CHAPTER 237: CHAPTER 237: NEJI BORN AHEAD OF SCHEDULE?

"How about it? Pretty brilliant idea, right?"

"It’s a good idea—but don’t tie it back to me. Just say it was your own stroke of genius. And for the record, I’m personally against it..."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased.

Kyoichi had no choice but to offer a gentle reminder:

"Lord Third is currently the headmaster of the Academy. When it comes to stuff like this, he can shoot down your proposal outright. So no matter how much we debate it internally, it’s all up to the old man in the end."

"Good point. ’We’—I like the sound of that. Let’s go!"

Tsunade flung her sleeves and strode off confidently.

...But after a short distance, her confident gait gave way to her rubbing her waist and neck in awkward discomfort.

In contrast, someone like Kyoichi—sitting in stillness while channeling natural energy—didn’t really feel much fatigue. The body, constantly bathed in natural energy, could easily suppress the sensation of weariness.

Tsunade, however, was the classic case of "more loss than gain."

She sat there all night for nothing.

If she was just going to sleep... wouldn’t a bed have been far more comfortable?

Unsurprisingly, Tsunade’s proposal was rejected.

Not that it was totally without merit.

During missions, it was common for a shinobi to lie in wait for days in absolute silence while stalking a target—so it wasn’t completely unrealistic. But a dedicated course at the Academy just for that?

Way too over-the-top.

Plus...

The Academy was still in the middle of being restructured and integrated. Students were already adjusting to massive changes in their daily lives. Throw in a seemingly pointless course like that, and you’d have a full-blown mutiny on your hands.

Sure, it might help down the line for cultivating Sage Mode, but even if it’s something to be introduced in the future, it should be strictly jōnin-level knowledge at the very least, right?

From a practical or forward-looking standpoint, "meditation training" really didn’t need to be introduced this early. Tsunade’s proposal was firmly rejected.

What frustrated her the most—

Was that she couldn’t even find a solid counterargument. This time, the Third Hokage made his case clearly and logically, leaving her speechless.

No wonder Kyoichi had opposed it...

But...

When she later went to the Academy to find the Third, she noticed quite a few clan-affiliated shinobi loitering around the campus.

Tsunade had clearly observed the recent shifts in the Academy.

Just like when she’d once pushed for medical-nin reform, any change to the shinobi system was bound to meet opposition—only this time, the resistance came from the major clans.

That said...

Thanks to Kyoichi and the Third’s efforts, most of the clans weren’t openly pushing back. All except for the Hyūga clan...

Their attitude was especially hard to read.

Hyūga clan members typically didn’t send their children to the Academy, but now that the system was being restructured and unified, their continued aloofness stood out more than ever.

This... would need to be addressed.

Just as Tsunade was mulling it over, Oriri appeared.

"Hokage-sama."

"Is this about the Anbu?"

Tsunade immediately straightened up.

Oriri shook her head and said, "It’s not the Anbu. Yesterday, Lord Hiashi came near Kyoichi-sama’s residence. It seemed like he wanted to speak to either him or you, but since neither of you were around, he left soon after."

"Hiashi?"

Tsunade paused in surprise.

He was probably there to find Kyoichi.

She was self-aware enough to know—

These days in Konoha, aside from the lingering prestige she carried from the past, the person with the most influence was undoubtedly Kyoichi. His presence was felt in almost every major decision.

And now that Kyoichi had the Anbu under his command, people naturally sought him out even more.

Hmm...

Well, whatever...

She was just helping him out for a while anyway. Once his reputation reached a certain level, wouldn’t it be perfect to hand the whole job over and retire in peace?

Tsunade said calmly, "Go find Kyoichi. There’s nothing urgent here. The Hyūga issue is more important. And tell that brat to stop running off every day and dumping all the work on others."

"Yes, ma’am!"

Oriri bowed and vanished.

...

A short while later—

She found Kyoichi in the Forest of Death.

With her sensory abilities, Oriri had a solid grasp of where he and Tsunade had been yesterday, which is why she’d gone to ask Tsunade first. But judging from the outcome, she still couldn’t quite figure it all out.

She cautiously made her way through the forest—only to see Kyoichi wrapped in a cocoon of vines, which twisted and moved like tentacles.

What kind of jutsu was this?

Oriri couldn’t quite understand it. Her sensory skills were strong, but only in terms of chakra, positioning, and speed—she couldn’t detect natural energy or senjutsu chakra.

"Kyoichi-sama, is everything alright?"

"Oh, it’s nothing. Just a little experiment. Go ahead—I can hear you."

The vines swayed slightly.

These vines had been enhanced with Kyoichi’s Wood Release chakra and could turn into Wood Clones at any time. The key difference was—

He’d infused them with senjutsu chakra and mental energy, essentially making them an extension of himself.

At that moment, they were quietly drawing in natural energy from the surroundings.

Wood Clones—very handy.

Oriri nodded, half-understanding, then reported, "Kyoichi-sama, Hiashi-sama came by our house yesterday. I sensed him, though he likely didn’t realize it. When he found you weren’t there, he left shortly after."

"Hiashi? Got it. Thanks for making the trip."

"Of course. I’ll be—"

"There’s no need to rush off. It’s okay to take a break every now and then. Not everything has to be missions and training."

Kyoichi’s voice was warm.

He and Tsunade had both seen how hard Oriri had been working since coming to Konoha.

She was pushing herself relentlessly.

But for Kyoichi, saving her had come from compassion. He’d never expected her to repay it by overworking herself.

"With your abilities, it’s nothing compared to how much you’ve done," Oriri quickly replied.

That left Kyoichi a little speechless.

Sure, he worked hard—but that was because he had the power to back it up.

That said...

Oriri’s chakra reserves weren’t exactly lacking either.

Forget it...

The vines slowly retracted, the chakra within them absorbed back into his Yin Seal.

He was already halfway to fully charging his sage chakra.

A solid step forward!

At this stage, he could maintain Sage Mode for three to four minutes—or at least one minute even while casting high-level senjutsu techniques.

The key was—

He could enter Sage Mode instantly in combat, with no prep time required!

That was about as perfect as it gets.

"Well then, I’ll go see Hiashi. If you’re tired, feel free to head home and rest—or chat with Kushina for a bit. She is from the Uzumaki clan, after all... Do whatever you feel like. I’m officially giving you the day off."

"Yes!"

A spark of joy lit up Oriri’s face.

A day off...

That meant more time to study!

She’d mastered most of the sealing techniques already—but she still hadn’t fully grasped the Adamantine Sealing Chains.

Kyoichi didn’t go to Hiashi directly. Instead, he silently released a small origami charm infused with senjutsu chakra, letting it slip into Hiashi’s study.

And then, he waited.

That night—

Hiashi quietly arrived in the Forest of Death.

He wasn’t sure why Kyoichi had chosen this place to meet, but the area was deserted and remote—a perfect place for a private talk.

When he reached the meeting spot, Kyoichi was already there.

"Kyoichi-taichō, your home really is impressive. Even a young girl in your household has remarkable sensory skills."

Hiashi sounded genuinely impressed.

He had used a transformation technique yesterday and had merely observed Kyoichi’s house from afar—never even revealing himself. The only one home was a girl, no older than fourteen or fifteen... and yet...

She’d still sensed him.

"It’s nothing. Compared to the Byakugan, it’s just a minor trick."

Kyoichi smiled.

Byakugan, huh?

Hiashi shook his head and didn’t comment. Instead, he sat down.

Out in the wild, he didn’t bother maintaining the formal posture of the Hyūga clan leader. For a moment, he looked like any other shinobi, staring into the night sky of the Forest of Death with quiet reflection.

"It’s been a long time since I looked up at the stars outside."

"Everything comes with a price."

Kyoichi understood exactly what he meant.

The Main House existed to preserve the clan’s legacy. From the moment Hiashi became clan head, his freedom had essentially ended. It had been years since he’d gone on a mission outside the village.

Most of the time, it was his brother Hizashi who left the compound.

Hiashi nodded softly. "I’m not complaining about the burden. Just... observing that people always see what others have, not what they themselves possess."

"Like a walled city. The people outside want in. The people inside want out. But if I offered you the life of a Branch House member, you’d probably refuse."

Kyoichi didn’t mince words.

Since Hiashi had reached out, he’d clearly made some sort of decision—or encountered a problem. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come to Kyoichi’s house in secret.

So Kyoichi had used a discreet method to arrange the meeting too.

"A walled city... That’s exactly it. No wonder they call you Captain—you speak with such depth. Hard to believe you’re only eighteen."

Still just eighteen in lunar years.

Hiashi was genuinely impressed by Kyoichi.

In ninjutsu, in teaching, in diplomacy—everything about Kyoichi radiated brilliance. Even the Senju clan in its prime hadn’t produced someone like this.

Not even Tobirama Senju.

That man’s interpersonal skills were nowhere near as refined.

So Hiashi got straight to the point.

"I’ve come seeking your guidance. I won’t hide it—my brother Hizashi is about to have a child."

"Oh?"

Kyoichi raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.

Hizashi’s child... that would be Neji, right?

But...

Based on Neji’s age in the original timeline, he shouldn’t even be conceived yet.

Then again...

Now that he thought about it, it was possible.

In the original timeline, Konoha had been in constant conflict with Iwagakure and Kumogakure around this time. No one had time for... family-making. But with peace now prevailing, people had more room to relax and enjoy life.

So going by that logic—

Neji might be born as early as next year?

Kyoichi instantly understood what Hiashi was getting at.

"You want to change the current state of the Hyūga clan?"

"Yes. If possible, I’d rather not continue using the Caged Bird Seal to bind them. As for the Byakugan... I’ll be frank—its side effects when transplanted are far less severe than the Sharingan’s."

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