Today was another day full of hope.
Facing the midday sun, Zou Hyuga held out his hand, letting sunlight slip between his fingers and fall across his face. The pleasant warmth made him want to find a patch of grass and lie down.
He had always been someone who enjoyed life's comforts. Research and training were simply what he had to do to keep his peaceful life from being disturbed.
He had once thought that with strength on par with the Five Kage, he could wait for the Child of Prophecy to grow up, survive the finale unscathed, and make a smooth transition into the Boruto era.
But the series of events after the Night of the Nine-Tails had kept him uneasy, even after he surpassed Kage level.
First came Otsutsuki Toneri on the moon, then Obito and Nagato, who had reached their hands toward Oto. Those crises had pushed him to grow until he stood just one step away from becoming an Otsutsuki.
Yet the crises had not ended there. Beyond Obito and Black Zetsu, other masterminds still lurked in the shinobi world.
As he left the quiet clan grounds for the bustling streets, the sounds around him gradually grew livelier. Although the villagers knew the ninja had been acting strangely lately, they had no idea a Shinobi World War was coming.
A super war that every shinobi village and nation would have to face.
Following the faint connection of the Contract, Zou Hyuga headed toward Minato. Ever since Naruto officially became a ninja, the retired Minato had been watching him from the shadows every day. Perhaps he was acting on Kushina's orders.
Married life for a man was even more frightening than he had imagined.
Before long, Zou Hyuga reached the edge of town and found Minato Namikaze