Chapter 253. Explanation

Chapter 253. Explanation

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According to Hyuga Hanabi's decision:

First, gather intelligence, investigate Uchiha Yuto, and finally… determine his true motives or actual strength.

However—

Most of the information on Uchiha Yuto revolved around his business and personal life. There was not a single mention of any hidden abilities he might possess.

Was he hiding them well, or was she simply mistaken?

Uchiha Yuto—

Was he really just an ordinary businessman who went into trade right after graduating from the ninja academy?

Therefore—

Since she couldn't obtain more information… and, more importantly, she was alone in this strange and ever-changing Konoha, unable to confide in anyone, she had no choice but to rely on herself—by personally testing him.

Originally, according to her plan:

She would wait for an opportunity, lock onto Uchiha Yuto with her Byakugan when he was alone, then unleash the Hyuga Clan's signature taijutsu—Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms—without hesitation. With a sudden attack like that, Uchiha Yuto would be forced to react. If he had hidden strength, he would reveal it immediately. If not… she could still handle the situation. Then, whether to apologize or tie him up could be decided later.

However—

She never expected this!

She had locked onto him.

Just as she was about to land the first strike in her sneak attack, she was forced to stop.

Staring at the stack of explosive tags in front of her—

Hyuga Hanabi's mouth twitched slightly. She maintained her starting stance, hesitated for a moment, then sighed, saying, "Perhaps we should have a proper talk, Yuto-san."

At this point… they could either fight or sit down for a proper discussion.

With those words—

She withdrew her hands, clasped them together, and restored her elegant demeanor. Her red dress fluttered in the wind, and her pure, flawless Byakugan gazed calmly at Yuto.

…

Meanwhile.

Hyuga Suzune had returned home.

As she finished preparing dinner, she and Honoka waited for Yuto's return. Suzune frowned slightly as she glanced at the clock on the wall and muttered, "It's getting late… Was there something important to discuss at the Uchiha clan meeting tonight?"

Besides—

Hanabi had already come home with her. Why had she suddenly left without saying a word?

If she hadn't brought out the food earlier, she wouldn't even have noticed that someone was missing!

Hyuga Suzune furrowed her brows, rested her right hand on her chin, looked at the clock again, then gently rubbed Honoka's head, smiling. "If you're hungry, go ahead and eat first~ You have to go to the academy tomorrow!"

"I'm not hungry." Honoka shook her head, then thought for a moment and said, "Did Sister Hanabi go out with Uncle Yuto?"

As soon as those words fell—

Suddenly—

Suzune, who had been calm, froze for a moment. Then, her eyes narrowed slightly as she stood up with a bright smile. "Mom Suzune is going for a little walk. Honoka, make sure you eat properly~"

With that—

She gracefully took off her apron, put on her shoes, and walked out.

Leaving behind—

Honoka, staring in confusion as she watched Mom Suzune leave.

Why did Mom Suzune… also go out?

…

A possible parallel world.

Everything and everyone existed for real.

Hyuga Hanabi was momentarily stunned, but she quickly reacted.

The world was not the only one. People in the Ninja World had already theorized about this in the past, but she never expected that she would actually encounter it one day.

A world where—

Root's leader went bankrupt, the Third Hokage became a delivery man, the Fourth Hokage had a messy personal life, the Sixth Hokage became a Jinchuriki, and the Six Paths of Pain didn't sit in a wheelchair.

This is a bit weird no matter how you look at it!

Wait—

Suddenly—

Hyuga Hanabi recalled the First and Second Ninja World Wars and how, afterward, the Ninja World had begun exhibiting strange shifts…

And behind these shifts, the shadow of the Yuto Group seemed ever-present?!

Why was that?

For a moment, Hyuga Hanabi analyzed the intelligence she had gathered.

But before long—

She considered her own circumstances…

If the so-called Dragon Vein legend of time travel was merely a crossing between parallel worlds, jumping from one timeline to another, creating the illusion of time travel—

Then why did the ruins of the Ancient Kingdom of Roran contain the Fourth Hokage's seal?!

Perhaps…

Years ago, the Fourth Hokage had also crossed worlds through the Dragon Vein. And given his personality, if he believed that world to be either the past or the future… he would have chosen to forget the experience in order to avoid altering history.

At this moment—

She, the Fourth Hokage, and Uchiha Yuto…

Hyuga Hanabi suddenly felt like she had figured something out. She lifted her head abruptly and looked at Yuto, who was yawning in front of her. "So… you're actually like me! No, wait! You must have been to another timeline's parallel world before!"

"…"

"So that's why you know so much. You wanted to prevent the Uchiha tragedy from happening. No wonder the Yuto Group possesses so much technology that doesn't belong to this era."

"…You're right." Yuto's mouth twitched as he nodded seriously with a straight face.

However—

For Hyuga Hanabi, this wasn't the most important issue. Realizing she had already lingered here for too long, she anxiously asked, "Then how do I return to my own world?"

"The way you came is the way you go back." Yuto shrugged. "It should still rely on the Dragon Vein!"

Otherwise, the only alternative would be using the Otsutsuki Clan's secret treasures.

However—

The moment he said that—

Hyuga Hanabi fell silent. She had suspected the legend of the Dragon Vein before, wondering if she had actually traveled to the past, so she had deliberately gone to the Land of Wind to investigate.

But—

She shook her head with a bitter smile. "There's no Dragon Vein left there. The Dragon Vein… may have already dried up."

Could it be—

She was truly trapped here?

Or perhaps…

Everything was fake, and this world… was merely an illusion. The Uchiha Yuto before her was the mastermind behind it all, fabricating everything just to deceive her.

As soon as that possibility crossed her mind—

Hyuga Hanabi assumed a battle stance again and sternly said, "Yuto-san, my apologies!"

With those words—

She didn't hesitate.

She charged forward instantly.

Yuto was so startled he nearly jumped. "Hey, hey, what are you doing?! I'm hungry! I need to go home and eat dinner!"

What was this woman up to?

Did she think she had to defeat him in order to break some kind of illusion?

Was she seriously mistaking him for the final boss?!

…

A short while later.

Elsewhere.

Suzune was walking near the forest surrounding the Uchiha district. She had been planning to head there to ask why Yuto hadn't returned yet.

She had considered calling him—

But given that the Uchiha clan was having a meeting, what if an unexpected phone call interrupted something important?

So, since she was already passing by…

She might as well ask in person!

Taking a deep breath, she was just about to step into the forest, entering the Uchiha district's territory—

When suddenly—

Two figures emerged ahead of her.

She instantly froze.

Their clothes were disheveled, their faces flushed as if they had just been through some intense activity.

One of them looked utterly lost in thought. The other… looked completely helpless.

Suzune fell silent.

So.

What exactly had they just been doing in the woods?

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