Hiashi walked to the bedside.
He didn't speak at first. He simply placed a letter gently beside Neji's pillow.
His voice, when it came, was low and steady.
"This… is from your father. He never had the chance to give it to you. Now… it's time."
The letter explained everything.
Hyūga Hizashi detailed the truth behind his "sacrifice" years ago—the political pressure from Kumogakure, the decision made to protect Konoha, and most importantly—
That he had chosen to die of his own will.
Not as a victim of the main Family.
Not as a slave to fate.
But as a brother.
As a father.
As a shinobi of Konoha.
And then—
Hiashi did something that stunned not only Neji, but everyone watching the sky screen.
The proud, dignified head of the Hyūga clan slowly—
Dropped to his knees.
"Neji… I'm sorry."
"As clan head, I failed to protect your father. I failed to change the cruel Main and Branch Family system. I allowed you to grow up carrying pain and hatred that should never have been yours."
"As your uncle… I was an unworthy elder brother."
"This is… my fault."
Neji froze.
The sky screen shifted forward.
After recovering from his injuries, Neji seemed different.
The sharp frost in his expression had softened.
He began guiding Hinata in her training—the same cousin he once dismissed as a symbol of the main Family's weakness.
The twisted tension between them slowly began to mend.
Inside the Hyūga Main House
"…Hiashi. You truly went that far."
For a clan head to kneel before a Branch Family member—
To the traditional elders, it was unthinkable. Almost humiliating.
Yet one of the more perceptive elders spoke thoughtfully.
"Whether that was genuine remorse… or political timing… it was a masterful move."
He narrowed his eyes.
"With Neji's talent—once in decades. Let's be honest: none of the younger Main Family members can match him."
Murmurs of agreement followed.
"His mastery of the Gentle Fist surpasses most adults."
"With one kneel, one letter, and that Uzumaki boy stirring the pot… Neji was brought back."
"With his potential, he will become a pillar of the Hyūga in the future. Compared to that, what is a momentary lowering of pride?"
Hiashi listened in silence.
His expression was unreadable—calm as still water.
The Chūnin Exam – Finals
The matches continued.
Neji now sat quietly in the stands.
Then—
The atmosphere shifted.
On the VIP balcony, the Fourth Kazekage—Rasa—who had been seated beside the Third Hokage, suddenly moved.
Without warning, he attacked Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Kazekage-dono! What is the meaning of this?! Are you trying to break the peace treaty between our villages and ignite war?!" Hiruzen demanded instinctively.
Even now, his first reaction was to appeal to peace.
The "Kazekage" slowly stood.
Then, calmly, he peeled off his face.
"Heh heh heh…"
A low, rasping laugh echoed.
"Sarutobi-sensei… after all these years, you're still so naïve."
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed.
"The blade is already at your throat… and you still expect to resolve this with talk of peace? How disappointing."
Hiruzen's pupils shrank.
"Orochimaru?!"
He scanned the balcony sharply.
"Where is the real Fourth Kazekage?! What have you done?!"
Orochimaru cracked his neck lightly, surveying the chaos below—the crowd erupting in confusion.
He looked toward Konoha's familiar rooftops and streets in the distance.
His expression grew faintly reflective.
He did not answer directly.
Instead, he spoke almost poetically.
"I want this decaying, stagnant Konoha… this massive windmill…"
He paused.
"…to turn once more."
Many across the shinobi world frowned in confusion.
A windmill?
What did he mean?
Then—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions tore through Konoha.
Smoke rose from multiple districts.
Screams replaced cheers.
Ninja clad in Sunagakure and Otogakure uniforms flooded the village. They struck swiftly and without mercy—cutting down shinobi, setting buildings ablaze, unleashing jutsu to sow chaos.
It was a coordinated invasion.
Konoha's defenses reacted quickly, but the assault was sudden and multi-pronged. Under pressure from within and without, the village descended into fierce battle.
The once-peaceful streets became a warzone.
"Orochimaru—you dare!!!" Hiruzen roared, veins bulging as he looked upon the village engulfed in smoke and flame.
Peace.
Diplomacy.
Former bonds of teacher and student.
All of it evaporated in the face of burning rooftops and dying villagers.
Only killing intent remained.
Reactions Across the Shinobi World
The real Orochimaru watched the sky screen with keen interest.
A faint smile curled at his lips.
"…Indeed," he murmured. "That is something I would do."
Jiraiya's face darkened. His fists clenched audibly.
"That bastard… He wouldn't actually—"
Tsunade cut him off with a scoff.
"You're overthinking it. The old man doesn't die that easily."
She crossed her arms.
"According to what we saw earlier, a few years from now he still needs to 'cooperate' in pushing my Sakura into becoming a missing-nin and joining that so-called Divine Knights group."
"If he dies here, who's going to pull that stunt?"
Her tone was sharp—but steady.
The implication was clear.
Hiruzen's fate… had already been altered.
Or perhaps—
It had never been as simple as it seemed.
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