"What needs to be done now is not to confront Danzō, because that would be meaningless; he would never admit it."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat back down in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tracing the surface of his pipe.
"What I need to do is immediately guard against any subsequent actions he might take, closely monitor the movements of 'Root,' and most crucially..."
Sarutobi's downcast gaze deepened as he thought, 'I must start to guard against the entire Hyūga clan and Hyuga Kawa, who may very likely have been secretly controlled by Danzō through the 'Caged Bird' seal.'
"Also, if Hyuga Kawa wakes up, I must prevent him from becoming the Hokage."
To be honest, Hiruzen Sarutobi would rather let Hyuga Kawa become Hokage than allow that man Danzō to take the position.
Because he knew his old friend's capabilities too well.
He was a useless individual—overestimating himself, underperforming, and only capable of petty tricks and schemes.
Handing Konoha over to Hyuga Kawa merely meant an uncertain future, but if it were given to Shimura Danzō, Konoha would truly be finished.
Of course, it no longer mattered now.
Regardless of what Hyuga Kawa may or may not have done, as long as there was a possibility that he had become Danzō's puppet, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not allow him to become Hokage.
"Whew..."
Having sorted this out, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a long breath, as if expelling the frustration in his chest.
He lifted his eyes and looked at Hyūga Aoi, who appeared somewhat anxious and unsettled due to his silence and change in demeanor, and a gentle smile returned to his face.
"I have a general understanding of the situation."
He sighed, his tone calm, without too many fluctuations: "You've worked hard, Aoi. Go back and rest. The Hyūga clan still needs you and Iroha to look after things."
Though Hyūga Aoi was still full of unease and confusion, seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi did not press for details, she also felt slightly relieved.
"Yes, Third Hokage-sama." She stood up and bowed. "Then I shall take my leave."
With that, she turned and prepared to exit the tent.
But just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice came from behind her again.
"Tomorrow, take some time to visit Kawa," he said.
Hyūga Aoi paused, suppressed the flutter in her heart, and softly responded, "Yes, Third Hokage-sama."
Afterward, she walked out of the tent, her figure melting into the night outside.
Inside the tent, Hiruzen Sarutobi was once again alone.
He picked up his pipe again, lit it, and took a deep drag. Amidst the curling smoke, his eyes were dark and inscrutable.
The morning sun filtered through the window at the end of the corridor, revealing tiny dust motes floating in the light beams.
Hyūga Aoi stood alone at this end of the corridor, clutching a bouquet of carefully selected fresh lilies and daisies, her gaze piercing the length of the hall to the tightly closed door of the hospital room at the end.
"Phew..."
She let out a deep breath, trying to relax her tense facial muscles, attempting to make her expression appear less gloomy.
"That guy isn't dead, he's just in a coma," she muttered to herself, and was about to take a step.
But just then, a dense, hurried sound of footsteps came from around the corner of the corridor behind her.
Hyūga Aoi froze, turning her head to look with a trace of confusion.
She saw a group of medical ninja, all wearing masks and looking travel-worn—clearly having just rushed back from outside—almost running toward her.
Though their masks covered most of their faces, their eyes shone with poorly concealed excitement, surprise, and even disbelief.
Hyūga Aoi instinctively hugged the flowers and stepped back against the wall, watching the figures rush past her, stirring up a breeze that ruffled the hair on her forehead and the petals in her arms.
At the same time, their clamorous and hurried conversations clearly drifted into her ears.
"Is it true? Is that one really about to wake up?!"
"Absolutely true! The vital signs monitor shows drastic changes in brainwave activity; the on-duty senior ninja has confirmed it!"
"With the damage to his brain, all his meridians, and internal organs, he actually managed to wake up? It's a miracle!"
"Quick! Quickly notify Tsunade-sama! And the Third Hokage-sama!"
Hyūga Aoi froze against the wall, her arms clutching the bouquet trembling slightly. Her brain seemed to halt instantly, leaving only those buzzing words in her ears.
Awakened?
Who woke up?
She stood blankly against the wall. After dozens of seconds, the immense shock gradually transformed into genuine realization. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest, threatening to burst out.
The next second, her steps were somewhat unsteady as she ran toward the hospital room at the end of the corridor.
Meanwhile, inside that critical care room.
"..."
Hyuga Kawa's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and then, the eyes that had been closed for days slowly opened.
There was no confusion expected of someone just waking from a coma, only a profound, bottomless calm and clarity, like a cold pool.
It was as if he hadn't awakened from a long sleep but had merely finished a brief moment of rest with closed eyes.
However, just then, the dense, hurried sound of footsteps, mixed with barely suppressed excited voices, grew louder from outside the hospital room.
The coolness in Hyuga Kawa's eyes instantly receded like a tide, replaced by an expression of appropriate weakness and confusion.
He frowned slightly, as if in pain and discomfort, and slowly used his arm to support his body, sitting up from the hospital bed.
Click!
The hospital room door was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and a group of medical ninja rushed in eagerly.
However, when they all looked at Hyuga Kawa, who had just sat up on the bed and was turning his head to face them, their eyes met in the air.
The few medical ninja leading the charge instantly froze, halting their steps abruptly, as a wave of chill instantly swept over them.
Reflected clearly in their trembling pupils were Hyuga Kawa's eyes.
They were not the familiar Byakugan but a pair of magnificent, mysterious eyes. Star-like nebula seemed to swirl deep within the pupils, subtly radiating an inhuman, divine sense.
A mere fleeting glance into these eyes made them feel as if an invisible hand had gripped their hearts, nearly stopping them from beating.
"You..." Hyuga Kawa spoke, his voice carrying a perfect degree of hoarseness and weakness, seemingly confused by the situation.
In contrast, all the medical ninja who had met his gaze instinctively took a step back in unison.
In this strange, tense atmosphere, Hyūga Aoi pushed through the frozen crowd and ran straight toward him, embracing Hyuga Kawa tightly, burying her head in his shoulder.
"Hyuga Kawa?" Her voice held the tentative questioning tone of one who had recovered something lost.
"..."
Hyuga Kawa lowered his eyes, concealing the momentary flash of calm that was utterly out of place with the tender scene.
He raised his uninjured arm and gently returned the embrace to Hyūga Aoi's trembling body, responding, "It's me."
He had not truly fallen into that near-fatal sleep, and the so-called severe injuries were far less serious than the outside world imagined.
After all, isn't a story complete only when the "hero" who turned the tide and saved everyone from danger "miraculously" awakens amid universal anticipation and prayers?
Furthermore...
[Name: Hyuga Kawa]
[Age: 18]
[Bloodline: Ōtsutsuki Clan (31% → 40%)]
[Chakra Limit: S-rank]
[Chakra Natures: Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, Yin, Yang]
[Ninjutsu: ...]
[Secret Techniques: Cero, Garganta, Shadow Domain, Holy Selection...]
[Kekkei Genkai: Gale Release, Tenseigan (80.3% → 97.4%) [Abilities: Mental Puppet, Chakra Rosary, Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion, Tenseigan Chakra Mode, Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion]]
[God Technique: 'Growth']
[Items: Hōgyoku (1% → 7%) ...]
[Achievements: ...]
[Remaining Actualization Points: 35547]
Looking at the completion progress of the "Hōgyoku," Hyuga Kawa's eyes flickered slightly.
If possible, he would have liked to "sleep" for a few more days.
After all, an opportunity like the present, allowing the "Hōgyoku" within him to absorb the spiritual energy—the worry, prayer, and other emotions—converging from the entire village to supplement and transform his physique and bloodline, was too rare.
However...
A cold chill quietly flashed in the depths of Hyuga Kawa's downcast eyes.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
That guy, as expected, couldn't resist making a move?
And he's set his sights on the Akatsuki organization and me?
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