Hyuga Clan Territory

Outside the reception room, Hinata called inside, "Father, Naruto is here."

A deep, powerful voice came from within. "I know, Hinata. Go look after Hanabi; she misses you. Let Naruto and me talk alone. Come in, Naruto."

Hearing Hiashi Hyuga's words, Hinata nodded slightly and said to Naruto, "Then, Naruto, I'll go take care of my little sister Hanabi first. Have a good talk with my father. He only looks stern; he's actually a pretty good person."

Naruto smiled at Hinata. "Don't worry, Hinata. I'll get along well with your father."

After Hinata left, Naruto slowly pushed open the door.

A middle-aged man sat in the reception room, and the table was already laden with food and drinks.

The moment Naruto entered, Hiashi Hyuga looked him over from head to toe and pointed to the seat across from him.

"Have a seat, Naruto."

Naruto sat where Hiashi Hyuga had indicated.

Old man, I'm here. Can my Kurama park outside your house?

"Hello, Clan Head Hyuga. I'm Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto greeted Hiashi Hyuga politely. Setting everything else aside, the fact that he was Hinata's father alone made him immensely important.

Hiashi Hyuga smiled at Naruto. After looking him over just now, he had to admit that Naruto was quite handsome. Though he was only six, it was already clear that he would grow into a very handsome young man.

He was handsome, and he seemed excellent in other respects as well.

The clan ninja responsible for protecting Hinata had often reported Naruto's situation to him.

Thus, he had long heard of Naruto's various performances at the Ninja Academy. From his usual behavior, Hiashi Hyuga was fairly satisfied with Naruto.

At the same time, Hiashi knew that Hinata's changes over this period could not be separated from Naruto's influence. After training with Naruto for the past three months, Hinata's mindset and willpower had improved considerably. Even Hiashi Hyuga, who had rather strict standards, acknowledged Hinata's efforts in training.

All of this could be credited to Naruto's subtle influence.

"Naruto, I've heard about how you've looked after Hinata at school, and I am truly grateful. Hinata's progress comforts me. She has become stronger. She is no longer as weak as before, and she now has the bearing of a ninja," Hiashi Hyuga said sincerely.

"I believe that if this continues, Hinata will surely become a qualified heir of the main family and lead our Hyuga Clan to glory."

It was clear that after being influenced by Naruto, Hinata had changed tremendously. She had actually earned Hiashi Hyuga's approval.

In the original story, Hinata had failed to display outstanding talent, and Hiashi Hyuga had ultimately been forced to give up on her. He had turned instead to train Hinata's younger sister, Hanabi.

The main account had failed, so he raised an alternate one instead.

It was clear that Hinata had truly improved.

Naruto smiled faintly. "Clan Head Hyuga, there's something wrong with how you put that. Hinata has always been a hardworking person. She was never weak; she was simply too gentle with everyone. I haven't done much. I merely stayed by her side and helped her understand what the right thing to do was."

"Even if I had never appeared, I believe she would still have become an outstanding ninja. After all, you understand Hinata's true nature better than I do."

Hiashi nodded, showing his agreement with Naruto's words.

Then, shifting the subject, Hiashi Hyuga first showed a trace of nostalgia as he recalled certain events from the past before continuing, "Naruto, I heard that when you were little, you protected Hinata. When other children mocked her, you stood up for her and protected her. I have always remembered that, and I am deeply grateful to you."

He meant it sincerely. Back then, it truly had been an accident. Hinata had run outside alone without any ninja guards accompanying her and had been surrounded and ridiculed by a group of children.

They told Hinata to activate her Byakugan for them. Wasn't she from the Hyuga Clan? If so, then she should activate her Byakugan and show them!

Those ignorant children had no idea that even within the Hyuga Clan, the Byakugan was not something one could activate whenever one pleased.

Like the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan, the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan symbolized whether one possessed powerful talent.

The stronger one's talent, the earlier one could awaken their eyes.

There was a common misconception here. As stated by Hiashi Hyuga in Boruto, the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan was not something they possessed from birth. One had to undergo extensive, arduous training to awaken it.

However, there were special cases influenced by bloodline.

For example, Himawari Uzumaki could activate the Byakugan under mental stimulation. Himawari's method of awakening her eyes was similar to the Sharingan.

Later on, Himawari could control the Byakugan voluntarily.

The Otsutsuki Clan possessed the Byakugan from birth and did not need to undergo extensive training like the Hyuga Clan to awaken it. Their ocular power was also greater than that of the Hyuga Clan.

Thus, although the original story mentioned that all the Hyuga Clan members who appeared possessed Byakugan abilities—

The Byakugan was an ability. Members of the Hyuga Clan were born with white eyes, but white eyes did not mean they possessed the Byakugan!

The Byakugan's abilities had to be awakened through training!

Even Neji, who was now called a genius, had yet to awaken the Byakugan.

The Hyuga Clan's earliest recorded awakening was a ninja from the Warring States era who awakened the Byakugan at the age of eight. He was already an extraordinarily impressive existence, and he later became the strongest member of the Hyuga Clan at the time.

He had made quite a name for himself as well.

At the time, Hinata had no ninja guards secretly protecting her, and she herself was rather introverted. She was so anxious that she could not say a word, which only made those children intensify their bullying. They thought Hinata was easy to push around, and since she was from a great clan, bullying her made them feel especially impressive.

Just as Hinata was being bullied, Naruto, who had nothing to do at home, saw what was happening. Naruto's sense of justice surged, and naturally, he did not choose to stand idly by. He stepped forward and demanded to know what those children were doing.

At that time, Naruto had not yet been reborn. He had acted entirely according to the original Naruto's own will.

However, even if he himself had already been reborn into this world back then, he would have made the same choice as the original Naruto.

But Naruto had not possessed much strength then. Years of going hungry and lacking warm clothes had left him physically weak as a child. Although he carried the bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan, he could not even defeat several children. Outnumbered, little Naruto was beaten back again and again.

Though he was badly beaten in the end, he still protected Hinata perfectly and did not let her suffer even the slightest injury.

After the Hyuga Clan's ninja discovered that Lady Hinata was missing, they hurried out to search for her. In the end, they found the unharmed Hinata, along with Naruto Uzumaki, who had been badly beaten.

It was from that time onward that Hinata became somewhat stronger and insisted on taking Naruto back for treatment.

The Hyuga Clan ninja also recognized Naruto as the ominous person rumored throughout the village to possibly possess the demon fox.

So they were in a difficult position. It was also the first time Hinata, in her capacity as a member of the main family, demanded that the two Hyuga ninja take Naruto back for treatment no matter what.

Thus, when Hiashi Hyuga saw that Hinata had gone missing, he had been extremely anxious. When she returned with Naruto Uzumaki, he was utterly dumbfounded.

My daughter, what a massive calamity have you brought back for your father?

After hearing that Naruto had desperately protected his daughter, Hiashi Hyuga's gaze softened somewhat, and he ordered that Naruto's injuries be treated without fail.

Hiashi Hyuga was not some ignorant villager. As the head of one of Hidden Leaf's great clans, he naturally knew Naruto's true identity.

And precisely because of that, Hiashi Hyuga knew this matter would not be easy to handle.

Activating his Byakugan, he saw several ANBU ninja lying in wait around his home.

Hiashi Hyuga knew that these ninja were secretly protecting Naruto.

They turned a blind eye to minor scuffles between children.

But if anything truly threatened Naruto's life, they would intervene in time to stop it.

Hiashi Hyuga waved at the hidden ANBU. The ANBU knew that their disguises were useless before the Byakugan.

One ANBU leader emerged from the shadows.

Hiashi Hyuga said to the ANBU, "I know Naruto has always been under your surveillance, and you must have already sent someone to report the news of our Hyuga Clan's contact with Naruto to Lord Hokage."

"I hope you can tell Lord Hokage that our Hyuga Clan had no intention of contacting Naruto. Naruto merely protected the daughter of our Hyuga Clan's main family this time. At my daughter's strong insistence, we had no choice but to bring Naruto back for treatment. I hope you will report the matter truthfully."

The ANBU leader nodded, while the other ANBU remained behind to continue watching the Hyuga Clan.

After the ANBU ninja left, the Hyuga Clan instructed their clansmen to take good care of Naruto's injuries. They could not allow anything to happen to him within Hyuga Clan territory.

The ANBU leader headed for the Hokage's office to report Hiashi Hyuga's message.

At this moment, an ANBU ninja who had gone ahead had already arrived at the Hokage's office. When Hiruzen Sarutobi saw him, he told him to report the situation.

"Lord Hokage, we discovered that Hyuga Clan ninja are in contact with Naruto Uzumaki, so we came to report it to you immediately. What are your orders?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately slapped the table. "What? The Hyuga Clan actually dared to contact Naruto? Do they not know Naruto is the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki? If they provoke him, can the Hyuga Clan bear the consequences?"

"Hiruzen, I heard that the Hyuga Clan is in contact with the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki. It seems they have thoughts of rebellion. They actually dared to contact a jinchuriki—something they must never touch."

At that moment, the door to the Hokage's office was thrown open with a bang. The newcomer was Hiruzen Sarutobi's close friend, Danzo Shimura.

"You're here, Danzo. Your information network is quite well-connected too. It seems the ninja of Root have been secretly tracking and monitoring Naruto quite a bit."

Seeing Danzo arrive, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat back down in his seat.

Danzo sat in the chair opposite Hiruzen Sarutobi and said, "Hiruzen, I have always believed that after the Uchiha Clan was suppressed, the Hyuga Clan had been quietly developing its own power, hoping to make a fortune without attracting attention. I think this contact with the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki was something they planned in secret as well, all to secretly control the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki."

Danzo truly was a master at lying through his teeth. He pinned everything he wanted to do to Naruto onto others. So the Hyuga Clan was going to take the blame for you? As expected of Danzo, the Kage of Blame. His reputation was well deserved.

Upon hearing Danzo's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had always liked opposing Danzo, immediately came to his senses. Indeed, the one who had always wanted to contact Naruto, secretly brainwash him, and control him was Danzo. The Hyuga Clan did not have that kind of nerve or power.

"Danzo, I think there must be more to this matter!" Whenever Hiruzen Sarutobi encountered Danzo Shimura, he seemed to trigger an instant clarity buff. Anything Danzo wanted could not possibly be good.

"Hiruzen, at a time like this, you're still talking about hidden reasons? I say we have Root surround the Hyuga Clan first, force them to hand over the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, and then let Root take good care of Naruto. I guarantee you, I will take very good care of the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki."

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