Chapter 137: Loneliness of the Master
"What's going on with Naruto?"
When Ryosuke returned home that night, Hinata and Hanabi were already asleep. But Hyuga Hiashi remained awake, waiting in the courtyard under the moonlight. He had clearly learned from Hinata what Ryosuke planned to do and decided to wait for his return.
"His situation is… complicated," Ryosuke said quietly, his voice tinged with frustration as he stepped into the courtyard. "The Third Hokage may not be able to protect him. I can only hope Jiraiya brings Tsunade back to the village soon."
Hiashi listened without a word, his eyes steady. Ryosuke didn't speak as Naruto's judge or his savior, only as someone trying to see the whole picture.
Although he'd tried to be objective when talking to Naruto earlier, speaking from the perspective of an outsider, deep down Ryosuke had already formed his own opinion of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
To Ryosuke, the old Hokage seemed to treat Naruto with a certain kindness. That much was clear. There was guilt in Hiruzen's gaze whenever he looked at Naruto—guilt that came not just from sealing the Nine-Tails into him, but from failing him again and again. From their interactions, it was obvious that Hiruzen was trying to train Naruto as a true heir, a next generation ninja of Konoha.
If anything, Ryosuke believed the old man would more likely protect Naruto—even if it meant standing against other village elders.
Because to the higher-ups, Naruto wasn't just a boy.
He was a weapon.
A ticking bomb with enough power to destabilize the entire shinobi world.
And in that kind of scenario, Ryosuke wouldn't put it past some of Konoha's more radical decision-makers to push for dark, inhumane solutions. That was the world they lived in.
"I believe Sarutobi will protect him," Ryosuke said softly, "but that's just a guess. I'm not Naruto. I'm not Hiruzen. I don't know what they're truly thinking."
Hiashi's gaze lingered on him.
"Then… you're not going to help him?"
Ryosuke didn't answer immediately. He walked to the wooden corridor and sat beside Hiashi. The silence between them wasn't heavy—it was thoughtful.
"I'll do what I can," Ryosuke replied at last. "But since Naruto chose to graduate early and become a shinobi, he also chose to shoulder the consequences of that path."
He paused, staring at the night sky.
"As a friend, I can't just stand by like I used to. I feel something now. But that doesn't mean I'll decide everything for him. Those decisions… they're his."
Hiashi gave a quiet chuckle.
"That sounds exactly like you," he said with the barest hint of warmth. "If Naruto wasn't your friend, you'd never let him make those choices on his own."
Ryosuke smiled faintly, amused by how well his father understood him.
They exchanged a brief glance, and for a fleeting moment, both father and son saw something familiar in each other's eyes—understanding, experience, quiet strength. And just like that, they looked away, turning their eyes skyward.
Silence returned to the courtyard. No words, no movement—just two men watching the moon, sharing a rare and peaceful night beneath it.
Ryosuke wasn't just Naruto's friend anymore.
He was no longer a tourist in this world of shinobi—a foreigner amused by the manga panels of his past life.
He had changed.
Somewhere between Hinata's quiet loyalty, Hanabi's innocent questions, Hiashi's rare approval, and Neji's stubborn ambition… he'd become part of it all.
And with that change came worry, complexity, and a strange new kind of fulfillment. He didn't fight it.
---
"Hyuga Neji has officially passed the graduation exam!"
"The Hyuga's Number One Genius is now a full-fledged ninja!"
"Hope for the Hyuga clan's revival has arrived!"
The clan was abuzz.
Apparently, Ryosuke's and Hinata's encouragement had struck a chord in Neji. Less than three days after their conversation, Neji had reapplied for his graduation assessment—and this time, he passed.
It was a turning point.
With the Hyuga clan's internal reforms moving forward, Neji's success was more than just a personal victory—it was a symbol of the clan's future.
The entire branch house celebrated, and word spread fast. Even without attending school, Neji's achievement became the talk of the Hyuga.
"Lord Ryosuke," said a familiar voice as he stepped out of the training ground, drenched in sweat, "with Neji's talent, he's sure to become a great general under your command someday."
Ryosuke raised an eyebrow.
Hinata Tamao stood at the front of a small group, one arm missing, a pile of scrolls in tow. The man had once accompanied Ryosuke to the Land of Waves and suffered grave injuries. Despite the loss of strength, no one—neither in the clan nor the village—dared disrespect him.
He had earned his place in the hearts of many.
"Tamao-san," Ryosuke chuckled, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a towel, "are you saying that just because you came to deliver some scrolls?"
"Well, yes and no," Tamao scratched his head sheepishly. "We did come to bring you information from the Land of Fire —Brother Souji and Hoshicai latest report. But I really meant what I said. Neji's a rare talent. And Lady Hinata… well, she's strong too, but you—Lord Ryosuke—you're something else."
The other shinobi behind Tamao looked visibly tense, some nearly tripping over their scrolls.
Ryosuke didn't seem angry, though. He just sighed lightly and shook his head.
"The clan leader isn't just someone with strength," he replied. "Leadership means more than power alone."
If anyone else had belittled Hinata like that, Ryosuke might've responded differently. But Tamao wasn't speaking out of disrespect—just out of the deep-rooted shinobi belief that power determined value. It was the same belief that had shaped much of the ninja world since the Warring States Period.
Power ruled. Strength spoke.
"Anyway, we'll just follow Lord Ryosuke. If you want to listen to someone else, we'll follow your lead, too."
Hinata Tamao had initially wanted to keep arguing his point, but before he could, a younger Hyuga clan member—carrying an armful of scrolls and looking rather sharp—cut in, stopping him mid-thought.
"But, Lord Ryosuke… we've actually been curious about something."
"Oh?" Ryosuke turned toward him, his tone casual. "Ask away, though I may not have an answer."
The young Hyuga hesitated for a second, chuckled nervously, and finally asked, "Actually, it's nothing major. We just want to know... how do you compare to Uchiha Itachi, or Hatake Kakashi?"
Even as he asked, the clan member waved a hand dismissively, laughing awkwardly. "It's okay if you can't say. We're just curious. After all, back in the Land of Waves, you fought on even ground with a Jōnin—and that wasn't even using your full strength, was it?"
Everyone else nearby tensed slightly. The question hung in the air, heavy with anticipation. They'd all witnessed Ryosuke's strength firsthand, but none of them knew just how far it went.
"Well..." Ryosuke stretched the word, smirking slightly. "To be honest, I don't really know myself."
"…Ah."
Tamao and the others visibly deflated.
It wasn't surprising. Ryosuke always kept his strength under wraps. Still, even being close enough to speculate on his level was a privilege. He could've left it there, but upon seeing their disappointed expressions, Ryosuke sighed and added,
"I'm really not lying. I might not be able to beat Uchiha Itachi, but Hatake Kakashi? That shouldn't be a problem."
He paused for a moment, then shrugged, "But I haven't fought either of them, so I can't say for sure."
He looked down at his own hand and slowly clenched it into a fist.
"It's just... it's been a long time since I've gone all out in a fight."
And he meant it.
Ever since returning from the Land of Waves, Ryosuke's strength had increased rapidly—his rest, training, and the experience gained from watching the battle between the Third Hokage and the Fourth Raikage had pushed him through his third transformation. Every aspect of his physical ability had been enhanced exponentially.
But without a worthy opponent to measure himself against, even Ryosuke wasn't sure where he stood anymore.
Kakashi? Easy.
But Itachi… was different.
The Mangekyō Sharingan changed the entire battlefield. With those eyes, Itachi could contend with the likes of the Fourth Raikage at his peak—a truly terrifying feat. Without facing him head-on, Ryosuke couldn't gauge their difference.
"L-Lord Ryosuke… That's incredible!" Tamao's voice trembled with awe.
"How old are you again? And you can already overpower Hatake Kakashi?"
"Then one day… will you surpass even the Hokage? Maybe even become someone on par with Hashirama Senju?"
"Wait, wait—didn't Ryosuke-sama say he wasn't sure about beating Uchiha Itachi? So does that mean… Uchiha Itachi is even stronger than Kakashi?"
As their excitement bubbled, others began parsing Ryosuke's words more carefully, catching subtle implications.
"That's right," Ryosuke nodded slightly. "After he defected, Uchiha Itachi started taking on high-level assignments through the underground. Based on intel from those missions, his power grew rapidly."
"And as for Hatake Kakashi—he hasn't developed any notable new techniques since Raikiri. His growth seems to have stagnated. Whether he hit a wall… or simply lost the will to climb further, I'm not sure."
While talking, Ryosuke led the group toward his residence.
Once inside, they deposited the intelligence scrolls sent back from the Land of Fire by Hoshicai and Souji. Ryosuke handed back a compiled scroll in return—one that detailed recent intelligence gathered by the Hyuga Clan's own information network.
These followers of his—Tamao included—had all been part of the Land of Waves mission, and while they were competent and loyal, they were still considered the younger backbone of the clan. Not quite at the top, but not inexperienced either.
That meant their access to certain classified intel was limited.
But Ryosuke valued their loyalty.
He believed they deserved to understand more about the shinobi world—beyond the clan, beyond Konoha's walls. And if that knowledge broadened their horizons, helped them grow stronger... even better.
After seeing them off with grateful bows and respectful farewells, Ryosuke watched as the house fell silent once more.
But instead of returning to his room to review the scrolls from Hoshicai, he stepped out into the courtyard.
He sat down, the moonlight casting a silver sheen on the tiles around him.
Opening his palm, then slowly curling it into a tight fist, he stared in quiet thought.
That question again.
His strength.
What level was he truly at now?
"Hmm…"
He let out a low sigh, leaning back slightly.
Since his third transformation, his power had skyrocketed. But without a real fight—without sweat, blood, and a deadly enemy pushing him to his limits—he couldn't measure himself accurately. And that gnawed at him.
The only shinobi in Konoha who might challenge him now?
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō.
But even then…
Ryosuke couldn't help but dismiss Hiruzen from the equation. The man was too old. Who knew what injuries he'd picked up during his recent battle with the Fourth Raikage?
Danzō, on the other hand... was intriguing.
That man had Sharingan. Multiple ones.
And the most dangerous part? He could die several times.
That alone made him worth fighting.
"Is this what they call… the loneliness of a master?" Ryosuke muttered, lips twitching in a wry smile. "I can't believe I actually said something so corny."
A low meow interrupted his musings.
The fat cat that had claimed the courtyard as its personal kingdom meandered over, stubby legs trotting with purpose. With a soft jump, it landed neatly in Ryosuke's lap.
He chuckled and ran a hand over its plush fur, watching it curl up contentedly.
And just like that, a new thought stirred in his mind.
"I wonder if I could fight Naruto when he's partially transformed… Say, several tails deep. Or maybe even go up against Vulpix directly?"
But after a moment of thought, he shook his head.
"Naruto's body probably can't handle six tails yet."
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