Reiji waited near the narrow street that led out of the Uchiha district, leaning lightly against the rough wooden post of a fence while watching the morning traffic of students drift toward the Academy. Most of the children walked in small groups, talking lazily about assignments or training exercises, their voices blending into a low murmur that barely registered in Reiji's mind.
His attention remained fixed on the entrance of the district.
It did not take long.
Arata appeared among the departing Uchiha children, stepping through the gate with the easy posture of someone used to the area. Reiji pushed himself off the fence immediately, timing his approach so that he intercepted the other boy just as he cleared the entrance.
Perfect.
"Arata, my friend."
Arata stopped mid-step.
The reaction was immediate and unmistakable. His shoulders stiffened, and his eyes narrowed the moment he recognized who had spoken.
"What do you want?"
Reiji offered a faint, almost polite smile, though the expression never quite reached his eyes.
"I was hoping you could introduce me to the Hyūga twins."
"No."
The refusal came so quickly it almost overlapped with the request.
Reiji exhaled slowly through his nose, as if disappointed by the predictability of the answer.
"Come on," he said, tilting his head slightly. "You know my condition now. Don't you have any sympathy?"
Arata crossed his arms tightly over his chest but didn' say anything else.
"You already owe me for what happened in the forest."
"Yes," Arata admitted without hesitation, his tone calm and reasonable. "But this is different. Ask me for something else, I'm not introducing you to my friends."
Reiji blinked once, genuinely curious.
"Friends?"
He tapped his chin thoughtfully, as though searching through a distant memory.
"Wasn't it you who belittled them the other day? What did you call them again…"
He hummed quietly to himself.
"Ah, yes."
Reiji's voice softened with false recollection.
"Those white-eyed freaks."
Arata's reaction was immediate.
"That's not—" he sputtered, the color rushing to his face. "That's what my parents say! I didn't mean— I don't actually think that!"
Reiji raised one eyebrow slowly, studying him with clinical interest.
"Really?"
For a few seconds he said nothing, simply watching the other boy's flustered expression, measuring the reaction the way he might observe an opponent's stance during sparring.
"I didn't realize you were that hypocritical."
Arata's face reddened further, his jaw tightening as frustration built.
Reiji continued in the same calm tone.
"I wonder how they would react if I told them."
Arata's body went rigid.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Oh, I would," Reiji replied lightly.
His gaze drifted upward as if imagining the scenario.
"They might even thank me. After all, I would simply be revealing what a bad friend you are."
He paused, as though considering a new possibility.
"Actually… that's not a bad idea."
A faint smile formed on his lips.
"I could even ask them for a favor afterward."
Arata stared at him, disbelief fighting with anger.
"I know what you're doing," he muttered through clenched teeth. "But it won't work. They'd never believe you."
Reiji shrugged lazily.
"I can be very convincing."
The silence stretched between them for several seconds. Reiji could practically see the calculation happening behind Arata's eyes: pride, embarrassment, the risk of the rumor spreading. Eventually the tension left the other boy's shoulders in a long, irritated breath.
"Fuck you, Reiji. You really never change."
Reiji tilted his head.
"Says the stabber."
The reminder landed exactly where he intended. Arata grimaced.
Reiji continued in a thoughtful tone.
"I'm actually doing this for your friends' safety. I have good intentions."
Arata rolled his eyes hard enough that Reiji almost respected the effort.
"Enough," he muttered. "I get it. I'll introduce you."
Reiji's smile widened slightly.
"Oh, Arata. I knew you would understand."
Before the other boy could object, Reiji casually draped an arm across his shoulders and began steering him down the road toward the Academy. Arata stiffened but didn't immediately shake him off, which Reiji interpreted as a small victory.
"We started on bad terms," Reiji continued cheerfully, "but I'm beginning to see you're actually a pretty cool guy."
Arata groaned.
"I'm already regretting this."
"You're funny too," Reiji said, completely ignoring the tone.
They walked in silence for several steps before Reiji spoke again.
"Anyway," he said casually, "what are their names?"
Arata stopped walking.
He turned slowly to stare at him.
"You seriously don't know the names of your classmates?"
Reiji waved one hand dismissively.
"Details."
Arata looked like he might reconsider the entire arrangement.
"We've been in the same class for years," he said flatly.
Reiji simply resumed walking toward the Academy, guiding him along with the same easy grip over his shoulder.
"Yes," he replied mildly.
"Details."
---
They entered the classroom together, Reiji's arm still resting loosely across Arata's shoulders as if the two of them had been walking side by side for years. The gesture alone was enough to disrupt the usual low murmur of conversation that filled the room. Several students stopped mid-sentence. A few heads turned. Others simply stared, trying to reconcile the image in front of them with everything they thought they knew about the two boys.
Reiji noticed the shift immediately.
Across the room, Mikotoand Kushinareactions were almost identical—eyes wide, expressions hovering somewhere between disbelief and confusion. Reiji met their gaze easily and lifted his free hand in a casual wave.
Arata, on the other hand, pretended the entire classroom had ceased to exist.
His posture had the stiff resignation of someone being marched toward an unpleasant obligation. Reiji allowed himself the smallest hint of amusement at the thought as he steered them deeper into the room, guiding their path between rows of desks until they stopped in front of the two boys seated near the window.
"Hey," Arata said flatly. "Hizashi. Hiashi."
Both twins looked up.
Their movements were almost perfectly synchronized, the subtle turn of their heads revealing pale, pupil-less eyes that fixed first on Arata and then slowly shifted toward Reiji. The quiet attention felt strangely intense, like standing under a cold beam of light.
Reiji studied them carefully.
He had seen them countless times before—everyone in the Academy had—but this was the first time he had truly taken the opportunity to observe them up close. The resemblance between them was unsettling. Long dark hair fell down their backs, even longer than his own, framing pale faces that remained calm and unreadable. Their white eyes were the most striking feature. Completely colorless. Empty in a way that made it oddly difficult to hold their gaze for too long.
Only one detail broke the symmetry.
One of them wore bandages wrapped neatly across his forehead.
Reiji filed the observation away without comment.
Despite belonging to one of the most prominent clans in the village, the twins had always been quiet presences in the classroom. They spoke when necessary, answered questions when called upon, and otherwise remained within their own small orbit of conversation. They interacted occasionally with Arata and a few others, but rarely sought attention themselves. Watching them now, seated side by side with identical posture, Reiji was struck by the impression that they existed slightly outside the normal rhythm of the class.
Almost like observers rather than participants.
Arata had just begun explaining why they had come when another voice cut through the conversation.
"Arata… what exactly are you doing?"
Reiji turned his head.
A few desks away stood Enji, his expression openly suspicious. The Sarutobi boy had been watching them since they entered the room, and now he had stepped closer, arms loose at his sides but his posture rigid with barely concealed hostility.
"Mind your business," he said. "I'm talking to my friend."
Enji blinked slowly.
"Your friend?"
His gaze slid toward Reiji, lingering there with open disbelief.
"You're joking, right? Since when do you have friends?"
Reiji smiled faintly.
"I actually have quite a few."
Enji ignored him completely, focusing instead on Arata.
"Seriously," he said. "What are you doing? You can't honestly associate with this guy."
Reiji tilted his head slightly, studying the other boy with quiet curiosity.
"And why exactly does that concern you?"
Enji frowned.
"Excuse me?"
"What are you," Reiji continued calmly, "his boss? The one who decides who he's allowed to talk to?"
He let his gaze drift slowly over Enji's posture, noting the tension in the boy's shoulders, the tightening of his jaw.
"Well… I suppose I can understand."
His smile sharpened just slightly.
"Considering who your father is."
The atmosphere shifted.
It was subtle, but unmistakable. Conversations in nearby desks quieted. A few students leaned back just enough to see what was happening without appearing too obvious about it.
Reiji watched Enji carefully.
"Do you think of everyone as your lackeys?" he continued. "Is that it? You believe you're superior to them?"
Enji's jaw tightened.
"Careful what you say."
Reiji shrugged.
"Or what?"
He took a single step closer, close enough that the space between them narrowed to little more than arm's length.
"You'll go tell your father?"
Enji's fists clenched.
"You want to fight?" Reiji asked lightly. "Go ahead."
For a brief moment it genuinely looked as though Enji might accept the invitation.
His fists remained clenched at his sides, the muscles in his forearms tightening as his weight shifted forward almost imperceptibly. Reiji noticed the movement immediately. It was the same subtle preparation he had seen countless times during training—someone standing on the edge of a strike, pride pushing them toward a decision they might regret.
The classroom had grown noticeably quieter.
Several nearby students had stopped pretending not to listen.
Reiji held Enji's gaze calmly, his posture relaxed, making no effort to move or defend himself. He simply watched, waiting to see whether the other boy would actually commit.
A few seconds passed.
Then the tension broke.
Enji exhaled sharply through his nose, frustration flashing across his face as the reality of the situation seemed to settle in. Starting a fight in the middle of the classroom—especially with half the class watching—would only make him look worse.
His jaw tightened.
He threw one last glare toward Reiji, then shifted his gaze briefly to Arata as well, the look sharp enough to promise that this conversation was not truly finished.
Without another word, he turned and walked away, his steps stiff with restrained irritation as he returned toward the other side of the room.
Beside Reiji, Arata muttered under his breath.
"…Fantastic."
He dragged a hand down his face in exhausted disbelief.
"This day just keeps getting worse."
Reiji glanced briefly between the two twins before speaking again, his tone lowering slightly so the conversation remained contained between them.
"We should talk later," he said. "After class."
Both Hyūga boys blinked almost at the same time.
The request clearly confused them. Their pale eyes shifted toward Arata as if searching for confirmation that this situation made sense. The reaction was almost synchronized, their identical expressions reflecting the same silent question.
Arata noticed immediately.
He let out a tired sigh looking as though the entire morning had already drained what little patience he possessed.
"Yeah," he muttered. "It's… a thing."
The explanation was vague at best, but apparently sufficient.
Hiashi and Hizashi exchanged a brief glance before nodding.
"Very well," Hiashi said calmly.
"We will meet you later," Hizashi added.
Reiji gave a small nod in return, satisfied. Then he turned away and headed toward his seat as the quiet murmur of the classroom slowly resumed around them.
Reiji had barely settled onto the wooden bench when a voice rose behind him, casual but probing.
"So…"
He didn't turn immediately. The classroom still carried the quiet hum of students resuming their conversations after the brief tension from earlier..
"Did you and Arata make up?"
Only then did he shift his head slightly, glancing sideways.
Kushina was leaning over the back of the bench behind him. Her expression held the kind of eager curiosity that suggested she had been waiting for the moment to ask. Her eyes were bright, almost gleaming with interest.
Reiji studied her for a moment before responding.
"Make up?"
"Yes," she said quickly. "You two looked almost friendly when you came in."
Reiji tilted his head a fraction, considering the statement as if analyzing a strange claim.
"I was extorting him."
Kushina blinked.
"…Right."
She lingered there for a moment, clearly unsure how seriously to take the answer. Her fingers drummed lightly against the back of the bench as she shifted her weight, then her curiosity found a new direction.
"And what's Enji's problem with you?"
Reiji did not answer.
The silence stretched just long enough for Kushina to narrow her eyes.
"Seriously," she insisted. "That looked like a personal vendetta."
She tapped the edge of the desk impatiently, the faint tok tok tok of her fingers echoing softly against the wood.
"I mean, you're pretty despicable," she added bluntly.
Reiji slowly turned his head toward her.
She ignored the look entirely.
"But that alone doesn't explain it," she continued. "There has to be some history."
Her gaze sharpened with interest, the way someone might lean closer to inspect a puzzle.
"Come on," she pressed. "What happened?"
"Stop Kushina."
The interruption came quietly from beside her.
Mikoto sat with her hands folded neatly on her desk, her posture composed as always. Her dark eyes flicked briefly toward Reiji before returning to Kushina.
"That's not something we should meddle in."
Kushina frowned.
"Why? Does it have something to do with—"
She stopped abruptly.
Her eyes shifted toward Reiji.
He sat there with the same calm, unreadable expression he always wore, his posture relaxed but his gaze steady. There was nothing overtly threatening in his demeanor, yet the stillness around him seemed to discourage further speculation.
The moment stretched just long enough to become uncomfortable.
"…Sorry," Kushina muttered awkwardly.
Reiji raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you apologizing?"
Instead of looking at her, his attention drifted across the classroom.
Near the far side of the room, Enji Sarutobi stood speaking with Minato Namikaze. The two boys appeared perfectly relaxed, their conversation easy, even friendly. Minato nodded occasionally while Enji spoke, the exchange so ordinary that it almost felt absurd considering the tension from only minutes earlier.
Reiji watched them for a moment.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Then he leaned back in his seat, the wooden chair creaking faintly under the shift of his weight.
"He doesn't like my face."
Kushina frowned.
"That's it?"
Reiji shrugged lazily, as though the matter held no real importance.
"I don't like his either."
---
The four of them gathered in one of the quieter corners of the Academy courtyard, far enough from the other students that the usual noise of conversation blurred into an indistinct murmur.
Reiji stood with his back to the trunk of the tree, arms loosely folded while he explained his situation in detail. He spoke calmly, outlining the issue with his chakra control and the reason he believed the Hyūga's eyes might be able to reveal something he could not observe himself. As he spoke, he watched the twins carefully. Their pale, pupil-less eyes remained fixed on him without interruption, their attention steady and almost unsettling in its intensity. They listened without shifting posture, without exchanging glances, absorbing every word with the same composure they always carried in class.
Nearby, Arata stood slightly apart from the group with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He leaned back on one heel as if trying to distance himself from the entire situation while still remaining part of it. His expression suggested a mixture of lingering irritation and reluctant curiosity, though he made no attempt to interrupt Reiji's explanation.
When Reiji finished, the silence that followed lingered long enough for the faint wind to stir the leaves above them. For a moment the only sound came from students shouting somewhere across the courtyard.
Finally, Hiashi spoke.
"We will help you."
Reiji's attention shifted to him immediately. The response had come more quickly than he expected.
Beside him, Hizashi turned his head toward his brother with clear surprise.
"Brother… are you sure?"
His pale eyes moved back toward Reiji, studying him with a cautious intensity that suggested he was still weighing the situation.
Hiashi remained calm, his posture unchanged.
"I would make a poor classmate if I refused."
He regarded Reiji thoughtfully, the white eyes of the Byakugan giving nothing away.
"We have no personal grievance against you."
Reiji said nothing. He simply waited.
"So why not help?" Hiashi continued after a brief pause.
Then his expression shifted slightly, becoming more serious.
"But there are conditions."
Hiashi nodded once, as though acknowledging the point.
"We cannot use the Byakugan outside the clan grounds."
Hizashi added quietly, "It is a strict rule."
The words were delivered without apology, merely stating the reality of the situation.
"If we are to help you," Hiashi continued, "we must first ask permission from the clan."
Reiji considered that for a moment, shifting his weight slightly against the tree trunk. The bark pressed faintly through the fabric of his shirt as he nodded.
"That makes sense."
Hiashi continued in the same calm tone.
"And it is possible the elders could assist you better than we could."
He glanced briefly toward his brother.
"We are still learning ourselves."
Hiashi's gaze returned to Reiji.
"And besides…"
For a brief moment his eyes flicked toward Arata.
"You forgave him for what happened in the forest."
Arata shifted awkwardly at that, his posture tightening slightly.
Hiashi looked back at Reiji.
"You cannot be entirely unreasonable."
Reiji held his gaze for a moment, studying the boy the same way he would examine a new opponent during training.
Then he gave a small shrug.
"I try not to be. But anyway thanks."
For a few seconds the conversation seemed finished, but Reiji remained thoughtful. Something about the exchange stirred realization in the back of his mind. He tilted his head slightly as the idea settled.
"There's just one thing."
Both twins looked at him.
Reiji studied their identical features once more before speaking.
"Are you, by any chance, the sons of the clan head?"
The twins blinked almost in unison.
"Yes," Hiashi answered after a moment. "Why?"
Reiji stared at them for a few seconds, the pattern finally clicking together in his mind.
"Huh."
He rubbed the back of his head slowly.
"I'm beginning to see a pattern here."
---
Arata slowed as they approached the outer streets of the Hyūga district. The houses here grew quieter, the paths wider and cleaner, and the casual noise of the village seemed to fade as if the neighborhood itself discouraged unnecessary disturbance. A few more steps and the high walls of the compound would already be visible above the rooftops.
Then Arata stopped.
"I'm not coming any further," he said.
Reiji turned his head slightly, studying him. Arata avoided his gaze, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket as if the explanation itself irritated him.
"The Hyūga and the Uchiha aren't exactly… welcome in each other's compounds," he muttered after a moment.
His shoulders lifted in a small shrug.
"I'd just make things awkward."
Reiji watched him for a few seconds. The explanation made sense; clan pride ran deep in Konoha, and the relationship between the two dōjutsu clans had always been complicated. Bringing an Uchiha directly to the gates of the Hyūga compound would probably attract attention that neither side wanted.
He nodded once.
"Fair enough."
Arata seemed relieved the conversation ended there. Without another word he turned and headed back toward the busier streets of the village, his footsteps fading quickly into the midday bustle.
Reiji watched him go for a moment before turning back toward the compound.
The Hyūga district stood apart from the rest of Konoha.
Even before reaching the gate, the difference was obvious. The streets were quieter, the houses arranged with a careful symmetry that suggested long tradition and strict order. The compound walls rose high above the surrounding buildings, smooth pale stone that caught the sunlight in muted reflections. Large wooden gates stood at the entrance, reinforced with dark iron fittings that looked old enough to have seen several generations pass through them.
Everything about the place felt restrained.
Hiashi and Hizashi led him the final few steps to the gate. Just before reaching it, both twins stopped.
Hiashi turned toward him.
"Wait here."
Reiji gave a small nod. He had expected something like that.
The twins stepped through the gate without hesitation. The heavy wooden doors closed behind them with a dull, final sound, leaving Reiji standing alone in the quiet street outside.
Time moved slowly after that.
Reiji remained near the gate, leaning lightly against the stone wall while the distant sounds of the village drifted through the air.
He shifted his weight slightly, letting his shoulder rest against the wall.
From this position he could see little of the compound beyond the gates. Only the upper roofs of the buildings rose above the walls, their dark tiles forming clean lines against the bright sky.
A clan that guarded its privacy carefully.
Reiji folded his arms and waited.
Eventually the gates opened again.
The heavy doors moved with a slow groan of wood against metal hinges. Hiashi and Hizashi stepped out first.
They were not alone.
An older man walked behind them.
Reiji straightened slightly, studying him the moment he appeared.
The man's posture was rigid, every movement controlled with the quiet discipline of someone used to authority. His hair had begun to gray at the temples, though his body still carried the lean strength of an experienced shinobi. But it was the eyes that drew immediate attention.
Pale.
Featureless.
The same empty white of the Byakugan.
They settled on Reiji the instant he came into view.
The scrutiny was immediate and unblinking.
Cold.
Reiji understood what he was looking at before a word was spoken.
A clan elder.
The man stopped several steps away from him, placing himself naturally between Reiji and the compound gates. Hiashi and Hizashi remained slightly behind him, silent.
"We have been informed of your request."
The elder's voice was calm, controlled, carrying none of the hostility Reiji had half expected. It sounded more like someone delivering a routine judgment than addressing a stranger standing at the gates of his clan.
Reiji said nothing. He simply held the man's gaze.
"The Byakugan," the elder continued, "is a secret of the Hyūga clan."
A brief pause followed, just long enough for the words to settle.
"It will not be used for the benefit of outsiders."
The statement carried no emotion. It was delivered with the quiet certainty of a rule that had existed long before either of them were born.
Reiji remained still.
He had expected refusal.
Still, hearing it spoken so plainly left little room for argument.
Then the elder's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Furthermore," he continued calmly, "even if you were not an outsider, the Hyūga clan does not involve itself in matters surrounding… individuals whose standing within the village is already questionable."
His eyes flicked briefly toward the twins standing behind him.
"You will cease your interactions with Hiashi and Hizashi."
The implication was unmistakable.
The silence that followed seemed heavier than before. Even the faint noises of the street beyond the compound walls felt distant.
Reiji studied the elder for a moment, measuring the tone, the posture, the finality in his voice. The decision had already been made long before he arrived.
Arguing would change nothing.
So he simply nodded once.
"Understood."
No protest.
No anger.
Just acknowledgment.
Then he turned and began walking away from the compound.
Behind him, the heavy gates of the Hyūga estate closed again with a deep wooden thud, sealing the quiet courtyard and the watching eyes behind them.
---
Reiji walked slowly down the street, his pace unhurried as he moved away from the Hyūga compound. The tall walls disappeared behind him one step at a time, the pale stone gradually giving way to the quieter residential roads that surrounded the district.
His thoughts drifted back to the conversation at the gate.
'What exactly was I expecting?'
The answer came to him immediately.
Nothing.
From the beginning he had known the chances were small. The Hyūga were one of the oldest clans in Konoha, a family built on tradition, discipline, and an almost obsessive protection of their secrets. Their dōjutsu was not something they shared lightly, and certainly not with someone standing outside their walls asking for help.
Helping him had never made much sense.
Reiji exhaled quietly through his nose, the breath leaving his chest in a slow, steady stream.
Still.
He shifted his gaze toward the street ahead, watching the sunlight stretch across the road in pale strips between the buildings.
People really did enjoy deciding who someone was before that person had the chance to do anything at all.
His father's reputation.
His origins.
The whispers that followed him through the village like an echo he could never quite outrun.
Everywhere he went, it seemed to arrive before him.
Reiji stepped over a shallow rut in the road, adjusting his balance automatically as his weight shifted forward.
It was always the same.
Different faces, different voices—but the judgment remained identical.
Some things, apparently, never changed.
---
"Himuro Reiji."
The voice reached him just as he turned onto the road that led toward the Academy.
Reiji slowed instinctively, his sandals scraping lightly against the packed dirt as he came to a stop. The street was still quiet at that hour of the morning
He turned.
At first his eyes registered the pale color.
Then the rest followed.
Long dark hair, neatly tied back. A calm, composed posture. And the bandages wrapped carefully around a forehead.
Reiji blinked in surprise.
"You?"
Hizashi Hyūga stood a few paces away in the middle of the road, perfectly still. The morning light caught faintly against his pale eyes, making them appear almost reflective.
For a moment neither of them moved.
Then Hizashi spoke.
"I will help you."
The words landed with such quiet certainty that Reiji needed a moment to process them.
"…What?"
Hizashi did not shift his stance or repeat himself with irritation. His expression remained composed, almost serene.
"I said I will help you."
Reiji studied him carefully now, narrowing his eyes slightly as he took a few steps closer.
"Why?"
Hizashi tilted his head very slightly, as if the answer were obvious.
"Because I want to."
"No," Reiji replied immediately.
He stopped a short distance away, folding his arms across his chest as he looked the Hyūga heir over more carefully.
"That's not a reason."
His gaze sharpened as he continued studying the other boy's face, searching for hesitation, uncertainty—anything that might reveal a hidden motive.
"There is no reason for you to risk helping me," Reiji said. "Your clan already refused. If they find out you're ignoring that decision, you'll be punished."
Hizashi did not react.
His pale eyes remained fixed calmly on Reiji.
The silence stretched for several seconds.
Reiji exhaled slowly through his nose and shifted his weight slightly, the heel of his sandal grinding faintly into the dirt.
"So why?"
This time Hizashi answered after a moment.
"If they had refused you because of who you are," he said quietly, "I would have understood."
Reiji said nothing, but his attention sharpened.
"There are many reasons the clan could have chosen to refuse you," Hizashi continued in the same calm tone. "And I would have accepted them."
His gaze did not waver.
"But that is not why they refused."
Reiji watched him closely now.
"They refused because of what you represent."
A faint crease appeared between Reiji's brows.
"You don't even know me," he said.
"Exactly."
Reiji blinked.
"Huh?"
Hizashi continued, his voice still steady and unhurried.
"They judged you not for who you are," he said, "but for where you come from."
A brief silence settled between them, broken only by the distant murmur of voices further down the street.
Hizashi's expression did not change, but something in his tone shifted slightly as he continued.
"Deciding the fate of someone the moment they are born…"
He paused.
"…is cruel."
The word hung in the air.
Reiji felt something stir unexpectedly in his chest—an unfamiliar sensation he couldn't quite name. It wasn't anger, and it wasn't amusement either. Something quieter than that.
For several seconds he simply stared at the Hyūga boy.
"So," Hizashi concluded, as if the matter were entirely straightforward, "I will help you."
Reiji remained silent for a moment longer before finally rubbing the back of his head with a faintly awkward motion.
The gesture felt strangely unfamiliar.
"Your name…" he said slowly. "It's Hizashi, right?"
Hizashi nodded once.
"…Right."
Reiji let out a quiet breath.
"Thank you, Hizashi."
For the first time since the conversation had begun, something softened slightly in the Hyūga heir's expression.
A small smile appeared.
"You're welcome."