The two Hyuga Clan heads, Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hizashi, had each led their elite forces to the battlefield. Their departure left the once-bustling Hyuga estate eerily quiet.
The weak winter sunlight fell upon the courtyard, slowly melting the mounds of snow that had built up over the past few days.
A sharp, biting wind swept through the air, making the already desolate main compound feel even colder and lonelier.
That morning, Hyuga Satoru rose as usual and "locked" himself inside the dojo.
Despite the recent upheavals within the Hyuga Clan, his daily training remained perfectly steady. Anyone who saw him could sense that deep, calm composure emanating from him—an aura of utter stillness.
Inside the dojo, Uchiha Shisui stood opposite him as his sparring partner, holding a blunt kunai as they exchanged strikes.
In one corner, Hatake Kakashi sat cross-legged by the wall, silently observing the match.
He had seen everything that had unfolded within the Hyuga Clan lately. Through his time serving as Satoru's assigned guard, Kakashi had gained a much deeper understanding of the Hyuga's complex family system—and he knew exactly what kind of burden this boy carried on his shoulders.
With both Hiashi and Hizashi gone, Satoru now had to shoulder the entire clan's responsibilities. For someone his age, that was an overwhelming weight. Even as an outsider, just imagining it made Kakashi feel breathless. Yet the boy before him remained composed and steady, as calm as ever.
That serenity made Kakashi regard him with even greater respect.
Satoru's path of growth was completely different from his own.
Kakashi had been surrounded by loneliness as a child; Satoru, on the other hand, had been surrounded by expectation and duty.
But the pressure that came with such duty and expectation could be far heavier than loneliness ever was.
Kakashi had grown up through solitude.
Satoru, however, was growing up beneath the crushing weight of the Hyuga Clan's destiny.
No one knew how much time had passed before the dojo doors slid open.
Hyuga Hizashi entered with Hyuga Neji at his side. Without interrupting the match, they greeted Kakashi quietly and took seats in a corner to watch.
Hizashi was now one of Satoru's closest confidants, entrusted by both Hiashi and Hizashi before their departure to protect and guide the boy during their absence.
As Satoru's uncle, he took that duty seriously, doing his utmost to accompany him through these difficult times.
To make sure Satoru didn't feel too alone, he had also brought young Neji along—hoping the boy could learn, grow, and one day become a pillar of strength for the clan.
Unlike Hinata—who as Main Family would never bear the seal— Neji—one year older—had already received his mark last year.
Although he knew what the seal represented, he had never seen its power in action. Without that firsthand understanding, he couldn't truly comprehend what it meant to be bound by it.
And without understanding, there was no hatred.
Neji's nature was kind, earnest, and full of potential.
Watching Satoru sparring with Shisui, his eyes shone with admiration. Under his father's influence, his sense of loyalty toward the clan was strong, and Satoru's brilliance gave him a clear goal to pursue.
His dream was simple—to become a genius ninja as great as Hyuga Satoru.
Within that dojo, it felt as if they existed in their own little world.
The rumors and shifting politics of Konoha didn't reach them here. No matter what happened outside, Satoru remained focused solely on his own path.
And that quiet determination of his had begun to influence others within the clan.
Although many of the Hyuga's elite forces had left, life within the compound continued as normal. The people's initial anxiety over the future gradually eased.
Despite the absence of their leaders, no chaos had erupted, no enemies had taken advantage.
The Hyuga household remained stable—and that stability surprised quite a few observers.
Deep within one of Root's secret bases, Danzo Shimura sat behind a desk, frowning as he flipped through documents concerning the Hyuga Clan.
Over decades, he had collected extensive intelligence on them—and what he saw confirmed his long-held belief: the Hyuga Clan was rife with internal tension.
The perpetual divide between the Main Family and the Branch Family was a deep, structural weakness.
That fracture had long been part of Danzo's plan—to weaken the Hyuga from within.
His goal was simple: if the Branch grew stronger while the Main weakened, the clan would turn inward, too busy with its own strife to aid the Fourth Hokage in consolidating power within the village.
And while things had been moving in that direction, the results weren't what he'd hoped for.
After analyzing the reports, Danzo finally identified the problem.
"The Hyuga Main Family… is still too strong."
"Even with Hiashi and Hizashi gone, that boy's presence alone keeps them stable."
"A clan like that… will one day disrupt the village's balance—and sow the seeds of chaos."
"I cannot allow that to happen."
He lifted his gaze.
"Yunkai, I'm entrusting this mission to you."
"I've heard Hyuga Hiashi still has a daughter… I think she'd make an excellent heir. Having her succeed the Hyuga bloodline would be far better for the village."
From the shadows, a masked ANBU wearing a Shinigami mask stepped forward silently, stopping before Danzo's desk.
Danzo slid a dossier across the table—its cover marked with a bold red X. His tone was cold and deliberate.
"If you fail… you know what must be done."
His sharp eyes locked onto the masked man. The operative gave a wordless nod, accepted the dossier, and committed the face on the page to memory.
The target was Hyuga Satoru.
Konoha was not a small village, but its power structure was already well-defined. There was no room left for a great clan rising too quickly.
Compared to the proud yet stagnating Uchiha, it was this young Hyuga genius—master of the Flying Thunder God Technique—who now drew Danzo's ire.
"Understood, Danzo-sama."
The man called Kurama Yunkai replied softly—and vanished into the darkness.
Among all of Danzo's Root operatives, Kurama Yunkai was one of his most trusted, a shinobi whose loyalty and capability were beyond question.
If anyone could complete such a difficult mission, it was him.
That night, a cold wind whispered through the Hyuga compound.
A single spark of fire fell silently onto the paper-screen window of a side building.
In an instant, the flame caught, spreading hungrily across the dry wooden frame until it roared into a blazing inferno.
By the time the fire consumed half the empty house, Hyuga guards finally noticed and struck the wooden alarm blocks, alerting the entire estate.
Hyuga residences, built in traditional wooden joinery, burned fast and were difficult to extinguish once ignited.
The guards rushed in from all directions, forming bucket lines to douse the flames as best they could.
For all their skill in taijutsu, fighting fire was a clumsy affair.
On a rooftop a hundred meters away, a silver-gray-haired young man watched through a telescope.
In his left hand he held a sketchbook. On one open page, a hand-drawn "fire scene" matched perfectly with the burning courtyard before him.
"Twelve visible guards… and that's not counting the hidden sentries."
"Their response time is incredible. Less than two minutes, and the first squad's already on-site."
"With security that tight, eliminating a Hyuga tokubetsu jonin in that window would be almost impossible…"
Muttering to himself, the gray-haired youth lowered the telescope, closed the sketchbook, and disappeared into the night.
Thanks to the clan's quick response, the flames were soon brought under control.
Hyuga Satoru arrived shortly after, but Kakashi and Shisui had beaten him there. Kakashi was already assisting with a Water Release technique, helping to douse the remaining embers.
When the Branch Family members saw Satoru approach—still in his nightclothes—they immediately bowed.
"Satoru-sama, we're terribly sorry for disturbing your rest."
Though young, Satoru was still addressed respectfully as sama by the branch members.
"What happened?"
As he spoke, his Byakugan activated, scanning the area.
The building that burned was an unused guesthouse—empty for years. With no open flames allowed there, it shouldn't have been possible for a fire to start.
His first thought was arson.
Yet after carefully inspecting with his Byakugan, he found no traces of an ignition source—no oil, no seals, no residue.
And given the lack of any signs of infiltration, it was unlikely someone had used a Fire Release jutsu.
The guards confirmed his suspicions.
"We're not sure… The fire started suddenly."
"We haven't found the cause yet, but it looks like an accident."
"Our patrol teams have been monitoring the grounds all night—no intruders."
Their statements were consistent. The blaze had come out of nowhere.
Satoru nodded, glancing at the charred remains of the side house with a weary sigh.
Repairs would be troublesome.
In all his life, this was the first time he'd ever seen a fire within the Hyuga estate. With both clan heads away, the timing was especially unfortunate—rumors were sure to spread, and that was the last thing he wanted.
"Koko, investigate the cause thoroughly," he ordered his guard.
"Seal off this area for two days. Once we confirm the cause, bring in the village craftsmen for repairs."
"The weather's been dry lately—everyone, be cautious with open flames."
After giving his instructions, Satoru waved for them to continue cleanup. He thanked the guards for their hard work, as well as Shisui and Kakashi for their help.
Just as he was about to head back to rest, Shisui suddenly paused, eyes narrowing as he examined the charred floorboards.
Kakashi called out to him—but Shisui didn't respond right away.
He simply stood there, brows furrowed, gazing silently at the scorched ground before finally turning away to follow.
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