The sun sank low toward the western horizon, and the courtyard lay under the last slanted light. Carefully trimmed pines and cypresses cast long, jagged shadows across the ground, silent and still. The air carried a lazy feeling of daylight coming to an end, mixed with the sharp scent of grass and the faint smoke of distant cooking fires.
Deep inside the residence was a spacious training hall with smooth tatami flooring. A row of open engawa let the final daylight spill inside, forming long, blurred bands of light where tiny specks of dust drifted in the air. The room was quiet, holding the warmth of the fading sun.
"Ha!"
The sharp shout broke the silence as Hinata Hyuga moved through the dim light, her hands almost blurring into afterimages. Neji Hyuga wove between Hinata Hyuga's palm strikes with clean and precise steps, his Byakugan glinting faintly as it caught every gap and flaw in her movements.
In the next instant, Hinata Hyuga gave a low cry and thrust both palms forward. Neji Hyuga only shifted slightly, extending his left hand to redirect the strike with a light tap. A soft crack sounded as force traveled back through her wrist.
Hinata Hyuga felt a flexible yet overwhelming power surge through her arm, pulling her balance aside. She stumbled a step toward the engawa, nearly falling. Just before hitting it, she forced herself steady and instinctively turned to look at the figure standing in the distance, her "father."
Hizashi Hyuga stood there like a silent statue. The sunset lit only half of his body, while the other half remained buried in shadow, giving him an air of distance and authority. Seeing no expression on his face made Hinata Hyuga's heart tighten as she waited for the expected criticism, though a small spark of hope lingered.
"Mm, you have improved quickly."
Hizashi Hyuga spoke slowly, his voice calm and low. "You have basically grasped Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms. The control is still shallow, but compared to before, this is real progress."
A rush of satisfaction flooded Hinata Hyuga's chest, and a faint flush rose on her sweat dampened cheeks. She nodded hard, her voice trembling as she spoke. "Yes, Father. I will keep working hard."
Standing to the side, Neji Hyuga watched the joy she could not hide, his gaze turning complex and deep. He could clearly feel her improvement. Her Gentle Fist was still immature and far from refined, and her movements remained somewhat restrained, as if she lacked true battle resolve.
Yet compared to the timid Main Family young lady she once was, always shrinking back before a fight even began, Hinata Hyuga now seemed like a different person. Her eyes no longer constantly avoided contact but held a trace of firmness. Her movements no longer hesitated, instead carrying a sharper edge.
Even when facing his counters, she no longer collapsed as before but clenched her teeth and searched for another chance to attack. Was this because of Hiashi Hyuga's encouragement. Neji Hyuga's eyes flicked over the calm, unreadable face of "Hiashi Hyuga."
Could simple praise and affirmation really cause such a change. Or had Hinata Hyuga always possessed a toughness he had never noticed. An unnameable irritation and loss rose in his chest, and he drew a breath to suppress it before bowing slightly toward "Hiashi Hyuga."
"Hiashi Hyuga-sama, it is getting late. Let us end today's training here. I will take my leave."
After speaking, he did not look at Hinata Hyuga again and turned toward the exit of the training hall. Just as his hand was about to touch the door, a hesitant voice called out from behind him. "Please wait, Neji Hyuga brother."
Neji Hyuga paused but did not turn around. Hinata Hyuga hurried to his side and stopped, her face still flushed and dotted with sweat. After a moment of hesitation, she finally held out a square lunch box wrapped in white cloth.
"Neji Hyuga brother," she said carefully, trying to please him. "I made this myself. Would you like to…"
She did not finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear. She held the lunch box with both hands, her eyes filled with expectation and unease.
The training hall fell completely silent. Neji Hyuga stood there with his back to her, his straight figure stiff and cold in the dim light. He could feel the hopeful gaze behind him pressing like needles into his back.
A lunch made by the Main Family young lady herself. What looked like kindness only felt like sharp irony and sorrow to him. He was no longer the naive and foolish Neji Hyuga he once was.
This attempt to close the distance between siblings seemed pale and even vain in the face of the unbridgeable divide between the Main Family and the Branch Family. He could not forget his father's death, nor the Curse Seal on his forehead that symbolized humiliation and restraint.
After a long pause, Neji Hyuga slowly turned around. His gaze fell on the lunch box in Hinata Hyuga's hands, his Byakugan calm and unmoving. "No need," he said evenly, his voice cold and distant. "The kindness of the Main Family young lady is something I cannot bear."
The smile on Hinata Hyuga's face froze at once. Her hands trembled slightly as disappointment washed over her expression. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but in the end only lowered her eyes in silence.
Neji Hyuga no longer looked at her. He turned, opened the door, and disappeared into the corridor outside. The door closed with a soft creak that sounded painfully clear in the quiet room.
Hinata Hyuga remained standing where she was, while Hizashi Hyuga stayed in the shadows, watching everything without expression. Only a trace of complexity flickered deep in his eyes. He slowly rose and stepped behind Hinata Hyuga, his tall figure casting a shadow over her.
He said nothing and only lifted his broad hand to gently pat her head. The gesture made her body tremble slightly, and she looked up at her "father" with moist Byakugan, confusion and grievance still lingering. "Go change your clothes," Hizashi Hyuga said calmly. "Dinner is ready."
His tone was plain, yet it settled her chaotic thoughts for the moment. "Yes, Father," Hinata Hyuga replied softly, her voice nasal as she bowed slightly and left the training hall.
Watching her disappear, the faint warmth on Hizashi Hyuga's face vanished, replaced by deep composure. He turned and walked further into the residence, moving through winding corridors and avoiding passing servants. At last, he reached his own room.
He stopped before a wall that looked ordinary and pressed several hidden indentations in quick succession, forming seals with his other hand. Soft clicks sounded as a Sealing Technique activated. A concealed door slid open, revealing a narrow stone stairway descending into darkness.
Hizashi Hyuga stepped inside without hesitation, and the door closed silently behind him, cutting off the last trace of light. He moved downward, his footsteps echoing hollowly through the pitch black passage. At the end stood a heavy stone door, which opened as he infused Chakra into the Sealing Technique upon it.
Beyond was a small chamber, dimly lit by a few lamps. The air was cold and damp, filled with an unsettling stillness. The moment Hizashi Hyuga entered, a figure suddenly lunged out from the shadows.
Just before it could touch him, the attacker froze mid leap. The body remained stretched forward, yet could not advance even a fraction. Hizashi Hyuga stood calmly, his face and eyes completely unmoved as he looked at the immobilized figure.