His eldest sister, Hinata, was now a student at the Academy. Though still young, she had already carved out a life of her own, leaving early and returning late.
During Shinichi's time at home, he usually only saw her in the evenings after school. She was a diligent girl; most of her time after dinner was consumed by her Academy coursework.
It was only now that Shinichi truly understood what parents meant when they said, "Life gets easier once the kids start school."
As children grow, they become increasingly independent. They develop their own social circles and pursuits, and the time spent with family inevitably dwindles.
Even now, Hinata likely spends more time with her classmates than with her own kin. For Shinichi—acting as a sort of "mini-guardian"—seeing Hinata enjoy her life was enough.
The family was her foundation, her safe harbor. If she were ever bullied at school or in life, there would always be someone at home to stand up for her. For now, her life required no heavy-handed interference.
Then there was the little one, Hanabi. Unlike the increasingly independent Hinata, Hanabi was at that age where she was perpetually clingy. Although the Academy's preparatory class had accepted her early, the clan refused to let her attend just yet.
The primary reason was safety: neither Hinata nor Hanabi had been branded with the Caged Bird Seal yet. Sending Hanabi to the Academy while Hinata was still a student would put an immense strain on the school's security. The clan simply wasn't willing to take that risk.
Konoha might have entered an era of peace under the Fourth Hokage, but "peace" did not mean "absolute safety." For as long as the clan elders could remember, the village had been plagued by attacks targeting either the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki or the Hyuga's Byakugan. Thus, the clan decided that Hanabi's enrollment would wait until Hinata graduated and received her seal.
Because she was "confined" to the compound, Hanabi didn't have many peers to play with. Her longing for family far exceeded Hinata's. Since Shinichi had been staying home more and both their parents were busy with the upcoming banquet, the task of looking after his youngest sister fell squarely on him.
Early one morning, while Shinichi was still drifting in a dream, he felt a sudden weight press down on his chest.
"Big brother, wake up!"
Hanabi was sprawled across him, her tiny hands mischievously pinching his nose.
"Mm?" Shinichi squinted, glancing at the dim, grey sky outside. He shook his head slightly and rolled over, letting Hanabi slide off his chest and onto the mat. "It's too early. Let me sleep a bit longer. Don't be a nuisance."
He pulled the duvet tight, adjusted himself into a comfortable position, and tried to sink back into slumber.
Their mother, Hanako, had left early to procure supplies for the banquet, taking the housemaids with her. Feeling lonely in the empty house, Hanabi had scurried to Shinichi's room, seeking her brother's company.
Seeing that she couldn't wake him, Hanabi didn't get angry. Instead, seeing how soundly he slept, she lifted a corner of the duvet and rolled herself right in.
Her icy little hands grabbed Shinichi's arm, the chill seeping through his thin silk pajamas. Feeling her burrow in, Shinichi opened one eye and adjusted the blanket to cover her properly.
Autumn had settled into Konoha. The mornings were brisk; if she didn't stay warm, she would surely catch a cold. Hanabi's room wasn't far, but she had to cross an open corridor to get here—she was likely chilled to the bone. Thinking this, Shinichi reached out, tucking the edges of the quilt securely beneath her.
Feeling her brother's care, a wide smile spread across Hanabi's face. She pressed her head against his arm and soon drifted into a peaceful sleep.
"..."
Not long after, Shinichi woke again, this time to a sharp draft. He opened his eyes to find that the entire duvet had been ruthlessly hijacked by Hanabi. He wasn't sure who she inherited her sleeping habits from, but she had rolled herself into a perfect "caterpillar" across the tatami, leaving him completely exposed to the morning air.
"I guess you did manage to wake me up after all..." Shinichi looked at his sleeping sister and let out a helpless laugh.
He couldn't bring himself to pull the blanket back and wake her. At her age, sleep was vital for growth. He stood up, gently placed a thin pillow under her neck, changed into a slightly thicker kimono, and quietly left the room.
Shinichi grabbed a few scrolls from the study and set up a small tea table on the veranda. As the first light of dawn broke, he sipped warm tea and began to read.
Since the Fourth Hokage began relying heavily on the Hyuga, many of the clan's best fighters had been assigned to various village posts.
This had inadvertently weakened the compound's internal defenses. Shinichi didn't feel comfortable leaving Hanabi alone, so he skipped his usual morning training at the grounds, opting to kill time with his research instead.
While the "matchmaking banquet" had delayed his plans, the Traveling Training Plan was merely postponed, not canceled. Lately, he had been scouring the clan's archives—histories, biographies, and legends—searching for any clues regarding the ruins of the Otsutsuki clan.
The Hyuga had migrated several times throughout history, and these movements were meticulously recorded. Their lineage had never been broken, making their records highly reliable.
To his surprise, he discovered that the ancestral origin of the Hyuga clan lay within the borders of the Land of Lightning.
Shinichi frowned. This discovery forced him to re-evaluate his travel route. The Land of Lightning was powerful and, more importantly, was not an ally of Konoha.
Historically, every attempt at an alliance between the two had ended in disaster. The first attempt, during the Second Hokage's reign, was sabotaged by the Gold and Silver Brothers, resulting in the deaths of both the Hokage and the Raikage.
The second attempt occurred after the Third War, when the Cloud attempted to kidnap a Hyuga to steal the Byakugan, leading to the death of the Cloud envoy and a diplomatic nightmare. Even now, the two villages were constantly at odds in the political arena.
For Shinichi, the heir of the Hyuga Main House, to go looking for ruins in the Land of Lightning was like a lamb walking into a wolf's den. If his identity were discovered, he would face the full might of Kumogakure.
However, it made sense. Even now, the Cloud Village possessed the Treasured Tools of the Sage of the Six Paths and a level of technology—like their "Chakra Cannon"—that far surpassed other villages.
Only the founders of Konoha, the Uchiha and Senju, had ever truly been able to suppress the ambitions of the Yoyoi (A) clan.
While the risk was high, it didn't mean he couldn't go. With his ability to hide his identity and his mastery of the Flying Thunder God, he could escape even if he were caught. As long as he was cautious, a trip to the Land of Lightning was feasible.
However, he would have to inform the Fourth Hokage. Konoha's management of its ninja was strict. Leaving the village required formal approval; otherwise, one risked being branded a rogue ninja.
This was a standard protocol to prevent the leak of intelligence. Even the Hyuga, with their deep roots, had to follow the rules—especially the Main House.
The steam from his tea curled into the air. Shinichi took a sip and set his book aside. He had identified seven potential locations to investigate.
Three were in the Land of Lightning, others were scattered across the Land of Fire, and one was overseas—at the site of the former Land of Whirlpools.
But one particular site in the Land of Fire intrigued him the most. Legend whispered of a mysterious passage located there that led directly to the Moon.
There was no way to verify the legend through history, and no Hyuga had ever bothered to check. But Shinichi believed it. He knew for a fact that people lived on the Moon—the descendants of Hamura Otsutsuki. He was intensely curious about that branch of the family. If he could visit the moon that guarded the seal of Kaguya, who knew what secrets he might uncover?
There was still time before his birthday. Whether he found the passage or not, if he hurried, he could return to the village before the banquet.
The moment he closed his book, his decision was made. Just then, the door behind him slid open. Hanabi stood there, rubbing her eyes, looking half-awake.
"Big brother, I'm hungry. I want breakfast."
Seeing her standing there in her thin pajamas, Shinichi quickly stood up. "I'll have the kitchen prepare something. It's cold out here. Go back inside. I'll bring your clothes over; stay under the covers for now."
Hanabi nodded and ducked back into the room, sliding the door shut. Shinichi chuckled to himself. Thankfully, the Main House was large enough that he didn't have to cook himself; he wasn't sure he could handle actually taking care of a child on his own.
Shinichi's application to leave the village was submitted to the Hokage. Over breakfast, he had a brief conversation with Grand Elder Shin, explaining his intentions.
Shin didn't quite understand why the boy was suddenly interested in ancient ruins, but he didn't want to dampen his spirits. In truth, the Elder felt a lingering sense of guilt toward Shinichi.
He knew that once Shinichi officially became the head of the clan, he would lose a great deal of his freedom. He assumed the boy simply wanted to see the world before the "cage" closed around him.
Moreover, Shinichi promised to return in time for the banquet. That was enough for the Elder. He trusted Shinichi's sense of duty, even if he personally thought the "passage to the moon" was nothing more than a fairytale. To the elders, the Sage of the Six Paths and the Moon were just myths.
At the Hokage Building, Minato was drowning in paperwork. It wasn't until nearly noon that he finally reached Shinichi's report.
"Investigating ancient ruins? A passage to the moon?"
Shinichi hadn't hidden his true goal from the Fourth. At first, Minato thought he had misread the report. He scanned it several times to confirm.
"Why is he suddenly interested in ruins?" Minato mused. "A passage to the moon... how interesting. Is it a space-time ninjutsu? Does such a thing really exist in this world? I'd love to see it myself."
Unlike the Elder, Minato didn't dismiss the idea. Instead, he began to wonder what kind of mechanics would allow such a passage to exist. He felt a prickle of curiosity himself, but then he let out a heavy sigh.
"I wish I could go too..."
With a wistful smile, Minato took out his official seal and stamped "Approved" on Shinichi's application.
By the time Shinichi received the stamped document that afternoon, he had already decided to go alone. If there was no passage, it was just a wasted trip. But if he actually found it, he wouldn't want to drag his teammates into such an unknown danger.
He didn't know the current state of the Otsutsuki on the Moon. Between his Flying Thunder God, Reverse Summoning, and his Byakugan, he could handle himself—but for others, it would be a different story.
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