Following the departure of Hyuga Sodo—the former Great Elder of the main house who had been dragged away by the Anbu for interrogation after assaulting the Tennin and disrupting the venue—and the conclusion of the brief conversation with Hiruzen Sarutobi, the celebration quickly resumed its normal proceedings.
Once Hyuga Yu successfully converted the military exploits he had accumulated during the Third Shinobi World War into tangible assets, Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing atop the Hokage Residence, promptly delivered a public announcement:
The Tennin would be taking over Konoha's Medical Division, assuming the role of Vice Commander of the Medical Division while simultaneously serving as the Honorary Director of the Konoha Hospital.
These were two positions that possessed substantial practical authority despite nominally appearing as "honorary roles." On one hand, they did not entangle the holder in the daily administrative minutiae of the Medical Division or the Konoha Hospital; on the other hand, whenever the need arose, they allowed for the maximum mobilization of the human and material resources of both departments. If necessary, a single word from the holder could dictate personnel, administrative, and financial matters.
Presently, aside from Hyuga Yu, Tsunade—one of the legendary Sannin and a disciple of the Third Hokage—held an identical status. Naturally, such a position had not existed originally. However, ever since Dan Kato's death during the Second Shinobi World War and the subsequent collapse of Tsunade's proposed reforms to the medical ninja system, she had completely washed her hands of daily management. Left with no other choice, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had the village tailor-make this highly exceptional post specifically for her...
In theory, a Commander ranked above a Vice Commander, and the Director of the Konoha Hospital certainly seemed to carry more weight than an Honorary Director. Yet, under the practical logic of the shinobi world, this hierarchy operated in reverse.
Beneath these titles, the actual Commander of the Medical Division was Biwako Sarutobi, the wife of the Third Hokage, who was responsible for the administrative management within the division, overseeing all medical ninjas across the entire system, including the Konoha Hospital and the shinobi squad structures.
The Konoha Hospital did not possess a singular Director; instead, several elderly higher-ups from the Medical Division, including Furofuki, took turns serving as Deputy Directors. Hyuga Yu was highly well-acquainted with these elderly figures, meaning there would be no friction whatsoever during the transition of power.
In addition to this, the acquisition of Training Ground 44—the Forest of Death—which Hyuga Yu had selected as the site for his laboratory, officially entered the negotiation phase. Moving forward, once Hyuga Yu submitted a complete set of miscellaneous paperwork, including a laboratory utility specification, a training ground land-use conversion approval statement, and an investment and risk assessment profile, construction could formally begin.
The style of shinobi had always been characterized by swift, resolute action, and the welcoming ceremony for Hyuga Yu did not persist for an excessive amount of time. By 2:00 PM, the celebration drew to a close.
Hyuga Yu dismissed the Foundation platoon following behind him, retaining only Shin and Yamato. He handed the compiled materials checklist prepared during his journey back to the village to Shin, tasking the office-work-adept youth with handling the approval process for the Forest of Death on his behalf. Rather than returning home or heading immediately to the Hyuga clan compound to resolve the remaining matters regarding the main house, Hyuga Yu walked directly toward the Konoha Hospital, accompanied by Yamato.
"Terai anticipated that you would want to use this facility the moment you returned, so he made arrangements in advance. Sasori of the Red Sand, Hiruko, and Kakuzu are already waiting inside the Konoha Hospital's examination building. Concurrently, he has notified Biwako Sarutobi and several hospital executives, dispatching specialized researchers to the examination center to cooperate with your study."
"However... is the identity of these three individuals truly not going to pose an issue? Tennin, do you genuinely intend to permit them to join the Foundation?"
Along the way, Yamato rapidly relayed the updates from the other side to Hyuga Yu, his young face simultaneously betraying a hint of lingering anxiety. After becoming aware of the background information of the three individuals Hyuga Yu had hauled back from the outside world, even his heart couldn't help but feel somewhat apprehensive. Hiruko was a rogue ninja of Konoha, though being a rogue ninja wasn't the biggest issue; the crucial detail was... this man had operated independently across eras, borrowing funds from banks across all Five Great Nations. His credit rating was so utterly abysmal that banks practically wished they could paste a warning sign at their doors stating, "Hiruko and dogs are not permitted entry."
Sasori of the Red Sand... had slaughtered countless individuals due to his fanatical devotion to human puppetry, even assassinating the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure and serving as the direct fuse that ignited the Third Shinobi World War.
As for Kakuzu, this man was even more preposterous. Tracing back through the existing records within the Foundation, the very first line of his file stood out in glaring red ink: This monster personally attempted an assassination against the First Hokage on the eve of the Five Kage Summit.
At this moment, upon hearing Yamato's report, Hyuga Yu immediately knit his brows, speaking flatly: "Inadequate."
Yamato was taken aback. "Ah? What is inadequate?"
"The researchers. They are unqualified."
Hyuga Yu bypassed Yamato's anxiety regarding the backgrounds of Hiruko and the others entirely, focusing instead on the initial issue as a look of unvarnished disdain surfaced on his face. "Yamato, you have never worked in a hospital, so you likely view this profession through a romanticized lens."
"Terms like synthesis researcher, analytical researcher, formulation researcher, and medical information communication specialist sound grand and prestigious, as if they are high-tech, cutting-edge positions of profound technical caliber, correct?"
"Are they not?" Yamato was somewhat bewildered, lifting his gaze blankly. Hyuga Yu shook his head, stating in exasperation: "Those are merely high-level machine operators. To put it elegantly, they can be called technical laborers!"
"I am going there to conduct research, not to show off or comfort subordinates."
"Notify Terai immediately. In my name, have him invite several executives from the Konoha Hospital—specifically those old men and women. The older, the better."
"Furthermore, go to the adjacent clinical department and drag out the chief physicians, alongside the heads of the biochemistry room, hematology room, microbiology room, pathology room, and genetic examination room. Look for the ones with dark circles under their eyes; the darker, the better."
"The initial phase of the project is the period for establishing theories and research directions; we have not yet reached the stage where miserable everyday laborers are required to grind away. Go find me some people who can actually comprehend the underlying theories!"
Yamato felt dizzy listening to this, but he managed to commit Hyuga Yu's instructions to memory. He immediately summoned a messenger hawk within the village, transmitting Hyuga Yu's directives to the Konoha Hospital ahead of time.
Only after accomplishing all of this did Yamato quicken his pace to catch up with Hyuga Yu, who had already walked quite a distance ahead. Looking at the silhouette of the youth who had immediately launched into swift, decisive action upon setting foot back in the village, he voiced his confusion: "Lord Tennin, Lord Third Hokage only temporarily announced that you would be taking over the Medical Division and the hospital just now. According to standard protocol, your formal induction wouldn't occur until a week later."
"In theory, you ought to be in a vacation phase right now, and the village has not issued any assignments requiring your execution... Why must you be in such an extreme rush?"
"Furthermore..."
Yamato suddenly paused, speaking with a degree of hesitation, "Sister-in-law... uh, your fiancée, Hyuga Natsu—shouldn't you head over to see her first?"
Hyuga Yu lapsed into silence for a brief moment, shaking his head, ultimately offering no response.
There was a mere four-and-a-half-year window remaining before the extraterrestrial visitors descended upon the shinobi world, and Toneri Otsutsuki of the moon had already arrived, capable of turning against him at any given second. Looking further ahead, his future was already anchored by an incomprehensible, ultimate entity existing beyond the starry heavens.
The fall of the moon was an absolute certainty, a cataclysm capable of obliterating everything slated to arrive within a year or two. This was quite literally a race against death itself, and the time allocated to Hyuga Yu was inherently sparse. Under such circumstances, the sole course of action available to him was to utilize every possible means to rapidly elevate his strength.
Concepts like vying for the position of Hokage, engaging in internal political intrigue within Konoha, or relying on raw power to reshape the world order—all of it had to defer to the tangible progression of his experimental blueprints.
Intimidating the main house, participating in this public celebration, and bargaining with the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, were entirely orchestrated to integrate every exploitable resource at his disposal to propel his genuine objective to fruition.
Given Hyuga Yu's current level of strength, would there be any issue in crushing Orochimaru, forcing Minato Namikaze to step down, forcefully suppressing every resisting shinobi clan, and ascending to the position of the Fourth Hokage?
There would be absolutely no issue.
However, the primary question that needed to be clarified was: what was the ultimate purpose of becoming Hokage?
The purpose was to mobilize resources as rapidly as possible within a short timeframe, accelerating the establishment of the laboratory, cultivating the Tenseigan, patching the genetic defects of his lineage, and formulating the final ratio for the Chimera Technique. The purpose was to continuously grow stronger.
One did not become Hokage simply for the sake of holding the title; rather, "The one who is acknowledged by everyone is the Hokage."
This statement by Itachi Uchiha, which originated from a heavily skewed perspective, could also be interpreted from an alternative angle:
When Hyuga Yu clearly did not hold the official title of Hokage, yet wielded the authority of the Hokage, possessed the power of the Hokage, squandered the wealth of the Hokage, and mobilized the shinobi of the Hokage...
Then was Hyuga Yu, in essence, the Hokage?
February 25th, 3:00 PM. Hyuga Yu arrived at the Konoha Hospital—the facility where he had previously worked for multiple years as free child labor—accompanied by Yamato. He produced an access card.
Beep!
The hospital's automated security gate recognized Hyuga Yu's access card. "Shinobi Academy Student, Hyuga Yu. Clock-in time: 3:11 PM. Marked as late."
The gatekeeping ninja of the hospital, seeing Hyuga Yu again after a hiatus of nearly half a year, instinctively prepared to crack a joke. However, another ninja beside him who had participated in the welcoming ceremony for the Tennin moments prior immediately grabbed his arm, hissing, "Lord Director!"
The gatekeeping ninja instantly executed a ninety-degree bow toward Hyuga Yu.
"Mm," Hyuga Yu responded casually, not bothering to care why this broken gate system was still functioning in its same old manner as he stepped into the hospital's interior alongside Yamato.
As the premier medical facility within Konoha, the Konoha Hospital operated as a massive, comprehensive institution. It could be understood as a national hospital, possessing affiliated medical structures linked to the Academy—a thoroughly top-tier configuration.
However, due to the village's early urban planning, the initial scale of the Konoha Hospital was not particularly vast. Even after undergoing multiple rounds of expansion in later years, it still appeared slightly cramped.
Unlike modern, large-scale hospitals built following recent advancements in medical technology—which possessed independent examination centers and dedicated experimental wings—the laboratories within this facility were tightly integrated with clinical medicine. The labs were constructed directly inside the hospital as an intrinsic component, serving the institution's patients directly by conducting rapid testing to support clinical diagnoses. Whenever complex, high-volume testing was required, it was typically outsourced to separate, independent examination centers.
At this moment, Hyuga Yu navigated through the corridors of the Konoha Hospital with Yamato, arriving before a department bearing a massive placard:
Clinical Examination Division.
The moment they stepped inside, Yamato witnessed a horde of patients queuing to have their blood drawn or undergoing various diagnostic tests. The scene appeared entirely indistinguishable from an ordinary hospital, leaving him somewhat bewildered. He tilted his head slightly, looking toward Hyuga Yu. "Lord Tennin, are you certain the Konoha Hospital's laboratory is located here?"
"Shouldn't a laboratory be the kind of place... that looks like... that..."
Yamato raised his hands, gesturing in the air as if outlining some sort of sterile, box-shaped enclosure, appearing thoroughly lost.
"Let's go," Hyuga Yu replied simply, bypassing the anxious patients one by one. He traversed the various sections labeled as the biochemistry room, hematology room, microbiology room, and pathology room before stepping into an elevator. Following a sharp beep, the elevator brought them to the ninth floor.
Familiar with the layout, Hyuga Yu led the way through a convoluted maze of miscellaneous rooms, ultimately pushing open the heavy doors of a room bearing a sign that read: Do Not Enter.
Upon entering the room, the first sight to greet the eyes was a cluster of workstations arranged like pigeon coops. Various corners of the room were filled with instruments emitting continuous, rhythmic beeping sounds. The overall layout was partitioned by laboratory benches piled high with test tubes and diagnostic equipment, resembling a labyrinth rather than a standard laboratory.
Hyuga Yu stepped further into the interior, arriving at a relatively independent, cordoned-off private office within the suite. Three walls of the office were completely lined with bookshelves, the ten-tier racks stuffed to capacity with dense clusters of scrolls, medical case files, and reference books. Placed in the center was a simple, ordinary office desk and chair. Not far in front of the desk stood a small blackboard completely covered in dense, meticulously derived formulas. A layer of dust settled over the various objects in the room, indicating that this space had remained unoccupied for a considerable duration.
Presently, Hiruko sat behind the office desk, flipping through the assorted case files and scrap papers covered in dense, tadpole-like scrawls of medical notation.
Sasori stood before one of the bookshelves, his brows knit tightly as he stared at the obscure biochemistry and medical texts that bore no relevance to his own specialization.
Kakuzu remained silent, standing quietly by the window as he gazed out at the scenery of Konoha, appearing deep in thought.
Hearing the sound of Hyuga Yu entering the office, Hiruko lifted his head from the papers on the desk. Holding up a sheet of scribbled script, he looked at Hyuga Yu with a flash of astonishment, inquiring: "They claimed this place is your private office, and that everything here consists of the topics you have been researching?"
"TERT gene therapy, oxygen-damage-resistant mitochondrial genetic mutation, rapamycin pathways..."
"No, wait... has your dedication to the field of medical ninjutsu genuinely reached such a preposterous degree?"
Sasori's expression similarly turned profoundly solemn as he looked toward Hyuga Yu, pointing a finger toward the dense rows of books and scrolls lining the shelves beside him. "These books and scrolls are not mere ornaments; every single one of them bears signs of having been repeatedly referenced and read. You... couldn't possibly have thoroughly mastered all of these topics, could you?"
Hearing this, Kakuzu turned his gaze over as well, his brow furrowing slightly as he looked at Hyuga Yu with an air of incomprehension. For an ordinary individual, spending twenty years studying these volumes might not guarantee successfully forcing their way through half of the material. Yet, given Hyuga Yu's age of fourteen, he was supposedly proficient in all of it. Deductions based on this premise implied that the youth had dedicated the vast majority of his life's duration to this room; he ought to be a theoretical scholar, a researcher, or a pinnacle physician—yet he could not possibly be a qualified shinobi.
Nevertheless, the boy's rock-solid foundation as a shinobi and his terrifying level of raw power were facts that could not be falsified.
Could there truly exist such an all-around genius in this world?
Faced with the skepticism of his new subordinates, Hyuga Yu gave a casual nod. His gaze drifted down to the specific sheet of scrap paper Hiruko was currently reviewing, recognizing it as the cellular telomere extension theory he had been researching prior to departing the village. "Conveniently, this segment of content can be considered a supplementary solution for constructing modular organ systems. It is also intrinsically linked to the contents of the Chimera Technique and the secret technique, Earth Grudge Fear."
"The personnel from the Konoha Hospital will be arriving shortly. Regarding the upcoming research protocol, I have already formulated a preliminary framework for the blueprint."
"A framework for the blueprint?" Hearing this, Hiruko knit his brows. "Are you referring to that plan to cultivate the 'Tenseigan' by utilizing multiple forbidden techniques?"
"Precisely," Hyuga Yu nodded.
Hiruko shook his head. "I wanted to say this while we were on the road earlier—this plan of yours is simply far too reckless."
"Furthermore, if you'll forgive my bluntness, the very first step of this plan—endowing the Byakugan with sufficient structural strength to complete its final metamorphosis—is fundamentally impossible to realize based on the existing theories of the Chimera Technique."
"This is equivalent to taking the entirety of the energy unleashed by that twenty-thousand-meter golden giant sword you deployed previously, and compressing all of it into a single pair of Byakugan."
"What form of vessel do you intend to use to bear such a force? How could a pair of Byakugan, which possess virtually no structural difference in mass compared to an ordinary pair of eyes, possibly possess that degree of durability?"
Hiruko's brow furrowed tightly as he stated in a heavy voice: "This is far too absurd!"
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