Going home

Meicun Hyuga's mood had taken all sorts of unpredictable turns that day.

That morning, she had taken Tianyun Hyuga to school with some apprehension, afraid he would be bullied in the Elite Class. She had told him all sorts of ways to get along with his classmates.

Once Tianyun Hyuga's lessons began, she returned home and started worrying again that he might be bullied. Distracted and uneasy, she wanted to go check on him at Konoha Academy, but the rule forbidding parents from interfering with the school forced her to hold back.

After finally making it through noon, Meicun Hyuga had calmed down a little and planned to rest before picking Tianyun Hyuga up that afternoon. But before she could even finish her nap, a large shipment of gifts from Hyuga Hiashi arrived at her home. The people delivering them offered no explanation, merely congratulating her before leaving, which left her utterly bewildered.

Once the guards Hyuga Hiashi had sent left, Meicun Hyuga hurried into the village to ask why the Clan Head had sent her gifts. What she learned made her eyes go wide.

Of course Meicun Hyuga knew what her own child was like. Now people were suddenly saying that Tianyun Hyuga had swept through the students of Konoha Ninja Academy's Elite Class, and even the prodigy Neji Hyuga had not dared challenge him. It was simply beyond anything she could imagine.

After returning to the Mansion and spending over an hour thinking in a daze, Meicun Hyuga realized that classes at Konoha Academy were nearly over. She hurried to the Ninja Academy, reaching Konoha Academy's gates more than ten minutes early.

The moment Meicun Hyuga arrived at the Ninja Academy's gates, she saw Tianyun Hyuga sitting there at ease, with another child fawning over him and offering him ice cream. Fury surged through her. She rushed up, grabbed Tianyun Hyuga by the ear, and dragged him home.

On the way home, Meicun Hyuga asked Tianyun Hyuga no questions. She had too many to get through at once, so she decided to take him home first and question him at her leisure.

After dragging Tianyun Hyuga all the way back to the Mansion at a run, Meicun Hyuga pushed him into a seat in the main hall. She stared wide-eyed at his bored expression, unsure where to begin.

When Meicun Hyuga remained silent, Tianyun Hyuga spoke first. "Mother, I'm hungry. Haven't you made dinner?"

"Dinner! I completely forgot until you mentioned it," Meicun Hyuga answered reflexively. Then, as though remembering something, she lowered her head and glared furiously at Tianyun Hyuga. "You little brat! What did you do at school today? Didn't I tell you to get along with your classmates? Why were you fighting with them...?"

Tianyun Hyuga had already prepared a way to handle Meicun Hyuga. The instant she began scolding him, he put on an aggrieved expression. "Mother, I wasn't fighting. They attacked first! I only chased them away. Who knew the Elite Class students were so weak? They went down in just one move..."

"Is that so...?" Meicun Hyuga considered it doubtfully, then flared up. "Stop talking nonsense! How could you possibly defeat Elite Class students in one move? Clearly, I need to teach you a lesson today. Go to your room this instant..."

Tianyun Hyuga immediately raised both hands and spoke with utmost sincerity. "Mother, I really am telling the truth. If you don't believe me, ask Neji Hyuga. He saw everything I did..."

"Neji...? Then everything you just said was true...?" This time, Meicun Hyuga began to believe Tianyun Hyuga. She knew Neji Hyuga was a prodigy and would not lie casually.

Tianyun Hyuga hurriedly nodded. "We can go find Neji right now. Then you'll know I only fought back when they attacked me. I never attacked my classmates."

"Hmm, is that so? Then I'll take you over there and ask him now," Meicun Hyuga said.

"No, no! If I go, Neji will definitely feel too embarrassed to talk. It would be better if you asked him yourself, Mother..." Tianyun Hyuga said, shaking his head.

"What would he have to be embarrassed..." Meicun Hyuga fell silent halfway through.

She recalled the rumors in the village that Tianyun Hyuga had defeated his entire class, which naturally included Neji Hyuga. Taking Tianyun Hyuga along to see Neji Hyuga now really would be a little inappropriate.

After a moment of silence, Meicun Hyuga still did not know whether to believe Tianyun Hyuga. She hesitated before asking, "Tianyun, did you really defeat Neji Hyuga?"

Tianyun Hyuga hurriedly shook his head. "How could I? Neji and I never even fought. I only fought two children from the Uchiha Clan. The other classmates ran away on their own..."

Meicun Hyuga immediately relaxed. She happily patted Tianyun Hyuga's little head and said, "So that's what happened. I thought you really had beaten Neji. It turns out you only defeated two children from the Uchiha Clan."

"The Uchiha Clan's children are no good anyway, so it's only natural that you beat them. You did quite well today, so I won't punish you. Have a good rest. I'll go make your dinner."

With that, Meicun Hyuga headed to the kitchen, humming cheerfully.

In truth, Meicun Hyuga knew perfectly well that the Uchiha Clan's children were not weak. Otherwise, she would not have gone off so happily to prepare Tianyun Hyuga's dinner-and a lavish feast at that. It was a reward for Tianyun Hyuga, as well as for herself and the years of guidance that had finally made him a powerful ninja.

Back in the Mansion's main hall, once he had fooled Meicun Hyuga into leaving, Tianyun Hyuga resumed his adult demeanor. With his hands clasped behind his back, he headed to his room to change and rest. Later, he would have to keep pretending to be a child to deal with Meicun Hyuga.

To Tianyun Hyuga, Meicun Hyuga was relatively easy to fool. If he encountered a crafty old schemer like the Third Hokage, his act would never hold up. He would probably have no choice but to negotiate with the Third Hokage; that was the only way to handle him.

After two days in Konoha, Tianyun Hyuga had finally managed to fit into the village. Although some people still suspected him, the current situation was already fairly satisfactory.

For the next while, he only needed to handle the Third Hokage and Hyuga Hiashi properly. Then he could settle down in Konoha, slowly earn money, improve his combat strength, and ultimately conquer the Shinobi World.

Of course, Tianyun Hyuga intended to conquer the Shinobi World before the Fourth Ninja War. Otherwise, once the likes of Princess Kaguya and the Sage of Six Paths appeared, he would have a whole new pile of trouble to deal with.