Hinata Haruki arrived at Tsunade's hospital room to find her chatting with Mizuki and the others. The "Ino–Shika–Cho" trio was also there.
"Sensei, I brought you something delicious!" Haruki called out the moment he stepped inside.
"Haruki, you're here." Tsunade smiled warmly.
"What delicious thing? Haruki!" At the mention of food, Choji was already charging forward, eyes sparkling like tiny stars.
"Heh heh, grilled chicken wings and drumsticks. I marinated them in my own secret barbecue sauce—Hinata Haruki's special recipe! Hahaha!" Haruki grinned mischievously as he took out two bento boxes and placed them on the table.
"Oooh! Smells amazing! I want some!!" Choji's eyes lit up at the sight of the bento, and he lunged toward it. Haruki quickly intercepted, handing him two drumsticks before he could devour everything in one go—otherwise, what would Tsunade eat?
"Sensei, you should try some too." Haruki handed Tsunade a chicken wing with a cheerful smile.
Tsunade took a bite of the fragrant, tender meat. The skin was crisp yet juicy, infused with the rich flavor of the sauce—spicy, savory, and utterly addictive. Her expression lit up with pleasant surprise.
From then on, she couldn't stop. She and Choji began competing for the contents of the bento.
As they ate, their muffled voices overlapped:
"So tender! These wings are amazing!"
"Lady Tsunade, let me have some! Just four drumsticks—no, five!"
"Hey, Choji! Put those wings down!"
"No way… I'm digging in!"
"Hey, hey! Haruki grilled these for me—stop stealing them!"
"Save me some! Come on!"
Choji was strong, but Tsunade was naturally gifted with monstrous strength. After a short tug-of-war, Choji was defeated, left staring mournfully at Tsunade as she happily munched on wings and drumsticks. His pitiful eyes blinked rapidly as he swallowed hard.
"It's fine, Choji," Haruki said, patting him on the shoulder. "I've got more in my room. I sent a shadow clone ahead to start grilling. You can grab them later."
Choji's face brightened instantly, and his spirits returned to normal.
The group chatted for a while longer. Haruki answered their questions and recounted his recent experiences in the mountain cave—though he carefully omitted anything involving Elder Sō. Hearing about the dangers he'd faced, everyone felt a mix of awe and relief. It was truly a miracle he had made it back alive.
After a long conversation, the group left the medical station. Haruki and Choji returned to Haruki's quarters, where his shadow clone had already finished grilling more drumsticks. Choji happily feasted to his heart's content.
Once Choji left, Haruki headed to the supply corps to collect canned goods. He prepared several dishes himself, then had a shadow clone quietly deliver them to Elder Sō. That night, under the cover of darkness, the clone slipped out of camp. Using the Byakugan to confirm no one was following, it changed direction and made its way toward the cave.
It was nearly dawn by the time the clone reached Elder Sō's location. Recognizing Haruki's clone, the elder dismissed the one that had been staying with him, transferring all recent memories back to Haruki. The previous clone hadn't been idle—Elder Sō had taught it many things.
After delivering the food, Elder Sō enjoyed Haruki's cooking with a satisfied smile. The clone relayed updates from outside, and the two chatted like grandfather and grandson. Seeing Elder Sō in such good spirits eased Haruki's mind. He silently resolved to bring the elder back to the village once the war ended.
Konohagakure – Hokage's Office
A messenger-nin burst in through the door.
"Lord Hokage! Urgent news from the Wind Country front!"
The Third Hokage set down his pipe and opened the message. His eyes lit up with joy, deepening the wrinkles at the corners.
"Haha! That brat Haruki really has the devil's own luck—he's alive! Good, good! And Tsunade has officially taken him as her student. Excellent!"
"Spread the news through the village. Hinata Haruki is a hero of Konoha—Tsunade's disciple!"
"Yes, Lord Hokage!" The messenger vanished in a blur.
Standing at his desk, the Hokage muttered to himself, "So… the Byakugan has fallen into Sunagakure's hands? I'll have to find a way to resolve this…"
At the same time, Shimura Danzō received the news. He gave a cold snort, then chuckled darkly.
"Tsunade's disciple, is he? What if her disciple joined Root instead… heh heh!"
Danzō never gave up easily, especially when it came to things that would make Hiruzen Sarutobi uncomfortable.
The Hyuga clan also received word. Clan head Hiashi, along with elders Hizashi and others, were delighted. Since the Byakugan had been stolen by Sunagakure, this was the best news they had heard.
Hinata Haruki was a prodigy. Once he matured, the Hyuga clan would prosper for decades. Their standing in Konoha might even surpass that of the Uchiha.
But many Hyuga elders saw it differently. Haruki belonged to the branch family. His growing strength unsettled them, for a branch member powerful enough to threaten the main family's authority was something they could not tolerate.
Among the branch family, however, Haruki's survival brought hope. Many saw him as their pillar of support, believing he would protect and advocate for them. Being the disciple of one of the Legendary Sannin, they were sure he would side with the branch family. The main family feared this could destabilize their dominance, and their wariness toward Haruki deepened.
The Uchiha clan made no public comment, but quietly increased the training intensity for their younger members.
Throughout the village, people discussed Hinata Haruki. Some admired the era's abundance of heroes, others believed the war was nearing its end. Some idolized Haruki, while others dismissed the reports as exaggerated.
Hyuga Clan – Clan Detention Hall
The Clan Detention Hall was where the Hyuga confined members who had committed serious offenses. Given the Byakugan's importance, it was too risky to leave prisoners in the custody of outsiders—what if clan secrets were exposed, or a Byakugan was stolen?
One such prisoner was Hideyoshi.
"That little bastard isn't dead?! He's still alive?!" Hideyoshi's hair was a tangled mess, his face twisted with rage, making him look like a deranged vagrant.
"No, Lord Hideyoshi," the visitor said.
"He's the one who got my son killed! I'll kill him myself!" Hideyoshi's Byakugan glinted with a sinister light—and he wasn't wrong about who was responsible.
"Sooner or later, I'll get out. And when I do, I'll slaughter every traitor who turned on me! Hahaha!" The murderous aura radiating from him sent chills down spines, his mad laughter echoing like a nightmare.
After the visitor left, one of the guards approached, shaking his head at the sight. "Hideyoshi's gone completely mad…"
Sunagakure Fortress
Chiyo was reviewing reports from the front.
"That Hinata Haruki survived?! After killing so many of our shinobi—he's now hailed as a hero of Konoha!" she said through clenched teeth.
"He's just a brat, elder sister. No need to worry too much," Ebizō tried to reassure her.
"Lately, Konoha has been probing for information about the Byakugan. I wonder what they're planning…" Chiyo mused.
"Probably about those two dead Hyuga. One of them was from the main family. The Byakugan was taken from them," Ebizō said.
"So Konoha thinks Sunagakure has it? If only we did! Even if we couldn't unlock all its secrets, the intelligence alone would be valuable—and we could raise a shinobi with the Byakugan!" Chiyo said.
"Could it have been that surviving Hyuga brat?" Ebizō asked.
"Why would he kill his own comrades and take their eyes? He's a Hyuga himself—he already has the Byakugan. Besides, the branch family has the Caged Bird Seal. There's no way a branch kid could overpower a main family member and a jōnin."
"My guess is he was attacked by whoever killed those two and stole their eyes, barely escaping with his life. He must know who did it—and who has the Byakugan now." Chiyo thought aloud.
"Either way, Konoha will blame us whether we did it or not. It's a perfect bargaining chip for them in future negotiations. For us in Sunagakure, it's bad news." Ebizō sighed.
"Hmph. Karlo has already decided to personally lead a strike against a Konoha squad," Chiyo said.
"That's fine. He's the Kazekage's student and a formidable fighter. There shouldn't be a problem." Ebizō nodded.
"We've already lost one of our top assets—Dosha. Karlo can't be allowed to fall. Send additional elite shinobi to support him!"
"Understood. We won't let anything happen to him. Sunagakure can't afford to lose any more bargaining chips."