This was not Yamei's first time at Ichiraku Ramen. After all, legends of Otsutsuki Ikkaku had always existed. Since he had come to this world, how could he not come take a look?
"Teuchi, two bowls of ramen!"
"It's little Naruto. Just wait a moment!" Teuchi replied with narrowed eyes.
"Yamei, let me tell you, Teuchi's ramen is seriously delicious! It's my favorite!"
"And... sometimes I really like going to the river to catch fish too..."
"Yamei, what's your dream? My dream is to gain everyone's acknowledgment and become Hokage!"
Naruto eagerly shared all sorts of things. Yamei listened quietly with a gentle smile, responding now and then, unable to keep himself from feeling a little emotional.
Only Naruto could go through so much and still remain so sunny and cheerful.
Or rather, had Hiruzen Sarutobi succeeded in making Naruto the way he was now...?
After all, Naruto's heart was now filled with Konoha... filled with the Will of Fire.
After finishing their ramen, Naruto took Yamei all around the village. They did not part reluctantly until the sun had set.
Watching Yamei's departing back, Naruto clenched his fist... His eyes misted over slightly. "I... I have a friend now too!"
Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi listened to the Anbu report and picked up the documents on his desk.
"Hyakawa Yamei. Both parents were Jonin of the village and died while carrying out a mission six years ago."
"Because his parents had been close with Shinku Yuhi's family, he often received care from the Shinku Yuhi family..."
"Mm, the descendant of loyal subjects. And Shinku Yuhi's family can also be trusted. In that case, this Yamei should be trustworthy."
Puff, puff.
After taking two deep drags and exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, he ordered, "Keep observing him for now."
"Yes!"
The Anbu member answered and left the Hokage's office.
"Perhaps... having bonds within the village is not a bad thing either." Hiruzen Sarutobi gazed at the lights of countless homes beyond the window, lost in thought when—
Bang!
"Hiruzen, the Uchiha Clan is already stirring! Are you really just going to stand by and watch?"
Danzo slowly entered the Hokage's office, opening with an accusation.
"I've already arranged for someone to handle it."
"Uchiha Shisui?" Danzo fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Are you planning to borrow the power of those eyes of his?"
Shisui had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Not long ago, he had personally informed Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Danzo had thus learned of it as well.
"Do you trust an Uchiha Clan member that much!? We must keep this kind of power in our own hands! Only then will it not threaten or affect the village!" Danzo declared decisively.
"Danzo! Shisui was chosen by me! He is worthy of trust!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi retorted. He had great confidence in his own ability to judge people.
"He is still a member of the Uchiha Clan!" Danzo stared fixedly at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Leave this matter to me! As The Dark Side of Konoha, I have the ability! And I have the responsibility to handle this properly!"
"The Uchiha Clan is ultimately part of Konoha. Losing them would have too great an impact on Konoha! There is still room to turn things around!"
"I already have arrangements for this matter! Your intervention is not needed!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's attitude was extremely firm.
Danzo viciously struck the floor with his cane and said furiously, "Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Danzo, I'm the Hokage!!"
Bang!
After leaving the Hokage Building, Danzo's gaze turned gloomy. A ninja suddenly appeared behind him.
"Send people to monitor Shisui during this period. Report any unusual movements to me immediately."
"Yes!"
"Uchiha... Kotoamatsukami... Such power should not be in their hands! Only I... can make Konoha strong! Hiruzen... is old!"
After returning home, Yamei did not sleep. As he watched the time on the analysis panel tick down, his emotions began to rise and fall.
This was the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan! An existence no weaker than the Sharingan!
The Sharingan focused on dynamic vision, genjutsu enhancement, and such, while the Byakugan focused on perception, x-ray vision, and similar abilities. Each had its own strengths!
And with further growth, the Byakugan could eventually evolve into the Tenseigan, on the same level as the Rinnegan! At that point, it possessed the ultimate offensive power!
What was more, he already possessed the Uchiha Bloodline and could awaken the Sharingan!
If he now fused with the Byakugan... and possessed the abilities of both eyes at once! Just thinking about it was exciting!
Very soon, the time on the analysis panel reached its final ten seconds!
3!
2!
1!
Analysis successful. Gentle Fist has fused with the Art of a Hundred Refinements. The Art of a Hundred Refinements has been strengthened! Analysis successful. Hyuga Bloodline Power has fused with the Hyakawa Bloodline. The Hyakawa Bloodline has undergone a mutation!
In an instant, Yamei felt a special power surge into his body before gathering around his eyes!
A cool sensation enveloped his eyes, making him close them involuntarily. The instant he opened them again, he felt that everything before him had changed!
"This is...!?"
Yamei looked at his hand. The flow of Chakra through his meridians was crystal clear.
He could also feel immense Dojutsu Power! And a powerful surge of Chakra being generated! Even his movements seemed to have gained frame-by-frame dynamic vision!
"This is... the Sharingan has awakened too!?"
Yamei hurried to the bathroom mirror. When he saw his eyes in the reflection, he froze completely.
His pupils were pink!!
Two tomoe slowly rotated within those pink pupils.
He had activated the Byakugan's abilities, yet the veins near his temples had not bulged like they did when the Hyuga Clan activated the Byakugan. That was at least some consolation.
But...
"Sea of Derivations, you really know your color palette. So red mixed with white really does make pink, huh!"
Although he was rather speechless about the color of his pupils, Yamei was extremely satisfied with the abilities of these eyes!
As for not having an Uchiha blood relative and what he would do about the Mangekyo in the future?
What a joke! I have cheats, and I still can't solve such a trivial problem?
After deactivating his eyes, Yamei looked at them once more.
Well then! They were still pink!
"So... it looks like they can't change back?"
Yamei did not know whether to laugh or cry. If Yūhi Kurenai found out tomorrow, she would definitely interrogate him!
Sure enough, when Yūhi Kurenai came to call for Yamei the next day, she spotted something wrong with his eyes at a glance.
Yamei made up some excuses to muddle through it, and then Yūhi Kurenai pulled him over and stared at his eyes for a long while.
And he discovered... there was something strange about his eyes! They seemed to possess a special bewitching power!
Couldn't he see it? As Yūhi Kurenai kept looking, her pretty face became increasingly flushed!
"Blank thoughts plus these pink eyes... It's over. That dream from back then might actually come true!!"
The corners of Yamei's mouth lifted slightly.
No way, no way. Surely no one came to the ninja world just for bonds between men, right?
Before you continue