After today, with the Uchiha Clan's downfall, the Hyuga Clan had solidified its position as Konoha's strongest clan. No longer would anyone be able to challenge their status.
Only the ten individuals seated in the front row, closest to Hiashi, maintained composure.
"Thankfully, none of them are fools!" This thought brought Hiashi a measure of satisfaction.
It was often said that the Uchiha Clan was arrogant, but the Hyuga Clan was much the same, albeit less extreme.
After all, Konoha's education system, including that of the Hyuga Clan, was designed to cultivate killing machines. The cultural knowledge they learned was combat-focused, making it unrealistic to expect deep critical thinking from them.
Fortunately, over the past eight years, Hiashi had managed to identify and promote some capable individuals within the clan.
However, for the majority of his contemporaries, he had long abandoned any hope of them becoming more than useful tools.
The next item on the agenda—the key point of the meeting—was the distribution of the Uchiha Clan's legacy.
The Uchiha Clan's legacy was substantial, and its allocation was far too complex to be explained in a few words.
Though the Hyuga Clan now operated as a one-man show under Hiashi's authority, his prestige wasn't solely built on military might. Madara's failure had already proven that path futile.
Instead, Hiashi primarily bound everyone to him through shared interests and benefits.
Regarding the Garrison, Hiashi had his own plans and bypassed discussion, issuing a direct command,
"Hizashi, Tokuma, Himonto, Takashi, Iroha, I entrust the Garrison's affairs to you. You have three days to arrange everything."
"Understood, Clan Head!"
The remaining matters, however, required prolonged debate among the group before a barely satisfactory solution emerged.
By the time Hiashi had finalized everything, it was already late in the day.
After instructing everyone to keep their mouths shut and avoid discussing the Uchiha Clan, the meeting adjourned.
As the attendees dispersed, Hiashi didn't return to his secondary residence but went straight home. The previous night, he had promised his wife, Orina, that he would be home to rest tonight, and it had indeed been several days since he'd spent quality time with his two daughters.
Despite the recent massacre of the Uchiha Clan, the surface of Konoha remained calm and peaceful, a facade of tranquility.
As Hiashi stepped into his expansive courtyard, he saw two young girls sparring on the lawn. Their Byakugan activated, chakra radiating from their bodies as they exchanged punches and palm strikes.
Though they appeared to be only seven or eight years old, their delicate features already hinted at their future beauty. One wore light purple training gear, while the other was clad in beige. Their movements were fluid and vigorous, each strike accompanied by beads of sweat and a fierce intensity in their eyes.
Hiashi didn't interrupt his daughters' training, instead observing them carefully from the sidelines.
It was clear that Hanabi, the younger sister in the beige training gear, was outperforming Hinata, despite being a year younger. In terms of mastery of Gentle Fist, chakra control, and the quality and quantity of their chakra, Hanabi held a slight advantage.
This disparity was inevitable.
Although both daughters inherited the Hyuga Clan's exceptional power, when Oriana was pregnant with Hinata, Hiashi possessed only the top-tier Hyuga bloodline. However, when she was pregnant with Hanabi, he already carried the combined power of both the Hyuga and Uzumaki bloodlines.
This meant that Hinata and Hanabi were born on different starting lines.
Yet in terms of effort, Hanabi was no less diligent than her older sister. This had led to the current situation.
Hanabi was also the first to discover her father.
"Father!"
Hanabi's face, which had been brimming with murderous intent moments before, instantly transformed into a radiant smile. After a single, serious strike that sent her sister reeling, she extended her small hands and ran toward Hiashi.
Hiashi didn't disappoint his youngest daughter. He swept her into his arms and affectionately stroked her hair.
Turning toward Hinata, he saw the girl frozen in place, her face a mix of shock and resentment. Her fists were tightly clenched, her teeth gritted.
Hanabi's earlier strike had shattered the fragile peace between the sisters.
Hiashi felt a twinge of helplessness at the sight.
Though it's unclear how deeply Hiashi had disappointed Hinata in the original story, leading to his relentless criticism and disregard, to the point where the heiress of Konoha's most prestigious clan, the Hyuga Clan, could be bullied by ordinary children—now, Hiashi cherishes his daughter Hinata more than ever. How could he possibly let her suffer any injustice?
Hiashi's affection truly transformed Hinata, freeing her from the extreme shyness and timidity that characterized her in the anime. However, this change pushed her personality to another extreme.
As the heiress of the Hyuga Clan, Konoha's strongest clan, and Hiashi's daughter, Hinata was the subject of immense expectations and scrutiny from the moment of her birth. Everyone watched her development, eager to see whether this tiger father had sired a tiger cub or a cowardly pup.
Hiashi didn't interfere, confident in his daughter's potential.
The result? Hinata didn't disappoint. Inheriting the top-tier Hyuga bloodline from her father, she displayed exceptional talent from a young age, a true prodigy among ninja. Among her peers, she was undoubtedly the foremost.
At the Ninja Academy, Hinata consistently dominated her classmates, including Sasuke of the Uchiha Clan, establishing herself as the undisputed leader of her class.
If you were to describe Hinata now, she would resemble the spirited, strong-willed, and vivacious Hinata from the Ninja Path movie—a far cry from her former timid self.
This transformation was not only natural but also exactly what her father, Hiashi, had hoped for his daughter.
However, only Hiashi and Oriana knew the truth hidden beneath Hinata's cheerful facade, over the past six months, she had been gradually suppressing a growing turmoil within her.
The root of this turmoil lay in a stark reality, despite being the heiress of the Hyuga Clan, renowned for her exceptional talent, Hinata had lost every single sparring match against her younger sister, Hanabi, who was a year younger.
Even worse, as Hanabi grew stronger, the gap between them widened.
Now, when Hanabi truly focused her efforts, she could effortlessly repel her older sister with a single strike.
Hiashi understood his eldest daughter's feelings, but he also knew this was not something that could be easily resolved.
He didn't do much else, just stood there, putting on the air of a father, and beckoned to Hinata, who was standing nearby.
"What's this? After all these days apart, my dear Hinata doesn't miss her dad at all?"
Hinata, who had been gritting her teeth, trying to act mature despite being only eight years old, couldn't help but roll her eyes at her father's saccharine words. Her expression twitched slightly, but she maintained her composure, remaining perfectly still.
Hiashi, having anticipated this reaction, walked over and swept Hinata into his arms.
"You're still as adorable as when you were little."
With that, he wrapped his arms around both his daughters, holding them tightly, one in each arm.
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