The Hyuga Shall Stand Above, In The Heavens!

The ninja world was changing. 

No one had expected that a war capable of reshaping the entire ninja world would end before the Fifth Hokage's succession ceremony had even concluded. 

It was Fugaku's first time as Hokage, so naturally, he had to make sure the ceremony was grand. The end of the succession ceremony didn't mean the celebrations were over. Using Hyuga Hitoshi's upcoming meeting as an excuse, Fugaku decided to turn the occasion into an opportunity, happily hosting the leaders of various factions arriving in Konohagakure. 

These leaders weren't here for the meeting—or rather, they weren't even qualified to attend. 

There was only one reason they had come to Konohagakure. 

The conflict between the Sun God Kingdom and the Five Great Nations had ended! 

The power balance of the ninja world was about to change drastically. 

Some of the smaller nations that had been watching from the sidelines, even looking down on the Sun God Kingdom, were now rushing to establish contact with Hyuga Hitoshi, hoping to join the Sun God Alliance. 

And as word of the war's outcome spread, more and more small nations followed suit, hoping to get a share of the pie before the alliance was officially formed. 

That was the reality of this world. 

When you prove your strength, suddenly, everyone becomes friendly. They willingly seek cooperation. 

But, as Hyuga Hitoshi had said before, joining the Sun God Alliance before the war and joining after it had already been won—those were two completely different things. 

So for those small nations now asking to meet with him to discuss their standing in the alliance, Hyuga Hitoshi had nothing but disdain. 

Where were they before? 

The Sun God Kingdom didn't need charity, but the difference between those who joined early and those who joined late had to be made clear. Some positions were already set in stone from the very beginning. 

Still, since they had expressed their stance, Hyuga Hitoshi didn't ignore them. 

He left the details to the professionals—his secretarial team was handling it. 

As for himself— 

At the familiar Ichiraku Ramen shop, Uzuki Yugao watched as Hyuga Hitoshi played around with the iris flower in his hand, a complicated look in her eyes. 

But this time, when Hyuga Hitoshi looked at her, she naturally picked up a pair of chopsticks for him, then gently twirled the noodles and blew on them—just like a certain little kitten had once done. 

This was completely different from how she had acted before the war's outcome had spread, before Raikage had knelt.

At her core, Uzuki Yugao couldn't deny her attraction to strength. Now that she had come to terms with it—especially after learning that this man had the power to stand against the entire shinobi world—she became more willing to take the first step despite her shyness. 

Being conquered by a powerful person sometimes felt like acknowledging your own worth. Thoughts like these were unknowingly manipulating her, though she was completely unaware. 

The outcome of the war between the Sun God Kingdom and the Five Great Nations left everyone watching in shock. They had no choice but to admit that the Hyuga Clan had placed the entire shinobi world beneath their feet in terms of power. 

This gave smaller nations hope and left the larger ones to suffer the consequences. All five nations knew that in the coming meetings, they would have to pay a heavy price. 

The impact of this event wasn't limited to the attitudes of different countries and villages; its ripple effects were still unfolding. 

Some were happy, while others were worried. 

As night fell, Clan Leader Hitoshi began comforting Kurenai and Anko, who had been in Konohagakure for a long time, kicking off his usual nightly antics. 

Under the same night sky, a new scene unfolded at the central plaza—Sarutobi Hiruzen hung from the Pillar of Shame! 

Brother Fugaku was careful about it; the impact of hanging a living person versus a dead body was very different. 

Barely clinging to life, Sarutobi Hiruzen could sometimes hear the murmurs below, making his heart ache and his mind lost. 

Especially after hearing Asuma's firm voice, he found himself questioning what all his efforts had been for. 

People often find clarity before death. 

Sarutobi was sure he was prepared to die for the village. He still believed that even if he hadn't done well, he had at least worked hard. 

But... 

"Father, I am ashamed of your actions." 

Asuma, his face filled with sorrow, stood beneath the Pillar of Shame, listing the crimes his father had committed. Honestly, when Danzo exposed all of his father's deeds, Asuma was shocked. 

But as he spoke, a single tear slid from Asuma's eye. 

He couldn't be like his good friend, Uchiha Itachi. He couldn't truly abandon the bond with his father. 

In fact, when Itachi stepped forward as the "witness," Asuma was surprised. 

It's rare for a child to go this far. 

"But you are still my father." 

Leaving those words behind, Asuma turned away. The silence returned, but soon footsteps neared, making Sarutobi struggle to open his eyes once more. 

"Tobirama-sensei…" 

Sarutobi seemed to understand why Senju Tobirama had come, and a flicker of relief crossed his eyes. 

"Not guiding you and Danzo properly was my mistake," Tobirama said. 

Senju Tobirama paused, then sighed deeply. There was something he didn't say, but Sarutobi probably understood. 

During the battle in the plaza, when Sarutobi used the Reaper Death Seal, the Second Hokage could have dodged with Flying Thunder God, but he chose not to. 

Everyone has their own vision of a perfect world. Sarutobi had the chance to be a worthy Hokage, but he lost his way. 

"I'll go find Danzo. Wait for him on the road." 

The Flying Thunder God Kunai slashed Sarutobi's throat, and tiny sparks began to spread across his body. 

As his teacher, Senju Tobirama gave his student this final mercy, sparing him further torment and the scornful looks from villagers. 

"Asuma will join me on this path. He calls it his journey of redemption. It's his choice, and I won't make the same mistake again—I won't force others to become what I want them to be. Everything is up to him now." 

With those words, Tobirama's footsteps faded into the distance, and Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes finally closed as the flames consumed him. 

Where the leaves of Konohagakure dance, the fire continues to burn. 

The flames will keep lighting up the village, allowing new trees to take root and grow. 

A legendary shinobi has passed, his fiery end lighting the way for his son. Sarutobi believed that as long as Asuma walked the opposite path from him, he would become an outstanding ninja. 

In the end, Sarutobi became what he wanted to be—returning to the village in ashes, undisturbed. 

Not long after, at the gates of Konohagakure... 

Senju Tobirama's figure appeared suddenly. 

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to Itachi?" 

When Uchiha Itachi was mentioned, Senju Tobirama's expression became slightly complicated, but he still reminded Asuma that this was a journey to hunt down Danzo, and it wouldn't be safe along the way. 

For strong opponents, the Edo Tensei body wasn't exactly reliable. Danzo's sacrifices weren't the best either, and since the Second Hokage was naturally restrained by sealing techniques, he couldn't guarantee Asuma's safety. A farewell might turn into a final goodbye. 

"If fate allows, we'll meet again." 

Asuma stared at the fire in the distance, lost in thought for a moment before letting out a carefree laugh. 

"Besides, isn't he under house arrest? That guy is still too extreme." 

"But I have no problem with what the Fifth Hokage did. Right now, Itachi needs to cool down." 

His father was dead, and their clan had suffered heavy losses from multiple wars and disasters. The so-called Sarutobi clan was practically gone, but this only made Asuma more composed. It was only after losing everything that he realized how important some things were. 

He felt that Itachi's way of thinking was too radical. Under the Fifth Hokage's leadership, there was nothing particularly bad about the village. 

"That kid..." 

Just thinking about Uchiha Itachi made Senju Tobirama look conflicted. 

At first, when he noticed Uchiha Itachi, he thought he had found a pleasant surprise—finally, another Uchiha like Uchiha Kagami. 

But after spending some time with Uchiha Shisui over the past few days, he realized how wrong he was. 

Kagami and Shisui were the true successors of the clan's ideals. Itachi, at best, was an anomaly. 

The former loved the village deeply while still valuing Uchiha pride, but the latter simply saw his entire clan as unforgivable demons. He firmly believed that his clan and father were obstacles to the village's progress. From the way he saw things, it wouldn't be easy to change his mind anytime soon. 

Unless someone hit him with a Genjutsu! 

But given Uchiha Itachi's experiences, his way of thinking wasn't entirely unreasonable. 

At the age of three, he went to the battlefield and saw death firsthand. Later, he lived through the Nine-Tails attack and the Stone Statue Incident. Itachi, who claimed to think like a Hokage, had completely gone off the rails. 

To him, all wars were evil. Anything that made the village unstable had to be erased. In his mind, there was no room for persuasion—only the determination to carry all the burdens alone, even when it wasn't necessary. 

Some people are born thinking they need to write the entire script, when in reality, their existence is just a pile of crap. 

"That's why sending kids to experience death on the battlefield too early isn't always a good thing." 

That was the whole reason they founded the village—to give the next generation a stable place to grow up. 

But looking at the three wars since Konohagakure was established, every time a war broke out, students at the ninja academy were forced to graduate early and thrown onto the battlefield as cannon fodder. The so-called ninja villages only served their true purpose during times of peace. 

This was one of the cruel realities that came with building a ninja village. 

"I wonder how many more generations it will take before my brother's dream of a peaceful world comes true." 

After personally killing his student, Tobirama was clearly in a complicated mood. He was also talking more than usual. 

But Asuma had his own thoughts on the matter. 

"I think the war is over. Really over." 

Asuma smiled. 

"Second Hokage, if you look at it from an ordinary person's perspective, when a force strong enough to control the ninja world appears, anyone who wants to start a war has to consider whether that person would be okay with it." 

"And from what I've seen, that man's only real flaw is being a bit of a womanizer." 

"But that's actually a good thing." 

A good thing? 

Since when was being blinded by lust something to praise? 

Did this brat from the Sarutobi clan lose his mind after his father died? 

"You don't believe me?" 

Asuma smirked and leaned in closer. 

After spending years training under the Hyuga clan, he had complete faith in Hyuga Hitoshi's ability to win women over. If someone like Hitoshi could steal away his own goddess, then he was definitely unstoppable in this field. 

"Second Hokage, think about it—if Hitoshi ends up with the main wives of all five great nations and the five ninja villages, wouldn't that be the same as uniting the ninja world in a different way?" 

"A little conflict here and there might still happen, but if anything got too serious... tsk tsk, the power of pillow talk shouldn't be underestimated. At that point, whether war happens or not would all depend on Hitoshi's mood." 

And just like that, peace would be secured. 

Senju Tobirama thought about it for a moment—and to his surprise, Asuma actually had a point.

Are young people really this bold now? Trying to create a peaceful world by taking shortcuts? 

The Second Hokage felt like he had learned something new about today's ninja world. 

But even if things were as Asuma said, there was still one condition that had to be met. 

Hopefully, this meeting would end smoothly. 

He took one last look at Konohagakure, then turned around with Asuma and left. 

As someone who was already dead, his only task was to clean up the lingering problems from the past. Everything that happened after that was no longer his concern. 

The two of them embarked on what could be called a journey of redemption. 

Under the same night sky, on the outskirts of Konohagakure, in what used to be the Hyuga clan's territory— 

A small, mute girl landed on a large tree. She cautiously looked around to make sure there was no movement before her gaze suddenly sharpened. 

In the next moment, she connected with a presence deep in her consciousness. Her aura settled, chakra flowed through the link, and the Yin-Yang Release technique was successfully activated! 

Thanks to Hyuga Hitoshi's growing strength, the Goddess of the Rabbit could now move a considerable distance away from him. 

But for some reason, she still felt most comfortable staying at his waist. Anywhere else felt unsafe. 

However, with her expanded range of movement, she could now do more. 

Like now—after successfully connecting, she sent a signal to the fragment of her consciousness, her third son, Otsutsuki Black Zetsu. 

"Same place." 

In the Land of Rain, inside Amegakure— 

Like a bolt of lightning, a cold voice exploded in Black Zetsu's mind. 

Jolted awake from a deep sleep, Black Zetsu shot up as if he had been struck by a fatal illness. He couldn't believe what he had just heard and immediately tried to respond to his mother. 

But unfortunately, after saying those three words, the connection with Kaguya was cut off again. 

At that moment, Black Zetsu was completely dumbfounded. 

"Same place?" 

What the hell? Where is that?! 

Could she stop playing riddles with her own son?! 

He jumped to his feet, wiped the alcohol from his mouth, and without hesitation, sank into the ground to use his mayfly technique. 

He had no idea where the "same place" was. 

But he could find out where Hyuga Hitoshi was. 

As one of Hyuga Hitoshi's puppets, they were never too far apart. If he found Hyuga Hitoshi, he would definitely find his mother! 

With determined steps, Black Zetsu set off on his journey to find his mother. 

After gathering information from White Zetsu, he narrowed down the possible locations Kaguya could be referring to— 

The Hokage Rock? 

No! 

The Naka River? 

No! 

The Hyuga clan's former territory outside Konohagakure? 

There! 

Poking his head out of the ground, the exhausted yet devoted son finally saw the Goddess of the Rabbit looking at him with approval. 

Well. 

At least his instincts weren't completely useless. 

Kaguya gave a satisfied smile but then frowned and held up three fingers toward Black Zetsu. 

"Three times." 

It was obvious—this was the third time she had called Otsutsuki Black Zetsu. Only this time did he finally show up. 

Whether it was when that blasphemer was showing off in the Land of Rice Fields or when she was reviving that little girl, her summons had gone unanswered, forcing her to wait all night! 

As Kaguya's split consciousness and the ultimate filial son, even if she didn't say anything, Black Zetsu could understand her meaning. The moment he saw her gesture, he broke out in a cold sweat, unsure how to explain himself. 

What?! 

She had called him three times? 

Was she serious? 

Hadn't she told him to get lost and not disturb her alone time with Hyuga Hitoshi? 

To be honest, he had thought she summoned him this time to make him call Hyuga Hitoshi "Dad." But judging by her expression, she had something else in mind. 

"Forget it." 

Seeing her son looking so confused, Kaguya gave up on blaming him. After all, he was part of her consciousness—calling him stupid would be calling herself stupid too. 

She simply waved her hand lightly. 

With that level of force, it probably didn't mean she was telling him to get lost, right? 

Black Zetsu nervously swallowed, sweating all over. 

Boom! 

White mist swirled around. Black Zetsu let out a sigh of relief, then looked down at the ground—and instantly sucked in a sharp breath. 

What the hell? Aren't these the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, Han?! 

Weren't they captured by the Hyuga clan of the Sun God Kingdom when they lost the battle? That was the last intel White Zetsu had gathered. 

So why had his mother brought them here now? 

Black Zetsu had strong sensory abilities. He could tell that the two half-dead Jinchuriki still had their Tailed Beasts inside them. 

So… what was going on? 

Fortunately, his mother didn't leave him confused for too long. 

"Hyuga, our people." 

With a slight smile, the Rabbit Goddess seemed to be in a great mood, looking like she had already taken down the blasphemer. 

"As long as they weren't stolen." 

Black Zetsu instinctively let out a breath of relief—only to meet Kaguya's deep, unreadable gaze. 

"Uh, what I mean is… someone like Hyuga Hitoshi is not someone you want to offend. If these were stolen, it'd be best to return them." 

Come on, who in the ninja world dared to mess with the Hyuga clan now? 

Black Zetsu was sure that even Nagato didn't see Hyuga Hitoshi as an obstacle to the Akatsuki's plans anymore. Instead, he likely saw a chance to cooperate with the Sun God Kingdom on certain matters. He might even be willing to invite Hyuga Hitoshi to join in. 

Why? Because the Sun God Kingdom was basically an extension of the old Akatsuki. 

The Akatsuki failed, but the Sun God Kingdom succeeded. That alone was enough to make Nagato have a good impression of them. Otherwise, why would he have turned a blind eye when Hyuga Hitoshi made a move on Konan? 

That was as good as an unspoken approval—he was acknowledging that Hyuga Hitoshi was a good match for Konan. 

"Well, as long as we're on the same side, that makes things easier." 

Black Zetsu, full of eagerness, took two steps forward, though he didn't dare get too close. After all, his mother was just a puppet for now. 

Now that he knew she wasn't telling him to scram, his motivation skyrocketed. 

Hyuga Hitoshi is one of us? 

Damn, what are we waiting for? Just capture the remaining Tailed Beasts and start the Infinite Tsukuyomi already! 

"So, Mother… when do you want to order him to capture the other Tailed Beasts? That way, we can seal them all at once." 

Order? 

Right. 

Black Zetsu had automatically assumed that since Hyuga Hitoshi was "one of them," it meant the blasphemer had become their subordinate! 

For once, the Rabbit Goddess's face turned slightly red. She coughed lightly. 

She couldn't afford to lose face in front of her child! 

But giving orders to the blasphemer? 

Yeah, right. Unless she wanted to lose her dignity completely. 

The more she talked, the more mistakes she might make. Forget it—time to leave! 

She had originally planned to give Black Zetsu some guidance on the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan, but now she only had one thought: 

How do I turn the blasphemer into a real subordinate? 

So, she just left behind two simple words. 

"No rush." 

Of course, there was no rush! 

If she could order the blasphemer around, why would she still be a puppet? 

Without another word, the Rabbit Goddess ignored Black Zetsu's dumbfounded expression and floated away. 

Well, whatever! 

With two more Tailed Beasts in hand and confirmation that his mother hadn't abandoned him, Black Zetsu didn't bother analyzing the complicated relationship between her and Hyuga Hitoshi. He simply packed up the two Jinchuriki and left. 

"Let's get to work!" 

When he brought the Jinchuriki to Pain, there was a brief silence. The Deva Path turned to Konan, who had just returned from Konoha to report the latest news. 

Konan's face also turned slightly red when she saw the Jinchuriki. She tucked her hair behind her ear. 

"Looks like the Sun God really cares about you." 

Nagato knew that Roshi and Han had been captured by the Sun God Kingdom. 

Yet now, they were here in front of the Akatsuki. 

So there was only one possible explanation. 

This was Hyuga Hitoshi's way of showing his goodwill to Nagato—as a sort of engagement gift for Konan. 

The Deva Path tried his best to put on a look of satisfaction, celebrating that Konan had found a good match. 

From this moment on, he even changed how he referred to Hyuga Hitoshi—no longer calling him a false god, but instead, the Sun God.

"That guy, seriously." 

Didn't even give a heads-up. 

Konan absentmindedly touched the paper flower on her head, feeling restless inside. 

Was that... a proposal? 

It should count, right? 

So, should she accept? Or accept? Or just deliver herself straight to his doorstep? 

"The Sun God Kingdom, where the Yang God resides, along with the Hyuga clan, will be Akatsuki's most loyal partners." 

Pain nodded slightly, fully acknowledging Hyuga Hitoshi at this moment. 

"Go back, Konan. Pass on our gratitude to the God." 

Konan gave a small nod and flapped her wings, taking off shyly. 

But... 

what about me? 

No praise for me? 

Black Zetsu stared at Pain in shock. He was the one who brought this back! How did it suddenly become Konan's achievement?! 

No, seriously, why?! 

Even if this were a dowry, it should be for my mother! What does this have to do with Konan?! 

"What are you standing around for?" 

Pain frowned at the dazed Black Zetsu. 

"Hurry up and notify the others to start the Phantom Dragon Nine Consuming Seals." 

Sure, making his subordinates work late at night wasn't exactly kind, but sealing two Tailed Beasts into the Demonic Statue was the priority. 

But why was Black Zetsu still just standing there? 

Oh, great. 

I do all the work. 

My mother does all the work. 

You guys just sit back and take the credit, and you don't even say thanks? 

And now you want me to go wake people up and get yelled at? 

Some boss you are. 

Yet, he couldn't even explain where the Jinchuriki came from! 

Frustrating! 

So frustrating! 

But he had to endure it! His mom was waiting for Infinite Tsukuyomi! 

Work makes me happy. 

Just wait till my mom comes out—you'll all regret this! 

Black Zetsu cursed under his breath, then turned and left. 

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