Ichiraku Ramen

The war had finally come to an end.

On the day of their return, the Third Hokage led the villagers to the gates of Konoha to welcome the heroes returning from the Land of Rain battlefield. Many more did not return; their final destination was the public cemetery, the Memorial Stone.

Time can dilute sorrow, and with the arrival of peaceful life, people gradually returned to their daily routines.

Genichi's classmates from the same year had also graduated from the academy. On this day, they gathered at "Ichiraku Ramen," a shop that was surprisingly popular despite its small size.

"It must have been tough on the battlefield. I'm so glad you came back safely," Kushina said. Due to her special status, she had been confined to the village during this period.

"It was actually fine. By the time we arrived, the war was already nearing its end, so it wasn't as dangerous as before." Genichi ate the tonkotsu ramen topped with narutomaki, savoring it with the mindset of a tourist visiting a holy site. Since this was in the opposite direction of his home from the academy, Genichi had previously assumed "Ichiraku Ramen" wasn't even open yet.

"The ones you should really be worried about are the enemies," Mikoto Uchiha said comfortingly, while flashing her newly awakened Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Indeed, after half a year of life on the battlefield, witnessing slaughter and death every single day, Mikoto had finally evolved her eyes to the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

As for whether she could awaken the Mangekyo next, Genichi remained reserved. If the progression from one to three tomoe felt like something achievable through steady cultivation—where talent was merely a matter of time—then the Mangekyo Sharingan from the original story was different. The story hidden behind every pair was filled with sorrow and pain; it was not something so easily mastered.

"You're amazing, Genichi. I heard you've already carved out a name for yourself: the 'White Reaper' of Konoha," Minato exclaimed. Jonin were a minority in any village, and a Jonin who could earn a title of their own was the elite of the elite.

"Not at all, it's all thanks to my peers making me look good," Genichi said modestly. "I heard Lord Jiraiya didn't return to the village?"

"Teacher wrote to say he wants to travel through the Land of Rain for a while. The damage the war has caused everyone is too great," Minato explained.

"However, Teacher Jiraiya used his merits from the war to exchange for a forbidden jutsu suited for me. I won't let you leave me too far behind." Looking at Genichi, who was both a close friend and a rival, Minato broke into a confident, sunny smile as he spoke.

"Then you'd better work hard, Minato," Genichi replied with a smile. "When I become Hokage, I certainly won't lose your position as my advisor."

Recalling the original story, Minato was an excellent tool for Konoha after becoming Hokage—handling administrative affairs, not fighting for power, and using the Flying Thunder God to seamlessly transition between work and home.

"I'm the one who will be Hokage, you..." Minato refused to concede.

"You'll regret it?" Genichi interrupted.

"Huh? Regret what? I meant that when I become Hokage, I'll let you be the advisor," Minato explained.

Amidst the laughter and joy, the gathering eventually came to an end.

Genichi brought Hana Hyuga back home.

"It's been six or seven years since I promised to help you break the 'Caged Bird Seal.' Our progress still seems to be at zero percent?" Genichi said calmly.

There was no helping it; the curse seal was too dangerous. The slightest interference could result in excruciating pain at best, or the destruction of the eyes and death at worst.

Out of safety concerns, Genichi dared not tamper with the seal on Hana's forehead, nor could he simply use other members of the Hyuga branch family as test subjects.

"I've scoured the records of the Senju and Uchiha clans, and asked Lady Uzumaki Mito and Master Orochimaru, but I haven't found the hand seals for applying or removing the 'Caged Bird.' However, it hasn't been without results. I've summarized some data on the seal itself. Want to take a look?" Genichi pulled out a hidden scroll.

Hearing this, Hana's expression became complex. Only after years of being together did she truly understand this desk-mate of hers. He appeared cold to those he didn't know, but deep down, he possessed a unique kind of "kindness," as if he were looking down at this Ninja World from a higher plane.

Her attention then involuntarily focused on the scroll before her:

"Caged Bird Seal": Externally, it appears as a green cross mark on the forehead with two opposing hook patterns. It is branded onto the foreheads of the Hyuga branch family from a young age, connecting to the optic nerves of the Byakugan and the brain, creating a blind spot of about 1 degree in the rear of the spine. The person and the seal are inseparable.

When the Hyuga main family activates the curse, they can cause the victim excruciating pain or directly destroy the brain nerves and the Byakugan, resulting in death.

If one attempts to break the seal using the wrong method, the "Caged Bird Seal" will drain the victim's chakra to resist, often leading to the same result as being activated by the main family.

The interior of the seal is shaped like a Bagua diagram, encompassing everything with infinite variations.

"Theoretically, we should first capture a member of the main family, find the difference between a pure Byakugan and one branded with the 'Caged Bird,' and use that as a basis to slowly deduce the method. Then, we find some branch family members to experiment on, and finally, we might obtain the correct way to break it."

Genichi concluded, "To be honest, killing all the main family members might be simpler, but we may need to find another way."

Hana looked at the data in her hands, attempting to use her medical knowledge to find a way to survive a failed attempt at breaking the seal.

She remained lost in thought for a long time.

I clearly know that the paths between people are different, and I am walking on the path to breaking this curse.

Even if the fog is thick, so thick I cannot discern the direction; even if the journey is long, so long that my body and mind are exhausted.

I will never give up.

If I die on the path I have chosen to pursue, what is there to regret?

"You will definitely regret this!"

In the Hokage's office, Shimura Danzō shouted at the Third Hokage: "The Uchiha clan is inherently evil and cannot be trusted. Hiruzen, have you already forgotten the teachings of our teacher?"

To ensure the Uchiha clan would give their all in this war, Sarutobi Hiruzen had handed over Setsuna Uchiha—who had attempted to incite the Uchiha to rebel and seize power from the Senju clan during the Second Hokage's reign—to the Konoha Military Police Force for custody.

Seeing a clansman who should have been permanently imprisoned in the Anbu dungeons or even executed released back to them, the Uchiha clan felt the sincerity of Konoha's top brass and dispatched a group of elites straight to the battlefield. The results lived up to the Uchiha clan's thousand-year reputation; their achievements were remarkable and their fame soared.

"Danzō, don't say things that are detrimental to unity. The Uchiha clan is also a part of the village. Think carefully about Kagami," Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed helplessly.

"Kagami was special," Danzō couldn't help but touch his bandages.

Feeling that he had laid enough emotional groundwork, Danzō finally stated his true purpose: "The Uchiha clan must be guarded against. Have you forgotten the incident where Madara Uchiha attacked the village? To deal with the Sharingan, we must obtain the power of Wood Style."

"You want to restart the 'Wood Style Experiments'? No, that's impossible. The Senju clan won't agree, and Lady Mito won't agree either." Sensing Danzō's intent, Sarutobi Hiruzen thought of the First Hokage's Wood Style during the battle at the Valley of the End, his tone wavering.

"Uzumaki Mito is already old. As for the Senju clan, they will volunteer to participate. No one wants to obtain Wood Style and restore their former glory more than they do."

Danzō sensed the wavering in his heart and continued: "This is an experiment our teacher started. Although it failed, it left behind a lot of data. Think about your disciple, Orochimaru. If he can participate, we will soon be able to unlock the secrets of Wood Style."

After much deliberation, the desire for Wood Style finally overcame the guilt of conducting human experiments. However, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not want to dirty his own hands, so he said slowly: "I will order Orochimaru to serve as the deputy leader of Root. Lady Mito is still watching, so do not conduct human experiments."

"Rest assured, Hiruzen."

Once I obtain the power of Wood Style, I will surely be able to become Hokage.

Today, Danzō continued to work hard for his dream.