The rain fell steadily from the sky, pattering softly. Hinata Hyuga lay dazed in her room, lost in thought for what felt like an eternity.
A few days ago, Cloud ninja had entered the Leaf Village under the pretense of negotiating a peace treaty. But under the cover of night, they infiltrated the Hyuga clan's compound. Foolishly, these Cloud ninja, fully aware that the Hyuga were masters of detection, attempted to kidnap the clan's young heiress from their stronghold. Their plan failed spectacularly, and the price of their failure was their complete annihilation.
Yet, there was no trace of joy on the faces of the Hyuga clan members after thwarting the enemy's plot. They had lost, even in victory.
The long war had nearly exhausted every ounce of the Leaf Village's strength. Faced with the Cloud's ultimatum—"Hand over the culprit, or we go to war"—the Leaf Village yielded. The Hyuga clan yielded. The cost of this surrender was the grim reality now facing the Hyuga. The "culprit" handed over was a branch family member named Hizashi Hyuga. But one undeniable truth remained: this "hero," Hizashi, was the clan leader's younger brother, and it was he who had saved the unconscious Hinata from the Cloud ninja's grasp.
Three days had passed since Hinata fell into a coma. Yet, she remained listless, as if overwhelmed by shock.
"I am… Hinata Hyuga?" Her timid voice echoed in the silent room, laced with confusion and uncertainty.
Hinata shook her head, trying to dispel the chaotic images flashing through her mind. She raised her hand before her wide-open eyes.
"So small," she murmured bitterly, though she quickly suppressed the feeling. Clutching her empty stomach, she struggled to rise from the tatami mat.
Perhaps her movement alerted the ninja outside. As Hinata stood, the door slid open, and a Hyuga ninja in a Leaf chunin uniform entered. His stern expression softened with relief upon seeing Hinata awake. He hurried forward, gently supporting the young heiress of the main family.
"Brother Takao, I'm hungry," Hinata said.
She was promptly tucked back into bed. After sifting through her jumbled memories to recall the chunin's name, she voiced her most urgent need.
Having lain in bed for three days, Hinata was disoriented, but her hunger was undeniable. After all, she was only three years old—a young girl for whom eating was paramount.
Takao nodded. Assigned to guard Hinata's room since her rescue, he wouldn't neglect her first request. He left the room, signaled to nearby guards, and headed toward the kitchen. Encountering the first group of patrolling clansmen, he tasked them with fetching a medical ninja and informing the clan leader.
In the quiet room, though ravenous, Hinata's eyes grew clearer. Her coma was merely the result of being knocked out by the Cloud ninja—she should have woken sooner. But something in her dreams had delayed her awakening.
In her dream, she became someone else—an unfamiliar Leaf jonin whose name she couldn't recall. She fought in the Battle of Kikyo Pass, survived the Nine-Tails' attack on the village, lived through peaceful times, witnessed the Leaf's collapse, and endured the Fourth Great Ninja War. Ultimately, she died at the hands of Madara Uchiha's ninjutsu.
It was this unknown jonin's death that jolted Hinata awake. The dream left her momentarily unsure of her own identity. But as time passed, the vivid details of the dream began to fade, shrouded in layers of mist. By the time Hinata lay back down, only vague impressions remained.
At last, Hinata Hyuga was herself again—not the stranger from her dream. Yet, how much had those lingering, hazy dreams affected her? Who could say?
Tap, tap, tap… The sound of geta sandals clacking against the floor grew closer. Soon, the door slid open again.
Hinata turned her head. A face filled with joy, yet tinged with sorrow, met her gaze. In her memories, this was Hiashi Hyuga—her…
"Father," Hinata said, struggling to sit up straight on the tatami. Her memories reminded her that her father was a stern man.
Her call went unanswered. She was tucked back into her blankets once more. Then, a warm hand rested on her forehead, its comforting warmth enveloping her.
Is this Father's chakra? Is he checking my condition? Hinata thought.
At only three years old, Hinata hadn't yet refined her own chakra. Though the dream's images had faded, her soul still recalled the sensation of chakra. Thanks to that dream, she was intimately familiar with its feeling.
"You're fine now," Hiashi said, exhaling. "If Tsunade were still here, I'd never have let you lie unconscious for three days."
Hiashi withdrew his hand, leaving Hinata longing for the warmth that had coursed through her.
"Father, I had a dream," she said. "In it, I was someone else. I… I can't remember much, but it felt painful yet important."
It had been so long since Hinata felt such warmth. Instinctively, she wanted to hold onto it, but she didn't know how. After a moment's hesitation, she tried to share her dream with her father. Yet, when she tried to speak, the blurry impressions slipped away.
Hinata frowned, struggling to recall. Watching her, Hiashi felt a sudden sense of fulfillment. If it was for this adorable daughter, and if Hizashi hadn't left him no choice, he would gladly give his life for his family.
Hizashi, thank you for your sacrifice, Hiashi thought, the gloom on his face easing slightly. He placed his hand on Hinata's forehead again.
"After you eat and the medical ninja checks you, come with me to light incense for your Uncle Hizashi. He died on the front lines while you were unconscious."
The warmth in Hinata's body turned to ice. Tears welled in her eyes, but amidst the pain, a thought stirred in her mind.
No, that's not right. Uncle Hizashi didn't die in battle.
Hinata wanted to argue with her father, but she couldn't understand why this thought had surfaced. Unable to make sense of it or defy her father, she wiped the tears from her eyes and responded in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum.
"Okay."