In the quiet of the study, the discussion regarding Hyuga Shinichi's upcoming birthday banquet finally eased the tension in the room.
For the elders, Hiashi and Shin, Shinichi's personal growth had reached a stage where they no longer felt the need to monitor it closely. Based on the several S-rank missions Shinichi had completed, they had a rough estimate of his power.
In Hiashi's eyes, even if Shinichi wasn't quite at the level of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, he couldn't be far off.
However, Shinichi knew better. While the awakening of the Tenseigan gave him the right to resist the coming storms, he wasn't sure if this power alone could protect the Hyuga clan forever.
Even Hamura Otsutsuki believed Shinichi's strength could rival the Otsutsuki clan, but the clan itself had tiers and varied abilities. Knowledge was just as important as raw power.
"I might be 'unbeatable under heaven' right now," Shinichi mused, "but if enemies descend from the heavens above, the outcome remains uncertain."
The ultimate test would be a confrontation with a true Otsutsuki. His mind drifted to Jigen... Otsutsuki Isshiki. Finding and eliminating him before he fully matured became Shinichi's true priority. As for Uchiha Obito or the ghost of Uchiha Madara? With these eyes, they were no longer his equals.
A Home Filled with Light
After the meeting, Shinichi spent the afternoon helping Toneri acclimate to his new home. He introduced Toneri to his mother, Hanako, and his younger sister, Hanabi.
Hanabi, still at an innocent and lively age, immediately took to the idea of a new family member. She followed Toneri around, calling him "Toneri-niisan" (Big Brother Toneri) with a sincerity that even someone as emotionally guarded as Toneri could feel.
Hanako, a traditional motherly figure, felt her heart break for the boy who had lost his parents so young. Her "maternal radiance" and genuine care touched Toneri deeply. For a boy who had known nothing but puppets and shadows since his father's passing, the warmth of the Hyuga household provided a long-lost sense of belonging.
Reporting to the Hokage
Later that afternoon, Shinichi went to the Hokage Rock. In the privacy of the office, after the secretaries were dismissed, Shinichi laid out the truth of the Moon to Minato Namikaze.
Shinichi trusted Minato implicitly. Unlike the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Minato's administration was transparent and sincere. Shinichi also knew that as the father of Naruto, the "Child of Prophecy," keeping Minato alive and informed was a crucial insurance policy for the future.
Shinichi didn't hold back on the Otsutsuki lore:
The Divine Tree: It absorbs all life on a planet to create a Chakra Fruit.
The Cycle: Otsutsuki travel in pairs. A "lower-tier" member is sacrificed to the Ten-Tails to mature the fruit, which the "upper-tier" member then consumes to achieve immortality.
The Hidden Enemy: He revealed that Otsutsuki Isshiki had survived Kaguya's betrayal by possessing a monk named Jigen.
Minato listened with a grave expression. If this had come from anyone else, he would have dismissed it as a fairy tale. But with the physical evidence of Shinichi's mutated eyes, he had to take it seriously.
"The Earth is already in their sights," Shinichi warned. "Isshiki failed once, but others will come. We must find him and prepare."
Minato nodded. "For now, all we can do is grow stronger ourselves. We will keep an eye out, but we cannot chase ghosts. 'Soldiers to block the general, earth to cover the flood'—we will face them when they come."
Before Shinichi left, Minato offered personal support for the birthday banquet, subtly hinting that if Shinichi wanted to avoid an arranged marriage, the Hokage would step in. However, Shinichi politely declined. He accepted the responsibilities that came with the Hyuga name; he had benefited from the clan his whole life, and he viewed the system not as "persecution," but as a necessary, if harsh, survival mechanism.
The Rite of Evolution
That evening, the atmosphere shifted from domestic warmth to ancestral gravity. Shinichi led Toneri toward the Hyuga Ancestral Shrine.
Inside, Elder Shin and several Branch House representatives waited alongside a medical ninja. Toneri remained calm, his trust in Shinichi unshakable.
"Toneri, this is where we honor our ancestors," Shinichi explained. "You have the potential for the Tenseigan. I will not let that talent go to waste. But first, kowtow to the ancestors. Only then will the clan truly accept you."
Toneri knelt without hesitation, his forehead touching the tatami in a perfect show of respect. The old traditionalists in the room watched with softening expressions.
Shinichi then produced a sealed container—the skull of Ao of the Mist, which still held a stolen Byakugan. With a flare of green chakra, Shinichi tore away the protective seals as if they were wet paper.
The medical ninja, a specialist from the Hyuga clan, stepped forward. The surgery was brief and efficient.
The Transplant:
The reclaimed Main House Byakugan was placed into Toneri's left socket.
Shinichi infused the eye with his own refined chakra to jumpstart the integration.
Immediately, a "fetal movement"—a powerful, rhythmic pulsation—began within the eye.
Suddenly, a violent wave of blue-white chakra erupted from Toneri's body, shaking the very foundations of the shrine. This surge was so powerful and unique that every high-level sensor in Konoha—and beyond—felt the birth of a new power.
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