That evening, at Konoha's southeastern headquarters.
Koharu once again summoned the four division commanders to the command center.
"The Daimyō has approved our request," she said without preamble, her gaze settling on Shinichi. "In that case, Shinichi, I'll leave the evacuation of Rinkai City and the surrounding region under your overall supervision."
As soon as she finished speaking, Shinichi—who had clearly prepared in advance—took several neatly organized documents from his robe. He first handed copies to the two elders, then distributed the rest to Chief Strategist Nara Shikaku and the three division commanders.
Seeing this, Koharu nodded inwardly.
This child is always prepared for every possibility.
She accepted the documents and began reading through them carefully.
Everything was laid out in a clear, orderly fashion. From the timetable for each evacuation wave, the grouping of civilians by district, and the phased routing of the retreat... to contingency plans for unexpected situations, every section included concrete execution procedures along with recommendations for the personnel responsible.
The more she read, the more satisfied she became.
After a moment, she set the documents down and looked around the room.
"I think this plan is already quite comprehensive. Does anyone have any objections?"
"I have none."
Homura adjusted his glasses and spoke first.
"Neither do I."
Shikaku followed immediately. Although his reply was straightforward, he couldn't help grumbling inwardly.
Ever since arriving on the southeastern front as chief strategist, he had increasingly felt that his position served little purpose.
Whenever it came to predicting the enemy, Shinichi handled it.
Strategic planning? Shinichi.
Tactical arrangements? Shinichi again.
Even something as detail-oriented and coordination-heavy as evacuating civilians had already been planned out by Shinichi before anyone else had even started thinking about it.
It felt as though there wasn't a single problem left for him to solve.
Whenever he tried to contribute by filling in overlooked details, he would discover that Shinichi's plans were already so airtight that all he needed to do was read them over and nod in approval.
Compared to an actual chief strategist, he felt more like a tool whose only job was to say, I have no objections.
"No objections!" ×4
"Good."
Koharu nodded.
"Since no one has any objections, we'll proceed according to this plan. Shinichi will oversee the operation as a whole. The three of you will assist him. Make sure every defense sector is properly coordinated, with appropriate covering forces in place, and have contingency plans ready for any emergencies that may arise during the evacuation."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Everyone answered in unison before turning and leaving the command center.
...
Outside the tent, dusk had deepened.
Walking with the others, Fugaku kept his usual calm expression, but inside, excitement was welling up uncontrollably.
I backed the right person.
Judging from the complete trust and responsibility the two elders had just placed in Shinichi...
Higashino Shinichi had all but become the leading candidate in Konoha's upper ranks to succeed as the next Hokage.
Now he simply needed to find the right opportunity to have Itachi study under Shinichi.
Even if it wasn't Itachi...
At the very least, one member of the Uchiha Clan had to establish a formal sensei-disciple relationship with Shinichi.
That bond would further strengthen the relationship between the two sides and might even serve as a bridge for future political influence.
Beside him, Hyūga Hiashi's thoughts were becoming increasingly active as well.
The Hyūga Clan had always maintained a delicate relationship with the village.
Much of that stemmed from their Main Family and Branch Family system, along with the Caged Bird Seal.
Within the Hyūga Clan, the system was regarded as a necessary measure to prevent the Byakugan from falling into outsiders' hands.
But to many beyond the clan, dividing family members into a Main House and Branch House, then using a curse seal to control the Branch House's lives and deaths...
...was little different from slavery.
It stood in direct opposition to the political ideals embodied by Konoha's Will of Fire since the village's founding.
Fortunately, when the Hyūga Clan had joined Konoha, they had reached an agreement with the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama: the village would not interfere in the clan's internal affairs or institutions.
Because of that agreement, Konoha's leadership had tacitly ignored the system for many years.
But it also left the Hyūga Clan in an awkward political position within the village.
They appeared detached and prestigious, yet in reality remained on the political fringe.
Even the Uchiha had once briefly entered Konoha's inner circle after the Second Hokage accepted one of their own as his disciple.
The Hyūga, meanwhile, had never enjoyed such an opportunity.
They didn't even have a single member serving in the ANBU.
As a result, they had never expected anyone from their clan to truly enter the village's core of power, much less produce a Hokage.
Still...
If they could maintain a close personal relationship with the future Hokage, that alone would be of tremendous value to the Hyūga Clan.
Thinking of that, Hiashi's eyes naturally drifted toward the black-haired youth walking at the front of the group.
Hizashi seems to get along fairly well with Shinichi.
Perhaps... that's something worth cultivating.
Unlike the two clan heads beside him, however, Minato wasn't thinking that far ahead.
He enthusiastically discussed the mission's details with Shinichi as they walked.
Once they had finished talking about the operation, Minato suddenly became hesitant.
An awkward expression appeared on his face.
"Um... Shinichi..."
He scratched his head and spoke somewhat sheepishly.
"Uh..."
"Since when did Minato-senpai become so bashful?" Shinichi turned to look at him with a smile. "If there's something you want to say, just say it."
"Well..."
After a moment of hesitation, Minato finally blurted it out.
"I'd like to learn your Wind Release Nintaijutsu."
"My Wind Release Nintaijutsu?"
Shinichi paused briefly before nodding without hesitation.
"Of course."
Then he smiled and added, "But aren't you currently researching Lightning Release Nintaijutsu, Minato-senpai?"
"I'm still counting on you to help Kakashi and me figure out a way to enhance our neural reaction speed."
"Well, about that..."
Minato scratched his head again and gave an embarrassed smile.
"I'm still researching Lightning Release Nintaijutsu, that's true. It's just that... I don't think it complements my current fighting style very well. Since I already have the Flying Thunder God Technique, there's not much room left for me to improve my burst speed in a straight line."
"What I really need is a combat system that lets me change direction quickly over short distances, move lightly and fluidly, and perform better in complex terrain and close-quarters combat. So..."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"But don't worry, Shinichi. I'm not giving up on the Lightning Release Nintaijutsu research. I'll make developing a method to enhance neural reaction speed a priority."
Even as he said that, Minato couldn't help muttering to himself inwardly.
The truth was, when it came to neural reactions, he didn't really have any secret technique.
He had simply been born with extraordinarily sharp reflexes.
That was how he had always been—from childhood onward. He had naturally grown into those reflexes and instinctively made use of them, never once stopping to study how they actually worked.
Back when he had taught Kakashi how to train his visual tracking and neural reaction speed so he could properly wield Chidori, Minato had racked his brain trying to dissect instincts he himself barely understood. In the end, he had managed to piece together a handful of training methods that even he wasn't entirely sure would work.
Fortunately, Kakashi had lived up to his expectations, and the results had been quite good.
But now that he had promised to research the subject properly, he would have to devote himself to it seriously afterward instead of continuing to rely solely on instinct.
Hearing that, Shinichi nodded.
Although Lightning Release Nintaijutsu could enhance speed, strength, and defense, the improvements it offered to the body itself were most effective before a person's physical development was complete.
Minato was already twenty-one years old. His body had essentially finished developing, so continuing to train it would never produce results as significant as it would for teenagers like Shinichi and Kakashi.
In that case, Wind Release Nintaijutsu—with its emphasis on agility, fluid movement, and rapid changes in direction—was actually a much better fit for Minato's current fighting style.
With that in mind, Shinichi said, "All right. Since you've asked, Minato-senpai, I'll organize my notes and insights on Wind Release Nintaijutsu and give them to you. Read through them first, and if anything isn't clear, once we're back in the village and have some free time, I'll explain it in person."
"Thanks, Shinichi."
Minato finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"No need to thank me, senpai."
Shinichi smiled faintly.
"As for the Flying Thunder God Technique, I may have quite a few things to learn from you in the future."
"No problem."
Minato nodded without hesitation.
"Not just the Flying Thunder God Technique. If it's something I know, you can come ask me anytime."
...
Deep beneath the Ōtsutsuki Branch Family's settlement on the moon...
Inside a hidden chamber covered from floor to ceiling with layers upon layers of ancient techniques, the light from countless Fūinjutsu and barrier techniques quietly flowed across every wall, casting the hall in an eerie, otherworldly glow, as though the entire space had been sealed away from reality itself.
"Hahahahahaha! Success! We did it!!!"
Wild, unrestrained laughter suddenly erupted, echoing endlessly throughout the sealed chamber.
Ōtsutsuki Shingen stared fixedly at the fist-sized stone cradled in both hands. It shimmered with a mysterious violet light, while his eyes burned with almost fanatical ecstasy.
This stone was the very object he had spent nearly a month creating.
After combing through every ancient record the clan possessed, conducting countless rounds of trial and error, and sacrificing the Byakugan of twenty Branch Family members...
...he had finally succeeded in creating a Small Tenseigan.
"Excellent! Wonderful! From this day forward, our Branch Family finally possesses a Tenseigan of its own!"
The Branch Family members gathered around him erupted into one fanatical cheer after another.
Quite a few of them had empty eye sockets, deeply sunken where their eyes had once been.
Yet not one of them showed the slightest trace of pain or regret.
Instead, their faces radiated a near-martyr-like fervor.
One blind Branch Family member suddenly stepped forward, dropped to one knee, raised his head, and declared in a trembling voice filled with excitement, "Clan Head! Summon every member of the Branch Family immediately! Men, women, children—everyone should offer up their Byakugan! We'll use them to forge an even greater Tenseigan! Then we'll wipe out the Main Family once and for all, fulfill Ancestor Hamura's will, and cleanse this filthy ninja world!"
You're taking this a little too far.
Looking down at the zealous clansman, Shingen frowned slightly.
The words reached the tip of his tongue...
But in the end, he never spoke them.
Without extremists...
How could they ever accomplish something this great?
Without extremists...
How could they possibly defeat the Main Family?
Without extremists...
How could they fulfill Ancestor Hamura's will and completely cleanse the ninja world—a world overflowing with slaughter and betrayal?
With those thoughts in mind, Shingen opened his mouth, ready to issue the order—
"Shingen, I didn't ask you to come today just so we could argue again. I have good news to tell you—Masako is pregnant."
At that very moment, his elder brother Ōtsutsuki Nobunaga's voice echoed in his ears without warning.
Shingen's lips moved ever so slightly.
The command that had already reached his throat was forcibly swallowed back down.
After a long silence, he slowly lowered the hand holding the Tenseigan and spoke in a deep voice.
"There's no rush."
"Clan Head!?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the Branch Family members surrounding him became agitated.
They exchanged disbelieving glances before staring at their clan head in utter disbelief. Several clansmen with hollow eye sockets even strode forward, disregarding all propriety as they nearly pressed right up against Shingen.
"Why?! We've waited this long already!"
"We have the Tenseigan now, Clan Head! We only need to make it bigger!"
"If the Clan Head doesn't dare give the order, then we can find someone else who will!"
Shingen slowly turned his head toward the clansman who had spoken.
The man lowered his head, but made no attempt whatsoever to back down.
As the Branch Family's clan head, Shingen understood better than anyone—including himself—that every single member of the Branch Family had long since wagered everything they had on one single cause:
Fulfilling the will of Ancestor Hamura.
For that goal...
They were willing to sacrifice their own eyes.
They were willing to kill anyone.
That included the clan head standing in their way.
The moment he showed even the slightest hesitation, those same clansmen who had just been shouting, "Long live the Clan Head!" would swarm him in the next instant, tear him to pieces, and elevate someone even more extreme—someone with no room left for compromise—as their new clan head.
Shingen raised a hand and pressed it downward.
Only after the crowd had fallen silent did he speak coldly.
"A bunch of idiots."
"Have none of you noticed that this Tenseigan is extremely unstable? At its current state, it can only be used two or three times before it completely collapses."
"If we attack with nothing more than this defective product and fail to wipe out the Main Family in one blow, then what?"
"When that happens... who will carry out Ancestor Hamura's will?"
"Hm!?"
As he spoke, Shingen's gaze became as sharp as knives, slowly sweeping across every fanatical face in the hall. His voice suddenly thundered through the chamber.
"ANSWER ME!!!"
Silence.
The few clansmen who had shouted the loudest moments ago instinctively lowered their eyes, avoiding his gaze.
After a long pause, an elderly Branch Family member stepped forward and dropped to one knee.
"Please calm your anger, Clan Head. We failed to think things through and acted too hastily."
"This matter truly requires careful planning. We should first stabilize the Tenseigan, make thorough preparations, and only then strike decisively."
"Please instruct us, Clan Head. What should our next course of action be?"
Shingen expressionlessly withdrew his gaze, turned around once more, and left them with nothing but his cold, unyielding back.
"One year."
"We'll spend the next year continuing to perfect the Tenseigan until its power is truly stable."
"You should all make your own preparations as well."
"One year from now..."
"...will be the Main Family's end."
"Yes, Clan Head!"
The Branch Family members answered in unison before filing out of the hall one after another with their heads lowered.
Their footsteps gradually faded into the distance, and the vast chamber once again fell into deathly silence.
Only Shingen remained.
Standing alone, he silently stared at the Tenseigan in his hand as it emitted its eerie violet glow.
One year...
That should be enough time for the child to be born.
A trace of complicated emotion flickered through his eyes.
It lasted only an instant before they returned to their usual coldness.
He shook his head forcefully, as though trying to drive some forbidden thought from his mind.
I'm only doing this to ensure nothing goes wrong.
As for that child...
I'll raise them myself.
Brother...
Consider this the last bit of mercy I'll ever show you as your younger brother.
Shingen slowly closed his eyes and said nothing more.
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