After sending off the Third Hokage and the Fourth Hokage couple, Hyuga Hiashi returned to the Main Family with his son, Satoru. Perhaps still in a contemplative mood, Hiashi seemed inclined to give a little fatherly instruction.
Once back inside, instead of dismissing Satoru, he said,
"This was your first time meeting the Third and Fourth Hokage, and your manners were decent enough. As expected of my son."
Then his eyes sharpened slightly.
"Tell me, what are your impressions of those two Hokage?"
The ability to read people was an important skill for any shinobi. On missions, the ones who could judge others' hearts were often the ones who survived.
And since Satoru was being raised as the clan's future heir, mastering this ability was all the more essential.
Satoru shook his head slightly.
"It was only a single meeting, so there's too little information to make a sound judgment," he replied.
Before Hiashi could show disappointment, Satoru continued, "But… I could see some things."
"The Third Hokage appears calm and kind, measured in all things—but during their conversation, the Fourth's words and even his gaze seemed to orbit subtly around the Third.
"It's strange, really. The Fourth is the current Hokage, yet his demeanor felt more like that of a respectful junior—almost like a nephew before an elder."
"Still, although the Fourth shows respect, that doesn't mean he's without his own thoughts or ambitions. The 'promise' he made to you before leaving—that was his signal."
"I can't claim to understand their full personalities yet, but I'd say the relationship between the Third and Fourth isn't quite as close as they appear."
Hiashi froze for a moment. He had only wanted a casual impression from his son, but Satoru's words stunned him into silence.
After a long pause, Hiashi abruptly crouched down, gripping Satoru's arm excitedly.
"You… you analyzed all that just now?!"
"Anything else?"
Hiashi had long been impressed by his son's natural talent, but this was something else entirely. Some geniuses were born for ninjutsu, others for strategy—like Nara Shikaku, whose intellect far outstripped his fighting power.
But to see such analytical precision in his own son? It took Hiashi completely by surprise.
Satoru tilted his head slightly. "Is there something specific you want to know, Father?"
"If you're asking for my overall opinion," he went on calmly, "then I'd say this is a rare opportunity for the Hyuga."
"The Fourth Hokage promised to 'do what he could' for our clan, didn't he?"
"In my view, we should take advantage of that and make a few harmless requests. That way, our clan and the Fourth Hokage will naturally establish a friendly, mutually beneficial relationship—something we can build upon later."
Hiashi's excitement faded slightly. He straightened up, patting Satoru's head with a smile.
"You're clever, no doubt about that—but there's still much to learn," he said in a tone of gentle authority.
"When you read a person, look at their heart. When you listen to words, hear what lies behind them."
"The Fourth's offer to 'help the Hyuga' was just polite talk. Even if he truly meant it, such a precious favor shouldn't be wasted so lightly. It's better to save that promise for a time when our clan truly faces hardship."
Hiashi looked rather pleased with himself, savoring the chance to play the wise mentor. Everyone, after all, has that "teacher's itch"—whether it's giving driving advice or critiquing someone's video game play. Hiashi was no different, and in front of his son, that instinct was even stronger.
But Satoru just shook his head.
"No, Father. If you see it that way, you're missing the point."
Hiashi blinked. "Oh?"
"Judging from the way you and the Fourth addressed each other during the tea ceremony," Satoru explained, "there isn't much personal connection between the Hyuga and him."
"If you think we can rely on this 'one mission' to ask a huge favor someday, you're being too optimistic."
"We're Konoha shinobi—it's our duty to obey the Hokage's orders. From his perspective, the Hyuga participating in a mission is simply us doing our job. He owes us nothing."
"So the only reason he offered that promise was to bring our clan a little closer to him politically."
"In that case," Satoru smiled faintly, "we might as well 'trouble him' a bit. True rapport comes from shared benefit—that's how relationships deepen, isn't it?"
His calm, confident words—that knowing little smile—left Hiashi momentarily speechless.
"Hmm… You… actually make a good point."
The boy's logic was sound. A single cooperative mission wasn't enough to forge lasting trust. If the Hyuga wanted a real connection with the Hokage, there needed to be something more—a deeper bond.
"But still," Hiashi mused, furrowing his brows, "what kind of favor could we even ask? The Hyuga lack for nothing. And the balance has to be handled delicately."
He glanced at Satoru, an idea flickering in his mind, before sighing.
"It's a pity…"
"If not for our clan's strict traditions, asking the Fourth to take you as his disciple might've been a fine request."
"With your talent, you'd be no worse than that Hatake Kakashi kid."
"Such a waste…"
Hiashi's tone was full of regret—and his words made Satoru's expression darken slightly.
Hiashi wasn't entirely honest. The real reason he dismissed the idea wasn't impossibility, but pride.
The Hyuga were one of Konoha's mightiest bloodline clans. They prided themselves on their independence—Main Family members were always trained by their own, never by outsiders. Even the Hokage was no exception.
And the Hyuga weren't alone in that mindset. The Uchiha, the Nara, the Akimichi—all those great clans raised their own children in their secret arts, passing down techniques that were never taught beyond bloodlines.
Such tradition might preserve pride, but it also shackled growth.
Satoru himself didn't share that arrogance, but as a child of the Main Family, his path was still dictated by Hiashi—for now.
Sure, he'd like to have a Hokage as a teacher, but until he could alter the course of future events—the Nine-Tails' Rebellion in particular—becoming Minato's student wouldn't help much.
Still, he had time. And more importantly, he already had a plan for how to use the knowledge he possessed.
He turned his gaze back toward Hiashi, eyes steady.
"Father," he said suddenly, "what if we asked the Fourth Hokage to teach our clan the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
"I've heard that's his specialty—a space-time ninjutsu of unmatched power. I'm very interested in it. If possible, I'd like to learn it myself."
"The technique's nature fits well with our clan's taijutsu. If we could combine the two, our strength would rise tremendously."
His voice was low, calm—but the fire in his eyes was unmistakable.
Flying Thunder God.
For someone as terrified of death as Satoru, mastering that jutsu would be the ultimate insurance policy—a way to survive any future disaster.
If he could truly learn it, he'd bring back the legend of "The Flash," turning Minato's mythic ability into his own personal trump card.
Hiashi blinked, startled.
"The Flying Thunder God? How do you even know about that…?"
But after a moment, he brushed the thought aside. With so many retainers and tutors around the boy, it wasn't impossible that someone had mentioned it.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Hiashi muttered,
"Flying Thunder God, hmm…"
And for the first time that evening, even the ever-composed clan head seemed to be imagining the possibilities.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 50 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/Nova5tudios