Riyue's Thoughts

Nichigetsu walked back to his quarters with a faint smile on his face. Today was truly a joyous day; Dan Kato had awakened, and his condition was quite stable. Konoha had also secured a victory in the great war. His own hard work had not been in vain.

"Haha! I really wish I could see the look on Danzo's face when he realizes his schemes have failed!"

Nichigetsu had contributed significantly to the battle, from devising strategies to leading counterattacks. Why exert so much effort? Naturally, it was to give Tsunade a helping hand and, incidentally, to avenge Dan Kato. And why did Nichigetsu want to help Tsunade? It was, of course, also to help himself.

In truth, Nichigetsu had never once considered Danzo's terms; no matter what conditions Danzo proposed, Nichigetsu would never agree to them.

The reason was simple: those with different paths cannot make plans together.

If Nichigetsu were merely a six-year-old child, he would certainly have agreed to Danzo's terms, as they were far too tempting. But Nichigetsu was a doctor with a mature mind. He knew the path Danzo had chosen, and therefore, he could not endorse it. To live without emotion, existing solely for profit and obtaining power through unscrupulous means—even if one became the strongest in the world, one would be nothing more than a cold, heartless weapon.

If Danzo were to take power and transform Konoha into the vision he desired, let alone peace and prosperity, it would be a miracle if the village wasn't destroyed.

Furthermore, Danzo could betray anything for his own ends; there was no guarantee that Nichigetsu wouldn't be sold out one day. If Danzo had merely wanted to take him on as a disciple, Nichigetsu might have considered it. But Danzo lacked even the slightest inclination to win people over with virtue or treat his subordinates with respect; he led with nothing but cold, transactional interests.

This proved that Danzo saw only "profit" in his eyes, and Nichigetsu was simply someone of value to him for the moment. The day he lost that value, he would be discarded like trash. Danzo was only capable of such underhanded conspiracies; his character was nothing more than that.

How could he possibly agree? It was no different than asking a tiger for its skin!

Finally, the Third Hokage had shown great kindness in recognizing Nichigetsu's potential. In his past life, Nichigetsu had been fond of this kind old man who sacrificed everything for the village. Could he betray his benefactor? If he did, he would no longer be Hyuga Nichigetsu. Since he had chosen to follow the old man, Nichigetsu would never betray him for the sake of profit.

Would the Third Hokage not help him learn medical ninjutsu? Even without Danzo's help, could Nichigetsu not find a way to resolve the Caged Bird curse seal on his own? His Senju Clan lineage was the key. Even if he couldn't solve it later, he would never go begging to Danzo. As for the position of Hyuga Clan Head, Nichigetsu had no interest in it whatsoever.

Therefore, Danzo's wishful thinking was doomed to fail.

But why did Nichigetsu pretend to be tempted and willing to agree?

One reason was to uncover Danzo's plans, for Danzo was incredibly devious. If you refused him, he might play dirty and force you into his service. It was better for Nichigetsu to understand Danzo's intentions so he could find ways to sabotage them.

The other reason was to put on a show for Tsunade. Nichigetsu had activated his Byakugan at the time and noticed Tsunade approaching from behind; she would certainly hear their conversation. He intentionally acted as if he were deeply tempted in front of her, letting her know he was about to "betray" the village so that she would choose to give up on him.

Nichigetsu could tell that Tsunade did not want to give up on him as a student, which was why she had come to talk to him. However, Nichigetsu did not want to be her apprentice, so he resorted to this desperate measure. By talking to a member of the Root organization, he hoped to make her give up.

To his surprise, even when faced with Nichigetsu "betraying the Third Hokage," Tsunade refused to give up, still looking out for him and trying to persuade him with all her heart.

She might not need him as a student, but she absolutely did not want to see him go down the wrong path. This showed that she viewed the children of the village as her own family; she was speaking to him as a family member, truly concerned for his well-being. As long as they were people of Konoha, Tsunade would have tried to persuade anyone in that situation.

Because, just like her grandfather, she loved every single person in Konoha!

Therefore, Nichigetsu decided to help her. Wasn't Danzo inciting the Council of Elders to remove Tsunade? If he let Tsunade win a great victory, wouldn't the Council have to shut up? If they couldn't attack Tsunade for failing in her command, how could Danzo continue to undermine her? The Third Hokage and Tsunade would never hand him over to Danzo.

Since Nichigetsu's agreement to consider Danzo's terms was naturally void, he didn't need to worry about being forcibly taken by Danzo.

Thus, Nichigetsu secretly devised a plan with Shikaku, leading Konoha to a major victory. That guy Danzo must be absolutely miserable, right?

However, although Nichigetsu helped Tsunade, he still had to change masters. He would have to go back and discuss it properly with the Third Hokage...

After Dan Kato fell into a deep sleep, Tsunade returned to the command tent to handle the mountain of paperwork. Just then, a messenger ninja delivered a letter from the Third Hokage. The secret letter had been sent via falcon, and Tsunade read it slowly.

Tsunade had won a great victory, securing Konoha's advantage in the war. The Third Hokage naturally praised her extensively. Then, the tone of the letter shifted, informing Tsunade that the Council of Elders was demanding that Nichigetsu choose a new master, though he had temporarily suppressed the matter.

The Third Hokage hoped that Tsunade would talk to Nichigetsu properly and not be so stubborn. If they truly couldn't reach an agreement, then he would let Nichigetsu choose a new master; the Third Hokage decided he would take Nichigetsu on as his own student.

After reading the letter, Tsunade sighed helplessly.

She wanted to have a good talk with this "disciple" of hers, too! But Nichigetsu had been deliberately avoiding her lately and wouldn't listen to her explanations. She didn't know if Danzo had already recruited him and if Nichigetsu was determined to betray the Third Hokage, or if the child was simply too proud and was acting out just to avoid becoming her student.

Tsunade recalled Dan Kato's words and made a decision: "I'll talk to Nichigetsu properly first. If he insists on going to Danzo, I must stop him. If he just doesn't want to be my student... then so be it... even though I've already accepted him as my disciple in my heart..."

While walking, Nichigetsu suddenly saw two people approaching him. He paused, the smile on his face instantly vanishing. The newcomers also spotted him and walked over slowly with bright, beaming smiles.

The man walked up to Nichigetsu and said with a laugh, "Little brother Nichigetsu, long time no see!"

But Nichigetsu saw through that fake, treacherous smile at a glance. Behind him followed a young man, and both of them possessed the Byakugan.

"A Genin, Hyuga Nisshin? What are you doing at the front lines?" Nichigetsu looked at him indifferently and said with disdain. He emphasized the word "Genin" heavily, filled with intense contempt, as if he didn't care about him at all.

In truth, seeing this person made Nichigetsu feel quite irritated. He wasn't afraid of this trash, but he couldn't start a fight in the camp; otherwise, he would have made sure to pay Nisshin back double for all the bullying he had endured.

Seeing Nichigetsu's indifferent attitude, a flash of anger crossed Nisshin's face, though he quickly resumed his smile. This little beast, how dare he ignore me! Hmph! I'll have you dead soon enough!!

"As one of the candidates for the Hyuga Clan Head, I naturally have to come to the battlefield to gain some experience. I'm here to complete a mission assigned by the Main Branch."

"I see." Nichigetsu lifted his feet and walked away, too lazy to waste words on such a person. He was no longer someone who could be easily pushed around.

If Nichigetsu showed fear, Nisshin would despise him as a piece of trash; if Nichigetsu glared at him, he would be furious that a piece of trash dared to glare at him; if Nichigetsu ignored him, he would be most incensed that a piece of trash dared to ignore him. Regardless of what Nichigetsu did, someone who thought himself superior would be unhappy, so he might as well make him as unhappy as possible.

If he pushed Nichigetsu too far, he wouldn't care if he was from the Main Branch or anything else; Nichigetsu would show no mercy.

Watching Nichigetsu leave, Nisshin gritted his teeth, his expression twisted: "Damn little beast, you will pay the price!"

Nisshin turned to his follower and said fiercely: "Proceed as planned!" His follower flashed away...

Nichigetsu walked along, deep in thought. He had been deliberately provoking Nisshin to test the purpose of his arrival at the front lines. Just as he turned to leave, he had used his Byakugan to catch the murderous intent in Nisshin's eyes.

Nichigetsu felt a sense of unease: "Why is Nisshin at the front lines? I have to guard against his underhanded tricks."

After a moment of reflection, he created a Shadow Clone to follow him secretly. He discovered that Nisshin had simply gone to his quarters to sleep, showing nothing unusual. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had missed something...

Nisshin's follower arrived at Tsunade's command tent and handed the scroll in his hand to her.

"Are you the Jonin Hyuga U?" Tsunade looked at the scroll and asked, looking up.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Hyuga U replied respectfully, immediately presenting his identification to Tsunade.

"This is a mission for the Hyuga clan, and the Hokage has already approved it. While reviewing our ancestral archives, the Hyuga clan unexpectedly discovered traces of a ruin related to our ancestors. Therefore, we have decided to investigate it. We require you to assign a few people to assist with our mission, and we hope for your support and aid," Hyuga U explained in detail to Tsunade.

"A Hyuga ruin, you say? I will cooperate. I shall assign three Chunin with reconnaissance capabilities to you," Tsunade nodded.

"Many thanks, Lady Tsunade. I would also like to request one specific member of the Hyuga clan to join this mission," Hyuga U stated his request.

"Oh? A member of the Hyuga clan? It wouldn't be my 'disciple,' would it?" Tsunade grew instantly alert. She knew the relationship between Hyuga Nichigetsu and the Main Branch. Was the Main Branch plotting something against Nichigetsu? What exactly were they trying to do?

"No, Lady Tsunade. The person needed for this mission is not Hyuga Nichigetsu," Hyuga U shook his head in response.

"Oh? Then who is it?" Tsunade let out a sigh of relief, feeling that she had been overthinking things.

"Hyuga Mizuki!" Hyuga U offered a gentle smile.