After finishing their ramen, Diarmuid followed Hiashi toward the Hyuga clan estate.
Unlike the Uchiha clan, whose territory was vast but relegated to the outskirts of Konoha, the Hyuga clan did not occupy as much land, yet they were situated in the prestigious central district. This was a genuine "noble quarter"; aside from the Hyuga, the Senju, the Sarutobi, and various other prominent clans had established their roots in this area.
The main gate of the Hyuga estate was always open, rarely closing even at night. Two shinobi with the Byakugan stood guard, their foreheads covered by protectors. Unsurprisingly, beneath those protectors lay the Caged Bird curse mark – members of the branch house.
Upon seeing Diarmuid and Hiashi, the two shinobi quickly bowed. "Hiashi-sama, Diarmuid-sama."
Hiashi nodded, then gestured for Diarmuid to enter first. Without attempting to hide anything, he spoke directly to one of the guards. "Nano, go to Lord Third's office. Inform him that Diarmuid is with me, and also regarding the matter of the Kumogakure envoys..."
Hiashi quickly finished his instructions. The shinobi named Hyuga Nano nodded swiftly, his eyes flashing with surprise, before departing.
Only then did Hiashi step inside his home. He saw that Diarmuid hadn't wandered off but was instead standing there, admiring the courtyard.
"As expected of the strongest in Konoha; this courtyard is truly grand," Diarmuid joked with a grin.
Hiashi rolled his eyes with a hint of exasperation. "You used that same line to hustle me years ago. Let's not bring it up again."
"Hahaha, but isn't that statement slowly becoming... a fact?" Diarmuid laughed heartily.
Hiashi paused. In terms of comprehensive strength, the Hyuga clan was indeed formidable within Konoha. Compared to the Uchiha, it was hard to say who truly held the upper hand.
While the Uchiha were known for their arrogance, they treated the Hyuga with courtesy and respect, never looking down on them. Whether in terms of history or prowess, the two were remarkably similar; the gap between them was not significant.
Both were among the premier noble clans of the entire shinobi world.
Now, the once-strongest Senju clan had receded into the background, and the Uchiha, the only ones who could stand as equals to the Hyuga, were currently teetering in the wind.
Perhaps it wouldn't be long before the Uchiha faced total suppression. If their strength declined as a result, would the Hyuga truly become the strongest in Konoha?
Yet, to be honest, Hiashi felt no joy at the prospect. On one hand, he felt a sense of "the fox mourning the death of the hare" regarding the Uchiha; on the other, this "strongest" title felt like a default victory, the "monkey ruling the mountain because the tiger is away" kind of feeling.
"Forget it, let's not talk about that," Hiashi said, waving his hand.
He led Diarmuid toward the inner house. "Come, follow me inside. It's been years since you last visited my home, hasn't it?"
"Yeah, must be six or seven years now. I stayed for half a day when I first came to Konoha, but haven't been back since," Diarmuid nodded.
"Time truly does fly," Hiashi remarked with a touch of sentiment.
Chatting as they went, the two walked along the veranda and opened a sliding door into the drawing room.
Servants had seen them the moment they entered the estate and had already arrived ahead of them. By the time Diarmuid and Hiashi sat down, steaming water had just been poured for tea.
"Sit," Hiashi said with a smile, inviting Diarmuid to take a seat first.
Diarmuid didn't stand on ceremony. Once seated, he asked directly, "Where is our little Princess Hinata?"
A tender smile appeared on Hiashi's face, though he added bashfully, "What do you mean, 'Princess'..."
"Hahaha, of course she's a little princess! I've kept all the photos you sent me. She's too cute. To be honest, every time I see the photos you send, I think about whether I should have a cute daughter of my own. By the way, how is the younger one?" Diarmuid laughed.
Hiashi shook his head with amusement, thought for a moment, and then looked up at Diarmuid. "Honestly, I can't picture what you'd look like with a daughter. It's... too weird. Hahaha!"
After a bout of laughter, Hiashi continued, "The younger one is fine, but she's still just a baby."
Hinata was about five years older than Hiashi's second daughter, Hanabi, so Hanabi was currently only a little over a year old, a toddler.
However, Hiashi's gaze turned slightly wistful. "Though I love both my daughters dearly, I really did wish for a son... in that regard, I truly envy Hizashi."
"Your brother," Diarmuid noted. He had met Hizashi, though not often, mainly during his visit years ago.
Hizashi and Hiashi were identical twins. They looked remarkably similar; it was only because Hizashi was born a few moments later that he was burdened with the fate of the branch house. It was a tragic lot.
But Hiashi wasn't a bad person. Despite the vast difference in their status, he never bullied his brother. Their bond and relationship were actually very good.
The only real source of friction was the centuries-old dilemma of the Main and Branch houses within the Hyuga clan.
But as the twin brother of the Clan Head, even if Hizashi was of the Branch House, few would dare to look down on him.
In the original story, tragedy would strike the Hyuga clan in the coming days, and Hizashi would die because of it. In his own words, he didn't die because he was a member of the Branch House. This time, he wanted to use his own will to make a free choice, to protect his brother and the clan.
For many years afterward, Hiashi would remain immersed in the grief of losing his brother, leading to significant conflict with Neji. In truth, he viewed Neji as his own son; it wasn't until after the Chunin Exams that they finally reconciled.
In the end, to prevent such tragedies from recurring, Hiashi showed immense courage. For the first time in a millennium, he shattered the Caged Bird curse mark, the Hyuga clan's greatest burden.
According to clan rules, although Hinata and Hanabi were both Hiashi's daughters, one would eventually have to become the Main House head and the other a member of the Branch House.
But in the end, perhaps remembering his brother and Neji's sacrifice on the battlefield, Hiashi as the Clan Head finally resolved to break the tradition, ensuring no one would ever be made "Branch House" again.
This act was relatively quiet and didn't cause a massive stir in the world, but for the thousand-year-old Hyuga clan, it was undoubtedly historic. A thousand years from now, there might be countless Clan Heads, but Hiashi would be the one future generations remembered most vividly.
"You really need to drop that 'preferring sons over daughters' mindset," Diarmuid teased, though he didn't press the issue.
After a brief pause, the two moved on to other topics.
"I'll be staying here tonight. Those people you can't conveniently lay a hand on, I'll take care of them," Diarmuid said, taking a sip of tea.
Hiashi hesitated slightly. "Actually, it's not exactly 'convenient' for you either, is it?"
"Hahaha, it's perfectly convenient for me. Don't worry about it," Diarmuid laughed.
Seeing his confidence, Hiashi stopped being polite. "Alright, then I'll leave it to you."
As they spoke, the sliding door to the drawing room opened again. A young woman entered, carrying a baby in her arms, followed by a young girl. The girl seemed a bit shy, hiding half her body behind her mother, her short hair and small head peeking out as she watched Diarmuid cautiously.
"Madam," Diarmuid said, immediately standing up from the sofa to greet her.
"Diarmuid-sama," Hiashi's wife replied with a warm, friendly smile.
"It has been years; it's been far too long. I didn't expect you to still look so young and beautiful, Madam. There are two things I truly envy Hiashi for: having a beautiful, gentle wife and these adorable daughters. Hahaha!" Diarmuid said with a smile.
Hiashi's wife replied softly, "The same goes for you, Diarmuid-sama. So many years have passed, yet you look exactly as young as before. By comparison, my Hiashi seems to have aged quite a bit."
"Hahahaha, is that so?" Diarmuid laughed loudly.
Hiashi joined in the laughter.
Hyuga Yu was Hiashi's wife and the mother of Hinata and Hanabi. It must be said that a millennium-old noble clan was no joke; Hiashi's wife was indeed very beautiful and was a member of the Hyuga herself.
However, the Hyuga clan was vast and sprawling, and with generations of Branch Houses, their union didn't present any issues of close consanguinity. On the contrary, it perfectly preserved the purity of the Byakugan.
Noticing that Yu did not have the Caged Bird curse mark, one could guess that upon becoming Hiashi's wife and the mistress of the Main House, the seal had been removed.
After exchanging a few words with Yu, Diarmuid's gaze fell upon the shy little girl hiding behind her, Hinata.
Hinata had short hair and looked incredibly adorable; her large, innocent eyes were enough to melt anyone's heart. She wore a long-sleeved kimono, and while there was a hint of timidity in her eyes, there was even more curiosity.
In Hinata's memory, her father didn't seem to have many friends and always maintained a dignified, stern aura. Ordinary people would address him as "Lord" upon meeting him.
She had rarely seen her father laugh so openly.
Yet now, her father was doing exactly that. Hinata had a gentle heart, and she could see that her father was genuinely happy. On the way over, her mother had said the guest was her father's "bosom friend." Hinata had been slightly skeptical, but she wasn't anymore.
"Are you Hinata? Your father is always bragging about you in his letters, saying he has a cute daughter who is obedient and sensible, that his life feels complete. He treats you as his absolute pride! Hahaha, he rarely boasts about things to me, so it seems your father really dotes on you," Diarmuid said with a laugh.
Hiashi, feeling embarrassed, quickly cut in. "I did not... that's an exaggeration!"
"Don't try to deny it now. You sent a photo of the two of you every single time. Even if you look all grim and serious in the pictures, do you think I don't know you?" As Diarmuid spoke, he pulled a large stack of photos from his robe.
Hiashi panicked instantly, standing up to scramble for the photos.
The dignified air of a great clan head vanished entirely. To the side, his wife Yu held the baby, covering her mouth with one hand as she laughed joyfully.
Meanwhile, Hinata caught a glimpse of the photos in Diarmuid's hand, all of them were pictures of her and her father together.
This left Hinata feeling a surge of surprise. In her impression, her father had always been very strict with her; sometimes, she even wondered if he actually liked her.
To think... was the truth actually like this?
In that subtle moment, Hinata's impression of Diarmuid deepened, and she became certain: he was definitely her father's good friend, a true, cherished friend.