Chapter 240: Your Vision Is Too Short-Sighted!
The Land of Rain—
Heavy rain poured from the sky in sheets, washing over the stone of the Rain Country again and again.
In the courtyard,
Ryosuke lay leisurely on a rocking chair, listening to the sound of raindrops pattering on the roof, rustling on the leaves, and splashing onto the ground. As he listened, he peacefully attuned himself to his body, letting his senses settle.
After living in this rainy land for a month or two, he had grown used to the constant downpour.
During his free time, lying back in the rocking chair and dozing off to the rhythm of the rain had become one of life's rare comforts.
The responsibilities of stabilizing the country were handled by the Saki family and other trusted officials.
The search for outsiders and the mysterious treasures scattered across the ninja world was also conducted by clan members. As a result, Ryosuke became the most idle person in the Rain Country—powerful, but with nothing meaningful to do.
His strength was overwhelming, but he couldn't realize his aspirations. All he could do was sit there, watching and listening to the rain, circulating sage chakra through his body again and again, helping it adapt to natural energy.
In the past, Ryosuke would have scoffed at such a time-consuming and seemingly trivial method. But now, there was nothing new to practice and nothing left to study.
Time, once measured against urgent goals, had begun to slow as his power grew.
After a recent transformation, Ryosuke hit another bottleneck. Every known ninja technique and piece of knowledge had already been stored in his mind.
And with his strength plateauing, there were fewer and fewer opponents in the world that could interest him. It had been two months since his last battle.
In all that time, he hadn't fought a single person. Even the Rain Ninjas who secretly held grudges weren't worth the effort.
His last action, two months ago, had been purely functional—to prevent a group attacking the migration team from committing suicide. He needed them alive, so he could extract their memories and uncover the mastermind behind the scenes.
If not for that, his last real fight would have been even further in the past.
That was his current state: fully prepared, with nowhere to direct his strength.
All he could do was wait for the door of time and space to open.
Swoosh—
The soft sound of the door sliding open echoed, followed by light footsteps approaching him.
A familiar, gentle voice called out, "So this is your daily routine at home? Reading a book, listening to the rain... how comfortable!"
Hearing the envious and slightly exasperated voice, Ryosuke chuckled and sat up from the recliner.
He reached out, pulled the person beside him into his arms, and sat her down. "It's rare to have a day to rest. Why didn't you sleep a little longer?"
As he spoke, his hand reached up and lightly pressed against her hair.
"You didn't even comb your hair after waking up?"
From the crown to the tips, he gently ran his fingers down, smoothing her hair again and again.
"No matter what, I've decided to be a useless person today."
Hinata slumped into Ryosuke's arms. "Ugh, how can you be so relaxed every day?!"
She raised her head, puffing her cheeks in frustration, and reached out to pinch Ryosuke's face.
"Is the clan keeping you busy?" he asked, his face stretched sideways like a big pancake—but he didn't stop speaking. "You shouldn't shoulder everything alone. Learn to delegate."
"Everyone in the clan needs to develop leadership, not just follow orders like they did in the past."
He ignored the hand tugging at his cheek and continued stroking her hair gently.
"I do delegate, but... there are still a lot of important issues I have to personally oversee."
Hinata sighed and laid her head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.
"For example, managing the ninja advancement system. Now that we've left Konoha, the Hyuga must have our own ninja academy."
"Currently, the children who haven't officially become ninjas are being taught directly by the corps. While the quality is even higher than a formal school, it also takes time and energy away from military affairs."
"Then there's the training of officials from among commoners. I have to personally review all the teaching materials and make sure every curriculum and goal aligns with the long-term development of our Hyuga ideals."
"Your vision of reforming the Hyuga—changing the foundation of our culture and influencing even the Rain Country—is something I support deeply. But very few in the clan can help with the groundwork."
"It's basic work, but also so tedious—getting people to genuinely accept and internalize these new ideas…"
"There are also the Konoha ninjas who came with us. They're a mixed bag. Some are spies, others are sincere in their surrender…"
"And then there's the issue of reviewing non-mainline members of the Hyuga clan…"
As the young clan leader, Hinata had been entrusted with heavy responsibilities. As she recited the matters one by one, time passed quickly.
During that time, Ryosuke offered his own advice. For instance, he suggested that ninja training didn't necessarily need to be confined to schools.
The current system could be supplemented by a youth organization—a sort of junior corps, exclusively for children.
There, the young ones could undergo basic training for one or two years. Afterward, they could be placed into different corps at the grassroots level to learn on the job. Over time, those who proved themselves would rise through the ranks.
This method would not only improve training efficiency, but also help fill the personnel shortages in each corps—avoiding the awkward situation where a "legion" only had a few dozen members.
He also recommended that Hinata consult Armin for advice on how to structure the implementation.
"…Sorry."
Hinata mumbled softly, "I promised you wouldn't have to deal with clan matters, but I still ended up venting."
"I just saw you so at ease while I was drowning in responsibilities, and I guess I got a little upset."
"But now that I think about it, we're walking completely different paths. We can't compare them."
"Besides… you used to work so hard. And now, with no goal in sight, you must be more anxious than me, deep down."
Her voice was tinged with apology. She realized her earlier reaction had been impulsive.
Now calm, she understood that Ryosuke's quiet days might not be as peaceful as they seemed. For someone like him, without challenge, life could feel aimless.
"We're already an old married couple. Why are you still being so formal?"
Ryosuke chuckled, pulling her closer.
After over ten years together, they were indeed like an old couple.
But since neither had prioritized love, their relationship hadn't progressed further romantically.
In their lives, there were always greater goals than love. Both born of the Hyuga clan, both rational and resolute, they focused more on their own ideals than fleeting romance.
Rather than newlyweds, they were more like seasoned partners—supporting one another, tackling life side by side.
And in this case, the "child" they raised together… was Hinata herself.
"But you're right," Ryosuke murmured. "These days have indeed been peaceful."
Looking at the rainy scene before him in a daze, Ryosuke couldn't help but feel conflicted. Though life had been comfortable and relaxed lately, a hidden pain gnawed at him.
His body and mind remained in peak condition during these slow, peaceful days—but his thoughts were never at rest.
Practice… Practice!
He had to become stronger. That drive, that obsession, had taken root in his heart ever since he arrived in this world and sensed the presence of extraordinary power.
In life, there must be purpose. And for Ryosuke, becoming stronger—again and again—was both his purpose and his obsession.
He didn't want to let go of that obsession. He couldn't.
Yet now, he could only stay put—trapped—waiting for the so-called Time-Space Gate to reappear with no known timeline. It was maddening.
Waiting for this mysterious gate was even more hopeless than gambling on card draws in a gacha game. At least those games had a pity system. But this? This gate had no rules, no rhythm, no guarantee.
According to Hyuga intelligence reports, individuals from other worlds had appeared across the continent, and the clan had collected oddities like Devil Fruits, firearms, and other foreign items.
But Ryosuke had only seen the gate once.
These portals appeared in the sky, beneath the sea, even underground. Unless someone could extend their will across the entire world—or teleport anywhere with a single thought—they could only rely on pure luck.
"Extend my will across the world? Maybe I do need some external help."
He took a deep breath, the gentle scent of the girl in his arms calming his irritable heart. His gaze lifted to the sky, eyes gleaming.
"Hurry up… Black Zetsu, I can't wait any longer."
At that moment, the dark clouds overhead dispersed. The rain faded. And the sun—long concealed—peeked through, casting warm light over the courtyard.
The Rinnegan was within reach… but the road ahead was once again shrouded in fog.
He needed to find a way forward.
---
"Unify the ninja world?"
Armin and his companions had already grown familiar with the locals as they galloped toward the Land of Lightning via the main road.
Having just been granted Hyuga forehead protectors, they were now officially recognized as members of the outer Hyuga clan. Along the way, they tried to coax some information out of the old cat about the mission's deeper objectives.
"Your thinking is too shallow."
Perched atop Eren's shoulder, the old cat's eyes were filled with disdain.
"How could you possibly understand the vision of the Hyuga clan?"
"But when the clan moved from Konoha to the Land of Rain, wasn't it to expand their influence and unify the ninja world?"
Armin wasn't fazed by the condescension—he was used to it. After spending time with the old cat, they'd realized his intelligence rivaled that of any human.
"Still too short-sighted! You lack perspective!"
The cat shook his head dramatically. "You're people from another world. Do you really think our Hyuga ambitions end with just the ninja world?"
"…Then what does unifying the ninja world have to do with other worlds?" Alan asked, frowning. "Isn't it natural to first consolidate all resources here before exploring beyond?"
He paused before continuing, "The Hidden Cloud Village is uniting with the other four great nations to fight Akatsuki. If we cause chaos now, isn't it just to seize the Land of Lightning before the others can react?"
Mikasa, galloping behind on her horse, remained silent but listened closely.
Every mission involved competing interests. Each had a cause, a process, and a consequence.
No matter how they looked at it, a few skirmishes with minor casualties didn't justify Hyuga risking global hostility by targeting Hidden Cloud at such a delicate moment.
They had gone over many possible reasons. Before setting out, Armin had reminded them: this mission was likely an aggressive move by the Hyuga to take Lightning Country's place among the Five Great Nations.
"Fool," the cat said, snorting. "With Hyuga's power, unifying the ninja world would be a breeze. Why would we need such elaborate schemes?"
He grinned wide, his whiskers twitching. "Tell me—don't you think a country like Rain would grow faster if it had a rival?"
He looked meaningfully at Eren. "Just like how you always want to surpass Mikasa. That rivalry drives you, doesn't it?"
Eren didn't deny it. It was obvious, after all.
But his thoughts deepened. "Wait… You're saying Hyuga doesn't want to unify the world? They want rivals? Competitors… to push themselves harder?"
Then realization dawned.
"You're planning to use this world as a training ground," Eren muttered. "Let the rest of the ninja nations unknowingly temper your forces. Then, once they're strong enough… send them to invade other worlds."
An absurd idea.
Yet as Eren voiced it, even Mikasa looked shaken by the implications.
Could such a thing really be done? Turning the entire ninja world into a forge to temper warriors strong enough to conquer other realms?
The old cat nodded, clearly pleased. "Now you're getting it."
"But don't worry. You're Hyuga now. If we ever find a time-space gate to your world, it'll be yours to deal with. The right to rule your world—yours alone."
He paused.
"Of course, that depends on whether you have the strength to rule it. If not… well, Hyuga will send someone else."
This, too, was part of the old cat's mission.
Ryosuke had assigned him a task: to earn their trust and gradually reveal the clan's true intentions.
It wasn't easy for people from other worlds to accept Ryosuke's ambitions outright. So instead, the cat would slowly guide them to understanding.
"And tell me," he added, glancing sideways, "if the Hidden Cloud's main force were really here… do you think Ryosuke would've sent just the three of us on this mission?"
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