I am Hinata Hyuga.
For reasons I still haven’t fully wrapped my head around, the ultimate simp—who was originally supposed to make his grand debut at age nineteen with godlike power rivaling the Six Paths—has shown up thirteen years ahead of schedule.
But I am not in the least bit panicked.
After all, he’s just a sightless brat right now.
I could flatten him with a single punch.
“Hinata, come meet someone.
This is Toneri.”
“Toneri Hyuga.”
Two hours had passed since Hiashi Hyuga first encountered Kammoku Otsutsuki.
Knocking on Hinata’s bedroom door, Hiashi interrupted her just as she was getting ready to sleep.
Hiashi and Kammoku stood outside her doorway, flanked by six-year-old Toneri, whom Hiashi introduced under the family name.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Hinata,” Toneri said politely, extending a hand toward her.
“Oh, hi.” Hinata scratched her head, reaching out to shake his hand while her gaze lingered on his eyes for a second.
The boy who had been missing his eyes just hours ago now had a brand-new pair set into his sockets—a pair of cold, exceptionally pure Byakugan, gleaming with untouched clarity.
Hinata’s eyes shifted toward Kammoku, whose eye sockets were now covered by a strip of pristine white cloth.
Clearly, the father had given his own eyes to his son.
“Toneri will be staying with our family from now on.
Hinata, make sure you get along well with him,” Hiashi instructed directly, his face entirely unreadable.
He had obviously reached some sort of private arrangement with Kammoku, the price being that Toneri would live alongside the Hyuga Clan.
“Got it.” Hinata let out a long yawn, spared Toneri a brief glance, and shut the door without a second thought, leaving all three of them standing out in the cold hallway.
Even if Toneri was blind when he first met her, he had still somehow fallen for her at first sight.
So even if this Otsutsuki…
no, Toneri Hyuga, was currently just a six-year-old kid, Hinata wasn’t about to roll out the red carpet for him.
“My daughter is quite unruly.
Please forgive her,” Hiashi remarked, having fully anticipated this reaction.
“It is quite alright; children are bound to be a bit mischievous,” Kammoku replied, completely unfazed by Hinata’s cold shoulder.
“I only hope Lord Hyuga will strictly discipline my son.”
“Of course.
The Hyuga Clan has always honored its word and will never renege on a sworn agreement,” Hiashi declared in a low, resonant voice.
Just moments ago, he and Kammoku had finalized their pact.
Toneri Otsutsuki would reside within the Hyuga Clan until his twentieth birthday.
At that point, whether he chose to stay or leave would be entirely up to him, and the clan would not interfere.
In return, Hiashi was required to raise Toneri with the same care and responsibility he offered Hinata.
In exchange, Kammoku would hand over the secret puppet techniques unique to the moon’s Otsutsuki branch.
Looking at the outcome, both sides were clearly satisfied with the trade.
To Hiashi, it was merely an extra mouth to feed in exchange for powerful, ancient puppet ninjutsu—an exceptional bargain for the clan.
To Kammoku, securing protection from distant kin for his son after his death in exchange for simple puppet craft was more than enough.
If Hinata ever learned the details of their deal, she would probably fly into a rage, jump onto Hiashi’s shoulders, and smash him over the head with a hammer.
What kind of trash puppet techniques?!
Setting aside the Giant Tenseigan on the moon, even the spacetime transfer portal connecting Earth and the moon is infinitely more useful than those stupid puppets!
But the deal was struck, and there was no changing it now.
Given Hiashi’s rigid personality, he wouldn’t back out even if he knew the truth.
The Hyuga had stood tall in the shinobi world for a thousand years by prizing rules above all else; credibility was the cornerstone of those rules, without exception.
They were nothing like those hypocritical cowards from the Cloud Village who tried to steal the Byakugan under the guise of a peace delegation and went back on their word.
Though, thanks to Hinata’s chaotic influence, that particular cloud incident would never get the chance to happen in the first place.
Now Toneri Otsutsuki had turned into Toneri Hyuga, living directly within the Hyuga Compound—an unexpected, bizarre plot twist.
Still, it didn’t really matter.
Just as Hiashi had calculated, it was ultimately just one more mouth to feed.
“Rest assured.
I, Hiashi Hyuga, swear on my life that I will treat Toneri as my own biological son and grant him every resource within my power,” Hiashi stated solemnly, staring into Kammoku’s covered eyes.
“Should I break this oath, may I be cast into eternal damnation.”
“Hiashi, you are far too formal,” Kammoku said softly, his demeanor shifting as he dropped the formal titles, reaching down to stroke his son’s head.
“Uncle,” Toneri addressed Hiashi respectfully, following his father’s instruction.
“Good boy.” Hiashi accepted the greeting, marking the formal sealing of the pact.
“In that case, Hiashi, I shall take my leave,” Kammoku nodded slightly.
“Would you not consider staying for a few days?” Hiashi attempted to persuade him.
“No.
My late wife is still waiting for me.
If I am gone for too long, I fear she will feel lonely,” Kammoku declined with a gentle, fading smile.
Seeing his resolve, Hiashi pressed no further.
Kammoku offered Toneri a few final words—instructing him to treat Hiashi as his own father from this day forward—and vanished into the night.
The next morning.
“Good morning, Hinata.”
When Hinata finished washing up and stepped into the dining hall, she spotted Toneri sitting right beside Hiashi.
He had already discarded his eye-catching vintage white robes, replacing them with the standard black-and-white attire of the Hyuga Clan.
“Oh, morning.” Hinata offered a brief nod.
“Hinata, from this day forth, Toneri is your older brother,” Hiashi announced, maintaining his usual stern, commanding aura—not that it carried an ounce of deterrence against Hinata.
“The two of you should get along like true siblings.”
“Alright, Brother Toneri~~”
Hearing Hiashi’s instruction, Hinata’s eyes narrowed into soft crescents, a sweet smile spreading across her face as her tone softened by several degrees.
Seeing Hinata act like this, Toneri stood there awkwardly, his face flushing as he struggled to find any words.
Bah, you damned loli-con!
Hinata cursed in her mind.
She still had to head over to the Hokage Residence to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi about the Flying Raijin Jutsu and the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, so she had zero time to waste here.
Wolfing down her breakfast in record time, she slipped away under Toneri’s lingering gaze.
Watching Hinata bolt the second her bowl was empty, Toneri looked at Hiashi in complete confusion.
“Pay it no mind,” Hiashi picked up his tea, completely unbothered.
“That’s just how Hinata is.”
“You’ll get used to it.”