Hyuga Tetsu had initially wanted to carry a child in each arm, but he suddenly realized he only had one arm free. Reluctantly, he abandoned the idea and allowed the two children to hold onto the corners of his clothes.
The three of them walked side by side on their way home. Their shadows—one large and two small—stretched long in the afterglow of the setting sun.
True to his word, Hyuga Tetsu had prepared a very lavish dinner. Hyuga Piao ate until she could barely move, and soon after, she drifted into a deep sleep.
At the dinner table, only the larger of the two adults and one child remained. As Hyuga Tetsu silently cleared the dishes, Riku, sitting opposite him, asked, "Uncle Tetsu, how many Clan Members were killed or injured in this war?"
Tetsu froze for a moment. Seeing Riku's serious expression, he slowly replied, "Many… almost more than half of them."
No exact number was given, but Riku could already estimate. The Hyuga Clan had over two hundred members sent to the battlefield, and losing more than half meant over a hundred casualties. For a ninja clan, this was staggering; for a smaller clan, it could have meant extinction.
The Hyuga Clan, however, was prestigious, with a legacy spanning a thousand years. Even such a loss, while significant, was hardly crippling.
Riku's next question was tentative: "Were there any casualties among the Hyuga Main Family adults?"
This seemed to hit a raw nerve for Hyuga Tetsu. He sneered, "Those good-for-nothings from the Main Family only hide behind us. Unless all Branch Family members are dead, they won't suffer a scratch!"
Tetsu's words made the truth clear. The Hyuga Main Family hadn't lost a single adult. For the clan's leadership, the deaths of Branch Family members were hardly felt—it was only a scratch on the skin, some spilled blood.
Riku clenched his small fists, anger simmering. But seeing Tetsu's expression shift, he realized something. The older man quickly tried to soften his words.
"Little Riku, Uncle Tetsu spoke too hastily just now," he said, his voice carrying a hint of panic. "The Branch Family works hard to protect the Main Family. That's why the Main Family adults didn't suffer a single casualty."
Even a former Hyuga Chunin, humbled before a five-year-old, could convey a subtle but unmistakable urgency. Riku understood the unspoken warning: Tetsu's earlier words, if repeated, could make him and his son targets within the clan.
"I understand, Uncle Tetsu. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Riku reassured him, thumping his small chest for emphasis.
Tetsu's tension eased, and he patted Riku's head. They said no more, but the young boy's resolve had already strengthened.
Riku's yearning for freedom grew sharper. He knew that if he didn't escape the constraints of the Caged Bird Seal once he became a ninja, his fate could be as grim as those Branch Family members who had died. Despite any talent, he would be nothing more than a tool for the Main Family.
At five years old, Riku was almost ready to enter the Ninja Academy. Graduation would allow him to earn a headband, but as a Hyuga, he would remain trapped under the clan's control. Time was running out; his plan had to move forward.
With determination, Riku said goodbye to Hyuga Tetsu and returned home.
In his dark room, he didn't even bother to light a candle. He lay quietly on the floor, blending into the shadows. The silence gave him space to think.
Recalling Tetsu's words, Riku's resolve hardened. Sealing Jutsu… I must obtain Sealing Jutsu. This is my only chance.
Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, possessed the knowledge and strength Riku needed.
As a transmigrator, Riku remembered the stories and fates of Naruto's world clearly. He knew the critical end of the Third Great Ninja War had forced Orochimaru into despair. Hiruzen Sarutobi had deliberately sidelined his most talented disciple, preventing him from earning battlefield merits and derailing his dream of becoming Hokage. This abandonment likely pushed Orochimaru toward forbidden techniques and the pursuit of immortality.
Riku didn't dislike Orochimaru—he understood the pain of abandonment—but he could not condone the atrocities the man committed in his quest for eternal life. Yet, Orochimaru was precisely the ally Riku needed.
Even if Orochimaru knew Riku's goal of obtaining Sealing Jutsu, he would not care. Estranged from the Hokage and consumed by his quest for immortality, Orochimaru was no longer bound by reputation or loyalty to the village. He would pay any price to advance his research.
This made Riku's Byakugan—a rare and powerful Hyuga bloodline—an invaluable bargaining chip.
The Byakugan, one of the three great dōjutsu, was on par with the Sharingan. Orochimaru's interest in it was intense. Usually, the Hyuga clan protected their bloodline techniques so well that outsiders could not access them. Hyuga clan members themselves rarely cooperated with research.
But Riku was different. At five, his Byakugan had already awakened—a prodigious talent even among the Main Family. This made him uniquely suited to strike a deal with Orochimaru.
Riku's mind raced. He had to act carefully, balancing ambition and survival. A single misstep could expose him, but the rewards were too significant to ignore. He needed the Sealing Jutsu to secure his freedom and achieve his ultimate goals.
He would have to be patient, strategic, and above all, unyielding. The path ahead was dangerous, but Riku's resolve was ironclad. He would seize his chance, even if it meant treading paths no ordinary child could survive.
The darkness of the room wrapped around him, a perfect cover for his plans. And in that silence, Riku vowed: I will obtain the Sealing Jutsu. I will not be a pawn of the Hyuga Main Family. My destiny will be my own.
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