Just as Satoru had predicted, news of the Hyuga Clan's "fire at the Main Family" spread through Konoha like wildfire the very next morning.
Though the blaze itself had only scorched a side building and caused no casualties, many of the older clan members whispered of it as an "ominous sign."
Yes—even in the world of shinobi, superstition was alive and well.
With most of the clan's elite having left for the frontlines, anxiety was already festering among those who remained.
Now, after this sudden fire, that anxiety only deepened, turning into murmurs of unease and fearful gossip.
Satoru and Hyuga Kazutaka discussed the matter at length, but even after several rounds of deliberation, they found no real solution.
They weren't gods—they couldn't control what the people thought.
All they could do was maintain stability and act as though nothing had happened.
After all… it was just an accident.
That was the official conclusion of the investigation, conducted by Kazutaka and several branch-family guards.
No traces of an incendiary device were found, no foreign chakra signatures detected—no signs of an intruder.
With no other explanation available, the fire could only be attributed to one thing: faulty wiring.
Though the Hyuga compound retained its traditional wooden architecture and joinery, it had long since adopted the conveniences of modern electricity.
Even though the burnt building had been unused for years, the circuits running through it were still live.
With nothing else to go on, Kazutaka and the investigation team decided it must've been an electrical accident.
Satoru accepted the report.
A few days later, the site—still cordoned off—was handed over to a group of craftsmen to be rebuilt.
Leaving the damage unattended was out of the question, especially since the Main Family represented the clan's prestige.
Even if the room would no longer be used, it had to be restored.
The Hyuga hired nine carpenters in total—three master builders and six apprentices.
The Hyuga were known throughout the village as one of Konoha's great families; working for them meant good pay and steady meals.
By the third day after the fire, the team had arrived.
The project would take an estimated month and a half to complete, since the traditional wooden mortise-and-tenon structure needed to be replicated exactly.
Kazutaka was placed in charge of supervising the entire restoration.
When the workers arrived at the site, Kazutaka greeted them with his usual polite composure and gathered them together for a briefing.
"Gentlemen, before you begin, I have a few things to make clear."
"For your own safety, I strongly advise you not to wander around the compound."
"The Hyuga are a shinobi clan—there are traps and hidden mechanisms throughout the grounds. Triggering one by accident could cost you your life."
"Your meals, snacks, and tea will all be provided by our kitchen staff. If you encounter any issues during your work, speak to me directly."
"I will be your sole point of contact. Understood?"
Kazutaka's tone was firm, his eyes sweeping over the group.
Of course, the talk about "traps" was mostly nonsense. The main compound wasn't booby-trapped—it was no different from any other large estate.
But the warning served its purpose: to keep the workers' curiosity in check.
Even with most of the clan's guards deployed, there were still areas within the Hyuga estate that had to remain private.
Overall, Kazutaka wasn't particularly suspicious of the craftsmen.
They were locals—familiar faces from Konoha's artisan quarter—and that made them seem trustworthy enough.
As Kazutaka finished his speech, a man among the workers—a tall, lean youth with gray hair—raised his hand.
He looked to be about twenty-six or twenty-seven, his muscles taut and wiry under his plain work clothes.
Kazutaka nodded at him.
"You have a question?"
The young man scratched the back of his head a little awkwardly.
"Ah, yes, sir. Um… where should we go if we need to, uh, use the restroom?"
A practical question.
At least it showed he'd taken Kazutaka's warnings to heart—he didn't want to wander off and risk triggering any "traps."
Kazutaka chuckled softly.
"Good question. There's an outhouse to the south of the compound—just outside the gate. I'll show you the way shortly."
"The materials for reconstruction are already being prepared. For today, I'll walk you through the area first."
"After that, please start by clearing the debris. We can't rebuild until the site's been cleaned out."
The workers nodded and set to work.
Kazutaka, now acting as supervisor, took a seat on a small stone bench at the edge of the courtyard.
The winter sunlight was warm, and before long, the young Hyuga found his eyelids growing heavy.
Maybe it was exhaustion from days of assisting Satoru's training, or maybe it was just the comfort of the sunlight, but before he knew it, Kazutaka drifted off to sleep.
In his dream, he saw himself deeply trusted by the Main Family.
The young master, Hyuga Satoru, personally taught him secret techniques—he rose in prestige, his name spoken with respect throughout the clan.
Even the girl he admired confessed her feelings to him.
They married under the blessings of their kin and lived happily ever after—a perfect life.
It all felt so real.
Kazutaka smiled faintly in his sleep, a trace of drool at the corner of his mouth.
He didn't know how long he'd been asleep when he suddenly jerked awake.
The sun was already high.
Standing in front of him was the same gray-haired worker, watching him a little nervously.
"Hmm? What is it?"
Kazutaka blinked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, still half-lost in his dream.
"S-sir," the man said, "my foreman asked me to check—when will lunch be served?"
"Ah!" Kazutaka slapped his forehead. "Right, of course. Sorry, I must've dozed off."
"Take a break, wash up, and I'll check with the kitchen."
Still yawning, he left to ensure the workers' meal was delivered.
Everything went smoothly through the rest of the day.
By afternoon, the burnt furniture had been cleared, and the workers began dismantling the damaged structure.
Kazutaka stayed alert this time, observing every step of the process.
By late afternoon, the day's work wrapped up without a hitch.
Tired but satisfied, Kazutaka dismissed the crew and returned home.
He barely made it through the door before collapsing onto his futon, utterly spent.
And as sleep took him again, his mind wandered back to that dream—the one where he was trusted, admired… loved.
Maybe, he thought hazily, if he was lucky, he might find that dream again tonight.
His breathing slowed. The room filled with the soft rhythm of his snores.
Then—something dark began to seep out of his body.
A black haze, subtle at first, coiling upward like smoke, then spreading until it wrapped his entire form in shadow.
Still asleep, Kazutaka's face twisted in terror. His limbs twitched violently, as though he were fighting unseen enemies in his dreams.
Whatever he saw in that dream—it was no longer pleasant.
Winter nights came early.
By six o'clock, darkness had swallowed the village.
After a long day of training, Satoru left the dojo, a towel draped around his neck.
As he stepped into the corridor, he caught sight of a familiar figure standing in the dim light.
"Kazutaka?"
Behind him, Keisuke called out cheerfully,
"Hey, how's the repair work going? Everything on schedule?"
But Kazutaka didn't answer.
His head hung low, his body unnaturally still.
"Hey, Ka—"
Before Keisuke could finish, Shisui and Kakashi stepped in front of Satoru, their expressions sharpening.
They could feel it—a strange, foul chakra in the air.
Keisuke tensed, crouching slightly.
And then, Kazutaka's head snapped up.
Without a word, he lunged forward.
As he charged, his body swelled grotesquely—muscles bulging, veins twisting beneath his skin.
Dark chakra smoke coiled around him, and within moments, the man's frail form had become that of a monstrous brute clad in black armor.
A massive battle axe materialized in his hands as he roared and swung it downward.
Keisuke barely had time to react before the strike connected—the blow slammed into his guard with overwhelming force, hurling him bodily across the courtyard.
Satoru's eyes widened.
Kazutaka—no, the thing that had been Kazutaka—stood before them, cloaked in darkness, eyes burning red beneath his brow.
With a guttural snarl, he raised the axe again and charged straight for Satoru.
"He's been possessed!" Kakashi shouted.
"Protect Satoru!"
Kakashi drew his short blade, intercepting the attack—but the moment steel met steel, his weapon snapped clean in two.
The impact forced him back, boots skidding against the floor.
Shisui shoved Satoru backward, dodging the next swing by inches.
Satoru landed lightly several meters away, eyes narrowing as the monstrous Kazutaka smashed through the floorboards with another thunderous blow.
"Don't kill him," Satoru commanded coolly.
"Just restrain him."
Keisuke, groaning as he picked himself up, gritted his teeth and joined Kakashi and Shisui, the three of them moving in unison to surround their possessed comrade.
And in the flickering lamplight of the Hyuga compound, the once-quiet night exploded into chaos once more.
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