‘I’m tired.’

  Ryuu thought to himself as he slowly sat down cross-legged on the wooden deck adjacent to Utakata’s quarters.

  The place was quiet and remote, with a small backyard and a zen garden to the side. Honestly, it was much better than the house he and his mother had lived in when it came to luxuries, but he could see how Konoha’s image was important when it came to guests.

  He had brought Fū here to help her feel more at ease, and at the same time, to show a powerful display of control and strength. It was a way to console a child who was destined to be used as nothing more than a tool for most of her life.

  She was far too young for her situation.

  ‘It’s laughable.’

  Ryuu chuckled to himself, thinking of how absurd it all was. After all, he was still a child himself—barely a few years older than her. Yet… somehow, the memories he had acquired had completely changed the way he viewed the world.

  He had grown—both in personality and temperament—his memories shaping him in ways he still hadn’t fully grasped.

  If he had to put it into words, he’d say he felt... uncomfortable.

  Uncomfortable with himself.

  Uncomfortable with the world around him.

  Uncomfortable with how quickly he’d been forced to grow up.

  Yet, he was a shinobi.

  Even without those memories, he would have been forced to mature. To fight. To kill.

  It was a cruel fate—one he wished he could be freed from.

  But Ryuu had realized something during his relentless training, something that had changed his entire mentality in the past few months.

  ‘If I truly wish to be free… if I want to free the world from this cruelty… I have to change it from the root.’

  His situation wasn’t unsalvageable. The timeline had already changed drastically—and he had been the catalyst. Konoha was stronger now, safer, better.

  Danzo was no more.

  Minato was alive. Shisui too.

  Itachi hadn’t massacred his clan, nor had he defected from Konoha.

  The Uchiha clan had abandoned the idea of a coup and had fully merged with the current system, supporting it openly.

  Orochimaru had been severely weakened, with many of his future pawns already dealt with. Jiraiya was alive and still strong, and even Tsunade would soon return to the village permanently, now that most of the corrupt elders had been weeded out of power.

  Even Lord Third was fully retired at this point—nothing but a meek old man who barely involved himself in village matters, offering advice only on rare occasions.

  Kakashi had learned the truth about Obito far earlier. He had even trained his Sharingan to the point where he could activate his Mangekyo if needed.

  No matter how you looked at it, Konoha’s current military power was nothing like the fragile village from Ryuu’s memories.

  Naruto and Sasuke were growing rapidly as well, especially with Naruto now training under his parents. He had already begun forming a bond with the Yang half of Kurama, and soon they were planning to transfuse the Yin half as well.

  Somehow, they had even found a way to keep Kushina alive during the process—though Ryuu wasn’t sure of the details.

  “Why am I not surprised you’re brooding out here again, Ryuu?”

  The sudden voice behind him pulled him from his thoughts. Turning slightly, Ryuu found Kakashi staring at him with his usual unreadable expression.

  “Kakashi-senpai… You know I tend to overthink things.”

  Ryuu sighed, a little amused by the comment. People often teased him for spacing out like this, getting lost in his own head. But he didn’t mind—it was cathartic.

  “If I didn’t know you had ten shadow clones training relentlessly in the grounds right now, I’d call you lazy. But you’re obviously overworking yourself again.”

  Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, a hint of exasperation in his voice as he softly sat next to Ryuu, his gaze turning thoughtful.

  “Well, I can’t stop training now, can I? I’m still in my growth phase, after all. My chakra reserves have been steadily increasing… I’m still nowhere near a Jinchuriki, but I should be able to hold my own against most Jonin now.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. Your reserves are already double mine. Monstrous little brat…”

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  Kakashi chuckled, placing his hand on Ryuu’s head and rubbing it furiously.

  Ryuu, stunned by the sudden attack, immediately tried to brush his hand off—but he couldn’t.

  Eventually, he stopped resisting. For once, he let himself lean into the gesture, just a little.

  It didn’t make the weight disappear.

  But it made it a little easier to carry.

  Kakashi's hand finally stilled, resting on Ryuu's head for a moment longer than necessary. He withdrew it slowly, his gaze turning towards the garden's pond.

  "So, what were you thinking of again?" Kakashi asked, his voice losing its teasing edge, becoming more serious. "I know for a fact that when you get like this, you're probably debating on something."

  "Kakashi-senpai knows me too well…"

  Ryuu murmured, straightening the white hair that had been thoroughly ruffled.

  "Not at all," Kakashi countered, his visible eye crinkling in that way that suggested a hidden smile. "You’re just too easy to read."

  Ryuu fell silent, a vein momentarily popping on his forehead.

  ‘This guy…’

  He had forgotten how much of a troll he was.

  "So," Kakashi pressed gently, "what was it that you were thinking about?"

  Ryuu sighed, the brief flash of annoyance fading. He looked out at the garden, at the perfectly raked sand and the moss-covered stones.

  "A lot of things, actually… You know, I’ve been thinking about my background and what I should do. I’ve been searching ancient records and history in general, and I keep finding holes everywhere. Like there is a large chunk of history just missing from places."

  Kakashi nodded slowly, his expression growing thoughtful. He knew what Ryuu was talking about. Every shinobi who delved deep enough into the archives eventually hit the same walls.

  "History is written by the victors, Ryuu. And sometimes, even the victors decide certain truths are too dangerous to remember."

  Ryuu shook his head at that statement.

  Yes, it was true that victors wrote history. But…

  "It's more than that."

  Ryuu said, his crimson eyes focused on something far beyond the garden.

  "It's not just missing battles or glossed-over political treaties. It's… fundamental. The origins of chakra. The true nature of the Sage of Six Paths. The Bijuu. Even the stories about the Uchiha and Senju conflict… they feel… incomplete. Edited. Like we're all reading a story where the first chapter has been torn out."

  Ryuu extended his hand and rubbed his glabella with exhaustion.

  “For example, the myth of the Rabbit Goddess… everywhere I look, her tale has been changed drastically. Who was she? Was she even real? And if she was, how was she related Sage of Six Paths and the Bijuu?”

  Kakashi hummed thoughtfully, his eye now staring directly at Ryuu.

  "You're not wrong, even the oldest records don't tell the full story. So.. Where are you going with this? I can tell that you’re trying to bring the matter to a specific topic."

  ‘Sharp as ever.’

  Ryuu nodded, his gaze becoming a bit reluctant.

  “The rabbit goddess was known to use bones, her appearance even resembling… wait, no, its the other way around… The Kaguya clan has records of trying to imitate her appearance and even worshiping her in some their folk dances.”

  “Hooo? So what conclusion did you come to?”

  “I’m certain the Kaguya clan are her descendants, which means she was most certaintly real. Not only that, but it’s said she possessed white, pupil-less eyes, just like the Hyūga. I suspect that even the Byakugan is somehow related to her.”

  Kakashi let out a slow, quiet whistle.

  “That’s… a heavy accusation, Ryuu. To suggest that Konoha’s oldest, noblest clan shares a common ancestor with the violent, self-destructive Kaguya… The Hyūga elders would have your head.”

  “It’s not an accusation.”

  Ryuu corrected, his voice steady.

  “It’s a hypothesis. Based on fragmented evidence, yes, but a plausible one. And it leads to… an interesting possibility.”

  He took a deep breath, steeling himself. This was the true purpose of this conversation.

  “The Shikotsumyaku, my Kekkei Genkai, is a degenerative condition. It grants immense power, but at the cost of cellular stability, literally poisoning one’s self. The Kaguya clan burned bright, but they burned fast. But the Hyuga… they have no such defect. If they are truly related, if their dōjutsu and my own bloodline are two branches of the same tree, then theoretically, their genetic material might contain the key—the stabilizing factor that my own DNA lacks.”

  He let the implication hang in the air.

  Kakashi’s eye was now wide with a mixture of shock and dawning understanding. He finally saw where this was going. He finally understood the true scope of Ryuu's ambition.

  “You think… by studying their DNA, you could completely cure yourself?”

  “Cure?”

  Ryuu’s lips curled into a faint, bitter smile.

  “No, senpai. Not cure. Rather than simply cure me, it will evolve me.”

  His crimson eyes burned with a cold fire.

  "The cellular decay… it's not a flaw. It’s actually a powerful double edged power of the Kekkei Genkai that makes it far more powerful. The Kaguya clan, in their isolation and their madness, never figured out how to balance it. If I’m able to advance my strength to reach as closely as the original user of the Kekkei Genkai, I would be able to fully utilize it and completely negate it’s negative effects. It’s even possible I might awaken the Byakugan through this process."

  Silence fell as soon as he finished speaking. Ryuu’s expression was peaceful, while Kakashi felt a chill run down his spine.

  "This is… this is forbidden research, Ryuu."

  Kakashi finally managed, his voice low.

  "You're talking about genetic manipulation, about forcibly awakening a dōjutsu…"

  “I know. That’s why I haven’t done anything yet. I’m not trying to rush into this blindly or recklessly. I want to approach it ethically, carefully. I want to do this the right way.”

  Kakashi’s eye narrowed thoughtfully.

  “So how do you plan to start? You can’t exactly just grab DNA samples from the Hyuga clan without permission.”

  Ryuu rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed by the practicality of it all.

  “I was thinking about asking Asami. She’s from the Hyūga clan, and… well, she’s a little interested in me.”

  He let out a dry chuckle.

  “Though honestly, I don’t want to use her like this. Although I can't reciprocate her feelings right now, I completely understand her position and respect her affection for me. If possible, I’d rather do it through official channels. Maybe talk to the clan leaders, or Yondaime-sama. They might be able to arrange something that’s respectful and consensual.”

  Kakashi’s gaze softened.

  “That’s a wise approach. You don’t want to alienate the Hyuga—or anyone else—because of your research. You also have to consider how the village will perceive this. There will be concerns about tampering with bloodlines.”

  Ryuu nodded, already anticipating the challenges ahead.

  “I’ll explain everything to Minato-sama first. I want to be transparent. If anyone objects, I’ll respect it. I’m not trying to harm anyone. I just want to compare DNA samples—nothing invasive beyond that. I think understanding the genetic link could unlock a way to stabilize my bloodline… and maybe, just maybe, awaken the Byakugan in me.”

  Kakashi let out a soft sigh.

  “It’s a dangerous road, but you’re not reckless about it. Just remember—there’s always a cost to these kinds of power pursuits. You have to be ready for the consequences.”

  Ryuu smiled faintly, the first genuine one in a while.

  “If things don't work out, then they don't work out. It's a matter of respect and understanding. I don't want to offend anyone, especially since I know what it's like to possess a unique bloodline, two at that.”