Ryōsuke naturally agreed to Tsunade's request.
It was just a minor matter, and he was extremely confident in his own abilities.
There wouldn't be any problems.
Since he hadn't eaten lunch yet, he stayed at the Senju Clan compound to enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Shizune.
Only then did he take his leave.
Next, he planned to drop by the Hyūga Clan to return the Byakugan he had taken from Ao of the Mist Village.
He decided to walk directly to the Hyūga compound to help digest his food.
Half an hour later, he arrived at the Hyūga Clan compound.
Upon his arrival, the Hyūga clan members respectfully invited him into the reception room and served him premium tea.
This man was a great benefactor to the Hyūga Clan.
Not only had he saved their family, but it was also thanks to him that their Clan Head, Hyūga Hiashi, had become a true higher-up in the Leaf Village, holding the position of Konoha Consultant Elder.
Most importantly, of course, was this lord's strength; he was a living legend in Konoha.
They then hurried to report his arrival to the Clan Head.
Hearing the news, Hyūga Hiashi rushed over immediately. This man was entirely worthy of such treatment.
Stepping into the reception room, he saw that familiar figure.
It had been three long years since they had fought side by side.
Yet, that figure remained as familiar as ever.
They just hadn't seen each other in a long time. Since Ryōsuke didn't hold a crucial administrative position in the village, they naturally didn't cross paths often.
However, Hiashi now felt a strange sensation; the aura of the man before him seemed even more terrifying than before.
In the past, he gave off the impression of an insurmountable existence. Now, even the slight trace of aura leaking from him made Hiashi feel a heavy pressure.
*Just how powerful has this guy become?* he wondered in astonishment.
Fortunately, the clan had never made an enemy of him and even shared some friendly ties.
Hiashi took his seat at the head of the room.
"Ryōsuke, what important business brings you to the Hyūga Clan today?"
Ryōsuke looked at Hyūga Hiashi and set down his teacup.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle filled with nutrient fluid.
Inside floated a pure white eyeball with no black pupil.
Seeing the contents of the bottle, Hyūga Hiashi furrowed his brows.
It was a Byakugan of the Hyūga Clan.
Of course, he didn't suspect that Uchiha Ryōsuke had stolen it.
The other man's eyes were far superior to this. Even as a proud member of the Hyūga, he couldn't deny that fact.
Therefore, this Byakugan had to be the one that was stolen in the past.
During the previous Great Ninja War, a clan member had their eye taken. There was no mistaking it.
"Ryōsuke, where did you get this?"
Ryōsuke replied calmly.
"When I was passing by the Mist Village recently, I ran into Ao, the Mist Village Jōnin who took your clan's Byakugan. I gouged his eye out. This belongs to the Hyūga Clan, so naturally, it shouldn't be left wandering outside."
Hyūga Hiashi understood immediately. So it was *that* eye.
"Ryōsuke, thank you."
The Byakugan was incredibly important to the Hyūga Clan, but even more important was the clan's honor.
Having a Byakugan stolen was a disgrace to the Hyūga, and now Ryōsuke had washed away that stain of shame.
After Ao of the Mist Village took the Byakugan, the Leaf Village issued a kill order against him, but even so, retrieving the eye had proven exceedingly difficult.
Ao was already an elite of the Mist Village, and after obtaining such an eye, his sensory abilities had improved drastically.
With the Great Ninja War over, the Leaf Village couldn't possibly launch a large-scale offensive.
There was simply no one capable of hunting down a man like that.
The Hyūga Clan had no choice but to let the Byakugan remain lost.
Ryōsuke waved his hand dismissively.
"It was no trouble at all."
Ryōsuke himself hadn't expected a guy like Ao to just appear right in front of him.
Having returned the eye, it was time for Ryōsuke to leave.
"Clan Head Hyūga, the Byakugan has been returned, so I should be taking my leave."
Hyūga Hiashi quickly said,
"Let me see you out."
There weren't many people who could make the Head of the Hyūga Clan personally rise to see them off, but for the man before him, he did so with absolute sincerity.
Not to mention how much the other party had helped the Hyūga Clan.
As Ryōsuke walked outside, two little girls in training clothes approached from the opposite direction.
Weren't these Hyūga Hinata and Hyūga Hanabi?
It looked like they were coming to find their father for training.
Being personally trained by Hyūga Hiashi must be quite exhausting.
Looking at Hinata now, she appeared to be of academy age, at least seven or eight years old.
She looked incredibly cute, giving off the vibe of a quiet, gentle young girl.
The little one following behind her had to be Hyūga Hanabi. Judging by her height, she was probably four or five years old.
Seeing Ryōsuke, Hinata stopped in her tracks, a look of pleasant surprise on her face.
Wasn't this the big brother who had saved her when she was little?
When she was younger, she had almost been kidnapped by that bad man from the Cloud Village. Thankfully, this older brother had stepped in.
That bad man's goal had been to steal her Byakugan, and he might have even had more despicable plans.
This man had practically saved her life, but she hadn't seen much of him since then.
Even earlier than that, he had helped her avoid being bullied by the bratty kids in the village.
Hinata had always been deeply grateful.
It was just that she was a bit shy and didn't quite know how to interact with people.
Hyūga Hiashi also noticed his daughters.
He spoke up,
"Come over and pay your respects to Lord Ryōsuke."
The two little girls immediately came over obediently and bowed.
"Lord Ryōsuke."
Looking at such a cute little girl, Ryōsuke felt a sudden urge to take her out for a stroll.
"Clan Head Hyūga, you wouldn't mind if I took Lady Hinata out for a walk, would you?"
Hyūga Hiashi was a bit surprised. His daughter had been helped by the other party quite a bit, and she even owed him her life.
Sensing that his daughter Hinata was favored by him, he realized this was the perfect opportunity to strengthen their relationship.
"Of course not. Please, take my daughter out for a stroll, Ryōsuke."
"Hinata, don't cause any trouble for Ryōsuke, understand?"
"Yes, Father."
Hinata's face flushed slightly as she followed Ryōsuke out of the clan compound.
Remaining in place, Hyūga Hanabi looked up at her father.
"Is that man the strongest of the Uchiha Clan, and even the strongest in the Leaf Village, like you mentioned, Father?"
Hyūga Hiashi wore a smile on his face.
"That's right. Make sure to greet this lord respectfully whenever you see him in the future. It will be beneficial for the Hyūga Clan, and for both of you sisters."
Hyūga Hanabi looked thoughtful.
"Understood, Father."
On the way, Ryōsuke noticed Hinata keeping her head down, her face flushed red.
This girl really was prone to shyness.
"Let's go. I'll take you for a stroll around the streets."
Hinata nodded gently, feeling a bit excited in her heart. This legendary man of Konoha seemed very easy to get along with.
"Lord Ryōsuke, thank you for saving me back then."
Ryōsuke looked at the shy Hinata and said,
"We are from the same village. Naturally, I would save you."
"Just call me Brother Ryōsuke from now on."
Looking at the little one, he couldn't help but reach out and pat her head.
Hinata felt even more bashful as the older brother touched her hair.
Suddenly, a rush of blood shot straight to her brain. She felt momentarily breathless, on the verge of fainting.
With quick reflexes, Ryōsuke caught Hinata in his arms.
He felt helpless; this girl really was too easily embarrassed.
It took quite a while for Hinata to recover.
She realized she was actually leaning against Brother Ryōsuke's body.
Instantly, she sensed a strange aura that stimulated her slightly, making her feel incredibly comfortable and somewhat fluttery.
"I'm sorry, I'm quite weak."
Looking at her, Ryōsuke felt a bit of a headache coming on. Hinata fainted far too easily. He said helplessly,
"Relax, it's fine. It's not like I'm going to eat you."
Hearing this, Hinata felt incredibly shy. *Does he mean 'eat' in that sense?*
However, she felt she could finally converse normally.
Seeing Hinata's blushing face, Ryōsuke held her small hand, afraid she might stumble and fall over again.
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