Kabuto Yakushi had long studied the Tenseigan.
However, he had made little progress due to the scarcity of references and the immense difficulty involved.
Now, Natsume had handed him an actual member of the Otsutsuki Clan.
This gave Kabuto his first breakthrough—from nothing to something real.
From the end result, deducing the process was naturally much easier.
Although in Natsume's eyes, Toneri Otsutsuki wasn't exactly a true Otsutsuki.
He was only a descendant of Hamura Otsutsuki—far beneath Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's level.
Still, he was more than enough to advance the Tenseigan.
A week later, Natsume received word from Kabuto that the experiment was ready to begin.
He vanished from the Hokage's office and reappeared within the Hyuga Compound.
"Hokage-sama."
Someone immediately noticed him and hurriedly bowed respectfully.
Ever since the Hyuga abolished the division between main and branch families, the atmosphere had changed dramatically—fresh and full of vitality.
Their respect for Natsume had also grown even stronger.
They knew none of this would have existed without him.
After all, everything started with Hinata Hyuga.
Perhaps everything had started to change the moment Hizashi Hyuga became one of the Hokage's advisors.
"Is your clan leader here?"
Natsume nodded in response before asking.
Hiashi Hyuga, as clan head, held no official position in Konoha and rarely went on missions. He was practically a homebody.
"He's in his study."
A young ninja quickly answered.
"Thanks."
Natsume turned and headed toward the study.
He knew the layout of Hinata's home like the back of his hand.
Even with his eyes closed, he wouldn't get lost.
It might as well have been his second home.
That familiarity came from coming by every day to bring her food.
Incidentally, Hiashi and Rinka Hyuga had recently learned about their daughter's reputation as a big eater.
Initial shock gave way to pleasant surprise.
They both understood that chakra originated from spiritual energy and physical strength.
Eating more naturally increased physical power.
To the point where they almost felt resentful that Natsume and Hinata hadn't told them sooner.
Though they didn't dare say it aloud.
Arriving at the study door, Natsume knocked.
"Please come in."
Hiashi's voice came from inside.
Natsume opened the door.
"H-Hokage-sama!"
Hiashi leapt to his feet, astonished to see him. "Why did you personally come? You could have simply sent someone to notify me."
His demeanor was sincerely humble.
Technically, Natsume was both his daughter's elder brother and mentor.
In terms of generation, Hiashi should have held seniority.
Yet he didn't dare come across as presumptuous or arrogant.
"There's something I wanted to discuss. Since I was nearby, I thought I'd drop by in person."
Natsume smiled slightly and said, "It concerns the evolution of the Byakugan."
"Eh?"
Hiashi looked surprised, thinking he must have misheard. "Evolution? The Byakugan has no evolution."
In the Hyuga Clan, awakening the Byakugan came naturally to everyone.
With training, everyone would eventually awaken it upon reaching a certain age.
No emotional trigger was necessary.
However, as one grew older, the Byakugan's potential eventually plateaued.
Take Hiashi Hyuga for example.
As the clan leader, putting aside his chakra reserves, his Byakugan was actually nothing special—barely more advanced than the rest. It wasn't like the Uchiha clan, where the gap between the Mangekyo Sharingan and the Three-Tomoe Sharingan was like night and day.
[Advanced Form of the Byakugan].
Natsume offered no explanation and cut straight to the point, asking, "Where's Hinata?"
Hiashi wanted to say more but found himself at a loss, his heart twisted with unease like a cat's claws digging into him.
You stop right when it gets interesting? That's pure cruelty!
With a sharp exhale, he replied, "She's at the Ninja Academy today."
"I'll go find her. You head to the Research Division and meet Yakushi Kabuto."
Hinata gave a slight nod and said.
The Research Division?
Hiashi wore an expression of confusion.
But before he could ask, Natsume had already disappeared from sight.
"Advanced Form of the Byakugan?"
Hiashi murmured to himself. "If this is real, the Hyuga clan is about to face an unprecedented opportunity."
He recalled how Natsume had taken the Byakugan of Elder Hiromasa Hyuga earlier.
Could it be that in such a short time, they've discovered something new?
A shiver ran through Hiashi's body, and his respect for Natsume deepened even further.
After all these years, the Hyuga clan had never uncovered any secrets of the Byakugan.
Snapping back to reality, he hurriedly put on his shoes and rushed out.
Natsume appeared at the Ninja Academy.
Class hadn't ended yet.
He quickly located Hinata Hyuga.
She was nearby, standing outside Hanabi's classroom.
She wasn't idle by any means—she was training.
Her level of dedication almost made Natsume feel utterly ashamed for falling short.
Well, okay, he was hardworking too.
[Add Points to Deep Blue].
"Big Brother Natsume."
Hinata spotted him and immediately lit up with a smile, running over to him.
She must have been training for a while—her small face glistened with a light sheen of sweat.
Natsume reached out and wiped her forehead gently.
A surge of chakra coursed through her.
Her rapid breathing gradually calmed.
She felt the warmth from Natsume's large hand and blushed slightly.
"Thank you, Big Brother Natsume."
She said softly, keeping her head down.
"You waiting for Hanabi to finish class?"
Natsume withdrew his hand and asked.
"Mm-hmm."
Hinata explained, "Yesterday we just came back from a mission with Sasuke and everyone. Since nothing's going on today, I thought I'd come early and wait for her."
[Chapter Not Finished Yet!!!]
"How much longer until school ends?"
Natsume asked again.
"Half an hour."
Hinata lifted her head and replied. "But if you need to leave, don't worry. Even if no one picks her up, Hanabi can make her way home alone."
"That works."
At first, Natsume had intended to send someone to pick up Hanabi.
But Hinata had a point—Hanabi was no helpless toddler who'd get lost easily.
"Come with me."
Natsume extended his hand, gripping her shoulders.
In an instant, the two of them reappeared at the Research Division building.
"Hokage-sama."
Hiashi Hyuga had already arrived ahead of schedule.
If he had come on foot, he shouldn't have arrived this quickly.
He must've been really anxious.
But that was understandable.
After all, this concerned the Byakugan itself.
"Father."
"Hinata Hyuga is here too."
Hiashi Hyuga was equally surprised.
Why was Hinata Hyuga involved in this?
"Let's go."
Kabuto Yakushi didn't give them time to catch up.
He was already eager to begin.
As a researcher, nothing excited him more than this moment.
One success could lead to endless possibilities afterward.
This world placed great emphasis on bloodline.
And now, the ultimate bloodline might be born in his hands.
Kabuto felt thrilled.
He opened the door and entered the lab.
Lying on the white operating table was the unconscious Toneri Otsutsuki.
Both Hiashi and Hinata looked at him with curiosity.
They faintly sensed a vague connection through their bloodline.
Was he one of the Hyuga clan?
They were puzzled but didn't ask further.
"Hinata Hyuga, lie down here."
Kabuto pointed toward the empty adjacent operating table.
"Wait a second."
Hiashi couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is going on?"
He wouldn't care about others, but this was different with Hinata.
She was his daughter, the future of the Hyuga clan.
Of course, he needed answers.
Hinata turned her eyes toward Natsume.
Yet, she showed no sign of worry.
"The evolution of the Byakugan."
Natsume bent down and gently picked up Hinata. Then he slowly carried her toward the operating table.
A sudden movement.
By the time Hinata realized what had happened, she was already wrapped in his warm embrace.
Her face instantly turned bright red.
"Don't worry. There won't be any problem."
Natsume laid her down carefully on the operating table, then ruffled her hair lightly.
"Just a moment, and it'll be over."
Even if an accident occurred, it wouldn't endanger her life.
If that happened, he could always use destiny value to fix things.
Hiashi wanted to say more, but the words escaped him. In the end, he remained silent, only staring tensely at Kabuto Yakushi, watching what he would do next.
Natsume smiled slightly at Hinata, then stepped back a few paces.
Kabuto slipped on the white gloves and began the procedure.
Since Toneri lacked eyes, this wasn't a typical eye transplant—it was far more complex.
Compared to a typical eye transplant, this procedure was much more complicated.
Fortunately, Hinata's bloodline was pure enough.
Roughly two hours later, the surgery was complete.
Hinata woke up.
When she opened her eyes, her once-pale white pupils now shimmered with a striking light-blue hue.
An invisible pressure radiated outward.
"T-t-this!"
Hiashi's eyes widened as his body trembled.
Familiar yet powerful.
Undoubtedly, this was the advancement of the Byakugan.
Just imagining the Hyuga clan awakening the Tenseigan in the future filled him with exhilaration.
The future looked promising!
Natsume glanced at him but chose not to disclose the difficulties involved.
Eventually, he would learn the truth himself.
The fact that Hinata had awakened the Tenseigan was purely due to her innate talent and the Chakra of the Otsutsuki Clan.
However, members of the Otsutsuki Clan were incredibly rare—making this awakening method nearly impossible to replicate.
Fortunately, Kabuto Yakushi remained—a final glimmer of hope.
However, Natsume guessed that it wouldn't come close to matching the power of Hinata Hyuga's Tenseigan.
Still, it was an incredibly rare evolution.
"Hinata Hyuga, how do you feel?"
Natsume asked.
Hinata Hyuga tilted her head slightly, the puzzled look on her face slowly fading away.
A torrent of information flooded her mind.
She basically understood the abilities of the Tenseigan.
But precisely because of this, she looked at Natsume with shock.
This gift was worth more than everything else put together.
She extended her hand, and green chakra beads instantly materialized in her palm.
Natsume didn't feel much.
But Hiashi Hyuga and Kabuto Yakushi were both stunned, a powerful wave of danger washing over them.
The Tenseigan had several incredibly powerful Dojutsu techniques.
For example, the Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion and Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.
The foundation of these techniques lay in those green chakra beads.
In addition, the Tenseigan Chakra Mode allowed the user to form Truth-Seeking Balls and employ Yin-Yang Release techniques.
All in all, it wasn't much weaker than the Rinnegan.
"Go back and get used to it well."
Natsume patted Hinata Hyuga's head and said, "Your eyes have already become the Tenseigan. This is an eye comparable to the Sage of Six Paths."
The Sage of Six Paths' eyes were the Rinnegan, and for many people, this wasn't really a secret.
Hiashi knew this as well.
Upon hearing these words, he gawked in disbelief, his entire body trembling afterward.
Such a terrifying eye was actually an evolution of the Byakugan?
The future of the Hyuga clan was brighter than he had imagined.
"Mm-hmm."
This mini-chapter isn't over yet—more excitement coming!
Hinata Hyuga dispelled her chakra, but the gleam in her eyes never faded.
Because that was the mark of the Tenseigan.
It looked just like the concentric circles of a Rinnegan.
Natsume glanced at her twice.
Hmm… still looks good.
It didn't affect Hinata Hyuga's beautiful face.
Natsume sent both of them back to the Hyuga clan.
"That… Hokage-sama…"
Hiashi steadied himself and couldn't help asking, "How exactly is the Tenseigan awakened? And who was that boy earlier?"
He'd witnessed the entire procedure performed by Kabuto Yakushi.
Although he didn't recognize Toneri Ōtsutsuki, he did feel the transfer of chakra.
The awakening of the Tenseigan must have been related to him.
"It's complicated to explain."
Natsume thought for a moment before saying, "Ask Kabuto when you have time. Whether or not your Byakugan can evolve will depend on the success of his experiments."
Kabuto?
Hiashi was momentarily stunned.
He had assumed it was Natsume's achievement, but it turned out to be Kabuto's.
He hadn't known much about Kabuto before.
He only knew him as Tsunade's student and a Medical Ninja.
Now, though, he realized he needed to build a good relationship.
After all, this man held the key to the evolution of the Byakugan.
After throwing Kabuto under the bus, Natsume casually walked out of the Hyuga compound.
A few days later, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki returned to Konoha Village.
"How did it go?"
Natsume asked with anticipation.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki didn't respond immediately.
Her Byakugan swirled slightly before faint purple markings suddenly appeared.
It was a Tenseigan—but its color was different from Hinata's and the larger one before.
It was uncertain how much power Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had gained.
Still, it was ultimately a good thing.
"Come with me."
Natsume led her up to the rooftop.
A tall tower had already been erected there.
"Place the Tenseigan inside," Natsume said, pointing toward the tower. "It would be even better if you placed a barrier around it to hide it from view."
Leaving it exposed could certainly act as a deterrent to enemies.
But keeping it hidden allows for greater surprise and prevents enemies from acting rashly.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki nodded slightly and raised her hand.
The Tenseigan shrank back to its original size and disappeared into the tower.
Without delay, she wove a barrier around it.
Natsume started thinking about who he should assign to guard this place.
Considering the possibility of future usage, someone from the Hyuga clan would be ideal.
It was a shame that Hinata and Hanabi Hyuga were still too young; otherwise, entrusting them with this duty would have been most reassuring.
Still, on regular days, there was no need for such complexity.
He could simply have Anbu members take turns guarding it.
Better yet, they didn't even need to know what it was they were guarding.
Natsume and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki returned to the Hokage's office together.
They settled onto the sofa.
While gently rubbing her hands, he asked, "Will you be staying in the office for now?"
He realized once again how wise a decision it had been to include a private room in the Hokage's office.
Temporarily housing someone for a few days posed no problem.
Kaguya's eyes sparkled slightly as she nodded.
Someone else might find the space insufficient,
For her, however, it meant spending ample time with Natsume.
It was, in her eyes, practically perfect.
However, Natsume understood her thoughts well enough and immediately set some ground rules.
No overexertion throughout the day.
And under no circumstances should she reveal herself or risk being seen by visitors.
This peaceful routine would end once Nagato attacked Konoha.
So much so that Kaguya found herself considering eliminating Nagato before he even reached Konoha.
That way, she wouldn't have to leave the Hokage's office at all.
[Four thousand words.]
(End of Chapter)
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