Uhe Uchiha , the Hyūga 's territory occupies a rger area and was located in the northern district.

  Of the eight major ninja s, only the Uchiha were not in the northern district.

  However, like the Uchiha, the Hyūga territory was also designed with isotion in mind and was situated on the western side of the northern distribsp;

  When the Hokage building allocated this area to the Hyūga , the initial iion was to utilize the Byakugan to create an additional free defensive line.

  This idea turned out to be very effective.

  Even the vilgers rarely approached the Hyūga territory.

  If the Uchiha 's distant due to its proximity to the Police Ford prison facilities, causing vilgers to subsciously avoid it, the Hyūga territory's traditional aristocratic atmosphere had an imposing presehat made passersby instinctively serious, discing visits.

  But that was just the area he mairance.

  Si bordered the western wastend, the Hyūga territory had ample space to develop. Their buildings were all siory structures.

  In terms of architectural style, the tral building always faced south, and various sedary structures, ected by non-open-air corridors and bridges, surround it.

  The aesthetic was heavily traditional.

  The Hyūga was undoubtedly the most rule-bound Konoha.

  However, sihey kept their traditions internal, people mostly sighed about the difficulties of managing a rge family rather than acg the Hyūga of being pretentious.

  When Masashi headed to the Hyūga territory, it was already the afternoon of the sed day.

  In his previous life, he hadn't ied much with the Hyūga, except during the battles against the Kiri ninjas, wheen worked on missions with Hyūga ninjas.

  The Byakugan was really useful.

  ---

  As soon as Masashi arrived at the entrao the Hyūga territory, someone came out to greet him.

  With that far-reag vision, seamless coordination was indeed achievable.

  The Hyūga were very polite. pared to the previous life, this politeness felt much menuine.

  To be ho, he had quite a few rades among the Hyūga.

  He hadn't walked far into their territory whe one.

  "Masashi, long time no see." A Hyūga approached, smiling warmly.

  "Oh, it's you, Masahide." Masashi felt a wave of familiarity upon seeing him. "Why didn't you go to the Land of Hot Water with your brother earlier?"

  Masahide was a jonin Masashi had frequently partnered with during the Third Great Ninja War.

  He had an older brother named Masanari. However, Masashi wasn't as close to him.

  "I couldn't. I had other things to take care of." Masahide warmly pced a hand on Masashi's shoulder. He lowered his voice slightly, "Things have been teely. The elders are worried about something."

  "Oh? The mighty Hyūga has s?" Masashi raised an eyebrow.

  "You know how it is. Main family politics." Masahide's smile didn't waver. "e, I'll take you to see the elder."

  With a jonin like Masahide around, the Hyūga reception staff tactfully stepped aside.

  While the 's brand main family system was often criticized, it was irely a master-servaionship. Even branch family members, as jonin, had their rightful status.

  Of course, when matters arose, the distin between main and branch families still became apparent.

  But Masahide, despite being from a branch family, gave off a very positive vibe. He didn't carry aivity or bitterness about his status. Instead, he was eid upbeat.

  Soon, the two arrived at a rge house.

  The house was a siory structure elevated by wooden pilrs, with thiks making up the roof us ceramic tiles.

  They climbed up the wooden stairs, headed down the hallway, and slid open a painted door.

  "The elder is inside. She specifically requested to meet with you alone, so I won't apany you further," Masahide said with a smile. "And she doesn't have the best temper, so be prepared."

  "Don't worry, I'm famous for respeg the elderly and g for the young," Masashi said, waving his hand as he ehe house.

  Inside, he immediately saw the womaed at the front.

  Shijime was older than Hiruzen, but not by much. However, she had aged far better than him.

  As the pampered princess of the Hyūga main family in her youth, she had always been well-protected, especially by her doting and temperamental father.

  In the first timelihat temperamental old man would gre daggers at the Senju , especially at Muzo, for seemingly no reason.

  Time had left its marks on Shijime.

  Her skin was well-maintained, but her oite fad delicate features had ged signifitly. Fine crow's feet crept around her eyes, whio longer sparkled with youthful vitality. Years of burdens weighed them down.

  Her hair had grayed, aightly pursed lips hi some tension.

  Masashi k o before her, his expression calm, though his emotions were plex.

  Her former radiaill felt like it had been just yesterday.

  The image of her tearful departure surfaced in his mind.

  "Masashi," Shijime said. "Rumor has it in the vilge that you found his burial pce."

  "That's a misuanding," Masashi replied, shaking his head. "It was just an armory."

  "An armory… That does sound like something he would call it." Shijime's memory was stirred by the term. She carefully studied the young man before her. "You're not evey yet, are you?"

  "Almost," Masashi said.

  Strictly speaking, she was an elder of the Hyūga, and he should be addressing her respectfully. However…

  It felt too unfortable.

  Fortunately, as an Uchiha, a little impoliteness wasn't a big deal. For ohe exaggerated ive stereotypes about the Uchiha felt like a blessing.

  "The Edo Tensei was a teique he devoted much effort to perfeg. Without him, there is no way to undo it. Why would he leave such a fw?"

  "That, I don't know. Maybe he had a ge of heart before his death," Masashi specuted.

  Dealing with old acquaintances is always tricky.

  In today's Konoha, probably only Hiruzen uood Edo Tehe problem was that none of his current skills rivaled the insights of those who had been close to Muzo in their youth.

  Shijime certainly knew how paranoid Muzo had been. He'd designed many safeguards to preveensei from being forcibly undone.

  "That doesn't sound like him at all…" Shijime sighed.

  Masashi remained silent.

  But that was the personality he had chosen to dispy. Only such a persona could instill fear in his enemies…

  "I don't know. The teique he left behind is just like that."

  "Only the teique?" Shijime fixed her gaze on him. "Please, Masashi, think carefully. Could there be something you missed? I want him to return."

  In her youth, pride had driveo leave Muzo when she saw his lingering ties with an ex-girlfriend.

  She couldn't bring herself to recile with him.

  Afterward, she never entered another retionship, especially since her now-deceased father had been both the leader and a fiercely protective father. Even after stepping down, his authority as an elder meant no one dared challenge her decision to remain single.

  Now, after so many years, hearing news of him again uled her once-peaceful heart.

  The dead could not return, but she wanted him to rest in his homend.

  "There really is nothing else," Masashi suppressed his iurmoil, pretending not to notice the anticipation in her voice. Shaking his head firmly, he said, "There were only ons there. Nothing else."

  ---

  In a bar, Masashi and Masahide sat across from each other. Oable, a warm sake pot and a rge pte of sashimi y between them.

  It was already evening.

  P himself a cup of warm sake, Masashi took a sip.

  After leaving the Hyūga 's territory, his mood was plicated.

  "You've finally reached this position..." Masahide said with envy, taking a piece of sashimi. "From now on, except for the Hokage, no one order you around anymore."

  "Having work to do isn't necessarily a bad thing," Masashi replied.

  Although the Hyūga 's family system was often criticized privately, the was outwardly very united. Iernal matters, the distin between the main and branch families blurred siderably.

  Essentially, only the main family could bully the branch family. Moreover, not every member of the main family indulged in such behavior.

  The Hyūga , known for their collective mi, maintained a delicate bahin this system.

  The branch family system was, in essence, a brutal yet undeniably effit protective meism. At the very least, it ehat Hyūga members would not be specifically targeted for their Byakugan outside the vilge.

  The Uchiha , however, faced such issues. members who failed to awaken the Sharingan were often targeted oheir identities were discovered.

  Masashi added a rge dollop of wasabi to his dish, mashing it up with his chopsticks. He had specifically requested the shop for a stronger, more pu fvor.

  This reference developed in his first pythrough of life—wheing sashimi, the wasabi had to pack a punch.

  "Your taste..." Masahide grimaced. "You're ruining the fvor of the ingredients."

  "If the wasabi isn't spicy, what's the point?" Masashi said.

  He picked up a piece of sashimi with sauce, and ate it ie.

  Across from him, Masahide, who preferred his sashimi pin, refrained from adding any wasabi.

  "In a bad mood? Didn't the meeting with the elder go well?"

  "Not really."

  Among the many girlfriends he had in his first life, Shijime held a special p his heart.

  She was the one who made him realize that, even in the cruel world of shinobi, a girl from a ninja wouldn't approaeone from another purely for the sake of a mission.

  Unfortunately, he uood this too te. At the time, after much deliberation, he had cluded that separating was the best choice for both of them.

  The life of a man known as Muzo was too filthy to deserve the sincere affe of a girl like her. Some stains never washed away, but that didn't mean others should suffer for them.

  "Masahide, has Elder Shijime ever had children?"

  "Oh, no, she hasn't," Masahide said, putting down his chopsticks with a sigh. "Among all the elders, she's the only ohout desdants. Her family passed away long ago, so she's usually by herself."

  "Judging by her appearance, she must have had many admirers in her youth. Didn't ach her eye?"

  "Of course! When she was young, Elder Shijime was famous in Konoha for her beauty. Everyone in her geion pursued her, but she was very serious about retionships. After her first love sacrificed himself, she never sidered love again."

  Masahide paused and looked at Masashi.

  "Her first love was that Muzo. She invited you this time because of that. She doesn't care about the legacy—though some in the do—but she scolded them all."

  "..."

  So she never married... A loneliness I caused. One more debt to repay.

  "Being all alone must be terribly lonely, don't you think? Has aried to pursue her?" As he said this, Masashi lowered his head and drank.

  "Not at all," Masahide waved his hand dismissively. "The elder is incredibly powerful. There ervert once, an old geezer who wao remarry a his sights on her. She beat him half to death. No one dares approach her now, but..."

  He paused, sighing.

  "Of course, she must be lonely. But she's very kind—especially to children. We all received her care when we were young. Whenever she has time, she visits us, hoping to liven things up and make herself happy."

  "Masahide."

  "Hmm? What is it? Why are you so serious?"

  "That pervert you mentioned, was he from the Hyūga ?"

  "No, he was a member of the Yamanaka , an elder. He's probably arouy hty now."

  "I'm pnning to tell the Hokage that I'll leave the vilge for a bit to look for something. you pass a message to Elder Shijime for me?"

  "Tell her I'll try my best, but she shouldn't expeuch. If there was anything, it's probably gone by now."

  Shijime's life shouldn't be like this. It was his fault, an undeniable mistake.

  Masashi decided to check the Kannabi Bridge. In his previous life, he specialized in chakra research but ed physical restoration teiques.

  He couldn't use the Yihat was Tsunade's unique creation.

  Masashi hoped to, at the very least, restore Shijime's youthful beauty. Every girl cared about their appearance, and Shijime articurly obsessive about maintenance. If he succeeded, she would surely be delighted.

  For now, he wouldn't take on any other tasks and would focus solely on this.

  "Oh! Do you have a lead?" Masahide asked, his eyes lighting up.

  Those who weren't born into the Hyūga branch family couldn't uand their feelings or the sensitivity they had towards the main family's gaze.

  But Shijime was different. For the branch family children, she made them feel more thahat they were part of the Hyūga .

  They all knew about her unspoken sorrow.

  "Masashi, don't lie to me."

  "I'm not lying. I thhly searched that pd sealed it again. There's a ce, however slim." Masashi said. "When I o be serious, I don't joke around."

  "That's true. You're the most reliable person I know." Masahide cracked his knuckles. "Need help? I call for reinforts. You have no idea how hard it was for us to watch her back then."

  "No need. You're all too slow pared to me." Masashi lifted his cup again. "It's better for you to visit the elder more often. e o's drink to that."

  "Cheers!" Masahide, now in a great mood, raised his cup.

  The two tinued drinking, thinking about their experiences otlefield. The more they talked, the more animated they became. One cup followed another.

  As the alcohol flowed, so did their thoughts.

  Those who want to get drunk always have their reasons—only by wanting to be drunk oruly get drunk.

  Masashi tapped his cup against the table.

  "You holding up?"

  "Stop nagging. I've got the Byakugan. I see chakra—what's alcohol pared to that?"

  "As if you're the only one who see chakra," Masashi scoffed. He reached for the sake pot, only to find it empty.

  He rang the bell oable.

  A waiter pulled back the curtain and leaned in with a cheerful smile.

  "Another pot, please. Als us some hot dishes."

  "Got it!"

  Seeing Masahide's reddened face, he decided the timing was abht.

  He knew Masahide's drinking habits well. By this point, he'd wake up with no memory of the night.

  "Masahide."

  "Yeah..."

  "You said earlier that the elder beat up a pervert. What was his name?"

  "Uh... oh, Masamune, yeah! The old geezer!"

  Masahide muttered, clearly drunk, as he polished off the st piece of sashimi.

  This is a political move by Masashi. Even if he brings nothing back to Shijime, he'll gain her favor - and by extension, the Hyūga' support. And he has two other motives: his personal desire to travel to a certain location, and his iion to destroy whatever remains in the chamber.