Late at night, within the Sarutobi clan compound.
Behind the grand branquet hall lay a secret chamber, protected by sealing jutsu. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat in a wide armchair, slamming his hand on the table in frustration.
"You two! One of you spends all day idling around, wanting to become a writer, the other one is secretive and who-knows-what he's up to, gloomy as a ghost. You're both almost thirty years old, can't you let me worry a little less... Where's Tsunade? I haven't seen her for a long time!"
"No idea, old man." Jiraiya leaned against the wall, hands behind his head, grinning like a fool. "Maybe she went gambling? Don't worry, she'll come running to you when she loses all her money, after all, she always loses, hahaha..."
Orochimaru's lips curled slightly as he stood with arms crossed. Although his attitude was more respectful than Jiraiya's, it was evident that he didn't take the scolding seriously as the Hokage's reprimand. At most, it was just a teacher's "loving whip" for his students.
At least for now, the relationship between Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade was not simply that of a superior and subordinates, or a master and disciples. It was more like father and sons, father and daughter.
"You two brats..." Hiruzen Sarutobi blew his beard and glared at them. "As the Sannin, you can't just think about yourselves. Think about the village more. If you take in children from the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, they will definitely contribute more in future wars..."
He spoke earnestly for a long time, but in the end, neither Jiraiya nor Orochimaru changed their minds.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, suddenly feeling a bit like "sons are useless when they grow up."
Forget it... then think of other ways, after all, there's more than one way...
As Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered, he heard a loud "boom" from the wall.
Smoke and dust filled the air as a tremendous force erupted from outside, easily breaking through the seal.
A blonde woman kicked away the blocking bricks and blew on her fist.
"Old man, got any more sake?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow twitched wildly, his mind rarely lost in confusion – how did he educate these three back in the day? He should have taught them the principle of respecting their elders, but now they're all acting like they've hit their rebellious phase...
"Old man, bring the sake!" Tsunade grinned and threw an arm around Hiruzen's neck. "I have some good news, it'll make you happy."
Hiruzen's eyes lit up. "Tsunade, you..."
"Yep, that's right." Tsunade patted her chest, her impressive assets jiggling. "I'm going to take on a disciple."
"Who?"
"Who else could it be? Among those present tonight, only that boy from the Branch Family is worthy."
"Hyuga Yuto, huh." Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in approval. "Your choice is excellent, Tsunade. He is not only exceptionally talented, but most importantly, he can think from a higher perspective... Those Byakugan eyes can see things beyond just the Hyuga corner."
Orochimaru was slightly surprised, and Jiraiya couldn't hold back his curiosity. He directly asked, "Eh? Didn't you say you didn't want to take on a disciple? Before returning to the village, the three of us even secretly agreed to stand on the same front, no matter how much the old man persuaded us, we wouldn't budge... Ow!"
Tsunade fiercely twisted Jiraiya's arm and snorted, "I changed my mind suddenly. This village is a treasure built by my grandfather. Talented young people should be properly nurtured. If they stay with the Hyuga, even jade will turn into stone."
As she spoke, she subconsciously reached into her bosom and clutched the crystal necklace there.
Nawaki, Dan... Today, I saw your shadows in a young Hyuga boy.
Like you, he wants to become Hokage, to protect this village... I miss you so much, so I couldn't help but help him, temporarily returning to Konoha, to become his teacher.
I shouldn't regret it... right?
...
Hyuga Yuto returned home in the middle of the night.
As soon as he entered, he collapsed onto the bed.
Fatigue and pain washed over him in an instant. His head felt dizzy, and he felt like he could fall asleep at any moment.
The activation of the Caged Bird Seal had taken a significant toll on him. Although Tsunade had done her best to heal him, Hyuga Yuto still needed time to recuperate.
"Shinji, Yoshiko, Naoto..." Hyuga Yuto murmured, his expression emotionless.
At this moment, his heart was calm.
--- Ever since his parents died when he was three, he had regarded the entire Hyuga clan as his enemy. Acting, scheming, every second Hyuga Yuto spent in the clan compound, he wore a thick mask.
Between enemies, killing and hurting each other was always normal, so how could there be betrayal?
The Main Family could brand him with the Caged Bird Seal, Hyuga Shinji could activate the seal without a care, Hyuga Naoto could hold him from behind, letting him suffer in pain.
Naturally, Hyuga Yuto could fight back, even more ruthlessly, more decisively.
Harming the opponent was the "job" of an enemy.
The young man from the Branch Family felt his head heavy. He took out a shortened senbon needle, put it in his mouth, and fell into a daze.
He didn't know how long had passed when he was awakened by a faint "knock, knock" sound.
"...Who is it?"
"Hyuga Yuto, the clan head summons you."
"...Alright." Hyuga Yuto washed his face, spat out the short needle that prevented him from talking in his sleep, pushed open the door, and walked with the messenger towards the depths of the clan compound.
The night was thick. Hyuga Yuto looked at the position of the moon and knew it wasn't dawn yet. He had only slept for three hours at most.
Only one room in Hiashi's residence was lit. Hyuga Yuto was led inside and knelt on one knee before Hiashi.
"Yuto, get up." Hiashi said softly. "Tomorrow, two hours after the sun fully rises above the horizon, a servant from the Senju clan will deliver an invitation. As a courtesy, I will prepare a reply."
Under the gaze of the Byakugan, Hyuga Yuto's chakra remained completely undisturbed.
He's really calm, no wonder Lady Tsunade favors him, Hiashi thought to himself, and then continued, "After exchanging formal greetings, you will become Lady Tsunade's disciple... You performed very well at the banquet tonight."
Hyuga Yuto exhaled softly. It seemed that Nawaki Senju and Dan Kato held a very high place in Tsunade's heart.
Through taking risks and strategizing, Hyuga Yuto finally got his wish and changed the plot for the first time – he became Tsunade's second disciple after Shizune.
"Yuto." Hiashi looked at the boy's forehead protector. "The Hyuga have Main and Branch families, but the heart of the clan is not divided into two. Whether Main or Branch, we all inherit the Byakugan. There are no closer family members in this world than us. You must remember..."
"Clan head, Yuto understands." The young man from the Branch Family listened quietly with his head lowered, then bowed and said in a sincere tone, "Every bit, I will never forget."