At dusk
Naruto and Tenten both glanced at Hinata's bowl.
They looked like they wanted to say something—maybe tease her appetite—but Katsumi Kei gave them a small shake of the head.
They stopped immediately.
Hinata had been eating happily, for once. Her normally anxious expression had been replaced with something soft, something content. If they pointed it out now, she might close up again.
'It's not worth it,' Kei thought. 'A girl's appetite isn't something that needs discussion, especially not hers.'
Not when her Byakugan was so pure that even Otsutsuki Toneri, from the moon, would one day call her the Byakugan Princess.
In the original timeline, Hinata never ate enough growing up—always too embarrassed, too restrained by her clan's expectations.
Even with that, she still awakened that power.
'If she has the freedom to grow properly... who knows? Maybe she'll reach the Tenseigan faster. More cleanly.'
Of course, that wasn't how the Tenseigan worked—not exactly. It required mixing Otsutsuki and Hyuga chakra.
{T/N: Don't worry, I'm not rewriting canon to say the Tenseigan comes from protein shakes. If it did, the Akimichi clan would be gods.}
But Kei still believed in this: with more food came more energy. With more energy came better physical development. That mattered.
Kekkei Genkai weren't just about bloodlines. They were about endurance. Control. Balance.
He thought of Uchiha Itachi—dying young, his Mangekyo pushing his body to its limits long before that final battle.
Kimimaro—collapsing mid-fight, not because he lost, but because his own body gave out.
Kurama Yakumo—brilliant, but broken. Her genjutsu potential was terrifying, but her body was too fragile to bear it. The result? Madness manifested as Id, the inner demon.
'Proper nutrition isn't everything, but it's the base layer. Without it, even a genius breaks.'
He fed Hayate another strip of grilled boar and ruffled the ninja dog's ears.
The sky darkened. Bellies were full. Kei packed away the grill while the others lazed by the fire.
"Alright," he said, "we should head back. Next time we have the chance, let's picnic again."
Naruto flopped backward with a groan. "Already? I just got comfortable!"
Tenten pouted. "I didn't even get dessert."
Hinata just looked quietly content. She nodded.
Kei smiled faintly. "I'll take you all home."
Tenten lived closest, so she was dropped off first. Naruto came next.
Finally, only Hinata remained.
Hayate picked up on Kei's intent and lowered himself so they could both climb on. The ride toward the Hyuga compound was silent but peaceful.
When they reached the gates, Kei slowed Hayate to a stop.
"We're here."
Hinata turned, offering a tiny smile. "Thank you, Kei-kun."
He nodded, then turned Hayate around and rode off.
Behind him, Hinata stood motionless until his silhouette disappeared.
She entered quietly.
From a window above, Hyuga Hiashi watched.
"She's too soft," he murmured. "Too kind. Not the right temperament for clan leadership."
He sighed. "Should I… consider another child?"
{T/N: Respect to the man: Considering a second kid like he's calling for backup.}
Hiashi didn't answer his own question. He just stared after his daughter.
At night – Katsumi Kei's Residence
Kei placed two scrolls on the table.
The first: [Shadow Clone Technique].
He unrolled it.
"Ninjutsu in this world really is absurd," he said aloud.
The Shadow Clone didn't just make a copy. It made a thinking copy. One that could train, study, even fight.
All memories returned on dispel.
'It's a cheat code with side effects.'
The memory load, chakra usage, and fatigue were real—but manageable.
And then there was the upgraded version: [Multiple Shadow Clone Technique].
Naruto had used that to accelerate at terrifying speed.
'My body isn't on the level of a Sage Body yet... but if I evolve my summons enough, if I sync with more of them, my physique will surpass it.'
'Then I'll use multiple clones too. And I'll do it better.'
He learned the jutsu in half an hour. No surprise—Kei's chakra control was elite.
Then came practice. He didn't take shortcuts.
'In battle, theory means nothing without instinct.'
Smoke burst beside him. Three clones appeared.
He nodded. "Let's begin."
Later
He opened the second scroll: [Wind Style: Breakthrough].
A basic jutsu, a simple blast of wind. But it had applications: disruption, projectile deflection, terrain control.
Within minutes, Kei had the hand seals memorized.
"Shadow Clone jutsu."
Three puffs.
"Start Wind Style training."
They spread out. Hand seals. Exhale. Refine.
The gusts came sharp and heavy—kicking up dust and leaves.
Kei observed.
'With [Wind Style Affinity] from Hayate, even a basic jutsu shows extra bite.'
Wind Style: Breakthrough felt closer to Wind Style: Great Breakthrough.
'And this is just the beginning. When Hayate evolves again… we'll unlock even more.'
His clones were still at it, perfecting every motion.
Kei crossed his arms, content.
"Let's see how far we can take this."
End of Chapter
....
Yo, so this chapter, while complete, had a couple of holes in it, especially around the whole Tenseigan thing, and no extra explanation was given.
I patched it a bit, and added the explanation regarding Itachi, Kimimaro, and Kurama Yakumo.
Please note that these are AU explanations, as Itachi Uchiha's sickness was never clearly explained, nor did we ever understand Kimimaro's.
But to complement the original author's writing, I added a bit of substance to their nutrition and energy argument for Kekkei Genkais.
Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading!