Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Self-Doubt
Chapter 208: Self-Doubt
"Maybe... I can dispel this dark cloud."
Winter passes quietly, and spring rain always comes without warning.
As the patter of rain echoed gently, Hyuga Hiashi, Hinata, and Hanabi stood under the wooden corridor, sheltered from the downpour. Their eyes were fixed on the figure in the courtyard.
Wearing a loose white robe, Ryosuke stood at the center, gazing up at the sky blanketed by dark clouds.
A silvery glint shone in his eyes like stars shimmering in the night,subtle, yet profound.
When the dense rain fell, it seemed to be repelled by an invisible barrier. Not a drop touched his robe.
"Disperse," Ryosuke murmured, sensing something stir within him.
In that instant, the star-like pattern in his eyes began to rotate like gears. As his chakra surged and transformed into pure pupil power, the dark clouds looming over the Hyuga Clan seemed to be brushed aside by an unseen force like a giant hand pushing them away.
Light broke through.
Sunlight spilled across the land, falling onto Ryosuke’s form and wrapping him in warmth.
It felt... divine. Like omnipotence.
A surge of pride swelled in his chest. He clenched his fists, unable to contain his excitement. The desire to test his new strength against the mightiest of this world and others burned within him.
He could feel it. The raw, surging power flooding his body.
Just days ago, he had felt hollow like a shell of himself. Weak. Distant. As if his organs had been failing him, drained of vitality.
Now?
He turned to his family behind him. "I’ve become stronger again."
His three-year transformation had finally borne fruit tempered in agony and exhilaration.
Just as he had hoped, his Byakugan had evolved into the Tenseigan, on par with the legendary Rinnegan.
Chakra flowed abundantly within him.
If his chakra reserves were once a tranquil lake, now they surged like a river, deep and unending, more than enough to sustain the Tenseigan’s demands.
And not just chakra.
His muscle strength, reaction speed, and energy had all soared to new heights.
"i... awesome!" Hinata whispered in awe.
Hinata, Hanabi, and Hiashi stood frozen, their eyes wide with disbelief as they stared at the clear blue sky above their estate. Beyond the clan grounds, Konoha remained under the grip of storm clouds and heavy rain.
They looked back at Ryosuke.
"Are you... on the same level as the Sage of Six Paths?" Hinata asked, half-joking but fully stunned. She didn’t even bother comparing him to Hashirama or Madara she went straight to the myth.
Hanabi leapt to the ground and bounded up to him.
"You really were the one who dispersed the clouds, right?" she asked excitedly. "How did you do it? Was it like making a wish?"
Three questions in rapid fire.
Even Hiashi couldn’t help himself. He stepped forward, eyes fixed on Ryosuke, waiting for an answer.
What they had witnessed... was surreal.
There were techniques that could clear clouds or alter weather, wind release jutsu, or high-level chakra techniques with wide-ranging impact.
But this... this felt different.
There had been no theatrics, no chakra surge, no visible signs of jutsu.
It was as if the clouds had minds of their own and had obeyed Ryosuke’s quiet command.
Natural. Seamless.
Had they not been watching him, they might have believed it was just coincidence, a lucky weather pattern.
After all, split weather across a city wasn’t unheard of. One half drenched, the other bathed in sun.
But here?
"Six Paths Sage..." Ryosuke muttered, deep in thought. "I think it should be comparable."
Seeing he meant it, Hinata and the others burst out laughing.
The Sage of Six Paths was a myth—more legend than man. Not even the Hyuga clan’s ancient records held proof of his true strength.
Still, no one denied Ryosuke’s words.
He was their family. If he had reached such a level, they could only feel pride.
And though they laughed, Ryosuke understood they didn’t truly believe him. He didn’t press the issue.
After all, they had no way of measuring the Sage’s strength.
But Ryosuke did.
He had insight knowledge from another life, from the stories of Naruto, Madara, Kaguya.
He could measure the Sage’s feats, abilities, and divine power.
By lineage, he had the Teinseigan capable of controlling gravity, absorbing chakra.
The Six Paths Sage also had the Rinnegan, with similar powers.
Both bloodlines traced back to the Otsutsuki clan, making their abilities inherently alike.
In terms of skills, Ryosuke had mastered all five elemental chakra natures, along with Yin and Yang Release.
The Sage had done the same, pioneering the very system of ninjutsu.
If there was one clear advantage Ryosuke held, it was physical strength and the Navy Six Styles he had adapted to this world. His taijutsu was unique and formidable.
As for battle experience and intuition... he couldn’t say. That was something only combat would reveal.
Data was one thing. Victory was another.
"But still... twelve years have gone by," Ryosuke murmured, staring at the three smiling faces in front of him.
The spring sun warmed his skin. The breeze rustled through the treetops.
Peaceful. Gentle.
This moment reminded him how far he’d come.
Twelve years wasn’t just growth it was his rebirth.
Looking at Hiashi, Ryosuke bowed slightly. "Father, I think I need to rest. With all these changes lately, I feel drained physically and mentally."
Hiashi nodded quickly. "Go ahead and rest. I’ll have someone call you for dinner."
They were family. No strict rules here.
With a grateful nod, Ryosuke turned and headed into the house.
But just as he was about to lie down, a voice came from behind the door.
"Can I come in?" Hinata asked softly.
She had followed him.
Opening the door, Ryosuke looked at her, confused. "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing," she replied, eyes gentle. "It’s just... your expression earlier. You looked like you were troubled."
Stepping into the house, Hinata skillfully entered the inner room and sat down on his bed once again.
"Come over," she said, waving to Ryosuke with a gentle expression.
Ryosuke walked over reluctantly. He already knew what she was planning, so he picked up a pillow and placed it beside her. "I’d better not lie on your legs. If I accidentally fall asleep, you won’t wake me up."
As he spoke, he took off his shoes, got onto the bed, and lay down beside her.
A moment later, he felt a pair of slightly rough, yet gentle hands rest on his forehead. Her fingers began kneading slowly, rhythmically.
"Sometimes I wonder," she said softly, "if you’d been born in an era of absolute peace, maybe your hands wouldn’t be so rough from all the ninja training."
Ryosuke closed his eyes, sinking into the comfort of her touch. He whispered, "Your hands should be as soft as a baby’s smooth, delicate, and warm. They weren’t meant for holding kunai or wielding weapons. When they touch me... they should be gentle, not hardened by calluses."
This wasn’t the first time they had shared such quiet intimacy.
Ever since that night when Ryosuke had fallen asleep under Hinata’s massage, the two of them would occasionally lie together and talk softly, soaking in the rare peace moments like these offered.
Most of the time, Ryosuke ended up drifting off mid-conversation.
Yet Hinata never seemed upset. She would just sit there, massaging his forehead, her tone tender and patient. "So, your type is the refined, elegant noblewoman? The kind raised on culture and etiquette?"
"No..."
Ryosuke shook his head lightly. "You’re my type."
He paused, then added, "It’s just... sometimes, I wish you didn’t have to be so tired. Maybe in another world, one untouched by war there could be peace and quiet, a simpler life."
"If I were born in such a world, I think I’d like it," he said quietly.
Hinata smiled faintly. "But... I don’t think you could handle it."
Though her words were blunt, her heart swelled with warmth.
"I can’t imagine you living such a boring life. Training, growth that’s become part of who you are. It’s deeply woven into your soul, isn’t it?"
"...Maybe."
Ryosuke answered with his eyes still shut. But he wasn’t really sleeping.
Truthfully, he wasn’t even that tired. These transformations he’d undergone hadn’t drained him; instead, they seemed to refresh his body and soul, clearing his fatigue and injecting renewed strength.
He didn’t want to rest because of exhaustion; he just wanted time to think.
Twelve years had passed...
He stared inward, lost in thought.
There was once a time when he’d lived in the kind of world Hinata described as a peaceful, uneventful existence, with no life-threatening danger or bloodshed. And back then, he’d been used to it.
But now?
Now, after everything he’d experienced... After tasting the thrill of training, of progress, of life-and-death struggle it would be impossible to go back.
He could never return to that aimless, routine existence. His mentality had changed. His entire being had evolved beyond worrying about jobs or saving for a mortgage. That life simply no longer meant anything to him.
And yet...
"If I hadn’t come here... would this world still be the same?"
A ripple of unease stirred in his heart.
His thoughts wandered back to his past life, the one that had ended before he found himself in this one.
The twelfth year was important.
It was the year the Naruto story was meant to begin when Uzumaki Naruto and his classmates would graduate from the Academy and start their journeys as real shinobi.
Three years later, Naruto Shippuden would begin. The rise of a true hero.
But because of Ryosuke’s arrival, everything had changed.
Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke had graduated early.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was supposed to die this year, had already passed away several years prior.
And the entire ninja world... it had taken a completely different shape.
Great nations and small ones had begun forming alliances.
Even the Raikage of the Hidden Cloud Village had been replaced.
But the most drastic change of all—the Hidden Rain Village had been destroyed.
Akatsuki, the most powerful organization in the shinobi world, which was meant to debut years later, had been exposed prematurely. Their plans were forced into motion far too early.
The entire timeline had collapsed.
Ryosuke could no longer use the canon plot as a guide. Everything was uncertain.
He could still analyze characters based on their abilities from the original story, but the actual outcomes? They were unpredictable now.
Thankfully, he had enough power to hold the reins of fate.
But even so... the world refused to let him hold those reins so easily.
New figures outsiders had begun appearing.
Unfamiliar faces, unknown powers.
Their presence disrupted the order he’d built, scattering pieces across the board and threatening the balance he tried to maintain.
He had no choice but to keep growing stronger.
He had to use every spare moment to improve himself, both in skill and wisdom.
Because no matter how much he enjoyed training... the feeling of being manipulated that was something he could never get used to.
Yes... Ryosuke felt it.
Lately, something had changed.
An unseen force seemed to be guiding events. Not in an overtly hostile way... but with a curious, almost playful malice.
It wasn’t throwing god-tier enemies at him out of nowhere. No, it was subtle. It gave him time to grow. Time to adapt.
Then it pushed harder.
Each enemy stronger than the last... each challenge more dangerous.
And Ryosuke, despite everything, couldn’t stop himself from thinking.
He was a logical person. He couldn’t ignore the patterns.
"If I can travel to a manga world like Naruto... then why couldn’t I be a character in someone’s fanfiction?"
The thought crept into his mind like a whisper.
He’d lived through the digital age an era saturated with entertainment. Web novels, anime, isekai, system-based stories... he’d consumed them all.
Was it so strange to wonder if this was a fan work?
If he wasn’t the protagonist of the original tale... maybe he was the protagonist of an entirely new one.
Maybe the plot demanded his struggle. His presence.
And that’s why things kept getting harder.
Some wild ideas flared up in Ryosuke’s mind, but he didn’t dismiss them as madness.
He was thinking clearly. Logically.
"Maybe... someone is writing this down right now," he mused.
"Maybe my thoughts, these exact thoughts are being turned into some cold, reflective narrative text."
"Maybe there’s a reader complaining about this part."
He chuckled internally.
[TL: Wtf]
"But if that’s true... would they delete me if I said something wrong?"
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