You Wouldn't Want the Few Years of Your Genin Days to Be the Most Unforgettable Decades of Your Life, Would You?

"Clan Head, how could you agree to something like this?"

After Hiruzen Sarutobi left, the Hyuga Clan's meeting hall was filled with the upper ranks of the Main Branch.

One elder, especially furious, looked at Hyuga Hiashi and spoke.

"Letting a member of the Branch Family enter the Anbu—does the Clan Head not know what that means?"

"Of course I know."

Hyuga Hiashi had long anticipated this scene. He spoke expressionlessly.

"But the Third Hokage personally extended the invitation. I could not refuse."

"Clan Head, then why not have Makoto refuse it himself?"

Another Main Branch shinobi could not help asking. Hyuga Hiashi inwardly scoffed at the question.

That brat had been the one to apply. Would he refuse?

"It's already come to this. There's no point saying such things."

Still, he sighed before speaking with a grave expression.

"You should instead consider why the Third Hokage did this."

His words quieted everyone.

Yes, why?

"Clan Head, you mean the Third Hokage is targeting us..."

The elder seemed to realize something, but Hyuga Hiashi cut him off before he could finish.

"I don't know. But all of you have probably heard that Anbu have been appearing around the Uchiha, haven't you?"

The Main Branch members exchanged looks. There should not have been rumors about something like targeting the Uchiha.

But the people feeding them information were all members of their own clan!

"And don't forget what happened during Konoha's festival back then."

Seeing everyone remain silent, Hyuga Hiashi continued.

"The conflict between the village and the clans needs to be eased. The Uchiha have already received an olive branch, and the Third Hokage has extended one to us as well."

"Are we really going to refuse? Are we somehow inferior to the Uchiha?"

"Don't forget, we support the Hokage..."

"So, the Anbu really invited you?"

On the streets of Konoha, Hyuga Makoto wandered around with Neji.

After the Third Hokage left with the Anbu, Makoto knew the clan would definitely not remain peaceful. He simply took Neji and slipped out.

He was also considering buying some cosmetic contacts. In his memories, Kakashi had used those things to conceal his Sharingan and played Team 7 like a fiddle.

"Though once he took them off, the Sharingan disappeared too..."

Even so, he planned to buy a pair and test the effect.

But while he was thinking, Neji finally could not hold back any longer.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I did, but you didn't believe me."

Hyuga Makoto came back to his senses, tilted his head, and smiled.

"And from today onward, your big brother is an Anbu member!"

"Tch..."

Neji snorted. He still did not understand what the Anbu meant for a member of the Hyuga Branch Family.

But he was deeply envious. In his eyes, anyone who could join the Anbu had to be incredibly powerful!

"I'll join someday too. Just wait."

"Then work hard."

Hyuga Makoto did not say much more. He was in a good mood.

"Tenzo's Yang Release has quite the effect..."

After leaving the Hyuga Clan, he had activated Tenzo's Yang Release.

He had worried whether something like the first time he had "activated a template" might happen again.

But the system's description clearly told him it would not, so he used it without concern.

As that Yang Release fused with him, he inexplicably felt the bliss of getting a massage on the legendary third floor...

His physical abilities improved considerably, and his Chakra had clearly increased again!

"But..."

[Name: Hyuga Makoto]

[Age: 13]

[Bloodline: Moon Ōtsutsuki (7%)]

[Dojutsu: Tenseigan (1%)]

[Chakra Nature: Yin, Yang]

Glancing at the panel on his retina, Hyuga Makoto could not help pursing his lips.

"Tenzo's Yang Release is good, but his is far too inferior to the First's."

Tenzo had indeed been cultivated using the First's cells, but it was impossible to imagine how much power had been lost in the process.

At the very least, compared to the First's Wood Release, one was probably for planting forests while the other could destroy heaven and earth...

"But no matter what, it's still extremely useful to me. And there are plenty of talents like that in the Anbu."

There were far too many talented people in the Anbu. Leaving aside anyone else, Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi would both be of great help to him.

Moreover, only in the Anbu could he find ways to obtain more intelligence.

"At the very least, there won't be little information on Orochimaru..."

Whatever else could be said about Orochimaru, he truly had plenty of advanced techniques and ruthless methods in his hands.

Some of those things were exactly what Hyuga Makoto wanted!

"Huh, Makoto? And Neji?"

Just as he was thinking, a voice suddenly came from afar.

"Why is it this guy?"

Neji heard the voice as well and turned to see a blond-haired Naruto running toward them.

He knew Naruto, not only because of Naruto's "great reputation," but also because Hyuga Makoto had taken them to eat ramen together.

Though he did not particularly like Naruto, Naruto was still better than most other people.

Thump—

However, the moment Naruto ran up to them, Hyuga Makoto raised a fist and smacked him on the head.

"Why are all you brats the same? You can't even be bothered to call me big brother?"

"..."

Neji pursed his lips and did not dare say anything. Naruto, meanwhile, clutched his head and said unhappily.

"Ow, ow, ow... You bastard, you still hit just as hard!"

"Tch, you're obviously an ungrateful little brat."

Hyuga Makoto casually shook out his hand and spoke in a faint voice.

"Back then, I was the one who took you home in the middle of the night."

"Here we go again. You were clearly going to see Hinata and just happened to bring me home..."

Naruto immediately retorted, but Hyuga Makoto interrupted him before he could finish.

"Just tell me whether I took you home or not. And if I hadn't happened to pass by back then, you would've been beaten into a pig's head."

"How can you say that? You were clearly looking for Hinata, and I—"

"Besides that, whenever you wanted something to eat, wasn't I the one who took you? Whenever you wanted to buy something, wasn't I the one who helped you buy it?"

"..."

"So you don't even know to show me some respect. Aren't you ashamed?"

At that point, Hyuga Makoto sighed faintly, speaking with such conviction that it seemed as if Naruto were entirely in the wrong.

But Naruto truly could not take it anymore. Everything he said was true, but the problem was...

"You've screwed me over plenty of times too!"

"Have I?"

"Yes! That fishing contest last time—you had me dive underwater and hook fish onto your line, and I almost got beaten up because of it!"

"Hey, didn't I stop them for you? Didn't I treat you to ramen afterward?"

"And when you wanted to teach some punks a lesson, you used the Transformation Jutsu to turn into me!"

"Wasn't that helping you build a good reputation? Those punks deserved a lesson anyway."

Faced with Naruto's righteous indignation, Hyuga Makoto disdainfully scratched his ear.

He admitted that he was sometimes a little unscrupulous, but he had never treated Naruto unfairly.

At the very least, he had never touched Naruto's allowance...

"You really are a bastard!"

Naruto nearly laughed from anger. What kind of good reputation was that supposed to be?

"Hey, you've gone too far!"

Those words displeased Neji, who had remained silent the entire time.

"Don't forget, in the village—"

"You aren't even a ninja in the village yet."

Before Neji could finish, Hyuga Makoto cut him off with a smile.

"And I'm already an official ninja. You seem to have absolutely no idea how serious the situation is."

"What do you mean?"

Naruto froze for a moment and asked curiously. Hyuga Makoto's smile widened.

"It means that by the time you become a genin, I might already be a chunin or even a jonin, so..."

"So?"

"You wouldn't want the few years of your genin days to be the most unforgettable decades of your life, would you?"

"Gasp!"

The instant Hyuga Makoto finished speaking, Neji sucked in a sharp breath.

He had never expected his good big brother to be so ruthless!

But Naruto looked utterly bewildered, as if he had no idea what was happening.

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"Nothing. You'll understand someday."

But Hyuga Makoto had no intention of explaining. He merely smiled and shrugged.

"Come on. I'll take you two to get something to eat."

After saying that, he turned and left with Neji, who was looking at Naruto with pity.

Still, he felt somewhat regretful. Naruto's side quest had not triggered after all.

But he was not in a hurry. What was his would eventually fall into his hands!

Naruto remained completely baffled. He scratched his head and muttered.

"What exactly... did that mean..."