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Shhhhh.
The temperature in the shower steadily rose, and fine droplets of steam clung to the tiles, swelling into round, glistening beads. As Unkawa stepped out of the bathroom, his figure blurred slightly within the rising mist.
He paused at the sink, standing before the mirror and staring at his own face.
His sharp facial features, wide forehead, straight nose, and gentle eyebrows made him look like the perfect good boy.
Whether in his past life or this one, he had always looked the same. Even if his picture were pinned on a wanted poster, most people would mistake it for an honor roll certificate photo.
Only, there was something more on this familiar face now.
Unkawa swept his damp black hair back, revealing his forehead. His calm gaze lingered over the ugly, glaring "卍"-shaped curse mark etched there.
Caged Bird… Caged Bird…
Unkawa closed his eyes and focused inward. After a moment, his eyelids fluttered open slowly.
In the mirror, it was no longer the same person.
The gentle, harmless aura was gone. One side of his face was hidden in shadow from the dim lighting, giving his profile a deep, mysterious contour.
The pure white of his Byakugan-like eyes melted away like snow under sunlight. In their place, a calm lake-like pale blue irises shimmered with starlight—beautiful yet deeply intimidating.
No one would mistake this version of him for the "failure" they once knew. Few would even dare meet his gaze directly; his presence alone felt like a spear pointed silently at them, a needle hovering just before piercing the eye.
Even the Caged Bird seal on his forehead seemed fainter now.
"This is the bloodline limit known as the 'Unknown'?"
Feeling the dormant power deep within his eyes, Unkawa reached up and lightly touched them, musing to himself, "What is this exactly? A transitional stage between the Byakugan and the Tenseigan?"
According to his past-life memories, the Tenseigan was an elite power rivaling the Rinnegan.
There seemed to be only two ways to obtain it.
First, by combining the pure Byakugan of the Hyuga clan with the chakra of Hamura Otsutsuki.
Second, by fusing many Byakugans from the Otsutsuki clan and evolving them into the Tenseigan.
As for the first method—he possessed blood purity comparable to that of Hamura Otsutsuki, but not exactly what the manga described as "chakra." Unkawa wasn't sure if the two were the same thing.
In canon, only Hamura Otsutsuki and his direct descendant, Toneri Otsutsuki, had ever awakened the Tenseigan. Even Kaguya and other members of the Otsutsuki clan never displayed such an ability. Not even Hamura himself was shown using its full potential.
Toneri, being a legitimate descendant of Hamura, had apparently gone through multiple "birth pangs" to awaken the Tenseigan—and it was unclear whether those pangs came with any danger.
If the Rinnegan was the orthodox power granted by consuming the fruit of the God Tree, then the Tenseigan seemed to be a mutation of the Byakugan—an exchange of the Rinnegan's versatility for raw, overwhelming power.
"Unkawa! Are you done yet?"
A voice from outside the bathroom snapped him out of his thoughts. He shook his hair dry and subtly shifted his facial muscles, returning the soft, harmless smile to his face.
"Coming, coming."
He replied while slipping into a fresh white shirt and tying his Leaf forehead protector around his head.
Though among the Hyuga, the original owner of this body was considered a failure—mostly because he was thirteen and still hadn't awakened the Byakugan—it wasn't all bad.
And let's not forget, the original host had graduated from the academy alongside Might Guy—the so-called "dead-last" ninja of his class.
Of course, Might Guy had already become a chunin, while the original Unkawa was still a genin.
Pushing the door open, he saw Might Guy hanging from a pull-up bar—of course he couldn't sit still.
Thud!
Seeing Unkawa step out fully dressed, Might Guy dropped down with a loud crash, releasing the weights strapped to his legs.
"Oh! Is this the burning spirit of the Hidden Leaf?!" He eyed Unkawa's physique with fiery determination. "I leave the village for just a few months on a mission, and already your flames of youth have burned this brightly!"
Those weights were nearly equal to what Guy usually trained with across his entire body.
"Sensei flatters me," Unkawa said modestly, smiling. "Thank you for teaching me the Eight Gates Release technique."
The Eight Gates were indeed powerful—but they worked by amplifying the user's existing physical strength. Kakashi could open the first gate too, but he still couldn't match Might Guy without opening any gates at all.
Might Guy had trained his body relentlessly since childhood. To him, those weights were nothing more than part of his daily routine.
"I never imagined a member of the Hyuga clan would come to me to learn the Eight Gates and the Strong Fist," Guy said suddenly, teary-eyed and raising both thumbs. "That kind of boldness to break tradition! That courage to push beyond limits!"
His emotions came fast and faded just as quickly. He turned toward the depths of the Hyuga compound, where vibrant decorations still hung.
"What's going on here?" Guy asked curiously.
"The birthday of Hinata Hyuga, the heir to the Main House, is coming up soon," Unkawa explained.
"Huh?" Guy blinked. "Do they always throw such a big celebration for her birthday?"
"No," Unkawa shook his head, a meaningful glint in his eyes. "A third birthday holds special significance for the children of the Main House."
Every time a Main House child turns three, a group of Branch House children are marked with the Caged Bird seal.
Among them, the most talented few may be chosen as personal attendants to the Main House child.
Since Hinata was the eldest daughter of the clan head and the sole heir to lead the Hyuga clan, her third birthday naturally drew great attention from the clan.
Other shinobi clans in Konoha and noble families from the Land of Fire would also send greetings and gifts.
"A pity," Unkawa thought bitterly, "because this means things won't stay peaceful for long."
Now that Hinata was turning three, it meant Kumogakure would soon arrive in Konoha to sign the peace treaty—and attempt to kidnap her.
This period would be the perfect opportunity for Unkawa to set his plans in motion.
As he pondered, the two walked side by side out of the house, chatting amicably.
That is, until they neared the gates of the Hyuga compound…
"Stop."
A cold voice cut through the air, causing them to halt instinctively.
Unkawa narrowed his eyes and turned toward the source of the voice, meeting a pair of disdainful eyes.
"Unkawa."
A Hyuga clan guard stood by the gate, speaking harshly. "Today is Lady Hana's extra training day. You, as her attendant, should be at her side. Where do you think you're going?"
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