Chapter 63 - 63: Hinata’s SituationChapter 63: Hinata''s Situation

    The Uchiha clan was a ticking time bomb—an unstable force in the village. Some members were already scheming a coup, desperate to reclaim power within Konoha''s political core.

    Danzo Shimura, who couldn''t stand even a speck of disorder in his system, would never tolerate such defiance. And Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, wasn''t much different. Although he was reluctant to see Konoha lose such a powerful combat force, his indecision revealed a deeper truth: he was complicit. He hadn''t stopped Danzo''s underhanded tactics—in fact, he''d silently allowed them to unfold.

    Konoha was crawling with Anbu operatives, and surveillance was omnipresent. Hiruzen knew exactly who Naruto interacted with each day. Even Danzo, who posed a greater threat than Naruto ever could, was under that scrutiny.

    To Hiruzen, Danzo was both an asset and a liability. He relied on him, yes—but never without wariness.

    Still, just because Hiruzen allowed Danzo to move against the Uchiha didn''t mean he''d tolerate the fall of the Hyuga clan, the last great dōjutsu family in the village.

    When Ryosuke took a step back and viewed the Hyuga clan from an outsider''s perspective, he realized the situation wasn''t as complex as he and his father had assumed.

    Outside the village, the world was restless—nations watched the Land of Fire hungrily, waiting for weakness. Inside, Konoha was exhausted. The death of the Fourth Hokage, the Uchiha massacre... both events had drained the village''s strength and morale.

    But Hyuga clan was different from the Uchiha.

    The Hyuga may have been proud of their bloodline and their Byakugan, but they were much more reserved. Unlike the Uchiha, they didn''t flaunt their strength or stir up trouble in the village. Their ambitions to influence Konoha''s political center remained buried beneath layers of well-maintained propriety.

    As for the branch family, labeled with the "Caged Bird" seal, they never had the freedom to rebel or dream of autonomy. Their lives were bound to obedience.

    So when Hyuga Hiashi instructed his people to be respectful and kind, they followed it to the letter.

    Because of this, the Hyuga maintained a good image within the village. Unlike the Uchiha, they weren''t pushed to the outskirts—they lived comfortably at Konoha''s heart, enjoying the villagers'' respect.

    It wasn''t just civilians. Many ninja owed their lives and victories to the Hyuga clan.

    The Byakugan was a game-changer on the battlefield. It could decide skirmishes, turn ambushes, and unravel enemy traps. Countless shinobi had been saved by a Hyuga''s insight or perception, and that earned them gratitude across Konoha.

    So, if the Uchiha had been wiped out and few had shed tears, the Hyuga were a different story. If anything happened to them, the village would be on edge.

    The Hyuga were Konoha''s eyes. Without them, the village would lose a crucial advantage in future wars.

    For that reason, even amid internal decay and external threats, the Hyuga clan''s status remained high. As long as they stayed calm, kind, and loyal to the village, no one had a valid excuse to act against them.

    Konoha wasn''t opposed to geniuses or powerful people—it just couldn''t abide instability or individualists who put themselves above the group.

    Unless that person was Danzo Shimura. Because in Hiruzen Sarutobi''s eyes, he was still someone he could control.

    Under the quiet glow of a desk lamp, Ryosuke''s face was expressionless, eyes cool and analytical.

    He had gathered all the intel, processed the facts, and now he was piecing it together—detached, methodical.

    To make the right decisions, he couldn''t think of himself as a Hyuga. He had to be neutral, rational, and devoid of emotion.

    Knock. Knock. Knock.

    His deep concentration was abruptly interrupted. Ryosuke''s eyes snapped open, sharp and focused. He could sense the person behind the wooden door without even moving.

    Then, the tension in his gaze melted into something warmer.

    "I''m coming," he called out.

    He quickly rolled up the two scrolls on his desk and returned them to their hidden compartments. The lamp clicked off, plunging the room into quiet dimness.

    Ryosuke walked over and turned the knob gently.

    As the door creaked open, a breeze caught the long strands of lavender hair outside.

    Hinata stood there, eyes wide, looking up at him.

    "Ryosuke... you''ve gotten taller," she said softly. There was a natural shyness in her voice, almost like she instinctively recognized she was interrupting something important.

    Even though it had only been three days since they last saw each other, it felt longer.

    "Yeah, I''ve had a bit of a growth spurt," Ryosuke chuckled, glancing down at her. She was a full head shorter now. He reached out and patted her on the head gently.

    Then he looked out past her into the darkness. "Is it already nighttime?"

    There were no windows in the study, only the warm glow of the desk lamp. He''d been so immersed in his thoughts, he''d completely lost track of time.

    Hinata half-closed her eyes and leaned into his hand like a content kitten. "Auntie Aliang said you already came out once... so I came to ask if you wanted to eat dinner."

    "Of course."

    Ryosuke nodded, withdrawing his hand and stepping outside. Hinata followed, practically skipping beside him.

    "You''ve been holed up lately," she said with a pout. "Father wouldn''t let us see you, and he wouldn''t explain anything. Hanabi and I were really worried."

    "My training hit an important phase. I needed a calm space to focus and reflect," he replied. "I''m sorry I didn''t tell you beforehand. I didn''t mean to worry you."

    "It''s okay... But you missed a lot at school!" she said, her voice picking up. "Turns out Uzumaki Naruto is super strong. He took first place in the recent practical class. I couldn''t even beat him!"

    Ryosuke raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Really? What happened to Sasuke?"

    "He didn''t attend. Something must''ve happened with his family..."

    As they walked toward the dining hall, Hinata kept chatting about school life and little events, and Ryosuke listened quietly, intrigued.

    Naruto took first place?

    That caught him off guard. Ryosuke had never sparred with Naruto, nor had he seen him fight. His impression was still stuck somewhere between Naruto being dead-last in the original timeline and suddenly ranking top three in theory exams here.

    He knew Naruto''s personality had shifted quite a bit thanks to earlier interventions, but he wasn''t sure how strong he''d actually become.

    He found himself asking more questions, curious.

    "It''s mainly because of his Wind Release jutsu," Hinata explained. "I haven''t learned the Eight Trigrams Palm yet, so I can''t even get close with just my Gentle Fist."

    She frowned. "And he has so much chakra. He just keeps throwing out jutsu one after another. Even though I can see his moves with my Byakugan, I can''t keep up."

    "His taijutsu isn''t bad either. He''s fast and his physical strength is way above average..."

    "Sounds like he''s got a good handle on his abilities," Ryosuke muttered, impressed.

    Come to think of it, this version of Naruto had grown up a bit differently.

    Thanks to Ryosuke''s influence, Naruto had formed a strange, persistent relationship with the Third Hokage—always pestering him, always seeking guidance.

    He wasn''t officially a disciple, but Hiruzen was already treating him like one.

    Naruto had always had talent. It was just his chakra control that sucked because of the Nine-Tails'' interference. But under the direct tutelage of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the "Professor of Ninjutsu," that gap had been closing fast.

    In hindsight, it made sense that Naruto was now strong enough to lead the class.

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