Pitter-patter…
The temperature in the shower rose. Dense steam condensed into plump droplets on the tiles. When Hyūga Kumokawa stepped out, his figure was blurry within the mist.
"..."
He paused before the sink in the washroom, gazing intently at his reflection in the mirror.
Clear facial contours, a broad forehead, a straight nose, gentle brows and eyes—he looked like a good person.
He had possessed this face in both his previous life and this one. Even if his photo were pasted on a bounty poster, most people's first glance would mistake it for an award certificate for a model student.
Except, there was something new on this familiar face.
Hyūga Kumokawa slicked his wet black hair back, revealing his forehead. His calm gaze swept over the stark manji-shaped cursed seal.
The Caged Bird… the Caged Bird…
He closed his eyes, concentrating. Moments later, his eyelids fluttered open.
The person in the mirror was different now. The harmless, gentle aura had vanished. The side of his face was cast in shadow by the light, creating a deep, sharp outline.
The pure white of his eyes had melted away like the first snow under the sun. In their place were pale blue irises, like a placid lake, flowing with starlight-like points of radiance. It was breathtakingly beautiful, yet carried a profound, intimidating presence.
No one would mistake the present him for a "failure." No one would even want to meet his gaze, because a spear-like pressure radiated from him in silence. Meeting his eyes felt like having a needle suspended before your own.
The Caged Bird seal on his forehead also seemed to have faded noticeably.
[Bloodline: Ōtsutsuki Clan (5% → 5.5%)]
[Kekkei Genkai: Tenseigan - First Stage (10% → 12%)]
"So this is the power of the Tenseigan?"
Sensing the vast, untapped power deep within his eyes, Hyūga Kumokawa reached up and touched them, pondering. 'What stage is this? A transitional form between the Byakugan and the Tenseigan?'
Ōtsutsuki Toneri transformed his Byakugan into the Tenseigan, seemingly going through several "pulsations" in the process…
Based on memories from his past life, the Tenseigan was a power on par with the Rinnegan.
And there seemed to be only two ways to obtain it.
First: Combining Toneri's chakra with the pure Byakugan of the Hyūga clan.
Second: Fusing and evolving a vast number of Ōtsutsuki Byakugan into a Tenseigan.
In his case, he possessed a bloodline purity comparable to Ōtsutsuki Toneri, but not the "chakra" Toneri mentioned. Kumokawa wasn't sure if they were the same thing.
In the original story, only Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo's brother, Hamura, and Ōtsutsuki Toneri were known to possess the Tenseigan. Kaguya and other Ōtsutsuki members never displayed it, and even Hamura's exact abilities with it were never fully shown.
Toneri, the direct descendant of Hamura, also went through an unknown number of "pulsations," and it was unclear if these pulsations carried any inherent danger.
If the Rinnegan was the orthodox ability obtained by Ōtsutsuki members after consuming the God Tree's fruit, then the Tenseigan seemed like a mutated form of the Byakugan, trading the Rinnegan's diverse functionality for raw power…
"ROAR! Kumokawa, rise and shine! Rise and shine!"
Might Guy's impassioned voice boomed from outside. "The trumpet of morning training has sounded! Youth waits for no one who lingers in bed!"
Hyūga Kumokawa's train of thought was broken. He ran his fingers through his hair, then slowly, deliberately, flexed the muscles of his face. The harmless, gentle smile returned to his features.
"Coming, coming!"
He called back in response while changing into a set of white clothes and tying his Konoha forehead protector in place.
Though the clan dismissed the original owner of this body as a failure, it was primarily because he had passed thirteen without awakening his Byakugan.
Of course, the original's timid, battle-averse nature played a part, too—crying on his first glimpse of a battlefield was seen by other clan members as bringing shame upon the family.
Even so, he was somewhat stronger than most civilian-born shinobi, graduating as a Genin alongside Might Guy, the other "failure."
Though Guy was now a Chūnin, and he remained a Genin.
Pushing the door open, he saw Might Guy hanging from a horizontal bar. This guy really couldn't stay still for a second.
Thud!
Seeing Hyūga Kumokawa walk out, now dressed, Might Guy flexed his muscles and dropped down from the bar. He removed the heavy weights from his legs, which hit the ground with a resonant thud.
"OH! Is this the soul of Konoha where youth blooms?!" He scrutinized Kumokawa's physique, his eyes blazing with fiery passion. "To think, I was only away on a mission for a few months, and you've already stoked your burning passion to this level!"
The weight of that training gear was equivalent to what Guy himself usually wore during his own full-body training sessions.
"You're too kind, Senpai. I still have to thank you for being willing to teach me the Eight Gates." Faced with the enthusiastic praise from this wild beast of a man, Hyūga Kumokawa simply smiled politely.
The Eight Gates were indeed powerful, but their effectiveness was based on the user's innate physical strength. For example, Kakashi could also open the first gate, but it still wouldn't match Might Guy's base strength without the gates activated.
Might Guy had been tempering his body alongside his father since childhood. That amount of weight was just part of his daily routine.
"I also never expected a member of the Hyūga clan to seek me out to learn the Eight Gates and the Strong Fist! This determination to break conventions, this courage to challenge limits!" Might Guy suddenly welled up with tears, raising both thumbs in a triumphant gesture.
His emotions came as quickly as they went. He turned his head, looking towards the depths of the clan compound. Even from here, he could see the usually solemn Hyūga estate still retained traces of vibrant decorations.
"What are they doing?" Might Guy asked curiously.
"Hyūga Hinata, the young mistress of the main family, is about to celebrate her third birthday," Hyūga Kumokawa replied with a smile.
"Huh?" Might Guy was taken aback. "Do they make this big a fuss for her birthday every year?"
"Of course not," Kumokawa shook his head, a hint of deeper meaning in his eyes. "A third birthday holds special significance for a child of the main family."
With the third birthday of every main family child, a group of branch family children would be branded with the "Caged Bird" seal.
And the most outstanding few among that group would have the chance to become the personal guards of that main family child.
Hyūga Hinata, as the eldest daughter of the main family line and the sole heir to the clan leadership, naturally had her third birthday treated with the utmost importance by the Hyūga clan.
Other Konoha clans and even nobles from the Land of Fire would come to offer their congratulations.
'What a pity. It also means things definitely won't be peaceful for a while', Hyūga Kumokawa mused sardonically to himself.
If Hinata was turning three, that meant Kumogakure would soon come to Konoha to sign a peace treaty, all while planning to kidnap her.
This period would also be a prime opportunity for his own schemes.
As he contemplated this, the two of them walked side by side out of the house, chatting and laughing, the atmosphere pleasant all the way.
Until they approached the main gate of the Hyūga compound...
"Halt."
A cold voice came from the side, making them both stop instinctively.
Hyūga Kumokawa narrowed his eyes, turning towards the voice. He saw a face etched with disgust.
"Hyūga Kumokawa."
The Hyūga clansman on guard duty stood by the gate, his tone icy. "Today is Lady Aoi's special training day. As her attendant, why are you not by her side? Where do you think you're going?"