Do You Know About the Tenseigan?

"Hey, are you afraid I'll find out?" Mito tried to goad him.

To her surprise, Kyosuke nodded without hesitation. "Of course. Deals need to be kept quiet. If too many people know, it can cause unnecessary trouble."

"...Fine." Hyuga Tenjin had originally wanted to refuse outright. He saw no need to get involved in a conflict between two clans.

Not long ago, the Senju had sent an envoy as well, offering plenty of tempting terms. He'd sent them packing just as decisively.

Now that it was the Uchiha, nothing would change.

He'd agreed to hear them out only to show respect for a Legion Commander.

Soon, the two who had been listening in left together, leaving only Kyosuke and the Hyuga Clan Head in the reception room.

Yet Kyosuke shook his head again and said frankly, "Pardon my bluntness, but if we talk here, can you guarantee that no one else will hear us?"

Hyuga Tenjin took a deep breath. He could feel his patience wearing thinner by the second.

But considering the boy's status, he forced down his irritation and activated the soundproofing barrier essential to any meeting room.

"Don't worry. Even the Byakugan can't see in here now."

"Good." Kyosuke nodded, then said something that nearly made the Hyuga Clan Head leap to his feet.

"Do you know about the Tenseigan?"

Hyuga Tenjin activated his Byakugan on instinct. The bulging veins around his eyes completely dispelled the air of scholarly refinement about him.

Now he looked like the clan head who had struck fear across the Warring States period.

"Where did you hear that name?" Hyuga Tenjin asked.

In truth, he couldn't remain calm. As clan head, he had permission to examine every text in the clan's possession.

In a few incomplete books, he'd read of something like the Tenseigan. They claimed it was the final stage in the Byakugan's evolution.

They also mentioned their ancestor Hamura, Ninshu, the moon, and some unclear words about dangers lurking in the shadows.

For a long time, Tenjin had thought he would never uncover the truth of what had happened centuries ago. He'd never expected to receive a clue from a boy of another clan today.

"Please, Clan Head Tenjin, have a seat." The two seemed to have switched roles. Every move Kyosuke made carried the calm ease of a host.

Hyuga Tenjin realized he'd lost his composure. It took considerable effort before he managed to sit back down.

He had to admit that Kyosuke had come prepared.

He'd been indifferent at first, but now his interest was fully piqued. The question was how the boy planned to entice him.

"Legend has it that the Sage of Six Paths saved the world, founded Ninshu, and ushered in a thousand-year golden age for shinobi."

Hyuga Tenjin's expression didn't change. He'd heard many such myths and could casually recount several different versions.

"Of course you've heard those stories, Clan Head. But you probably don't know that the Sage of Six Paths had a younger brother."

A younger brother? He leaned forward unconsciously, his attention fully focused.

"That's right. His younger brother was named Otsutsuki Hamura."

Crack! The poor armrest shattered in Hyuga Tenjin's grip. Hearing the name of their ancestor Hamura, he already believed Kyosuke's story about seventy percent.

Even he knew only the name "Hamura." He'd never connected it to the Otsutsuki or the Sage of Six Paths.

He had a whole host of questions, but soon stopped himself from speculating, as the boy was still explaining.

"For certain reasons, your ancestor decided to leave the Shinobi World and travel to an unknown place, where he could watch over the threat lurking in the distance."

"His bloodline was therefore divided in two. The branch that remained in the Shinobi World became the Hyuga Clan."

Hyuga Tenjin felt as though he were listening to a myth in a teahouse.

Is this brat making up a story to fool me?

To win his trust, Kyosuke thought for a moment, then revealed a little more. "Your two clans inherited different powers from Otsutsuki Hamura."

"Your clan inherited the 'eyes,' while the other branch became the 'body.'"

"To awaken the Tenseigan, the eyes and body must be brought together. If you do that, you'll gain power that surpasses the Mangekyo."

The existence of the Mangekyo was no secret among the Shinobi World's upper ranks.

For a time, Mangekyo wielders had appeared in the Uchiha Clan in great numbers, and they'd bullied the entire Land of Fire. In the end, though, they'd fallen to internal strife.

The Forbidden Jutsu Izanami had been created to suppress shinobi who wielded the Mangekyo. That wasn't recorded in the clan's archives; Kyosuke had learned it from the memories of Impure World Reincarnation Itachi.

He'd brought up the Mangekyo to convey the Tenseigan's power and show that he wasn't just some clueless kid.

After a long silence, Hyuga Tenjin suddenly regained his composure and said calmly, "Your story is vivid, but it's not enough to convince me."

It seemed the other man had never believed him at all.

But that little trick didn't affect Kyosuke in the slightest.

"I see. Since Clan Head Tenjin isn't willing to believe me, then let's take down the barrier."

"It's all just idle talk anyway. Why worry about someone else overhearing?"

Kyosuke was forcing his hand.

You don't believe me?

Fine, then. Let's lay everything out in the open and tell the whole world the secrets of the Hyuga Clan.

Another stretch of silence followed. At last, Hyuga Tenjin spoke again. "You'll have to show me some evidence."

Faced with the temptation of the Tenseigan, he had to do everything he could to seize the opportunity, even if the chances were slim.

"Evidence, huh?" Kyosuke shook his head in frustration. Then he leaned forward, a sinister smile curling his lips. "If Clan Head Tenjin agrees to an alliance with my clan, I can personally take you to meet them."

So that clan really is still alive. After a brief struggle, Hyuga Tenjin answered decisively, "Very well. If you prove that your plan is feasible, the Hyuga will be your staunchest allies."

He didn't say "the Uchiha." Instead, he went straight for "you." The old hands really did understand the art of negotiation.

Kyosuke smiled faintly and slowly extended his right hand.

"Deal. I hope our cooperation will be a pleasant one."

In the northern part of the Land of Fire, Uchiha Maya and her personal guard had been staying in the area for quite some time.

Following the area map her superior had given her, she'd searched almost every inch of the ground. At last, in a certain cave, she discovered a Space-Time barrier that shimmered with starlight.

"A path leading to the moon."

She ordered her people to carefully conceal the cave, recorded its precise coordinates, and soon led the team away.

Now that they'd found the place, what happened next was no longer her concern.

Before long, Kyosuke, who was visiting the Hyuga Clan, received a message from Maya.

Using the Flying Thunder God Kunai he'd planted along the way, he made it to the cave in about half an hour.

Next came the work of studying the Space-Time barrier.

Once he could reproduce it perfectly, he'd be able to lead the Hyuga Clan in fulfilling their dream of reaching the moon.