Night had fallen over the village.
When dinnertime arrived, Sasuke Uchiha retrieved the shuriken he had thrown into the target tree and answered his mother Mikoto’s warm call to come inside.
Under the soft glow of the dining room lamp, the gentle mother, strict father, and his beloved older brother sat together around the table.
“Sasuke worked extra hard today,” Mikoto said, smiling as she placed a tender piece of fish into his bowl and reached over to pinch a stray grain of rice off the corner of his cheek.
“Heh…” Sasuke offered a shy grin at his mother’s affection.
“Hard work is a fine trait, but you must learn when to stop.
Pushing yourself past your limits will only backfire,” his father, Fugaku Uchiha, noted from the head of the table.
Watching his youngest son return from training, the usual harshness in his eyes softened slightly.
“Mm!
I understand, Father!” Sasuke nodded vigorously, a quiet pride blooming in his chest.
“How was your first day at school?” Itachi asked, his observant gaze shifting to his younger brother.
“Did anything interesting happen?”
“Well…
I guess so,” Sasuke replied, recalling the white-eyed girl who had practically provoked the entire classroom earlier that morning, not to mention how she had flattened the Inuzuka kid outside the gates immediately after class.
Without leaving out a single detail, Sasuke recounted everything he had witnessed to his family.
“Someone from the Hyuga Clan…” Fugaku murmured, falling into deep thought.
Unlike Sasuke, the leader of the Uchiha Clan was far more attuned to the political subtext behind such an incident.
After all, as the only noble family capable of standing on equal footing with the Uchiha, the Hyuga had always been a target of Fugaku’s careful observation.
Unfortunately, the Hyuga Clan had always behaved like a tightly sealed jar—they followed orders obediently and never voiced strong opinions of their own, acting as though village politics and the Hokage seat were completely irrelevant to them.
Yet now, a clan that prioritized absolute stability above all else had produced such an ridiculously disruptive heiress.
This naturally forced Fugaku to look far beneath the surface.
Especially given the precarious, isolated state the Uchiha currently found themselves in.
Is Hiashi Hyuga trying to send me a message?
Fugaku thought to himself.
As the leader of a fellow grand dōjutsu clan, Fugaku believed he and Hiashi shared a great deal of unspoken common ground.
To his mind, any rumors about a rebellious or unmanageable heiress were likely clever smoke screens.
The Hyuga had prized stability for a thousand years, dating back long before the founding of the Leaf Village to the Warring States period itself.
Therefore, Fugaku felt entirely certain that Hinata Hyuga—as Hiashi’s own daughter—would never make such a scene at the Ninja Academy unless Hiashi was secretly encouraging her from behind the scenes.
“Then Sasuke will just have to train even harder so he doesn’t get outshone by a girl~~” Mikoto teased gently.
“Mm, I’ll definitely work hard!” Sasuke nodded, his face completely serious.
Unlike his mother’s lighthearted jesting, Sasuke took the rivalry to heart.
As the future heiress of her clan, Hinata held a status in the Hyuga equivalent to Itachi’s standing in the Uchiha.
But since Itachi was several years older than her, the responsibility of standing as her direct rival naturally fell squarely onto Sasuke’s shoulders.
Both were thousand-year-old clans renowned for their visual jutsu; Sasuke was determined not to let the Uchiha lose out to the Hyuga.
“…”
Fugaku’s jaw paused mid-chew as he watched his wife and son interact.
Yes!
My deduction is spot on!
As expected of the Hyuga Clan Head!
As the old saying went, when the lips are gone, the teeth turn cold.
The Uchiha were currently backed into a dangerous corner, and Hiashi, as the head of the Hyuga, had undoubtedly recognized the long-term threat to all ancient clans.
Hiashi…
are you having Hinata act out publicly to draw Sasuke’s attention, subtly reassuring me that the Hyuga are still a potential ally?
Fugaku’s heart stirred.
Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, Uzumaki, Kaguya—the five great clans that had survived for a millennium.
Though the Uchiha and Hyuga had always kept to their own territories, with only two of the five ancient lineages remaining in the Leaf, their fates were inextricably linked.
Of course, this was still just a theory.
He needed to verify whether Hiashi truly harbored such intentions.
Desperate to find a way out of the Uchiha’s political dead end, Fugaku was eager to grasp at any potential lifeline.
“Sasuke,” Fugaku began slowly, drawing the attention of the entire table.
“Since Hinata has issued an open challenge to the entire class, as my son—the son of Fugaku Uchiha—you naturally cannot back down.”
“Spar with her tomorrow.
Regardless of the outcome, you are classmates first and foremost.”
“M-Me?!” Sasuke pointed a finger at himself, staring at his father in absolute shock.
He had witnessed Hinata’s terrifying combat ability with his own eyes just hours ago when she obliterated Kiba Inuzuka in less than a second!
“Father, isn’t that a bit…” Itachi spoke up, a flicker of concern in his voice.
Sasuke’s current skill was only slightly above average for kids his age.
How could he possibly stand against Hinata, who had casually demolished an Inuzuka heir without breaking a sweat?
Sasuke blinked rapidly, sending a desperate, pleading look toward Mikoto.
Mom, please say something!
Does Dad not love me anymore?!
He’s literally sending me to get beaten up for free!
Even if Sasuke viewed Hinata as a rival, he wasn’t an idiot.
Hinata was a monster.
Even if he wanted to challenge her, he needed to train for at least a few months and master a few powerful ninjutsu first.
Challenging her right now was nothing short of pure self-sabotage!
Yet, facing her youngest son’s tearful glare, Mikoto only offered a gentle, helpless smile.
Sob…
Mom doesn’t love me either…
Night.
The Hyuga Compound.
“There’s a good girl, just a little more, okay~~”
At the dinner table, while Hiashi was eating his meal, Hinata was holding a baby bottle, patiently feeding a toddler who looked barely a year old.
Hiashi held his chopsticks and bowl, staring at the scene with a deeply complicated look in his eyes.
The baby was Hinata’s younger sister, Hanabi Hyuga.
When Hinata turned five, Hiashi had recognized her extraordinary talent, but deep down, he had still hoped for a son to inherit the main house.
In the end, his wife had passed away due to a difficult childbirth, leaving behind another daughter.
“What are you staring at?” Hinata asked, noticing her father’s lingering gaze and looking over at the older man.
“Nothing…” Hiashi shook his head, clearing the bitter memories from his mind.
If anyone asked why Hiashi doted on Hinata despite her chaotic nature, his late wife was certainly part of the reason.
“Little Hanabi~~” Seeing her younger sister gulp down the last drop of milk, Hinata smiled and gently pinched the baby’s chubby cheek before handing her off to Natsu, who was standing nearby, before preparing to eat her own dinner.
“I heard you beat up the Inuzuka boy today,” Hiashi remarked, picking up his chopsticks.
“Yeah, so what?” Hinata replied casually, stuffing a mouthful of rice into her cheeks.
“He was the one who challenged me to a duel.”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Hiashi corrected instinctively, seeing his daughter’s complete lack of table manners.
“Oh.”