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Having eaten too many dango earlier, Sasame was already full and skipped dinner with Tsunade and Shizune.
With time to spare, he continued practicing the Flying Thunder God Technique in the courtyard.
Late at night, after washing off the sweat, he slipped into the bedroom.
Tsunade was already asleep.
Sasame quietly crawled under the covers, wrapped his arms around her, and closed his eyes contentedly, hugging his plush, warm pillow.
Morning.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting golden streaks across the bed.
Tsunade opened her bright brown eyes.
She had slept well.
During her mission in the Land of Fire, she'd often struggled with restless nights and strange dreams—so much so that Asuma Sarutobi once joked that Sasame owed her hundreds of millions of ryo.
Amusing, really.
Sasame was a quiet sleeper.
No tossing, no snoring.
Just steady breathing that somehow made Tsunade feel at ease.
She, on the other hand, was the restless one.
Right now, one arm was draped over Sasame, the other resting on his stomach.
Carefully, she extracted herself, relieved when he didn't stir.
After throwing on a robe, she headed to the kitchen.
Before long, Sasame woke up.
Mainly because the warmth was gone.
He sighed.
If this had been pure bliss before, now it was torture.
After all, he had grown up.
But romance was a gradual conquest.
He'd already noticed the shift in Tsunade since her return—yet it wasn't enough.
She still treated him like a child to dote on, which wasn't exactly conducive to love.
The day she finally snapped at him like an equal? That'd be progress.
"Something smells amazing."
Passing the kitchen, Sasame paused, intrigued.
For someone as culinarily challenged as Tsunade, this level of aroma was downright suspicious.
"What're you making, sis?" he called from the bathroom doorway.
"Tonkotsu ramen."
Tsunade lifted her chin proudly. "Guaranteed to be delicious."
"..."
Sasame immediately braced for disaster.
But he was used to it. After washing up, he joined Shizune at the table.
She looked relaxed. "Don't worry. I bought the seasoning from Ichiraku's yesterday."
Shizune, you absolute legend!
Still, Tsunade's cooking was a force of nature.
Sasame reminded himself not to lower his guard.
Soon, three bowls of ramen arrived.
"Dig in," Tsunade said, picking up her chopsticks.
Sasame nodded obediently, inwardly panicking.
The first bite made him raise an eyebrow.
No weird aftertaste… but why did it taste nothing like Ichiraku's?
He shot Shizune a questioning look: Did you buy counterfeit seasoning?
Shizune seemed equally baffled.
Somehow, breakfast ended without casualties.
That morning, Sasame returned to Mount Myōboku for more torture—necessary for both building his "mature man" image and strengthening his body.
In the afternoon, Tsunade headed to the Hokage Building.
If she wanted the title, she couldn't afford to slack off.
At her own request, she'd taken on an advisory role—which often led to heated arguments with Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, nearly escalating into physical debates.
Hiruzen had always indulged the two elders, but Tsunade? She clapped back.
Sasame fully supported her.
Even by Naruto's era, those two were still meddling in Konoha's affairs.
If they'd actually been competent, fine—but they were just power-hoarding bureaucrats.
By dusk, Sasame was practicing Flying Thunder God again before sneaking into the Hyuga compound.
Hinata wasn't in her room.
In the past, he'd have left immediately to avoid detection.
Now, with his skills, he boldly ventured further—and stumbled upon something interesting.
Hinata was sparring with Neji.
And for the first time, Neji was the one on the back foot.
The usually timid Hinata moved with fluid precision, her strikes forming an unbroken rhythm.
Neji, unprepared for her sudden evolution, had lost the initiative.
Sasame smiled.
His "training" for Hinata in the genjutsu had been simple: he'd thrown an enhanced Neji at her.
If Kakashi could mimic a thousand jutsu with the Sharingan, replicating the Byakugan and Gentle Fist with the Mangekyō was child's play.
Combined with genjutsu's effects, creating a "Neji 2.0" had been easy.
Hinata's early victory yesterday proved her growth—likely a sudden epiphany.
Besides, this Neji was only seven, far weaker than his Chūnin Exams self.
Losing to a "cheating" Hinata? Totally fair.
"Impossible! This can't be!"
Neji stood frozen, unable to channel chakra.
He'd lost to the frail, hesitant heiress?
Absurd.
His face twisted with frustration.
His resentment toward the Branch House's fate had always stemmed from one belief:
He was the prodigy. He deserved freedom—not her.
Yet now…
"I've memorized your fighting style."
Hinata took a steadying breath. "Unless you learn new techniques, you won't defeat me."
In the genjutsu, she'd been crushed repeatedly—until she resorted to the simplest solution: memorizing every move.
"I will abolish the Caged Bird Seal."
She clenched her fists. "This is just the beginning."
Neji stared, then scoffed. "Empty words. Why would the Main House ever give up control? How would you even do it?"
"Because I hate seeing you resign yourself to despair."
Hinata hesitated before answering.
There was another reason: Hiashi.
He, too, despised the seal, often lamenting Hizashi's changed demeanor—yet tradition bound him to inaction.
Compared to Sasame's free-spirited defiance, both father and daughter had seemed… passive.
And Hinata refused to let Hanabi suffer the same fate.
The seal was monstrous.
Neji fell silent.
So that was how she saw him?
A self-pitying wreck?
(…Not wrong.)
Fate had cursed him with talent and chains—a cruel joke.
"As for how—"
Hinata raised three fingers. "First, let Branch members learn advanced techniques like the Rotation. Second, keep the Caged Bird's protection but return control to the Branch. Third, improve the seal to eliminate its blind spot."
Neji's eyes widened. "Do you even hear yourself?!"
This wasn't reform—it was revolution.
The complete dismantling of the Main House's dominance.
Hinata blinked, confused by his reaction.
(Unsurprising, since these were Sasame's proposals. She lacked Neji's political awareness.)
"I… I mean it," she said, wilting slightly.
Neji's emotions churned.
To him, Hinata's naivety was glaring—yet her three points were irresistible.
"…Foolish."
With that, he turned and left.
Hinata stood there, lost.
Did I say something wrong?
Then she spotted Sasame in the distance.
As she started toward him, he gestured to her room—Too exposed out here.
"Confused?"
Sasame lifted her onto a chair. "Let me explain where things went sideways."
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 163 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 35 power stones I will publish the next chapter.
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