"I don't feel any changes," Tatsuya muttered.

  Ten minutes ter, he sensed Hinata's chakra again but found no noticeable difference. Compared to the aftermath of the Fourth Great Ninja War, where Naruto and Sasuke received the Sage of Six Paths' blessing and awakened the Six Paths Mode and Rinnegan with the Truth-Seeking Orbs, this seemed less impactful.

  "She's still too young," ōtsutsuki Hamura expined. "It will take time for her to accumute Chakra and fully awaken her and her Byakugan's potential."

  As Hamura spoke, his body began to emit a faint shimmer, simir to when someone released from the Impure World Reincarnation returned to the spirit world. It was a clear sign of his ascension to the Pure world.

  "Ah... T-thank you!" Hinata stammered nervously, bowing slightly in gratitude.

  "Do not let the world my brother created be destroyed, young heirs of the Ninshū," Hamura said with a serene smile as his form gradually ascended. His remaining Chakra began dissipating, returning to the Pure world.

  "Although I don't particurly agree with your brother's methods, I can promise you this: I have come to love this world. I won't let it be destroyed," Tatsuya assured him with a small smile.

  Hamura chuckled softly and shook his head. "You may not understand the full significance of why we pass on our chakras, young man, but time will reveal all."

  With those parting words, Hamura rose into the sky and vanished, his chakra no longer felt. The spiritual world they had stood in dissolved, and Tatsuya and Hinata found themselves back in the real world. It was now the middle of the night.

  "This girl... she carries the direct bloodline of Hamura. Perhaps there is more to her birth than meets the eye," Tatsuya mused to himself, sensing something faint but significant in Hinata's aura.

  "Summoning Technique!" he excimed, pressing his palm to the ground.

  With a burst of smoke, a tiny figure appeared. A small puppy, barely three months old, wagged its tail innocently as it emerged from the summoning.

  "Bow!"

  An incredible thing happened. The small two-headed Kazakh Tazy let out a howl and, in an awkward yet determined effort, began to shift its body. Before anyone could react, it spun itself around several times, then shot off in a blur, crashing clumsily into the distance.

  "Tatsuya-sama," Hinata said softly, her tone as gentle and timid as ever, despite everything that had happened. "If Minato-sama is to assume the role of Fifth Hokage in a few days, shouldn't we head back now?"

  Even after receiving Hamura's Chakra heritage, Hinata's personality remained unchanged. Her voice was still soft and shy, carrying the same delicate quality.

  "What's the rush?" Tatsuya replied, his voice tinged with amusement. "Nothing is pressing us to return to. Besides, I'm more curious to see your newfound strength."

  Without warning, Tatsuya picked Hinata up and set her down in front of him, leaning in to closely examine her pure white eyes. Hinata's face turned a vivid shade of red, so intense it looked as though it could boil water.

  "As I thought... awakening the Tenseigan seems impossible for now," Tatsuya muttered to himself.

  He decided not to return to Konoha just yet. Instead, he turned his attention toward the northern border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Springs.

  This border region was known for its chaos and wlessness. It was a haven for bounty hunters and scavengers—a perfect pce to test Hinata's new abilities.

  Tatsuya smirked, his gaze sharpening. "Let's see how you handle the idiots lurking in this bordernds, Hinata."

  ...

  ...

  "This zy bastard! At such a critical time, he's unreachable!" Inside the Hokage office in Konoha Vilge, Tsunade cursed loudly, her frustration palpable.

  Standing nearby, Minato gnced sympathetically at Uchiha Itachi, who remained resolute.

  "Itachi," Minato said, his tone tinged with concern, "have you truly made up your mind?"

  "I have," Itachi replied firmly. "If my father succeeds in staging the coup, the Uchiha will face countless Konoha shinobi in retaliation. Not only will they lose their lives, but our cn will forever carry the stigma of treason."

  His fists clenched tightly as he continued, his voice bitter, "If that's the case, one person should bear all the bme. If I shoulder these sins alone, the remaining Uchiha can live peacefully in Konoha. Our cn's honor will endure."

  Uchiha Shisui, who had been listening silently, finally spoke, his expression filled with sorrow. "If that's your decision, then I'll go with you..."

  "No, Shisui." Itachi interrupted abruptly, his tone unwavering. "The future of the Uchiha must be entrusted to you. One person bearing these sins is enough."

  Shisui opened his mouth to protest, but Itachi's resolve silenced him.

  "Itachi..." Hatake Sakumo, standing at the side, frowned deeply. "Have you thought about your father? He'll be among those you're pnning to betray."

  Itachi exhaled sharply, as though forcing himself to speak. "This is the only way to minimize the damage."

  Grinding his teeth, Itachi pushed forward. "Tomorrow night, at the Uchiha cn's Naka Shrine, my father will gather over 200 elite shinobi, all Chūnin level or higher, to finalize the coup pns. I ask for your assistance, senpai," he said, bowing deeply.

  Then, in one swift motion, he dropped to his knees and kowtowed. "Please... I entrust the Uchiha to all of you!"

  The room fell into heavy silence.

  After what felt like an eternity, Minato—soon to be officially named the Fifth Hokage—spoke with quiet determination. "As long as I live as Hokage, I promise that no harm will come to the Uchiha."

  "I'm with you," Sakumo added after a moment.

  "Me too," came the voices of several others in the room including Tsunade's, proving their solidarity unwavering.

  ...

  ...

  The Land of Hot Springs, a country affiliated with the Land of Fire, was typically quiet and unassuming. However, for someone as famous as Tatsuya, his mere presence stirred whispers wherever he went. Naturally, his journey through the area attracted attention, even though Tatsuya himself cimed he was simply passing through.

  If not for Tatsuya's insistence, the vilge leader of Yugakure would likely have come out personally to greet him.

  At the southwestern border of the Land of Hot Springs, where the terrain gave way to sparse deserts, Tatsuya led Hinata into a dimly lit pub. As the two entered, a noticeable shift in the atmosphere took hold.

  The patrons, who had been drinking casually moments before, froze mid-sip. Many gnced at the newcomers, their expressions tense and uneasy. Judging by the swords at their waists and the way they carried themselves, most of these individuals appeared to be bounty hunters or wandering ronin.

  Yet, despite their evident apprehension, no one openly reacted. Instead, they all turned their eyes downward, pretending to focus on their drinks.

  "Tatsuya-sama, is this a gathering pce for bounty hunters?" Hinata asked, her soft voice tinged with curiosity as she gnced around.

  "That's what most people would assume," Tatsuya replied, his eyes narrowing slightly as a dangerous smile pyed on his lips.

  He scanned the room carefully, noting the small but telling details. "But they're not just Ronin. Notice the scars on their hands, between the thumb and index finger? That's not something you get from wielding a regur katana—it's the mark of someone trained and practiced in ninjutsu. These men are not wandering swordsmen. They're shinobi in disguise."

  His voice dropped to a sharp whisper as he added, "Specifically, ninja from the Hidden Cloud."

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Without warning, several tables were knocked over as the entire pub erupted into chaos. No longer bothering to maintain their cover, dozens of patrons sprang into action. Hats flew off to reveal Cloud Vilge forehead protectors, their wearers lunging directly at Tatsuya and Hinata.

  "A surprise attack? How convenient," Tatsuya sneered, his demeanor entirely unshaken.

  Beside him, Hinata inhaled deeply. Her Byakugan activated, veins bulging prominently around her pale, focused eyes. A bck-and-white chakra began to swirl around her fingers as she prepared her technique.

  "Yin-Yang Style: Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!" she decred, her voice steady as she unleashed her power.

  ---

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