, you'll never move forward. And don't pretend the Hyuga clan's in danger. No one in the ninja world is threatening Konoha right now—especially not the Hyuga."
"Look around. You see anyone stupid enough to try stealing Sharingan eyes these days?"
"When it's time to push back, you push back. When something needs changing, you change it. If it were me, I would've kicked those old fossils out a long time ago. You just sit there and take it... unbelievable."
Renzo glanced at him with obvious disdain.
"That's why I've always said—you're too soft. If your brother Hizashi had been in charge, the Hyuga clan would be in a very different place right now."
There was no hiding it—Renzo clearly favored Hizashi. He respected his resolve, his strength, and his willingness to fight for change.
These two brothers were complete opposites.
Hiashi clung to rules and tradition. Hizashi? He challenged them head-on.
Hiashi was stunned speechless. Renzo's words felt like a slap in the face—but what stung more was that... they weren't wrong.
And Renzo had the power and authority to say them.
Even Hanabi, sitting beside them, was wide-eyed. "Whoa... This big brother is so cool. He's straight-up scolding Dad, and Dad can't even argue back!"
"Maybe... you're right," Hiashi said quietly, shoulders heavy. "I've always lacked the courage Hizashi had. I do want to reform the clan... to fix my relationship with him."
At the very least, he was honest with himself. That was one of his few redeeming traits—he wasn't evil. And he could listen.
Then, suddenly, something clicked in his mind.
"Lord Renzo!"
"Hm?"
"I heard you're planning to train the twelve kids from this year's Team 7 generation. Is that true?"
Hiashi looked hopeful, almost eager.
From what he'd gathered, both Hinata and Neji were included in that list.
To him, this felt like a golden opportunity.
"Yeah, that's right." Renzo nodded. "This new generation's still pretty raw. Their overall performance in the exam wasn't great. I figured I'd give them some real training—don't want Konoha's next gen embarrassing us out there."
He glanced sideways at Hiashi. "Why? You got something in mind?"
Hiashi smiled awkwardly.
"Well... not much. Just... I heard my daughter Hinata and Neji are both in that group. I was hoping you could keep an eye on them—especially Hinata. She's a sweet kid, but... her talent and power just aren't there. Neji, though—he's solid. I'd really appreciate it."
Renzo frowned.
"Who told you Hinata's talent was weak?"
"From where I'm standing, she's the most gifted in your entire clan. You Hyugas seriously don't understand what the Byakugan is truly capable of—or maybe all the knowledge got lost to time."
After all, he had the Tenseigan. And he'd even fused it with Rinnegan-level abilities. Making the new Rinne-Tenseigan.
How could he not understand the full potential of the Byakugan?
He could feel it clearly—Hinata's Byakugan was the purest of anyone currently alive in the clan.
Hanabi came in second. Neji... third.
Maybe, back at the start, Neji's eyes had been just as promising. But the cursed seal had stunted his development early on. Even if it was lifted, catching up wouldn't be easy.
And honestly? The Hyuga clan didn't have the means to help him anymore.
Renzo could fix it—if he wanted.
But as long as the Hyuga clan refused to abandon the caged bird system, he wasn't lifting a finger.
Hiashi stared at him, stunned.
"You really believe that? Hinata... has that much potential?"
"Do you—do you know something about the Byakugan that we don't?" His voice trembled slightly. "Please, if you do... tell me! I'm begging you!"
He bowed deeply toward Renzo, not caring who saw.
He wasn't just asking for himself—he was asking for the future of his family.
For the Hyūga Clan.
.
.
.
Read all remaining chapters at👉 patreon.com/_Coreal