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Sasame didn't stay for long.
Because Hinata was still trapped in the genjutsu.
Though he had left a shadow clone behind, it wasn't entirely reliable.
Come to think of it, Sasame had once tried to discuss a similar topic with Itachi Uchiha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi betrayed the Will of Fire.
But just broaching the subject had nearly provoked Itachi's anger.
At that moment, Sasame realized—Itachi must have received some special guidance from Hiruzen.
Makes sense.
Even now, Hiruzen hadn't completely given up on the Uchiha clan.
But his method was limited to Itachi alone.
When Sasame returned, he found that Hinata had woken up earlier than usual today.
After dispelling his shadow clone, he couldn't help but smile. "Hinata, you've improved."
"Eh?"
Hinata blinked her large eyes, clearly unaware of what he meant.
So cute.
Sasame reached out and pinched her cheek. Instantly, her face heated up several degrees.
It made him wonder—did Hinata have some kind of internal heater?
"Hinata, let's spar."
He ruffled her hair before finally letting her go.
Dazed, it took Hinata nearly a full minute to process his words.
Lowering her head, she asked, "W-Will I… hurt you?"
"Silly girl."
Sasame lifted her chin, teasing her. "Right now, there's no way you could hurt me. So go ahead, open those cute Byakugan of yours."
Hinata instantly turned into a steaming mess.
A moment later, she took a few steps back, activated her Byakugan, and assumed the Gentle Fist stance.
Sasame's eyes lit up.
Without losing any of her usual cuteness, she now carried an air of cool confidence—completely different from her usual shy demeanor.
This was the first time he'd seen her like this.
Hinata took a deep breath.
Her vision sharpened, revealing the flow of Sasame's chakra.
Before, she hadn't been able to see through the human body.
But with Sasame's help, she could now.
Only then did she realize how foolish her earlier question had been.
With Sasame completely unguarded, she could clearly sense that his chakra reserves surpassed even Hiashi Hyuga's.
Unbelievable.
And he was only a few years older than her.
"Hinata, what are you staring at?"
Sasame called out when she remained motionless. "Let's begin."
Then it occurred to him—the Byakugan had X-ray vision.
Was this girl…?
…Nah, probably not.
If she had been looking, she'd have fainted already.
Hinata dashed forward, throwing a swift punch.
Sasame blocked with his forearm.
Not bad power.
In an instant, Hinata shifted from a fist to an open palm, releasing needle-like chakra to strike his pressure points.
A numbing sensation spread through Sasame's arm, and his chakra flow briefly stuttered.
He nodded in approval.
In conventional combat, the combination of Byakugan, Gentle Fist, and chakra-point strikes was formidable.
Unfortunately, the average Hyuga's limit was the Jonin level.
By the time the battlefield became a clash of titans, they were relegated to support roles.
Unless they awakened the Tenseigan.
But that was nearly impossible.
It required either an enormous number of Byakugan… or the chakra of an Otsutsuki.
The first option would mean slaughtering the entire Hyuga clan—and even that might not be enough.
The second? The Otsutsuki were few in number, insanely powerful, and practically unbeatable.
As Sasame dodged and weaved, he pondered how to strengthen Hinata.
Then a name flashed through his mind—
Kimimaro.
A wielder of the Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai, which was undeniably linked to the Otsutsuki.
And historically, the Kaguya clan had been close allies of the Hyuga.
Kinda like the Uchiha with the Senju or the Uzumaki.
Sasame leaned back, evading a kick from Hinata.
He retaliated with a light palm strike to her foot, the force sending her stumbling backward.
Quickly, he stepped forward to steady her. "That's enough. I've got a good grasp of your current strength."
"Was I… terrible?"
Hinata's voice was tinged with dejection.
"Of course not."
Sasame tapped her nose playfully. "You're amazing. Next time you spar with Neji, you'll beat him."
"Really?"
For once, Hinata forgot her shyness, her eyes shining with hope.
"Have I ever lied to you?"
Sasame trailed his fingers down her cheek before giving it a gentle squeeze.
Hinata short-circuited, her brain ceasing all function.
"Let's go get some dango."
Taking pity on her near-fainting state, Sasame changed the subject.
Still in a daze, Hinata let herself be led to the dango shop. Only the noise of the bustling crowd snapped her back to reality.
Earlier, Sasame had been wary of running into Hyuga clansmen.
Now? Screw it.
Luckily, Hyuga shinobi rarely visited places like this, so they didn't encounter any.
Under the shop owner's stunned gaze, Hinata quietly polished off nearly a hundred skewers.
The man looked ready to declare her his most VIP customer.
One girl, ten people's worth of appetite.
As night fell, the two chatted idly.
Well, mostly Sasame talked while Hinata listened, occasionally offering shy smiles.
Even so, for the Hyuga heiress, this was an unforgettable experience.
Sasame escorted Hinata back to her room, exchanged goodbyes, and vanished.
When he returned home, Tsunade was already waiting on the couch.
She sniffed the air. "Smells like dango. You were with Hinata again, weren't you?"
Sasame's heart skipped a beat—but strangely, Tsunade's expression seemed… normal?
What's going on?
Then Tsunade added, "The Hyuga clan practices endogamy to preserve their bloodline, especially the main family. So you know what that means, right?"
"Huh?"
Sasame's brain lagged for a second.
"You'll have to work hard."
Tsunade shot him a stern look. "Only by achieving your dream will you have a shot at marrying the main family's young lady. Understand?"
She had already made peace with the idea of spending her life with Sasame.
But given societal expectations and their age gap, marriage was off the table—at least, not with her.
Though it left a bitter taste, she wasn't cruel enough to sabotage his future.
In a way, this was her compromise.
Sasame felt a flicker of panic.
She's already planning this?!
Damn…
Was Tsunade about to run away again?
But there were no signs of that.
"I will."
Suppressing his unease, Sasame nodded seriously. "But when are you becoming Hokage?"
"Why do you ask?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"Once you're Hokage, my dream can come true."
He paused, then added, "And given the state of Konoha right now, you're the best candidate."
This kid's always been sharp.
Tsunade sighed. "If you were older, I wouldn't even need to bother with the Hokage position."
"..."
Sasame thought, Thank god I'm still young.
Otherwise, knowing Tsunade, she'd probably shove him into the Hokage seat himself.
And then his dream would've gone up in flames.
Now that she was considering it, he'd have to give her a push.
Because only he knew—Hiruzen Sarutobi planned to die in office.
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 155 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 45 power stones I will publish the next chapter.
(Give me all your power stones)