Splash.
The temperature in the shower room gradually rose. Steam condensed into round, glistening droplets on the tiles. When Hyuga Shigure stepped out, his figure was shrouded in the mist.
He walked to the washstand and paused, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
His features were sharp and well-defined — a broad forehead, straight nose, gentle brows. He looked every bit like a model student.
In both his past life and present, he had always looked this way. Even if his photo were plastered on a wanted poster, most would assume it was some sort of honor roll certificate.
But this familiar face now bore something different.
Shigure brushed his wet hair back, revealing his forehead. His calm gaze passed over the ugly, glaring caged bird seal.
Caged Bird... Caged Bird...
Closing his eyes, Shigure took a moment to compose himself. When he opened them again, his expression had changed.
The gentle, harmless aura had vanished. The contours of his face now lay hidden in the dim lighting, forming a stark, brooding silhouette.
The pure white of his eyes, once like fresh snow, dissolved as if kissed by sunlight. Now, within those tranquil, lake-like blue irises, stars seemed to shimmer. The sight was stunning, yet carried an unfathomable depth and pressure.
No one would mistake him for a "failure" anymore — few would even dare meet his gaze. That oppressive force, like a spear's point, radiated in silence. Just meeting his eyes felt like a needle hovering inches from your own.
Even the seal on his forehead seemed to have faded.
"So this is the power of the Tenseigan..."
Sensing the dormant energy deep within his eyes, Shigure gently touched them.
"Is this some kind of transitional state — from Byakugan to Tenseigan?"
Ōtsutsuki Hamura had transformed his Byakugan into the Tenseigan — but that process involved multiple "awakenings"...
According to his past-life memories, the Tenseigan was a power on par with the Rinnegan.
And as far as he knew, there were only two ways to awaken the Tenseigan:
First, by combining Hamura's chakra with the pure Byakugan of the Hyuga clan.
Second, by fusing many Byakugan from the Ōtsutsuki clan to trigger an evolution.
Shigure's own bloodline mirrored Hamura's in purity, but he didn't possess what Hamura described as "chakra." He wasn't sure if the two were even the same thing.
In the original story, only Hamura and his descendant Toneri had awakened the Tenseigan. Not even Kaguya or the other Ōtsutsuki had displayed such power. Hamura himself had never fully demonstrated its abilities.
Toneri, Hamura's rightful heir, had undergone countless "awakenings" — and it was unclear whether those transformations were dangerous.
If the Rinnegan was a power granted by consuming the Divine Tree's fruit, then the Tenseigan was an aberration of the Byakugan — exchanging versatility for raw, destructive might...
"Shigure! Are you done yet?"
The voice outside broke Shigure's thoughts. He swept back his hair and slowly relaxed his facial muscles. That warm, harmless smile returned to his face.
"Coming," he replied, pulling on a clean white outfit and tying his Konoha forehead protector in place.
To the Hyuga clan, the body's former owner was a failure — thirteen years old and still unable to awaken the Byakugan.
He had also been timid and cowardly. His first time seeing a battlefield, he'd burst into tears — disgracing the clan.
Still, he was stronger than most commoners, having graduated with Might Guy, another "loser," to become a genin.
But now, Guy was a chunin. Shigure remained a genin.
When he opened the door, he saw Guy hanging from the pull-up bar, ever restless.
Boom!
Seeing Shigure dressed and ready, Guy stretched and dropped down with a thunderous thud, unfastening his leg weights.
"OHH! This is the blooming soul of youth within Konoha!" he roared, eyes blazing with passion. "I was away on missions just a few months — and already, your flames burn brighter than ever!"
Those weights matched what Guy himself wore during his most intense training.
"You flatter me, senpai. I should be thanking you for teaching me the Eight Gates."
Shigure smiled politely at the praise from the energetic beast of a man.
The Eight Gates were indeed powerful — but their strength depended on the user's physical foundation. Even Kakashi could open the first gate, but his raw power couldn't compare to Guy's base strength without even opening one.
Guy had trained with his father since childhood. Those weights were just his daily warm-up.
"I never imagined someone from the Hyuga clan would come to me to learn the Eight Gates and Strong Fist," Guy said, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Such resolve to break convention! Such courage to challenge your limits!"
Just as quickly as his emotions surged, they faded. Glancing toward the clan grounds, Guy noticed something colorful.
"What's going on over there?" he asked curiously.
"It's Lady Hinata's third birthday," Shigure replied with a smile.
"Huh?" Guy blinked. "Do they throw a huge party every year?"
"Of course not." Shigure shook his head, his eyes glinting. "The third birthday is special for the main branch's children."
Every time a main family child turned three, a batch of branch family children was branded with the Caged Bird Seal.
Among them, the most outstanding would be chosen as the child's personal guard.
As the first daughter of the main family head, Hinata was the clan's future leader — and thus, her third birthday was treated with great importance.
Even other ninja clans and noble families of the Fire Nation would come to offer congratulations.
"Unfortunately," Shigure thought bitterly, "it also means things won't stay peaceful much longer."
With Hinata turning three, it meant the Hidden Cloud would soon visit Konoha to sign a peace treaty — and plot to kidnap her.
This would be Shigure's best chance to make his move.
As he and Guy chatted and laughed while walking out, the atmosphere was pleasant...
Until they approached the Hyuga gate.
"Stop."
A cold voice cut through the air, making both of them halt.
Shigure narrowed his eyes, turning to the source of the voice — and saw a face filled with contempt.
"Hyuga Shigure."
The gatekeeper stood by the entrance, speaking in a chilling tone:
"Today is Lady Aoi's extra training day. As her attendant, where do you think you're going?"