"It's been so long, and there's still no news... Honey, do you think Hinata might've... actually been taken out of the village and kidnapped?"
Inside the Hyuga Clan's Main House, Hiashi paced back and forth, hands clasped behind his back. Beside him, a beautiful woman watched him anxiously, hesitating before finally resting a hand on his shoulder and suggesting, "Shouldn't we report this to the Third Hokage? If we enlist the village's help, maybe we can still bring Hinata back…"
"...It's not time yet. Let's wait a little longer."
Hiashi froze at her words. After a long silence, he clenched his fists, speaking each word with difficulty. "Maybe... they'll find Hinata any moment now."
"Wait?! It's already been so long! If we wait any longer, we really won't be able to get her back! Why—why won't you just ask the Third Hokage for help?!"
The woman had been suppressing her fear and anxiety ever since Hinata disappeared, but seeing her husband still wavering, she could no longer hold it in. She shook his shoulders hard, her voice trembling with fear and anger. Eventually, she collapsed to the ground, sobbing into her hands. "You were the one who took her to the memorial... Why… Why didn't you notice she was gone…"
"...I'm sorry... I…"
Maybe it was her sobbing. Maybe it was the clan's fruitless search slowly draining hope. Whatever it was, Hiashi's resolve wavered more than ever. He dropped to one knee, preparing to comfort his wife—
But just then, the tightly shut doors burst open.
"C-Cl-Clan—Clan Head!"
"What is it? You're in such a panic—where are your manners?"
Hiashi almost scolded the intruding clansman on instinct, but the mixed expression on the man's face made his heart skip a beat. He tried to keep his tone calm. "Speak slowly. What happened?"
"Cough... C-Clan Head... Haah... Lady Hinata, she... she's been found!"
The Hyuga ninja was drenched in sweat, gasping as he tried to soothe the burning pain in his lungs. After a long pause, he finally managed to get the words out. "Lady Hinata was found! She's still in the village—standing right at our compound's main gate!"
"Hinata... She's been found? She's safe?!"
"Did you hear that, dear?! Hinata's been found! She wasn't kidnapped—she's still here in the village!"
Tears of joy streamed down the mother's face as she shouted the news. Throwing dignity aside, she leapt into her husband's arms, weeping with joy, unable to contain her relief.
"Yes... yes, I heard… Thank goodness..."
Hiashi, overwhelmed by the joy of getting his daughter back, held himself back from laughing aloud. Trying to maintain the dignity of the clan head, he forced down his smile—but couldn't hide the trembling of his hands.
"Then what are you all waiting for? Why haven't you brought her back yet?"
"Well… Clan Head, please listen…"
The ninja sighed lightly, knowing he couldn't avoid what came next. Not wanting to shatter the Lady's joy, he leaned in and whispered, "Lady Hinata has been found… but… the person who brought her back might suddenly go berserk and harm her. None of us dared approach."
"Harm Hinata? Hmph, I suppose you're just afraid of taking responsibility. Fine then—since Hinata's back, I'll go myself."
The boulder weighing on Hiashi's heart finally lifted. He furrowed his brow with confidence and continued, "Even the Third Hokage must show some respect to me, Hiashi Hyuga. I want to see just who in this Hidden Leaf Village has the guts to harm the heiress of the Hyuga Clan. Speak! Who is it?"
Unexpectedly, his declaration didn't reassure the clansmen. Instead… they looked at him with pity?
"His name is... Naruto Uzumaki…"
Hiashi's smile faded.
"Ah—Clan Head, if you don't remember, Naruto Uzumaki is that Nine-Tails monster everyone in the village talks about…"
Hiashi turned on his heel and started walking back into the house.
"Huh?! Clan Head, where are you going?! Wait—wrong direction! Didn't you say you'd go pick up Lady Hinata yourself?!"
"...Shut up! No one asked you to speak!"
The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, the most dangerous weapon of war in the village…
And his daughter had been alone with that monster.
What if the Nine-Tails went berserk again…?
Regret and helplessness struck Hiashi like a wave. He wished he had informed the Third Hokage earlier.
Hinata…
Honestly, if you'd been kidnapped by enemies, it might've been easier to deal with...
"Hyuga… Hyuga… Ah! Found it, dattebayo!"
While Hiashi was wringing his hands in worry, Naruto and Hinata finally arrived at the gate marked with the Hyuga nameplate.
Naruto knew the Hyuga Clan was one of the most prestigious in the Hidden Leaf Village. Their Byakugan rivaled the Uchiha's Sharingan, and they were known for wealth and power.
But still, seeing the endless rows of elegant buildings made him gulp.
'How are we both second-generation kids, yet our lives are this different…?'
Thinking of his rundown shack compared to this estate, and how Sasuke could ask his father to teach him any jutsu… Naruto's face twitched as he muttered to himself,
'I never thought about it before… but being born the way I was must've been hell difficulty, huh… Living to twelve like this, cheerful and carefree... I guess that's kinda impressive…'
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"...Nothing, nothing. I was just thinking… your house is huge. There must be a lot of people here with you, right?"
Naruto snapped out of his thoughts, lightly booped Hinata's cute nose with a grin. Thinking back to how helpless she'd been earlier, he joked,
"With a place this big, why were you out on your own, crying by the roadside?"
"...Eh? I…"
"Heh, look at me—no one by my side at all, and I'm still super happy every day!"
[← Sasuke, upon hearing this, felt nothing but the urge to use Fireball Jutsu to roast Naruto.]
Carefree as ever, Naruto interrupted her shy attempt to explain. After teasing her a bit more, he gently let go of her hand and turned around, stretching as he walked back the way they came.
He'd completed his mission—returning the lost Hyuga child.
But as the village's unwanted "Demon Fox," he knew it was best not to overstay his welcome and ruin the moment with misunderstandings.
Besides, escorting her home had eaten into his usual peaceful alone time.
And since he'd already decided to mess with Danzo soon, he needed to get home and speak with a certain guest of his first.
"Well, we're at the gate now. I'm sure you can get home from here, right?
Then I'll head off first. See you!"
"...Ah, w-wait… I don't even know your name!"
By the time Hinata—her face flushed red from the earlier nose poke—finally gathered the courage to speak… Naruto was gone.
She stood in the chilly wind, searching for him.
Then, pressing a hand over Naruto's jacket and scarf that still wrapped around her small body, she smiled brightly to herself.
"Well… I guess next time… when I return these to him… I'll ask him then."
"Ah? Father?"
After taking a deep breath to compose herself, Hinata turned toward the house—only to see her father peeking awkwardly from behind the door, looking nothing like the stern man she knew.
Surprised, she asked, "What… are you doing there?"
"Ah, Hinata… ahem! I was, uh… looking for you! Where did you run off to? Your mother was so worried she thought you were kidnapped."
Realizing how silly he looked, Hiashi coughed to cover his embarrassment and stepped forward, eyes scanning the area.
"By the way… the person who brought you back—he's gone?"
"S-sorry, Father… I… I just wanted to go find Uncle Hizashi… but I got lost and couldn't come back…"
After being cold for so long, finally seeing her family made all the fear and sadness pour out.
Tears welled up as she jumped into Hiashi's arms, sniffling as she explained in fragments.
"He brought me back… then left right away… But Father! I met someone really nice tonight! He brought me home, and even… even bought me this thing called ramen—it was delicious! And look, these clothes—I was cold, so he gave me his own!"
As Hinata recounted her story, waving her small hands and smiling through tears, her little face glowed with pure joy—showing no signs of harm.
Hiashi finally exhaled in relief. But deep down, as he listened to her talk about the "monster" who'd saved her, something began to shift in his heart.
That Jinchūriki he once saw as a threat—Naruto Uzumaki...
Could he really be as dangerous and frightening as the village made him out to be?