Splash..
The temperature in the shower room gradually rose. Beads of condensation clung to the tiles, becoming round and full.
When Hyūga Kumokawa stepped out of the shower, his figure was hazy in the drifting steam.
"..."
He stopped in the washroom, facing the mirror, and gazed at his own reflection.
Clear facial lines, a broad forehead, a straight nose bridge, gentle brows—he looked like a good child.
In both his past and present life, he had always looked like this. Even if this face were printed on a wanted poster, at first glance, others would think it was a photo for some model student award.
Only now, something had been added to this familiar face.
Hyūga Kumokawa brushed his soaked black hair back, revealing his forehead. His calm gaze passed over that ugly, glaring swastika-shaped curse mark.
Caged Bird, Caged Bird…
Closing his eyes, Kumokawa concentrated.
After a brief moment, his eyelids trembled and slowly opened.
The person in the mirror was no longer the same. That harmless and gentle aura faded away. Half of his face was hidden in the shadow of the lamp, casting a deep, mysterious outline.
The once pure white of his eyes melted away like first snow under sunlight.
Within his light-blue pupils, starlike specks of light flowed—stunningly beautiful, yet carrying an unfathomable pressure.
No one would mistake him now for that so-called "failure." No one would even dare look him in the eyes.
The invisible pressure radiating from him was like a spearhead stabbing outward. Meeting his gaze felt like having a needle suspended right before one's own eye.
Even the Caged Bird curse mark on his forehead now seemed to fade.
"So this is the power of the Tenseigan?"
Sensing the untapped force deep within his eyes, Kumokawa raised a hand to touch them, pondering inwardly:
"Could this be some transitional form, from Byakugan to Tenseigan?"
Ōtsutsuki Toneri had caused the Byakugan to evolve into the Tenseigan, seemingly after undergoing several stages of "fetal movements"...
From the memory of his previous life, the Tenseigan was a supreme dōjutsu, comparable to the Rinnegan.
And there seemed to be only two ways to obtain the Tenseigan.
The first: combining Ōtsutsuki Toneri's chakra with the pure Byakugan of the Hyūga.
The second: fusing and evolving a large number of Ōtsutsuki Byakugan into a Tenseigan.
For the former, what he possessed was a pure bloodline on par with Ōtsutsuki Toneri—not the "chakra" Toneri referred to.
Kumokawa wasn't sure if the two were the same thing.
In the original story, only Ōtsutsuki Hamura and Ōtsutsuki Toneri had awakened the Tenseigan. Even Ōtsutsuki Kaguya and other clan members had never shown it.
Hamura himself had never truly demonstrated its ability.
Toneri, Hamura's direct descendant, had gone through countless "fetal movements."
It was unknown whether those came with danger.
If the Rinnegan was the rightful power granted after the Ōtsutsuki consumed the God Tree's fruit, then the Tenseigan was like an aberration of the Byakugan—a trade of the Rinnegan's versatility for immense raw power.
"Kumokawa! Are you done washing?"
A voice outside the shower snapped him out of thought. He combed his hair back, slowly worked his facial muscles, and returned the harmless, gentle smile to his face.
"Coming, coming."
While answering, Kumokawa slipped into a white robe and tied Konoha's forehead protector across his brow.
In the eyes of the Hyūga clan, the original owner of this body was considered a failure—only because he was already thirteen and still unable to awaken the Byakugan.
That, and his timid nature. At the sight of his first battlefield, he had cried on the spot, bringing shame to the clan.
Even so, he was still stronger than most common-born ninja, and had graduated as a genin alongside Might Guy, that so-called "good-for-nothing."
But now, Guy was already a chūnin, while he remained a mere genin.
When Kumokawa opened the door, he saw Guy hanging from the horizontal bar. That guy truly never stopped.
Thud!
Noticing Kumokawa stepping out dressed, Guy flexed his muscles and dropped down, unfastening the heavy weights on his legs with a resounding crash.
"Oh! This is the youthful spirit of Konoha in full bloom!" He looked over Kumokawa's body, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "To think that in just the few months I was out on missions, you've already let your flames of youth burn to such a degree!"
The weight Guy carried was already comparable to Kumokawa's full-body training load.
"Senior flatters me. I should be thanking you for teaching me the Eight Gates."
Kumokawa smiled politely at the praise of this eccentric beast.
The Eight Gates were indeed powerful, but they still depended on the user's physical strength.
Even Kakashi could open the First Gate, but he still couldn't match Might Guy in his base state without opening any gates.
Guy had trained his body under his father's guidance from childhood. That "weight" was simply part of his daily regimen.
"I never thought that someone from the Hyūga clan would seek me out to learn the Eight Gates and Strong Fist. This determination to break the norm, this courage to challenge your limits!" Tears welled in Guy's eyes as he shot up two thumbs.
His emotions came quickly and went just as fast. He glanced toward the depths of the Hyūga compound, where traces of bright colors lingered amidst the normally solemn atmosphere.
"What's going on there?" Guy asked curiously.
"The Main Family's young lady, Hyūga Hinata, is about to celebrate her third birthday." Kumokawa smiled.
"Huh?" Guy blinked. "Does her birthday always get celebrated so grandly?"
"Of course not." Kumokawa shook his head, his eyes carrying a deeper meaning. "The third birthday means something different for the children of the Main Family."
On each Main Family child's third birthday, a group of Branch Family children would be branded with the Caged Bird seal.
Among them, the most outstanding few would be chosen as personal attendants for the Main Family child.
As the eldest daughter of the clan head's line, Hinata was the sole heir to the Hyūga leadership. Naturally, her third birthday carried great importance.
Other clans in Konoha, even nobles from the Land of Fire, would come to congratulate the Hyūga.
"Unfortunately, it also means the coming days will be anything but peaceful." Kumokawa sneered inwardly.
If Hinata was already turning three, then soon, Kumogakure would come to Konoha to sign the ceasefire treaty—and plot to abduct her.
And this period… would be the perfect opportunity for Kumokawa's own schemes.
As the two chatted shoulder to shoulder, the atmosphere remained light.
Until they approached the gates of the Hyūga compound,
"Stop."
A cold voice cut across, making them both halt instinctively.
Kumokawa narrowed his eyes and turned toward the source of the voice, meeting a face full of disgust.
"Hyūga Kumokawa."
The Hyūga clan member standing guard at the gate demanded coldly:
"Today is Lady Aoi's special training day. As her attendant, why are you not at her side to serve her? Where are you going?"