Chapter no.97 The Hyuga Clan's Healing (Patreon)

A few days before Team 7 returned to Konoha, Team 8 stood outside the Hokage's office. The muffled voices of Kurenai and Hiruzen leaked through the wooden doors, but none of the three Genin paid it any mind.

Their attention was locked on a single thing: Naruto's Bingo Book entry.

"Naruto's the first in our class to get an epithet," Kiba said, breaking the silence. "I mean, that's insane."

Shino adjusted his glasses. "It appears so. No one else has even come close to Naruto in our generation as far as I know."

Kiba gave a low whistle. "Yeah, but it's not like he earned it all on his own, right? I mean... he's the Fourth Hokage's kid and the Kyuubi container. Even if only one is now true, it is still enough for people to notice him."

"That's a flawed perspective," Hinata said quietly, her gaze downcast but her voice firm.

"Huh? How?"

"They're not targeting Naruto for what he's done," she replied, raising her eyes. "They're targeting him for who he is. It's not his actions. It's his bloodline and the Nine-Tails."

"Pfft. Then whoever put that book together is about to get the shock of their life," Kiba chuckled as he heard a bark. The white pup ran to him with a book in his mouth. "Speaking of, Akamaru brought me a copy." The pup barked once and wagged his tail, mission complete.

Before he could open it, Hinata snatched the Bingo Book from his hands and started flipping through the pages.

"Oi!" Kiba laughed. "You gonna tear the entry out and keep it?"

"I don't think Hinata-san would do that," Shino said calmly.

"You're kind of slow sometimes, y'know that?"

"Pardon?"

Before the conversation could spiral, the door creaked open and Kurenai stepped out, motioning them inside.

They entered to find Hiruzen sitting at his desk, rubbing his temples like he regretted ever coming out of retirement.

Hinata was still focused on the entry in her hands until Kurenai snapped her fingers to catch her attention.

"What's got you so locked in?"

Hinata silently handed over the book. Kurenai skimmed the page and her eyes widened.

"Naruto... is the Fourth's son?"

She looked toward the Hokage. Hiruzen gave a subtle nod of confirmation.

Kurenai sighed. "I guess the secret is out."

"You're acting like that's more shocking than the stuff Naruto's already pulled off," Kiba said with a smirk. Akamaru barked in agreement.

Kurenai opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. She couldn't refute that.

Hiruzen, meanwhile, watched the exchange with tired eyes.

"Is this what every meeting is going to be like now?" he muttered under his breath.

"Hokage-sama," Shino said, stepping forward. "May I ask a question?"

"Go ahead."

"How did Naruto receive a Bingo Book entry? Even being the Fourth's son, or a Jinchuriki, it's unusual. He's only completed one official mission."

Hiruzen nodded. "A very good question, Shino-kun. The truth is... we suspect someone deliberately leaked information about Naruto, true and false alike."

"Why?" Hinata asked.

"To destabilize Konoha's political balance," Hiruzen answered. "By placing a target on Naruto's back, they force us to constantly react to the threat of other villages, while they operate in the shadows. It's a diversion."

His voice darkened. "We suspect this was orchestrated from within."

Kiba frowned. "You mean someone in the village leaked it?"

"Possibly," Hiruzen said quietly, fingers steepled. "Though I can't prove it yet, I have my suspicions."

The old man cursed Danzo's name under his breath.

Hinata cleared her throat.

"Hokage-sama. I believe I know who leaked Naruto-kun's information."

The room fell silent.

Hiruzen turned his gaze toward the young Hyūga. Once a timid girl who seemed afraid of her own shadow, she now carried herself with a quiet, hardened confidence. It wasn't arrogance. It was the kind that came from seeing real battle.

"What do you know, Hinata?" Hiruzen asked, voice firm. "And speak with actual evidence."

Hinata nodded. She understood the gravity of her claim. The Hokage wouldn't entertain speculation.

"Firstly... has Kurenai-sensei told you about my involvement in the downfall of Gato?"

Hiruzen sighed and gave Kurenai a side glance. "Of course she has. She even asked to be punished for failing to control her squad."

Hinata looked ready to speak in her sensei's defense, but Hiruzen raised a hand.

"I've heard all of her arguments," he said. "This was her first time leading a genin team, and she was thrown into a mess most jōnin never face in their entire careers. I can excuse one mistake." He paused. "But you and Naruto will be punished accordingly."

Hinata nodded. "Of course."

"A pay cut," Hiruzen said, "and a psychological evaluation."

"That seems... lenient, considering what I did," she replied.

"And what exactly did you do?" Hiruzen asked, taking a puff from his pipe. "Helped a teammate. Didn't inform your commanding officer. Not ideal, but not treason."

Team 8 collectively sucked in a breath.

"But," Hiruzen continued, dragging the word, "this leniency will not happen again. If you ever go behind your superior's back on a mission again... there will be consequences."

Hinata bowed her head. "Understood."

She took a breath.

"Kurenai-sensei may not have given you all the details. So allow me."

She laid it out. Everything. The battle against Guren. The appearance of her subordinates. Naruto's overwhelming strength. Oscar. Zabuza. Guren's strange transformation.

As she spoke, Hiruzen remained still, eyes narrowing as he connected the dots. He didn't interrupt, didn't scold, just listened.

Eventually, he spoke.

"You suspect Guren?"

Hinata pointed at a section of the Bingo Book. "There were too many details in the leak. Specifics only someone present would know. Guren's presence lines up with the intel leak's timing... and more importantly, she has seen Naruto do stuff that not even Team 7 knows, as far as I know."

Hiruzen lit his pipe, the familiar scent of tobacco wafting through the office as he tried to ease the tension building in his chest. Hinata's report had been thorough, brutally so. And from the level of detail she'd provided, there was only one conclusion that made sense.

Orochimaru.

The chakra pattern she described during Guren's transformation was eerily similar to the Curse Mark techniques of Orochimaru. That alone tied his hand to the entire leak. It was the most solid lead they had.

And yet, it led to a much darker thought.

Was Orochimaru planning something against Konoha?

Hiruzen wouldn't put it past him. Causing this level of political chaos, sowing doubt among the villages, and weaponizing secrets. It was all too characteristic of his former student.

"Thank you for providing this information," Hiruzen finally said, setting the pipe down.

There was no time to waste. Konoha had too many threats closing in, and if they wanted to survive what was coming, they needed to be ready.

Kiba, still flipping through the Bingo Book beside Shino, raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, you didn't say anything about Naruto using the Nine-Tails' chakra. Didn't he lose the Kyuubi?"

"He did," Hinata replied calmly. "But I think Guren mistook his red aura for the Nine-Tails' chakra."

"Red aura?" Shino asked.

"I don't know how it works," Hinata admitted. "You'd have to ask Naruto."

Kurenai's eyes shifted subtly toward Hiruzen, who cast a silent barrier jutsu the moment the word Kyuubi was spoken.

"Team 8," he said, his voice heavy, "the fact that Naruto no longer has the Nine-Tails sealed inside him is now an S-rank classified secret. If even a whisper of this gets out, the other villages will grow bold. Reckless. They may try to take advantage of what they see as our weakness. Understand that even speaking of this in the wrong place could spark a war."

Team 8 immediately straightened, the weight of the Hokage's words settling on their shoulders.

Hiruzen watched their reactions with quiet pride, then glanced at Kurenai.

They're good. You should be proud.

I am, Kurenai's eyes replied, and she gave a faint nod.

"Now then," Hiruzen continued, shifting the tone, "regarding your evaluation as Team 7's backup… Kakashi and Kurenai have spoken very highly of all three of you."

His gaze turned to Hinata.

"Hinata Hyuga. Despite a few… questionable actions, your performance during this mission was excellent. Your reconnaissance work was invaluable, and your archer's approach during the battle with the Hozuki clan members helped avoid major casualties. You did your clan proud."

Hinata kept her eyes forward, trying not to let her blush show.

"Shino Aburame," Hiruzen said next, "you maintained a flawless operational record. Every jonin report marks your actions as exemplary. You represent the gold standard of a shinobi."

Shino nodded slightly, but the subtle buzz from the insects under his coat betrayed the pride he felt.

"Kiba Inuzuka," the Hokage said, turning to the last of the trio.

Kiba instinctively squared his shoulders, Akamaru sitting tall beside him.

"Let's start with the good," Hiruzen said. "You're a team player. You showed initiative when it mattered, and you placed your team and the civilians first during every confrontation. You patrolled nightly, stayed vigilant, and showed the grit expected from a true Konoha shinobi."

Kiba tried not to grin, but it was a losing battle.

"Now onto the cons," Hiruzen said, steepling his fingers. "Hot-headed, quick to provoke fights, especially with Naruto Uzumaki, and a temper had you yelling at clients."

Kiba bowed deeply. "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. You're right about all of that. I didn't know how to react when I saw Naruto again. We had a huge fight during the graduation exam. But we've resolved our differences since then. I consider him a friend. A rival. And an ally."

Hiruzen gave a light clap. "It takes real strength to recognize and admit your flaws. I hope to see you work on them. I see potential in you, Inuzuka Kiba. A great shinobi in the making."

"Thank you." Kiba bowed again, Akamaru mimicking him with a small bark.

"Well then, Team 8, your mission pay and the bounty for the Hozuki clan bodies will be assessed and handled later. Your commanding officer will inform you when it's been processed. Kiba. Shino. You're dismissed."

Both boys nodded and left the room, the chakra barrier sealing up behind them.

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Hiruzen shifted his gaze. "Now then, Hinata… can you explain how exactly your Byakugan was upgraded?"

Hinata stood calm and composed. "While I don't understand the full mechanics, I believe Naruto's Hawkeyes talisman acted as a trigger. It released a unique chakra that interacted with the optic nerves of my Byakugan. The result… awakened what appears to be the Eye of Insight, a trait of the Sharingan. I believe this points to an unknown historical link between the Hyuga and Uchiha clans."

Hiruzen leaned back slightly, humming in thought. Is this all part of Naruto's quiet revenge against me?

"And the Eye of Hypnotism?" he asked, curiously.

"We don't know if I have it," Hinata replied after a quick glance at Kurenai.

Hiruzen nodded. "Kurenai is your teacher. I trust you two will test and verify that soon."

"Of course," Kurenai said. Her voice was measured, but inside she was thrilled. If Hinata truly had access to the Eye of Hypnotism, her potential in genjutsu would skyrocket.

"Is your new Byakugan detectable?" Hiruzen asked.

Hinata nodded. "When inactive, it appears normal. But once I activate it, the pattern is visible. I don't think I can hide it from the Hyuga for long."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "Then you understand what kind of danger Naruto could be in even within these walls."

Hinata stepped forward, voice firm. "Hokage-sama, I don't believe the Hyuga can do much to Naruto… even if they wanted to. But regardless of that, I have no intention of causing trouble for him."

That statement startled Hiruzen. Kurenai had previously suggested Naruto was easily on the level of a special jonin. But the certainty in Hinata's words hinted at something beyond that. He gave her a cautious look.

"Then what's your plan?"

"While watching Guren's transformation, my Byakugan picked up how her chakra was altering her physiology. I plan to lie to the branch family. I'll say I was hit by that chakra and it mutated my eyes."

Hiruzen considered it. The lie was rooted in truth. And if the Hokage affirmed it, the Hyuga elders would have no choice but to accept it. It was the kind of clever, political move that surprised him coming from the usually reserved girl.

He studied her closely, recalling Kurenai's proud comments about Hinata's dream to reform the Hyuga.

Maybe, Hiruzen thought softly, the new dawn of the Hyuga clan lies with you.

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Hiashi Hyuga was having a very strange few days.

First came the public revelation that Naruto Uzumaki was the son of the Fourth Hokage. A truth Hiashi and the elders had known for years, yes, but the news sent ripples throughout the Hyuga compound. The rest of the clan had been utterly stunned.

Hiashi seized the moment.

With careful timing, he allowed a rumor to circulate: that his daughter, Hinata, was a close personal friend of the Hokage's son.

The effect was immediate. Whispers spread through the branch family like wildfire. Even among the main house, the perception of Hinata shifted suddenly. She wasn't the meek heiress. She was a girl in the inner circle of power.

The elders found themselves cornered. They could no longer argue to remove Hinata from her position as heiress without risking insult to the Fourth's son. An unpredictable Jinchuriki with clear potential to become an S-rank shinobi.

Hiashi was pleased. He had protected his eldest daughter.

But it came at a cost.

Hanabi, his younger daughter, would have to be branded with the cursed seal and made branch family. Hiashi didn't like it. He never had. But what could one man do against the centuries of Hyuga tradition?

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.

"Enter," he said curtly.

A young servant bowed low as he stepped inside. "Hiashi-sama, Lady Hinata and her team have returned to the village. They've been spotted at the gates."

"Have her sent to my office immediately upon her return."

"Yes, Hiashi-sama."

An hour passed. Another knock.

"…You wanted to see me, Father?"

Hiashi narrowed his eyes slightly at the voice from behind the door. It held a tone he did not recognize.

"Enter," he commanded.

The door slid open.

Hiashi's gaze sharpened. He kept his expression neutral, but internally, he was shocked.

The girl before him was not the Hinata he remembered.

She proudly wore the brigand armour set. Her posture was straight. Her steps unhesitating. Her eyes… unwavering.

She even carried herself like a shinobi.

"Hinata?" he asked, as if uncertain of the name itself.

"Yes, Father." She bowed slightly, but the motion was more out of respect than submission.

"You've… changed."

Hinata tilted her head slightly. "A new set of clothes and a bit of confidence can do wonders."

Hiashi studied her carefully. His voice remained cold, formal. "The mission with your team. How did it go?"

"I'm afraid the Hokage has forbidden us from discussing its details. But… it was a success."

He nodded slowly, though his eyes remained fixed on her with the analytical intensity of a Byakugan user.

"And what of the task I gave you?"

Hinata's expression tensed.

"I became Naruto's friend," she said. "But not for the reason you intended."

Hiashi's brow rose. "Explain."

"I will not use my friendship with Naruto as a political shield to secure my place as heiress," Hinata said. Her voice was firm. "If I'm to be the future head of this clan, then I'll earn it through strength. Through merit. Not by clinging to the shadow of another."

Silence.

For a moment, Hiashi said nothing. He simply looked at her.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low.

"So you disobeyed my order."

"I fulfilled it, but not in the way you wanted," Hinata replied. "Naruto is my friend. Truly. But I won't use him."

Hiashi leaned back slightly, folding his hands before him.

"Now that the entire village knows Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage," Hiashi said, "rumors have begun to circulate."

He looked directly at his daughter.

"One of those rumors is that you're his close friend. Whether you intended it or not, your status as heiress is all but solidified."

Hinata's hand clenched into a fist at her side.

"What about Hanabi?"

Hiashi's expression didn't change.

"She is to be branded the day you are officially announced as the next clan head. She will enter the branch family."

The words hit harder than a jutsu. Hinata's breath caught. Her shoulders tensed.

"And when," she said sharply, her voice rising despite herself, "is that announcement supposed to happen?"

Hiashi's gaze narrowed slightly at her tone. Once, she would've trembled under it. Now she glared back.

"When you reach jonin rank," he answered. "The elders have agreed. That will be the benchmark."

Hinata's eyes dropped for a moment. "I see," she muttered, and then louder, "Then I still have time to destroy this barbaric system."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Hiashi blinked, caught off guard. "Excuse me?"

"I said I plan to abolish the Hyuga clan's branding system. I will unify the main and branch families."

He stared at her, searching her face for sarcasm. There was none. Only conviction.

"You're serious." His voice was unreadable.

"I am."

Hiashi leaned back slightly, arms folding. "The world doesn't change just because you want it to, Hinata."

"I'm aware," she replied. "That's why I'll get strong enough to make it change."

"Then why tell me?" he asked. "Do you think I'll help? If anyone even hears about this, the elders will turn on you. You may be favored now, but they will cast you out in a heartbeat."

"I told you," Hinata said evenly, "because you're my father."

"I'm also the head of this clan."

Hinata met his gaze. "So are you going to oppose me?"

Hiashi didn't answer right away. His eyes drifted slightly, his expression unreadable.

"I don't have to oppose something that doesn't matter," he said at last. "Empty words from a weak daughter."

Hinata's jaw tightened. Her fingers twitched with restrained fury.

"That's all you see me as, then? A failure?"

Hiashi looked back at her, still composed, still cool.

"You've changed, Hinata," he said. "But change isn't enough to rewrite centuries. The system you call barbaric has been the spine of this clan since before the founding of Konoha. You alone will not undo it."

She didn't flinch.

"…Then teach me. If I'm going to dismantle it, I need to understand what I'm fighting."

That earned her silence again, longer this time.

Then Hiashi said, "Sit down."

Hinata obeyed, though she felt like her knees would give out.

"If you want to understand the Hyuga," he said, "then you need to know the truth that even most of our clan have forgotten."

He let out a quiet breath, as if speaking these words awakened memories buried deep.

"The Hyuga were once part of a larger clan… the Shinkugan Clan."

"Shinkugan?" Hinata echoed.

"Yes. According to what oral traditions remain, they were descended from the Rabbit Goddess herself. Though that's likely myth."

Hinata remained quiet.

"The Shinkugan bore the Byakugan," Hiashi continued, "but were also born with a second bloodline limit that allowed them to manipulate their bones."

"That's…" Hinata paused, narrowing her eyes in thought. "That sounds like the Kaguya clan. I remember hearing about them during our history lesson on the Mist Village."

Hiashi gave a slow nod. "Yes. The Shikotsumyaku. That was their kekkei genkai. The Kaguya bore the name of the Rabbit Goddess as well, a remnant of the old belief that both they and the Hyuga descend from the same ancestor clan: the Shinkugan."

Hinata blinked. "So… the Hyuga and the Kaguya were once the same clan?"

"More precisely," Hiashi said, "we were both born from the Shinkugan. That makes us sister clans by blood. But somewhere in the fog of history, the bloodlines split. Some were born with only the Byakugan, others with only the Shikotsumyaku."

"And that's when the Hyuga and Kaguya became separate clans," Hinata said softly.

"Correct. No one knows why it happened. The oral traditions are vague. But once the Shinkugan split, the Hyuga, with only the Byakugan remaining, decided to preserve their gift at any cost. And so, the Branch System was created. To ensure the bloodline would never fall into the wrong hands. To protect our legacy."

Hiashi's gaze sharpened. "What you're suggesting, Hinata… is that you want to dismantle a tradition older than any of us. A system that has, by its cruel necessity, kept the Byakugan safe."

He leaned back in his chair, voice steady. "And yet, look at the Kaguya. Their bloodline is extinct."

A silence followed. Hinata looked down, chewing on the weight of his words. But then, quietly, her voice rose again.

"Then explain this," she said, lifting her eyes. "If our system was created to protect the Byakugan… why does a shinobi from the Mist have one right now?"

Hiashi's breath hitched, barely perceptible, but Hinata caught it.

"You already know, don't you?" she pressed. "You and the elders knew someone stole one of our clan's eyes. And you kept it hidden. Because if word got out, it would shatter the very foundation of your system."

Hiashi didn't answer, but his silence was loud.

"How many of the main house are now shinobi of Konoha?" she continued. "How many of them go on missions outside the village, exposed to ambush or death? The Byakugan isn't sacred anymore, Father. And the Hyuga clan aren't invincible."

Hiashi looked at her, long and quiet.

"If you truly intend to do this," he said finally, "know this: the road ahead will be steep. The elders will fight you. Not because they believe in the system, but because it gives them power. They'll oppose you, even if they know you're right."

"They can shout at the clouds all they want," Hinata said, calm but resolute. "The storm is still coming."

Hiashi's heartbeat quickened as an old feeling, long buried, rose to the surface. A dream he once had but gave up on. A hope crushed under duty.

Maybe… maybe she can succeed where I failed, he thought. And for the first time in years, Hiashi allowed himself a very small, almost imperceptible smile.

"Father, I have a question..."

Hiashi looked up from his thoughts. He noticed the seriousness in her eyes and motioned for her to continue.

"Is there any known link between the Hyuga clan and the Uchiha clan? Could we both have descended from the Shinkugan clan?"

"I've never heard anything in the clan's oral traditions or recorded history to suggest such a connection."

Hinata nodded. "Then how do you explain this?"

She stepped forward and slid a scroll across his desk. Hiashi's gaze narrowed the moment he saw the Hokage's official seal. He broke it open and read quickly until his hands froze mid-scroll.

His eyes widened.

He slowly looked up at his daughter. "Is this true?"

In response, Hinata activated her Byakugan.

Hiashi's breath caught.

It wasn't just the Byakugan staring back at him. In the center of her irises bloomed an unfamiliar bud-like pattern. A presence that suggested something latent… waiting to awaken.

"A mutation…?" Hiashi muttered under his breath. "Or perhaps… something dormant."

He closed the scroll with a snap and stood, his expression unreadable.

"Come," he said.

"Where?" Hinata asked, watching him carefully.

"To the dojo," Hiashi said, already turning. "I want to spar with you."

"To test me?"

"To see if you are more than just talk."

"Yes, Father!"

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Hiashi stood alone in the center of the dojo. The room was a polished expanse of pale hardwood, the scent of old cedar and sandalwood clinging to the air. Shoji panels filtered in golden sunlight, casting shifting grid-like patterns across the floor. A raised tatami mat rested at the back, meant for observation, but today it was empty.

Across the floor, Hinata stood stretching. Her Brigand Armor set clashed with the traditional Hyuga aesthetic. She looked like a warrior from a different era.

Hiashi watched her in silence, his face a calm mask. But inside, regret simmered.

Dear, I've failed her. I thought by being harsh, I'd make her strong enough to face the world. But all I did was crush her spirit. And now… now she's reforged herself without me. From her own pain. From something I could never reach. I can't undo what I've done, but I'll help her move forward. I owe her that much.

But he didn't say any of that. Hiashi Hyuga wasn't the kind of man who shared feelings easily. So instead, he stepped forward and raised his arms into a classic Gentle Fist stance.

"I will not be using my Byakugan," he said plainly. "While I expect you to use everything you have. Show me how much you've grown to be able to say those words."

Hinata raised her own hands, but not into the Gentle Fist form. Her stance was wider, looser. She dropped her center of gravity, ready to move.

Hiashi frowned but didn't object.

"Hajime," he said.

He moved first, with the grace of a man honed by decades of discipline. At six foot two with long arms and a solid frame, Hiashi's reach was nearly a foot greater than Hinata's. His palm cut the air with surgical precision, aiming directly for her tenketsu.

Hinata slipped sideways, her foot pivoting in a half-circle motion as she dodged to the side.

Hiashi sensed a counter but was caught off guard when her left gauntlet flared with smoke. A crossbow snapped into existence. She raised it like a pistol and fired.

Hiashi twisted just in time. The arrow hissed past his ear.

He didn't falter.

"Improvised weapons mid-combat…" he muttered.

His next move was a low sweeping kick.

Hinata jumped forward and drove her palm into his ribs.

Hiashi felt his own strike hit true, but something was wrong.

The chakra didn't connect properly.

His eyes flicked down to the Brigand Armor.

So… this is it. That strange armor of hers is resisting the chakra flow I'm sending into her body. Some kind of passive sealing field? Impressive.

He responded with two rapid palm strikes. One toward her shoulder and one to the solar plexus.

Hinata deflected the first with her gauntlet, and the second with a pivoting elbow. Then she twisted and redirected his momentum with her entire body.

Hiashi stumbled a step. Not far. But enough to widen his eyes slightly.

He hadn't expected her to read his centerline like that.

"I see," he said, repositioning. "You've been training hard."

Hinata didn't answer.

He advanced again. Faster this time. A blur of palm strikes and piercing fingers aimed at her major tenketsu. She blocked one, deflected another, but a third grazed her ribs and she gasped as her left side stiffened.

"You've improved," Hiashi said calmly. "But you're still vulnerable when switching postures mid-flow."

Hinata ground her teeth. "Then I'll fix that."

Palm to palm, they clashed again. She ducked under his extended arm, rotated around his back, and tried for a spinning heel kick.

He caught her ankle with one hand, but Hinata twisted midair, using his grip as leverage to spring backwards, flipping neatly and landing in a low crouch. She didn't wait.

A smoke bomb clattered to the ground.

In an instant, the dojo was engulfed in gray haze. Hiashi narrowed his eyes.

Clever.

Under normal circumstances, it would've meant nothing. The Byakugan would cut through the veil in a heartbeat. But Hiashi had said he wouldn't use it. And now, in this obscured battlefield, he realized Hinata intended to make him feel what it was like to be at a disadvantage.

Twang.

Hiashi pivoted. An arrow screamed toward his chest. He slapped it aside with a palm strike, the shaft splintering on impact.

Another twang. Then another. Then another.

Each one from a new direction. She was moving in a semi-circle around him, firing while staying mobile. He deflected each with pinpoint strikes, irritation beginning to rise.

Then, from within the smoke, Hinata's voice echoed, cool and distant:

"Father, give up. Every shaft is rigged with explosive seals."

Hiashi's eyes narrowed.

She's finally thinking like a shinobi.

Not just a martial artist. Not just a clan heir. But a real kunoichi—clever, resourceful, and willing to fight dirty when necessary.

He smirked.

"Impressive," he said aloud. "But not enough."

He planted his foot, driving chakra to his palm.

Gentle Fist: Air Palm.

He thrust his hand forward, and the force was immediate—a dense blast of compressed chakra that tore through the smoke like a cannon shot. A loud crack echoed as Hinata cried out and was flung across the room. Her body hit the dojo floor hard, armor scraping against wood as she skidded to a stop.

Hiashi stepped forward slowly.

"You've improved as a shinobi. Even your Gentle Fist has grown more refined," he said. "But tactics and tools alone don't show me that you've truly begun to climb the path you claim to follow."

Hiashi paused as he saw Hinata's shoulders trembling, chest heaving, skin pale and slick with sweat. She was barely standing, her knees locking, spine wavering as if a breath too strong would knock her over.

Her chakra was dangerously low. He could sense it even without the Byakugan, but concern pushed him past his self-imposed limit. With a flick of chakra, his eyes opened.

What he saw stunned him.

Her reserves were dangerously empty.

The reason was that she had created a shadow clone hiding in the smoke behind him.

Suddenly, with trembling arms and barely-contained breath, Hinata raised her crossbow. Her hands shook from exhaustion, but her aim remained steady.

The twang of the bolt cut through the smoky haze. Hiashi's eyes widened. Another twang echoed half a heartbeat later, synchronized.

It wasn't the sound that shocked him. It was the strategy.

One real arrow. One clone's arrow. Fired in perfect unison.

The second bolt came from his blind spot.

If I had stuck to my original promise of fighting without the Byakugan… I would've been defeated by Hinata's plan.

"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!" he shouted, chakra bursting from every pore, forming a spinning shield of force around him.

The twin arrows collided with the dome of chakra.

Both arrows detonated their explosive seals on contact, but the force wasn't enough to break the ultimate defense of the Hyuga.

Hiashi immediately closed in on the clone Hinata, who stood calm and composed amid the dispersing smoke. It—

The real Hinata, across the dojo, was barely holding herself upright.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms," Hiashi declared, turning sharply and dashing toward her—only for the clone to intercept.

And then she moved.

"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!"

The spinning dome of chakra surged from the clone, stopping his advance cold.

Even if the form was imperfect, it was unmistakable.

She had copied his technique.

That fact alone finally cemented the reality that Hinata's Byakugan now carried the aspects of the Sharingan.

Hiashi glanced back, astonished to see Hinata rising to her feet again. Her legs wobbled beneath her like reeds in a storm, but she stood tall.

"Why are you still going?" he asked. His voice was filled with more concern than reprimand. "Any normal person would accept that they've done just enough."

Hinata's breath came in shallow, shuddering draws. Her vision blurred at the edges. Her body screamed with every motion, each muscle fiber stretched thin, every tenketsu sore and overdrawn.

But still, she answered.

"Because…" she exhaled, forcing her chakra to stabilize for just one more moment, "…'just enough' isn't enough for my dreams." She looked him square in the eyes. "So even if I fall… I'll show you, Father, that your daughter has grown."

She took the stance of the Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms.

And something changed.

The Hornet Ring on Hinata's finger pulsed once, then again. Hiashi saw it sending out a ripple of energy that didn't register like chakra. It crawled across her limbs like strings, invisible threads latching into her muscles, her joints, her bones.

Like a puppeteer manipulating silk strings.

Hinata's chakra reserves were nearly empty, but her body began to move.

And what emerged… wasn't the stance she took a moment ago.

Her right foot planted forward, toe grinding into the wooden floorboards, creating hairline cracks from sheer pressure. The heel of her back foot rotated out just enough to keep her grounded, giving her full rotational torque without sacrificing stability.

Her knees bent, the front one absorbing and dispersing force, the rear holding all her weight like a coiled spring.

The torso leaned just slightly ahead, connected from shoulder to foot in one seamless line of stored momentum. Her right arm extended, index finger a spear aimed directly at Hiashi's throat. The left arm pulled back, ready, defensive, coiled.

And her face, tilted just enough to shadow the eyes, betrayed no pain, no doubt, no hesitation.

The whole world seemed to quiet around her.

Hiashi's breath caught in his chest.

He had seen thousands of stances. Taught hundreds. But this was something else.

Hiashi's Byakugan flared as his eyes tracked the faint glow of chakra gathering in Hinata's hand. Specifically her three fingers, tightly pinched together in a formation he didn't recognize.

Gentle Fist was precise. Surgical. It used chakra like invisible acupuncture needles channeled through the fingertips to target an opponent's tenketsu. But this wasn't that.

This was a spearhead.

A dense, focused chakra needle forming between her three fingers, condensed at the middle joint like a flickering ember.

And then…

Hiashi's eyes widened.

The color shifted. The glow changed as it ignited. The chakra turned into fire.

And in a single breath, she closed the distance.

Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms.

The first strike came, and Hiashi moved on instinct.

Gentle Fist: Palm Rotation.

He spun, chakra bursting from every tenketsu, forming a perfect dome of defense.

Strike after strike collided against his rotation. Sparks flew. The dojo floor cracked under the backlash.

The final impact came just as he stopped spinning, with his palm frozen inches from her face.

And then, his heart sank.

Hinata was unconscious.

Her body slumped forward. Her eyes were dull. Her breath shallow.

Yet…

She had delivered all sixty-four strikes.

Every single one.

Hiashi stood motionless, trying to piece together what he had just witnessed.

Had her body moved out of instinct? Muscle memory? A desperate subconscious attempt to complete the form?

Or…

Hiashi's eyes flicked to the Hornet Ring.

As he caught her before she collapsed completely, his mind raced with a sense of unease. Awe. A sliver of fear.

This wasn't the same daughter who had left for the Wave mission.

She was stronger. More cunning. More complete. But something had changed in her.

Hiashi cradled her gently as the fire chakra she'd used finally began to dissipate from the air.

His eyes lingered on her bruised arms, the strain carved into her face, the soft weight of her unconscious body.

"What the hell happened… in the Wave mission?"

He didn't ask it aloud.

What did you experience... Hinata?

But the question rang louder in his chest than any shout ever could.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Hinata stood in a hallway.

It was familiar at first. The steel walls, flickering lights, the same oppressive air from the hideout where she and Naruto had once faced Guren's squad. But something was wrong.

The metal under her sandals was slick.

She looked down.

Blood.

Dark, thick, and wet, pooling in unnatural patterns. It oozed from the walls like the building itself was bleeding, running in rivulets down cracked bulkheads, soaking into the seams between every tile. The lights buzzed overhead, flickering erratically. Each flicker seemed to swallow sound, plunging her momentarily into deafening silence before the buzz returned like a scream. Her heart pounded with an unnatural rhythm. Something wasn't right with the air. It felt thick, viscous. Hard to breathe.

Then she heard it.

Thud.

A single, echoing sound. Like iron boots striking steel.

She spun toward it.

Naruto stood at the far end of the corridor. He was clad head to toe in the Steel Set.

"...Naruto-kun?"

He didn't respond.

Instead, his armor began to vibrate. Slowly at first, then faster. The sound it made wasn't just metallic. It was alive, a low, throbbing hum like a scream held in the back of the throat. And then he charged.

The hallway seemed to bend around him. She blinked, and he was already halfway down the corridor. She stepped back, too slow.

A breath.

A blink.

Impact.

Iron met flesh. Bone shattered. Hinata didn't even have time to cry out. Her ribs cracked. Her spine folded. She felt every inch of her body implode, compressed into pulp beneath a force so absolute it felt divine.

And just like that, she was gone.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

She awoke with a choked gasp.

Her body lurched.

The world around her spun like a carousel. The ceiling above her swam in and out of focus. Her mouth was dry. Her limbs were heavy.

Where...?

She couldn't speak.

A gentle pressure came to her lips. Glass. Cool liquid. She drank the water pouring into her parched mouth and throat. It tasted sweet.

Her senses slowly returned.

She was in the Hyuga clan's medical bay with her father beside her. He sat quietly, his expression unreadable but his grip steady. From his palm, a faint green glow of chakra flowed into her hand. He was healing her.

"You… know medical ninjutsu?" she whispered, her voice a rasp.

Hiashi nodded slightly, still looking at her pale face. "After what happened to your mother… I decided to learn. I swore I'd never be helpless again."

That stunned her more than anything. The Hiashi she had known all her life had learned something as gentle as healing?

"Why…" he continued quietly, "why did you push yourself so far?"

"I already told you… I've changed."

Hiashi didn't blink. "I know. That was obvious the moment I saw you take a stance without hesitation. But this…"

He gestured to her body.

"This wasn't change. This was self-destruction. You burned your chakra to the brink of collapse. You fought beyond your body's limits. Was that really necessary? Was that what you thought I needed to see?"

Hinata looked away. "I needed you to understand."

"Understand what?"

"That I'm not weak anymore," she said softly. "That if I ever stood in front of the clan and said I wanted to change things… I wanted you beside me. Not across from me."

Hiashi's brow furrowed.

Hinata kept going, her voice quiet but unwavering. "I knew it wouldn't be easy. The elders will never accept a Hyuga who questions the system. I'll be called a disgrace. I might even lose my position as heir. But…"

She looked up at him with eyes rimmed with exhaustion and sincerity.

"If I can't make you believe in me, then no one will. So I fought, not just to prove my skill. But to prove my heart."

Hiashi said nothing for a moment. He only stared.

Then he looked down at their hands. His own trembling now, barely noticeable, but it was there.

"I didn't know," he said finally, voice low. "That you thought you needed to nearly die for me to be proud."

Silence.

He closed his eyes. "I failed you."

"You didn't," Hinata said.

"I did," he insisted. "I raised you thinking fear and strictness would carve strength into you. But what I carved was doubt. You believed you had to shatter yourself just to earn your father's support."

His hand tightened around hers, just slightly. "And yet, even after all I did… you still wanted me beside you."

"I still do," she whispered.

Hiashi swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Then you'll have me," he said.

Hinata blinked.

"I don't know what you saw on that mission. I don't know what happened that changed you so completely. But I see you now, Hinata. Not the timid child. Not the uncertain heir. I see a woman who's trying to carry the weight of her clan on her back, and doing it with grace even if it breaks her."

His voice almost cracked.

"I will walk beside you. As your father. As the clan head. And as someone who believes in your dream."

Hinata gave a small smile.

"Thank you… Father."

They said nothing more.

In the silence of the ward, Hiashi's green chakra glowed steadily, healing the daughter he now saw in a new light; not as an heir, but as the future.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

As the green hue of medical chakra faded from his palm, Hiashi watched his daughter closely. Her breathing had eased, but her expression was distant, unfocused, like she wasn't fully there.

"Hinata," Hiashi said, his voice low. "You're safe."

She blinked. Her lips parted, but no sound came at first. Then, "I… I'm not dreaming?"

"You thought you were?"

"It didn't feel real. My body still aches, but it's… distant. Like everything's delayed."

"That's the aftershock of overtaxing your chakra system," Hiashi said. "You pushed yourself far beyond what even most would tolerate."

Hinata didn't respond. She just stared at the ceiling, as if caught between memory and waking.

Hiashi adjusted his seated position beside the bed. "While you were unconscious," he asked softly, "you were squirming in your sleep. Tossing. You kept mumbling something... or someone's name."

"I don't remember."

"That's the truth?"

Hinata hesitated. "Sort of… I think I had a nightmare. Or a memory twisted into one. I don't know. It's all fog."

"'Naruto-kun.' That's what you kept saying," Hiashi said evenly. "You called out for him."

She didn't respond right away. Then, with a sheepish whisper, she said, "...Oh."

Seeing no further response, Hiashi's gaze drifted to the ring on her finger. "What exactly is that item?"

Hinata blinked, following his line of sight. She raised her hand, letting the hornet ring catch the ambient light.

"I don't know," she said. "Naruto-kun gave it to me. He said it would make my Gentle Fist stronger."

"It did more than strengthen it," Hiashi said.

Hinata looked at him, puzzled.

"You used elemental manipulation during the Sixty-Four Palms," he said calmly. "Fire chakra was concentrated and refined into a needle between your fingers."

She stared at him, dumbfounded.

The Gentle Fist already required one of the highest levels of chakra shape manipulation. According to her father, it was a feat comparable to the Fourth Hokage's Rasengan in terms of precision and difficulty. Integrating elemental chakra into such a delicate style had always been considered a fool's errand. The risk of disrupting the chakra flow or damaging the user was simply too high.

Hiashi gave her a knowing look. "Yes, you did it."

"But I don't remember how."

"Which means it was either instinct… or something the ring unlocked within you."

He extended his hand toward her. "Try it again. Try to close my tenketsu with that form."

Hinata hesitated. "Father, are you sure?"

He nodded.

She raised her trembling hand. But before she could strike with her usual technique, her fingers moved on their own—index, middle, and thumb tightening into a three-point pinch. A thin thread of fire chakra gathered between her fingertips, humming with potential.

She thrust forward without fully understanding the movement.

Hiashi yanked his arm back just in time.

Staring down at her hand, Hinata whispered, "I didn't even choose to do that…"

Hiashi spoke with rare weight in his voice, almost wary. "This technique… this is beyond the Gentle Fist we know. The elemental chakra you infused into your strike changes everything. A normal Gentle Fist strike closes tenketsu points and causes internal disruption, yes—but this? Your fire chakra would do far worse."

Hinata swallowed. "Worse… how?"

Hiashi folded his arms. "Burnt nerve endings. Disrupted chakra pathways. Even scorched tissue. All internal. The worst part is that your opponent wouldn't even realize the extent of the damage until it was too late."

Hinata placed a trembling hand on her head, breath uneven. "What did you give me, Naruto-kun…?"

Hiashi studied the hornet-shaped ring on her finger. "A power," he said quietly, "to change the system."

Hinata stared at the ring. "You've given me so much, Naruto-kun…"

"He did?"

Hinata blinked, realizing she'd spoken aloud. "I… I owe him. My confidence, my new armor, the training… this ring. All of it came from him."

"I didn't realize it was that serious," Hiashi muttered, half to himself.

"What do you mean?"

"You managed to get a boyfriend," Hiashi said calmly.

Hinata choked on her breath and turned crimson. "No! No, no, Father… it's not like that! Naruto-kun is just a friend!"

"A friend," Hiashi repeated, eyes narrowing slightly. "A friend who gave you the confidence you wear like armor. A friend who gifted you armor to protect your life. A friend who entrusted you with a ring that enhances your bloodline's most sacred technique."

Hinata buried her face in her hands, steam practically rising off her cheeks. "I–It's not a confession! Naruto-kun just… he gives like that. He always gives. It's just who he is."

"Mm," Hiashi hummed, unconvinced. "Perhaps. Or perhaps he gives most to the one he values most."

Hinata peeked through her fingers, flustered beyond recovery. "He's just a friend," she repeated weakly.

Hiashi gave a knowing smirk. "Right. A friend. Maybe I should speak with him… see what his intentions are toward my daughter."

Hinata's whole body seized up. "You can't! I mean—you'll meet him soon anyway!" she blurted out, desperate to change the subject.

"Oh?" Hiashi raised a brow. "Why is that?"

Hinata hesitated, then looked him in the eyes. "Naruto-kun… might have a way to heal Mother."

Hiashi froze.

His entire body stilled as the words struck him like a silent jutsu. His mouth opened, then closed again. Normally, he would've dismissed it as impossible. Every top medic in Konoha had tried and failed. But then he looked at the hornet ring and the conviction in Hinata's eyes.

"Is he… certain?" Hiashi asked, his voice unsteady for the first time.

"He's already healed Kakashi-sensei," Hinata said softly, her voice carrying a quiet awe. "Kurenai-sensei told me… that Kakashi-sensei should've taken months to fully recover. Months just to get back to functioning like himself again. But Naruto-kun… healed him like he was never injured. I have seen Naruto regenerate his arm back."

Hiashi's eyes widened.

"Kurenai-sensei didn't want that information getting out," Hinata continued, placing a hand over her chest. "She said if people knew what Naruto-kun could do, it would shake the entire shinobi world. His healing… it's not like ours. It's something beyond Konoha's methods."

Hiashi's throat tightened as he swallowed hard. He wasn't one to be easily shaken, but this was something else.

Regenerating an arm… healing one of our most elite shinobi completely… while our best medical-nin couldn't even attempt such a thing…

He stared at his daughter for a long moment, then slowly nodded, the faintest flicker of hope stirring behind his eyes.

Hiashi, too proud to say it aloud, silently prayed that Uzumaki Naruto was everything his daughter believed him to be.

"Then I suppose… I should start preparing."

Hinata blinked. "Preparing?"

Hiashi's tone lightened just slightly. "For a marriage proposal between you and Naruto Uzumaki."

Hinata gasped so hard she nearly bit her tongue. "F–F–Father!"

"I'm serious," Hiashi said, amused now. "Politics be damned. That boy has already done more for you than half this clan ever has. If he can heal your mother… I will welcome him with open arms as my son-in-law."

Hinata opened her mouth to protest, but the heat rushing to her face became too much. She felt herself swaying as her vision swam.

Hiashi stepped forward just as she slumped back onto the bed, fainting with a quiet sigh. Her cheeks were still flushed pink, and a thin trail of steam curled up from her ears.

Hiashi chuckled quietly and pulled the blanket over her. He sat back down beside her bed, watching her with a softened gaze.

He looked up, the edges of his composure softening for once.

What kind of man is Naruto Uzumaki, to stir the world like a rising storm? A boy who challenged destiny, reshaped the future, and left his mark on everyone he touched… including my daughter.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Why are we here?"

The question left Hanabi Hyuga's lips sharper than she intended, but she didn't bother to take it back. Her arms crossed, expression taut, she followed her older sister through the familiar bustle of Konoha's market district.

She hated this. The noise. The smell of broth and sweat wafting from Ichiraku. The casual warmth of the people who didn't bow, didn't stiffen their spines in the presence of nobility. It made her skin itch in ways she couldn't explain.

Hinata didn't turn to look at her. She just kept walking ahead with that same quiet grace that had always irritated Hanabi.

"You don't have to come with me if you don't want to," Hinata said softly, almost too gently. That was Hinata's way. Always offering an out. Always giving others space, even when they didn't deserve it.

"I'm not here for you," Hanabi muttered. "You've been ordered to rest, and I'm here to make sure you don't collapse face-first into some greasy bowl of street food."

That earned her a chuckle, and Hanabi hated how it made her chest twist with something like guilt.

"You could just admit it," Hinata said. "You're out of your element."

Hanabi snorted. "Please. I just don't see the appeal of places where the furniture wobbles and strangers are eating near you. Is that unreasonable?"

"Yes."

It stung a little, how easily Hinata could smile after everything. After being ignored. After being passed over. After years of being pushed aside so Hanabi could be the perfect Hyuga heir. The one with potential. The one who understood the weight of their name. Hanabi had worked herself bloody to carry that burden. And Hinata… walked through the village smiling at everyone.

It wasn't fair. But it wasn't her sister's fault either.

The silence stretched, broken only by the chatter of the street. Hanabi watched as Hinata slowed, pausing by the familiar ramen stand. It looked like nothing. It was nothing. And yet, Hinata came here like it was a temple.

Hanabi clicked her tongue. "Why do you keep coming here? You're still recovering. Even the clan healer said you shouldn't be up."

"Because the ramen is good. And I'm waiting for someone."

There was a softness to her voice, a flutter beneath her words Hanabi instantly recognized and pounced on.

"You mean that boy?"

Hinata blinked. "What boy?"

"The one you used to spy on from behind the academy library windows. The one you used to write about in that ridiculous diary of yours. What was it called again? Adventures of Naruto-sama and the Ramen Queen?"

Hinata's face went crimson, her body jerking so hard she nearly knocked over a stool.

"You! That was private! How did you even—"

"You shouldn't leave your secrets in unlocked drawers, nee-san!"

"That's a gross invasion of privacy!"

The two sisters stopped their bickering as they sat down at an empty table. The crowd around them was thick with voices and the sharp aroma of street food.

"I still can't believe that outcast is the son of the Fourth Hokage."

"Naruto-kun is more than his lineage, Hanabi."

"That's not the point," Hanabi snapped. "You're not thinking like a clan heir. The boy's practically nobility now. If you married him, no one would object. It'd shut the elders up. You'd have more influence, more backing. Honestly, it's a win for both sides."

Hinata stopped and turned slightly, pinching her younger sister's cheek. "You're too young to be drawing up political marriage strategies."

Hanabi slapped her hand away and scoffed. "I'm being realistic."

"Realistic about what?"

"You're only the heiress in name, nee-san," Hanabi said. "If you ever wanted to walk away from it all, no one could stop you..."

"Stop, Hanabi. Not here. Not now," Hinata said, her tone firm in a way Hanabi wasn't used to.

There was a long pause. Hanabi looked down at the ground, arms folding tighter across her chest.

"I was just… worried about you."

Hinata's expression softened. "I know," she said gently. "And thank you."

Hanabi glanced up, caught off guard by the sincerity. Her cheeks flushed pink. It was always hard to reconcile the Hinata she knew with this new version. The one who stood straighter. Spoke clearer. And no longer apologized for her presence.

They loved each other. But love in the Hyuga clan came twisted with expectation. The position of heir had always pushed them apart.

Recently, their father had stood before the council to address Hinata's newly awakened Byakugan. He shut down the elders' more extreme suggestions before they could gain traction, asserting his authority without hesitation. For the first time in years, Hinata and Hanabi felt like they could breathe, if only slightly, from the constant pressure of clan politics.

A throat cleared beside them.

"Ahem." Ayame stepped out from behind the counter, a towel tossed over her shoulder and fatigue under her eyes. "Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen. What can I get you two?"

"I'm fine with nothing," Hanabi said quickly.

Ayame blinked. Then sighed, deeply. "Of course. It's you. The only genius who comes to a food stand and doesn't order food."

"Well, excuse me for having refined tastes," Hanabi retorted, nose tilted upward.

Hinata gave Ayame an apologetic smile, mouthing I'm sorry behind her sister's back.

"You're lucky I like your sister," Ayame said with a smirk. "Otherwise, I'd have kicked you out already."

Hanabi gasped. "You should be honored that the heiress of the Hyuga clan is gracing your humble shop."

Ayame didn't even blink. She just looked at Hinata again, who looked ready to dissolve into the floor. Hanabi had always carried the weight of the title with pride—something drilled into her by their grandfather. The rest of the world, however, didn't seem to care.

"Anyway," Ayame continued, brushing past the dramatics, "Naruto's in the back."

"Thank you." Hinata smiled, standing up.

Hanabi rose too. "Good. The sooner we leave this… establishment, the better."

"Perfect," Ayame replied, her grin sharp. "We can finally give your seat to someone who actually pays."

The two locked eyes, sparks practically flying between them.

Hinata sighed and walked toward the back room. "I swear… I can't take you anywhere."

And yet, beneath all the bickering and eye-rolling, Hanabi smiled.

It felt like being sisters again.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The two Hyūga sisters entered the back of the shop and stopped short.

Seated in front of a mountain-sized bowl of ramen was Naruto Uzumaki, who was taller than Hanabi expected—his presence somehow bigger than the room.

"Hey there, Hinata," Sakura greeted, scooting over to make space.

Sasuke gave a short wave, Oscar still lounging on his head like a leather crown.

Naruto slurped loudly, then looked up mid-chew. "Hey!" he grinned, mouth full of noodles.

A few strands of broth-soaked noodles went flying.

Hanabi raised an unimpressed brow, then turned to her sister. "I genuinely don't get it. What do you see in him?"

Hinata smiled, eyes soft. "Naruto-kun… your hair."

"Oh, yeah!" Naruto pushed back a few crimson locks. "What do you think?"

Hinata blushed faintly. "It's… beautiful." Her fingers twitched slightly, as if itching to reach out and touch it.

Hanabi squinted. "Wait, weren't you blond? Why dye it red?"

Naruto blinked at her, confused. "Who is this sassy lost child?"

Hanabi immediately looked ready to murder him.

"H-Hanabi," Hinata cut in quickly, flustered. "She is my younger sister."

Before she could explain further, Naruto leapt to his feet in a flash of chakra smoke. His elite knight armor shimmered into place, and he struck a flamboyant pose, massive Zweihander resting against his shoulder.

"Greetings, young lady! I am Naruto Uzumaki, loyal squire of Sir Oscar and Knight of Konoha!"

Oscar hopped dramatically off Sasuke's head, spinning mid-air and landing with a proud chirp and a salute.

Hanabi stared, unimpressed. "I didn't ask for a stupid introduction."

Sasuke laughed while Sakura stifled a giggle.

Hinata looked like she wanted to crawl into the floor.

Naruto removed his helmet with a dramatic shake of his long red hair. "I think it's cool."

Oscar chirped again, emphatically.

Hanabi eyed the small creature curiously. "What is that thing?" She activated her Byakugan—only to immediately gasp, staggering back as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Why do you have so much chakra?" Hanabi whispered, voice trembling. "It was like… looking into the sun."

"Ah, sorry about that," Naruto said sheepishly, reaching out and effortlessly lifting her with one hand before she could stumble.

Still rubbing the glare from her eyes, Hanabi scowled. "Put me down, you big oaf."

But her voice lacked real bite.

"You okay?" Naruto asked, his tone soft and gentle in a way that disarmed her. There was no mockery, no condescension. Just genuine concern.

Hanabi blinked, caught off guard. She was used to being treated like someone expected to be composed, sharp, unshakable. But right now, she was just a girl in someone's arms… and being cared for felt strange, yet nice.

"I… I'm okay," she murmured, cheeks flushing as she looked up into his eyes.

They weren't ordinary eyes. Slit pupils, blue and sapphire irises. They should've been unsettling, but instead, Hanabi found them captivating. There was power in those eyes. Command. Presence. The kind that made even the most rigid Hyūga elders seem small. But there was also something else…

Warmth.

She held his gaze a second longer, and something inside her settled.

So that's why… she thought.

She could see it clearly now. Why her sister looked at him the way she did.

"Good," Naruto said, smiling. "Speaking of which, you want me to go heal your mom?"

"If… if you're not too busy," Hinata said quietly.

"For you? Never."

Meanwhile, Hanabi was frozen on Naruto's arm, still processing everything.

In one fluid motion, Naruto scooped Hinata into his arms. Oscar hopped into her embrace with a cheerful chirp. Then, in a flicker of chakra, they vanished.

Left behind, Sasuke just enjoyed his meal.

Sakura sighed. "He really doesn't know how to sit still, does he? It's always something with him."

"Hn."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The moment Naruto flickered into view at the Hyūga clan compound, holding both Hinata and Hanabi, the guards immediately went on high alert.

Hinata hopped down from Naruto's arms, holding Oscar close as she stepped forward.

"He's with me," she said firmly. "Please inform my father that I've brought Naruto Uzumaki with me."

At the sound of the name, the guards froze. Their eyes darted to Naruto, their posture stiffening. One of them swallowed hard before turning to alert the clan head.

Meanwhile, Naruto gently nudged Hanabi. She was still perched on his armored shoulder, clinging tight.

"Alright, little lady," he said softly, "we're here at your house. Time to come down."

But Hanabi didn't move. Her small fingers gripped his shoulder harder. Her lips trembled.

"C–Can you really heal my mom?"

Naruto looked her dead in the eyes and said, without a hint of hesitation, "Of course."

Something broke in Hanabi. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her face against his collar. Naruto felt her tears soak into his hair.

He glanced at Hinata, who gave a quiet, encouraging nod.

The proud Hyūga prodigy was gone for a moment, replaced by a scared little girl who just wanted her mother back.

Naruto gently rubbed her back as they walked through the compound. When her crying quieted, he asked with a smile, "Excited to meet your mom?"

"I... I never really knew her," Hanabi mumbled. "She went into a coma when I was just a few months old."

"Well," Naruto said, "once I heal her, you'll get to make all the memories you missed out on."

Hanabi hesitated. "Do you think... she'll like me?"

"Hanabi-chan," Naruto said, stopping for a moment, "it's basically a mom's job to love her kid."

"But... what if I'm not the kind of daughter she wanted?"

Naruto fell silent, just for a second.

"I never knew my mom or dad either. And yeah... sometimes I wonder what they'd think of me. But y'know what? I think I'm awesome. So I'm pretty sure they'd love me no matter what."

Hanabi stayed quiet, still processing.

Naruto lowered her to the ground and asked, "Do you think you're awesome?"

"I... I don't know."

"Well, I think you are. And your mom's gonna think so too. Besides, you've still got time to grow. Just look at Hinata; she used to be the shy, weird girl. Now she's awesome."

Hanabi cracked a small smile. Hinata turned red from embarrassment.

Oscar chirped with a sound that was suspiciously like laughter.

Just then, the atmosphere shifted.

Hiashi Hyūga approached with a small entourage of servants.

"Welcome to the Hyūga Clan, Uzumaki Naruto," Hiashi said formally. "I am Hiashi Hyūga, current clan head."

"Yo," Naruto replied, giving a casual nod.

Hiashi blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the casual greeting. Regaining his composure, he clasped his hands behind his back and spoke with dignified calm.

"As an honored guest of the Hyūga Clan, you are entitled to our full hospitality. If you require rest, a private room has been prepared. If you wish to eat or refresh yourself, we will have it arranged immediately. Simply say the word."

Naruto stepped forward, meeting Hiashi's eyes directly. The servants instinctively stepped back. For the first time, Hinata and Hanabi realized that Naruto stood at eye level with their father.

"Look, man," Naruto said bluntly. "My team and I just got back to Konoha a few hours ago. I already had a mentally draining talk with the Hokage. I'm ready to hit the bed. But before that, I want to heal Hinata's mom. Quick and simple."

Hiashi gave a slight nod at Naruto's honest, no-nonsense tone and waved the servants away.

"Very well," he said. "Come with me. I'll take you to her."

The walk through the Hyūga compound was awkward, though no one knew why. Hinata and Hanabi trailed just behind, glancing at each other every so often, unsure if it was the tension between them or the weight of what was about to happen.

Oscar, unconcerned, hopped from Hinata's arms and trotted off to munch on a dandelion by the path.

Hiashi walked beside Naruto in silence, occasionally casting sidelong glances at the boy. Even without activating the Byakugan, he could feel the weight of the chakra radiating off of him. His armor shimmered subtly under the sunlight—nothing like the plated rigidity of the samurai Hiashi had once battled. And the greatsword on Naruto's back radiated quiet menace. Even the strange crystal creature tagging along seemed more like a summon than a pet.

Yes... Naruto Uzumaki was unlike anyone he had ever met.

"How exactly are you planning to heal my wife?" Hiashi finally asked, keeping his voice neutral.

Naruto shrugged. "I've got a few techniques... but mostly? I'm just gonna perform a miracle."

Hiashi raised a brow at the honesty. He took it not as a deflection, but as Naruto's way of saying: you wouldn't understand it even if I explained. And he respected that.

"Then, thank you," Hiashi said, voice softening.

"I haven't healed her yet," Naruto replied.

"I wasn't talking about that." Hiashi's gaze lingered on Hinata. "I meant... thank you for everything you've done for my daughter."

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Honestly, I didn't do much. She already had it in her. She just needed someone to believe in her. If anything, she's helped me a lot. I probably wouldn't have figured out half the things I did in Lordran if it weren't for her."

Hiashi nodded slowly. "Still, her equipment... the bow, the armor, the ring. All of it came from you."

"Tools only matter if the person using them has the skill to make them count," Naruto replied, stopping for a moment. "Why are you downplaying her growth like she's just piggybacking off me?"

Hiashi met his eyes evenly. "I'm not. I just wanted to see what kind of person you are and what your intentions toward my daughter might be."

Naruto's tone turned flat. "So that's what this was? A test? A trap to see if I'd say the wrong thing?"

"Yes," Hiashi said without shame. "I needed to know if you saw her as a friend... or a pawn."

Naruto exhaled. "You could've just asked instead of playing mind games."

"Lies are a shinobi's bread and butter. But truth is earned. So, I'll ask plainly now. What do you feel about my daughter?"

Hinata and Hanabi both stopped walking.

"She's my friend," Naruto said without hesitation.

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "Just a friend?"

"Father," Hinata whispered, her cheeks turning pink.

"Yeah," Naruto replied, firm. "Just a friend. A great one. But that's all."

Hiashi nodded slowly. "Perhaps it's still early. You're both young. Still, for everything you've done for her, I'll extend to you an offer. Ask anything of the Hyūga. If it's within our power, it's yours."

Naruto paused. "There's only one thing I want."

Hiashi tilted his head.

"Too many kids grow up without their parents. And too many parents don't deserve the children they have. So my wish is simple. Be there for Hinata. Be a father to her. A real one. That's all."

The group stopped in front of a secluded home surrounded by a blooming garden. The air here felt still. Reverent.

Hiashi stared at the house, then said quietly, "I've made many mistakes. But regardless of your wish, I've already decided that I will be someone Hinata and Hanabi can rely on. No matter what."

Naruto gave a faint smile. "Okay. Respect for you just went way up."

Hiashi chuckled for the first time in what felt like years. Naruto Uzumaki was unlike any boy he had ever met.

And now, he could see why so many were drawn to his storm.

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Hiashi quietly dismissed the nurse who had been tending to his wife for years. The woman gave him a soft, understanding nod before retreating with practiced silence. Left alone in the room, Hiashi took a trembling step forward, toward the one person he had thought he'd never speak to again.

Tsubaki Hyūga lay still in the bed, her skin pale, her long dark hair fanned neatly over the pillow. Her once-lively eyes were closed, lashes resting delicately against unmoving cheeks. Her face was serene, peaceful even, but it was the kind of peace that felt like silence at the bottom of a well. Her hands rested limply at her sides, fragile and cold to the touch. A thin, rhythmic sound from a nearby monitor was the only indication that life still clung to her.

Hiashi stood over her, lips quivering.

"Tsubaki," he said, barely louder than a whisper.

The name alone made his chest tighten.

"You're going to wake up today," he continued, "and meet your daughters."

Behind him, Naruto glanced at Hinata and Hanabi. Their expressions were unreadable, torn between hope and dread. Naruto nudged Oscar with his foot and motioned toward them. Oscar gave a light chirp and padded over, gently climbing into Hanabi's arms and nuzzling her hand. It was enough to ease the tension in her clenched jaw.

Hiashi turned back to Naruto, shoulders stiff, pride caught somewhere in his throat. He bowed.

"Please... I..."

"You don't have to say anything, old man," Naruto said gently, stepping forward. "Let me do what I came to do."

He pulled a talisman from his inventory. He came to Tsubaki's side, kneeling, and took her hand in his. The talisman lay between their palms.

Naruto closed his eyes and began to pray in a foreign tongue. As he spoke, the talisman glowed. A pale white light formed between their hands, growing outward until it engulfed the bed. Symbols began etching themselves into the floor around them, forming a glowing circle inscribed with a language unknown to the Hyūga clan.

The room filled with blinding white light. Hiashi instinctively shielded his eyes. Hinata and Hanabi did the same.

Then silence.

A soft shuffle of bedsheets broke it.

And then a voice.

"Hiashi…?" it said, groggy, but unmistakable.

Hiashi's heart stopped. Hinata gasped, tears springing to her eyes. The voice was real. Hanabi held her breath. She'd never heard her mother speak. But the warmth in that voice… it sounded like Hinata. She felt something tremble in her chest as she opened her eyes.

Tsubaki was sitting up.

She looked around slowly, blinking against the light. Her gaze fell on Hiashi first.

"I feel like I've woken from a very long dream," she said softly. "How long was I asleep?"

Neither Hiashi nor Hinata could form words. They rushed forward, both of them dropping to their knees, clinging to her hands, crying openly now. Hanabi stood frozen. The tears welled up in her eyes unbidden, her mouth opening, trying to say something. Anything.

Tsubaki turned to her, smiling.

"You have your father's hair… but my face," she said gently. "Hanabi-chan."

The name struck like lightning.

Hanabi couldn't hold it in anymore. She stumbled forward, and Tsubaki opened her arms, embracing her youngest daughter for the very first time.

Hanabi clung to her mother like she was afraid she'd disappear again. The tears flowed freely now, hiccuping sobs that cracked the air. Hiashi and Hinata moved in too, all four holding one another in a moment too long lost.

Seeing the scene, Naruto stepped back. He gently lifted Oscar into his arms and walked toward the door.

"Let's give them some space," he whispered.

Oscar chirped softly, nuzzling into Naruto's chest.

Naruto paused in the doorway. He turned back once to glimpse the family reunion. The room shimmered with something he couldn't describe. A sense of wholeness. Of warmth. Of belonging.

He wondered quietly if he'd ever know that feeling.

Oscar, sensing the emotion, nuzzled deeper into Naruto's neck, letting out a low, comforting chirp. Naruto smiled faintly, sitting against the wall just outside the room. He hugged the crystal lizard close and whispered, "I'm glad you're here with me, buddy."

Oscar chirped again, as if to say, me too.

And together, they sat in silence, listening to the muffled sound of tears, laughter, and love blooming inside.

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Author's Note
Wow. This was a really emotional chapter to write but now we get to my favorite part of every update: the Q&A section. Let's dive in.

1. What exactly did the Hornet Ring do to Hinata?

Let's give this some context: In Dark Souls 1, the Hornet Ring boosts the damage of critical hits, but more interestingly, it also changes the animation for critical attacks. So when you wear the Hornet Ring, not only are you stronger—you're also fighting with more flair.

Now, take that idea and apply it to Hinata. Her Gentle Fist style is all about precise, devastating strikes essentially chakra-based "critical hits." So when I gave her the Hornet Ring, it didn't just buff her—it altered her fighting style. The attack form changes, and that gave me the opportunity to evolve the Gentle Fist into something more intense and cinematic: the Fire-Style Gentle Fist.

Glad you all seemed to enjoy that twist!

2. What is the Upgraded Gentle Fist?

So first off, I think the Gentle Fist is already a fantastic taijutsu style in canon. But since I introduced the Hornet Ring, I had to ask: How would it actually make Gentle Fist stronger?

That led to the idea of combining elemental chakra with Gentle Fist. A concept I found super compelling. It's a natural evolution, right? But then the big problem hit me:

Why didn't anyone in canon ever do this?

This is something that bugs me in a lot of fanfics. Writers will say, "My OC just discovered this secret no one else in the history of the world thought of!" And while yes, technically that's plausible (people discover new things in real life all the time), it still makes the rest of the world feel... kind of dumb. Like, really? Centuries of ninja traditions and nobody tried this?

So I went a different route.

Instead of saying "no one thought of it," I'm saying: Everyone thought of it—it's just insanely difficult to do.

Canon gives us plenty of evidence that combining chakra shape manipulation with elemental manipulation is absurdly hard. For example, the Rasengan is already an advanced shape-manipulation technique, and adding an element to it (like Naruto eventually does with Wind Release) is on an elite level of difficulty.

Now imagine trying to integrate elemental chakra into Gentle Fist which is already based on subtle, pinpoint chakra control. It's doable, yes, but only with immense talent, precision, and frankly, help. That's why the Hornet Ring acts as a catalyst. It enhances her control in subtle ways and opens the door for this hybrid style to exist.

Hope that clears it up!

3. How are Hinata and Hanabi both heirs?

Oh boy. This is one of those plot holes in Naruto canon that really needed more explanation.

Here's the mess as I see it:

Hinata is the firstborn daughter of Hiashi, yet she isn't treated as the true heiress.

Hanabi is younger, yet she's favored and trained more rigorously.

Neither one is branded with the branch family seal, which doesn't make sense under the Hyuga's supposed rules.

Meanwhile, Neji—clearly the most talented Hyuga of his generation—is stuck in the branch family with no upward mobility.

So what gives?

Here's my fix:

Hinata is the official heiress by blood and title, but the elders consider her a waste of time due to her early lack of talent.

Hanabi is seen by the council and Hiashi as the de facto heiress, since she shows talent and obedience. But she's never formally named as such because that title still belongs to Hinata.

The clan makes a conditional bet: If Hinata grows into a strong enough shinobi (say, becoming a jōnin), she keeps the title. Hanabi then gets branded and joins the branch family. But if Hinata fails to meet expectations, Hanabi becomes the clan head and Hinata takes the branch seal.

It's a cold, pragmatic, and very Hyuga way to handle succession and it also explains the ambiguity we see in canon. Plus, it gives extra weight to Hinata's growth and strength by the time she's with Naruto. And by the time she's dating Naruto—one of the strongest people in the world—any complaints the elders have? They can choke on their own traditions.

Final Thoughts:

That's it for now! Thanks so much for reading. I put a lot into this chapter emotionally and mechanically, and I'd love to hear what you thought—about the story, the lore, or anything else.

See you in the next one!
— Adam