As time passed, the sun gradually sank beneath the horizon. A new crescent moon rose slowly, and its gentle, silvery light spilled over the land, heralding the arrival of night.
In front of the ancestral shrine of the Hyuga Clan — one of the two great dōjutsu families of the Hidden Leaf Village, known for their Byakugan, a bloodline limit capable of seeing through all things — bright lanterns were being lit one by one. The orange-tinted shades, inscribed with the characters "Spirit Lantern" in black ink, pushed back the encroaching darkness, guiding the way for the steadily arriving members of the Hyuga Clan.
Inside the ancestral shrine, the hall was brightly illuminated, almost as bright as day. Except for those who were away on missions and could not return in time, every member of the Hyuga Clan was present, obeying the clan head's command without a single absence. A sea of people knelt respectfully around the central altar, a solemn sight to behold.
Regardless of age or gender, every attendee was dressed in identical black kimonos. On their faces, lit by the warm glow of the lanterns, there was not the slightest hint of joy or excitement — only unmasked sorrow and heartfelt grief.
Everyone knew that tonight's large gathering was not for the Hyuga Clan's annual ancestral ritual, which was usually as lively as a New Year festival, but instead for a funeral... to honor the passing of a hero who gave his life to protect his elder brother.
It was Hyuga Hizashi, the younger twin brother of the Hyuga Clan Head, and the Head of the Hyuga Branch Family.
'It seems everyone has arrived... It's almost time to begin the ceremony.'
Surveying the hall, which felt more cramped as more people filed in, Hyuga Hiashi gave the order to start the funeral rites. His face, calm and collected as if he were merely performing a routine duty, showed not even the slightest trace of sadness — only a cold clarity that seemed harsh and unfeeling.
But his daughter, Hyuga Hinata, who stood beside him timidly clutching his hand, knew better. She could feel how much her father's large hand, hidden under the wide sleeve of his robe, trembled.
'Hizashi... How could this happen?'
'His child is only four years old... and now he has no father... Neji is so pitiful...'
'Isn't he? Who would have thought that just a few days ago Hizashi was laughing and talking, and now, at such a young age, he's gone?'
"...Daddy... they all say Uncle Hizashi is dead... dead... What does that mean?"
Hinata's wide eyes scanned the sorrowful expressions of the clan members and finally settled on her cousin Hyuga Neji, who was crying silently, his small face streaked with tears. A tightness welled up in her chest, and after a pause, she tugged softly at her father's sleeve and asked in a mosquito-like voice.
"Why... did Uncle Hizashi have to die? Neji-nii-san is crying so sadly... If Uncle Hizashi didn't die, then Neji-nii-san, and everyone... they wouldn't be crying, right?"
As the heir to the main family, Hinata had spent most of her young life secluded and training under her father's guidance in Gentle Fist. Barely three years old, shy, and sheltered like a fragile flower in a greenhouse, she simply couldn't comprehend the heavy meaning carried by the word "death."
"...Death means someone has left us forever, Hinata."
Hearing his daughter's words, Hiashi's already suppressed sorrow surged as memories of his younger brother flashed through his mind. His hands trembled even more, though he forced himself to keep his voice calm as he explained.
"They... will never come back..."
"...Never come back? But... Uncle Hizashi still has to teach Neji-nii-san how to train, doesn't he?"
Hinata's little heart ached at the explanation, her rosy cheeks growing pale as she whispered softly, unable to muster the courage to look at Neji again.
'We promised... Why... Why did Uncle Hizashi still have to die?'
'...If only I had left someone alive that night...'
Hiashi's face twitched slightly at his daughter's innocent words, almost betraying his grief and regret.
'Hizashi, my brother... How could you leave your child and family behind like this... It should have been me lying in that coffin tonight, not you...'
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Hiashi raised his gaze, fixing his eyes on Neji's small back, which shook with sobs as he clung to his father's coffin. Deep guilt and pity welled up in his heart for this young child.
But Hiashi didn't notice that, because of his father's death and the cursed Caged Bird Seal forced upon him, the young Neji's budding resentment toward the main family was growing stronger with each passing moment.
'Because of this cursed seal, my father had to die in the clan leader's place... It's all the main family's fault. Father was killed by them...'
Neji's small fists clenched tightly. Due to Danzo Shimura secretly sending someone to reveal the truth about Hizashi's death, the prodigy of the Hyuga Branch Family, with talent far surpassing the main family, now had a seed of hatred quietly taking root in his heart.
'Just wait, Father. One day, I'll kill all the people in the main family and avenge you... I swear I will.'
"Neji... nii-san..."
At the same time, seeing her cousin's trembling back, Hinata silently let go of her father's hand. Without saying a word, she turned and slowly walked out of the shrine.
...
"...Ah... It hurts..."
The biting cold wind cut through her thin clothes as Hinata stepped out of the shrine's gate. The icy gusts caused her to lose her balance on the steps, making her fall to the ground. Her small nose turned red from pain, but after wiping her tears with her sleeve, the pampered young girl stubbornly pushed herself up and continued walking, stumbling through the snow that had already reached her ankles.
'If I can bring Uncle Hizashi back... then Neji-nii-san and everyone else won't cry anymore, right?'
Although she had learned from her father what death meant, Hiashi's vague explanation made the naïve Hinata believe that Uncle Hizashi had simply gone far, far away — too far to come back.
'If I can bring Uncle Hizashi back, he won't be dead anymore! Then everyone will stop crying!'
With this misunderstanding fueling her resolve, Hinata — who normally never left her father's side and always had guards with her — set off on her first journey outside alone, without telling anyone.
"Wait for me, Uncle Hizashi..."
She whispered softly, tightening her thin robe around her tiny body. Her breath formed white clouds in the air as she shivered against the falling snow. Step by step, she moved forward, her small figure eventually disappearing into the deep, silent night...
'Hinata is coming to bring you home...'