Why Wasn't the Caged Bird Seal Branded?

"Grandma, look."

Kushina stood before Mito Uzumaki and formed hand seals with both hands. A faint golden glow gradually shrouded her body.

"Clack, clack, clack."

A pale golden chakra chain slowly extended from behind her back, stopping only after reaching ten meters in length.

She stood there as the chain swayed behind her like... a long tail.

"Footage of Kushina using Adamantine Sealing Chains detected. Analysis available."

The message from his body filled Hyuga Wuye with delight.

He might not have much talent for ninjutsu himself, but he could analyze his wives'... powers!

"Your chakra reserves are sufficient. Once you become more proficient, you'll be able to produce even more," Mito Uzumaki said with a pleased nod. "But the requirements this time aren't high. You only need to master the key."

Kushina withdrew the chakra chains, her expression uneasy. "What do I need to do?"

Mito Uzumaki said, "It will reside within your body from now on, so you must complete the final seal yourself."

Kushina's little face turned deathly pale.

Hyuga Wuye froze, a suspicion forming in his mind.

They must have been talking about sealing the Nine-Tails. Kushina was about to become the next Nine-Tails jinchuriki.

But wisely, he did not interrupt. This was not something he was supposed to know.

"Kushina, accompany Grandma for a walk around the village. Grandma wants to take another look at Konoha," Mito Uzumaki suddenly said.

"Okay."

Kushina wanted to push her wheelchair, but Mito Uzumaki stopped her. "Leave this hard work to the boy."

She looked gently at Hyuga Wuye. "How about it? Would you mind pushing this old lady around Konoha?"

"It would be my honor."

Hyuga Wuye took hold of the wheelchair handles without hesitation.

Given Mito Uzumaki's status, countless shinobi would have fought for the chance to push her wheelchair.

Besides, she was clearly warning the Third Hokage and giving him an extra layer of protection. Why would he be foolish enough to refuse?

"Creak... creak..."

The Naruto World had poured all its productivity into ninjutsu, clearly neglecting civilian life. Even a wheelchair had been made so poorly that it jolted and rattled along.

Hyuga Wuye pushed the constantly groaning wheelchair, accompanying Mito Uzumaki through Konoha's streets with Kushina.

"Lady Mito!"

"Lady Mito!"

"..."

At first, no one paid them any attention. But once the first person recognized her, all the villagers on the street stopped and watched.

Their gazes were filled with reverence and devotion, stirring the heart.

Mito Uzumaki did not say a word. She merely smiled kindly and looked carefully at each of them.

Every blade of grass, every tree, every building, every person in Konoha entered her eyes, carrying a deep sense of longing.

Was this the peace their generation had worked so hard to achieve?

"Tell me, will true peace ever come?" she suddenly murmured.

Kushina walked beside her and blinked in confusion. "Isn't this peace already?"

Mito Uzumaki shook her head regretfully. "We have merely moved from the Warring States Period of clan conflicts into an era of villages fighting one another. The First Shinobi World War ended not long ago, yet the smoke of the Second Shinobi World War is already drawing near."

Kushina had no real concept of such things and did not know how to respond.

But Mito Uzumaki smiled again. "The future belongs to you. I hope you can live to see the day true peace arrives."

"It will," Hyuga Wuye could not help saying. "Peace will definitely come."

This old woman was at the end of her life, yet she was still worrying about the village's future. Instinctively, he did not want someone so lovely to leave this world with regrets and worries.

Even though Konoha still had all kinds of problems, it was far better than the Warring States Period.

"Our predecessors ended the Warring States Period. In the future, we will end the era of villages as well, enter a new age, and achieve true peace," he said.

Mito Uzumaki smiled with satisfaction. "You're right. The new generation will sooner or later surpass the old and accomplish what we wanted to do but could not. I need not worry about the future."

Actually, each succeeding generation gets worse than the last... Hyuga Wuye thought helplessly. Yet his face remained composed as he nodded firmly, looking full of lofty ambition.

The three of them spent most of the afternoon making a rough circuit of the entire village. At dusk, they finally arrived at the cliff behind Hokage Rock.

Hyuga Wuye looked regretfully at the Third Hokage's stone face beneath them... Compared to standing on the cliff, he would rather stand on that old man's head.

"Konoha... is so beautiful..."

Mito Uzumaki looked down at Konoha stretching dozens of miles around them, deep emotions churning in her clouded eyes.

Hyuga Wuye and Kushina simply stayed with her until the sun had completely set...

This was an old woman at the end of her life, holding onto her final attachment to this world.

"Wuye, c-can I go home with you tonight?"

Outside the Senju Clan estate, the girl's face was as red as a tomato.

Hyuga Wuye's mouth fell open. "Go home with me?"

Are you planning to let me put you in this position and that position, first this, then that, and finally... mm?

"Aren't you afraid Lord Hokage will catch us in the act?" he suddenly said with a smile.

Kushina's little face flushed even more deeply. "B-but we didn't do anything couple-like at all today..."

"Stay with Grandma Mito properly."

Wuye reached out and patted her head.

"Okay."

Kushina answered softly and turned around in low spirits.

"Huh?"

But at that moment, a strong hand pulled her back.

Kushina tumbled straight into Wuye's arms, her back colliding with his chest.

Hyuga Wuye wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding both her arms and body close.

An unfamiliar warmth enveloped her entire body...

Kushina's face instantly turned red, and her dejection vanished.

Her body seemed to have been infected by that blazing warmth. It felt hot and soft, as though she were about to melt... So this was what it felt like to be held by someone she liked.

"It'll be alright," Hyuga Wuye whispered in her ear. "Things will get better."

The young girl's delicate body in his arms was filled with youthful charm and soft as water.

He held her little hands and slender waist tightly, his nose filled with her sweet fragrance.

The village night was utterly quiet, so quiet that they could hear each other's heartbeats.

Their chests and backs pressed together in an extremely intimate pose, yet the atmosphere was strangely beautiful.

"Go on."

Wuye slowly released her.

"Mhm..."

Kushina practically darted through the gate, fleeing in embarrassment.

Hyuga Wuye laughed softly. Only after watching her figure disappear did he turn to leave.

"Catch them in the act..."

Suddenly, a figure wearing the Hokage's hat appeared outside the gate.

"What is there left to catch..."

He glanced inside and muttered bitterly, "Lady Mito has given me quite a difficult problem. If the future Nine-Tails jinchuriki falls into the hands of the Hyuga Clan, the foundation of Konoha's leadership will become a complete mess. Sigh..."

"Your name is, um... Hyuga Wuye?"

Before Wuye had gone far, a woman suddenly approached him... Mm, the twenty-one-year-old Princess Tsunade.

Did she come right to my door? Planning to let me do this first, then that?

"Lady Tsunade," Hyuga Wuye immediately bowed, not a trace of improper thoughts visible on his face. "That is indeed my name."

"You're from the Hyuga Clan. Why don't you have the Byakugan?"

Tsunade took two steps closer and studied his clear black-and-white eyes with great curiosity.

As she spoke, she suddenly reached out and measured his height.

"You're four years younger than Nawaki, yet you're the same height."

Seeing that Hyuga Wuye's head already reached her chest, Tsunade muttered again.

"???"

Hyuga Wuye was full of question marks... What exactly had she been waiting here for?

"I don't know why I don't have the Byakugan either," he said, shaking his head. "Did you need something, Lady Tsunade?"

"I heard from Nawaki that you're from the Hyuga branch family?" Tsunade continued asking as though she had not heard him.

Hyuga Wuye nodded.

"Doesn't the branch family receive the Caged Bird seal when they're three?"

She bent down to examine Wuye's smooth forehead, bringing with her the fragrance of a young woman.

"Because I don't have the Byakugan." Hyuga Wuye spoke as though it were only natural.

As he said that, he took a slight step back to avoid seeing scenery he should not see through her loose collar.

"Uh."

Tsunade visibly choked on her words, then murmured, "Interesting..."

Hyuga Wuye: "???"

"I came to express my thanks." Finally noticing Hyuga Wuye's confusion, Tsunade composed herself and said solemnly, "Thank you for accompanying Grandma all afternoon."

Hyuga Wuye blinked. "It was what I should have done."

"Go home early."

Tsunade nodded, then waved her hand.

Seriously? I thought she'd offer some sort of reward to show her gratitude, but all I got was one sentence?

Hyuga Wuye walked around her and headed back.

Forget it. I'll collect the reward myself someday...

Tsunade turned around and watched his figure vanish around the street corner.

"A kid from the Hyuga branch family, yet he doesn't have the Byakugan. If I..."

"Hmph, Kaguya would be furious... Maybe I can even get back the wager I lost. Heh heh..."

With her arms folded across her chest, she muttered something to herself.

Then she turned back toward the Senju Clan estate and sighed softly.

"Grandma only keeps Kushina by her side now... She won't even see Nawaki or me..."

"Has the final hour really come..."

"..."