"Now that the Byakugan has been returned to its rightful owner,"
the Third Mizukage said darkly, staring at the Uzumaki remnant before him,
"you can leave, can't you?"
Kyusei gave him a sideways glance.
He didn't bother replying.
In the next instant, his figure turned into a streak of light and vanished from the edge of the battlefield. In his hand, wrapped carefully in golden chakra, was the eye he had reclaimed.
Crystal-clear.
Pure white.
Flawless.
And yet, the sight of it only made the restlessness in his chest grow stronger.
Kyusei landed atop the crown of a towering tree and looked back at the village swallowed by the night—at the Kirigakure shinobi standing there like defeated roosters, heads lowered, spirits crushed.
"This is a farewell gift."
Chakra surged violently in his palm.
It was obvious—he had no intention of leaving so cleanly.
Not just because Naori's eye had been taken.
With his identity, he was never allowed to simply walk away like this.
The destruction of the Uzumaki clan…
Kirigakure had played its part in that as well.
He was once the young clan head of the Uzumaki.
Black and blue chakra intertwined in his hand. As the gathering finished, a howling Tailed Beast Ball shot forward, aimed straight at the Mist shinobi formation guarding the village entrance.
Not the village itself.
The shinobi.
Even in the most rotten of worlds, there were still traces of purity.
Maybe Kyusei had no right to say that anymore—but he didn't care.
Golden light pierced the sky.
The night was torn apart as if dawn had arrived early. A mushroom cloud, like a miniature nuclear blast, rose into the heavens amid roaring flames.
Kyusei turned away without looking back.
—
By the time Kyusei staggered back into Konohagakure, the sun was already high in the sky.
Midday light was harsh, cicadas screaming in the summer heat.
"Kyusei!"
The moment he stepped through the village gates, he was caught by someone who had clearly been waiting.
Tsunade.
"Tsunade-neesan, perfect timing," Kyusei said, eyes lighting up as he grabbed her wrist.
"Come on—quick!"
Without waiting for a response, he dragged her straight toward the Hyūga compound.
Tsunade glanced at the Byakugan preserved in golden chakra in his hand and narrowed her eyes.
She had a dozen scoldings on the tip of her tongue—but when she saw the exhaustion he could no longer hide, she swallowed them back.
"After this," she said quietly,
"go see the old man."
Kyusei nodded in silence.
Truth be told, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already done more than enough for him. Setting aside everything else, just the daily medicinal baths and diets alone were funded without hesitation straight from Konoha's treasury.
Judge actions, not intentions.
Whatever the Third Hokage's motives were, his treatment of Kyusei had been nothing but generous.
"I know," Kyusei replied softly.
—
They reached the Hyūga estate at full speed, skipping all formalities and heading straight for Hyūga Naori's room.
No one stopped them.
One was one of the Sannin.
The other was someone deeply trusted by the future head of the clan.
No Hyūga would be foolish enough to interfere.
Kyusei pushed the door open again.
Inside, a girl with long, flowing black hair and delicate features sat dazed on the bed. White bandages covered her left eye.
"Naori."
"I'm back."
Kyusei appeared in front of her in an instant, staring at her intently as he presented the Byakugan he had nurtured with his chakra.
Naori stared blankly at him, then at the eye in his hand.
Tears streamed down from her only remaining eye.
"Ky… Kyusei…"
She reached up unconsciously and touched his face—exhausted, worn, yet still warm.
She couldn't even imagine what he had done…
what kind of hell he had gone through…
to bring her eye back.
"H-Hey, don't cry…"
Kyusei panicked, fumbling as he tried to wipe her tears—
Only for Tsunade to grab him by the back of the collar and yank him away.
"Give me the eye. Then get out."
One glance was enough for Tsunade to see something was dangerously close to crossing a line.
She liked kaoru.
Very much.
She had no intention of letting Kyusei mess things up beyond repair.
"O-Oh, okay. Tsunade-neesan, I'm counting on you."
Taking the eye from him, Tsunade shut the door in his face.
Kyusei squatted outside the room, bored out of his mind.
Not long after, an ANBU appeared silently beside him.
"Uzumaki Kyusei. The Third Hokage summons you."
Kyusei sighed and stood up.
"Got it, Seiran-ge."
Behind the ANBU mask, Mitarashi Shishō's mouth twitched.
He was still on duty—and this brat just casually called out his identity.
"Be careful," Shishō said quietly.
"The Hokage looks pretty pissed."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
—
They quickly arrived at the Hokage Tower.
At the door to the office, Shishō gestured for Kyusei to enter alone before vanishing.
Kyusei muttered something about betrayal under his breath, then pushed the door open.
Inside, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, waiting.
His expression was terrible.
Just as he was about to explode—
Kyusei bent forward into a perfect ninety-degree bow.
"I'm sorry, Hokage-jii. I know I was wrong!"
The sheer bluntness of the apology choked all the prepared fury right back down Hiruzen's throat.
He stared at the boy in silence, emotions flickering across his face.
After a long moment, he spoke.
"And where exactly were you wrong?"
"I shouldn't have left the village without your permission," Kyusei answered solemnly, eyes fixed on the floor.
"You know that?!"
"Do you have any idea who you are?!"
"Do you know how much damage it would've caused if something happened to you?!"
"Do you know how passive I would've been if you died in Kirigakure?!"
"Do you know that if you didn't come back, the next thing would be war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water?!"
"And before you left—couldn't you have dragged Hatake Sakumo along with you?!"
Hiruzen glared at the still-underage boy, furious and disappointed all at once.
"…Huh?"
Kyusei instinctively looked up.
Wait—
So sending his teacher to stop him…
was actually the Hokage's way of letting Sakumo go with him?
"Who told you to look up?!"
"Lower your head!"
Hiruzen slammed the desk, fury reigniting.
Some things couldn't be said too clearly with his position.
Sakumo hadn't understood his intent—
and now this brat didn't either?!
"Oh."
Kyusei obediently lowered his head again.
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