Hokage: I Traveled Through Time With The Tenseigan

After walking out of the headquarters, Sarutobi was soaked in the heavy rain and rubbed his face hard, turning his dark face red.

Why had he ended up in such a failed case?

He thought it was a good job, but it turned out to be a sinkhole, sandwiched between a group of powerful figures—no one inside or outside willing to help.

Phew...

Standing in the heavy rain and breathing heavily, Sarutobi tried hard to calm himself and keep his thoughts clear.

After standing in the rain for a long time, Sarutobi went to the medical room alone.

He planned to meet Shigeru in private and have a serious talk.

"We have guests," Orochimaru said with a faint smile, glancing at Sarutobi, who was dripping wet. He continued with a sly tone, "I remember you were the one in charge of guarding the old man's house. I didn't expect the old man would throw you to the front line."

"..."

Sarutobi was deeply embarrassed. He hadn't expected Shigeru to see him directly after being notified. The worst part was Orochimaru's presence.

Although their collaboration had ended, Orochimaru still liked to linger around Shigeru when there were no missions.

"Senior, what brings you here?" Shigeru asked, his tone indifferent. He glanced at the list in his hand, making no effort to invite Sarutobi to sit.

The reason for Sarutobi's visit was obvious.

Shigeru wasn't about to play nice.

Especially since Orochimaru had already hinted at Sarutobi's identity. The Sarutobi clan members assigned to the security detail of the Third Hokage's household were clearly not the clan's private forces but rather part of the village system.

The Third Hokage is truly cunning. Anbu hadn't been dispatched, but a member of the Sarutobi clan was sent on this thankless mission. Now Sarutobi himself had to bear the brunt of the situation.

It was obvious Sarutobi was now experiencing the pain of being caught between opposing forces.

Sarutobi sighed inwardly and vowed never to accept such a cursed mission again.

"A team from the Hyuga clan has gone missing from the camp, and one of the individuals is a main family member. Lord Hokage needs to provide an explanation to the Hyuga clan, so he ordered me to investigate."

Not bad, Shigeru thought, raising an eyebrow. Sarutobi had directly admitted his purpose, seemingly hoping for leniency.

The Hyuga clan losing people, including a main family member? That was no trivial matter.

Orochimaru's smile grew sharper. If the Third Hokage had sent someone to investigate the camp, it suggested the matter involved Shigeru.

"Is that so?" Shigeru asked with feigned surprise. "There are plenty of branch family members in the camp. Perhaps you can start by questioning them to see if they have any useful information."

After giving Shigeru a long, searching look, Sarutobi said, "Apologies for disturbing you." He turned and left decisively.

Once Sarutobi was out of earshot, Orochimaru chuckled. "He's a smart man. I expect he'll leave the camp soon and return to the village to absolve himself."

"He is indeed smart," Shigeru agreed with a nod.

Caught in a web of political checks and balances, why bother investigating? Sarutobi was clearly ready to wash his hands of the matter and act ignorant—just like the Nara clan often did.

"Shigeru-kun, it seems the Byakugan has remarkable research value," Orochimaru ventured, his tone probing.

If someone had gone missing in the camp, and Shigeru was involved, he likely had a pair of Byakugan—possibly an unsealed and pure one. The potential research value was immense.

In the past, Orochimaru had been fixated on the Sharingan, but now his attention was firmly on the Byakugan. Its secrets and connection to Shigeru made it irresistible.

However, obtaining the Byakugan was far more complicated. The main family was protected fiercely, and the Caged Bird Seal ensured the branch members' eyes became useless after death.

Unless Orochimaru targeted a very young child, Byakugan acquisition was near impossible.

"Maybe," Shigeru replied, not looking up from the supply list he was reviewing. He needed to ensure enough medical supplies were on hand and planned to request reinforcements from the village.

As for Orochimaru's probing? Shigeru neither admitted nor denied anything. If Orochimaru wanted Byakugan, he'd need to look elsewhere.

---

Back in his tent, Sarutobi instructed his team, "Rest for now. We'll continue the investigation tomorrow."

But deep down, Sarutobi had already given up. He planned to stall for a few days before returning to the village to report the case as unsolvable.

Trapped without cooperation, authority, or actionable evidence, it was an impossible mission.

Even if Shigeru was the primary suspect, without concrete proof, there was no way to act.

Suspicions alone mean nothing.

Sarutobi sighed. He resolved to never accept such a mission again.

---

When Sarutobi returned to the village, he went directly to the Hokage's office to report.

"All intelligence points to the camp's medical room, but we found no evidence and lacked the authority to interrogate suspects."

His tone was neutral and matter-of-fact.

It wasn't about incompetence—it was about lacking power.

"Understood. Thank you for your effort. Go rest," the Third Hokage said, not pressing Sarutobi further.

Because Sarutobi was right—without authority, no one could have cracked this case.

---

After Sarutobi left, the Third Hokage summoned the Hyuga clan leader to his office.

Hyuga Tennin arrived quickly, his expression calm but wary.

"My condolences," the Hokage said with a sigh.

"..."

Hyuga Tennin's face twitched. "So it's confirmed—they're dead?"

"Most likely." The Hokage's voice was somber.

"Tsunade restricted Anbu involvement, so I sent someone to investigate covertly. All signs point to Hyuga Shigeru, but my people lacked the authority to detain or interrogate him."

The Hokage's words were deliberate.

The implication was clear: If you want justice, handle it yourselves.

Shigeru was one of their own, after all.

As the meeting ended, the Hokage leaned back, his mind heavy with the knowledge that the political web of the Hyuga clan and Tsunade's influence would ensure this case went unresolved.

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