Although Hyuga Shinichi had planned to go on a traveling training journey long ago, having been away from the village for so long, it would be somewhat inappropriate not to return to the clan first.
While he wasn't exactly a homesick person, his status carried weight. As a member of the Hyuga Main House, staying away from the clan for too long would inevitably spark gossip among the Branch House members.
Though other people's opinions didn't matter much to him, it was a hassle he'd rather avoid—better to have one less problem than one more.
Moreover, after being away for so long, Shinichi did miss his family a little. The sense of tranquility that came from living with family was something no other experience could replace.
After concluding their investigation in the Hidden Rain Village, the team began their trek back to Konoha. With no mission pressure weighing them down, the group moved with much more leisure.
Jiraiya's ability to adjust his mindset was remarkably strong. When they first left the Rain Village, he was more or less immersed in the grief of his student's death. However, as the team crossed into the borders of the Land of Fire, Jiraiya was quickly distracted by the charming local ladies.
The Land of Fire was economically prosperous, and the development gap between regions wasn't vast. Any town of a decent size would have a corresponding "entertainment industry." Once back on familiar soil, Jiraiya immersed himself in it.
According to Shinichi's observations, Jiraiya even had "old acquaintances" in some of the shops... It was clear that this old man had been a regular patron of these establishments during his past travels and "research" trips.
Shinichi and the others planned to return to Konoha, but Jiraiya clearly had no intention of going back to the village. In fact, if Shinichi hadn't tracked him down to help find Orochimaru, Jiraiya should have been hot on Orochimaru's trail.
However, the events in the Rain Village seemed to have clarified the relationship between Jiraiya and Orochimaru. Though they grew up together, they were ultimately not the same kind of people.
He couldn't change Orochimaru, and Orochimaru couldn't change him. The fact that Orochimaru had stepped in to save Jiraiya in the Rain Village proved that their bond hadn't completely withered away.
For Jiraiya, that was enough. Forcing Orochimaru back to the village would only exhaust the last shred of sentiment remaining between them.
Only now did Jiraiya finally understand why his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, never had the urge to bring Orochimaru back after he defected.
Hiruzen knew that a man like Orochimaru had his own thoughts and his own path to walk. Once such a person made a decision, the opinions of others could not sway their will.
Unable to bring his friend home, and unable to save his student's life... Jiraiya suddenly felt his life was a failure. Dejected, he buried himself in the "gentle lands" (brothels), hoping to numb the pain.
As juniors, Kakashi and Might Guy couldn't exactly criticize Jiraiya's lifestyle, and even Shinichi didn't feel like playing the elder to lecture him. Their team and Jiraiya were simply headed in different directions.
After entering a major city in the central Land of Fire, the group bid farewell to Jiraiya. Naturally, Kakashi reported Jiraiya's status truthfully to Minato Namikaze.
Minato understood why his teacher was in a bad mood; the only thing he could do was not disturb him for the time being.
Without Jiraiya slowing them down, the team's efficiency increased greatly. During the return journey, Shinichi didn't use the Flying Thunder God to speed things up. Instead, like his teammates, he disguised himself as a traveling merchant, experiencing the life of ordinary people along the way.
Since the end of the Third Shinobi World War, large-scale conflicts between hidden villages had ceased. This era of peace allowed nations to focus their energy on internal governance. The Land of Fire recovered quite quickly.
Since Minato took over Konoha, while there were internal concerns, there were no external threats, though the consolidation of power was moving slowly.
Recently, Minato had formed a new Anbu unit loyal only to him. After the organization was established, he tried to get these ninjas to adapt to their roles quickly.
To ensure they didn't lose their combat edge, he took turns dispatching different Anbu squads to clear out bandit strongholds within the Land of Fire. This served as a form of secret training, though the combat strength of bandits couldn't compare to regular ninja forces, resulting in limited growth for the Anbu.
Looking at Konoha's internal structure, Danzo's "Root" remained the most elite group of Anbu ninjas. Next was the Hokage's direct Anbu, led by Hiruzen's eldest son. Finally, there was the team Minato was currently building.
Power is a derivative of political influence, but more importantly, it is a derivative of actual combat capability. As Hokage, Minato would not allow his direct subordinates to be the third-ranked "violent organization" in the village hierarchy.
With the Akatsuki matter settled, Minato planned to have the exceptionally talented and powerful Kakashi enter the Anbu in a significant role.
He also had his eye on Shisui Uchiha. For an organization to be strong, it was essential to have strong leaders. Both Kakashi and Shisui fit Minato's vision for Anbu leadership perfectly.
He had considered giving Shinichi a position of real power as well, but knowing Shinichi was a fiercely independent person, he suppressed the idea for now, wanting to discuss it properly once everyone was back.
After nearly half a month of travel, the towering gates of Konoha finally appeared before Shinichi's eyes. Many merchants were coming and going, forming long queues as they waited for inspection by the Konoha gate guards.
As Konoha ninjas, Shinichi and his team bypassed the line. Guards like Izumo and Kotetsu looked on with respect as they passed. After a brief registration, they headed toward the Hokage Building.
Shinichi didn't leave the task of submitting the mission report to Kakashi or Shisui; as the team leader, it was his responsibility.
The process went smoothly. Minato was somewhat surprised they returned so soon; he had actually intended for them to spend more time traveling with Jiraiya.
Although he was short on manpower, Shinichi and the others were still in their growth phase—letting them see the world was far more important than tethering them to missions.
In the office, Minato looked at the young ninjas standing before him with a wide smile:
"Shinichi, your team did an outstanding job this time."
"Actually, before you returned, I already had your files modified."
"The Akatsuki matter... isn't actually over. Your team will remain responsible for the investigation."
"As for the operation in the Land of Rain... I've authorized your payment according to the standards of an S-rank mission, and it will be recorded as such in your files."
Minato's brief words contained a massive amount of information.
The Akatsuki mission isn't over?
Shinichi understood the implication immediately. When he locked eyes with Minato, he read the reason in the Hokage's gaze.
Obito Uchiha... is indeed alive!
Shinichi judged that Minato must have used some special means to confirm this. After giving them their well-deserved praise and rewards, Minato granted the team a short vacation.
Ninja management in Konoha during non-war times was quite relaxed. As long as they didn't leave the village, ninjas could do whatever they wanted during their downtime.
Mission assignments were handled by the Hokage and his assistants. This meant that unless a new mission was assigned, ninjas could live their lives freely.
Ninjas received a basic allowance from the village. On top of that, those performing missions received bonuses, and those holding specific posts or responsibilities in the village received a functional salary.
Lower-ranking Genin didn't receive much, and their missions weren't high-paying, making their lives quite stressful. But once one became a Chunin, life changed completely; the basic allowance was above the median income of the village.
Even without missions, they wouldn't worry about survival. As for Jonin, their allowance alone provided a luxurious lifestyle; ninjas of this level were strategic assets, and money was rarely their primary concern.
The members of Shinichi's team were all young and held "ranks" of Chunin or higher, so they had no financial pressure. For ninjas of their age, a holiday was simply time used for training. Every member was a genius; even Might Guy was an absolute genius in taijutsu. Being in the same squad fostered a subtle sense of competition, so everyone immersed themselves in training during the break.
Under this "backdrop," Shinichi returned to the clan to reunite with his family. It had been several months since he last left—much shorter than his previous absence.
Nothing in the Hyuga household had changed. Life was peaceful and fulfilling. The Hyuga clan's position in Konoha was solidified. Because of Shinichi's close relationship with the Hokage's family and Minato's need for trustworthy allies, many positions of real power had been opened to the Hyuga clan.
Although Hiashi Hyuga, as the Clan Head, hadn't been assigned a major post by Minato, his influence grew as Branch House ninjas entered the village's power structure. Hiashi was very busy; the higher his clansmen rose, the more cautious he had to be. He had to manage clan affairs with absolute fairness so no one could find fault.
The Uchiha clan's situation was similar, but with one key difference: whenever Minato tried to place Uchiha members in key departments, he faced pressure from Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, and the other advisors.
They could tolerate Minato favoring the Hyuga, but not the Uchiha. After all, the policy of isolating the Uchiha began with the Second Hokage, and as his disciples, they held that "red line" in high regard.
Under this resistance, Minato had to compromise. While he still placed Uchiha members in departments, they were often staff members rather than the heads of major departments like the Hyuga.
example, Hiashi Hyuga was now the head of the Konoha Barrier/Defense Intelligence Division, while Inoichi Yamanaka—whose clan was deeply tied to the Sarutobi—was merely Hiashi's deputy. Additionally, several Hyuga clansmen had become taijutsu instructors at the Ninja Academy.
From the Hokage's direct Anbu to the Intelligence Division, Barrier Division, Torture Force, Jonin Council, and the Academy—nearly every corner of Konoha's infrastructure now featured Hyuga members. The title of "Konoha's Number One Noble Clan" undoubtedly fits the Hyuga best.
After dinner, Hiashi and Shinichi discussed the clan's current influence in the study. Hiashi spoke with pride, knowing this was all brought about by his genius son. Previously, the Hyuga wouldn't have dared to reach into such vital departments; they were just happy not to be suppressed by the higher-ups.
Hearing how deeply the Hyuga were now entwined with Konoha, Shinichi's resolve to grow stronger intensified. Originally, if Konoha suffered, it was just Konoha's problem. Now... the clan and the village were bound together in glory and ruin. Generally, the expansion of Hyuga influence was good, provided the leaders didn't become corrupt.
If the Main House ever placed clan interests above the village's, the resulting collapse would destroy the Hyuga along with Konoha. The more power one held, the more cautious one had to be. Hiashi did this perfectly by remaining nearly "invisible" in village-wide decision-making, avoiding making the clan a target of public resentment.
Having understood the clan's current status, Shinichi revealed his intention to go on a traveling training journey. However, while he expected his father to support him, Hiashi shook his head with a grave expression.
"Shinichi, put the traveling training on hold for now."
"There is something more important for you to do."
"Oh?"
"Shinichi, it will be your birthday soon. The clan intends to hold a grand celebration."
"I see..."
"All the children in the clan around your age will attend."
"You... well..."
"If there is a girl you take a liking to... You can start getting to know her..."
Hiashi's tone was hesitant and stumbling, but Shinichi caught the key points immediately.
Birthday? Grand celebration? A girl I like?
Connecting the dots, Shinichi understood.
"Is this... the mission of the Hyuga Main House?" Shinichi lowered his eyes, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Mission?" Hiashi replied. "Don't think of it that way. In the end, it depends on your will. You're still young; this is just about making contact. What happens in the future is a matter for the future. It's essentially free choice in love... It's just that the partner... can only be a girl from within the clan. You must understand, Shinichi."
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: Patreon.com/kazama677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 60 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.