Chapter 277: Clan Meeting
Although, in the real world, only a year had passed—from the end of the war to Ryosuke's journey to the moon and back—it felt like an eternity had slipped by.
According to Ryosuke's predictions, a far longer period had actually elapsed.
And each time he foresaw the future, regardless of age or circumstance, both he and those around him would forget the transformations they underwent every three years. Because of this, his current self in the real world also lost track of the "progress bar" that had once measured his evolution.
But…
Why?
Hinata, who had just been angrily confronting Ryosuke, noticed the change in his expression. Her frustration faded instantly as concern took over.
"What's wrong?" she asked gently.
Since taking over as clan head, Hinata's once-gentle resolve had grown steely. She rarely showed softness, not even before her father or Hanabi. She bore the weight of their family alone in Ryosuke's absence.
That was why she had been so firm—and so angry—moments ago.
But…
"In truth… it feels like nothing's changed for me this time," Ryosuke murmured, dazed.
He slowly attempted to raise his hand.
It took several seconds before it finally moved.
His strength… his speed… his body—none of it felt different.
Even the unbearable, inhuman pain he typically experienced during his transformations hadn't appeared. This time, it was as though the transformation began and ended without him ever realizing it.
Was it because he hadn't accumulated enough in the past three years for a meaningful breakthrough?
Ryosuke was confused. But soon, a realization began to dawn.
It wasn't that there had been no improvement—his progress had been stifled because of his own foresight.
Maybe… he did evolve.
But this time, because his physical body had seen little refinement over the past three years, the transformation didn't manifest clearly. Instead, it was his soul that had grown stronger—tempered through countless battles—now exceeding the limits of his body.
The compatibility between body and soul had dropped. Perhaps not just because his consciousness had become too immersed in the spiritual, creating a disconnect…
But also because his soul had simply outpaced his physical self.
"…I'm sorry. I should've asked more carefully before jumping to conclusions," Hinata said, remorseful. She stood up and took his hand, her expression filled with concern. "Where have you been all this time?"
After a pause, she added, "How can I help? How can the clan help?"
She had noticed his subtle stiffness, his slowed movements. In a heartbeat, she understood—something was wrong with his body. That must've been why he hadn't returned sooner.
In hindsight, her earlier scolding felt impulsive and unfair.
But Ryosuke had always been enigmatic. If he was hiding something, there had to be a reason. So instead of probing, Hinata chose to ask how they could support him.
"It's alright. I should've returned earlier," Ryosuke said softly.
Hinata's gentle understanding soothed the weight in his chest. He pulled her into his arms. "I should've checked in. I didn't think it through. And… I'm sorry I missed your clan head succession ceremony."
He inhaled the familiar scent of her hair. The unease and irritation caused by his soul-body dissonance slowly faded.
"Don't shoulder everything alone," Hinata murmured, resting her cheek against his chest. Her voice was tender, like a lullaby easing a restless heart.
"You can tell me what you're facing. My father, Hanabi, even the clan—we're all here for you."
"If there's real trouble, one more perspective means one more chance at a solution."
"Even if you're always strong… please don't see yourself as the umbrella shielding us helpless lambs from the storm."
Her voice, calm and sweet, reached Ryosuke like sunlight filtering through dark clouds.
"We Hyuga shouldn't be weak sheep waiting to be protected. We should be bees. Poisonous bees. Killer bees."
"Maybe we don't compare to you in power, but as a group, we still matter. Even if it means giving everything."
"You're the queen bee. And as long as you exist, so will Hyuga."
She stood then, taking his hand and leading him to the main seat.
Ryosuke followed, puzzled, until she motioned for him to look at the documents laid across the table.
When he saw them, he understood instantly.
"While you were gone, the Hyuga didn't flinch," Hinata began firmly. "We implemented and refined the ten-year strategy we developed before the war."
"Some adjustments were made, yes. But we didn't compromise on what we deserved—our rights, our prestige, or our influence. Even without your presence, we acted with patience and precision."
"We made our declaration against Hidden Cloud Village, just as we planned. And we didn't need overwhelming numbers."
"Under Mr. Armin's guidance, we sent only a few jonin. That alone was enough to claim what was rightfully ours."
…
Even while Ryosuke was away, his overwhelming presence lingered as a force of deterrence across the entire shinobi world.
But deterrence was only part of the equation.
His sudden disappearance after the war had turned all eyes toward the Hyuga. Their unmatched battlefield performance had already made them a focus of attention. Now, every step they took was under scrutiny.
And still—Hinata did not flinch.
The clan flexed its strength openly, without fear or deception. They revitalized the Land of Rain, elevating it to a power rivaling the Five Great Nations.
Then, they welcomed refugees, trained new talent, founded a ninja academy, and overhauled their cultivation system.
As the world recognized their strength, Hinata reined in the clan's expansion. Rather than growing arrogant, they secured their borders and solidified their hold.
Except for Hidden Cloud—whose provocations couldn't be ignored—the Hyuga maintained peaceful relations with the other nations, trading and negotiating to stabilize their resources.
Hinata's words reflected not only her unwavering trust in Ryosuke, but also her confidence in herself and the clan. And yet, she never tried to burden Ryosuke with pressure.
Everything she spoke of—every action taken—Ryosuke had already foreseen in various future outcomes.
But hearing it now, spoken softly by the woman he loved… that was something no foresight could replicate.
Before him was a future entirely different from the dozens of timelines he had once glimpsed.
A future he had never seen.
It was then that Ryosuke understood—
He couldn't predict himself anymore.
There was no more "progress bar" on his timeline.
Perhaps… he truly had stepped outside the river of fate.
And every step he now took would ripple across the destiny of the world itself.
So… he couldn't predict his own fate.
"How about it?"
Hinata, standing beside him, her tone carrying a hint of pride, seemed visibly relieved.
When Ryosuke wasn't around, she bore the full weight of the clan's expectations. As head of the Hyuga, she had to maintain composure, managing pressure from all directions.
But now that Ryosuke had returned, the burden shifted.
With the foundation restored, with Ryosuke here—her pillar of strength—much of the strain on her heart eased.
"It's a pity I couldn't witness it all," Ryosuke said, regretfully, though he didn't mention the strange condition afflicting him.
Even if dozens, hundreds of people tried to analyze it, they would likely find no answer. None of them had stood within the current of fate or experienced its mysterious force firsthand. They couldn't understand the nature of such a phenomenon.
Still, this exchange with Hinata soothed his anxiety.
He had more than one or two problems.
Many mysteries surrounded his existence—any one of them enough to drive an ordinary person mad. But obsessing over them would only cloud his mind further.
Everyone knows that understanding something in theory is one thing—applying it to oneself is another challenge entirely.
Thankfully, his wife always understood him.
As long as she remained by his side, Ryosuke could keep his emotions in check.
"You can still see it," Hinata said, responding to his regret with a gentle smile. "I can be your eyes."
"You can use my memories, my perspective, to see how the Land of Rain has changed this past year."
As she spoke, she stepped closer and gently placed Ryosuke's hand on her head.
"No," he said softly, withdrawing his hand. "You should go see Father. Call a family meeting as soon as possible. There's information I need to synchronize with you."
He had felt it—Hinata, her father, Hanabi, and the rest of the clan—they had worked hard. They didn't want to burden him. Instead, they were actively improving and preparing.
Throughout history, Ryosuke had seen many clans rise to power due to the efforts of a single extraordinary individual.
Yet few of those clans recognized the opportunity to evolve alongside that person. Most took it for granted, basking in borrowed light.
They acted like newly rich parasites—thinking they could coast along by relying on blood ties and empty praise. And truthfully, many strong individuals let them.
Ryosuke, too, didn't mind extending a bit of favor to the Hyuga clan—for the sake of Hinata.
At his current level, secret techniques, ninja tools, bloodline limits… none of it held much value. Whoever Hinata chose to share those things with no longer mattered to him.
He had become the apex of the shinobi world without even realizing it.
Still, receiving genuine respect and contribution in return made it feel worthwhile.
Hinata and her kin centered their efforts on him, willingly sacrificing for his sake.
He had sensed this long ago, when his abilities first revealed themselves. But what truly endeared them to him was their desire to grow—not for gain, but in earnest.
And it wasn't reckless progress, either.
They remained grounded. Humble. Disciplined.
Not one of them acted like they were entitled to power.
Every single member of the clan strived to improve—calmly, diligently. Because of that, Ryosuke felt he could indeed entrust them with important truths… just as Hinata said.
---
In the inner city of the Land of Rain —
Within the Hyuga's core territory stood the newly built meeting hall.
Although they'd long wished to preserve their ancestral estate from Konoha, when the Rain Country's inner city was constructed, the Hyuga had carefully reconstructed their old home almost to scale.
But the Hyuga clan of Rain was no longer the same Hyuga clan of Konoha.
The new hall, with its towering rows and reinforced design, was several times larger than anything Ryosuke had seen before.
More people were seated, more voices qualified to participate.
As the Hyuga expanded, so too did its capable core—and now, many more had earned the right to join such meetings.
"Ryosuke," his father said quietly, "aside from those bearing different surnames, all capable clan members are present."
Ryosuke gave a small nod.
His gaze shifted to his father, whose face was paler and more aged than he remembered. The guilt in his chest deepened.
Because Ryosuke had been gone, his father had prepared for the worst. Before his body weakened further, he had handed over leadership to Hinata.
He had focused on external affairs, planning for the possibility of dying in battle.
Hinata had taken on the full mantle of leadership, managing clan affairs while also preparing an evacuation strategy for the Land of Rain.
She had endured enormous pressure during that time.
But her father's burden was even greater—so heavy, it seemed to have aged him years in Ryosuke's absence.
"…It's good to have you back," Hyuga Hiashi said simply, sensing his son's guilt.
That single line struck Ryosuke harder than any scolding would have.
He was the one at fault—and yet the other party had chosen to comfort him.
A thought took shape in his mind:
The communication problem must be solved. At the very least, even if I'm not physically present, they must be able to reach me.
With his current abilities, Ryosuke had long mastered time-space techniques. He could move instantly anywhere in the ninja world.
But if he couldn't be contacted in time, that power meant nothing.
Right now, he couldn't integrate his will into the world itself. So if something serious happened—unless it occurred close enough for him to notice—it would likely go unnoticed.
This couldn't continue.
"Let's begin," Ryosuke said quietly.
At Hiashi's nod, Hinata stood from the clan leader's seat and addressed the room with a calm, clear voice.
"This meeting is classified," she said firmly, her eyes sweeping the gathered members. "Nothing discussed here may leave this room."
"From this moment forward, Hyuga will no longer limit its sights to the ninja world."
"Now—Ryosuke will share with you the intelligence he gathered during his absence."
No matter where Ryosuke had gone, an explanation was needed.
To preserve his image within the clan, Hinata had casually spread word that he was on a high-level secret mission.
No one questioned it.
And now, as Ryosuke stepped forward, every pair of eyes turned to him—with awe, reverence… and silent curiosity.
Behind him, a giant pale-yellow eye floated in the air, casting a gentle glow across the room.
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