Chapter 331: The Hyuga Clan's Deep Gratitude
Konoha Village, Hokage Tower.
Several members of the Hyuga clan were anxiously waiting. In a waiting room, Hyuga Hiashi, the clan head, was pacing back and forth, looking extremely nervous.
Of course, the younger daughter, Hyuga Hanabi, was the most anxious, with bandages wrapped around her eyes.
Not long ago, she had been kidnapped and had her eyes taken by Toneri Otsutsuki, leaving her blind.
Fortunately, she was rescued by Konoha's ninja, barely escaping with her life.
"Hanabi, don't worry, you will soon see again. Uzumaki Naruto had his eyesight restored the same way, and there were no side effects."
Marisa, sitting beside Hanabi, cheered up her good friend.
"Thank you, Marisa."
Hanabi replied, holding Marisa's hand. Her delicate face showed gratitude.
She knew she had this opportunity thanks to Marisa's plea to the Sixth Hokage. Without it, someone like her would never have the privilege of bothering such a powerful figure.
While they were talking, the door to the waiting room creaked open, and two figures walked in.
It was the Sixth Hokage, Uchiha Dan, accompanied by his secretary, Hyuga Hinata.
"Lord Hokage."
The moment Dan entered, Hiashi and the others quickly bowed, their attitudes extremely respectful.
Only Marisa remained her usual self, not bowing but instead furrowing her brow and angrily questioning Dan: "Dad, why are you so late? Did you intentionally make everyone wait?"
Dan wasn't angered. He just shrugged:
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I got held up by something. Right, Hinata?"
Hearing this, Hinata trembled and blushed, stuttering, "Y-Yes."
In reality.
The reason for Dan's delay was that he had discovered Hinata had a natural talent for massage.
Perhaps due to her Byakugan's ability to see through the human body's meridians and acupoints, she could find the right spots quickly and accurately during a massage.
Dan, interested, had guided her, letting Hinata give him a shoulder massage.
Now that he had enjoyed it, he decided to help the Hyuga clan, if only for Hinata's sake.
He walked over to Hanabi and sat on the sofa, instructing Marisa: "Take off her bandages."
"Hmph."
Marisa snorted in dissatisfaction with her father but still obeyed.
What happened next was straightforward.
Using Yin-Yang Release, Dan recreated a pair of Byakugan for Hanabi, restoring her sight.
"I can see again."
Hanabi murmured, blinking her eyes and looking around at the familiar faces showing concern for her. Her nose tingled, and she almost cried with emotion.
"Wonderful."
Seeing his daughter regain her sight, Hiashi, usually stoic, was visibly moved. He bowed once again to Dan, expressing his gratitude for the Hokage's kindness.
Toneri Otsutsuki was dead, turned to dust with no trace left.
Naturally, the Byakugan he had taken from Hanabi was also destroyed—at least, that's what everyone present, except Dan and Marisa, believed.
Marisa had privately questioned Dan:
"Why don't you return Hanabi's Byakugan to her?"
Dan explained:
"Hanabi's Byakugan no longer exists. It fused with Toneri's Otsutsuki chakra, becoming the Tenseigan. If we were to transplant those eyes back to Hanabi, she wouldn't be able to control them and would end up drained of her chakra and dead."
Thus, Dan kept the Tenseigan for himself.
In truth, he already had a plan for those eyes.
Dan glanced at Marisa with a meaningful look.
"We'll take our leave now, so as not to waste your time, Lord Hokage."
Hiashi supported his daughter and led the Hyuga members in another bow before preparing to leave.
"Wait."
Dan suddenly spoke, "I have something here. It's of no use to me, so I'll give it to the Hyuga clan."
While he kept Toneri's Tenseigan, he decided to give another "eye" to the Hyuga clan.
Half an hour later.
In the Hyuga clan's ancestral hall.
Clan leader Hiashi, his daughter Hinata, his nephew Neji, and several clan elders were gathered. Their feelings were a mix of anxiety and anticipation.
They were anxious because the Sixth Hokage was visiting their clan for the first time, an honour they feared they might fail to respect properly.
Anticipation because the Hokage had mentioned he had a gift for the Hyuga clan.
What could it be?
At this moment, even Hiashi felt like a child receiving a gift for the first time; his heart filled with nervous excitement.
Under everyone's watchful eyes.
Dan tapped his forehead, and a faint yellow light shone.
Immediately, an eye flew out from there. After leaving Dan's body, it quickly expanded, and before the astonished eyes of the Hyuga members—
It became a giant yellow eye.
"Lord Hokage, may I ask what this is…"
Hiashi asked cautiously, sensing the eye's immense power, and more importantly—
The chakra from it felt familiar and comforting.
Dan didn't keep them in suspense, directly explaining:
"This is a Tenseigan, formed from the fusion of many Byakugan from Hamura's descendants. It holds power comparable to the Rinnegan."
What?!
Everyone present widened their eyes, staring in shock at the Tenseigan.
The Hyuga clan's ancestor, Hamura Otsutsuki, was the younger brother of the Sage of Six Paths. After they defeated their mother, he chose to stay on the moon to guard the Gedo Statue—
This, the Hyuga clan knew.
They also knew that besides the Hyuga clan in the ninja world, their ancestor had descendants on the moon who continued guarding the Gedo Statue after his death.
Toneri Otsutsuki was one of them.
So, the terms "Tenseigan" and "Hamura's descendants" from Dan's mouth made sense to them.
Hiashi was the first to recover and immediately knelt before Dan on one knee:
"Lord Hokage, this gift is too precious. How can the Hyuga clan deserve it…"
"No need to say more."
Dan interrupted Hiashi, signalling Hinata to help her father up, "I said it's of no use to me. It's better if your clan develops its power."
The Hyuga members were deeply grateful.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage!"
Their voices echoed in the ancestral hall.
"But be careful. This thing is powerful. If you rush it, it could blow up your entire compound."
Dan left them with some advice and patted Hinata on the shoulder: " You can finish work early today. No, There is no need to return to the Hokage Tower."
Before anyone could respond, he disappeared in a flash.
While Dan was present, everyone was reserved. Once he left, the Hyuga clan couldn't contain their joy any longer.
After all, this was a Tenseigan!
"A treasure of the clan! A treasure of the clan!"
An elder of the Hyuga clan shouted twice, his old face flushed with excitement as he danced with joy.
In contrast, Hyuga Neji, the younger member, was much calmer and did not lose his composure.
However, he couldn't help but be mesmerised by the Tenseigan, his gaze fixed on the yellow giant eye floating in mid-air, feeling utterly entranced.
Hu~
Hyuga Hiashi took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, repeating this a few times until he finally calmed down.
"With this Tenseigan, the Hyuga clan can firmly secure its position as the second strongest clan in Konoha. This is wonderful."
He murmured, and the long-standing tension in his nerves finally began to ease.
As everyone knew.
In the past, the Hyuga clan, as one of Konoha's two great dojutsu clans, had always been at odds with the Uchiha clan, frequently clashing with them.
Later, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Danzo sold out the village to curry favour with the Four Great Ninja Villages. This forced the Hyuga clan to surrender a hundred pairs of Byakugan, severely weakening the clan.
When the Uchiha returned, the Hyuga clan was terrified, fearing retribution.
Although the Sixth Hokage and the Uchiha clan were magnanimous, not removing or expelling the Hyuga clan and allowing them to continue living in Konoha, the Hyuga clan had lived in fear every day.
As the clan leader, Hiashi had not had a good night's sleep in years.
To show his clan members' loyalty to the higher-ups, he led them to perform their duties in the police force diligently, maintaining Konoha's public order meticulously without the slightest error.
Finally, after all these years of sincere repentance and selfless dedication, the Sixth Hokage recognised their efforts.
This gigantic yellow Tenseigan was indeed a treasure bestowed upon the Hyuga clan by the Sixth Hokage.
With it, while the Hyuga clan still couldn't compare to the Uchiha clan, they could certainly surpass the other clans in Konoha, securing their position as the second-strongest clan.
For the Hyuga clan, which had been in decline, this act of kindness from the Sixth Hokage filled them with deep gratitude.
I was thinking of this.
"Hinata."
Hiashi pulled his daughter aside, earnestly instructing her, "The kindness the Sixth Hokage has shown to the Hyuga clan is something we can never repay. As his secretary, you must do everything in your power to serve Lord Hokage and Konoha. I entrust this to you!"
Faced with her father's request, Hinata was deeply moved.
Throughout her life, she had rarely received praise or approval from her father, only cold stares and disappointment, leading her to almost give up on herself.
But ever since she became the Hokage's secretary, everything had changed.
Her father's attitude towards her had unknowingly become much gentler, and he showed more concern for her. Now, he even lowered his stature and dignity to request her.
"I understand, Father."
Hinata's expression became solemn, and her gaze firm as she responded.
For the Hokage's kindness in restoring her beloved sister's sight alone, Hinata was determined to repay him with all her might.
At this moment, Hinata's resolve was burning brightly.
She vowed that no matter what the Sixth Hokage asked of her, she would do her best.
Even something as small as a massage would be no exception.
From that day on, Hinata matured, having her pursuits and goals. She was no longer the timid and weak girl she once was.
...
Time flies.
Seasons changed, and in the blink of an eye, winter gave way to spring, and more than half a year had passed.
Since the Sixth Hokage Uchiha Dan became the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, the ninja world, which had been filled with fighting and chaos for many years, gradually became quiet.
What's the point of fighting anymore?
The Four Great Ninja Villages had come to realise that their mutual conflicts and conquests held little meaning. After all—
Even if one village or country destroyed all its opponents and unified the ninja world, with just one word from the Sixth Hokage, everything would turn to ashes.
Although Konoha was a neutral ninja village and hadn't engaged in warfare for more than a decade, everyone understood:
The entire ninja world was in Uchiha Dan's hands.
Not only did the ninja believe this, but even the proud daimyo had to acknowledge this fact, and countless ordinary people naturally followed suit.
In the hearts of the common people, the Sixth Hokage had long since transcended humanity and become a god.
This deity brought peace to the ninja world.
As long as he lived, this peace would continue, allowing most ordinary people to live relatively stable and happy lives.
Therefore, people throughout the ninja world prayed in their hearts for the great Sixth Hokage to live forever, guarding the peace of the ninja world.
During this time, some interesting events occurred in Konoha.
One of the most frequently discussed by villagers recently was undoubtedly the so-called "New Three Ninja of Konoha."
To talk about the new Three Ninjas, one must mention the old Three Ninjas.
After many years of ups and downs, the former Three Ninja of Konoha had vastly different fates.
Tsunade had long aligned with the Uchiha clan and smoothly sailed on their ship. She was now the head of the Konoha Medical Department and the deputy village leader, holding a status second only to the Sixth Hokage, even overshadowing the Uchiha clan leader, Fugaku;
Orochimaru, who had once defected from Konoha, joined the Akatsuki, and later turned against Konoha, was captured and spared his life but remained a prisoner, working as a research labourer in the Konoha Science Department;
Jiraiya, part of the Konoha exiled government, luckily escaped retribution but lived a wandering life, womanising and writing books.
Regardless, the old Three Ninjas had long since disbanded and were a thing of the past.
Now, the new Three Ninjas were the rising stars of Konoha, each one attracting immense attention.
Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Marisa, and Uzumaki Naruto.
Since the Sixth Hokage personally ordered the formation of this team over half a year ago, they had become the most watched group in Konoha and even the entire ninja world.
To date.
Except for their first mission to support the Takigakure, which almost ended in disaster, the "New Three Ninja" had not failed a single mission.
In just six months.
They had completed 8 S-rank missions, 30 A-rank missions, and over 70 B-rank missions.
From the land of demons where spirits ran rampant to the ruins of Roran hidden deep in the desert, from the snowy lands of the far north to the mysterious seas at the southernmost tip of the ninja world.
Their presence was seen in every place.
These three kids, with an average age of only twelve, have become star ninjas worldwide thanks to their formidable strength and relentless promotion by Konoha TV.
At this moment, somewhere in the ninja world, the "New Three Ninja" were secretly carrying out their ninth S-rank mission.
(End of Chapter)