Chapter 318: Preparing to Head to Kirigakure with Kakashi
Haneda took a deep breath, savoring the delicious aroma wafting through the air. Itachi's meticulous breakfast-making skills were truly something to behold. Both the observer and the chef couldn't help but exchange a satisfied smile.
Itachi opened the perfectly timed toaster, revealing two warm slices of bread. He carefully placed the flawless sunny-side-up egg onto one slice, layered it with sliced tomatoes and luncheon meat, and capped it with the other slice of bread. Perfection!
"One against seven, and he's still so serious about making breakfast. Gotta admit, it's impressive," Haneda remarked as he jumped down from the ceiling.
Startled, Itachi almost dropped the plate holding Sasuke's breakfast. Quickly activating his Susano'o, he caught the plate mid-air, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Haneda-ojisan, you scared me," Itachi said, visibly shaken.
"Oops, my bad. I've been watching for a while and couldn't help but admire your effort," Haneda replied with an apologetic smile.
Itachi, holding the plate with pride, beamed at Haneda. "What do you think? It looks amazing, doesn't it? I'm sure Sasuke will love it."
Haneda stroked his chin, grinning. "It does look great, smells fantastic too. But compared to what Kakashi and I whip up, you've still got a ways to go. Keep it up."
He added, "Didn't you used to make breakfast for Sasuke every day when you were in the village? I bet he loved it back then too."
Itachi nodded earnestly. "Everything I make for Sasuke must be perfect. Each time, I aim to make it better than the last."
Noticing the breakfast cooling down, Itachi quickly placed the plate in front of Sasuke at the table.
Haneda couldn't decide whether to call Itachi overly meticulous or simply too devoted to his little brother. "No wonder they call you a 'brother complex,'" Haneda thought to himself.
After chatting briefly with Itachi, Haneda decided to shelve his plan of sending Itachi and Shisui to Sunagakure. Itachi's bond with Sasuke was too precious to interrupt with missions.
Once Sasuke had eaten his breakfast, Haneda and Itachi accompanied Naruto, Sasuke, and Tonari to the Ninja Academy.
In the past, whenever they had time, Haneda and Itachi would walk Sasuke to and from school before heading to the Hokage office. Of course, Haneda only occasionally showed up at the office.
Today's walk to school was slightly different. Whether it was due to Tonari joining them or for other reasons, Sasuke seemed a bit distracted during his conversations with Naruto.
However, whenever Naruto criticized Haneda for bailing on their training the night before, Sasuke seemed unusually entertained.
Once at the school, Haneda took Shiren to meet Iruka and the school principal to complete his enrollment process.
Interestingly, since Tonari was close in age to Naruto, he was placed in the same class.
When they arrived in the classroom, Shiren's gaze immediately landed on the "Byakugan Princess," Hyūga Hinata.
At the same time, Hinata noticed him as well.
However, her curiosity wasn't about Tonari himself but rather about how an Ōtsutsuki with the same eyes as her clan had ended up here.
Watching from a tree branch outside, Haneda noticed Tonari's budding interest in Hinata and sighed. "This kid might have a 'Romantic Sheep' tendency," he thought. He resolved to have a talk with Tonari later.
While Naruto's affections leaned more toward Sakura than Hinata, Haneda was well aware of Hinata's deep crush on Naruto. If Tonari decided to pursue Hinata, it was bound to end in disappointment.
Seeing both Hinata and Tonari reminded Haneda of the Caged Bird Seal issue. He decided it was time to visit the Hyūga clan's branch house and discuss the matter further.
Based on his research the previous night, Haneda hypothesized that if he could retrieve the Byakugan stolen by Kirigakure and refine it with his Mangekyō Sharingan's power, he could integrate it into the Tenseigan.
The Tenseigan, being the evolved form of the Byakugan, would likely hold the key to breaking the Caged Bird Seal.
Once the seal was broken, Haneda could even bring the Hyūga branch members to the moon to ensure its removal. This would effectively dismantle the divide between the Hyūga's main and branch families.
...
Arriving at the Hyūga compound, Haneda was escorted by branch members to meet with Hyūga Hizashi.
"Hokage-sama, is this about the Caged Bird Seal?" Hizashi asked, barely able to contain his excitement.
Haneda nodded. "It'll take some more time. I've found a method, but I still need one crucial piece."
"Hizashi, do you know if there are any other Byakugan from the main family that have ended up outside the clan, aside from the one stolen by Kirigakure?"
One Byakugan wouldn't be enough to fully secure his plans. Haneda was hoping for more.
"Kirigakure..." Hizashi thought deeply.
The Hyūga main family was small, with only a handful of members. Given the layers of protection provided by the branch members, it was nearly impossible for a Byakugan to fall into outside hands.
The only known exception occurred during the Third Shinobi War, when a member of the main family, eager for glory, fell into a Kirigakure trap and lost an eye. That member later committed suicide.
Hizashi shook his head. "None other, Hokage-sama."
A branch elder nearby chuckled darkly. "If you need more Byakugan, Hokage-sama, you could always take one from the main family..."
Haneda raised a hand, cutting him off.
He had built his administration on the principles of justice and protecting the people's rights. For him to break those very principles would be hypocritical.
Unless absolutely necessary, Haneda would never harm his own people.
"This will do," Haneda said, looking at the branch members who seemed ready to revolt against the main family at any moment. He teleported away using the Flying Thunder God.
The branch family's hatred for the main family ran deep, their grievances akin to a tenant farmer's resentment of their landlord.
Haneda knew that some members of the main family supported abolishing the division between main and branch families. One elder had even voiced this publicly during a jōnin meeting.
Now that the branch members had gained strength with Haneda's support, the main family was struggling. Arguments between the two factions were common.
Haneda chose to remain neutral, focusing on breaking the Caged Bird Seal and letting them resolve their differences naturally.
...
After leaving the Hyūga compound, Haneda teleported to Kakashi's front door.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Kakashi, how about joining me on a little trip?"
Last time, Haneda had climbed through Kakashi's window uninvited, earning a stern warning. This time, he opted for a more polite approach.
"Where to? Touring the railroads? Or perhaps the Land of Rain?" Kakashi asked, removing his black eye mask and glancing at Haneda.
"I'm heading to Kirigakure to retrieve a Byakugan that's fallen into enemy hands," Haneda said directly.
"For the Tenseigan, right, Haneda?"
"Ha, you always see right through me," Haneda laughed. "By the way, don't tell me you just woke up and haven't had breakfast yet."
"What do you think?" Kakashi replied with a smirk, walking over to the sink to brush his teeth.
While Kakashi washed up, Haneda donned an apron, imitating Itachi. Activating his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he prepared a perfect sunny-side-up egg for Kakashi.
When Kakashi returned, he raised an eyebrow in amazement as Haneda placed the beautifully plated meal before him.
"Here you go—an Uchiha-style sunny-side-up egg with a touch of love."
...
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