Chapter 58: Preparations for Tsunade's Return to the Village - The White Eyed Princess of Konoha

Chapter 58: Preparations for Tsunade's Return to the Village Hiashi Hyuga felt a profound sense of relief. Initially, when he received Tokuma Hyuga's report that Hinata had taken the clan's sealing scrolls to the Land of Waves with the intent of sealing seafood, he almost thought she had lost her wits. Managing a large ninja clan requires not only immense strength but also a knack for accumulating wealth. After all, the Hyuga clan, with over a thousand mouths to feed, depended on their leader for sustenance. Although sealing scrolls were not of significant concern for the Hyuga family, their value far exceeded that of mere seafood. This was high-tech ninja world equipment, brimming with technical rigor. Such extravagance! However... when Hinata returned with fresh seafood from the Land of Waves, the first thing she did was present gifts to various families. Although seafood itself wasn't of significant value, Hinata was just a twelve-year-old child. What she gave was from the heart. As the saying goes, "A goose feather sent from afar is a token of deep affection." Hinata's act of bringing back local specialties from the Land of Waves as presents upon her return from a mission demonstrated she had everyone in her thoughts. After discovering his elder daughter's remarkable diplomatic capabilities, Hiashi Hyuga was nothing short of delighted. Knowing the future of the Hyuga clan was in Hinata's capable hands, he could rest easy. Throughout the day, Hinata received endless praise and went home thoroughly content. ... When Hanabi finished school and Neji returned from his assignment, Hinata called them to her courtyard for a seafood self-serve party. Well, it was self-serve in name only, as none of Hinata, Hanabi, or Neji knew how to cook, let alone prepare seafood. In the end, Hinata went out of her way to hire a chef, allowing Neji and Hanabi to enjoy a hot meal of seafood. Sitting next to Hanabi, Hinata helped her handle some of the tricky seafood and asked, "Hanabi, does it taste good?" "Mm!" Hanabi nodded vigorously, smiling at Hinata, "Thank you, sister." With the conversation flowing, Hinata began to boast, "Let me tell you, this time when I went to the Land of Waves, I almost couldn't come back." "What?" Hanabi's mouth gaped slightly, clutching Hinata's arm with a worried look. Pinching Hanabi's cheek playfully, Hinata continued, "Do you know who I encountered? The infamous rogue ninja from the Mist Village, Zabuza Momochi—once one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist." "We were doing this and that... and barely managed to defeat Zabuza, even bringing his decapitating knife back to the village." "It was grueling!" Hanabi gazed at Hinata with admiration. Her sister was truly incredible! Neji listened quietly to Hinata's tale. He could swear Zabuza met a gruesome end. Otherwise, Hinata wouldn't claim it was such a strenuous battle; she would boast she dispatched him effortlessly. The harder an endeavor, the simpler Hinata made it sound; the simpler the task, the more difficult she portrayed it. After glorifying herself, Hinata turned to Neji with innocence in her eyes, "Neji brother, how have you all been lately? I've heard Might Guy is quite the formidable ninja." Neji, sensing the situation, avoided boasting, as Hinata had just been lauding herself. What she wanted was not more boasting from him. He replied nonchalantly, "We've been occupied with D-rank missions in the village, quite monotonous." Satisfied, Hinata nodded, adding, "Our Team 7 just defeated Zabuza and we need a break. I suspect we’ll be doing D-rank missions soon too. Looks like we'll be seeing each other often." Neji withheld the fact that Might Guy had taken on another C-rank mission and they would depart the next day. Eyes shining, Hanabi admired Hinata, her favorite storyteller. After a fulfilling seafood feast, life continued. The next morning, Team 7 assembled promptly to undertake their D-rank mission journey. The decapitating knife had been handed over by Kakashi to the village. Despite its significance as one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen blades from the Mist, the overall relationship between Konoha and the Mist necessitated its return with a request for some compensations. After all, it was peacetime. Of course, Konoha could keep the blade if there was a ninja within the village who could wield it. Speaking of the Mist Village reminded Hinata of Ao, Mei Terumi's guard. Regardless of how Ao obtained the Byakugan, as the heir to the Hyuga clan's main family, Hinata felt obligated to reclaim it. Moreover, it had to be done before the Five Kage Summit in three years. Although Hinata could suggest to the village trading the decapitating knife for the Byakugan with the Mist, the Mist might not agree. For a ninja village, the strategic value of the Byakugan indisputably surpassed that of the decapitating knife. Reclaiming Ao's Byakugan was the first proactive effort Hinata wanted to undertake since arriving in the ninja world, and it was her responsibility. Life resumed the rhythm it had just after graduation, with daily D-rank missions and the remainder spent on personal training. According to the timeline, the Chunin Exams were fast approaching, and Orochimaru's plan for the destruction of Konoha was imminent. Hinata had no intention of mentioning this in advance; even if she did, given her low standing, no one might believe her. Hinata, although wishing to remain a genin and retire before the impending ninja war three years later, knew her role required participating in the Chunin Exams. Hinata not only had to become a jonin but also had to emerge as a renowned ninja world strength, fulfilling Hiashi Hyuga's expectations. If she was to partake in the Chunin Exams, things needed proactive planning. During the second phase of the exams, Hinata aimed to avoid confrontation with Orochimaru; he was no rookie village boss like Zabuza. Hinata was genuinely outmatched against him. She possessed enough self-awareness for that realization. Thus, devising a strategy to steer clear of Orochimaru was imperative. Then, when Orochimaru's plan to destroy Konoha commenced, she would promptly return to the Hyuga family to protect them. Once the Third Hokage perished, Tsunade would become the Fifth Hokage of the Leaf Village... Wait, Tsunade? Hinata slapped her thigh in revelation, remembering the crucial matter she'd overlooked. The legendary jackpot Tsunade would be returning to Konoha as the Hokage, what preparation did she need? Duh, brush up on gambling skills, of course! If she didn't win millions or even billions off Tsunade, how could she justify fattening her wallet? With the esteemed wealth of the Senju family and the village treasury, as long as Tsunade remained Hokage, Hinata had the opportunity to skillfully siphon these funds into her purse through gambling. "Tokuma Hyuga." "Yes, Lady Hinata!" "I have a task for you: swiftly find me a gambling expert to tutor me!" "What?" Tokuma Hyuga thought to himself, "This must be promptly reported to Lord Hiashi."