Staring at his younger brother's unblinking gaze, Hiashi felt as if his mouth had been sealed shut, his words unable to come out.
What could I possibly say? This is not something I can handle alone.
Hiashi wasn't refusing to remove Neji's Caged Bird Seal out of selfishness—he simply didn't dare.
Just as Hiashi was struggling to find words, a clan member reported from outside:
"Clan Head, Lord Hoshiyomi and Lady Tsunade have arrived with their children to visit the Hyūga."
Hearing this, Hiashi suddenly felt the pressure on him ease. He quickly told the clan member:
"Hurry, please invite them in."
Then he turned to Hizashi:
"Brother, as you can see, we have important guests. Let's put Neji's matter aside for now. We can't discuss something like this in front of outsiders."
Hizashi's expression tightened with bitterness, but knowing Hoshiyomi and Tsunade's status, he could only swallow his grievance and force a smile:
"They mentioned bringing their two children, didn't they? I'll go call Neji, Hinata, and Hanabi. Let the children meet each other—it's good for them."
Hiashi's eyes lit up instantly:
"Yes, yes, go quickly and inform them. Remember to have them change their clothes; they shouldn't come over in their training gear."
Just as Hizashi left, Hoshiyomi and Tsunade entered the clan head's courtyard with their two children.
Hiashi immediately stood to greet them:
"It is an honor to have you two esteemed individuals visit the Hyūga compound. Forgive us for not receiving you sooner."
Hoshiyomi waved a hand dismissively:
"No need to be so formal, Clan Head Hiashi. We were simply passing by and thought we'd stop in for a visit—and let our children get acquainted."
Hiashi's heart stirred upon hearing this. He instinctively glanced at Ryūshin and Rinne behind Tsunade, then launched into a flurry of unreserved compliments.
Just as Ryūshin and Rinne started to feel uncomfortable from the excessive praise, Hizashi arrived with the three Hyūga children.
At Hiashi's invitation, Neji, Hinata, and Hanabi came forward obediently to greet the guests. Hoshiyomi and Tsunade smiled and nodded kindly in return.
Even from this brief greeting, the personalities of the three were obvious:
Neji greeted them properly—serious, polite, carrying the same "young adult" aura that Itachi had.
Hinata was intensely shy; her face reddened just from the greeting. The moment she finished, she lowered her head like a frightened rabbit.
Hanabi, however, bowed with natural poise—neither timid nor arrogant. After greeting them, she curiously glanced at Ryūshin and Rinne behind Tsunade. Her slightly playful expression made Tsunade smile on the spot.
Throughout their greetings, Hiashi stood observing silently.
Seeing their drastically different behaviors, his thoughts churned—mostly about his two daughters.
Hinata was good in every other way, but her personality was a problem. Her natural shyness affected her Gentle Fist training; she always held back, and as a result her progress was painfully slow.
Even her younger sister Hanabi had already surpassed her—and Hanabi was five years younger.
Once Hiashi realized Hinata's Gentle Fist progress was so limited, he quietly gave up on grooming her as the next clan head. From then on, he shifted all his focus to developing Hanabi.
Watching Hanabi now, Hiashi felt very satisfied.
But alongside satisfaction was a twinge of regret—if only Hanabi were a boy, everything would align perfectly.
He could pass the clan head position to Hanabi without concern.
Hinata could live a comfortable life as the elder sister.
Hizashi would have no grounds to object.
And Hanabi's undeniable talent would eliminate any chance of removing Neji's Caged Bird Seal.
But Hanabi was still a girl in the end.
What a pity.
While Hiashi was observing the three children, Hoshiyomi and Tsunade were evaluating them as well.
Tsunade's focus, naturally, was entirely on Hanabi. Seeing that Hanabi was gentle, well-mannered, yet lively-eyed, she couldn't help quietly nodding in approval.
Hoshiyomi, originally planning to study Hanabi more closely, found his attention pulled instead by Neji. As the only one among the "Konoha 12" who died purely because the plot demanded it, Neji had always stirred a certain sympathy in Hoshiyomi's heart.
Now, seeing him in person, Hoshiyomi immediately noticed differences.
Just one glance made it obvious: this Neji was quite different from the one in the original story.
Neji was a year older than Naruto and the others and had already graduated from the Ninja Academy. He had formed a team with Rock Lee and Tenten, and their team leader was still Might Guy.
Neji's appearance was unchanged from the original, but his personality was significantly different.
Because Kumogakure kidnapping incident had never happened here, Neji had not lost his father. As a result, his disposition was far healthier than in the original.
He wasn't trapped in that tragic, painfully realistic fatalism. He looked serious, yes, but underneath that seriousness was unmistakable gentleness. He would likely be very popular with girls in the future.
However, Hoshiyomi still detected a hint of inferiority in his eyes.
It made sense—Neji was still bound by the Caged Bird Seal. Anyone would feel uncomfortable being branded with such a humiliating curse.
And he was only twelve.
Expecting him to smile at such cruelty was clearly unrealistic.
Neji seemed to sense Hoshiyomi's gaze. When he noticed Hoshiyomi looking at his forehead, he frowned almost imperceptibly, raised a hand to touch the bandages covering it, and lowered his head.
Seeing this, Hoshiyomi silently nodded.
As expected—since Neji's father was still alive, the only remaining burden weighing on him was the Caged Bird Seal.
He remembered he'd once considered helping Neji remove it.
Perhaps today would be a good chance to bring it up.
Meanwhile, Hizashi—quiet and observant—also noticed Neji's reaction. His expression twitched, the scene before him stabbing deeply into his heart.
He understood his brother's dilemma all too well.
The Caged Bird was a thousand-year-old tradition.
If the clan head broke that tradition for Neji, setting such a precedent, how could the clan ever force future branch members to accept the seal?
The issue wasn't inequality—it was unequal inequality.
Originally, branch members simply accepted the curse as fate. If one exception appeared, resentment would spread, and the entire Hyūga clan would fall into chaos.
Hizashi understood.
But understanding didn't lessen the pain of seeing his son bound by the same cage he himself lived in.
Neji could have had a bright future.
Instead, this damned seal weighed on him, suffocating his spirit.
Hizashi could accept the seal for himself—
but he could not bear to see his son follow the same tragic path.
Looking at the slightly downcast Neji and the thoughtful Hoshiyomi across from him, Hizashi's gaze flickered with complicated emotion.
...
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