"Truly incredible, Lord Satoru!"
"Outstanding! Lord Satoru's talent is absolutely extraordinary!"
Compliments echoed throughout the Hyuga dojo. The clan members' admiration filled the air, and Hyuga Hiashi, though clearly pleased, managed to keep a straight face. He suppressed the smile tugging at his lips, pretending not to hear the praise showered upon his son.
Walking up to Satoru, Hiashi placed a steady hand on the boy's shoulder and spoke in a calm, instructive tone:
"Satoru, the path of a shinobi is a long one. Don't let a few compliments make you complacent. Continue to train diligently—don't bring shame to the Hyuga name."
Before his clan, Hiashi maintained the stern authority befitting the young head of the Main Family.
Today's so-called trial had, in truth, been little more than a carefully arranged performance—a stage set by the Main Family to show off the brilliance of young Hyuga Satoru before all.
Wherever there are people, there is politics. And within a vast family like the Hyuga, the shadows beneath the calm surface were darker and more complex than those of any small clan.
The greatest and oldest division, of course, was between the Main Family and the Branch Family.
Although the Main Family controlled the Branches through the Caged Bird Cursed Seal, if the Branch members ever lost respect for their leaders—if they refused to put their hearts into their duties—then even the Main Family's orders would become difficult to carry out.
Main and Branch: mutually dependent, yet subtly adversarial.
Fortunately, the logic of the shinobi world was simple—power determined authority. By monopolizing advanced Byakugan-based taijutsu, the Main Family maintained superior strength, ensuring that most of the Branch Family willingly accepted their rule.
Even so, the Main Family had to display their strength and potential from time to time—to remind the Branches of where the true power of the Byakugan resided. Only by doing so could they keep the clan unified.
In other words, the more exceptional the heir to the Main Family, the stronger and more stable the Hyuga Clan would become.
Thus, now that Satoru had shown exceptional progress, it was only natural to present him before the clan as the face and future of the Main Family—a symbol to rally behind.
Much like the princes of old dynasties: the more capable the heir, the more loyal and content the nobles and ministers beneath him would remain.
To Satoru, however, this "trial" was just another day of training.
After politely exchanging a few words with the elders, he intended to leave the dojo. His daily training schedule was tight; though the taijutsu match had exhausted him physically, his chakra reserves remained full. Next on his list was chakra shape transformation practice—and he had no interest in wasting time on social niceties.
Just as he was about to depart, however, the dojo doors burst open.
A clan member hurried in, his expression a mix of excitement and urgency. Only when the others turned to look at him did he realize his loss of composure. Catching his breath, he dropped to one knee before Hiashi and reported in a deep voice:
"Lord Hiashi! The Third Hokage and the Fourth Hokage couple have arrived at the clan compound and wish to see you. The elders have gone to greet them and have invited them to the front hall to wait for your arrival."
The messenger spoke openly—there was no need to conceal such news from the elders and senior branch members present. A Hokage's visit to the Hyuga Clan was hardly a trivial or secret matter.
Hearing this, Satoru—who had just reached the doorway—paused and turned curiously toward the speaker.
The Hokage… the supreme leaders of Konoha, the heads of all shinobi.
In the five years since his transmigration, Satoru had never once met either Hiruzen Sarutobi or Namikaze Minato.
Partly it was because of his young age—he had no opportunity to approach figures of that level. But also, his identity as a Main Family child meant that his security within the clan was extremely tight, even within the village itself.
Besides, Satoru had no time for play or social visits. Every waking hour was devoted to training.
Still… that didn't mean he wasn't curious.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was one thing—but the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and his wife Uzumaki Kushina… they were the parents of the future protagonist. Two figures whose lives would shape the entire shinobi world.
Satoru had often dreamed of influencing the course of history—but right now, he had no "cards" powerful enough to play. The few cards he did hold could easily draw dangerous attention.
Even so, the Hokage's sudden visit stirred a bold thought in his mind.
His mother, after all, had recently been diagnosed as three weeks pregnant. Satoru might not know the timeline of this world down to the day, but he remembered the key events well enough.
If his guess was right, the child in her womb was none other than Hinata Hyuga. And considering that his cousin Neji was still less than a year old… that meant the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha was only a few months away.
His own combat strength wouldn't affect that crisis much—but the information in his head? That could make a difference.
Perhaps… this visit was an opportunity.
"Both the Third Hokage and the Fourth Hokage couple are here?" Hiashi frowned slightly. "What could bring them to the Hyuga Clan?"
Satoru, now standing once again at his father's side, tugged lightly at Hiashi's sleeve.
"Father," he said softly, "now isn't the time to question their motives. For both the Third and Fourth Hokage to visit together—it must be something important. You should change and meet them immediately. Letting only the elders handle it would seem disrespectful."
Hiashi blinked, then nodded. "You're right."
He turned toward the door—but paused halfway, a thought striking him. Looking back, he smiled and beckoned to Satoru.
"Satoru, come with me. You should meet the Hokage and Lady Kushina as well. It'll be good for you to make an impression."
At that moment, Hiashi was already thinking ahead. He didn't yet know why the Hokage had come, but a chance to strengthen ties with Konoha's leadership was never a bad thing.
In the shinobi world, strength was everything—but connections had their own kind of power.
Taking his son along to meet them? That would only help pave the way for the boy's future.
Satoru's lips curved into a faint smile.
He'd spoken up precisely to prompt this outcome—and everything was unfolding exactly as he'd expected.
The Hokage, huh…
I wonder how different they'll be from the people I remember from the story.
After all, reality was rarely identical to fiction.
Just as his father, Hiashi, wasn't quite the same man depicted in Hinata's memories—cold, rigid, and unyielding.
In Satoru's experience, Hiashi could be strict, yes, but also caring and proud. Sometimes, the man even worried that Satoru's training was too harsh.
The same person could show very different sides at different times, to different people.
And so, as Satoru followed his father out of the dojo, a spark of anticipation—and unease—flickered in his chest.
At last… I'll meet the Hokage face to face.
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