"As long as you're alive, everything is possible. Only through life can there be a future—endless possibilities," Satori Hyūga smiled.
"Besides, I'm from the Hyūga Main House. Unlike other ninja, I don't need to live through constant battle and bloodshed."
Minato Namikaze said in surprise, "No wonder you—a genius from such a prestigious family—ended up being the dead last at the Academy because of low chakra reserves."
At that time, Minato was still quite young, without much experience yet.
He found Satori's outlook intriguing.
After all, if given a choice, who would really want to live in a world filled with violence?
Pushing one's body to extract more chakra—draining human potential and shortening one's lifespan—that sounded truly terrifying.
But that was precisely the Will of Fire.
Wherever the leaves may drift, a flame still burns—its light illuminating the village.
And when that fire fades, new leaves shall rise once more.
Generation after generation, ninja have poured their strength into protecting the village—even sacrificing their lives.
Orochimaru watched Satori, whose ideals aligned with his own, growing more and more satisfied.
What an excellent disciple—one so afraid of death likely had strong survival instincts and could live a very long life.
He recalled Nawaki, that cheerful child.
Gone just like that, taken by a single explosive tag.
What a pity.
It wouldn't happen with Satori though.
He would never set foot on a battlefield. Under the protection of the Hyūga clan, he might not live extravagantly, but at least safely.
The four of them soon arrived at the Hyūga Clan compound.
Meanwhile, from afar, several ANBU operatives silently watched the scene unfold.
"It's unexpected that Orochimaru wants to take Satori Hyūga as his apprentice. We must inform the Third right away."
"The Nine-Tails jinchūriki is also here. Whatever happens, we must ensure nothing goes wrong."
At the same time,
The Hyūga received word inside the compound. Clan leader Hiashi Hyūga led several elders out to welcome them.
Of course, it wasn't for Satori they came to greet—but Orochimaru, student of the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and one of the Sanin.
As an ancient and conservative clan, the Hyūga maintained strict discipline, followed numerous rules, and most members rarely showed emotion.
This made Kushina and Minato—who were entering the Hyūga grounds for the first time—feel a sudden sense of pressure.
Kushina poked Satori gently and whispered, "Is your Hyūga household always this stifling?"
Satori chuckled slightly and explained, "It's mostly because Lord Orochimaru is here. Otherwise, it's a little better—though not by much."
"The Hyūga are nobility within the Land of Fire. Sure, we have plenty of rules, and we place great emphasis on etiquette."
What Satori said was no exaggeration.
Among the noble families of the Land of Fire, the Hyūga were recognized as aristocrats beyond the village walls. Even Branch House members held special status outside the village.
They held vast estates, countless shops, and thriving enterprises.
Few families in Konoha could match their prestige.
Perhaps only the Uchiha and the Sarutobi clans could compare.
Precisely due to this prestige, the Hyūga carried themselves proudly, frequently positioned as rivals to the Uchiha within Konoha itself.
"Welcome, Jonin Orochimaru," Clan Leader Hiashi spoke in the main hall, standing straight as a pine, offering a polite smile. "May I ask why you've come today?"
Orochimaru said, "This time I've come hoping to take the Main House's Satori Hyūga as my apprentice. I hope the Hyūga Clan Leader can agree."
"He has great talent and immense potential in developing new ninjutsu techniques. Leave him to me, and I'll definitely be able to nurture him into a capable shinobi."
Hyūga Ten'yō's eyes widened slightly in surprise upon hearing this.
He had always known Satori was a genius, but he hadn't anticipated that Orochimaru would take notice.
Now, for Satori's sake, Orochimaru had actually come in person—utterly unexpected.
After weighing the pros and cons, he replied solemnly, "It's Satori's good fortune to catch your eye, but as the Main House, our duty is to safeguard the Byakugan."
"You don't suspect I have ulterior motives concerning the Byakugan, do you?" Orochimaru slightly nodded, smirking faintly as he spoke.
"Under my tutelage, he will not leave Konoha."
Ten'yō hesitated. The Main House's responsibility was indeed to guard the Byakugan, yet having Satori apprenticed under Orochimaru could also be key to aligning the Hyūga with the Hokage lineage.
He feared this might be a plot by the Hokage line to seize the Byakugan, but at the same time, he wanted to use this opportunity to strengthen the Hyūga's ties with the Hokage.
After all, since the founding of the village,
Despite being a prestigious family, the Hyūga had never entered Konoha's power center.
The elders behind Hyūga Ten'yō shared the same thoughts. Excited, one elder shouted loudly, "Clan Leader, I believe we should let Satori go and learn under Orochimaru."
"That's right. Letting Satori study under Jonin Orochimaru would also allow him to show off his abilities."
In truth, they weren't exactly sure whether he had real talent or not.
As a child, he had shown promise at first, but soon faded due to weak chakra reserves and was eventually ignored.
But even if the Main House produced geniuses, it didn't matter much anyway.
They didn't need to fight—they were meant to be protected and supported by the Branch House.
Sliding to the bottom of the class later on seemed perfectly normal.
Then came rumors that the boy had altered the Gentle Fist technique, creating an improved version—the New Gentle Fist—from its foundation.
Had he not been born into the Main House or been the grandson of Elder Motoi, someone might've already dragged him away for a scolding.
Now, being given the chance to be mentored by Orochimaru? That was naturally fantastic.
Some elders secretly harbored the belief that if they could ally with the Hokage line, there might even be a chance for Satori to become the true Hokage himself.
Even if the secret of the Byakugan was eventually discovered by the Hokage line, it wouldn't matter much.
Even if they couldn't get the Fourth, perhaps the Fifth could support Satori's rise.
Seeing that most of the clan elders supported the apprenticeship, Clan Leader Hyūga Ten'yō finally agreed.
However, he laid down the condition that Orochimaru could never take Satori outside the village and that two Jonin from the Branch House would accompany and monitor him.
Though called guards, their true purpose was surveillance.
While Orochimaru and the Hyūga were still in negotiations, Satori was wandering through the clan compound with Minato Namikaze and Kushina.
The Hyūga truly lived up to their reputation as a powerful clan. Their territory was vast, entirely populated by Hyūga clan members.
Moreover, due to the special nature of the Byakugan, the clan practiced strict endogamy across generations to preserve their bloodline purity.
Ancient traditions, time-honored architecture, and wave after wave of pale-eyed Hyūga left Kushina and Minato utterly amazed.
"This is an ancient clan—it's like a village within a village," Minato Namikaze mused.
As the saying goes, seeing the small details reveals the bigger picture—just like glimpsing a leopard through a bamboo tube.
From what he had seen on the way, Minato realized the profound strength of the Hyuga Clan.
While walking, he occasionally encountered several ninja.
There were many Genin, quite a few Chunin, and even a handful of Jonin.
Just how powerful were the Sage of Shinobi and the Demon God of the Ninja World, who united countless ninja clans to found Konoha?
This sight left Minato deeply impressed and inspired him to work even harder.
Only through diligent training could one hope to surpass the clan's techniques.
"Hey, isn't that our Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist master?" A mocking voice cut in.
Looking up, Minato saw several tall youths dressed in loose kimonos standing before him.
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