The Hyuga compound bustled with unusual activity that morning. Servants hurried through the halls, arranging flowers and preparing the great hall. Today was Hinata Hyuga's birthday—a modest celebration by clan standards, but one the Hyuga took seriously nonetheless.
Not because of the birthday girl herself, but because her teacher would be attending.
By five o'clock, the Hokage Building had begun emptying. Most staff had already left for the day. Hanekawa sat at the Hokage's desk, reviewing documents from Orochimaru's latest report on the Sound Village.
The village was taking shape faster than expected. Orochimaru's recruitment strategy was straightforward: offer forbidden jutsu to small clans and wandering ninja in exchange for their service. In this era, before the great ninja clans had consolidated power, such an offer was irresistible. Hanekawa spotted a familiar name on the roster—Guren, a Crystal Release user. Her bloodline limit fascinated him, though not for combat applications. Crystal Release could revolutionize construction and manufacturing, he thought. Wasting it on battles is criminal.
He also noted the magnetic release users. Valuable assets.
"The Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone won't move yet," Hanekawa murmured, setting down his pen. A month ago, the Thousand Sunshine Company had sold them a chakra cannon capable of piercing the moon itself. Yet neither village had attacked. They were afraid—afraid of failure, afraid of consequences. Let them hesitate. I have contingencies.
If necessary, he could always manipulate the Kazekage and Tsuchikage directly. But that was a last resort.
A thought struck him. He picked up his brush and began writing instructions for Orochimaru. The Sound Village's existence was no secret—if the other villages investigated, they'd trace it back to Konoha. But what if the Sound Village unified all the minor ninja villages first? Without those buffer zones between the five great powers, the political landscape would shift dramatically. The four villages outside Konoha would feel the pressure immediately.
"Kaguya," he called out.
The ANBU operative materialized before his desk, mask in place.
"Deliver this to Tsukihime. Tell her to take command of the Sound Village's expansion." Hanekawa handed over the sealed document. "With her leading, the minor villages won't resist."
"Understood," Kaguya Ōtsutsuki replied, vanishing into shadow.
Hanekawa stood and glanced toward the window. Two hours until the party. As Hokage and teacher, he needed to make a dramatic entrance—arriving fashionably late was practically mandatory.
He activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The world shifted. Suddenly, he stood in the casino, surrounded by the excited chatter of gamblers. His eyes scanned the room and found Tsunade—not at the gaming tables where she usually held court, but at a slot machine.
Interesting.
Hanekawa approached and casually draped his arm across her shoulders, his fingers playing with a strand of her blonde hair. The timing was perfect. The machine chimed and stopped on three sevens.
"Finally won!" Tsunade exclaimed, her face lighting up.
Hanekawa's gaze drifted downward. Her neckline had shifted with her excitement, revealing far more than was probably wise in public. From his angle, the view was... comprehensive. Not that I'm complaining.
"Why the slot machines today?" he asked innocently.
"Why so many questions?" Tsunade deflected, refusing to elaborate.
He already knew the answer. She'd lost most of her money at the tables and had moved to cheaper games. But admitting that would shatter her carefully maintained illusion of being a lucky gambler. Hanekawa suppressed a smile. Her luck is so bad it's almost a superpower.
"Want to play again?" he asked, leaning close to her neck. Her familiar scent filled his senses.
"Of course! I'm winning now!" Tsunade declared confidently. "See? My luck's finally changing!"
"Then I won't interrupt your winning streak," Hanekawa said with a smirk. "I'll come back later."
"No!" Tsunade grabbed his arm before he could move. She coughed delicately. "Work's over anyway. Just wait for me. We'll go home together."
"I'm heading to the Hyuga clan later," he said, settling into the seat beside her.
"The Hyuga clan?" Tsunade inserted a coin into the machine. "Problem with the mining department?"
"Hinata's birthday," he explained.
"Ah, that explains it." Tsunade's attention returned to the slot machine. The reels spun and landed on three sevens again. Coins cascaded out with a mechanical roar. "Hahaha! Jackpot!"
Hanekawa watched her smile—genuine, unguarded, radiant. He leaned over and kissed her.
Tsunade's eyes widened. "What are you doing?! Someone could see!"
"No one's around. They're all at the tables," he said with a completely straight face, which was technically a lie.
"You're impossible," Tsunade muttered, rolling her eyes. She wasn't afraid of casual contact—hand-holding, shoulder touches, even embraces. But kissing in public? That crossed a line she wasn't ready to cross. "We'll be discovered."
"Then I'll just have to ensure you win enough money to make it worth the scandal," Hanekawa said, his hand drifting to her thigh.
Tsunade kicked him lightly. "Don't threaten me!"
"Students would never," he replied smoothly, reaching for her leg again.
She clamped down on his wrist with surprising strength. When he tried to pull free, she held firm. Instead, he pressed his fingers against her inner thigh twice—a deliberate, teasing touch.
"Don't cause trouble!" Tsunade hissed, throwing his arm aside. She'd learned from experience that if she let him continue, they'd end up back at her place, and the evening would dissolve into something far more intimate than gambling. It had happened before. Multiple times.
"Yes, Teacher," Hanekawa said, settling against her shoulder instead.
Tsunade glanced at him, her expression softening. She placed her hand in his and continued feeding coins into the machine with her other hand.
An hour passed in comfortable silence, punctuated by the mechanical sounds of the slot machine and occasional excited exclamations when Tsunade won.
"That's enough for today," Tsunade finally announced, collecting her winnings.
"I thought you were playing until seven," Hanekawa observed.
"I'm hungry," she said simply.
"We could eat at the Hyuga clan—"
"No." Tsunade was already standing. "I want the meal you cook."
Hanekawa smiled. "What's the price for that service?"
Before she could answer, he pulled her down into his lap. "You're trying to take advantage of me again," Tsunade said, meeting his eyes.
"You took advantage of me first," he countered.
"Nonsense." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Fine. I'll help you cook."
Hanekawa embraced her and activated the Flying Thunder God.
---
Tsunade's kitchen materialized around them. They were so close their shadows had merged into one silhouette.
Hanekawa worked with practiced efficiency, one arm around Tsunade's shoulders while the other prepared ramen. She'd tilted her head back, her breathing quickening, her skin flushed. He bit her ear gently, his eyes never leaving the pot.
Within minutes, a perfect bowl of ramen sat steaming on the counter. Hanekawa fed it to her himself, watching her eat with obvious satisfaction.
By seven o'clock, Tsunade had finished her meal and Hanekawa was ready to leave—refreshed and thoroughly satisfied.
---
Hinata Hizashi stood at the compound's entrance, straightening immediately when he saw Hanekawa approach.
"Lord Hokage! Welcome."
"Sorry for the wait, Uncle Hizashi," Hanekawa replied with a slight nod.
Hinata Hizashi's presence at the door was significant. Normally, internal clan celebrations didn't require such formality. But Hanekawa's position had changed. As head of the Minerals Department, he was now a senior official of Konoha. The Hyuga were showing proper respect.
"Please, come in," Hizashi said, stepping aside.
The courtyard opened before him. Hinata Hiashi appeared with his wife, both smiling warmly. In her mother's arms sat a small girl with Byakugan, short black hair, and rosy cheeks.
Hinata Hyuga.
"Hinata, greet your teacher," Hinata Hiashi instructed.
"T-teacher," the girl said shyly.
Hanekawa reached out and touched her head. A gentle stream of chakra flowed into her body—a gift carefully designed to increase her blood concentration, bringing her closer to the Ōtsutsuki lineage. Not the branch that Kaguya belonged to, but the one connected to Ōtsutsuki Toneri.
Hinata Hyuga's Byakugan widened with curiosity as she felt the warmth spread through her small body.
Hinata Hiashi and Hizashi exchanged glances. They could sense the chakra transfer, but they dared not investigate further. The Hokage's actions were not to be questioned.
"All done," Hanekawa said, withdrawing his hand.
"Thank you, teacher," Hinata Hyuga said obediently.
The birthday celebration proceeded smoothly. Hanekawa ate, made polite conversation, and left after an appropriate interval.
Once he'd departed, Hinata Hiashi immediately examined his daughter, his Byakugan activated. "Strange," he murmured. "I don't sense any obvious changes."
"What did you feel?" Hizashi asked.
Hinata Hiashi considered for a moment. "Hinata, try to use the chakra your teacher gave you."
The young girl concentrated, drawing on the foreign chakra in her system. Her eyes suddenly transformed—the Byakugan bloomed into full activation, the veins around her eyes becoming visible.
Both men froze.
"Impossible," Hinata Hiashi breathed.
Children didn't awaken the Byakugan until their early teens at the earliest. Yet Hinata Hyuga, barely six years old, had just opened hers with perfect clarity.
Hanekawa's gift wasn't just a blessing. It was a revolution.
---