Otsutsuki Revival Plan (Part 1)

Anko stared blankly at Hyuga Lan's retreating back.

She didn't know if something was wrong with her perception, but during their duel, she had felt as if she were facing Orochimaru himself.

This sensation left her in disbelief.

Could Hyuga Lan's true strength already be approaching or even rivaling that of Orochimaru?

At this moment, Anko's heart was filled with confusion. She could not accept such a result; as Orochimaru's direct disciple, she found it impossible to fathom that she had been left so far behind by one of his former subordinates.

No, it must be my imagination. That guy Hyuga Lan couldn't possibly be that strong.

Seeing the fight conclude, Kurenai Yuhi quickly stood up and approached Anko.

After checking her over and finding that Anko hadn't sustained any serious injuries, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Your injuries are minor; you'll be fine after some rest. It seems that guy Hyuga Lan knew exactly how much force to use."

Hearing this, Anko's mood grew even heavier, for it implied a vast disparity in their strength. Only when one's power was on an entirely different level could they control their strikes with such precision.

Since Lan possessed such formidable strength, if she could truly convince him to act alongside her, perhaps there would be a chance to succeed in dealing with Orochimaru.

Yet, thinking of Hyuga Lan's attitude toward Orochimaru, Anko couldn't help but feel uncertain.

Could it be that Hyuga Lan still harbored lingering feelings for his old master?

If that were the case, it would be disastrous. Would he betray her plans for revenge to Orochimaru?

On the other side, Hyuga Lan had just walked out of the arena. Noticing something, he suddenly stopped and turned his head to look in a certain direction, but after finding nothing, he shrugged and headed toward his home.

Inside the Hokage Building.

The Third Hokage took his hands off the crystal ball and pulled out his pipe, puffing on it vigorously.

This kid from the Hyuga branch is not simple; he almost detected my observation.

To be able to defeat Anko so easily—his strength likely ranks among the best of the special jonin.

At an age similar to Hatake Kakashi, he already possesses such power. He is truly worthy of being called a genius of the Hyuga branch; no wonder Hizashi fought so hard to protect him.

Should I recruit such a talented youth into the Anbu?

The thought had barely surfaced before the Third Hokage dismissed it.

The fact that Hyuga Lan was once a subordinate of Orochimaru remained a thorn in his side, making it impossible for the Third Hokage to fully trust him.

Therefore, even though Hyuga Lan had demonstrated sufficient talent and strength, the Third Hokage still could not bring himself to admit him into the Anbu.

Better to wait until he has passed a few more tests and proven his loyalty to the village before considering this matter.

Hmm, I shall observe him a while longer...

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Back at home, Hyuga Lan began to weigh the gains and losses of the duel.

While in the arena, he hadn't noticed anything because Kakashi and the others were watching.

However, after leaving the arena, the heightened perception granted by his awakened Tenseigan allowed him to immediately sense the gaze of a stranger.

After scanning his surroundings and finding no suspicious targets, he realized who the peeper must be.

After all, this was Konoha, the premier village in the Ninja World. The only person capable of monitoring others at will here was the one who had mastered the Telescope Technique. Thus, he had simply pretended to notice nothing and returned home.

Hmph, what a boring old man. With that kind of free time, he should be looking at beautiful women instead of spying on me.

He then recalled his exchange with Anko. Through this battle, he had gained a clearer understanding of his strength without relying on the Tenseigan.

If using the power of the Tenseigan allowed him to rival or even surpass Kage-level strength before his chakra ran dry, then without it, his strength still exceeded that of a special jonin, reaching the level of a jonin or even an elite jonin. Such power was in no way inferior to the so-called genius, Hatake Kakashi.

One must remember that although Hatake Kakashi was known as "Kakashi of the Sharingan" in the later stages of the story, he was an absolute genius in his early years.

A twelve-year-old jonin—a record that likely had no predecessor and would have no successor.

A genius he once had to look up to had now been surpassed by him. If the other man continued to wallow in his depression, the gap between them would only continue to widen.

Recalling the disparity between them in their youth, the thrill of this reversal was quite satisfying.

As for Anko, her strength currently sat between that of a chunin and a special jonin. There were two levels of difference between them, which was why he could defeat her so effortlessly.

At this stage, most of his peers were no longer his match in his normal state, and this gap would only grow wider as time passed. Currently, the only person in the village who could make him take notice was Uchiha Shisui, who had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.

At the thought of Shisui's strongest genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, his brow furrowed.

Although the Tenseigan he possessed was higher in terms of power hierarchy, genjutsu could sometimes be incredibly unreasonable.

Therefore, he wasn't sure if his Tenseigan could block the ability of Kotoamatsukami to rewrite one's will. Perhaps the Rinnegan, an evolution of the Mangekyo Sharingan, could ignore the effects of Kotoamatsukami through superior ocular power and hierarchy.

As for how his own unique Tenseigan would fare against Kotoamatsukami, he had no way of predicting it. This uncertainty made him unwilling to gamble.

Even so, Hyuga Lan was eager to spar with an Uchiha possessing the Mangekyo Sharingan to see just how their ocular powers compared.

However, it is better to be safe than sorry. For the time being, it would be wise not to provoke Shisui.

Yet, not provoking him does not mean avoiding contact altogether. Since his next plan requires the power of the Uchiha Clan, maintaining a good relationship with them is the right move.

Shisui serves as a breakthrough point; starting with him would make plotting to obtain the Uchiha Clan's genes much simpler.

As for what he needs the Uchiha genes for, it naturally relates to Hyuga Lan's next plan.

Although Hyuga Lan awakened the Golden Tenseigan by using the Type-3 Bio-Armor to complete his genes in an alternative way, his pair of Golden Tenseigan falls far short of the power possessed by the Tenseigan awakened by Otsutsuki Toneri.

In particular, the fact that he cannot enter the Tenseigan Chakra Mode is a source of great regret for him.

The greatest strength of the Tenseigan lies in the Tenseigan Chakra Mode, which allows one to bridge the gap between a mortal and the Six Paths level, directly enabling the manifestation of Truth-Seeking Balls and achieving power comparable to the Six Paths level.

Such a massive boost in strength is something even the Rinnegan cannot match, and only by entering the Tenseigan Chakra Mode can one utilize the Truth-Seeking Balls to unleash the powerful ocular techniques: Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion and Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.

Hyuga Lan had originally sought the kind of Tenseigan that Toneri possessed, but through a twist of fate, he awakened the Golden Tenseigan instead.

While the abilities of his own Golden Tenseigan are quite outstanding, knowing the true power of the Tenseigan, he still longs to possess the blue Tenseigan like Toneri's.

However, awakening that kind of blue eye requires the chakra of the Otsutsuki Branch Family on the moon and the pure Byakugan of the Hyuga Main Family.

The Byakugan of the Hyuga Main Family is one thing, but the Otsutsuki Branch Family on the moon is an existence he is currently trying his best to avoid; setting his sights on them is far too dangerous for Hyuga Lan at this moment.

Furthermore, it is not just any chakra from the Otsutsuki Branch Family that can combine with the Hyuga Main Family's Byakugan to awaken the Tenseigan.

The only member of the Otsutsuki Branch Family who meets the criteria is likely Otsutsuki Toneri, and with his current strength, provoking the Otsutsuki Branch Family, who possess the Giant Tenseigan, would truly be courting death.