“Neji, my father intends to have you protect Hinata in the future. Do you think you can handle that responsibility?”
“Really?”
Neji’s eyes lit up.
“Leave it to me, Tenriki! I won’t let you down!”
Becoming Hinata’s guard was an honor in itself.
Hiashi had once considered assigning Neji to protect Tenriki instead, but Tenriki had refused.
Neji had been disappointed for days afterward.
Still, he understood why.
Tenriki had always been terrifyingly strong.
Every time the two of them sparred, Neji ended up completely overwhelmed.
If he became Tenriki’s guard now, he would probably be more of a burden than actual protection.
That realization had only made Neji train harder.
Now that Tenriki was saying he could become Hinata’s guard instead, all of Neji’s old disappointment vanished.
Tenriki placed a hand on his shoulder.
“You don’t need to get that excited. You’re my cousin, Neji. We’re equals.”
Neji blinked.
“You’ll have your own life,” Tenriki continued.
“You don’t exist just to serve us.”
Neji shook his head.
“But I’m from the branch family, and you’re—”
“You’re still you,” Tenriki cut in.
“Before anything else, you’re my cousin. Not some branch-family servant.”
Before Neji could answer, Hinata’s excited cry rang across the courtyard.
“Brother! I caught it! You have to take me shopping now!”
Her cheeks were flushed with triumph as she held up a thoroughly miserable-looking kitten in both hands.
Tenriki smiled and ruffled her hair.
“Fine. We’ll go as soon as we’re ready. Whatever you want to eat, we’ll eat. Whatever you want to buy, we’ll buy.”
Hinata immediately wrapped both arms around his.
“Brother is the best!”
Neji watched the two of them with open envy.
For the first time, he found himself wishing he had a little sister to spoil too.
That was when someone entered the courtyard.
Hizashi Hyuga.
His attention immediately settled on Tenriki.
Despite being only three years old, Tenriki already carried himself in a way that made him stand out among children his age.
Hizashi’s feelings grew complicated.
Then he looked at his own son.
Neji was standing beside Tenriki and Hinata as though following their lead came naturally to him.
A familiar resentment stirred inside Hizashi.
I was born only five minutes later.
Five minutes.
Why should my son have to become someone else’s servant because of that?
Why?
How can fate be this unfair?
His expression twisted.
For the briefest instant, a trace of killing intent flashed through his gaze as he looked at Tenriki and Hinata.
The three children noticed his arrival.
Tenriki recognized him immediately.
Hizashi and Hiashi were identical twins.
If not for the Caged Bird Seal branded across Hizashi’s forehead, it would have been difficult to tell them apart at a glance.
“Uncle,” Tenriki greeted politely with a bow.
Hinata copied him.
“Hello, Uncle.”
“Father!”
Neji straightened.
Hizashi stared at Tenriki and Hinata.
Both children had greeted him with genuine courtesy.
The anger burning inside him suddenly lost its strength.
It melted almost as quickly as it had appeared.
“Come with me.”
Neji looked confused, but followed his father without protest.
Tenriki watched them leave, then lightly tapped Hinata on the nose.
“Come on. Let’s get ready. You wanted to go shopping, remember?”
Hinata immediately cheered.
“Shopping!”
She grabbed his hand and practically dragged him back toward the house.
Neji followed his father home.
Once inside, Hizashi gestured toward the floor.
“Sit.”
Neji obeyed.
Father and son sat facing one another in silence for several moments.
Then Hizashi sighed.
He raised a hand and pointed toward the mark on his forehead.
“Do you know what this is?”
Neji nodded.
“The Caged Bird Seal.”
“Do you know what it does?”
Neji shook his head.
“No.”
Hizashi’s expression darkened.
“Your uncle and I are twins.”
Neji listened quietly.
“He was born five minutes before me. Because of those five minutes, he became the heir to the main family. Eventually, he became Clan Head and inherited the authority and glory of the Hyuga.”
Hizashi touched the seal on his forehead.
“And I became part of the branch family.”
His voice grew colder.
“This was placed on me.”
Neji stared at the mark.
“The Caged Bird Seal isn’t merely a symbol. The main family controls the formula that activates it. If they use it against us…”
Hizashi’s face twisted.
“The pain is unbearable.”
Neji’s eyes widened.
“This mark represents our submission. It controls us while we live, and it protects the Byakugan after death.”
His fingers tightened.
“Only when we die does it finally disappear.”
Neji sat frozen.
Everything he had believed about the main family suddenly felt different.
Hizashi continued before he could recover.
“When you reach the proper age, the seal will be placed on you as well.”
Neji’s face paled.
“You’ll spend your life bound by it. Your freedom will never truly belong to you.”
Hizashi laid the reality before his son without softening a single word.
Neji remained silent for several seconds.
Then he remembered what Tenriki had told him earlier.
“But…”
Hizashi looked at him.
“Tenriki said that he and I are equals.”
Hizashi’s eyes narrowed.
“He said I would have my own life. That I wouldn’t have to live under his control.”
“Hmph.”
Hizashi’s irritation immediately returned at the mention of Tenriki.
“And you believe that?”
Neji hesitated.
“He’s lying to you.”
“But Tenriki—”
“There is no ‘but.'”
Hizashi’s voice suddenly cut off.
The veins around his eyes bulged as his vision swept toward the entrance.
“Who’s there?”
A voice came from outside.
“Lord Hizashi. The Clan Head requests your presence immediately. He says it is urgent.”
Hizashi frowned.
“I’ll be there shortly.”
“Yes, Lord Hizashi.”
The presence outside disappeared.
Hizashi turned back toward Neji.
“Everything we discussed today stays between us. Do not tell anyone.”
Neji nodded slowly.
Hizashi rose and left.
Urgent?
His unease deepened.
Hiashi had never summoned him with this kind of urgency before.
A shadow settled over Hizashi’s thoughts, and his pace quickened.
It didn’t take long for him to reach Hiashi’s residence.
His brother was already waiting.
The moment Hizashi entered, Hiashi spoke.
“We just received information from our contacts.”
His expression was grim.
“Kumogakure has issued its ultimatum.”
Hizashi frowned.
Hiashi continued.
“They want me dead.”
Hizashi stared at him.
“And the daimyo has indicated that he wants the same outcome.”
For a moment, Hizashi could only stand there.
“They want… you dead?”
“Yes.”
“Is there no room to negotiate?”
Hiashi shook his head.
“No.”
His voice remained calm, but the tension beneath it was unmistakable.
“The Third Hokage’s people will probably arrive soon to summon me.”
The atmosphere in the room turned frigid.
Hizashi had spent years resenting his brother.
Part of him had hated Hiashi simply because five minutes at birth had separated their lives so completely.
Yet resentment did not erase respect.
Under Hiashi’s leadership, the Hyuga had grown stronger and more influential.
More importantly, Hiashi himself had become the clan’s only Kage-level shinobi.
He was the pillar holding much of the Hyuga’s current strength together.
And now Konoha intended to sacrifice him.
The thought made Hizashi’s blood run cold.
“It was Kumogakure that came after the Hyuga in the first place!”
His anger erupted.
“They caused this entire incident, and now the Hyuga Clan Head is supposed to pay with his life?”
The jealousy Hizashi had felt toward his brother only a short while earlier vanished.
Now there was only anger.
And worry.
“What are you going to do?”
Hiashi was silent for a moment.
Then he answered.
“There’s nothing I can do.”
His expression hardened.
“If this is what it takes…”
He paused.
“…then I’ll die.”