Splash…
The temperature inside the shower room gradually rose. Beads of condensation clung to the tiles, round and heavy with moisture.
When Hyūga Arata stepped out, his figure appeared hazy through the mist.
"..."
He stopped at the washstand and gazed at his reflection.
A sharply defined face, broad forehead, straight nose, and gentle brows, he looked every bit the model student.
He had always worn this same face, past life and present. Even if his photo were printed on a wanted poster, people would probably mistake it for a "three-good-student" award picture at first glance.
Except now, there was something new.
Hyūga Arata brushed his damp black hair back, revealing his forehead. His calm gaze passed over the ugly, stinging swastika-shaped curse mark.
'Caged Bird. Caged Bird…'
He closed his eyes briefly, concentrating. When he opened them again,
The person in the mirror was no longer the same. The harmless warmth in his expression was gone, replaced by a depth hidden in the shadow cast by the light.
The pure white of his Byakugan-like eyes seemed to melt away like first snow under sunlight.
Within the faint blue pupils, starlike specks shimmered, beautiful and awe-inspiring, yet carrying an oppressive pressure.
No one would dare mistake this version of him for a "failure." In fact, few could even meet his gaze.
That silent, spear-like intensity radiated outward; looking into his eyes felt like having a needle poised before one's own.
The Caged Bird mark on his forehead seemed to fade slightly.
"So this is the power of the Tenseigan?"
Sensing the dormant force within his eyes, Arata lightly touched them and thought to himself.
"Is this… a transitional form between the Byakugan and the Tenseigan?"
Ōtsutsuki Toneri's Byakugan had once evolved into the Tenseigan after undergoing several "stirrings" or awakenings.
According to his memories from his past life, the Tenseigan rivaled the Rinnegan in power.
There were two known ways to obtain it:
Fusing the pure Byakugan of the Hyūga with the chakra of Ōtsutsuki Hamura.
Merging a large number of Byakugan from the Ōtsutsuki bloodline to evolve them into a Tenseigan.
He himself possessed a bloodline comparable to Hamura's purity, but whether that was equivalent to Toneri's "chakra" was uncertain.
In the original story, only Ōtsutsuki Hamura and Ōtsutsuki Toneri had awakened the Tenseigan.
Even Kaguya and other Ōtsutsuki never displayed it, and Hamura himself never truly demonstrated its abilities.
Toneri, Hamura's direct descendant, had apparently undergone multiple "awakenings," though it was unknown if the process carried risks.
If the Rinnegan was the rightful power gained from consuming the God Tree's fruit, then the Tenseigan was a mutation of the Byakugan, sacrificing versatility for overwhelming strength.
"Arata! Are you done washing up?"
The voice outside the bathroom snapped him from his thoughts. He brushed back his hair, stretched the muscles of his face, and restored his usual gentle, harmless smile.
"Coming, coming."
He answered while putting on a clean white outfit, tying the Konoha forehead protector over his brow.
Within the Hyūga clan, the body's original owner was regarded as a "failure." Not because he lacked potential, but because, despite reaching age thirteen, he still couldn't awaken the Byakugan.
That, coupled with his timid, cowardly nature, he had once cried on the battlefield, brought shame to the clan in their eyes.
Even so, he was still more capable than most common-born shinobi, having graduated alongside the so-called "failure" Might Guy.
Now, Guy was already a chūnin, while he remained a mere genin.
As Arata opened the door, the sight of Guy training on the horizontal bar greeted him. The man truly never rested.
Thud!
Seeing Arata fully dressed, Guy dismounted from the bar, removing his leg weights with a loud crash.
"Oh! The burning spirit of Konoha's youth shines bright!" Guy exclaimed, eyes blazing with passion. "I can't believe it! I was away on missions for just a few months, and you've already stoked your flames this high!"
Those weights, he noticed, matched Guy's own full-body training load.
"You flatter me, senpai. I should be the one thanking you for teaching me the Eight Gates."
Arata replied with a polite smile.
The Eight Gates were indeed powerful, but their strength still depended on one's physical foundation.
For instance, even Kakashi could open the first gate, yet his power paled compared to Guy's normal state.
Guy had trained his body relentlessly since childhood; those weights were part of his everyday routine.
"I never thought a member of the Hyūga clan would come to me to learn the Eight Gates and Strong Fist!" Guy cried, tears welling up as he raised both thumbs. "Such courage to defy convention! Such a burning youthful spirit!"
His emotions came and went like waves. Looking toward the inner compound of the Hyūga estate, he noticed colorful decorations brightening the normally solemn atmosphere.
"What's going on over there?" Guy asked curiously.
"It's for Lady Hinata's third birthday," Arata replied with a faint smile.
"Huh? Do they always go this all-out for birthdays?"
"Of course not," Arata shook his head, eyes deepening. "A Hyūga heir's third birthday holds special meaning."
On that day, a group of children from the branch family would receive the Caged Bird seal.
Among them, the most gifted few would be chosen to serve as bodyguards to the main family heir.
And as the eldest daughter of the clan head, Hinata, the sole successor to the main family, naturally warranted a great ceremony.
Shinobi from other clans in Konoha, even nobles from the Land of Fire, would attend to offer blessings.
'Unfortunately, that also means things won't stay peaceful for long,' Arata thought grimly.
If Hinata had just turned three, it meant that the Hidden Cloud would soon visit Konoha to sign a peace treaty and plot to kidnap her.
This period would be the perfect opportunity for his own schemes to unfold.
As the two walked out side by side, chatting pleasantly, the mood was light, until they neared the clan's main gate.
"Stop."
A cold voice rang out, halting them both.
Arata narrowed his eyes, turning toward the source, to see a face twisted in disdain.
"Hyūga Arata," the gatekeeper said icily, "today is Lady Aoi's special training day. As her attendant, where do you think you're going?"