"Kakuzu-sama, please give me the medicine. I'll handle it," a Hyuga clan member said, taking the medicine. He had assumed that Hyuga Tennin needed to take it, but he shook his head. Looking at Hyuga Ryuten and the other clan members, he spoke firmly, "Everyone, leave. I need to speak with Kakuzu alone."
His words stunned everyone. The reaction from the Hyuga clan was the same as Kakuzu's—why would Tennin want to speak alone with Kakuzu at a time like this? Shouldn't he be with his family? But then, Tennin's next words shocked everyone even more.
"No matter what happens next, remember—this has nothing to do with Kakuzu. Do you understand?"
The Hyuga clan members froze, completely dumbfounded. Hyuga Ryuten and the others all turned to look at Kakuzu, their eyes filled with confusion. What did their father mean? Why did he mention Kakuzu in this context?
Under the weight of their gazes, Kakuzu felt uneasy, though he was more confused than anything else. What was going on? How was the Hyuga clan's issue connected to him? Or had Tennin realized there was something more to his presence here?
"Father, is there anything else you need to say to us...?" Ryuten began, but before he could finish, Tennin barked, "Out!" His voice was sharp and commanding, showing clear impatience. As he shouted, blood spurted from his mouth, startling everyone in the room.
Despite the blood, Tennin wiped his mouth and gestured toward the door. It was clear: no one was allowed to stay. Though they were worried for Tennin's health, the Hyuga clan had strict rules, and as the clan leader, his orders were absolute. Ryuten and the others could only sigh and bow respectfully before slowly leaving. As they passed Kakuzu, each one shot him a wary glance.
Soon, only Kakuzu and Tennin remained in the tent. Kakuzu couldn't help but feel uneasy. He still didn't understand Tennin's intentions. But given the situation, he couldn't back out now. He was young and strong—he had nothing to fear.
Seeing Tennin cough up more blood, Kakuzu moved slowly behind her, gently patting her back to help his breathe more easily.
"Lord Hyuga Tennin, is there anything else I can do for you? I will do everything in my power to assist."
Tennin was older than him, Kakuzu spoke with the proper respect. After a few more harsh coughs, Tennin finally caught his breath and spoke.
"Kakuzu... can you see the future?"
Kakuzu's hand, still on her back, froze. His pupils widened. The atmosphere in the room grew tense. The question was direct, and in that instant, he understood what Tennin was implying. His heart began to race—he had been careless. He had never expected his deepest secret to be uncovered like this.
He had long suspected that only the Hyuga clan's Byakugan could see through his hidden abilities. Back when he had worked with Hyuga Ryuten in the past, Kakuzu decided to take a gamble. During their private time together, he had asked Ryuten to use his Byakugan to check the area. Without hesitation, Ryuten complied. The Byakugan revealed everything, as it always did.
Suddenly, Kakuzu's body passed right through Ryuten's line of sight. Surprised, Ryuten quickly lowered his head. Kakuzu paused and walked over to Ryuten.
"What did you see?" Kakuzu asked, a hint of urgency in his voice.
Ryuten, still in shock, bowed deeply. "I—I meant no offense, Kakuzu-sama. Please forgive me!"
The Byakugan was known for its x-ray-like ability, but it also created problems. Everyone had their privacy, and if the Hyuga clan members started using their Byakugan recklessly, it would cause chaos in the village. If they walked through the streets peeking into everyone's business, it could lead to major backlash. The Hyuga clan might even face extinction.
This was why the Hyuga clan had strict rules: Byakugan could only be used in combat, and any misuse would be severely punished. Ryuten had apologized quickly, fully aware of these rules.
However, Kakuzu wasn't about to let him off so easily. "What did you see?"
Ryuten hesitated. "I... I didn't mean to offend. I just saw... your chakra cloak. The protective lines surrounding you."
"Is that all?" Kakuzu asked, clearly not believing Ryuten's answer.
On one occasion, when Kakuzu had visited the Hyuga clan's training ground, he had seen the children and adults practicing with their Byakugan. Kakuzu had stood in a prominent position, fully exposed to their vision.
Kakuzu observed that the Hyūga clan members all reacted the same way. They were surprised, but not horrified. It was like meeting someone at the corner of a street. When you get there and find they haven't arrived, you're surprised.
But if you find someone you don't recognize, or someone looking extremely strange and unfamiliar, your reaction should be surprise tinged with a bit of shock. The Hyūga clan's eyes only showed surprise, not shock, which meant they could only detect the flow of chakra of influence, not what was hidden beneath the surface. It was similar to a barrier. You can see the structure outside the barrier, even pinpoint where it can be opened, but to understand what's inside, you need to open the barrier first.
So, for the Hyūga's Byakugan, Kakuzu didn't need to worry too much. The body created by Jūbi's influence was strong, comparable to a barrier. However, every technique carries risks. The Byakugan of Hyūga Ryūten couldn't see through Kakuzu's body, but that didn't necessarily mean the Byakugan of the "Otsutsuki Kaguya" couldn't. That's hard to say. But there's one thing Kakuzu was sure of: he clearly remembered when Hyūga Tennin used his Byakugan to defeat Raikage. His chakra pathways were gone. It seemed his Byakugan had evolved, which allowed him to perform that terrifying "Strike."
The Strike knocked out an S-rank ninja with a single punch. If he could land seventy or eighty punches, he could defeat seventy or eighty S-rank ninja. What kind of power does that represent? If you calculate the Kage-level ninjas since the end of the Warring States Period, it includes all the Kage of the Five Great Nations and those with Kage-level strength like Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Pain, Konan, Obito, and Deidara. Even considering the Fourth Great Ninja War, Kakuzu could confidently say there wouldn't be seventy or eighty Kage-level fighters in total.
So, if Hyūga Tennin could truly unleash that terrifying "Strike" multiple times—say, ten or twenty—Kakuzu estimated that Tennin could go toe-to-toe with the likes of Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara. Finally, Kakuzu came to a conclusion: Hyūga Tennin's Byakugan had definitely evolved. His biggest secret had already been uncovered.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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