No matter how much he complained inwardly, in the end, it was nothing more than complaining…
"Asuma, I think this situation…"
Yūhi Kurenai frowned slightly, stealing a glance at the two children as she spoke softly to Asuma.
From what they had said, they were planning to go to Konoha.
These two children were strange—especially the girl.
To possess such terrifying strength at such a young age… she was absolutely not someone to be underestimated.
"I know," Asuma replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"This matter… maybe we should try making contact."
After all, he was the Third Hokage's son. His talent and judgment were far from lacking.
Neither of those children wore forehead protectors—
either they were deliberately hiding them, or they weren't ninja at all.
Regardless of their intentions, once they entered Konoha, they wouldn't be able to stir up any real trouble.
The girl was strong, yes—but stronger than Konoha?
Impossible.
Konoha was the strongest.
That was how Asuma saw it.
Meanwhile, Ōtsutsuki Toneri continued to eat with elegant composure.
He had to admit—this first meal after arriving on the continent was… acceptable.
Perhaps because he had finally stepped into the shinobi world and regained his freedom, his mood was genuinely excellent.
As for the two ninja quietly observing them—
He had noticed long ago.
He simply didn't care.
Ants, that was all they were.
"Hyūga Hinata… and Hyūga Hanabi. Those two would be the most suitable choices…"
Toneri pondered silently, his thoughts returning to the matter of his eyes.
When it came to the purity of the Byakugan, the Hyūga main family was unmatched.
Their bloodline was the purest of them all.
And among the current generation, Hyūga Hinata and Hyūga Hanabi possessed the finest eyes in the entire clan.
The title 'Byakugan Princess' was not an empty one.
Naturally, the two of them were the most perfect candidates.
In the original timeline, Ōtsutsuki Toneri had awakened the Tenseigan by transplanting Hyūga Hanabi's Byakugan.
But…
"There are still some lingering sentiments, after all~ Forget it. I'll observe first,"
Toneri thought calmly.
"Besides, with so many members in the Hyūga main family, there shouldn't be a shortage of children, right?"
Recalling memories from his previous life, he decided it was best to assess the situation before making any moves.
The Hyūga were one of Konoha's greatest clans.
They had no shortage of members—and no shortage of pure Byakugan either.
Unless absolutely necessary, Toneri had no desire to take the eyes of those two girls.
No matter what, he still harbored some feelings toward them.
Just as his thoughts settled—
Within Toneri's perception, the two Konoha ninja began walking toward their table.
"Hello, excuse us for the intrusion,"
Yūhi Kurenai said with a gentle smile as she looked at the two exquisitely beautiful children.
"We happened to overhear that you're heading to Konoha Village. Is that correct?"
After careful consideration, they had ultimately decided to approach.
Though the two children felt strange, they didn't seem like ruthless killers.
Surely… striking up a conversation wouldn't get them killed on the spot, right?
"Yes. May I ask who you are?"
Toneri tilted his head slightly upward, his tone filled with mild curiosity.
Truthfully, he had no idea who they were.
His perception allowed him to sense objects and chakra—but it wasn't divine awareness that could replace vision entirely.
That said—
The hand hidden beneath the table loosened slightly.
A crimson Rinnegan cracked open by the faintest sliver.
"I'm Yūhi Kurenai, a chūnin of Konoha,"
she replied after noticing Toneri's polite demeanor, smiling faintly.
"And this is Sarutobi Asuma, a jōnin of Konoha."
This boy was clearly much easier to deal with than the girl.
"I see. So you're ninja of Konoha Village,"
Toneri said after a brief pause, then smiled courteously.
"My apologies for the lack of manners. Please, have a seat."
Yūhi Kurenai and Asuma…
What a coincidence.
He had just arrived near Konoha and already encountered two well-known figures.
"I am Ōtsutsuki Toneri. This is my attendant, Ōtsutsuki Kyokusen,"
Toneri continued after they sat down, introducing them calmly.
"It is an honor to meet ninja of Konoha."
Though he didn't know their exact intentions, it was obvious they were here to gather information.
Toneri didn't mind.
Asuma was the Third Hokage's son—
with him around, entering Konoha would be far easier.
And it would be the perfect opportunity to meet that so-called Professor of Ninjutsu—
the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The longest-reigning Hokage.
The longest-living Hokage.
The man who led Konoha to its peak.
Though in Toneri's opinion—
Konoha's strongest era had been its founding days.
After all, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were absurd existences—
either one of them could single-handedly overturn the entire shinobi world.
Still
That didn't diminish Toneri's interest in Sarutobi Hiruzen.
After all, this man had trained three disciples whose influence shook the world.
The infamous Three Ninja—
their reputation had spread throughout the entire shinobi world.
"Ōtsutsuki Toneri, hm?"
Kurenai frowned slightly, then smiled.
"That's quite a unique name. If you don't mind, I'll call you Toneri."
The surname Ōtsutsuki—
She had never heard of it before.
Beside her, Asuma also frowned in thought.
Judging from the boy's refined manners and elegant behavior, he had clearly received elite upbringing.
But across the entire shinobi world—
Was there really an Ōtsutsuki clan?