Mastermind of the Akatsuki

Black Zetsu found himself deep in thought, noting how Naruto seemed different from past reincarnations of Asura. In his experience, Asura's reincarnations were always raised within communities, surrounded by friends and supporters, nurturing their belief in the power of camaraderie. But Naruto, like Indra's reincarnations, was isolated and alone. Could it be that Naruto was actually Indra's reincarnation? Yet his bright, optimistic nature was undeniably Asura's.

As Black Zetsu's gaze shifted to the girl with white eyes—so pure and unmarred—he couldn't help but feel a flicker of recognition and curiosity.

Meanwhile, on Naruto's end…

After rescuing the white-eyed girl from a gang of unruly kids, Naruto was about to leave. But he was caught by the girl's wide, grateful gaze, her eyes full of both admiration and innocence. Faced with her gaze, Naruto couldn't help but pause, then extended his hand with a friendly smile.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. What's your name, and where's your home?"

The shy girl responded in a soft voice, "Hinata… Hinata Hyūga. Thank you so much for helping me. I… I don't know what I would have done without you."

Scratching his head, Naruto felt a bit embarrassed. "Oh, it was nothing. I just pretended to know their parents—I actually don't know any of them."

Hinata, twiddling her fingers nervously, quietly added, "Um… I'm actually a little lost. Could you help me find my way back home?"

"Lost?" Naruto blinked in surprise, then quickly nodded. "I know where the Hyūga compound is. I've seen the signs. It's no big deal; I'll take you there."

With a small, grateful smile, Hinata replied, "Thank you, Naruto-kun…"

In a matter of moments, Naruto gently took Hinata's hand and led her toward the Hyūga compound. Soon, they arrived at the edge of the Hyūga grounds, where several Hyūga guards with forehead protectors waited. Naruto handed Hinata over to the guards and turned away without looking back, setting off for home.

After they left, Black Zetsu suddenly realized why something had felt odd. Hinata's eyes were unusually pure, even by Hyūga standards, approaching the level of a true Ōtsutsuki. If he didn't know that his mother was still sealed on the moon, he might have suspected that she had somehow reincarnated. It had been many years since he'd seen Byakugan of such high purity.

Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Black Zetsu turned his attention back to Naruto, teasing him lightly, "You just did another good deed. How does that make you feel?"

Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his head as he thought back to his interaction with Hinata. "Not bad. I didn't think there were people in the village who admired me. Hinata might just be a kid, but I believe that someday the others will accept me too."

Though Black Zetsu still didn't believe in Naruto's dreams, he gave an encouraging response. "Well, I support your decision, for now."

The more Naruto idealized the people of Konoha, the greater the shock he would face when those ideals inevitably shattered. When that moment came, Black Zetsu knew Naruto would be more likely to accept him as a mentor and ally. For now, though, he only needed to offer Naruto steady support.

Hearing Black Zetsu's words, Naruto nodded softly and continued on his way home. He had experienced so much that day—it was finally time to rest.

After all, he would need a good night's sleep to be ready for the Academy entrance ceremony in a few days.

In Naruto's mind, the first step of his plan was clear: win over the villagers by doing good deeds and changing their opinion of him. The second step was to enroll in the Ninja Academy, where he would train to become a skilled ninja, and eventually rise to the ranks of jonin and even Hokage. Naruto didn't fully understand what it meant to be Hokage, but he knew that the most respected person in the village was the Hokage—and he wanted to become that person someday.

...

After Hinata was escorted back to the Hyūga main house, two branch family guards kneeled in the main hall, reporting to Hiashi Hyūga, the head of the clan.

"Lord Hiashi, Lady Hinata has returned safely."

Hearing this, Hiashi's expression softened slightly. He turned his gaze toward his daughter, who stood there trembling, and sighed quietly.

Today had been an important day for the Hyūga clan—it was their annual ancestral ceremony, a day to honor their forebears and hold the Caged Bird ceremony.

The Caged Bird ceremony was a unique tradition of the Hyūga clan, designed to protect the clan's Byakugan from falling into enemy hands. Once the main family heir began formal training, all branch family members of the same age were required to have the Caged Bird Seal applied to them. Today, as the Caged Bird ceremony was about to take place, Hinata—the main family's heir—had suddenly gone missing.

Hinata's sudden disappearance had set off alarm bells throughout the Hyūga clan. Unlike members of the branch family, who were protected by the Caged Bird Seal, main family members like Hinata were vulnerable to having their Byakugan forcibly removed and transplanted.

Should a rival village acquire a Byakugan, they could potentially develop techniques to counter it. The Byakugan had undeniable strategic value in warfare; its 360-degree field of vision and multi-kilometer range made it indispensable in battlefield reconnaissance.

While other ninja villages had some techniques with similar functions, they were generally restricted to a select few elite jonin and required strict conditions for use.

Upon realizing Hinata was missing, Hiashi and the main family elders had scolded every branch family guard present, even suspecting that a branch family member might have plotted against the main family's heir. After all, if the main family's heir vanished, a new one would need to be chosen, giving the branch family a rare chance to gain influence.

Fortunately, Hinata had returned safely in the end.

After a moment's thought, Hiashi questioned his daughter about what had happened. When he learned that she'd simply wandered off out of boredom, he scolded her sternly. His frown deepened when she mentioned being bullied by a group of children.

Hinata had not yet entered the Academy, but Hiashi had already taught her the basics of chakra refinement and some gentle fist techniques. While she might not be able to handle adults, she should have been more than capable of dealing with children her own age.

In Hiashi's eyes, Hinata's troubles were partly her own fault. Her timid personality and lack of courage even in the face of bullies were worrisome. A gentle nature might be fine for an ordinary girl, but as the future head of the Hyūga clan and an aspiring ninja, Hinata would need a much stronger spirit.

Finally, when Hiashi heard Hinata mention a blond-haired boy, he fell silent in thought.

He was familiar with the rumors surrounding the "fox demon" boy in the village. He knew that the boy, with his blond hair and Uzumaki surname, was the Nine-Tails jinchuriki and the son of the Fourth Hokage and his wife.

If Hinata were to grow close to the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, perhaps it would ease concerns about the future of the clan's leadership. After all, in addition to Hinata, Hiashi's wife was currently pregnant again.