While Hyuga Yuzuru remained secluded indoors, focused solely on his "calligraphy" practice, the situation on the front lines of Konoha had only grown more dire.
This was not the Konoha of the past. During the Third Great Ninja War, the village was fighting on multiple fronts—and with significantly less strength than in the Second.
Konoha's White Fang had been driven to suicide.
Of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya had wandered off across the world chasing prophecies about his Child of Destiny.
Tsunade, traumatized by blood, abandoned the village and sank into gambling debts, earning herself a reputation as a "walking jackpot."
And Orochimaru? He defected cleanly and quickly—probably afraid that if he stayed a minute longer, Danzo would pin every dirty secret on him. Hiruzen wasn't exactly buying the whole "Danzo acted alone" excuse either.
With high-level combatants either dead or gone, and not enough time to build up mid-tier ninja, Konoha's only remaining ace was one man: Namikaze Minato.
Against the likes of the A-B Combo from Kumogakure, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and thousands of enemy shinobi, Konoha suffered defeat after defeat. If not for Minato holding the line—first neutralizing the A-B Combo, then destroying Kannabi Bridge—Konoha might've already been overrun.
And then, there was Might Duy, who used the ultimate "limited-time experience card" of the ninja world to take down four of the Seven Swordsmen in a single go.
Even so, things remained grim. For the first time in history, Konoha's enemies had reached its very doorstep.
If someone could summon Hashirama Senju right now and show him this mess, the so-called "God of Shinobi" might just get his first taste of high blood pressure.
At Konoha's final defensive line—Kikyō Pass—the village had bet everything on a last-ditch, all-or-nothing battle.
And Uchiha Fugaku? True to form as the head of the Uchiha Clan, he figured that since the battlefield was so close to home, he might as well bring four-year-old Itachi along for a little "life experience."
Let's just say... it was one hell of a shock-and-awe education.
So much so that poor Itachi ended up borderline depressed. Honestly, the only reason he didn't awaken his Sharingan right there was probably because he lacked the raw emotional talent. He skipped straight past trauma and began contemplating life and death—what it meant to live, what it meant to die.
Yuzuru only caught a glimpse of Itachi afterward—when the wounded were being escorted back to the village, Yuzuru had gone to receive returning Hyuga clansmen and saw him among them.
The poor kid must've been devastated. You could slap him across the face for a whole day and still not snap him into the state he was in. Even when Yuzuru, for once, showed genuine concern, Itachi only responded in vague murmurs before wandering home. It would probably take him weeks to recover.
Aside from that emotional wreckage, Konoha did, miraculously, claim victory at Kikyō Pass.
Minato emerged as the village's ultimate savior, his reputation reaching its peak. With no one else capable and the people's support solidly behind him, the Third Hokage finally settled on the Fourth Hokage's successor.
And today, at dawn, Hyuga Yuzuru was preparing to welcome home the heroes of Konoha.
According to Hyuga tradition, step one was: throw a feast.
His mother, still weak after giving birth, busied herself happily organizing the banquet. As the eldest son, Yuzuru went out to greet his father upon his return.
Exiting the Hyuga compound, he saw that the village's once-oppressive atmosphere had completely shifted into wild, collective joy. Villagers poured into the streets, some tossing flowers, others cheering. They lined both sides of the road leading to Konoha's main gate, preparing to welcome their returning shinobi.
Though exhaustion and grief from the war still lingered, most of the shinobi smiled proudly, standing tall as they were reunited with family and friends.
At the front of the column was Namikaze Minato, his dazzling blond hair catching the sunlight. His warm, radiant smile drew every gaze. When Uzumaki Kushina broke into a run and leapt into his arms—completely ignoring the crowd—cheers erupted throughout the village.
Yuzuru, however, simply watched. His gaze wandered, eventually settling on those who wore the most strained expressions—the ones least able to fake joy.
Among the lower-ranked shinobi were many children, barely ten years old. Unlike the veterans, their smiles didn't reach their eyes. Some even quietly sobbed into their hands. The crowd assumed it was from excitement or emotion. Few considered whether those kids had left with friends who now stood beside them no longer.
The Third Hokage gave a booming speech, glorifying the Will of Fire, praising the fearlessness of shinobi.
Yuzuru just smiled—warm and bright, like everyone else—clapping and cheering in rhythm with the crowd.
After the speeches came the real tradition: disband the units, everyone go home, hug your moms—well, those who still had them.
The joyous celebration ended.
Time to eat.
As for mourning the dead or offering collective prayers? That was tomorrow's problem.
After all, it would take some time to sort out who had actually died, who could be buried, and who'd need a cenotaph instead.
Yuzuru eventually spotted his father in the crowd.
Though tall and broad-shouldered, Hizashi looked visibly fatigued. But when he saw his son, he straightened his back, smiled, and scooped him into a hug—ignoring the younger boy's protests.
"Why the long face?" Hizashi asked.
No one knew their child better than a father. Even with Yuzuru smiling as flawlessly as ever, eyes soft and polite, Hizashi could tell. There was no way this little rascal was genuinely happy at a time like this.
The prettier the smile, the deeper the storm behind it.
Maybe it was sadness.
Or maybe—rage.
Hizashi looked down.
Yuzuru, resting his head on his father's chest, spoke softly, "How many did we lose?"
Hizashi was silent for a moment. Then he gave a helpless laugh. "Can't you let me be happy for just a little while…? Over a hundred, I think."
"All of them?"
"…Branch family."
"And the main house?"
"Thirty-something."
They walked back to the Hyuga compound in silence.
As they approached, a chorus of cheers greeted them—men and women, young and old, all shouting.
"Congratulations on your victory, Lord Hizashi!"
"Long live Lord Hiashi! Long live the Hyuga Clan!"
"Long live Konoha!"
Voices overlapped in waves.
Mixed in, of course, were the muffled sounds of weeping.
"…Kofuku didn't make it back?"
"Where's Shizune's body? Please… please…"
Yuzuru turned instinctively toward the voices, but Hizashi reached out and pressed his large hand against his son's forehead, blocking his view.
Shielding him, he stepped forward.
"Lord Hiashi."
Hiashi, tall and dignified, smiled broadly. "Hizashi, you've done well!"
"For the Hyuga Clan, there is no such thing as hardship," Hizashi replied, then grinned. "So, are you finally ready?"
"Huh?" Hiashi blinked.
"I've got two sons now."
Hizashi laughed. Hiashi rolled his eyes and patted his brother's shoulder. "Relax. I won't lose that bet."
The brothers shared a hearty laugh.
"What's with Yuzuru?" Hiashi asked, noticing the boy still clinging to his father. "He usually hates being carried."
Hizashi loosened his hold. "Exactly why I'm holding him now. Once he's older, he'll probably even refuse to eat with me."
"Sounds like having a daughter might've been better," Hiashi joked, though his eyes paused briefly on the Caged Bird Seal on Yuzuru's exposed forehead.
Yuzuru gave an embarrassed but polite smile. "Please don't take Father's words too seriously."
"Hahaha!" Hiashi laughed and ruffled his hair. "How's your training? I'll be testing you soon."
"He's been training so hard I'm worried he'll break himself," Hizashi grumbled with fatherly pride. "I guess I don't have to worry about my future anymore."
"Tch, fine, fine. I'll go have another kid!" Hiashi muttered, then turned away to mingle with the others.
Hizashi nodded to the crowd, then led Yuzuru home through several gates.
Once back, Yuzuru finally slipped out of his father's grasp and wrinkled his nose. "Couldn't you have changed clothes first, like the clan head?"
Hizashi was momentarily speechless.
When they reached the threshold, he began removing his shoes. Looking into the house, at his smiling wife and the cooing infant Neji, he muttered, "He didn't change either."
Before Yuzuru could react—
"I'm home!" Hizashi called out, barefoot, rushing to embrace his wife.
The two held each other tightly before she shooed him off to bathe.
Yuzuru volunteered to help scrub his back.
In the small, private bathhouse of their home, father and son sat in the warm water. Hizashi wore a serious expression, clearly bracing himself for whatever his son was about to bring up.
"If you're gonna kill my mood, do it now," he said coldly.
Yuzuru was silent for a while. Soaking in the bath, he stared at the ceiling.
"…What if I could break the Caged Bird Seal?"
"Stop," Hizashi interrupted immediately, tense.
"Would you stand with me?" Yuzuru asked, flicking water over his long hair.
"I said stop!" Hizashi's fists clenched. Veins bulged. His Byakugan was active.
"To change the fate of our family?" Yuzuru slicked his hair back.
His white eyes, no longer hidden behind glasses, locked onto his father with fierce intensity. In them burned icy fury and unwavering resolve. Despite the warm water, Hizashi felt a chill crawl down his spine.
"Do you even understand what you're saying?" Hizashi hissed. He scanned the walls with his Byakugan, confirming they were alone.
"I understand perfectly," Yuzuru said, expression rebellious and sharp. "I wasn't born to be anyone's dog."
Hizashi shot to his feet, fury rising. "You can't change anything!"
"I can do whatever I want. I can become whatever I want," Yuzuru snapped.
"You can't do anything! That's still our family out there—no matter who they are!" Hizashi's hands trembled.
"If change is right, then so is bloodshed," Yuzuru said coldly. "Blood will spill regardless. Look at the clothes you threw aside. Didn't they soak up the blood of the branch clansmen who entrusted you with their last words?"
"When they died in place of the main family—wasn't that blood real?"
"Or have you already accepted that even your blood belongs to Hiashi?"
"What about me? What about your own family?"
Hizashi's only answer was a fist slamming down into the water, sending a shockwave of spray into the air like a sudden rainstorm.
His voice shook with restrained rage. "Do you even know what bloodshed feels like?"
"I know it's still better than watching my family die," Yuzuru said quietly.
And with that, Hizashi had nothing left to say.
He stepped out of the bath and slammed the door behind him.
BANG.
Conversation over.
Yuzuru let his body float, sinking slowly into the warm water. Beneath the surface, he stared up at the ceiling light.
The way it flickered through the water made it look like a rising sun.
He stared for a long time.
Then, unable to hold it in anymore, he opened his mouth wide under the water.
Silent, furious, he screamed out every ounce of breath—his face twisted in agony as bubbles rose to the surface.
I don't care anymore! I'll do whatever the hell I want!
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!