Chapter 319: Sasuke Gets the Chakra of the Tenseigan
On his fair face, a middle-aged man with white eyes led a team with a stern expression. Under Hinata's silent gaze, he stepped through a time-space gate radiating a soft blue glow.
At that moment, the vision was cut off.
After a blur, the reconnected scene looked entirely different from before.
Calmly walking along the streets of the Rain Country, the middle-aged man gently instructed the younger members of his clan, showing no sign of remembering what lay beyond that space-time gate.
This was the fate of Hyuga Iroha, as seen through Ryosuke's eyes.
Any destiny intertwined with the world of Teigu would be overwritten—replaced with a strange and unexplainable fate.
But now, when Ryosuke once again observed Iroha's fate thread, there was no longer a break or blur like before.
From the moment Iroha crossed the space-time gate, his fate played out clearly: the scene shifted to snow-covered landscapes. Then came his first expedition into the world of Teigu, a nighttime raid on a detachment under Esdeath's command, the successful capture of thousands of alien soldiers…
The trajectory of Hyuga Iroha's fate had changed.
But why?
Back in the ninja world, Ryosuke sifted carefully through intelligence his clansmen had gathered from the Teigu world—day-to-day changes, minor shifts, subtle developments.
Nothing stood out as extraordinary.
If anything could be said, it was that Hyuga's influence over the Teigu world was growing steadily.
Even after people learned Hinata's origin as someone from another world, they continued to accept him without hesitation.
That, Ryosuke surmised, was likely the shift that allowed him to clearly perceive that world's fate.
Did it mean influence was the key?
If so, then surely a brute-force conquest would be the most efficient method.
Military domination across worlds would send shockwaves—an undeniable impact.
But Ryosuke quickly dismissed the idea.
If sheer force were enough, Hinata would have already gained that fate-penetrating ability when he became king of the Empire. Yet that didn't happen.
So maybe... it wasn't about absolute power.
Maybe it was about acknowledgment—being genuinely accepted by the people of that world.
Ryosuke considered the possibility.
Still, his thoughts remained speculative. It wasn't something that could be easily tested. It would take years, maybe decades, to verify.
He dropped the matter for now.
After all, he already had a good idea how things would play out in the Ultraman world.
Not because he knew the plot of the original timeline, but because he had already given Daigo the answer.
Yes, while Daigo had defeated Gatanothor in the original timeline, Ryosuke knew it was basically a plot armor scenario. In reality, Daigo didn't hold that level of power.
And now, with Hinata interfering in this world's timeline, it was hard to say whether the outcome would mirror the original events.
Still, Ryosuke had already informed Daigo that Tiga's power came from human hope and willpower—meaning it could be awakened artificially, under the right circumstances.
At the very least, Ryosuke had deciphered the rules of that world. He believed he could become "light" himself and merge with Tiga, if needed. It wasn't a farfetched idea anymore.
If Daigo failed, then Ryosuke would simply do what he promised—clean up after Gatanothor had ravaged the world.
Just as Ryosuke no longer concerned himself with the Tiga world, Hinata, too, had withdrawn after the final handover.
Even Uchiha Sasuke—the one who controlled the space-time gate—had left.
The coming disaster in that world would serve as a benchmark for Hinata's overall evaluation.
…
"Why? Why can't your chakra awaken the Rinnegan in me?!"
In the Hyuga clan's training grounds, Uchiha Sasuke was breathing heavily, his expression twisted in frustration. He stared hard at Hyuga Ryosuke standing before him.
Moments ago, Sasuke had exchanged the chakra of the Tenseigan stored in Ryosuke's body for control over the space-time gate to the Ultraman world.
Now that his partnership with Hinata had reached its limit, and this world no longer offered him meaningful growth, Sasuke saw this trade as a step toward acquiring something more useful—
Like Ashura's chakra.
During his temporary alliance with Hinata, Sasuke encountered one of his ancestors and finally uncovered the true method for evolving the Rinnegan.
However, even after secretly returning to Konoha and extracting Hashirama Senju's cells, there was no change. His Sharingan didn't respond.
He felt nothing.
Then he speculated—perhaps Ashura's chakra had dissipated with Hashirama's death, making it impossible to retrieve from his remains. Without that power, the Mangekyō Sharingan couldn't take the next step.
And so, Sasuke began searching.
Since the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura had always been legendary shinobi, Sasuke naturally turned his attention to the Hyuga.
Maybe Ryosuke was this generation's Ashura.
So, Sasuke proposed a trade: control of the time-space gate in exchange for Ryosuke's chakra.
"The deal is done," Ryosuke said calmly. "Now… hand over the control of the gate."
His eyes were gentle, but firm.
In truth, Ryosuke had already decided long ago: regardless of how many time-space gates the Hyuga opened, he would remain the ultimate controller. Others would only have temporary access.
It was a matter of security—for the clan and for himself.
Even if Sasuke hadn't made this deal, Ryosuke would've found another way to regain full control.
With a clenched jaw and a reluctant nod, Sasuke handed over the gate's control, just as they had agreed.
But before he could leave, Ryosuke called out.
"I know what you're trying to do," he said. "But based on what I've learned, the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura have one thing in common beyond their strength and talent."
Sasuke paused, glancing back in confusion.
"No matter where they are, they always find each other. Their chakra pulls them together. They might become enemies or allies, but they're always rivals—at the core of each other's lives."
Ryosuke looked at him with a quiet smile.
"So, tell me, Sasuke—who do you think weighs most heavily in your heart? Who is your truest rival in this world?"
Sasuke stared at him.
Then realization struck.
Without a word, he turned and vanished—leaving the training grounds, the Hyuga territory, the entire Land of Rain—racing away with singular purpose.
There was only one goal in his heart now: to find Uzumaki Naruto.
"It looks like Naruto won't be traveling alone on his next journey."
Ryosuke's clear Tenseigan watched Sasuke's retreating figure, as if they could pierce through thousands of mountains and rivers to see Naruto—who was just now preparing to leave Konoha and begin training alone.
At the same time, he seemed to glimpse their reunion, and all that would unfold between them afterward.
"Why are you acting like some kind of charlatan?"
Hinata, rubbing her lower back, walked over from the training grounds nearby. Sasuke's noisy departure had been loud enough to wake her.
"What's wrong? With your current physique, you still get back pain?" Ryosuke turned around, a little puzzled.
"I've been sitting too long. Maybe it's psychological," Hinata muttered as she massaged her knees. "There's just too much to deal with every day. Even if I sit cross-legged for hours, my mind won't calm down."
As she spoke, she looked at Ryosuke expectantly. "Is there a better way for me to evolve my Byakugan into the Tenseigan?"
"No. You'll have to figure that out yourself." Ryosuke shook his head. "I don't have experience with that either. Why not ask Hanabi... or maybe Neji?"
Strengthening the clan was a matter of urgency.
After Hanabi successfully evolved her Byakugan into the Tenseigan using the chakra he provided, Ryosuke had tried the same with Neji.
Although Neji was from the branch family, his father, Hyuga Hizashi, was Hiashi's younger twin—so Neji's bloodline purity wasn't inferior to Hinata's.
That was also why Neji's Byakugan had always performed better than most, able to see through objects that others couldn't.
"You're the first genius of the Hyuga clan," Hinata said irritably. "And you don't even want to help me?"
It was no wonder she was frustrated. It had been over half a year since she completed the fifteenth level of physical training.
Ryosuke had injected Tenseigan
chakra into her body hundreds of times, yet not once had she experienced the resonance that Hanabi and Neji described—the crucial sign before a Byakugan entered the 'fetal movement' phase of evolution.
Others had completed the process in just one or two tries. She had attempted it hundreds of times with zero response. It was demoralizing.
Sometimes, Hinata even began to doubt the purity of her own blood. Could her mother have given birth to the wrong child?
The more she thought about it, the more the theory seemed plausible.
The main family's talent in training had always been exceptional thanks to their bloodline. Even her father, despite neglecting training due to clan affairs, could quickly regain his strength after returning to practice.
But then there was her—an exception.
She wasn't good at fighting or training.
If not for her status and the resources that came with her identity, she might've been treated as just another average member of the clan.
"Maybe... I'm just too good?" Ryosuke hesitated. "I don't even know how to explain it. My Byakugan suddenly evolved into the Tenseigan without warning. I didn't experience any transition at all."
That was the truth.
After three years of steady accumulation, he'd broken through in a single moment. All he remembered was the pain—and then the transformation was complete.
There hadn't been any sort of mystical, step-by-step awakening.
"Asshole."
Hinata was practically vibrating with jealousy, but there was nothing she could say to argue.
"Why don't I just give this to you?"
Ryosuke held out his hand. Floating above his palm was a pale yellow Tenseigan, formed from the lives of countless Otsutsuki branch members on the moon.
"With your Byakugan's purity, you should be able to control this Tenseigan. The only thing you'll need to worry about is chakra."
"When the Byakugan evolves into the Tenseigan, the chakra in the body also changes—both in quality and function."
"You'd have to use your Byakugan chakra to control this Tenseigan, meaning you'd burn twice the chakra just to operate it."
He laid out the pros and cons clearly.
Even though this Tenseigan had amplification properties, no one had ever been able to fully utilize it—not even Ryosuke.
Which meant it was basically just a priceless artifact he couldn't actually use.
Rather than let it gather dust, he figured it might be more useful in the hands of his rookie wife.
Hinata hesitated for a long time.
In the end, she didn't take the Tenseigan from his hand.
She had only spoken out of frustration earlier. Getting angry at herself now would be pointless.
But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she couldn't give up here.
When she had asked Ryosuke to train her back in the Ultraman world, she'd said every word with conviction. Backing down now would be cowardly.
Ryosuke smiled as he withdrew his hand.
He had already guessed what her decision would be.
Hinata had always been strong-willed. Even when others doubted her, even when things seemed impossible—she'd kept going. Again and again, she made the improbable happen through sheer persistence.
And that tenacity... that was what made Ryosuke fall for her.
It wasn't the engagement or her status.
It was her.
"Strangely enough, you remind me of yourself when you were younger."
Ryosuke looked at her now, silent and cross-legged, starting to meditate and absorb the last traces of Tenseigan chakra left in her body.
He sat beside her.
"You were exhausted, tears streaming down your face, but you still stood under the sun, silently waving your arms."
"Stop talking. I need my dignity," Hinata muttered, cracking one eye open to glare at him.
That was the downside of childhood sweethearts—every embarrassing childhood memory was shared knowledge.
Worse, she knew none of his embarrassing stories. Ryosuke had always been composed, mature even as a child. He'd approached everything with the precision of an old scholar, never leaving mistakes behind.
"I mean… you were so cute back then."
Ryosuke didn't stop. "But now you're brighter. You speak up when you're wronged. You're not afraid to say what's on your mind."
"Shut up!"
Hinata lunged at him, trying to cover his mouth with her palm.
"You're the clan leader! Why are you still so fond of teasing me?!"
Ryosuke leaned back and easily dodged, grinning. "Crying and saying you didn't want to train, then sitting in that bucket of medicinal fluid bawling your eyes out—that scream was so dramatic it could've woken the dead."
"Damn it! You were watching me?!"
"Hey, that's not called watching. I'm telling you about it now, aren't I? And you were so loud, I thought something dangerous had happened!"