Water struck the tiles in steady sheets.
Steam gathered along the ceiling. Droplets slid down ceramic walls and pooled at the edges. When Hyūga Shinya stepped out of the shower, his outline blurred in the moisture-filled air.
He stopped before the mirror.
The face reflected back was familiar.
Clear contours. High forehead. Straight nose. Mild features. The sort of face people trusted instinctively.
A face that looked harmless.
That had always been true. In both lives.
Even if this face were pasted on a wanted notice, most would assume it belonged to an honors student, not a criminal.
Only one detail broke that illusion.
Shinya brushed wet hair back, exposing his forehead.
The curse seal stood out clearly. The mark of the caged bird.
He closed his eyes.
When they opened again, the reflection had changed.
The warmth drained from his expression. His posture shifted subtly. One side of his face fell into shadow under the lights.
The white of his eyes thinned, giving way to a faint blue tone beneath. Light gathered deep within them, cold and layered. Not aggressive. Not loud. But heavy.
People would look away from this gaze by instinct.
The curse seal itself appeared duller than before.
SYSTEM UPDATE
Lineage Integration:Ōtsutsuki Lineage: 5.0% → 5.5%
Dōjutsu Status:Tenseigan: Phase OneProgress: 10% → 12%
"So this is its surface effect," Shinya assessed.
Power remained dormant behind the eye. Not active yet. Not fully formed.
This state was transitional.
Not Byakugan.Not Tenseigan.
A bridge.
According to records, Toneri Ōtsutsuki's evolution had not been instant. The eye developed in stages. Each carried risk. Each changed the bearer.
Among known Ōtsutsuki, only Ōtsutsuki Hamura's line ever possessed this dōjutsu. Even then, documentation of its full use was nearly nonexistent.
In contrast, the Rinnegan was a complete form. A result of consuming the Divine Tree's fruit.
The Tenseigan appeared different. Less versatile. More focused. A mutation, not an inheritance.
Trade breadth for force.
"Two known paths," Shinya concluded. "One unavailable. One incomplete."
He turned away from the mirror.
"SHINYA! UP! MOVE IT!"
Might Guy's voice shattered the quiet.
"THE MORNING OF YOUTH DOES NOT WAIT FOR THOSE WHO LINGER IN BED!"
Shinya adjusted his expression before answering. His facial muscles relaxed deliberately. The harmless smile returned.
"I'm coming."
He dressed in white clothing and tied his Konoha forehead protector in place.
The reputation followed him closely.
A Hyūga who reached thirteen without activating the Byakugan.A coward who cried during his first glimpse of combat.A disgrace to the branch family.
Still, even among failures, he had graduated. Alongside Guy.
Guy, now a chūnin.
Shinya stepped outside.
Guy hung upside down from a pull-up bar, sweat already staining the ground beneath him.
He dropped heavily, removing massive leg weights with a solid thud.
"Oh! LOOK AT YOU!" Guy exclaimed, eyes shining. "THIS IS THE AURA OF YOUTH HARD AT WORK!"
"The credit goes to your training," Shinya replied lightly. "Thank you for teaching me the Eight Gates."
Guy waved the thought aside.
"TO SEEK STRENGTH OUTSIDE YOUR BLOODLINE! THAT IS TRUE COURAGE!"
He glanced deeper into the compound. Decorations were visible. Brighter colors than usual.
"What's with the preparation?" Guy asked.
"The head family's eldest daughter," Shinya said evenly. "Hyūga Hinata. Her third birthday."
Guy blinked. "They celebrate that seriously?"
"Yes."
He did not elaborate.
At three years old, head family children were acknowledged formally.
On that same day, branch children of matching age received the curse seal.
Some would be chosen later as attendants.
Most would exist to obey.
Hinata, heir to the main line, warranted attention from clans across the Fire Country. Diplomats. Envoys. Allies.
And soon.
Enemies.
Cloud village would come.
The agreement.The incident.
Opportunity.
Shinya and Guy walked together toward the compound gate.
Their conversation ended abruptly.
"Stop."
A cold voice cut across their path.
Shinya turned.
A Hyūga guard stood at the gate, expression openly hostile.
"Hyūga Shinya," the man said. "Today is Lady Aoi's advanced training session. As her assigned attendant, why are you leaving your post?"
Shinya met his gaze calmly.
No fear.No surprise.
Just assessment.