'Who is this old man?'
Li Shang narrowed his eyes as he stared at the bandaged man at the main table. The old man before him emanated an energy unlike anything he had ever felt.
'There is chaos within him... various energies mixed together.'
Li Shang could see the distorted flows within the elder's body. Chakra currents clashed like clashing rivers; the body should have collapsed long ago. Only one point remained stable—aintense energy, which flowed from the right arm hidden under the bandages.
'How is this guy still alive?'
When their eyes met, the old man smiled discreetly, as if recognizing a hunting animal about to bite.
"Why is a gennin here?"
The voice was firm, but drawled.
Before Li Shang could respond, Homura intervened.
"Danzou-sama, Neji and his companions followed the Sand jinchūriki and prevented further destruction. We believe his report is important, as he was the one who brought the unconscious boy back."
Danzou gave a slight nod.
"Okay. Let's get started."
His gaze turned back to Li Shang, sharp, assessing.
Li Shang maintained his firm posture.
"Following Kakashi-sensei's orders, we pursued the enemy. We managed to prevent the beast from causing further damage to the village. When Gaara lost control, his seal began to crumble, and only Naruto's intervention and a powerful summoning prevented its complete collapse. I brought the unconscious boy back to the higher-ups."
His voice was calm, controlled—neither arrogant nor submissive.
Danzou watched him in silence for a few seconds before muttering:
"I see... very good work. You may leave."
Danzo leaned back, and for a moment, silence returned to the room. Then, the old man smiled.
'Cold and direct... interesting.'
It was at this moment that Li Shang bowed his head, adopting a respectful tone.
"Danzou-sama, if it's necessary for Konoha, I can offer myself as a vessel for the bijuu inside the boy."
The air seemed to freeze.
Asuma and Gai exchanged surprised glances. Koharu raised her chin suspiciously.
Danzou, however, smiled with satisfaction.
'A boy like that... disciplined, loyal, and willing to sacrifice himself. Just the kind of soldier I need. But the Hyuuga clan... they don't bend easily. I'll have to win him over carefully.'
"Do you think we should extract the bijuu from Suna?" the old man asked, testing him.
Li Shang replied without hesitation, feigning ignorance and loyalty.
"Isn't it obvious? Suna attacked us. Even if Orochimaru was the real culprit, he doesn't represent Konoha. The Sand must pay for what they did."
Danzo's satisfied gaze shone for a moment, but before he could respond, a firm, feminine voice cut through the air.
"No way!"
Koharu, who had been silent until then, got up from her chair.
"Konoha is weakened. Without the Hokage, extracting the tailed beast from Suna would be an act of war. It would force the Sand to react, and other nations could exploit our weakness to destroy us!"
Homura agreed with a grave nod.
"Koharu is right. We need time, not more enemies."
The silence fell again, thick and uncomfortable.
While the elders discussed,Jiraiyawatched Li Shang carefully. The Toad Sage was there as a guest and possible successor to Hiruzen, but at that moment his gaze was fixed on the boy.
'That boy...'
The aura emanating from Li Shang was different, familiar.
'He's not like the Hyuuga I know.'
The boy's translucent blue eyes were almost hypnotic, as if they reflected the spiritual world itself.
'Neji Hyuuga... no. That look... he reminds me of Orochimaru.'
The memory sent a shiver down his spine. The same cold, curious glare, the same indifference as his old teammate.
The meeting dragged on for long minutes. No final decision was made about Gaara or the next Hokage. Opinions clashed: Danzou advocated harsh measures; Koharu and Homura called for restraint; Jiraiya remained silent, pondering.
Finally, Danzo himself broke the impasse.
"The boy is dismissed. Matters like these are not the province of a gennin."
Li Shang bowed his head slightly, hiding the calculating glint that flashed across his eyes.
"Understood."
As he left the room, he could hear, for a moment, the beginning of a new argument—raised voices, Tsunade's name being mentioned.
'Politics, what a joke.' Li Shang only believed in force.
But his thoughts were interrupted when a ninja fromsecondary branch of the Hyuugaappeared in front of him.
"Neji Hyuuga, the patriarch requests your immediate presence at the emergency meeting. We must go now."
The voice was respectful, but the tone left no room for refusal. Without responding, he simply nodded and followed his subordinate in front in silence.
Themain hall of the Hyuuga clanwas plunged into stillness. The polished wooden floor reflected the sunlight, and the white curtains bearing the clan symbol swayed in the cool breeze from the garden.
Only ten people were present—key figures from the main family and the inner council. In the center, seated with a firm posture and an impenetrable gaze, wasHiashi Hyuuga, flanked by two elderly men with silver hair and a stern expression.
The sound of doors opening broke the silence.
Li Shang entered with calm steps, his dark robes contrasting with the purity of the hall. His calm gaze swept the room, lingering briefly on Hiashi. Neither of them spoke.
The murmurs began discreetly among those present, until one of the elders to the patriarch's right stood up abruptly, banging his cane on the ground.
"Neji Hyuuga!" the voice echoed with authority and restrained anger. "Why have you ignored the patriarch's calls for the past month? Are you rebelling against the clan?"
Silence fell like a blade.
Li Shang remained motionless. He only slowly raised his gaze, staring at the old man. His blue eyes—clear as crystal—reflected the sunlight, but there was something different about them. Something that didn't belong in this world.
The elder who was speaking, about to continue his rebuke, froze in place. For a moment, his words were lost, his face paling.
"You…" he murmured, taking a step back. The cane trembled in his hand. "This… isn't possible…"
All eyes turned to him, confused.
The old man's eyes widened, unable to contain his astonishment. Sweat dripped down his wrinkled forehead as he finally cried out, his voice trembling with disbelief.
"TEN... TENSEIGAN!"
The entire hall seemed to hold its breath.
The elders looked at each other in panic, while Hiashi slowly rose to his feet, his face rigid. The light emanating from Li Shang's eyes—a pure, translucent blue—radiated spiritual energy so intense that it caused the torches to waver.
TheByakuganwhite and ancient had disappeared, replaced by something divine and incomprehensible.
Hiashi took a step forward, the chakra around him fluctuating instinctively in response to the boy's presence.
"Neji... what did you do to your eyes?"
Li Shang looked at him calmly.
"I don't understand the question, patriarch."
The silence that followed was almost sacred.
The soft glow of theTenseiganreflected in the eyes of the clan members, imposing respect and fear. None of those present dared to move a muscle.
'So this is the true power hidden in the Hyuuga blood...' thought Hiashi, trying to contain the inner turmoil.
Li Shang remained calm, observing the collective reaction with disinterest.
"That's interesting, Tenseigan. Is this some kind of secret clan power?"
The old man was still trembling, his lips murmuring in shock.
"The... the gaze of the gods... reborn within the clan?"
[Author's Note:This story was originally written in Portuguese, so there may be some translation errors. If you notice any, please let me know so I can fix them. Thank you for reading!]