Konoha Hospital.

  Makoto sat shirtless on the hospital bed while a middle-aged doctor flipped through a chart, occasionally pressing gently against the angry scar stretching across Makoto’s chest and abdomen.

  The scar had been caused by a bde piercing clean through his body—precisely how he’d died before his soul transmigrated into this world.

  Back then, Rin Nohara had performed emergency treatment. Now, the wound had already healed over, and when touched, it only itched a little or stung faintly.

  “Your body’s healing well. Just come in for regur checkups,” the doctor instructed. “You should be fully recovered in a week. Until then, avoid any intense physical activity or ninja training. And be careful not to scrub the scar too hard while bathing.”

  “Understood,” Makoto nodded.

  The doctor picked up another file. “Your physical stats are all within normal range, though your vision’s taken a slight hit... Not that it matters much for someone like you, I suppose.”

  He was well aware that the young man before him was from the Hyuga cn. Compared to the vision granted by the Byakugan, ordinary eyesight didn’t even come close.

  “You’re good to go. But if anything feels off, come back immediately.”

  “Thanks, doctor.” Makoto took his discharge papers and stepped out of the examination room.

  The hospital was far from quiet. In fact, it was a chaotic mess.

  With most medical-nin stationed on the front lines, Konoha’s hospital was severely understaffed. Meanwhile, wounded soldiers kept streaming in from the battlefield.

  Bandaged and cast-wearing patients shuffled through the halls. Nurses and aides dashed past, their footsteps brisk and urgent.

  The scene gave Makoto a twinge of mencholy. Just as he was about to leave, he turned a corner—and crashed straight into someone.

  “Ahh!”

  A shriek rang out as papers scattered everywhere.

  “Hey! Watch where you’re going, idiot!”

  Before Makoto could even see who it was, a bratty voice hit his ears.

  A petite girl with short purple hair had fallen to the ground, probably a little younger than his current body. She looked oddly familiar...

  She gred up at him, furious. “You bastard! Do you have any idea who I am? I was delivering something important to Lord Orochimaru! Can you even afford to take responsibility?!”

  Makoto immediately understood who she was the moment she dropped Orochimaru’s name.

  As she scrambled to gather her fallen papers, she looked up again, ready to sh out—only to see Makoto clutching his chest, one hand braced against the wall, his face contorted in pain.

  “W-What are you doing? What’s wrong with you?” she stammered, startled.

  Makoto hissed through his teeth. “My chest... You hit me... Damn, it really hurts…”

  The girl eyed him suspiciously. “Quit acting. There’s no way it hurts that bad from a bump.”

  Makoto trembled slightly as he handed her his report. She skimmed it—and her expression froze.

  It clearly stated he hadn’t fully recovered from a serious injury.

  Panic surged through her. She filed in pce, wanting to help but afraid to touch him. “Y-You okay? Does it hurt a lot?”

  “Doctor! Somebody get a doctor!”

  She shouted frantically until a female nurse hurried over.

  “What’s going on?”

  Makoto’s report was quickly passed along, and the nurse gnced at both of them.

  Makoto gave a weak smile. “I’m feeling better now. It’s not as painful anymore.”

  The nurse handed back the report calmly. “Everyone here is very busy. Don’t let something like this happen again.”

  “Sorry for the trouble,” Makoto said politely.

  Little Anko, meanwhile, didn’t quite catch the subtext and assumed she was being scolded. She bowed repeatedly, guilt all over her face.

  Once the nurse left, only the two of them remained.

  Anko asked nervously, “Are... you really okay?”

  Makoto gnced at her. “Not really.”

  She stood there with her head down, fingers twisting around the stack of papers.

  “I-I don’t have any money, if that’s what you’re thinking…”

  Makoto nearly ughed. He was being a bit of a jerk for fun, wasn’t he?

  “Can you afford a meal?”

  “Huh?”

  “Treat me to dinner. That’ll make us even.”

  Anko looked baffled. Then her expression darkened—was this guy some kind of glutton? What if her allowance wasn’t enough?

  After thinking it over, she finally nodded. “Okay... But I have to drop this off with Lord Orochimaru first. I swear I’ll pay you back. Or you could just come with me...”

  “I believe you,” Makoto said. “I’ll wait for you at BBQ Q on West Street.”

  Barbecue, huh...

  Anko winced. She just knew this guy was gonna eat her out of house and home.

  “Fine, give me half an hour.”

  They parted at the hospital entrance. Makoto watched her jog away, surprised to learn Orochimaru was in the vilge. He’d assumed the Sannin was on the front lines. His host body’s memories only had vague rumors about the man.

  Makoto made his way to the restaurant, taking his time. He picked a seat and waited.

  Roughly thirty minutes ter, a small figure peeked through the door, scanning the room.

  Anko was silently cursing Hyuga Makoto. After delivering her message, she’d asked Orochimaru for some spare cash—only to find the man’s wallet was nearly empty. She didn’t have the heart to take much.

  Now she had to foot the bill and mooch off her teacher? Bastard!

  Spotting Makoto inside, she tamped down her frustration and approached, hopping onto the seat across from him.

  “What did you say your name was again?” she asked, frowning.

  “I’m Hyuga Makoto.”

  “Hyuga... Wait. Hyuga?!” She froze mid-introduction. “You’re from that Hyuga cn?!”

  “What's your full name?” he countered.

  “Uh... Mitarashi Anko,” she muttered, still staring at his dark, non-Byakugan eyes.

  Makoto called over the waiter and grabbed the menu, ordering for both of them without asking her opinion.

  Anko furrowed her brows in thought. “Wait, I remember now! You’re the one Rin saved, right?!”

  “You know Rin?”

  “Sort of. She’s close friends with Kurenai. I know her through that.”

  Anko was a couple of years younger than Rin’s generation, but she’d heard the name.

  A dessert and some drinks arrived first. Anko’s eyes lit up. She immediately snatched a pastry and stuffed it in her mouth.

  If she was footing the bill, she might as well eat her fill!

  Once the barbecue was served, Makoto calmly started grilling the meat. Anko tried to help, but she was terrible at it—just tossing the meat on the grill and leaving it there.

  Makoto smacked her chopsticks with his own. “Don’t mess it up. Just wait and eat.”

  Anko pouted. How rude! I’m the one paying, and he’s acting like a boss.

  She shoved another pastry into her mouth in protest.

  Then Makoto pced a grilled slice of meat onto her pte. She took one bite—and immediately forgot all her irritation.

  “Hey, not bad. You’re pretty good at this,” she said, chewing happily.

  Makoto wasn’t interested in chit-chatting with a kid, but right now, he didn’t really have a choice.

  After a few more bites, Anko’s curiosity got the better of her.

  “I heard... your eyes used to belong to your dead teammate. Is that true?”

  Makoto shot her a gnce, voice calm. “Yeah.”

  “I’ve got a friend in a simir situation—only one eye, though.”

  “Kakashi Hatake?”

  “You know him?!”

  “Genius jōnin. Who doesn’t?”

  Anko nodded. Kakashi was a household name around the vilge.

  “So,” she continued, “how do your old Byakugan eyes compare to your new ones?”

  Makoto paused mid-bite. “Night and day. My Byakugan could see for miles, penetrate any obstacle, read chakra flow, detect pressure points. Now I’ve just got normal eyes. I can’t see a damn thing.”

  Anko winced. “That’s so sad…”

  “It’s only temporary. I’ll be getting my Byakugan back soon.”

  “What? Really?”

  “Our cn has a vault with preserved eyes from our ancestors. Pristine condition. They’re stored for emergencies—when a cn member loses their Byakugan. The elders already approved the transpnt. I’ll be getting new eyes soon.”

  “Wait, you can just... swap eyes like that?” Anko blinked. She hadn’t expected him to open up this much, but it was all fascinating.

  “If I could switch from Byakugan to normal eyes, why not back again?” Makoto said. “The ones they have were from powerful elders—even past cn heads.”

  Anko sat there, sck-jawed, then asked, “Whose eyes are you getting?”

  Makoto’s expression shifted slightly. He looked at her and replied slowly, “No idea. The eye vault is a high-security area. Only Jōnin-level Hyuga named Hyuga Jin’o has the key. No one goes in without the cn head’s approval.”

  Anko opened her mouth for another question, but Makoto tapped her on the forehead with the butt of his chopsticks.

  “That’s enough questions. Eat your meat.”

  She rubbed her head with a scowl and went back to eating.

  Makoto only had a few pieces himself. The rest, he dropped onto her pte.

  “Stop giving me food! I’m full.”

  “You’re paying. You better eat.”

  “...Fine! But just a little more!”

  <><><><><>

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