The Hyuga Shall Stand Above, In The Heavens!

Land of Fire. 

Konohagakure. 

The inauguration ceremony for the Fifth Hokage was about to begin. 

The streets of Konohagakure, which hadn't been too lively since the reconstruction, became bustling because of the arrival of leaders from various countries.

At the familiar Ichiraku Ramen shop, Hyuga Hitoshi smiled at the blushing Ayame, then broke apart his chopsticks. Ignoring the complex looks of the villagers and the tense, watchful ninjas around him, he began to enjoy his food.

Even though it hadn't been long since he left the village, returning to Konohagakure still gave Hyuga Hitoshi a feeling of being in a different world.

As time passed, Naruto grew older, which made Hyuga Hitoshi reminisce about the passionate feelings he had when watching anime in his previous life.

Even though he knew that beneath the flashy surface of the ninja world, there was endless dirt and corruption that was truly disgusting, he couldn't help but admit that he was once moved by those times.

After all, this is the real world.

The real world can never be completely filled with warmth.

Returning to a familiar place, Hyuga Hitoshi's mindset subtly changed.

"Tsunade-sama and the others haven't come back yet,"

Ayame, who was now capable of handling things on her own after serving the head of the Hyuga clan, curiously asked.

"They're busy with something,"

Hyuga Hitoshi smiled and then pointed to the sky.

"But you should be able to see them during the succession ceremony."

It wasn't that he had come specifically to send Fugaku a gift. After all, just attending the succession ceremony in person was already the most satisfying gift Fugaku could receive.

"I see,"

Ayame nodded. "But it's rare to see Hitoshi-sama eating alone like this."

After all, when he was in Konohagakure before, this man was always with his maids and Tsunade-sama, walking proudly through the streets. Just earlier, he had even returned to the village arrogantly, with Mizukage by his side.

"Well, Terumi Mei is the Mizukage. When she first arrived in Konohagakure, there were still formalities to go through."

Hyuga Hitoshi said helplessly, recalling that in the past, he never had to break apart his own chopsticks when eating.

"And look at her. She clearly doesn't know how to serve a man. It's better I do it myself."

Pointing at the cold woman beside him, Hyuga Hitoshi's lips curved slightly upward. Though it looked like he was complaining, he actually couldn't help but admire Fugaku's arrangement.

"If Hitoshi-sama doesn't need a guide and thinks little of me, you can just say it directly. No need for sarcasm."

A cold voice came from beside him. The breeze ruffled her long purple hair, and the faint fragrance of her hair mixed with the ramen's scent, giving Hyuga Hitoshi an unexpectedly full feeling.

"And based on how familiar you seemed with the village when you destroyed the village's statues, Hitoshi-sama, I don't think you need a guide. You could easily find your way around Konohagakure by yourself."

Time is said to be the best medicine for forgetting pain.

Unfortunately, this medicine doesn't last forever, and six months was hardly enough to make people forget what Hyuga Hitoshi had done to Konohagakure.

So, Hyuga Hitoshi could clearly sense the hatred and fear in the gazes of those around him.

They were angry at the Hyuga clan's destruction of the village but didn't dare to do anything to Hyuga Hitoshi.

Even the woman named Uzuki Yugao, who had been assigned the task of welcoming and guiding important guests by the Hokage, was full of reluctance.

Fugaku knew him well. Seeing him wandering around Konohagakure alone seemed pointless, so he arranged for someone to accompany him.

But it seemed this "companion" wasn't very obedient and needed a little adjustment.

"That won't do. After all, this village is newly built, and there are still many places I haven't explored. It's essential to have Yugao as my guide."

Hyuga Hitoshi raised an eyebrow and looked suspiciously at Uzuki Yugao.

"Yugao, I'm sure you don't want your failure to guide me to cause me to get lost, forcing me to violently tear down the village to find my way back home, right?"

This was an outright threat!

Right.

Who can be sure if the statue sealed by the Fifth Lord is something this man can summon another of?

If pushed too far, it would be bad if he destroyed the village!

Despicable!

The expression on the beautiful face of Yugao changed several times. In the end, feeling more pressure, she had no choice but to move closer to Hyuga Hitoshi in humiliation.

She then obediently took the chopsticks from Hyuga Hitoshi, twirled some noodles, and blew on them before carefully feeding them to his mouth.

"Not bad."

Hitoshi appreciated someone who knew when to go along with things.

Especially when he bit the chopsticks, blew some air onto Uzuku Yugao's fingers, and saw her flushed face. As soon as she looked up, she noticed Gekko Hayate in the corner, and her expression became even more complicated and more beautiful than before.

This clan leader is really a jerk.

Hyuga Hitoshi grinned, completely unfazed by Gekko Hayate's angry glare. He pulled Uzuki Yugao into his arms and casually made a gesture with his lips.

Your goddess is good!

Pfft!

After witnessing all this, Gekko Hayate finally spat out a mouthful of blood and sadly left the scene.

Hehe.

Since he was still seen as a devil in the eyes of these Konohagakure people, he might as well do some things a devil would do.

"Enough already? He's just worried about me."

Uzuki Yugao, who had given up struggling, returned to her normal self. She looked at him with a complex expression. The two of them clearly hadn't gotten together at this time, but thanks to Hyuga Hitoshi's interference, they would probably never have a chance again in this life.

But Uzuki Yugao didn't know this; she just felt extremely dissatisfied with Hyuga Hitoshi's territorial behavior.

She was only assigned as a guide by the Hokage, not something for you, Hyuga Hitoshi, to claim as your own!

"How boring, you Konohagakure people are the same as always."

Letting go of Uzuki Yugao and leaving the money for the meal, Hyuga Hitoshi stood up with a calm expression.

"I just didn't want my guide to always look so grim."

Isn't it because of what you did to the village before?

Uzuki Yugao adjusted her clothes and then glared at Hyuga Hitoshi in anger.

"Always double standard."

Hitoshi sneered.

"The villages of Kumogakure and Iwagakure started the war, just like I, who destroyed Konohagakure. All of us have caused pain to Konohagakure, but in my case, it was justified. Yet, Kumogakure and Iwagakure's arrival made you cheer and forget your hatred, welcoming them with smiles. But when it comes to me, it's different?"

In the end, they were all enemies of Konohagakure.

But when it came to Hyuga, it became unforgivable. To that, Hyuga Hitoshi just wanted to say...

"Or do you think I didn't do enough to this village? Should I increase my efforts to surpass Kumogakure and Iwagakure's position?"

Preconceived notions can really be harmful.

Finally, Hyuga Hitoshi gently pinched Uzuki Yugao's cheek as he watched her face quickly change expressions.

"Smile."

If you don't want your village to be destroyed again.

The young girl understood his meaning.

As expected.

This time, Uzuki Yugao quickly forced a smile, though it looked worse than crying.

But she had already realized what this man represented and didn't dare show him any more attitude.

Character shift.

At this moment, Yuka, a Chunin, became the tragic ninja sacrificing herself for the village, being bullied but too scared to show any dissatisfaction.

"See? You act like being my guide was a hardship for you, but you're still hanging around with that dogskin plaster, it's not even fun."

After eating, Satoshi was full, and the guide lady clearly had a mental shift.

The sun was shining brightly today, and Clan Leader Hitoshi continued to revisit Konohagakure.

And just as Clan Leader Hitoshi was reminiscing about the past...

Konohagakure. 

On the iconic Hokage Rock, a unique reunion between master and disciple was unfolding. 

But the atmosphere felt strangely oppressive. 

There was no joy on Konan's face from meeting her teacher again. 

And Jiraiya, looking as if he wanted to say something but stopped, didn't seem like the teacher who had once patiently taught others. 

It had been years since they had seen each other, and when Jiraiya saw Konan again, he couldn't help but feel the difference between her now and the little girl he remembered. He didn't know what had happened in the years since they parted ways that had caused her to change so much. 

Especially when, after seeing Hyuga Hitoshi and the Mizukage at the village entrance, Jiraiya had planned to leave but saw someone else get off the carriage. It was Konan. He was completely stunned. 

Konan was with Hyuga Hitoshi. 

At that moment, as a teacher, he felt compelled to step forward. 

He wanted to warn his disciple. 

"Hyuga Hitoshi is not a good person. He's not someone you should trust!" 

Jiraiya finally broke the silence, his expression serious as he looked at his female disciple. 

"The way he lives... I can't criticize him too harshly on that. After all, I'm not exactly a saint myself. But..." 

When it comes to manipulating people's hearts and wielding power, that man is a terrifying opponent. 

"He is truly a devil, the source of chaos in the ninja world, and a disaster that brings destruction." 

Thinking back to the last time he was summoned by the Great Toad Sage and went to Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya recalled the sage's evaluation of Hyuga Hitoshi, sending chills down his spine. 

"The Great Toad Sage once prophesied that he would bring disaster to the world." 

Jiraiya had never doubted that prophecy. 

After all, when Hyuga Hitoshi attacked Konohagakure, everything seemed to line up perfectly. 

"Is that so? So that's how he appears in other people's eyes." 

Konan's face remained calm as she listened to Jiraiya's words, without any emotional change. She even seemed to understand the man better through Jiraiya's expression. 

That's right. 

That man had once said that a person's prejudices are like a mountain. What he saw as an act of justice, others saw as disaster. 

"Konan, trust me, I'm only saying this for your own good." 

Seeing that Konan was not swayed, Jiraiya became more anxious. 

He really didn't want to see Konan fall into the abyss, only to be harmed by that man. 

"For someone like Hyuga Hitoshi, who is so fickle, I believe someone like Yahiko, who hopes for peace and mutual understanding, is much better." 

Yahiko and Nagato once made Jiraiya believe they were the children of prophecy. Jiraiya had personally taught them, guiding them with his own beliefs on how to live. 

He thought Yahiko was a thousand times better than Hyuga Hitoshi, just because of the Great Toad Sage's words. 

Yahiko... 

A flash of nostalgia appeared in Konan's eyes, but she didn't follow Jiraiya-sensei's words. Instead, she looked down at the village and suddenly stretched out her delicate hand to point. 

"So, what kind of existence is Konohagakure in Jiraiya-sensei's eyes?" 

With Hyuga Hitoshi being called a "disaster," what role does Konohagakure play? 

As expected, a trace of pride and satisfaction appeared in Jiraiya's eyes. 

This was the village he lived in. 

"Justice, sunshine, warmth, unity, full of kindness—there are too many good qualities to even list." 

Such a wonderful village. 

Hyuga Hitoshi, who had once destroyed Konohagakure, was nothing but an animal! 

In every word Jiraiya spoke, he never believed there was anything wrong with Konohagakure. 

But Konan, standing next to him, wore a faint, sarcastic smile. 

"Yeah, this so-called righteous village once killed Nagato's parents and teamed up with Hanzo of the Salamander, that semi-god, to kill Yahiko."

The atmosphere froze.

Jiraiya's pride and confidence slowly turned into disbelief.

Yahiko!?

Yahiko is dead? And Konohagakure teamed up with Hanzo to kill him? Jiraiya felt a surge of anger, and for a moment, he found the names of the three of them to be nothing but a bitter joke.

He wanted to say something, but found he didn't know how to start.

"Jiraiya-sensei."

Konan's tone was as calm as ever, showing no emotional change even when discussing Yahiko's death.

In her heart, Yahiko was still alive, and they were still working on the great dream they had once shared.

"I'm not blaming you. You might feel guilty, but as our teacher, you did your best. Without you, we probably would've died in the Land of Rain."

This was sincere gratitude.

"But when you turned your back and returned to Konohagakure, we had already taken different paths. Yahiko kept pushing forward with the theory you entrusted to him, the idea of mutual understanding, and I'm sure you've seen how we've grown and heard about the Akatsuki organization in the Land of Rain."

"But the old Akatsuki is dead. Now, I represent the village of Amegakure at the Fifth Hokage's ceremony in Konohagakure."

"Your role now is not as our teacher, but as a ninja from Konohagakure."

Ignoring the hurt look on Jiraiya's face, Konan pointed to his eyes.

"So, you can no longer influence our way of thinking."

Mutual understanding?

No, people can only understand pain. Nagato's theory was the correct one. Even Hyuga Hitoshi's Sun God Kingdom, which shared the same ideals as the old Akatsuki, used power to unite people, not understanding.

"I only believe in what I can see."

Konan said calmly.

"Then, would you be willing to put aside your prejudices and listen to what I see in Hyuga Hitoshi?"

What about the great toad sage?

In the end, he was just an animal.

When did the dreams of animals start affecting the way the human world works?

As for the legendary toad sage's dreams never being wrong, where is the person who received that theory now?

At least Konan didn't know.

All she knew was that the toad who said Hyuga Hitoshi would bring disaster to the ninja world had never even seen him.

"At first, I, like you, thought he was a violent maniac who would threaten others with force at the drop of a hat."

Wasn't that the case?

Jiraiya's lips twitched. Looking back at Hyuga Hitoshi's life, wasn't that exactly how he acted?

"But that was just a misunderstanding."

A soft look passed through Konan's eyes. That time when Hyuga Hitoshi clashed with Sasori of the Red Sand, it was clearly Sasori who started the fight, and Sasori had already understood pain and promised never to trouble Hitoshi again.

"Everything he did in Konohagakure was the same."

"Isn't it true that he stood up to separate from Konohagakure only because he wanted to protect the people around him, to safeguard the interests of his clan?"

"And according to his true intentions, he never planned to attack Konohagakure. It was you who kept talking, not wanting him to leave, and that forced him to take action, right?"

Has this already reached Amegakure?

Jiraiya's face turned red as he had no idea how to explain.

"When he left the village, wasn't it Konohagakure that wronged the Hyuga clan first? And why does everyone conveniently forget the contributions the Hyuga clan, and Hyuga Hitoshi himself, made to Konohagakure?"

Without Hyuga Hitoshi, Konohagakure would've been finished long ago, whether during the Third Great Ninja War or the later war with Kumogakure.

In other words, Hyuga was once a benefactor to Konohagakure.

The benefactor just wanted to leave Konohagakure. What's wrong with that?

"But the things in Konohagakure are just your family matters, and I'm not in a position to comment on them. I just personally believe there's nothing wrong with him taking his clan and leaving Konohagakure."

Konan sighed softly.

"What really changed my impression was the emergence of the Sun God Kingdom."

"Whether it's the Five Great Nations or the five major ninja villages, no matter how ninjas like you view the Sun God Kingdom, its existence represents the dream of the old Akatsuki. It also brought a glimmer of hope to many small countries that have suffered under the oppression of the big nations."

"I believe that if the Land of Rain had had a sanctuary like the Sun God Kingdom, Nagato's parents would never have been killed by Konohagakure ninjas, and you wouldn't have been able to team up with Hanzo to trap and kill Yahiko."

"Even, you wouldn't have been able to bring war to the Sun God Kingdom!"

Killing with words.

His own village killed his student's parents, leading to his student's death, and as a teacher, he couldn't do anything to change it.

By now, Jiraiya knew that he no longer had any standing to try to persuade Konan.

"So, in my eyes..."

But Konan continued speaking, staring at Jiraiya with a blank expression.

"Hyuga Hitoshi, who established the Sun God Kingdom and wanted to unite small countries to offer them protection, is undoubtedly a great man. He's doing what the old Akatsuki couldn't accomplish."

Also,

Although the man had a strong interest in women, Konan could see clearly that the women around him were all strong. Even with Terumi Mei, there had never been any issue of force. He only gave power to those who willingly accepted it after asking for their consent.

And he clearly told Terumi Mei and Sakura that if they didn't want to, they could find someone else. It was all their choice.

Konan was beyond saving.

Jiraiya, who had no idea what Konan had gone through these years, now felt helpless. His student was nearly ready to point at his nose and tell him they were on different paths.

And Konan had made it clear.

She still remembered the lessons he had taught her, but now she rejected Jiraiya's attempts to control her life.

The teacher-student bond still existed, but it could never be as pure as before.

The same time, the same Konohagakure.

Hyuga Hitoshi, the clan leader, enjoyed being guided patiently by female ninjas around Konohagakure, while Konan, through her conversation with Jiraiya, had come to fully understand her own heart and realized that she was beyond saving.

Everyone had made progress in their own way.

But for them, the mood of the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, wasn't so pleasant.

In a guest room in Konohagakure, Onoki and A looked at Rasa's gloomy face and couldn't help but laugh.

After Rasa sat down, Onoki couldn't resist teasing him.

"What did Mizukage say?"

Originally, this meeting was just between the three of them, but Rasa seemed to think he could still make a case with the Mizukage, so he shamelessly went to invite her personally.

But...

"Terumi Mei told me to get lost."

Rasa felt quite embarrassed. It was just the Mizukage, yet she didn't take him seriously. If they weren't in Konohagakure, he would've lost his temper right there and shown Terumi Mei what it meant to have the power to suppress Shukaku.

"Wasn't that obvious?"

Raikage clicked his tongue, not surprised at all.

"Mizukage is clearly Hyuga Hitoshi's woman. That guy really knows how to handle women. I heard that there are now more than ten women who are either involved with him or have a close relationship with him, but no one's jealous."

As he said this, he teased.

"Maybe if we fail this time, next time we'll have to use beauty to take him down."

It was certainly a skill that every man would envy.

"No problem. At worst, when it's over, Mizukage will regret it tomorrow, and you can tell her to get lost."

Oonoki, an old man with much experience, spoke with an air of certainty, but to be safe, he turned to look at the Raikage.

"Raikage, out of all of us, you're the only one who's actually fought the Hyuga clan. What do you think about their combat abilities?"

Combat abilities?

Raikage thought for a moment and recalled the wide-area carpet bombing. In his impression, apart from the terrifying Hyuga Hitoshi, the Hyuga clan probably only had that one technique worth noting.

But this situation wasn't impossible to handle.

"In direct combat, I believe that with two Jinchuriki on our side, their old-fashioned tactics won't be too effective," Raikage said. "But we still need to consider whether Hyuga Hitoshi has some special method to return and offer support. Intelligence says he seems to control a teleportation technique, and we need to prevent him from panicking and trying to take us all down by summoning the moon."

This was indeed a concern.

Oonoki nodded. However, there were ways in the ninja world to deal with space-based Ninjutsu. Some barriers could effectively restrict their movement.

"I mean, is summoning the moon really that ridiculous?"

Nearby, Rasa frowned. When the Hyuga clan defected from Konohagakure, there were rumors that Hyuga Hitoshi had the ability to summon the moon and even turn it into a strange eye.

But that had just been gossip. Why did Raikage and Tsuchikage seem to believe it now?

No, it seemed like they were the ones who had lived through it themselves!

"Kazekage, I don't want to admit it, but I have to tell you clearly. If it weren't absolutely necessary, I wouldn't want to make an enemy out of that man," Oonoki said seriously.

He had only acted this time because this was the combined strength of the five great nations. It wasn't just their Iwagakure Village, and they weren't targeting Hyuga Hitoshi directly.

According to the plan, once they were sure that Hyuga Hitoshi had arrived at Konohagakure, they would order those lurking around the Sun God Kingdom to move quickly, settle the war, and then control the Hyuga clan's people.

As long as they could achieve that, they were confident they could stand on equal ground with Hyuga Hitoshi during negotiations, forcing him to bow his head like Senju Hashirama, giving up his dignity.

They might even use the Hyuga clan's people to control this powerful man, doing other things to completely crush the resolve of the smaller nations to resist.

And to prevent Hyuga Hitoshi from fighting back, they would impose some kind of restrictions on the Hyuga clan's people, using them as a balancing tool.

At that point, unless this man really wanted to go down in flames, challenging the entire ninja world on his own, he would be at their mercy.

Without a doubt, those clan members were Hyuga Hitoshi's only weakness, aside from his lust.

This was an operation organized by the five great nations to target his weakness, which is why Oonoki was involved, reaffirming his will of the stone.

But clearly, none of them realized one problem.

"Is it possible that Hyuga Hitoshi thinks that the Hyuga clan alone can really challenge the whole ninja world? Maybe that's why he came to the Fifth Hokage succession ceremony without any worries? Did he come with a playful attitude?"

With Raikage's bold statement, the atmosphere in the room suddenly grew heavy.

But the next second, Raikage, Rasa, and Oonoki all burst out laughing.

Raikage had really lost his mind!

"Hahaha, you're overthinking it, Raikage. Without Senju Hashirama, the Senju clan can only keep their heads down."

"Exactly, Raikage, can the Hyuga clan really be stronger than the Senju?"

"Heh, it's my mistake. Just consider what I said a joke," Oonoki said with a smile.

Exactly.

The Hyuga clan—what do they think they're capable of?

The room's atmosphere turned cheerful in an instant.

But no one knew that Raikage's careless words were actually the real truth.

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