"Yo, Aoba, long time no see! Why are you still wearing those goggles? Honestly, it looks weird at first glance," said the owner of the ninja tools shop, handing over Aoba Kawaki's custom-made gear while teasing him with a smile.
"Uh, haha… yeah, well, it's unavoidable. During my last mission, I got my eyes injured. For a while, I couldn't endure strong light, so I had to wear goggles," Aoba replied casually.
He spoke lightly, as if he were just strolling through town on a leisurely day, but in truth, his mind was racing. He urgently wanted to get home. Even the shop owner, who didn't usually pay much attention to him, noticed something off. If he were to run into someone familiar on the street, things could get complicated quickly.
If it weren't for the fact that his ninja tools had been heavily damaged on his previous mission, he wouldn't even have left the house today.
After a few polite words with the shop owner, Aoba hurriedly grabbed his new equipment and set off toward his home.
Aoba Kawaki was a Konoha ninja born with Hyuga blood. But he wasn't a pure Hyuga in the traditional sense.
He was also a traveler from another world, accidentally transported to this world of shinobi.
Though he carried Hyuga blood, he hadn't inherited the clan's famed Byakugan at birth. His father was a regular Chunin from the Hyuga branch family, and his mother was a normal non-clan shinobi. Cases like his weren't uncommon in Konoha.
Both the Hyuga and Uchiha families prized internal marriage to preserve bloodlines, but that applied mostly to the core family. For the Hyuga, only the main family strictly adhered to this. The branch families could, with some limitations, marry outsiders, giving rise to two types of offspring.
The first type inherited the Byakugan. Their eyes were pale white from birth, and they carried the Hyuga surname, automatically recognized as branch members with a high chance of awakening the Byakugan as shinobi.
The second type, like Aoba, had normal eyes at birth. They weren't entitled to the Hyuga name and weren't fully acknowledged by the clan. Still, the branch family would occasionally consider such mixed-blood children, as they did carry diluted Hyuga blood.
In normal circumstances, a mixed-blood ninja like Aoba was indistinguishable from other ordinary shinobi. But today, he was far from normal.
Beneath his dark goggles were his eyes pure, startlingly white. During the previous mission, Aoba had awakened his Byakugan, triggered by a combination of intense emotion and extreme danger.
Now, his priority was concealment. He could not let anyone, especially the Hyuga clan, know about his awakened Byakugan. If they found out, trouble would be inevitable.
Byakugan wasn't inherently dangerous, but the timing of its awakening was disastrous. If he had awakened it during the Chunin exams or later, he might have had the leverage to keep the Hyuga at bay. But now, it was too conspicuous, and he had no choice but to bide his time. His goal was simple: survive, grow stronger, and eventually reach a level elite Chunin or Jonin where he could negotiate with the Hyuga on equal footing.
For now, Aoba decided to stay hidden, avoid exposure, and especially steer clear of Hyuga territory.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Just as he neared his front gate, two shinobi blocked his path.
One was tall, the other short, both wearing Chunin attire, and both revealing the large, pale eyes characteristic of the Hyuga clan.
Aoba realized immediately: someone had tipped the Hyuga off about his Byakugan awakening.
Who could have betrayed him? Perhaps a teammate from the previous mission, who saw his Byakugan during combat. Or maybe it had been reported to the Third Hokage by his team leader, Shinka Mahiro. Aoba had no way to be sure.
The worst-case scenario had already unfolded, and there was no reversing it. Now, he had only one option: resist.
Compromise or submission? Those words didn't exist in Aoba Kawaki's dictionary. Reborn into this world, he had no intention of serving as anyone's puppet.
Confronting the two Hyuga Chunin, he walked forward with unwavering confidence. After all, he was just going home. What was there to fear?
"Aoba Kawaki, come with us. The elders want to ask you some questions at Hyuga estate," one of the shinobi said, blocking his way with authority.
It wasn't just a suggestion. It was an order.
The Hyuga were a proud, influential clan in Konoha. Their arrogance toward outsiders was understandable, tempered by village rules or personal restraint. But when dealing with a mixed-blood relative, their superiority was unfiltered.
Aoba understood this, but he responded with controlled sarcasm. "Good dogs don't block the way. Move aside."
His voice was calm, almost amused. He wasn't intimidated; he was defiant.