Konoha: Starting with the Tenseigan, Taking Over Team 7

The office door opened, and an old man wrapped in bandages walked in, leaning on a cane.

It was Shimura Danzō.

With his one exposed eye, Shimura Danzō looked down coldly at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Sarutobi, why did you put the Nine-Tails in Aogetsu Hyuga's care?"

"Aogetsu Hyuga has a dangerous temperament. He could become a threat to the village."

Shimura Danzō's voice was low, and danger glinted in his eye. "The Nine-Tails' vessel should be placed under my Root's control."

He believed that although the Nine-Tails was dangerous, its vessel could become a living weapon that protected the village. Root should therefore keep the vessel under strict control.

Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a cloud of pale smoke, adjusted his Hokage hat, and said gravely, "Danzo, I'm the Hokage. I made this decision as Hokage. Naruto needs room to grow, and Aogetsu Hyuga is powerful!"

"Putting Naruto in your care would anger a great many people. Don't bring this up again." Hiruzen Sarutobi knew how many people were connected to Naruto Uzumaki.

There were Kakashi Hatake, Jiraiya of the legendary Sannin, and many ninjas who had once followed the Fourth Hokage.

Shimura Danzō said in a deep voice, "You should have put Aogetsu Hyuga and the Nine-Tails' vessel under my control from the start. Letting a ninja as willful as Aogetsu Hyuga do as he pleases will create all kinds of hidden dangers."

He wanted Aogetsu Hyuga's Tenseigan so he could use it to protect the village.

"Leave," Hiruzen Sarutobi warned. "And don't set your sights on Aogetsu Hyuga again. That brat... Both his temperament and his strength are dangerous."

He knew full well that Aogetsu Hyuga was not as easygoing as he appeared.

Past events had shown him that Aogetsu Hyuga was the kind of ninja who could smile while watching an enemy struggle in desperation.

"Sarutobi, you'll regret this!" Shimura Danzō gave him a long look, then turned and left the Hokage's office.

When I become Hokage, I'll show everyone through my actions that I'm the one who can truly protect this village!

The Hyuga Clan estate.

Inside an old-fashioned dojo.

"So, what did you want to see me about?" Aogetsu Hyuga sat on the windowsill, sipping sake as he gazed at the moon.

"I heard you became Team 7's teacher. You've done well, Cangyue." Hyuga Hiashi sat cross-legged with rigid propriety, looking at Aogetsu Hyuga with a stern expression.

Aogetsu Hyuga had rarely involved himself in village affairs before. Now he had taken charge of Team 7 of his own accord, and Hiashi was glad to see it.

"That's it? If there's nothing else, I'm leaving. I'm not interested in chatting with men." Aogetsu Hyuga shot Hiashi a disdainful glance.

Rather than getting angry, Hyuga Hiashi laughed. "Hahaha! You're the only person in the Hyuga Clan who dares speak to me like that."

Many members of the Hyuga Clan feared him as their clan head. He was old-fashioned, too, and believed the distinction between superiors and subordinates had to be maintained.

But Hyuga Hiashi could do nothing about Cangyue.

Creak—

The dojo door slowly opened, and a petite, pretty figure stepped inside on small, fair feet.

Hinata Hyuga bowed slightly. "Father."

She feared Hyuga Hiashi, but she also respected him as clan head.

"Mm. Sit down." Hyuga Hiashi nodded.

"Hey, Hinata." A light, smiling voice rang through the room.

"Huh?" Hinata Hyuga froze for a moment, then turned toward the voice and saw Cangyue's handsome face.

"B-B-Big Brother Cangyue." A blush spread across Hinata Hyuga's cute face. She entwined her fingers and greeted him shyly.

She grew shy whenever she saw Cangyue. Even saying a single word to him made her heart race and left her terribly nervous.

Hinata herself did not understand why seeing Cangyue made her so nervous.

"I haven't seen you in months. You've gotten much stronger, and you're growing up nicely too." Aogetsu Hyuga stroked his chin and looked Hinata over carefully before nodding in satisfaction.

Hinata was still tiny and childlike, but she was growing up fast.

Hinata Hyuga twisted her fingers together and murmured shyly, "N-No... C-Compared to you, Big Brother Cangyue, I-I still have a long way to go."

Aogetsu Hyuga put on a proud air and chuckled with utter confidence. "No need to compare yourself to me. Hardly anyone can match my strength, after all. I'm a fine young man who loves telling the truth."

It sounded like boasting, but he was telling the truth.

Anyone who wanted to match him would need power at the Six Paths level at a minimum.

"I'm amazed you could make out what my daughter said." Hyuga Hiashi's mouth twitched. He could not resist the remark; he had not caught a single word Hinata had said.

Aogetsu Hyuga waved a hand, feigning disdain. "I understand, I understand. It's normal at your age."

"Ahem. Back to the matter at hand." Hyuga Hiashi cleared his throat.

"Cangyue, almost no one can defeat you. Even I, the clan head, must admit that you're stronger than me now."

Hyuga Hiashi's expression remained stern as he continued, "You're a ninja of considerable renown throughout the Ninja World. Your reputation even rivals that of the legendary Sannin."

"Hold on. I need to correct you." Aogetsu Hyuga took a sip of sake and looked calmly at Hyuga Hiashi. "I'm stronger than you now? Wrong. I was already stronger than you when I was eight."

Hinata Hyuga stole a glance at Cangyue and whispered, "B-Big Brother Cangyue is s-so amazing."

If only I could be as strong as Big Brother Cangyue...

Aogetsu Hyuga patted Hinata's little head and said with a smile, "Pretty amazing, right? You can praise me more, you know."

"Ah!" At his touch, Hinata Hyuga backed away like a startled rabbit. Her blush deepened.

Hyuga Hiashi glared at Cangyue. "Stop fooling around. We're discussing something important!"

Of course he knew that Cangyue had surpassed him when he was eight.

Back then, eight-year-old Cangyue had shaken the entire Hyuga Clan estate simply by releasing his Chakra.

Literally shaken it.

Houses had collapsed, and rebuilding them had cost a fortune.

Hyuga Hiashi said gravely, "Cangyue, become clan head. With your abilities, you can lead the Hyuga Clan to new heights."

"The Hyuga Clan cares so much about bloodlines. Since when did it start handing out the position of clan head so freely? I was born to a branch family. How could I possibly take on such a responsibility?" Aogetsu Hyuga toyed with his sake flask, smiling as he made his pointed remark.

"You brat. We're family, so stop taking jabs at me." Hyuga Hiashi shook his head with a wry smile. The barb was obvious.

Aogetsu Hyuga said evenly, "Clan rules are clan rules, and a branch family is a branch family. By those rules, Hinata should become clan head someday."

"I-I-I..." Hinata Hyuga did not get to finish.

"Hinata is timid, and her talent and strength are unremarkable. Even Neji of the branch family has far surpassed her. If she became head of the Hyuga Clan, many Elders would object." Hyuga Hiashi spoke bluntly, making no attempt to soften the truth.

Hinata Hyuga lowered her head and bit her lip. She knew no one in the clan expected her to change, and no one accepted her as a candidate for clan head.

Aogetsu Hyuga glanced at Hinata beside him. Seeing her expression, he sighed inwardly, reached out to pat her little head, and smiled. "Don't listen to the gossip from those good-for-nothings in the clan. Have some confidence. You've worked hard."

"Big Brother Cangyue..." Warmth welled up inside Hinata Hyuga. She had once been timid and lacked confidence. When no one in the Hyuga Clan believed in her, Cangyue had encouraged her and believed in her.

And Cangyue's confident smile had become something Hinata aspired to.

Hyuga Hiashi said sternly, "Working that hard isn't enough."

Aogetsu Hyuga waved a hand. "It'll be fine as long as I'm here. Once Hinata marries me and becomes head of the Hyuga Clan, will anyone dare gossip behind her back?"

"Mm, that makes sense." Hyuga Hiashi nodded, then paused and looked at Cangyue in surprise. "Wait."

So that was what this brat had been leading up to!

He was the head of the Hyuga Clan, yet he had nearly fallen for it.

"Right, Father-in-law?" Aogetsu Hyuga teased.

"B-B-Becoming Big Brother Cangyue's bride?" Hinata Hyuga's face turned scarlet. She was so embarrassed that steam seemed ready to rise from her head.

"Nonsense. All you do is joke around, you brat." Hyuga Hiashi glared at Cangyue in exasperation.

Cangyue was probably joking. With his willful manner, few people could tell what he was thinking.

But if Hinata really could marry Cangyue, it would be wonderful news.

After all, Cangyue had strength and brains, and his personality... Well, he had strength.

"Anyway, I'm not interested in being clan head. Those old bones of yours can still hold things together, can't they? Find someone else when the time comes." Aogetsu Hyuga stood and headed out. As he opened the dojo door, he paused and looked back at Hinata Hyuga.

Putting on the air of a shady uncle, Aogetsu Hyuga teased, "I'm heading to the bath. Want to come along, Little Hinata?"

"You know, plenty of female ninjas in the village dream of bathing with a top-tier handsome guy like me. I'll make an exception and let you join me for free."

"Huh? Huh? Huh? I-I..." Hinata Hyuga stammered without managing an answer. Her face was as red as a ripe apple, and steam seemed to rise from her head. At last, her vision went dark and she fainted from embarrassment.

"Hahaha! She's adorable." Aogetsu Hyuga laughed as he turned and left.

Hyuga Hiashi's face darkened. He slammed his hand against the floor, sending cracks across it. "Cangyue, you brat!"

Cangyue had gone too far. He had teased Hiashi's daughter until she fainted from embarrassment, right in front of her father.

The brat had no shame!

Early morning.

White mist hung in the cool air.

The sun slowly climbed into the sky, and pale golden rays parted the morning mist to shine across the land.

Every Genin in the village was happy today. Full of anticipation, they left home in high spirits.

Today was the day they officially became ninjas!

Team 7, of course, was the exception.

"I'm cold, hungry, thirsty, and sleepy. I want to go home and eat instant noodles." Naruto Uzumaki lay on the ground, wriggling like an eel. His eyes were rolled back, his face was strained, and his lips were cracked from thirst. He looked utterly miserable.

He had woken up at four and panicked, sprinting all the way to the meeting place. He had been terrified of missing something important. What if they took away his Genin status for being late?

But he never could have imagined what happened next.

When Naruto Uzumaki reached the meeting place, Aogetsu Hyuga was nowhere in sight!

That was right. On his very first day as Team 7's teacher, Aogetsu Hyuga was hours late!

Sasuke Uchiha leaned against a tree trunk with his hands in his pockets. He glanced coldly at Naruto Uzumaki. "Idiot."

"You act so tough," Naruto Uzumaki said weakly. "I bet you're starving too."

He had not eaten a bite since yesterday. He had not even had a drop of water!

Sasuke Uchiha lifted his chin, a trace of arrogance in his cool smile. "Like I said, you're nowhere near my level."

Naruto Uzumaki's eyes flared with anger. Just as he was about to retort—

Grrr— A clear sound rang out. Everyone could tell that the strange noise was someone's stomach growling.

For a moment, everything went quiet.

Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno turned to look at Sasuke Uchiha.

The growling had come from Sasuke Uchiha's stomach!

Naruto Uzumaki burst out laughing. Clutching his belly, he pointed at Sasuke and jeered, "Pfft! Hahaha! Sasuke, your body's being honest!"

"Sasuke-kun." Sakura Haruno looked worried.

Sasuke Uchiha's face reddened slightly. He turned away with a cold snort. "Hmph. If he can't even show up on time on the first day, what can he teach us?"

He, too, had eaten nothing since yesterday.

"Don't say that, Sasuke-kun. Teacher Cangyue might have run into something troublesome, or something important. Let's wait a little longer." Sakura Haruno gripped her collar and forced a smile, trying to smooth things over.

She was comforting them on the outside. Inwardly, she was cursing Cangyue every way she could.

It was already seven!

Seven!

Team 7 had been waiting here, hungry and miserable, for three whole hours!

What on earth was Aogetsu Hyuga doing?

I did what he said and haven't eaten a bite since yesterday!

You've got to be kidding me, you bastard!