Life had returned to normal for Hyuga Satoru.
Ever since Hyuga Shinsuke returned to the village, all clan affairs had once again been placed under his management, freeing Satoru from the burden of administration. Now, he could devote himself entirely to training and to the development of his own techniques.
His days were busy yet orderly — bedroom, dojo, training field. A simple three-point routine, but far from dull.
With Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Shisui, and Uchiha Itachi often keeping him company, Satoru's childhood had grown full of color and warmth.
Before he knew it, winter had passed. The spring thunder rolled, and a fine rain began to fall, tapping lightly on the tiled eaves, filling the air with the soft sha-sha hum of white noise. The drizzle soaked the ground, and the scent of wet grass spread through the courtyard.
On the veranda outside the dojo, Satoru sat cross-legged, gazing at the misty gray sky. Beside him, Shisui leaned lazily against a wooden pillar, watching the rain-drenched garden. Young Itachi sat barefoot on the veranda's edge, legs swinging back and forth — his childlike fondness for rainy days written all over his face. Kakashi, meanwhile, looked out at the rain with a faint, pensive melancholy that didn't belong on someone his age.
These short breaks during training were Satoru's most cherished moments. His friendship with Shisui, Itachi, and Kakashi was quiet and subtle, like the gentle spring rain — unspoken, yet deeply rooted. They were all similar in temperament; not loud or brash, but genuine in their bond. Over time, that quiet companionship became unshakable.
Lately, the tension within Konohagakure had begun to ease. The Cloud-nin, furious over the death of their envoy, still shouted about going to war, but aside from stationing troops along the border, they made no further moves.
Word had it that the Two-Tails Jinchuriki had lost control during training, causing chaos. Fortunately, the incident occurred in the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, far from the village itself. Though several Cloud shinobi — and the Jinchuriki — perished, the village suffered no major damage.
Because of that disaster, the Cloud were in no position to start another war anytime soon. Replacing a Jinchuriki was a monumental task; with such a key weapon lost, the Cloud leadership had no confidence in overpowering Konoha. Thus, the front lines settled into a cold standoff, with both sides waging silent battles through intelligence agents.
In that kind of warfare, Shimura Danzo and his Root thrived. Espionage and covert manipulation were his domain.
Meanwhile, the Mist front had also begun to stabilize. Skirmishes were fewer, and the once-chaotic lines were solidifying. Believing the situation under control, Namikaze Minato considered withdrawing part of Konoha's forces to rest and regroup. He had even discussed this with the Hyuga — planning to let Hyuga Hiashi and several branch members return first.
But Hiashi refused.
The reason was simple: on the Mist front, he had discovered something shocking — among the enemy was a ninja possessing the Byakugan.
After a thorough investigation, Konoha identified him: a man named Ao, around thirty years old, a formidable elite of the Mist.
For the Hyuga Clan, a Byakugan loose in the outside world was a grave matter — an unforgivable stain on their name. As the head of the Main Family, Hiashi intended to personally retrieve that eye, no matter the cost.
He had refused Minato's offer to withdraw precisely because he saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. During wartime, no one would question the recovery of clan secrets. But if peace returned and a treaty were signed, any attempt to reclaim the Byakugan from Kirigakure would be seen as breaking the truce — turning public opinion against the Hyuga.
That man, Ao — whom the Mist called "the Byakugan Killer" — was said to have slaughtered many Hyuga branch members. He not only possessed the Byakugan, but also understood it deeply, using that knowledge to devastating effect against those who shared its power.
Though the Hyuga had long placed Ao on their most-wanted list, Hiashi's latest findings revealed that the man's actions were far more deliberate than they'd thought. He wasn't just using the Byakugan — he was hunting the Hyuga.
For Hiashi, this was intolerable. He swore to kill the Byakugan Killer and reclaim what was rightfully theirs.
But his prey was cunning. After a single brief encounter with Hiashi on the battlefield, Ao seemed to realize that he had become the target of a personal manhunt. He vanished from open battle, operating from the shadows. The pursuit became a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Ao's combat prowess as an elite Mist jonin was formidable. With the Byakugan enhancing his awareness, his counter-surveillance skills had reached terrifying heights. Time and again, he lured Hyuga tracking teams into carefully laid traps, costing Konoha dearly. Under pressure from Ao's guerrilla tactics, even Orochimaru, the commander of the front, found it difficult to advance the line.
Though a genius, Orochimaru was not invincible. After the death of Nohara Rin, the Three-Tails had been reclaimed by the Mist and sealed within Yagura, a shinobi whose compatibility with the tailed beast was extraordinary. Within just a few years, Yagura had fully mastered the Three-Tails' power. Now, leading the Mist forces himself, he was the perfect counter to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's own research had yet to bear fruit. His studies on Hashirama's cells were far from combat-ready, and though his White Snake experiments had reached the stage of self-implantation, they were still unstable. Even his forbidden Edo Tensei project was only halfway complete. Against a nearly perfect Jinchuriki like Yagura, Orochimaru could only hold the line — and even that was a remarkable feat.
The stalemate pleased Konoha's leadership. After years of bloody conflict, the village finally had a chance to rest and recover. The shadows of the Third Great War were slowly fading.
"Da-da-da—!"
"Big brother!"
"Father's letter is here!"
Hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor. Turning his head, Satoru saw Hinata, her short bob bouncing as she ran toward him, waving an envelope in her tiny hands.
Since the New Year, Hinata had grown taller — and livelier. Far from the shy, reserved girl Satoru remembered from his past life, this little Hinata was bright, cheerful, and endlessly energetic.
Reaching him, she greeted Kakashi, Shisui, and Itachi with the courtesy expected of a Hyuga, then proudly thrust the letter toward Satoru. As he opened it, she snuggled up from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"Brother, what does Father say?"
She could read only a little; Hyuga Hiashi's handwriting was mostly a mystery to her.
"Didn't you have Mother read it to you first?" Satoru asked with a smile, unfolding the letter.
"Mom hasn't seen it yet! I ran straight here when the messenger brought it!"
Her face glowed with pride. Satoru chuckled. "Well then, I really do owe you. How about I buy you some sweets later?"
"Yay!" she cheered — but his expression darkened as his eyes scanned the page.
"What's wrong?" Hinata asked softly, instantly sensing the change.
"Nothing serious," Satoru replied after a pause. "It's… good news, actually. Father's coming home."
He forced a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
Hinata didn't notice. She squealed with delight and ran off, her footsteps pattering through the rain-soaked courtyard — no doubt rushing to tell their mother the news.
But Satoru's friends could read his face clearly.
Something was wrong.
"Satoru…" Shisui began, his tone cautious. Itachi and Kakashi both looked his way.
"My father was ambushed on the front line," Satoru said quietly. "He managed to break through, but he was injured — fractures in his arm and leg. He's being escorted back to the village now for treatment."
He exhaled slowly. "This letter… it's basically just to say he's alive."
A faint crease formed between his brows.
Kakashi stepped closer, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Injuries happen," he said. "He's safe — that's what matters. Broken bones heal with time. You don't have to worry too much."
But Satoru only shook his head.
"That's not what worries me."
"My father was ambushed because he was trying to reclaim a lost Byakugan. He deliberately exposed himself to draw the thief out — but lost the fight."
"He's being sent back, and he's asked my uncle, Hyuga Hizashi, to take command of a new pursuit team. He wants the Byakugan recovered at all costs."
He folded the letter tightly in his hand. "But if even my father couldn't do it… my uncle and the others don't stand a chance."
"The enemy will be expecting it. Every trap will be set around Ao and his stolen Byakugan. If my family keeps pressing forward…" He trailed off, jaw tightening. "…someone's not coming back."
Satoru's brows furrowed deeply as he reread the letter once more, lost in thought.
His friends exchanged uneasy looks, unsure how to respond. They could feel it — this wasn't just Satoru worrying as a son. He was thinking about everyone connected to him.
Itachi's quiet voice broke the silence. "So… what are you going to do?"
He didn't turn around. He didn't have to. He already knew Satoru's answer.
"I think," Satoru said slowly, rising to his feet, "it's time I tested how Flying Thunder God performs on the battlefield."
Outside, thunder murmured over distant hills — as if answering him.
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