"Fugaku-san... back when Minato tried to take me, I caught a glimpse of a baby why I believe is likely Tsunade's. Have you seen the child? Do you know the gender, or if the kid inherited any special Kekkei Genkai?"
Fugaku blinked, searching through his memory. "The child's name is Saruto Senju. Beyond that, Tsunade has kept his existence under in the dark. He's being raised away from the village, so reliable intelligence is almost non-existent."
Kaien nodded slowly, his mind racing through the implications. If Naruto was never born in this timeline, then who takes up the mantle? Could this Saruto kid be Ashura's new reincarnate?
He pushed the thought aside for now. At the very least, one massive threat is forced to halt. With the Uchiha eyes secured behind Kumo's Free bird seals, Obito wouldn't have a endless supply of spare Sharingan to abuse Izanagi like a get-out-of-death-free card. Now, to use Izanagi he has to target Danzo.
The timeline was already changing, and for once, the odds were shifting in their favor a little but their no guarantee what will happen when all the shinobi world attacked Kumo.
"Well then, Fugaku-san. We will take our leave. Make yourself comfortable, though it won't be for long with war right around the corner."
Killer Bee, who had been fidgeting next to him, suddenly perked up as if he sensed something dangerous. "Yo, rock like Bee! I go wee!" he shouted.
A second later, Bee froze dead in his tracks. His eyes widened, his posture stiffening into a defensive stance. Kaien felt it too...a spike of sudden intent that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"Is Obito here?" Kaien thought, his fingers instinctively twitching toward his tanto blade. Even Fugaku and the entire Uchiha became alert.
Without warning, Bee whipped out a small battered notebook and a stubby pencil, started to frantically scribbling down words as fast as his fingers could move. His face was of intense focus and then he left.
Kaien's eye twitched. "So it wasn't a stealth attack... it was just sudden inspiration for a rap verse?"
A sigh left his mouth, as he glanced back at Fugaku Uchiha, who was watching the display with confusion. "It's nothing serious," Kaien muttered rubbing the bridge of his nose.
~~
Leaving the Uchiha compound behind, Kaien began walking through the bustling streets of Kumo. His Byakugan was always active, the veins around his eyes bulging slightly. He could have sealed the dōjutsu to conserve his chakra reserves, but doing so would defeat the entire purpose. If Obito slipped out of Kamui near him, Kaien needed to spot him instantly.
Inside his mindscape, Son Goku lounged casually, gazing out through Kaien's eyes. "You know, I don't think I'll ever get bored of seeing the world through your new sight, Kaien," the giant tailed beast rumbled, his voice echoing in Kaien's mind.
"It sounds creepy when you say it like that. Don't do that," Kaien grumbled silently back. If there was one major drawback to becoming a Jinchūriki, it was loss of privacy. Having a giant fiery ape commentary-track running in your head twenty-four hours a day wasn't exactly peaceful.
Still, as he walked, Kaien fell into a moment of self reflection. He had a rare bit of free time, and his mind naturally calculated his long-term goals. Many of the plans he had painstakingly set in motion were finally bearing fruit.
Kumogakure had grown undeniably powerful... so strong, in fact, that the other major Shinobi nations could no longer ignore them. They were so terrified that once enemies were forming alliances, willing to join forces simply to keep Kumo from dominating the ninja world.
Kaien clenched his fists tightly. "I need to get stronger.
"He was comfortably at the Jonin level now, a formidable shinobi by any standard. But the gap between a seasoned Jonin and a true Kage-level monster was a massive... one that very few ninjas ever managed to cross in their lifetimes. If he wanted to protect his village and be free of everything, average wouldn't cut it."
He was so buried in his own thoughts that he didn't notice the tiny silhouette diving at him from a nearby rooftop.
"I got you this time!"
Kaien whipped around, instinctively bracing himself, only to see young Hinata landing gracefully on her feet, puffing out her chest with a triumphant grin. "I finally won!"
As she straightened up, her pristine white eyes locked onto his face. The laughter faded from her expression, replaced by curiosity. She leaned in closer, staring intently at the bulging veins around his eyes.
"Kaien... why do you have the Byakugan like me?" she asked softly, her brow furrowing. "Are you... a Hyūga too?"
An awkward silence passed between them. Kaien stared down at her, unsure of how to explain that the Byakugan in his eye sockets had been torn from her father.
"This... is from the spoils of the war," Kaien said keeping his voice neutral. "Secured during the last battle." He quickly shifted the subject before she could probe any further. "More importantly, why aren't you attending the academy right now? Are you already skipping your classes, Hinata?"
Hinata pouted, crossing her arms childishly. "They are so boring! All they do is teach history over and over again." Then, her face lit up, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Forget about that! I invented a brand-new technique, and I want to show you! Come on, let's go to the training ground!"
Before Kaien could object, she grabbed his hand with surprising force and began dragging him.
~~
They reached a secluded training field on the west of the village. Kaien crossed his arms, looking down at Hinata. "So, what is this secret technique you're so excited about?"
Hinata's face went dead serious. She raised a dramatic finger to her lips. "Kaien, listen to me very carefully," she whispered, her tone dropping into a hilarious attempt at a mysterious whisper. "I am showing you my secret invention. You must take this with you to your grave!"
Kaien gave a nod playing along, mentally preparing himself for whatever child's play she had cooked up.
"I noticed that every human has eight very special tenketsu nodes," Hinata began, pacing back and forth like a scholar presenting a thesis. "And I thought to myself... what if I could flood those specific nodes with chakra?"
~~
A/N: Hinata is finally 6 and started attending academy.
Upto 20 Advance chapters available @ patreon.com/aizenDuchiha0