Naruto: Hyuga Warlord

To Soushu Hyuga's surprise, in the days that followed, the Hyuga Clan Leader completely ignored his harsh words as if they were nothing but passing wind.

Not only was there no sign of the expected Caged Bird punishment, but even Hizashi stopped trying to persuade or recruit him. After spending mornings out and late nights staying close by Mahiru Uchiha's side, Soushu finally enjoyed a rare period of peace.

As for the Main House's demands regarding an arranged marriage, Soushu chose to act as though nothing had happened, hoping to prevent Mahiru-chan from falling into darkness again. He never brought it up around her.

And so, both quietly savored this rare ten-day respite together—until the final day of Konoha Year 38, when Soushu received a mission summons from the Hokage Tower.

"Starting tomorrow, I'll need to prepare for the Chunin Exams."

After receiving the mission scroll and instructions delivered by Anbu, Soushu immediately went in search of Mahiru Uchiha to explain his schedule ahead: "For the next seven days, I'll be joining the invigilation team as a Jonin supervisor, so I probably won't have time to continue our sparring sessions with you."

Having said that, Soushu leaned down and kissed Mahiru's forehead as she pouted slightly, instantly melting away all her displeasure.

"Well then, I guess that's okay."

Though slightly disappointed about not being able to ring in the new year together, Mahiru happily accepted reality thanks to her lover's kiss: "Let me know whenever you're free."

"Of course," Soushu replied.

He kissed her forehead once more, his gentle tone nearly melting Mahiru's heart away.

"Oh right, I've custom-made a miko shrine maiden outfit," Mahiru whispered softly.

Rising on tiptoe, she gently kissed Soushu's forehead protector and whispered seductively into his ear: "If you want to…"

If not for the fact that they were still at the training ground, Soushu—who was already worked up by her teasing—would have swept her into his arms then and there.

Konoha Year 39, January 1st.

The start of a brand-new year—but for ninjas, it was just another day of being treated like expendable tools.

Following the instructions written on the mission scroll, Soushu arrived two hours earlier than required at the Hokage Tower, completed basic identification procedures, and smoothly entered the second-floor meeting room where the Chunin Exam examiners had gathered.

There were already over a dozen ninja seated and waiting inside. Most wore Chunin uniforms, though Soushu didn't recognize any of them, so he simply chose a corner seat and shut his eyes for some quiet rest.

After nearly another hour of waiting, all the examiners gradually arrived, and the room slowly filled with chatter.

"Soushu Jonin, good day."

A rough voice came from beside him: "Is this seat taken?"

"Not at all. Please go ahead."

Soushu slightly opened his eyes and gave a polite nod to the newcomer: "It's been a while, Kodou Jonin."

"Didn't expect you'd actually remember me," Kodou Jonin said, somewhat surprised.

The Jonin named Kodou was the very man who openly defied the previous leader of the Jonin Unit when Hyuga Soushu first attended a Jonin Meeting, even stirring up a group of Jonin to rise against and drive away the former leader — who hailed from the Nara clan. Because of this, Soushu still remembered him clearly.

Moreover, from what Kato Hayan, another Jonin sitting beside Hyuga Soushu, had explained at the time, Kodou was also one of Lord Sakumo's most loyal supporters.

Given this background, Soushu didn't mind deepening their camaraderie.

"I was deeply impressed by your performance at the Jonin Meeting, Kodou-san. And as you probably know, I myself served under Leader Sakumo for a certain period."

Soushu smoothly expressed his goodwill.

"I hope there will be an opportunity for us to fight side by side together, Soushu-kun."

Jonin Kodou extended his right hand.

Their hands clasped firmly together.

"Jonin Soushu!"

At that moment, another voice greeted from the doorway.

A golden-haired man with a bright, radiant smile approached.

"Senior Hayan! It's been a while!"

Hyuga Soushu released Kodou's hand and waved warmly to Kato Hayan, whom he had met briefly before, signaling him to sit.

"Jonin Kodou, long time no see. Did you just finish a rotation shift recently?"

Clearly, Kato Hayan also knew Jonin Kodou well, and judging from how familiar they sounded, their relationship seemed quite good.

"There hasn't been any unusual activity from Kumo lately, so I figured it was time to return to the village."

Jonin Kodou shrugged slightly, speaking rather proudly: "But barely a few peaceful days had passed before Lord Sakumo officially assigned me to represent the Jonin Unit in assisting the Chunin Exams."

"No wonder you're known as Senior Kodou, the most trusted by Leader Sakumo."

Kato Hayan flattered him appropriately while showing a hint of envy on his face.

Right then, Yamanaka Toshimichi and Mitotou Kousuke also walked into the room. After checking in briefly, they scanned the conference hall, spotted where Soushu sat, and immediately walked over respectfully to bow deeply.

"Captain Soushu, greetings."

"You're both too kind."

Hyuga Soushu stood to return the gesture: "I've already stepped down from my position as retired Company Commander; there's no need to keep calling me Captain anymore."

"Not at all, not at all. We've all seen Captain Soushu's gallantry on the battlefield with our own eyes. All of us would welcome the chance to serve under your command again someday."

While humbly accepting the courtesy from these two Jonin, they naturally sat down in the empty seats behind Soushu.

Though Jonin Kodou remained outwardly calm as he watched this unfold, he silently revised his opinion of Hyuga Soushu upward.

As a ninja who had only become a Jonin less than two months ago through wartime merits, Soushu gaining such support from the Martial Faction surprised Kodou.

Besides, he also recalled that during the meeting to impeach the previous Nara leader, Soushu had still been merely a Tokubetsu Jonin.

"The new generation in the village is truly unstoppable."

Jonin Kodou sighed inwardly, simultaneously making up his mind to fully bring Hyuga Soushu into Sakumo Hatake's faction.

"Damn it, where's that damn supervisor? This is taking forever!"

He had arrived over an hour early to avoid being late—but even after a further half-hour wait, the main platform in the Hokage Tower's chamber was still unoccupied. The Hokage Tower staff handling registration offered not even a word of explanation, simply letting the examiners inside chatter and grow rowdy.

"Administrative ninja at the Hokage Tower? Always the same," Kato Hayan shrugged, speaking with the tone of someone who'd seen it all before. "Generally speaking, the deadline they specify on mission documents is usually set about an hour earlier than the actual required arrival time—just to be safe."

"What a red-tape nightmare!" Kodou Jonin snorted contemptuously. "What's your take, Soushu Jonin?"

"A tedious trick of upper management," Soushu replied with a slight nod, stating from a neutral standpoint a conclusion everyone found convincing.

He himself wasn't overly ambitious—right now, he aimed only to become either the second-in-command or top lieutenant within Sakumo Hatake's new Will of Fire faction. A well-timed nod of agreement would help him blend smoothly into the circle surrounding Sakumo Hatake.

<><><><><><><><>

Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!

~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!

<><><><><><><><>

~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!

patreon.com/Tansnovel

<><><><><><><><>