Whoosh.
The bathroom was thick with steam. Condensation clung to the white tiles, forming plump droplets that slid down like sweat. When Hyūga Kumokawa stepped out of the shower, his silhouette was blurred by the mist.
"..."
He walked to the sink and stopped, staring at his reflection in the fogged mirror.
Defined facial contours, a broad forehead, a straight nose, and gentle brows. It was the face of a "good person."
In both his past life and this one, he had always possessed this kind of face. Even if his photo were plastered on a Bingo Book, people's first instinct would be to mistake it for a "Student of the Year" award certificate.
However, there was one addition to this familiar face.
Kumokawa brushed his wet black hair back, exposing his forehead. His calm gaze swept over the ugly, green "Manji" symbol etched into his skin.
Caged Bird... Caged Bird...
Kumokawa closed his eyes and focused.
A moment later, his eyelids trembled and slowly opened.
The person in the mirror had changed. The harmless, gentle aura vanished instantly. The side of his face hidden in the shadows of the bathroom light seemed to sharpen, sculpted by darkness.
The pure white of his Byakugan melted away like snow under a spring sun. In its place, a pair of pale blue pupils emerged, flowing with starlight. They were breathtakingly beautiful, yet possessed a deep, terrifying pressure.
No one would mistake this person for a "waste." In fact, few would even dare to look him in the eye. Staring into them felt like having a needle suspended millimeters from your own pupil.
And on his forehead, the green seal seemed to fade slightly.
[Bloodline: Ōtsutsuki Clan (5% → 5.5%)]
[Kekkei Genkai: Tenseigan · Stage 1 (10% → 12%)]
"Is this the power of the Tenseigan?"
Sensing the dormant energy deep within his eyes, Kumokawa touched his eyelids. 'What is this? A transitional state between the Byakugan and the Tenseigan?'
In the records, for Toneri Ōtsutsuki to evolve a Byakugan into a Tenseigan, he had to endure several painful "fetal movements" or pulses.
Based on his memories from his previous life, the Tenseigan was a supreme power comparable to the Rinnegan.
There were apparently two ways to obtain it.
First: Combine the chakra of Toneri Ōtsutsuki with the pure Byakugan of the Hyūga clan.
Second: Fuse a massive number of pure Byakugan to forcefully evolve them.
For the first method, what Kumokawa possessed was a bloodline purity comparable to Toneri, not necessarily his specific chakra signature. He wasn't sure if the System considered them the same thing.
In canon, only Hamura and Toneri wielded the Tenseigan. Kaguya and other Ōtsutsuki never displayed it. Even Hamura barely showed its full potential.
If the Rinnegan was the orthodox power obtained by eating the Chakra Fruit, then the Tenseigan seemed to be a mutation of the Byakugan—trading the Rinnegan's versatility for raw, destructive power.
"HOOO! Kumokawa! Wake up! Wake up!"
A voice booming with inexplicable passion shattered his thoughts.
"The horn of morning training has sounded! YOUTH does not wait for sleepyheads!"
Kumokawa's train of thought was derailed. He ran a hand through his hair, then slowly and deliberately massaged his facial muscles.
The harmless, gentle smile returned to his face like a well-worn mask.
"Coming, coming."
Kumokawa responded cheerfully as he changed into a simple white training outfit and tied his Konoha forehead protector.
To the Hyūga clan, the original owner of this body was trash because he hadn't awakened his Byakugan by age thirteen. Worse, his cowardly nature—crying on his first battlefield—was seen as a stain on the clan's honor.
But even so, he was still a shinobi, graduating alongside the "dunce" Might Guy.
However, Guy was now a Chūnin. Kumokawa remained a Genin.
Pushing open the door, Kumokawa saw Guy hanging upside down from a tree branch doing crunches. The man truly never stopped.
THUD!
Seeing Kumokawa emerge, Guy flipped down, landing heavily. He unstrapped the weights from his legs, dropping them to the ground with a tremor that shook the dust.
"OH! Is this the Soul of Konoha blooming in the morning sun?!" Guy eyed Kumokawa's physique, his eyes burning with fiery spirit. "I didn't expect that in the few months I was away on missions, you would burn your hot blood to this extent!"
"You flatter me, Senior. I still have to thank you for being willing to teach me the Eight Gates," Kumokawa smiled politely.
The Eight Gates were powerful, but they relied on the user's base physical stats. Kakashi could open the First Gate, but his physical strength still paled in comparison to a base-form Guy.
Guy had been tempering his body since he could walk. Those weights were just his daily warm-up.
"I never expected a member of the noble Hyūga clan to come to me to learn the Strong Fist and the Eight Gates! This resolve to break tradition! This courage to challenge your limits!" Tears of manly emotion streamed down Guy's face as he gave a double thumbs-up.
But the emotion passed as quickly as it came. Guy turned his head, looking toward the deeper parts of the Hyūga compound. Even from here, they could see colorful decorations that looked out of place in the usually austere district.
"What's going on over there?" Guy asked curiously.
"The Main House's eldest daughter, Hyūga Hinata, is about to turn three," Kumokawa smiled.
"Hah?" Guy blinked. "Do they make such a big fuss for every birthday?"
"Of course not." Kumokawa shook his head. A shadow passed through his eyes, unseen by Guy.
"The third birthday... holds a very different meaning for the children of the Main House."