Revenge?
Shinji smiled faintly. "You? You want revenge too?"
"The Hyūga clan… you were originally part of our Ōtsutsuki clan. At best, you're just a separated branch."
"It's only natural that we reclaim the power that belongs to the Ōtsutsuki from you."
Hearing this, Hinata's eyes burned with anger. This man had slaughtered countless members of the Hyūga clan and gouged out their Byakugan.
Worse, he showed not the slightest hint of guilt. To him, everything he had done was justified.
That only made the fury in Hinata's heart grow stronger.
She remembered what Neji once said. Clan members hunted down, their eyes torn out, their lives discarded like nothing.
Even though she had never witnessed it herself, just looking at Shinji now, she could almost see the blood of the Hyūga staining his hands.
"Oh, right," Shinji said casually, studying her. "I'm curious. Your Byakugan is incredibly pure. Even within the Hyūga clan, eyes like yours are rare."
"You must be from the main branch, right?"
Hinata took a stance. Chakra surged from her body, flowing into her hands and forming the Twin Lion Fists.
"Of course I am," she said firmly. "I am the princess of the Hyūga clan."
"The Hyūga princess…" Shinji muttered. "No wonder. Even the clan head doesn't have Byakugan this pure."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Then what is your relationship with Hyūga Hiashi?"
Hinata frowned. "He's my father. I was about to ask you the same thing. What did you do to your father?"
At her words, Shinji's eyes lit up with amusement.
"I don't know where his body ended up," he said lightly. "But there's one thing worth mentioning."
The moment he spoke of death, Hinata's killing intent surged, her eyes turning red with fury.
But she forced herself to hold back, waiting for him to finish.
"His eyes are still here," Shinji continued, smiling. "Pretty good quality."
He raised a finger and pointed to his own eyes, glancing at Hinata mockingly.
"Didn't you notice? These are your father's."
In an instant, Hinata's vision blurred.
Blood seeped from the corners of her eyes, and her face turned deathly pale.
A terrifying surge of chakra exploded outward.
At that moment, Shigure was startled.
Because within Hinata's chakra, he sensed something unusual… a trace of Six Paths power.
It was faint, almost imperceptible, but unmistakably real.
For a brief instant, he even felt something akin to the Rinnegan's aura emanating from her.
So it really is as I thought…
Hinata's bloodline is special.
Great Sage, analyze Hinata's condition.
[Great Sage: Analysis complete.]
[Target: Hyūga Hinata. Byakugan user. Genetic structure shows fusion between human DNA and Ōtsutsuki lineage.]
[Result: Stable mutation. Subject possesses both human traits and a highly pure Ōtsutsuki bloodline.]
A pure Ōtsutsuki bloodline?
So in other words…
[Great Sage: Hyūga Hinata is a human who has perfectly adapted to the Ōtsutsuki bloodline.]
Shigure paused for a moment.
That meant Hinata could essentially be considered a true member of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
The Great Sage confirmed it without hesitation.
Shigure was stunned.
He hadn't expected Hinata to be this special.
Now it made sense.
This must be why Toneri Ōtsutsuki had chosen her in the original timeline.
A human who perfectly adapted to Ōtsutsuki power, while still retaining her humanity.
If Hinata truly possessed such a complete Ōtsutsuki lineage, then why hadn't her strength manifested earlier?
The power of the Ōtsutsuki was anything but ordinary.
[Great Sage: Hinata is currently undergoing gradual awakening of her Ōtsutsuki power.]
[Her dōjutsu is evolving. Latent abilities are being activated.]
No wonder…
Her sudden surge in strength earlier wasn't random.
Her growth wasn't just fast, it was explosive.
Even Shigure had been caught off guard.
Now, everything made sense.
Just as he was thinking, Hinata moved.
The Twin Lion Fists struck forward, fueled by overwhelming rage and newly awakened power.
Her speed was so fast that even Shigure was momentarily shocked.
So fast.
As expected of someone with an Ōtsutsuki-level bloodline.
Shinji raised his hand and continuously blocked Hinata's attacks. At the same time, he was just as shocked as Shigure.
A woman who had only just awakened this kind of power was already pushing him to this extent. Although he could defend against her strikes, he found himself unable to counterattack.
His dōjutsu power surged outward.
Yet in front of Hinata, it seemed to lose its effect entirely.
Shinji's surprise deepened.
The Byakugan could resist his ocular power to some extent, that much was expected. But completely ignoring its influence was impossible under normal circumstances.
Unless… the opponent possessed an extremely pure Byakugan.
And now it was clear.
Hinata's Byakugan far exceeded his expectations.
This girl's eyes… would make a perfect vessel.
A cold glint flashed through Shinji's eyes.
In the next instant, the power of the Rinnegan erupted.
A violent repulsive force burst outward.
Hinata, who had been attacking relentlessly, was suddenly blown away. Her body was sent flying backward, completely unable to resist the overwhelming force.
She shot through the air, heading straight toward the Mizukage Building.
At the critical moment, a pair of hands reached out and caught her.
Hinata froze for a second, then looked up.
"Lord Shigure!"
Shigure smiled faintly. "Leave the rest to me."
"This guy is my opponent. The hatred of the Hyūga clan… I'll take responsibility for it."
Hinata nodded immediately. "Alright. Please… Lord Shigure."
She grabbed onto his clothes tightly, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Please, you must kill him. Everyone in the Hyūga clan… all of this happened because of him."
Shigure gently patted her back. "I know. Leave it to me."
He set her down and stepped forward, lifting his gaze toward Shinji.
At last, the two stood face to face.
"Finally, we meet… Patriarch of the Ōtsutsuki clan, Shinji Ōtsutsuki."
Shigure smiled.
Shinji also revealed a faint smile. "Yes… finally."
"Before coming here, I had already heard your name… Shigure."
That made Shigure pause slightly.
He knows my name?
Where did he hear it from?
Shigure frowned.
[Great Sage: Notice. The target possesses a black aura.]
A black aura?
Shigure's eyes narrowed as realization struck him.
So that's how it is.
After being destroyed by Nagato, Black Zetsu didn't disappear… it went to the moon instead.
No wonder there had been no trace of it all this time.
Everything finally made sense.