"Is that a merchant caravan outside?"
The boy observed Hyuga Mirai carefully, noting that the man before him didn't bear the markings of a ninja. He relaxed a little, lowering his guard. "When coming to Konoha for a mission, it's best not to wander off. Otherwise, you'll get caught by the guards."
"My apologies," Mirai scratched his head awkwardly, "It's just that the environment here is so nice, and since it's my first time visiting a ninja village, I didn't pay attention and ended up here by mistake..."
Upon hearing Mirai's words, the boy seemed to take some pride in his training spot. "Of course! I picked this place for training. It's way better than the ones in the clan."
Mirai smiled inwardly. His instincts told him that this boy had an ego, but whether it was genuine or just an act remained uncertain. He decided to test it a little with a genjutsu.
Curiously, he asked, "Are you a ninja, too?"
"Of course!" The boy proudly replied, "Look at my eyes. They represent the prestigious Hyuga clan of Konoha."
Mirai immediately applauded, "Impressive! You look much younger than me, and yet you're already a ninja. I've heard about the Hyuga clan's fame in the Land of Fire—said to be the strongest clan in Konoha."
The boy blushed slightly. He was clearly unused to such praise. "Heh, well, that's a bit much, but sure, you can say that. I'm about to become a Chunin, and I'm already qualified to take C-rank missions."
"Wow, that's amazing!!"
The boy beamed, enjoying the flattery. He hadn't realized how good it felt to be complimented like this. It seemed like the next time he saw the young lady, he should take a page out of Mirai's book. Maybe then he could...
"What's your name?"
"Hyuga... Mirai."
"How old are you?"
"Thirteen..."
"What kind of techniques do you know?"
"I'm almost learning the Eight Trigrams... Thirty-Two Palms..."
"What was your original name?"
"..."
In their conversation, Mirai skillfully gathered a lot of information. This boy wasn't even a Chunin, and with Mirai's hypnosis genjutsu, it was easy to take control of this "Hyuga Mirai" without him noticing.
Indeed, the boy in front of him was another version of himself from a different timeline. No, more accurately, he was another "Hyuga Mirai".
"Just as I thought, I am the only one. But there are many versions of Hyuga Mirai. This guy is just an ordinary 'Hyuga Mirai.'"
Mirai confirmed this in his mind, but just to be safe, he used his etherealization technique to delve into the boy's memories, verifying his thoughts and some of his past experiences.
His chakra levels were average, slightly stronger than a civilian ninja, but he would probably reach the peak of Jonin at best. His techniques were weak, focusing on Gentle Fist, but without proper guidance, he was bound to face difficulties, just like now.
Training on a wooden post? It was often a fruitless effort. If this "Hyuga Mirai" kept going like this, he might never become a Jonin.
Snap!
Mirai snapped his fingers, instantly awakening the groggy boy.
"Are you okay? You look a little tired. Did you not sleep well last night?"
Mirai asked, having left a subtle suggestion in the boy's soul using his etherealization technique. With the current strength of "Hyuga Mirai's" soul, he wouldn't notice a thing.
"Yeah, I guess I overdid it a bit," the boy scratched his head, trying to shake off the drowsiness. Suddenly, he paused, as if all his energy had drained at once.
"Even during training, you need to take care of your body. Make sure to rest well at night," Mirai advised with a warm smile.
Hearing these words, a warmth flowed through the boy's heart. Having lost his parents at a young age and grown up separated from his clan, the boy had rarely experienced anyone's concern for him, other than the young lady.
Standing before this person who seemed so naturally approachable, the boy suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
"Thank you for your concern. I'll be more careful from now on," the boy said, trying to sound polite, though he felt a surge of happiness.
The boy then grinned. "I'm Hyuga Mirai. What's your name? Should I show you around Konoha? There are some beautiful sights only ninjas can visit, you know."
"Ha ha, thanks, Hyuga-san, but I'm about to meet up with my caravan. It was great meeting you today. I'm Jin, here, I'd like to give you something," the boy said, smiling as he took out a ring from his pocket and handed it to Mirai.
"This ring was found in an ancient temple. From my research over the years, it's said that this ring will only reveal its true power when it meets its true owner. But I'm just an ordinary person, so it's only decorative for me. I'm giving it to you, Hyuga-san. I hope you can discover its potential."
"This is really too much of a gift," the other Hyuga Mirai thought as he stared at the beautiful ring in his hand. The sunlight reflected off it, casting a flash of light. Even without any special abilities, just its elegant appearance made it worth quite a lot.
It seemed he had almost believed the story Hyuga Mirai had spun, genuinely thinking that the ring held some mysterious power. He immediately thought of returning it.
"this is too valuable. Please forgive me, but I can't accept this gift," the other Hyuga Mirai said.
"No need, no need. Keep it," Hyuga Mirai insisted, forcing the ring back into the boy's hand. Then, he pretended to notice the lunchbox beside him and added, "By the way, Mirai-kun, you should make sure to eat on time. I'll be going now. We'll talk next time when we meet."
After saying this, Hyuga Mirai turned and walked away.
"Jin-San, wait a moment!" The other Hyuga Mirai tried to catch up to return the ring but remembered his lunchbox. He quickly ran back to pick it up under the tree. But when he turned around again, Jin-san, who had felt like an older brother to him, had already disappeared.
"Byakugan!" He activated his Byakugan and scanned the area within a kilometer, but found nothing.
"Eh? Did he leave so quickly? Or did I miss him?" He sighed, realizing he couldn't catch up now unless he searched through all of Konoha's merchant convoys. But he still had to go back to his clan, so there wasn't enough time.
"I'll just return it next time I see Jin-san," the other Hyuga Mirai decided, then took a closer look at the ring in his hand. This time, he studied it more carefully and noticed its value.
The ring felt cool to the touch, looking like a mixture of metal and jade. Inside the ring, he noticed the inscription "Ōtsutsuki Yumen" — likely the first owner of the ring.
Curiously, the other Hyuga Mirai tried the ring on and was surprised to find it fit perfectly.
"I forgot to eat again… I'll eat when I get home. I'm running out of time, I need to head back."
He packed up the lunchbox and quickly ran toward the Hyuga clan's land. His branch family was much weaker now, and even the smallest mistake would be magnified. Though he should have been exhausted after his training, as he ran, he suddenly felt a surge of energy.
"Did I improve again today? Awesome, I'll make it home in one go!"
With a joyful expression, he quickened his pace, doubling his speed as he sprinted toward the Hyuga clan's land.
From a distance, he saw someone who looked almost exactly like him, but with a much more childish demeanor. His behavior made Hyuga Mirai want to laugh but also feel uneasy.
Will this wind shake the ninja world? Wait, maybe I'm getting too sentimental...
But Hyuga Mirai only muttered this to himself. Since he had chosen this path, he decided to try the difficult mode. The easy mode wouldn't be fun if he just breezed through it.
Shaking his head, he made sure the blood and flesh he collected were properly stored. Once everything was fully checked, he could finally call it "Gold Finger"
"Such a long distance, and I ran it all at once!" The other Hyuga Mirai thought to himself when he reached the clan's land. He didn't feel tired at all. When he raised his hands to check, he saw a flash of light on the ring again, though when he looked closer, it appeared ordinary.
"It must have been my imagination," he thought, then decided not to dwell on the ring anymore. He walked deeper into the clan's land, but with each step, he felt his head lower. It was as though he wanted to hide his face in his clothes, becoming a headless figure.
Fortunately, there were no clan members around. He only passed one branch family member who gave him a disapproving glance before walking away.
He felt like he was walking through a battlefield. After a few hundred meters, he finally arrived at the main family courtyard and let out a long breath. There were no guards at the door, which was odd. Usually, at least two branch family members would be stationed there.
But now, due to unforgivable mistakes, most of the main family's privileges had been revoked.
He pushed the courtyard door open and entered. The yard was a bit overgrown with weeds, and he noticed it. 'I'll clear them out later,' he thought.
As he walked further in, he came to the main house, where he gently knocked on the door.
"Lord Kiyo," he called out.
"Come in," came the reply.
Hyuga Mirai entered and immediately put on a smile. He began recounting a funny incident from earlier that day. "Lord Kiyo, sorry I trained too much today. I met a kind-hearted person in the woods, just like you."
Kiyo Hyuga listened quietly, wanting to smile at his cheerful conversation, but her hollow right eye prevented her from showing any expression.
(End of Chapter)