The Hyuga Clan's Restlessness

Meanwhile, Akira Hyuga returned to Konoha, to the Hyuga Clan's territory.

Though he was somewhat angry at Chiba Shun's excessive demands, he did not actually want others to leave their bloodlines behind in Kumogakure like he had.

For one thing, the more people who knew about this, the more danger he would be in.

For another, if his child was the only ninja in Kumogakure with the Byakugan, then his child would definitely receive the best training. But if Kumogakure had other options, then his child would not be so important.

Lastly, if he were the only one in the entire Hyuga Branch House to leave behind a bloodline elsewhere, that feeling of quietly making a fortune was quite wonderful.

So he was still hesitating and had not immediately shared this opportunity with anyone else.

Until a few days later, a Jonin from the Hyuga Branch House whom he was usually close to suddenly asked him, "Akira, what's been wrong with you lately?"

"Why do you keep spacing out?"

Akira Hyuga froze for a moment, immediately raising his guard. Had he exposed a flaw?

He had indeed exposed one. Since he knew he had already left behind a bloodline elsewhere, his state of mind had changed.

That former state—being full of resentment toward the Hyuga Main House yet having no choice but to desperately suppress it—was gone.

He was no longer behaving like the other members of the Hyuga Branch House.

Fortunately, he had not been in frequent contact with others these past few days. Only this Branch House member closest to him had noticed something was off.

But the other man had not guessed why. He was merely concerned.

Akira Hyuga studied his expression, then relaxed slightly. After a long silence, he finally said, "Momoya, let's go have barbecue at the Akimichi Family's barbecue restaurant."

Momoya Hyuga paused. The Akimichi Family's barbecue restaurant?

Seemingly thinking of something, he instinctively glanced toward where the Hyuga Main House was located, then nodded.

The Akimichi Family's barbecue restaurant was far from the Hyuga Clan's territory. Whenever members of the Hyuga Branch House wanted to secretly complain about the Main House, they went there.

This was a secret of the Hyuga Branch House, one the Main House knew nothing about.

After all, in the eyes of the Hyuga Main House, the Branch House was fiercely loyal to them.

Before long, the two arrived at the Akimichi Family's barbecue restaurant together.

The restaurant owner did not seem surprised at all and thoughtfully arranged a quiet private room for them.

Akira Hyuga directly activated his Byakugan. Only after confirming that no one was spying on them did he slowly tell Momoya about the tavern in Sunshine Town, Land of Moon.

After hearing Akira Hyuga's words, Momoya Hyuga trembled so badly that he could not even hold his wine cup steady.

It took him a long time to calm his excitement. Then he activated his Byakugan as well, stared intently at Akira Hyuga, and asked, "Did you leave behind a bloodline?"

Akira Hyuga nodded.

At that, two streams of tears suddenly rolled down Momoya Hyuga's face. They were tears of excitement.

A moment later, he dropped to his knees before Akira Hyuga and said, "Thank you!"

Momoya Hyuga knew that since Akira Hyuga had told him this news, it meant he too could go and leave behind a bloodline.

Akira Hyuga understood how he felt and did not say anything more.

The next day, after seeking permission from the Hyuga Main House, Momoya Hyuga led a team out of Konoha.

Where there was one, there would be two. Akira Hyuga had friends he considered closest to him, and Momoya Hyuga did as well.

Over the following year, more and more members of the Hyuga Clan's Branch House voluntarily accepted missions outside the village.

Without exception, they all went to the Land of Moon...

They not only left behind bloodlines, but also their insights into cultivating the Byakugan and Gentle Fist.

Chiba Shun had only visited Sunshine Town once when persuading Akira Hyuga. After that, he stopped paying attention.

Though he did not take the initiative to follow up, A still occasionally brought him one piece of good news after another.

Whenever someone became pregnant, A notified Chiba Shun immediately.

That was all in the future. After obtaining the Gentle Fist secret technique written by Akira Hyuga, Chiba Shun returned to Kumogakure.

The Third Raikage read through the cultivation method for the Gentle Fist secret technique, then shook his head. "This is useless to ordinary people. Make a copy, and give it to those children once they are old enough to cultivate."

Chiba Shun paused, then cautiously asked, "Lord Raikage, do you mean for me to look after these children?"

The Third Raikage nodded. "Yes. Once these children are a little older, the Ninja Academy will train them collectively."

"They must develop a sense of belonging to the village."

"You know about this matter too, so you are the right person to handle it."

"From now on, make a copy of every insight into Gentle Fist."

Chiba Shun suddenly understood. The Third Raikage had put it subtly, but Chiba Shun got the meaning. He valued Chiba Shun's ability to brainwash people.

Sakai Yushi had been right after all. The Third Raikage also regarded him as someone who played schemes.

Chiba Shun sighed inwardly and could only comfort himself. This is fine too. At least it means I've gained the Third Raikage's attention.

Chiba Shun carefully copied it out, then handed the original to the Third Raikage.

After leaving the Raikage Building, he went straight back to the Ninja Academy.

Sakai Yushi had gone out on another mission.

Unlike Chiba Shun, he had not independently completed multiple S-rank Missions and did not have much money on hand.

Though Chiba Shun would give him money, he did not want to become a burden. Before Chiba Shun became a Chunin, he had been the one earning more money between them.

That was why Sakai Yushi had recently been actively taking missions.

After thinking it over, Chiba Shun still went to Aoki Yuyi's office. Some things were better said openly.

Besides, judging by what the Third Raikage had said, Chiba Shun probably would not be transferred away from the Ninja Academy.

When Aoki Yuyi saw Chiba Shun arrive, his expression was complicated.

Back then, Chiba Shun had been a newly promoted Chunin, while Aoki Yuyi, his superior, had been a Jonin. There had been no problem in how they got along.

But now Chiba Shun had also become a Jonin, while Aoki Yuyi was still only a Jonin. Their relationship had become somewhat awkward.

Actually, if Chiba Shun had become a Jonin ten years later, and Aoki Yuyi was still only a Jonin by then, it would not have mattered.

Chiba Shun would not have had enough seniority and still could not threaten Aoki Yuyi's position.

But the problem was that Chiba Shun was a fourteen-year-old Jonin.

When Aoki Yuyi was fourteen, he had only been a Chunin. He had not even been a Special Jonin.

There was quite a gap between their talents. In the eyes of the upper ranks, their statuses were surely different as well.

Aoki Yuyi especially understood Chiba Shun's true strength, since he watched Chiba Shun train every day.

Chiba Shun's chakra level had only just reached the Jonin level, allowing him to use A-rank Jutsu. But he was not yet familiar with the Jonin level, and his various methods had not kept pace. The Third Raikage had promoted him so early, which was actually somewhat hasty.

Aoki Yuyi did not know Chiba Shun's exact role during the Eight-Tails rampage. He guessed that Chiba Shun had been promoted because the village needed a batch of newly promoted Jonin to fill the vacancies caused by the Eight-Tails rampage.

He was very worried that the upper ranks would have Chiba Shun replace him and send him to fill another Jonin's position.

Because Aoki Yuyi felt deeply insecure. He knew that the Ninja Academy had reached its current scale mainly because of Chiba Shun's many imaginative ideas.

There were some things Chiba Shun did that Aoki Yuyi could also do, but many others that he could not.

For example, Chiba Shun always found new ways to promote the Will of Lightning. He could easily turn a crisis into an opportunity to promote the Will of Lightning.

In truth, Chiba Shun's thoughts were the same as Aoki Yuyi's. He had also been very worried about being transferred away from the Ninja Academy.

Although he had played a very important role in the Ninja Academy's reforms, he did not have enough connections in Kumogakure.

The Ninja Academy was not an independent institution. It often had to cooperate with other village departments, or rather, ask other departments for help.

Aoki Yuyi had extensive connections and could easily manage such things, but Chiba Shun could not.

Chiba Shun was also worried that he would be transferred away from the Ninja Academy to fill the vacancy left by some Jonin killed by the Eight-Tails.

After all, the Ninja Academy was a good place: safe, free, and allowing him to come into contact with the village's future in advance. He did not want to leave.

So after Chiba Shun became a Jonin, both men were like two people afraid of each other and unwilling to meet.

If the Third Raikage had not told him to brainwash the future children of the Hyuga Clan this time, he would not have had the confidence to speak face-to-face with Aoki Yuyi.

Chiba Shun remained respectful toward Aoki Yuyi on the surface and got straight to the point. "Senior Aoki, you actually do not need to be wary of me."

"Your original purpose in becoming the Ninja Academy's principal was to cultivate your own trusted people. Since I came from the Ninja Academy, am I not one of the trusted people you cultivated?"

Aoki Yuyi replied flatly, "Is that so?"

Aoki Yuyi thought to himself that he had treated Chiba Shun well, but that was only treating a newly promoted Chunin well.

The support he had given Chiba Shun was far from enough to sustain his cultivation to the Jonin level.

Chiba Shun's expenses for practicing A-rank Jutsu came from the S-rank Missions he had completed himself.

He had never sought help from Aoki Yuyi, his superior.

Chiba Shun's S-rank Mission had been his trip to Konoha and his scheme against White Fang. It had nothing to do with Aoki Yuyi.

Aoki Yuyi did not even know Chiba Shun's true purpose in going to Konoha, because it had been a top-secret mission personally arranged by the Third Raikage.

But at the time, Chiba Shun had only been a Chunin, so Aoki Yuyi had not thought much of it.

Chiba Shun said, "Senior Aoki, even if you do not consider me a junior cultivated by the Ninja Academy, that is fine."

"But I have no intention of competing with you for control of the Ninja Academy."

"My goal is different from yours. What you value are the talented students."

"But what I value are children with special talents."

"For example, Ayana, who went to Konoha with me. Her talent likely does not catch your eye, Senior, but she is interested in Sealing Scrolls, so I want to train her."

Aoki Yuyi's heart stirred. He remembered that Ayana. He also knew that Chiba Shun had taken fifty thousand ryo from his mission reward and given it to Ayana as a prize.

That matter had greatly puzzled Aoki Yuyi. Fifty thousand ryo was no small amount even in his eyes. To an orphan like Ayana, who could not yet take missions, it was an enormous sum.

Fifty thousand ryo was actually a great deal to Chiba Shun as well. His monthly salary was only fifty thousand ryo.

Had he not independently completed several S-rank Missions, Chiba Shun would not even be able to maintain fully funded cultivation now.