Meanwhile, at the Hyuga Clan compound.
Hiashi Hyuga's expression was somewhat grim. The war had ended, which was inherently a good thing. However, what followed next was the critical matter of selecting the Fourth Hokage. Although the Hyuga Clan was a prominent lineage, it lacked anyone capable of shouldering such a monumental responsibility, and he himself was no exception.
Truth be told, though he was desperately trying to pursue the path forged by Tennin Hyuga, his gains were negligible. Perhaps achieving such a realm could not be done through behind-closed-doors meditation alone; he needed to expose himself to new ideas, such as the insights of veteran powerhouses or the perspectives of the new generation's prodigies.
"Shimizu Uchiha has been making quite a name for himself lately," Hiashi Hyuga remarked to his wife.
"Yes," Chizuru Hyuga replied. She sat kneeling on the tatami mat, pouring a cup of hot tea for her husband.
"Expedite the wedding preparations for Ginka and Nobuhiko. Oh, right—go ahead and invite Shimizu Uchiha to come over tomorrow." Hiashi Hyuga picked up the hot tea. The ripples shimmering on the surface reflected his stern, traditional face.
During this crucial turning point, the Uchiha and Hyuga clans truly needed to stand together and support one another.
As the saying goes, a new Daimyo brings a new court. Every time a new Daimyo assumed power, the officials under him would be shuffled accordingly, allowing the new ruler's confidants to occupy vital positions. The same principle applied to Konohagakure. Following the death of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, took office. That transition brought along several personnel changes, and by the time the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, took charge, the reallocations grew even more extensive. The most glaring proof was the continuous budget cuts inflicted upon the Military Police Force managed by the Uchiha.
The Hyuga Clan, owing to their fence-sitting political stance, fared considerably better than the Uchiha. Even so, no one could predict what kind of policies the newly appointed Fourth Hokage would enforce regarding the Hyuga Clan.
"...Understood," Chizuru Hyuga lowered her head in compliance.
The Hyuga and Uchiha clans were both highly feudalistic and traditional; in this aspect, the Hyuga were arguably even more rigid than the Uchiha. A wife's status naturally fell far beneath her husband's, and she had to defer to his judgment in all matters. Leaving the room, Chizuru Hyuga passed the command down to Natsu Hyuga.
"Yes, Lady Chizuru," Natsu Hyuga replied respectfully, before heading off to deliver the notification to Shimizu.
A few dozen minutes later, at Shimizu's residence.
"Hiashi Hyuga is inviting me over, huh?" Shimizu rubbed his chin, looking at the respectful young girl before him. "Is Tetsu Hyuga still bothering you?"
Natsu Hyuga shook her head and replied, "Tetsu... he seemed to have sustained some injuries during the war, but it's nothing too serious. He is currently recuperating and should be fully recovered soon."
"Show me the intelligence you've gathered during this period."
"Yes." Natsu Hyuga handed over a scroll filled with the rumors and observations she had collected within the Hyuga Clan.
Shimizu flipped through a few pages. With the Simulator at his disposal, going out of his way to manage separate intelligence streams might seem redundant. However, reality was constantly subject to the butterfly effect; Shimizu could not guarantee that everything would unfold exactly as predicted by the Simulator. Furthermore, the Simulator's insights weren't exhaustive and were often summarized quite simply. The future projected by the Simulator could only dictate a fixed outcome under a specific set of parameters; in reality, taking an extra sip of water or casting a brief glance at a certain person could trigger a completely different chain of events.
To be safe, Shimizu preferred to put in the hard work to obtain raw data. In the Simulator, he could always try again, but dying in reality meant true death.
"Go back and tell your clan leaders that I will arrive tomorrow as promised."
A faint light flickered in Shimizu's eyes. Chizuru Hyuga, the wife of the Hyuga Clan Head... such a status is truly exhilarating. Just like Mikoto, she shared the exact same allure of being a clan head's wife.
Now that the war was over and a period of peace was setting in, the Konoha 12 would soon be born one after another. Among them, Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata would be born during this timeframe. He had already altered Itachi's birth. As for the remaining three, they wouldn't escape his grasp either.
Shimizu was absolutely determined to obtain the chakra of Indra and Asura. He would also do his best to get his hands on Hinata. An Asura reincarnation valued emotions and bonds above all else. Having Hinata in his grasp served as an excellent insurance policy. The future power scaling of this world would become incredibly formidable—just take the Shinjutsu "Tenchi" (Omnipotence) featured in Boruto, which allowed one to peer across all timelines! Jiraiya's clone, Kashin Koji, used precisely that technique to teach Boruto all the ninjutsu from the future timeline, enabling Boruto to rapidly adapt to the scaling.
"Yes." Natsu Hyuga bowed her head deeply, not daring to presume Shimizu's inner intentions.
However, judging by the curl of Shimizu's lips, he likely harbored that kind of intent toward Lady Chizuru as well. Natsu Hyuga wanted absolutely nothing to do with anything that could easily ignite an internal conflict between the Uchiha and the Hyuga.
The following day.
Shimizu arrived at the Hyuga compound upon invitation. Hiashi Hyuga personally came out to receive him.
"Shimizu-kun is truly young and capable," Hiashi Hyuga said as he led the way, showcasing the immense value he placed on him.
One had to realize that the Hyuga Clan lacked a prodigy of Shimizu's caliber; the lineage was simply plagued by far too many mediocre individuals. If it weren't for the Byakugan ensuring a very high baseline across the board for both old and young, it would be a massive question mark whether the Hyuga Clan could even maintain its status as a noble clan.
"You flatter me, it is merely an empty title," Shimizu replied flatly.
Hearing this, Hiashi Hyuga's internal evaluation of Shimizu rose significantly higher. Shimizu was at an age ripe for youthful arrogance—especially being an Uchiha—yet he could still maintain such a humble mindset. As expected, a grand reputation harbored no frauds; any shinobi who could make a name for themselves at this age possessed genuine skill.
"Haha, please, step inside." A strained smile squeezed onto Hiashi's rigid face.
Strangely enough, much like Fugaku, he was not a man fond of smiling. Hiashi Hyuga wouldn't even show a genuine smile until the final episode of Naruto Shippuden, when facing Hinata who was about to be married.
The two strolled through the Hyuga estate before finally arriving at the place where Hiashi Hyuga usually received guests. A large portion of Konohagakure's economy was controlled by the various shinobi clans. Given the Hyuga Clan's fence-sitting nature, it was inevitable for them to hold consultations and trade dealings with other clans.
"Shimizu, long time no see." Nobuhiko Hyuga looked at Shimizu with the sole remaining Byakugan uncovered by his black eyepatch.
Upon entering, aside from Hiashi Hyuga, other members of the clan were also present. Even Natsu Hyuga and Ginka Hyuga were in attendance, along with a few elderly men and women whom Shimizu assumed were the Elders of the Hyuga Clan.
When deciding whether to back Hiashi Hyuga, these Elders held immense sway. When Hiruzen Sarutobi personally came to negotiate with the Hyuga Clan, a whole row of these prestigious Elders sat right alongside Hiashi.
"It seems you've recovered quite well," Shimizu spoke up.
Since the Elders and familiar faces were present, while Tetsu Hyuga—the only one who had friction with him—was absent, it was glaringly obvious that they wanted to play the emotional card to leave a better impression on Shimizu.
"It is all thanks to you," Hiashi Hyuga interjected with a few polite remarks after allowing Shimizu to catch up with his acquaintance. The atmosphere gradually grew warm and welcoming.
"Shimizu-kun, now is a critical juncture. Shouldn't our two clans stand together and support each other even more closely?" Hiashi Hyuga's pair of Byakugan locked onto Shimizu.
The room fell into a brief silence. Multiple pairs of Byakugans stared intently at Shimizu, seemingly anticipating his reaction. Today's invitation boiled down entirely to securing the verdict of this single statement from Shimizu.
"Stand together and support each other, huh..."
Shimizu scanned his surroundings, his gaze eventually landing on Ginka Hyuga. Feeling his eyes on her, Ginka's heart tightened. Especially as the others followed Shimizu's gaze and shifted their attention to her, her body trembled slightly.
What does Shimizu Uchiha want to do?! Panic flared in Ginka's heart, terrified that Shimizu might pull out a textbook video recording. She pinched her thigh forcefully beneath the cover of her thick robes to maintain her composure.
Shimizu appeared to fall into deep thought. The Hyuga Elders exchanged glances, feeling that this matter was hanging by a thread. Hiashi Hyuga frowned, suppressing the urge to press further. His wife, Chizuru Hyuga, filled his cup with tea, not wishing for him to appear overly anxious.
Just as everyone held their breath in anticipation of Shimizu's next words, Shimizu finally spoke. He said unhurriedly:
"When I was treating Nobuhiko Hyuga, I witnessed Ginka Hyuga's sincere love for him." The corner of Shimizu's mouth curved slightly as he continued, "Therefore, I believe the Hyuga Clan is a clan capable of love, just as my Uchiha Clan is also a clan capable of love. We should indeed join forces as two powerful entities."
The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere instantly reverted to its previous warmth. One of the Elders chuckled and said, "Well said. We are both ocular dojutsu clans, and we have no major grievances in the past. In these turbulent times, we ought to support one another."
The Elders had initially thought the matter was a lost cause, but they never expected such a dramatic turnaround.
"However, I have not joined the Military Police Force, so my influence within the clan..."
"We merely need Shimizu-kun to express an attitude, nothing more," Hiashi Hyuga cut in.
Shimizu was already a Jonin, which placed him firmly within the village's ruling class. Coupled with his Uchiha lineage, it was practically foreseeable that Shimizu Uchiha would hold a prominent seat of power within the Uchiha Clan in the future. This amounted to an early investment; they fully believed in Shimizu's potential.
Following this, an Elder summoned a member of the Branch House to present a book and a scroll to Shimizu.
"Ah, I cannot possibly accept this," Shimizu declined with an expression of pure righteousness.
Seeing this, Hiashi Hyuga shot a meaningful glance toward Ginka Hyuga.
"This is merely a small token of appreciation from our Hyuga Clan," Ginka Hyuga said with a polite smile. Her tone was measured—neither too distant nor too familiar—carrying a trace of respect, making it seem as though Shimizu truly were the grand savior who had rescued her husband.
"Contained within are some of our Hyuga Clan's insights regarding shinobi cultivation," Hiashi Hyuga added, deliberately omitting what was stored inside the accompanying scroll. The contents of the book did not touch upon the Gentle Fist style, consisting only of the philosophies of the Eight Trigrams. Such concepts were not exclusive to the Hyuga Clan, as Yin-Yang practitioners utilized the exact same principles.
"Shimizu, please accept it," Nobuhiko urged.
Despite several people trying to persuade him, Shimizu kept declining. Ultimately, even Chizuru Hyuga could not help but speak up to persuade him.
It was precisely at this moment that Shimizu cast a meaningful glance at Chizuru Hyuga. "Since Lady Chizuru herself has spoken, I shall accept it."
Shimizu picked up the book and the scroll. The scroll was custom-made; an experienced veteran like Shimizu could tell with a single touch that it was packed entirely with currency.
Hearing Shimizu's response, Chizuru Hyuga's brow furrowed slightly. This slightly ambiguous phrasing made her feel that something was amiss—as if he had accepted the gifts solely for her sake. Her intuition as a woman made her exceptionally sensitive to such implications.
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