"Who's there? Get out!"
The moment the voice reached his ears, Hizashi Hyuga activated Byakugan without hesitation. To his shock, within his perception there was no one around except Neji Hyuga. The surroundings were empty, as if even Root itself had been cleared out.
There was only the sound of wind and rustling leaves, along with his own breathing and heartbeat. It was so quiet that even insects seemed to have vanished. Hizashi Hyuga scanned the area with Byakugan, but he could not find the source of the voice anywhere.
"Where are you looking?"
The hollow voice came again. This time Hizashi Hyuga heard it clearly and snapped his head around to look behind him. There was still no one there.
Trees stood silently before him, dense branches swaying in the wind. Shadows overlapped and shifted, making it seem as if countless figures were hidden among them. Then, soft and unhurried footsteps slowly reached his ears.
Even by sound alone, the steps carried an air of ease. Walking inside the Hyuga Clan Compound, a place filled with Byakugan, the owner of the footsteps moved as if strolling through a garden. Moments later, a figure emerged from the shadows, pitch black like spilled ink, yet spreading clearly within Hizashi Hyuga's Byakugan.
The figure stopped in front of him. Hizashi Hyuga focused his gaze beneath the black robe, as if trying to pierce through and examine every inch beneath the hood. Instead, there was only thick, surging darkness that swallowed his probing gaze without leaving even a trace behind.
A monster like an abyss. The thought appeared suddenly in his mind, and cold sweat slid down Hizashi Hyuga's temple. Someone who slipped into Konoha without a sound, ignored the Konoha Sensory Barrier, infiltrated the Hyuga Clan compound, and completely bypassed Byakugan.
The person stood right in front of him, yet he could not sense them at all. If the other had not spoken, they could have stood behind him, slit his throat, and he would never have noticed. Was this some kind of secret technique, or a type of Kekkei Genkai?
Even "Toton" should not be able to do this.
"Who are you?"
While frantically analyzing possibilities, Hizashi Hyuga spoke to buy time and slid his hand into his clothes to signal an intruder. His movement stopped instantly when the reply came.
"The moment you send a signal, I can cut your throat. Before reinforcements arrive, I would still have time to kill that child as well."
The words were calm and flat, yet packed with unmistakable killing intent. Hizashi Hyuga's body stiffened, and his hand froze in place. The strange way this person appeared, and the calm certainty in their voice, left no room for doubt.
With the ability to block perception so completely, if this person truly had the power to kill him instantly, they could leave without a trace. No one would ever know. So did they have that power?
After a brief silence, Hizashi Hyuga withdrew his hand and stared at the black figure. "What do you want?"
He did not dare to gamble. This person was far too strange. His own life did not matter, but Neji Hyuga was right behind him.
The fact that the other had not attacked meant they might not be here to kill. What Hizashi Hyuga could not know was that this terrifying black figure was someone he had met not long ago. The shadow, namely Ryuji, did not answer and simply looked at him.
Silence fell again between them. Only the wind through the leaves could be heard, along with Hizashi Hyuga's heavy breathing and quickening heartbeat. Just as the pressure peaked and his fingers twitched, ready to strike, the voice spoke again.
"You said that everything the child suffers will become a treasure that makes him stronger?"
The black figure finally spoke. The voice was still hoarse and unsettling, but Hizashi Hyuga felt a brief sense of relief. Though they stood at eye level, it felt as if the other was looking down on him, their gaze slowly sweeping over his body.
It was like invisible hands gripping every inch of his skin and tightening.
"What are you trying to say?" Hizashi Hyuga asked in a low voice, his remaining will to resist quietly fading.
"You are lying to yourself," Ryuji said calmly. "Suffering is just suffering. It is not worth praising, and it is not some precious wealth."
"Suffering only drains people and makes them sharp and extreme." A trace of mockery entered his tone as he continued, "Just like what your parents once did to you."
"They crushed your sense of right and wrong and stuffed their values, their lives, their world into your head. They demanded obedience and belittled you at every turn. They said this was right, they said this was your fate."
"When you struggled and resisted, they changed their faces. They shouted at you, cut off your hands and feet, and locked you in a cage. They hit you, cursed you, persuaded you, begged you, but never let you go."
"They said you were wrong, they said they were right, they said it was for your own good. So you gave up, and you joined them."
Watching Hizashi Hyuga's expression darken, Ryuji's words grew sharper. "Much later, you saw your child, just like the old you. You thought he would kneel and accept fate like a dog, just like you did. So you…"
"Enough!"
The low shout cut off the rest of the words. Each sentence had carved into Hizashi Hyuga's heart, leaving his whole body trembling. Every word dragged up memories, two blurred faces, and the voices that once came from their mouths.
"What do you know!" he snapped, teeth clenched, fear forgotten. "I, I did it for…"
The words caught in his throat, his Adam's apple moving slightly. For Neji Hyuga's sake? That was exactly what the other had said.
He suddenly turned pale, covering his mouth as a strong wave of nausea hit him. It was disgusting, not others, but himself. He did not want to admit that he truly could not understand Neji Hyuga's thoughts or his hatred.
It was he who had shown killing intent toward Hinata. It was he who was wrong. Yet now, he could not even understand the rebellious person he once was.
He had been born only fifteen minutes after his brother Hiashi Hyuga. Those fifteen minutes made him part of the Branch Family, branded with the Caged Bird Seal, stripped of self and freedom. He had resisted and questioned once, but now he only thought that this was simply fate.
When had it started? What exactly had he been doing?
"Some birds cannot be caged," Ryuji said softly. "Every feather shines with freedom, and they are born for the sky."
He lifted his foot and slowly walked closer, stopping beside Hizashi Hyuga. His voice carried a quiet lure as he spoke. "Hizashi Hyuga, tell me your choice."
"Will you choose to be a cruel executioner who breaks the wings of a bird reaching for the sky?"
"Or will you choose to be a father?"