Hyuga Yuu stood beneath the Hokage Tower, tilted his head to take it in, then walked inside.
In such a short span of time, so much had changed.
Familiar faces had disappeared. New shinobi moved through the halls as if they'd always belonged.
And the man sitting behind the Hokage's desk had changed from an elderly leader at the end of his years… to a young man in his prime.
In wartime, everything was simplified.
There had been no long inauguration speech, no drawn-out ceremony. Namikaze Minato had already taken office and thrown himself straight into the Hokage's work.
"Hokage-sama," Yuu said, lowering his voice, "I'd like to apply for the jōnin examination."
…
"Hyuga Yuu, fifteen years old. S-rank missions: four. A-rank: thirty-two. B-rank…"
Minato read through Yuu's record, brows knitting as he thought.
Normally, promotion to jōnin required sufficient merit and a solid mission history—proof of judgment, leadership, adaptability.
But in wartime, the jōnin exam leaned much more heavily toward pure combat ability. The merit requirements could be relaxed.
And Yuu's record was already above average anyway.
So the application itself wasn't the issue.
What Minato was really thinking about… was something else.
The Third Hokage told me to soothe the Hyuga.
If I need someone to represent the Branch House… should I choose him?
Minato had already heard the full story of what had been happening inside the village. He didn't disagree with the idea of stabilizing the Hyuga.
The Branch House needed to truly integrate into Konoha.
The Main House had just taken a heavy hit.
It was the best possible timing to steady hearts and prevent further cracks in the village.
And that meant giving them an appropriate place.
Not too high.
Not too low.
But something that could actually make use of the Hyuga's strengths—
Minato's eyes lit up.
There was a position that fit perfectly.
A role that was especially suitable for the Branch House.
The guard unit every new Hokage inevitably formed.
The Hokage Guard.
A group that could speak directly to the Hokage, stand at his side, protect him—being selected for it was itself a statement of trust.
And every village had the habit of placing future Kage candidates into such a unit.
The Third Hokage had once served as Tobirama's guard.
The Fourth Kazekage had served as the Third's escort.
A position like that would clearly show Konoha's respect for the Branch House.
Minato made up his mind quietly.
After his jōnin exam… I'll select members for my guard.
But then his expression tightened.
The Hokage's guard were usually elite.
Sometimes they weren't just guards—they were the next generation of leaders.
And the reason was simple:
Only shinobi at that level could truly protect a Hokage.
Otherwise, if a powerful enemy appeared… was the Hokage supposed to protect them?
Yuu's Byakugan had enormous value. It could compensate for shortcomings in raw combat ability, and given the need to reassure the Hyuga, the advisors and the Third would approve.
But the rest?
If their strength was lacking, it wouldn't work.
Still… Minato couldn't help thinking about his own fighting style.
And honestly, putting a bunch of powerhouse bruisers into his guard felt like a waste.
"As my escort," Minato murmured inwardly, "if they can't even keep up with me in battle, it's meaningless."
With that, he formed an idea.
…
"Eh? A jōnin exam?"
At Ichiraku Ramen, Hyuga Miyuki waited for her bowl and blinked in surprise.
"Yuu-kun, you're really going to become a full jōnin?"
"Yeah." Yuu, sitting beside her, nodded once. "I think I'm ready."
"…That's great." Miyuki's expression carried a faint, honest envy.
If not for that scroll, how long would it have taken her to reach jōnin-level strength?
She didn't know.
But it wouldn't have been soon.
"Then today isn't just a thank-you meal," she said as the realization hit. "It's also a celebration. I hope you pass."
Then she glanced awkwardly toward the owner.
Ichiraku was delicious, yes—but as a "congratulations" meal, was ramen… weird?
"It's fine," Yuu said before she could spiral. "I like Ichiraku."
Naruto would one day advertise this place with his entire existence. Yuu had tried it early on out of sheer curiosity.
And honestly?
It really was good.
"…Mm."
The ramen arrived. Miyuki took her bowl and nodded lightly.
Fine. She'd prepare a proper gift later—after Yuu passed.
Besides… she couldn't do anything drastic right now. And she wasn't defecting.
As expected, some clansmen really had been put under Main House scrutiny.
And because Yuu had warned her in time, she wasn't being watched—but that also meant she'd lost her opportunity to move.
The Fourth Hokage… Flying Thunder God…
A troublesome opponent.
She wasn't afraid of dying.
But she couldn't die yet.
As the only Branch House shinobi who currently wasn't afraid of the Caged Bird, if she died after slaughtering the Main House, then the Branch House would lose its "insurance."
After all, the Third Hokage and Tsunade also held the activation method for the Caged Bird.
Until the Branch House truly had it removed, Miyuki couldn't trust those people.
With her mood sinking, she turned frustration into appetite and tore into her food.
Yuu watched as empty bowls steadily piled up in front of her.
Then he glanced down at his own three bowls.
And fell silent, thinking.
After the Byakugan evolved, does appetite increase too? That makes no sense… and my appetite is the same as before.
So it's natural?
When we were on missions together it was mostly soldier pills. I never noticed…
Miyuki caught his stare. She froze, cheeks flushing faintly.
"My father and I just eat a lot," she muttered. "Probably inherited it from my grandfather."
Then she hesitated, and her tone softened.
"My appetite is actually normal. My cousin…"
"She eats even more."
At the mention of her cousin, Miyuki's face smoothed back into calm. Like she didn't want to explain further.
Yuu politely didn't press.
But he already had his answer.
That cousin was probably Main House.
In the Hyuga, if a Main House generation produced two children, one would be branded with the Caged Bird and pushed into the Branch House.
It was a way of limiting Main House numbers.
The other remained Main House, and typically had stronger talent.
By Miyuki's phrasing, her line had become Branch House—while her cousin's line stayed Main House.
And a Main House woman around Miyuki's age, known for eating more than Miyuki…
That was an easy association.
Yuu smiled.
"Being able to eat is a blessing," he said lightly. "It means your body energy is naturally stronger than average. Your chakra capacity won't be low. For a shinobi, that's lucky."
Chakra was produced by blending physical energy and mental energy in a certain ratio.
If physical energy was strong—and mental energy kept up—chakra reserves would be high.
Miyuki blinked, then laughed softly, genuinely surprised.
"You think in such strange directions, Yuu-kun. Most people would just think it's weird… a girl eating that much."
"It's only ten bowls." Yuu's gaze drifted toward the stack. "I've seen someone eat more."
"An Akimichi?" Miyuki asked, puzzled.
"No." Yuu shook his head and stood, heading outside. "Your cousin's daughter."
"…"
Miyuki was speechless. She set the payment down and hurried after him.
"She isn't even married! What daughter?"
Yuu replied without looking back, deadpan.
"You didn't deny that her daughter would out-eat you."
"…I already figured that out from her appetite," Miyuki muttered. "That branch of the family has always been like that—monstrous appetite. Aside from their figure, they're more Akimichi than the Akimichi."
Her gaze dropped to her feet. Her voice lowered.
"…Still. I'm jealous."
Yuu's steps paused for the briefest moment.
Then he kept walking as if he hadn't heard.
Jealous of what?
If Hinata's mother was anything like Hinata…
…then yes, that would be enviable.
But honestly, Miyuki wasn't exactly lacking either.
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