After some time to think it over, Namikaze Minato had already figured out what Danzo was really after.
Protecting the Hyuga Clan—perhaps that wasn't entirely a pretext; maybe Danzo genuinely believed it was necessary.
But more than anything, he wanted an excuse to plant his own spies within the Hyuga household.
In Konoha's political scene, Minato didn't have many true allies. The Hyuga were one of the few clans that could still be considered close to him. Suppressing the Hyuga was, in a way, a subtle way of limiting him as Hokage.
Naturally, Minato wasn't about to agree to let Root operatives meddle in Hyuga affairs.
That said, with Hyuga Hiashi having recently left the village with a team of elite shinobi, the only ones left at the main estate were the elderly, the women, and the children.
The recent assassination attempt had been a wake-up call—he needed to ensure the safety of Hiashi's family while the clan head was away.
Morning sunlight streamed through the office window as Minato sat behind his desk, pondering for a long while but still unable to decide whom to send.
He had too few reliable cards to play…
Then, a spark of inspiration flashed in his eyes—he had it.
Inside the Hokage's office, Uchiha Shisui and Hatake Kakashi stood before Minato's desk, listening quietly as Minato discussed matters with Hyuga Shin.
"Lord Shin," Minato began, "I intend to have Shisui and Kakashi assist in protecting Hyuga Satoru."
"They're both exceptionally skilled shinobi of the village. On Satoru's path of growth, they can serve both as rivals and as companions."
"They're also close in age—and Shisui already knows Satoru. I believe they'll have plenty in common."
"After what happened, I'm deeply concerned for Satoru's safety. During Hiashi's absence, the village will take responsibility for protecting the Main Family."
"The assignment will last until Hiashi returns."
As the acting head of the Main Family, Hyuga Shin was the right person to discuss such matters with.
After much thought, Minato had chosen the best available candidates—Uchiha Shisui and Hatake Kakashi.
They were young, but their abilities were unquestionable.
Shisui was the Uchiha Clan's most promising prodigy, and Kakashi had already grown into a formidable shinobi. With the two of them working alongside the Branch Family's guards, Minato was confident there would be no issues.
There was another consideration as well: both Shisui and Kakashi were orphans.
They could live at the Hyuga estate for an extended period without worrying about family obligations.
At the side, Hyuga Shin quietly examined the two young shinobi, his expression thoughtful.
Unlike Minato, he didn't really feel the Main Family needed outside protection. He trusted his own clansmen implicitly—he knew they could defend Satoru if the need arose.
And Satoru himself… his personal strength was considerable.
As an elder, Shin was as concerned for Satoru's training as Hiashi was. But unlike the busy clan head, Shin was relatively free; his greatest pleasure these days was simply watching his grandson grow stronger.
Aside from Satoru himself, no one in the Hyuga Clan understood his true capabilities better than Shin.
Uchiha Shisui and Hatake Kakashi… yes, they were both geniuses—but truth be told, Satoru hardly needed their protection.
Still… this wasn't the right way to look at it.
The Fourth Hokage's goodwill couldn't be brushed aside so bluntly. And more importantly, Shin actually agreed with one point—Satoru did need peers of his own age to spend time with.
As a member of the Main Family, Satoru would never attend the Ninja Academy.
No matter how mature he acted, to Shin, he was still just a child—and children needed playmates.
"Fourth Hokage, thank you for your concern for our Hyuga Clan," Shin said warmly.
"We'll trouble you with this matter, then."
"Oh, and let's make this an official commission from the Hyuga Clan to the village," he added.
"We'll compensate the village and the two shinobi at an A-rank mission rate."
Minato smiled. Despite being Hokage, he still addressed the elder respectfully as "Lord Shin," and Shin, in return, gave him full courtesy—and real, tangible goodwill toward Shisui and Kakashi.
His tact pleased Minato greatly.
Working with someone as seasoned and intelligent as Hyuga Shin was always a pleasure.
Kakashi and Shisui didn't particularly care for money, but Shin's gesture made them feel respected and appreciated—it warmed them in a way that words couldn't.
By the time Hyuga Satoru received the news, it was already afternoon.
After a brief round of preparation, Kakashi and Shisui officially moved into the Hyuga compound.
An A-rank protection mission meant close personal guard duty.
Once their rooms were arranged, the two were brought straight to the training hall to meet Satoru.
When Satoru saw Shisui and Kakashi—both armed and looking deadly serious—he finally understood what it meant to be part of a privileged family.
"Shisui-niisan, Kakashi-senpai," he greeted with a grin.
"Let's just treat this like friends visiting each other, alright? No need to be so stiff."
"No," Shisui replied solemnly, "this is a protection mission. Friendship is friendship, but a mission is a mission."
Kakashi didn't say a word, but his silence made it clear he agreed.
Satoru scratched his head, half amused and half helpless.
"Come on, Shisui-niisan, don't be so serious. Since you're here, why not show me some of your shuriken techniques? Your throwing skills are what I've been trying to catch up to."
Because of his training with the Flying Thunder God Technique, Satoru had always placed heavy emphasis on his kunai and shuriken throwing accuracy—but his natural talent in that area wasn't great. He was far from Shisui's level.
Using that as an excuse, Satoru hoped not only to get some guidance, but also to help the two loosen up a bit.
They were comrades, after all—likely to fight side by side in the future. He didn't want them to treat him like some noble they had to serve.
"Well…" Shisui hesitated, but under Satoru's eager gaze, he soon allowed himself to be pulled to the center of the dojo.
Hyuga Hanxiao, ever perceptive, had already set up targets in advance.
Under Satoru's cheerful insistence, Shisui finally nodded—there was no harm in a bit of shuriken practice, after all.
Kakashi said nothing, only swept his gaze around the hall, ensuring the surroundings were secure, then joined in quietly.
Shisui's shurikenjutsu was truly exceptional—his control and technique went far beyond even Kakashi's expectations.
When he saw Shisui flick a handful of shuriken that collided midair, ricocheted, and curved toward distant targets with pinpoint accuracy, even the veteran jonin couldn't help but widen his eyes.
After all, it was Shisui who had taught Uchiha Itachi his own legendary shuriken skills.
If Satoru hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed someone could throw a single kunai and disrupt the shared vision of the Rinnegan.
And yet, that absurd feat really did happen in the future—perhaps the last glorious chapter of shuriken and kunai in the age of "mecha-scale" warfare.
Having mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, Satoru naturally longed to reach such a level.
With Kakashi and Shisui moving into the Hyuga estate, Satoru's life quickly became busier—and far more vibrant.
Though officially they were his bodyguards, in practice, they became his sparring partners and playmates.
All three were geniuses.
They ate together, trained together, studied ninjutsu and taijutsu together—and all three improved at astonishing speed.
And so, time passed swiftly in the rhythm of their rapid growth…
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