Whoosh…
The shower room steamed up. Warm vapor collected in glistening droplets on the tiles, growing round and full. When Hyuga Sho stepped out, his figure was blurred in the mist.
He walked to the sink and paused, staring into the mirror.
His facial features were sharp and defined, broad forehead, straight nose, gentle brows. He looked every bit the model student.
In both his past and present lives, he had always had this kind of face. Even if it were printed on a wanted poster, the first impression most people would have was, "Is this some kind of honor student certificate?"
But now, there was something new on this familiar face.
Sho slicked back his damp black hair, exposing his forehead. His calm gaze swept over the hideous and glaring swastika-shaped curse mark.
Caged Bird. Caged Bird…
Closing his eyes in deep focus, Sho slowly opened them again after a few seconds.
In the mirror now stood someone entirely different.
Gone was the harmless and warm aura. His profile, partially shrouded by the light's shadows, had acquired a much more defined depth.
The once pure white of his Byakugan, like fresh snow, had melted away under the sun. Pale blue irises now shimmered like starlight in a still lake, beautiful yet brimming with overwhelming pressure.
No one would mistake him for a "failure" anymore.
In fact, most wouldn't dare meet his gaze, for the silent intensity radiating from those eyes felt like having a needle poised in front of your own.
Even the mark of the Caged Bird on his forehead seemed to have faded slightly.
"So this is the power of the Tenseigan…"
Sensing the untapped force in his eyes, Sho touched them lightly and pondered. "Is this some kind of transitional phase between the Byakugan and the Tenseigan?"
Ōtsutsuki Hamura's descendant, Toneri, had once transformed the Byakugan into the Tenseigan through several 'awakenings'…
According to Sho's past life knowledge, the Tenseigan was a top-tier dōjutsu, comparable to the Rinnegan.
There were only two known ways to obtain it.
The first: combine Ōtsutsuki Hamura's chakra with a pure Hyuga Byakugan.
The second: fuse a large number of Ōtsutsuki Byakugan into one and evolve it into the Tenseigan.
In Sho's case, he had blood comparable to Hamura's, but it wasn't clear if that was the same as the 'chakra' referred to by Toneri.
In the original work, only Hamura and Toneri had shown signs of the Tenseigan, Kaguya and the other Ōtsutsuki clansmen had not, and even Hamura had never fully demonstrated its powers.
Sho knew Toneri, a direct descendant of Hamura, went through multiple "awakenings" of unknown risk to reach the Tenseigan.
If the Rinnegan represented the orthodox evolution from devouring the God Tree's fruit, then the Tenseigan was a divergent mutation from the Byakugan, trading versatility for overwhelming force.
"Sho! Are you done yet?"
A voice outside the bathroom broke his train of thought.
Sho flicked his hair back and slowly forced the muscles of his face into motion, restoring the harmless, warm smile to his face.
"Coming, coming."
He responded cheerfully while putting on a set of clean white clothing and tying his Leaf Village forehead protector around his brow.
To the Hyuga clan, this body's original owner had always been labeled a failure. Not because of his looks, but because even past the age of thirteen, he still hadn't activated the Byakugan.
And because of his timid personality, he had once burst into tears at the sight of battle, many viewed him as a disgrace to the clan.
Even so, he was still stronger than most civilians, and had graduated as a Genin alongside that so-called "loser" Might Guy.
Of course, Guy was already a Chūnin now, while he remained stuck as a Genin.
Sho slid open the door, and right there, hanging upside-down from the horizontal bar, was Might Guy, never one to sit still.
Boom!
Seeing Sho dressed and ready, Guy dropped from the bar with a flourish, the weights on his legs landing with a tremendous thud.
"Ohhh! This is the burning soul of Konoha's youth!" he exclaimed, eyes blazing with passion as he looked over Sho's physique. "I was only gone for a few months on mission, and you've already pushed your passion this far?!"
The weights Sho had been using were nearly equal to Guy's own daily training regimen.
"You flatter me, senpai. It's only because you were willing to teach me the Eight Gates," Sho replied humbly, smiling as always.
The Eight Gates were powerful, but still required a sturdy physical foundation. Kakashi, for example, could open the first gate, but still wasn't stronger than Might Guy in his base state.
Guy had trained under his father since childhood. That kind of strength was built from the ground up, literally.
"I never imagined someone from the Hyuga clan would seek me out to learn the Eight Gates and the Strong Fist!" Guy said, suddenly tearing up, giving Sho two massive thumbs up. "That resolve to break convention, that courage to challenge your limits!"
Just as quickly, his emotions pivoted. He glanced toward the inner courtyard of the Hyuga estate, where the normally austere compound had bursts of color and festivity.
"Huh? What's all that?" Guy asked curiously.
"It's the third birthday of the Hyuga clan's heiress, Hinata," Sho replied with a faint smile.
"Huh?" Guy blinked. "Do they throw a party like that every birthday?"
"Of course not," Sho shook his head, a subtle glint in his eyes. "The third birthday holds special meaning for Hyuga children."
On this day, a new group of branch house children would be branded with the Caged Bird seal.
And among those children, the most talented would be chosen to serve directly under the main house heir.
Hinata, being the daughter of the clan head, was the uncontested heir. Her third birthday was an event of great importance.
Even other major Konoha clans and nobles from the Land of Fire would be attending.
"Unfortunately, it also means things are about to get… chaotic," Sho thought inwardly, a hint of mockery in his gaze.
Hinata's third birthday marked the beginning of a very specific timeline.
Soon, the Hidden Cloud would visit Konoha under the guise of signing a peace treaty… and they'd plan to kidnap Hinata.
That meant the upcoming days would be filled with opportunity, for someone like him.
As the two walked side-by-side out of the residence, conversation flowed easily.
Until they neared the Hyuga compound's main gate,
"Stop."
A cold voice interrupted them.
Both halted instinctively.
Sho narrowed his eyes and turned toward the source of the voice.
A familiar face twisted with disdain met his gaze.
"Hyuga Sho."
A gate guard of the Hyuga clan stood by the gate, speaking icily:
"Today is Lady Aoi's scheduled training session. As her attendant, you're not at her side. Where do you think you're going?"