Chapter 90: The Beginning of a Drastic Change

Yuto knelt on the tatami mat, staring absentmindedly at the steaming tea in his hands.

"Yuto."

The voice of Hiashi Hyuga rang out, tinged with dissatisfaction:

"Did you listen to everything I just said?"

"Yes, Hiashi-sama, I understand," the bandage-wrapped boy muttered. "But I still think I'm too young..."

Noticing the boy's attitude had softened compared to previous times, Hiashi seized the opportunity:

"Yuto-kun, we shinobi, are ultimately human. As humans, we need friends and family. Getting married and having children is something you inevitably have to do... When I was your age, my fiancée was already chosen."

Yuto blinked but remained silent.

Hiashi thought the boy was wavering and continued.

"Your parents were also engaged around fifteen. As their blood inheritor, you should also start a family... This isn't just about you. All the family members do the same. Spreading our bloodline and passing down the Byakugan is our mission! Yuto Hyuga, you must follow this; it's the will of both the clan and the village!"

With both the gentle persuasion of an senior and the authority of a clan leader, Hiashi's words were skillfully delivered.

Yuto set down his teacup and hesitated.

"Hiashi-sama..."

"You may leave now, Yuto-kun. Think carefully about what I've said today," Hiashi waved his hand, indicating the boy could go.

As the Hyuga clan leader, Hiashi was adept at using words to pressure others. He knew the pressure he had placed on Yuto was immense. In a few days, whether Yuto was willing or not, the engagement would be set.

In the branch family, where could a caged bird freely fly? Marriage, with a wife and children... these were even stronger cages.

Yuto left the clan leader's house and walked calmly outside.

To be fair, with the increasing pressure from Hiashi, Yuto was indeed nearing his limit. After today's conversation, unless there was a major unforeseen event, the engagement would be arranged within a week.

But Yuto knew a major event was certain to occur, and not just any event, but something incredibly significant.

So, he didn't pay much heed to the recent conversation. After the drastic change erupted, Hiashi wouldn't have the time to bother with such trivial matters.

As he walked towards the exit of the clan grounds, he coincidentally encountered Meiko Hyuga.

In the half-year he hadn't seen her, the girl had become much thinner, with dark circles under her eyes. She had transformed from a lively girl into a sickly beauty.

Yuto suddenly felt a pang of pity.

—Malnutrition could lead to visual nerve diseases. Don't damage those eyes of yours.

He had even prepared a pink-tinted glass jar for preserving her Byakugan...

He was always meticulous, considering even posthumous care.

Thinking to himself, 'Should I dig them out early to prevent damage,' Yuto outwardly remained calm and gentle. He stepped aside and nodded slightly.

"Meiko-sama."

Meiko hummed in response, not sparing him a glance as she walked deeper into the clan grounds.

Love in the shinobi world was very steadfast. Once mutual, it rarely shifted for life.

Yuto sighed and moved away from the Hyuga buildings, heading to the rear mountain of the Senju clan territory.

The rear mountain was deserted. He found large trees, reclined on a branch of a tree, and gently closed his eyes.

Before any great battle, if possible, Yuto would find a quiet place to meditate. It had become his habit.

As a transmigrator, "knowing the plot" was his unique advantage, allowing him to foresee events and seize opportunities. Thus, in the past years, he had tried to avoid altering the storyline.

However, as his power grew, the scope of events he influenced widened, making changes to the plot inevitable.

A bird flapping its wings might not stir any winds; but a dragon roaring in the sky could cause hurricanes and tsunamis!

Great figures in the world could trigger endless chain reactions with a mere movement of their fingers.

Yuto now had such influence—even if only for three minutes.

The genjutsu granted by Slug Sage was incredibly potent. Even though Root had set up defensive jutsu in Yamato's brain, the power of the sage still infiltrated, revealing the path to Yuto.

—The path to the Hashirama cell experiment point in Konoha!

Orochimaru had stolen the First Hokage's cells and conducted human experiments there, with fifty-nine child subjects dying, leaving only Yamato alive.

Obtaining the Hashirama cells, kidnapping ordinary people and shinobi, acquiring enough medical equipment and supplies, and concealing all traces... Orochimaru couldn't have accomplished all this alone.

He needed a skillful partner... just like Yuto, who had the help of Slug Sage.

That partner was undoubtedly Danzo Shimura.

Although the original story briefly mentioned the "Hashirama cell experiment," hints like raising Yamato and later using Hashirama cells to balance the Sharingan's energy indicated Danzo and Orochimaru's close ties.

[The apprentice and high-ranking member of the Hokage stealing the founder of Konoha's corpse], this was an incident severe enough to shake the very foundation of Konoha.

If not dealt with sternly, the "Will of Fire" that united Konoha would become a joke.

Though in the original story, Orochimaru's human experiments were eventually exposed, leading him to become a rogue ninja, that was in Konoha's 51st year, two years from now.

The most critical issue was that now, amidst the Shinobi World War, Orochimaru was a prominent frontline commander!

Yuto couldn't help but feel sorry for Hiruzen.

Punishing severely would affect the frontlines.

'Sorry Hiruzen.' Yuto preemptively apologized; with him around, Hiruzen couldn't suppress it.

Even the branch family boy didn't know what future tonight's actions would bring.

However, he had a reason to proceed.

—Orochimaru's experimental base might have unused Hashirama cells. Even if not, after the drastic change, Konoha would undoubtedly be chaotic, giving him more chances and time to steal from the village.

Profiting amidst chaos was a fundamental skill for a villain.

Such a sinister move to trap Orochimaru, Yuto would execute without hesitation, considering Orochimaru is a martyr for science.

After an unknown period, a bright light shone on his eyelids. The boy took a deep breath and opened his pure white eyes.

The night covered the vast earth like a massive stage.

The moon had risen.

(End of Chapter)