Splash.
The temperature in the shower room gradually rose, and fine beads of water vapor clung to the tiles, becoming round and full. When Hyuga Kawa emerged from the shower, his figure was hazy in the mist.
"..."
He walked to the washroom and stopped, gazing at his face in the mirror. Clearly defined facial contours, a broad forehead, a straight nose bridge, gentle brows—he looked like a good child. Whether in his past life or this one, he had always had this appearance. Even if his photo were on a wanted poster, others would assume it was some kind of "model student" certificate at first glance.
Only, this familiar face now held something more.
Hyuga Kawa slicked his wet black hair back, revealing his forehead. His calm gaze swept over the ugly, glaring "X"-shaped cursed seal.
Caged Bird, Caged Bird...
Hyuga Kawa closed his eyes in concentration. A moment later, his eyelids trembled and slowly opened.
The mirror now reflected a different person. The harmless, gentle demeanor was gone. His profile was hidden in the shadows of the light, creating a profound silhouette. The pure white in his eyes melted like fresh snow in the sun, and his light blue pupils, like a calm lake, flowed with specks of starlight, giving an astonishing sense of beauty mixed with a deep, imposing aura.
No one would mistake him for that "waste" now. No one would even want to meet his gaze, because that spear-like aura silently emanated outwards; looking at him was like having a needle suspended before one's eyes. And the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead seemed to have faded considerably.
"Is this the power of the Tenseigan?"
Sensing the undeveloped power deep within his eyes, Hyuga Kawa raised a hand to touch them, pondering, "What is this? A transitional form from Byakugan to Tenseigan?"
Otsutsuki Toneri's Byakugan transformed into the Tenseigan, seemingly undergoing several "gestations" in between...
According to his memories from his past life, the Tenseigan was a top-tier power comparable to the Rinnegan. And there seemed to be only two ways to obtain the Tenseigan. The first was to combine Otsutsuki Toneri's chakra with a pure Byakugan from the Hyuga clan. The second was to fuse a large number of Otsutsuki clan Byakugan to evolve into the Tenseigan.
For the former, what he possessed was a pure bloodline comparable to Otsutsuki Toneri's, not the "chakra" that Otsutsuki Toneri spoke of. Hyuga Kawa wasn't sure if the two were the same thing.
In the original story, only Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Otsutsuki Toneri had ever possessed the Tenseigan. Otsutsuki Kaguya and the other Otsutsuki clan members never displayed it, and even Hagoromo never truly demonstrated the Tenseigan's abilities. Otsutsuki Toneri, the legitimate descendant of Otsutsuki Hamura, also went through an unknown number of "gestations," and it was uncertain whether these "gestations" carried any danger.
If the Rinnegan was the legitimate ability obtained by the Otsutsuki clan after consuming the Divine Tree fruit, the Tenseigan seemed to be an aberrant evolution of the Byakugan, trading the Rinnegan's diverse functionalities for immense power...
"Kawa! Are you done showering?"
A voice from outside the shower room interrupted Hyuga Kawa's thoughts. He ran a hand through his hair, then slowly and forcefully worked his facial muscles. The harmless, gentle smile returned to his face.
"Coming, coming."
Hyuga Kawa replied as he dressed in a set of white clothes and tied his Konoha forehead protector across his brow. Although the Hyuga clan members referred to the original owner of this body as a "waste," that was only because he was over thirteen and still unable to activate his Byakugan. Of course, it was also due to the original owner's timid and battle-averse personality; he had cried in fear the first time he saw a battlefield, which other clan members saw as bringing shame to the family.
Even so, he was still stronger than most commoner ninjas and had graduated as a Genin alongside the "good-for-nothing" Might Guy. However, Might Guy was now a Chunin, while he was still a Genin.
Pushing open the door, Might Guy, hanging from the pull-up bar, came into view. That guy truly couldn't sit still for a moment.
Bang!
Seeing Hyuga Kawa emerge, dressed, Might Guy stretched his muscles and dropped down, releasing the heavy weights from his legs with a loud clang.
"Oh! Is this the Konoha Soul blooming with youth!" He scrutinized Hyuga Kawa's body, his eyes burning with fiery fighting spirit. "I can't believe that in just a few months while I was on a mission outside the village, you've ignited your passion to this extent!"
This level of heavy weight was equivalent to the weight of his entire body during his usual training.
"You flatter me, Senpai. I also have to thank you for teaching me the Eight Gates Released Formation."
Facing the compliments of this crazy "Noble Beast," Hyuga Kawa merely smiled politely. The Eight Gates Released Formation was indeed powerful, but its enhancement was based on the user's physical strength. For example, Kakashi could also open the First Gate of the Eight Gates, but he still couldn't compare to Might Guy in his normal state without opening the Eight Gates. Might Guy had been training his body with his father since childhood; that amount of weight was just his daily routine.
"I also can't believe that you, as a member of the Hyuga clan, would seek me out to learn the Eight Gates Released Formation and Strong Fist! This resolve to break convention, this courage to challenge limits!" Might Guy suddenly shed tears, giving two thumbs up.
His emotions came and went quickly. He turned to look at the depths of the clan compound, faintly seeing the usually solemn Hyuga compound still retaining vibrant colors.
"What are they doing?" Might Guy asked curiously.
"The Main Branch's Young Lady, Hyuga Hinata's, third birthday is approaching," Hyuga Kawa smiled.
"Huh?" Might Guy was startled. "Does she make such a big fuss every birthday?"
"Of course not." Hyuga Kawa shook his head, a hint of deeper meaning in his eyes. "The third birthday holds different significance for a Main Branch child."
With the arrival of every Main Branch child's third birthday, a group of Branch Family children would be branded with the [Caged Bird] seal. Among the most outstanding of these Branch Family children, a few would have the opportunity to become personal guards for the Main Branch child. As the eldest daughter of the Main Branch head, Hyuga Hinata was the sole candidate to succeed as clan leader in the future, so her third birthday would naturally be regarded with importance by the Hyuga clan. Other Konoha ninja clans and some nobles from the Land of Fire would come to the Hyuga clan to offer congratulations.
"Too bad, this also means that the coming period is destined to be anything but peaceful," Hyuga Kawa secretly scoffed to himself.
Since Hyuga Hinata was already three years old, it meant that the Cloud Village would soon come to Konoha to sign a truce agreement, while also planning to abduct Hyuga Hinata. This period would also be a good opportunity for Hyuga Kawa to implement his schemes.
As they mused, the two walked out of the residence side-by-side, chatting and laughing, the atmosphere remaining pleasant. Until they approached the main gate of the Hyuga compound...
"Stop."
A cold voice came from the side, making the two instinctively halt.
Hyuga Kawa narrowed his eyes, turning his head towards the sound, and saw a face filled with disgust.
"Hyuga Kawa."
The Hyuga clan member on duty stood by the gate, coldly questioning, "Today is Lady Aoi's extra training day. As her attendant, why are you not by her side serving her? Where are you going?"