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Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand paused slightly. With his formidable will, even if flames burned over his body, he would not furrow his brow. Yet at this moment, a single sentence from a twelve-year-old Hyuga branch family boy left him stunned.

"If it could satisfy everyone in the village, that would be wonderful."

He did not ask for greater "power."

He did not crave higher "status."

He had not even mentioned the Hyuga Clan.

To satisfy everyone in the village...

Hyuga Yuto, in your subconscious, did the village matter more than anything else?

The Hyuga Clan's school certainly would not instill such ideas. Had you deliberately said those words for me to hear after careful planning... or had they come from the bottom of your heart, without even you realizing it?

For the first time, Sarutobi Hiruzen seriously studied the twelve-year-old Hyuga branch family boy before him.

Handsome, young, with thick calluses on both hands. He must usually train very hard. Hyuga's Jade... Right. Ever since becoming a genin, you had rarely stayed in the Hyuga Clan Grounds and spent most of your time away on missions. You were only six when you became a genin, so naturally, you had not received much education from the clan school...

He suddenly thought of the genius who had fought alongside him through life and death, and who had ultimately died for the Hidden Leaf Village: Kagami Uchiha.

Even among powerful ninja clans that were closed-off and proud, there could be people who inherited the Will of Fire...

Sarutobi Hiruzen thought of many things. In the end, he suppressed all his surging thoughts and gave Hyuga Yuto a deep look.

"Yuto, you may leave. Rest well."

"Yes, Lord Hokage." Hyuga Yuto bowed and withdrew.

He made no unnecessary moves, leaving the Hokage Building with a light heart.

He had done everything he could. As for how things would develop from here, even Hyuga Yuto could not foresee it.

A highly gifted Hyuga branch family boy who possessed the "Will of Fire"... How would Sarutobi Hiruzen handle him?

If this had been sixteen years later, when the story officially began, the aged Third Hokage, already nearing the end of his life, would most likely have done nothing but passively watch, perhaps secretly offering a little convenience at most.

But now, the Hidden Leaf Village was ruled by the Third Hokage just past fifty. At this stage of his life, the man was ambitious, daring enough to make bold moves and drastic decisions, seeing no one as his equal.

Sarutobi Hiruzen... Don't disappoint me.

Thinking this, Hyuga Yuto followed the personality he usually displayed. Rather than wandering around, he returned directly to the Hyuga Clan Grounds.

This time, he could enter through the main gate.

The Hyuga Clan Grounds covered a vast area. The central district belonged to the main family, while the remaining areas held the numerous residences of the branch family. Just from the locations and differences in elevation between the two areas, one could see how deeply ingrained the belief that "the main family are the masters of the Hyuga, and the branch family must protect and serve them" was.

For over a thousand years, the concepts of superiority and inferiority had flowed through every Hyuga clan member's body like blood.

The main family believed those rules were the natural order.

The branch family believed the same.

Over the long years, every seed that dared resist had long since been utterly destroyed.

Hyuga Yuto's home was in the southwestern part of the clan grounds, barely four hundred meters from the towering outer wall. It was an edge district.

Fortunately, his home was spacious. Though there were not many valuable things inside, his parents had loved planting flowers and grass when they were alive, and they had kept the courtyard in excellent shape. The moment he entered, it felt like strolling through a botanical garden from his previous life.

He crossed the courtyard and entered the house, beginning to tidy the rooms and clean.

Hyuga Yuto had been away from home for eighteen days. A layer of dust had already gathered on the tatami mats.

Cleaning was hard work, but Hyuga Yuto enjoyed it immensely. He was a ninja; by gathering chakra beneath his feet, he could walk on walls. Thus, he overlooked no corner, clearing away every spiderweb, speck of dust, and tiny insect.

By the time every room was spotless, the sun had already begun to set.

Hyuga Yuto lay on his back on the grass-scented tatami, removed his forehead protector, and stroked his smooth forehead. He knew the ugly Caged Bird Seal lay upon it. Though it caused neither pain nor sensation, Hyuga Yuto always felt as if a spider spinning silk rested on his forehead.

The thought suddenly disgusted the boy. He shuddered, got up, and went to the kitchen to cook.

Even if he was a ninja, it was difficult for a twelve-year-old boy to make delicious food. He might be skilled with a kunai, capable of concentrating chakra into his palm within a tenth of a second, yet he still could not understand how to control the heat or when best to add seasoning. Often, a single oddly shaped cooking utensil was enough to leave him flustered.

Fortunately, Hyuga Yuto only needed to cook a small amount of food.

Because he was alone.

After struggling for quite a while, he finally finished a plate of grilled fish, a dish of greens, and a bowl of rice.

The fish was somewhat burnt, the greens were salty enough to scorch his throat, and the rice was still undercooked.

Even so, Hyuga Yuto ate happily.

No one in the Hidden Leaf Village knew that when Hyuga Yuto was alone, he was actually quite lively and cheerful.

Born into the Hyuga branch family, destined from birth to become a slave, if he still wore a miserable face whenever he was alone, Hyuga Yuto feared he would never have lived to this day. He would have long since died of despair.

As he ate, Hyuga Yuto suddenly felt a little lonely.

So he quickly got up, ran to a room upstairs, found a box, and took out two kunai from inside.

The two kunai still bore blood that had long since dried.

They were among the few personal belongings left behind by Hyuga Yuto's parents.

Nine years ago, Hyuga Yuto had been three years old.

That year, as a transmigrator, Hyuga Yuto had been a thoroughly carefree little freeloader. Though born into the Hyuga branch family, he had been full of hope for the future.

—He knew how this world would develop in the future. There was Uzumaki Naruto, the "Child of Prophecy." Everything would get better, and happy days lay ahead!

Until that day, when his father and mother, who had served as "guards," were sent back to the clan grounds covered in blood.

An important member of the main family had been attacked. His parents, serving as guards, had fought desperately and protected the main family member's life at the cost of grievous, fatal injuries.

Whether out of gratitude for raising him or fear of the terrible upheaval, Hyuga Yuto desperately remained by his dying parents' side. Whether they lived or died, he had to witness it with his own eyes.

But in the end, Hyuga Yuto never saw the moment that couple died.

Because he was taken away—by brute force, by whips, by dogma.

The day the branch family couple died fighting for the main family was the day their son received the Caged Bird Seal.

The reward given to dead heroes was to brand their descendants with the mark of a slave.

The date for applying the seal had been set long ago and could not be changed, no matter what happened. That was the rule—the thousand-year rule the Hyuga clan took such pride in.

When three-year-old Hyuga Yuto clutched his forehead and stumbled toward his parents, all he could touch were two cold corpses.

He looked at his lifeless parents and noticed their mouths were open, as though they had been saying something.

After thinking about it for a long time, carefully comparing the shapes of their mouths and asking those present at the time, Hyuga Yuto finally learned the last words his parents had shared—

"Yuto, we're sorry."

Sorry... Sorry for what?

Now.

In the lonely, cold house.

Hyuga Yuto stroked the two kunai stained with blood and rust and murmured:

"There's nothing to apologize for."

"You did nothing wrong... Father. Mother."