Despite being Hyuga Hinata's biological brother, Hinata Shinichi did not hesitate to cast her into the ocean as bait to lure out the enemies potentially hiding in the Hidden Mist Village.
To an outsider, this would seem like a move fraught with risk. If the Mist ninjas learned that a member of the Hyuga Main House was out in the open, they would undoubtedly send an elite team to capture the Byakugan.
Furthermore, as the information circulated, spies from other villages stationed in the Mist might also catch wind of it, sparking international interest in the white eyes.
The Land of Waves was geographically unique. Although close to the Land of Fire, it was an island nation surrounded by vast oceans on three sides. This meant the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning could easily extend their reach there.
During the Third Great Ninja War, both the Cloud and Mist had successfully infiltrated deep into the Land of Fire. In this current era of "relative peace," where border defenses were not at their wartime peak, penetrating a small, unaffiliated nation like the Land of Waves was trivial.
For these villages, the Byakugan was an irresistible prize. Ninja warfare was, at its core, information warfare. The value of the Byakugan wasn't just in the combat prowess of the wielder, but in its strategic ability to dominate local skirmishes—victories that directly dictated the outcome of entire wars.
White eyes... would surely hook the greed of the Mist. Having once possessed a stolen Byakugan, they would never let another opportunity slip by.
For Shinichi, a Mist offensive was a golden opportunity. While their elites were distracted or deployed, Biwa Jūzō could infiltrate the village to investigate the Mizukage. Meanwhile, Shinichi could use the Mist as a whetstone to sharpen Team 7, thinning the Mist's military strength while ensuring his sister's safety under his watch.
Shinichi didn't know for certain if Uchiha Obito was hiding in the Mist; he was simply moving the board based on the "future knowledge" and tactical logic he possessed. If Obito was there, draining the village's resources would eventually force his hand. If he wasn't, the Land of Fire would still lose nothing. With his Tenseigan, Shinichi had total confidence in controlling the fallout.
A New Level of Fear
Beside him, Biwa Jūzō was breaking out in a cold sweat. He realized he had vastly misunderstood the man before him. He had initially thought Shinichi was the "kind and friendly" type of Hyuga—strong, but not bloodthirsty.
That image was now shattered.
Jūzō was horrified to realize that this man was willing to use his own sister as a pawn for a "greater purpose." In Jūzō's limited view, he saw only the risk to Hinata. He couldn't fathom how anyone could be confident enough to protect a mediocre Genin against a full-scale Mist extraction team. Even a Kage might fail at that.
To Jūzō, this looked like the ruthless internal power struggles he had witnessed in the Mist. He assumed Shinichi was sacrificing a sibling to eliminate a rival branch or satisfy a clan vendetta. He had hoped to escape the "Bloody Mist" environment, only to find he had hitched his wagon to someone even more calculating.
Shinichi, as if reading Jūzō's mind, turned his head and offered a faint smile.
"Jūzō, do you find me cold-hearted? Using my sister as bait?"
Jūzō jumped, his muscles tensing instinctively. Being read so easily sent a jolt of anxiety through his chest. He stammered, unsure of whether to lie or tell the truth, eventually settling on a hesitant nod.
"Haha, don't worry," Shinichi said calmly. "I have my reasons, and I can protect her. Not just her—if you use the scroll I gave you correctly, I can protect you too. My abilities have long since surpassed the imagination of ordinary people."
Before Jūzō could respond, Shinichi placed a hand on his wrist.
The world blurred. The rainy forest vanished instantly. In its place, Jūzō found himself standing on a wide, empty beach. The waves crashed against the shore, and a cool, salty breeze made him shiver.
"This is..." Jūzō looked around, his eyes widening in disbelief. He knew the scent of this air. He knew the shape of these cliffs. "The Land of Water... I'm back in the Land of Water!!"
Back in the forest of the Land of Waves, Shinichi watched the space where Jūzō had been. His mastery of the Flying Thunder God (Hiraishin) had reached a new tier.
By using the Tenseigan to project his vision, he could place temporary spatial markers anywhere he could "see," allowing him to jump vast distances without pre-placed seals. It was a combination of Tenseigan and Forbidden Jutsu that rendered him untouchable.
Showing Jūzō this was a simple display of power—a "leash" to ensure the swordsman's absolute loyalty. And it worked. Jūzō, now thousands of miles away, put aside any thought of rebellion. Compared to Shinichi's god-like reach, the Mizukage seemed almost mundane.
The "Training" Dilemma
While Shinichi was setting his traps, Team 7 had arrived at Tazuna's village.
The Land of Waves was a poor nation. Controlled by a shipping magnate named Gato, the island was being strangled by a monopoly on all supplies. Tazuna's dream of building a bridge to the mainland was a direct threat to Gato's profit margins.
Tazuna was a clever man. He knew the Jōnin Kakashi might refuse a mission upgrade, so he didn't target the teacher. Instead, he played on the emotions and sense of justice of the three young Genin, portraying the suffering of his people.
Naruto, naturally, took the bait and declared they would help, leaving Kakashi with no choice but to follow his students' lead.
While waiting for Gato's next move, Kakashi decided to use the downtime for training. He didn't want to teach them high-level jutsu yet; he wanted to sharpen their Chakra control—the foundation of everything.
"I'm going to teach you two exercises: Tree Climbing and Water Walking," Kakashi explained. "It requires focusing a precise amount of chakra to the soles of your feet..."
He expected them to be confused or intimidated. Instead, the three Genin looked at him with very strange expressions.
"Kakashi-sensei..." Naruto said, looking at him with a hint of skepticism. "We did that stuff years ago. Are you sure you're an elite Jōnin?"
Kakashi blinked. He hadn't realized that Naruto had been trained by Minato and Kushina using far more advanced sealing methods. Hinata was a master of the Gentle Fist, which was all about chakra control. And Sasuke had been personally guided by Fugaku and Itachi.
This Team 7 wasn't a group of orphans and civilians; they were the scions of Konoha's most powerful bloodlines. To them, Kakashi's "special training" was literally child's play.
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