"You don't need to pay rent, so there's no need to worry."
A White Zetsu stood with one hand on its hip, the other half of its body consisting of pale, sickly tentacles.
"We are produced from the [Gedo Mazo], so we don't even need to eat."
"No food expenses... no need for the bathroom... and of course, most importantly, we don't need to poop~"
Another White Zetsu, known as Guruguru, had a face like a spiral, with only a single dark void where the right eye should be, looking like a hollow shell. The spiral pattern extended from its neck down across its entire torso.
"So what? Don't lump me in with you freaks! I just happen to have this weird stuff sewn onto half my body."
Obito clutched his right side. He had never heard of any medical technology in the Hidden Leaf Village or the wider shinobi world capable of regenerating lost limbs, yet the torso these creatures had attached to him seemed to be growing!
It made his skin crawl. Was he even human anymore? He had no desire to turn into one of these white monsters.
"Thanks to that, you can survive without eating or drinking. You should be grateful," the deformed White Zetsu remarked. "And we aren't exactly thrilled to be compared to you either. Your part is just a mindless artificial construct."
"We, on the other hand, are artificial humans... we have our own feelings!" Guruguru added excitedly. He then leaned in closer. "We don't poop, but compared to you, our vocabulary and intelligence are much higher."
"Shut up!"
Obito snapped at the bickering pair. These two claimed to be sent by Madara Uchiha to monitor him and assist with his rehabilitation.
"Gwah...!"
Obito suddenly clutched his empty left eye socket as a sharp, familiar pain flared up. He saw her again—Rin Nohara. The image was distorted, flickering with static and black snow, preventing him from seeing clearly.
"That hallucination again."
Obito waited for the pain to subside before lowering his hand. Ever since he gave his Sharingan to Kakashi as a gift and ended up trapped in this hellhole, he would occasionally see these visions—glimpses of things happening around Kakashi. Today, he had seen his beloved Rin at Kiyoshi's house, though he couldn't tell what they were doing.
"I'll definitely escape this place and go see Rin and Kakashi!"
Obito declared with renewed resolve. It didn't matter if half his body was artificial, as long as his handsome face remained intact. Once he got out, he and Kakashi could form a team—the Sharingan duo. Rin would be so impressed!
In the shadows of the cave, a faint red glow flickered. Madara Uchiha opened his eyes. His wrinkled, ancient face lifted as he looked toward Obito.
"Impatient, aren't we? But... the plan is coming together. Soon, you will see the comrades you long for."
Madara watched Obito closely. As he had told the boy before, it was too early for thanks. The final stage of the plan was just beginning. Only after his death would someone inherit his will, acting under the name of Madara in the shinobi world to execute the [Eye of the Moon Plan].
"Heh... I hope that Brat can live long enough to see it."
The image of Kiyoshi Uchiha flashed through Madara's mind. Such an outstanding talent would have surely carved out a place for himself had he been born in Madara's era. Unfortunately, he was born too late.
There was no room left for a comeback. Madara had combined the power of the Uchiha and the Senju to obtain the ultimate power, the [Rinnegan], which allowed him to glimpse the level of the Sage of the Six Paths.
He had ascended to the level of a grandmaster, viewing the entire shinobi world as his chessboard. No matter how brilliant Uchiha Kiyoshi was, he could not leap off the board. That was the tragedy of limited vision.
Madara closed his eyes again, leaning back against the throne woven from the roots of the tree, and drifted back into sleep amidst the constant chatter of Obito and the White Zetsu.
The Hyuga Clan.
"Nobuhiko."
Hyuga Ginka placed a fresh bouquet into a vase and looked toward Hyuga Nobuhiko. His eyes were wrapped in thick white bandages, through which the slight indentations of his empty sockets were visible.
"You've come again, Ginka."
Nobuhiko's nose twitched as he caught the floral scent. He knew Hyuga Ginka had brought more flowers.
"The clan will definitely find a way to get your Byakugan back," Ginka sighed softly.
In the Hyuga clan, there were a few pairs of Byakugan left behind by Main House members who had died of old age or accidents. However, the Byakugan, like any ordinary eye, had a lifespan of only 60 to 70 years.
After that, they would deteriorate—losing vision or succumbing to disease. Had Nobuhiko's eyes simply been destroyed, it wouldn't be such a crisis. The issue was that they had been taken by the enemy. Although Nobuhiko was a victim, some elders blamed him for the leak of the clan's secret, stalling any progress on his recovery.
In the Hyuga clan, being a Main House member didn't automatically make one precious. The people at the true top of the pyramid were the elders and the Clan Head.
"Why haven't you applied your medicine?"
Ginka noticed the jar was nearly full. "Let me help you."
"Stay back!"
Nobuhiko suddenly recoiled, his face pale with fear. "I... I'll do it myself."
He gestured for Ginka to leave the supplies on the table. After being captured and tortured by the Hidden Mist Village, he couldn't stand the proximity of others. Ginka sighed, understanding the trauma left behind by the enemy's cruelty. She walked to the door and called out:
"Natsu, go fetch some fresh medicine for Nobuhiko. Use the same prescription as last time."
"Understood, Ginka-sama," Hyuga Natsu's voice drifted in.
However, upon leaving the compound, Natsu did not head straight for the hospital. Instead, she made a detour to Kiyoshi's house. As a member of the Branch House, she was supposed to be absolutely obedient to the Main House.
She used to believe in that dogma, but things were changing. So what if they were the Main House? On the battlefield, they were still hunted like dogs, their eyes gouged out and their bodies broken. They weren't divine beings; they were just lucky enough not to have a [Caged Bird Curse Mark] burned into their foreheads.
And that curse was not unbreakable. Since meeting that lord, everything had begun to change. Thinking of Kiyoshi's methods, Natsu felt a dry heat in her throat. She quickened her pace.
Kiyoshi's Residence.
Natsu reported the latest [Gentle Fist Technique] she had learned and shared the recent intelligence regarding the Hyuga clan.
"Hyuga Nobuhiko has psychological trauma?"
Kiyoshi rubbed his chin. That was to be expected. Shinobi who fall into enemy hands rarely have a happy ending. Even the Hidden Leaf Village would break their enemies during interrogation.
"Also, keep investigating the nature of Hyuga Hiashi's injuries," Kiyoshi instructed.
Ever since Hiashi returned to the village, he hadn't sought treatment at the hospital. Instead, private doctors were summoned to the Hyuga estate. The medical ninjas involved were tight-lipped, only mentioning that it was a difficult and mysterious ailment. This piqued Kiyoshi's curiosity. Under the influence of his butterfly effect, what exactly had happened to Hiashi?
"Yes."
Natsu nodded immediately. She waited for further instructions, but the room went silent. She lifted her head, her white eyes meeting Kiyoshi's.
"You've been doing well lately."
Kiyoshi's fingertips ignited with a purplish-black chakra flame, radiating the aura of Moryo's power. He gently brushed his hand across Natsu's forehead, sending a wave of cool energy through her.
After a brief sting, Natsu realized with a jolt of joy that the shackles of the [Caged Bird] had loosened just a tiny bit more! At this rate, she would one day be truly free.
"Thank you... Kiyoshi-sama," Natsu said, her voice trembling with gratitude.
"It's a small matter. However... I'd prefer to hear you call me Master."
Kiyoshi's dark eyes reflected Natsu's silhouette. In her black-and-white maid outfit, with her dark green hair and refined features, she looked like a vibrant young servant. And a servant, naturally, should address their master properly.
"Kiyoshi... Ma... Master."
Natsu's face flushed red as she spoke the word. Kiyoshi nodded, satisfied. Now, the atmosphere was just right. He continued to watch her.
"The [Gentle Fist Technique] is impressive, but the Uchiha also have their own 'taijutsu' styles. I want to see what happens when the two collide."
To master a skill, one had to become intimately familiar with it and compare it against other styles. Only through such intense clashes of knowledge could the sparks of wisdom emerge.
To Kiyoshi, the path of a ninja was the path of endurance. To endure the pain of progress was to earn the joy of the harvest. This was self-discipline.
"...Okay."
Natsu met his gaze, her body growing warm as she grasped his true meaning. She... was desperate for progress. She wanted to experience the Uchiha style 'taijutsu' for herself.
Afternoon. The Hyuga Estate.
"Why isn't Natsu back yet?"
Hyuga Ginka frowned. She felt Natsu had been getting more and more lax recently. Whenever she gave an order, Natsu would take forever to complete it. Losing her patience, Ginka summoned Hyuga Tetsu and ordered him to go find her.
"Ginka-sama, I will bring her back immediately."
Tetsu nodded. He had been looking for an excuse to see Natsu anyway. He tied his long hair back and headed out. In the Hyuga clan, many male members kept their hair long, preserving the customs of the Warring States period.
"Hey, where are you off to?"
Hyuga Homon called out, crossing his arms at the gate.
"Ginka-sama sent me to find Natsu."
"Is it Ginka-sama who wants to find her, or is it you?"
Homon gave him a knowing smirk. Tetsu could only offer a shy smile. Having been tempered by the war, he was much more mature than he used to be. His only lingering attachment was his white moonlight, Hyuga Natsu.
He noticed that after the war, Natsu didn't seem depressed or cynical like the other Branch House members. Instead, she radiated a positive, upward vitality. This drew him to her like a moth to a flame.
Tetsu was currently full of confidence. During his leave, he maintained a training schedule of fifteen hours a day. Whenever he thought of Natsu, he found inexhaustible strength. That was the power of love.
Through his relentless effort, he had even managed to reverse-engineer the [Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven]. Though it only had a fraction of the original's power, it was a sign that he was not a useless failure! He was worthy of Natsu!
"The Hyuga clan's [Gentle Fist Technique] is impressive."
Outside Kiyoshi's courtyard, Kiyoshi was practicing the [Gentle Fist Technique]. The style had many merits. The reason the Hyuga couldn't reach its full potential was simply their lack of chakra.
Whether it was Hiashi, Hizashi, or even the genius Neji, their chakra reserves were never truly massive. Otherwise, a hundred-meter [Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven] would effectively be as devastating as [Almighty Push].
"I should try to acquire the [Eight Inner Gates] if I get the chance," Kiyoshi thought. Given his current physique, he wondered how many gates he could open. It likely wouldn't be a low number. He knew that for characters like Kakashi or Rock Lee, the bottleneck wasn't just effort, but innate talent.
The sound of water splashing came from the indoor bath. After Kiyoshi finished his routine, Natsu stepped onto the porch wearing her slightly wrinkled maid outfit. Water droplets still clung to the ends of her dark green hair.
"I... I should go now, Kiyoshi... Master."
She lowered her eyes, hands folded in front of her.
"You know when to come back next time without me telling you, right?"
Kiyoshi said coolly. He had instructed her to report any significant movement within the Hyuga clan immediately. She had become his perfect mole.
"I will, Master."
Natsu nodded and slipped away silently, even taking Kiyoshi's trash with her as she left. Kiyoshi watched her retreating figure. Hyuga Natsu can only learn so much of the [Gentle Fist Technique].
I still need someone from the Main House. Ginka was the ideal candidate. Even if she wasn't a genius, her status would allow Kiyoshi to learn the secret techniques reserved only for the elite. Kiyoshi continued his training.
The afternoon sun hung high over the Hidden Leaf Village. Many ninjas were still training.
"1,001... 1,002..."
Might Guy was walking on his hands, using only two fingers. "I'm heading back to the battlefield tomorrow! The fires of youth are burning!"
He would soon be departing with Ebisu and Genma Shiranui. The war with the Hidden Mist Village was intensifying, and they were short on manpower. "Father is there too. I have to show him how brilliant my youth is!"
Natsu, having picked up the medicine from the hospital, spotted the weirdo Might Guy and quickly steered clear of him. Everyone in their class used to think he and his father, Might Duy, were a bit slow in the head.
As she walked, a boy with the Byakugan ran toward her. "Natsu! There you are!" Tetsu waved excitedly. He had been looking for her for hours.
"Tetsu."
Natsu nodded curtly. "Is there something you need?"
"Ginka-sama sent me to find you."
Tetsu stared at her. Her face was flushed and radiant, like a flower that had just been watered after a long drought. She looked mature. Tetsu's heart skipped a beat. She was getting more beautiful every day. Suddenly, he froze. Why was her hair wet? He quickly rationalized it as sweat from the heat.
"Let's go back then," Natsu said, figuring Ginka's patience was wearing thin.
"What took you so long?"
Tetsu asked as they walked.
"The line at the hospital was long," Natsu replied calmly, offering a smooth excuse.
"Right, wartime is different from peace," Tetsu agreed. "Natsu..."
He tried to start a conversation, but Natsu's responses were cold and brief. He wondered why she was becoming so distant.
"Natsu, I think I've almost figured out how to use the [Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven] on my own."
He lowered his voice. It was forbidden for Branch House members to steal Main House techniques, but occasionally a genius would figure them out.
"That's very impressive, Tetsu," Natsu said, her face devoid of any real emotion. In the past, she would have been shocked. But now? Even a member of the Main House was helpless against a monster like the Six-Tails. Only Kiyoshi-sama was different.
"Haha..."
Tetsu laughed, hoping for a look of admiration that never came. He pivoted to battlefield news. "In the battle against the Hidden Mist Village, Uchiha Kiyoshi apparently learned a new ninjutsu where his whole body glows. He actually fought that monster."
"Kiyoshi-kun is a genius. It's only natural for him," Natsu said, her expression softening. Her ears even turned a faint pink. Tetsu's Byakugan caught the detail. A sharp pain stabbed at his heart. When did she drift so far from him and so close to Kiyoshi?
"Tetsu?"
Natsu was now talking animatedly about how Kiyoshi had grown taller and how his reputation in the village was improving. She turned and saw Tetsu's clenched fists and bitter expression.
"It's nothing. Just remembered something unpleasant," Tetsu forced a smile.
"Okay."
Natsu nodded. While they were childhood friends of a sort, she now saw him only as a common acquaintance. From the moment Tetsu accepted his fate under the Main House without a thought of resistance, a barrier had been formed. She also didn't want Kiyoshi to get the wrong idea, so she intentionally kept her distance.
They arrived at the Hyuga gates in silence. Natsu waved goodbye and went to find Ginka.
"I've worked so hard... and I still can't get her to look at me?"
Tetsu's heart was breaking. But he gritted his teeth.
"No, I won't stop here." If the [Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven] wasn't enough, he'd learn the [Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms]. If that wasn't enough, he'd learn the [Eight Trigrams One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms]. Kiyoshi had the Sharingan, but Tetsu had the Byakugan.
The Hyuga clan was the strongest in the Hidden Leaf Village! Tetsu vowed to train until he could shock everyone.
A few more days passed. Kiyoshi received a message. Rin Nohara and Kakashi Hatake were being called back to the battlefield. Kiyoshi knew the time was almost here.