The air in Hinata's hospital room was still, save for the soft beeping of monitoring equipment and Kuro's occasional sigh as she rested beside the girl's bed. Takama Gin sat at her side, his posture perfectly poised, eyes closed in contemplation. He had barely moved since Kurenai had left, his presence a silent vigil of gratitude and purpose.
Then, a presence approached.
The door creaked open. A figure clad in the formal robes of the elders of Konoha entered with the silent grace of a shadow—Danzo Shimura.
His eyes, one sharp and calculating, the other hidden beneath bandages, swept across the room until they landed on the silver-haired samurai.
"Takama Gin," he said smoothly. "You are awake. A surprise… though perhaps not an unwelcome one."
Takama did not rise. His tone was calm, but there was iron beneath his words.
"Elder Shimura," he greeted. "Your arrival is… timely."
Danzo approached, his single eye lingering on Hinata's fragile form. "I heard your condition had improved. Astounding, considering you were on the brink of death. It seems you defy even our medics' predictions."
"I had help," Takama said. "From the girl. She risked her life for mine."
Danzo nodded slowly, glancing once more at Hinata. "Indeed. An unusual child."
There was a pause. Then Takama spoke, his voice dropping low. "You and I have done business before, Danzo. Your clan has long required rare materials from the Land of Iron. You know I don't speak in riddles."
Danzo tilted his head slightly. "Speak, then."
"The ambush at Mizukusa was a cover for a confidential exchange. I was to meet one of your agents. But someone leaked the location. And I know you keep secrets even from the Hokage. So I will ask plainly—did you sell the information?"
Danzo didn't flinch. "I sell many things, Takama. But not recklessly. Your alliance has great benefits for me and mine, I would not compromise it."
Takama's eyes narrowed. "Then let me redirect your attention. The ones who captured me… they mentioned my son. That he was also a target. I want your network to find him. Alive, if possible. If not… bring me his remains. And I want the names of every hand that took part in his disappearance. Directly or indirectly."
As his words struck the air, the temperature in the room spiked. Chakra rippled out from Takama—not wild, but heavy, restrained, and potent. A pressure that made the air dense.
Danzo remained composed, though a flicker of something passed through his eye. This was not the man he had dealt with before. This was something… evolved.
"I will bring the matter to the Hokage," Danzo said carefully. "Though understand, with the Chunin Exams entering their final stage, our resources are stretched thin. Diplomats from every great village will be arriving in two weeks."
Takama inclined his head slightly. "Then do what you must. We meet again, Elder Shimura. I regret the circumstances. I also regret that our last negotiation was left unfinished."
Danzo gave the ghost of a smile. "Unfortunate, indeed."
He turned and walked to the door, pausing only once to glance back at Hinata.
"A girl with no chakra and a sealed bloodline… yet still breathing. Fascinating."
He left without another word.
<<<< o >>>>
Not long after, voices echoed down the hallway—familiar and warm.
Team 8 arrived first, led by Shino and Kiba. Kuro barked once, tail wagging briefly at their presence, before returning to her place by Hinata's side. Kiba dropped a small flower beside her bed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Hey, princess," he said quietly. "You better wake up soon. It's too quiet without you."
Shino nodded solemnly. "We are incomplete without you."
Moments later, Team 10 entered. Ino spoke softly to Hinata, holding her hand. Chōji offered a bag of her favorite snacks, placing them beside the bed, while Shikamaru gave a quiet, "Don't be late. We've still got more training to do."
From the doorway, Asuma joined Kurenai, who had just returned.
"She's holding on," Kurenai said softly. "And Takama… he hasn't left her side."
Asuma lit a cigarette and leaned against the frame. "That samurai's got the presence of a great general. You feel it too, don't you?"
Kurenai nodded. "It's more than presence. Something happened to him. He's changed."
"I'd say," Asuma muttered, exhaling smoke. "He looked like death when he was brought in. Now he walks like he's twenty years younger."
Kurenai looked at Hinata's face, peaceful but pale. "She's changing too. I can feel it. Like something inside her is waking up."
Behind them, unnoticed at first, a robed man entered—the elder seal master of the Hyūga.
He walked silently to Hinata's bed, ignoring everyone else. He stared long at her forehead, then exhaled.
"The seal is complete," he whispered, mostly to himself. "Perfectly sealed. Her chakra is nearly nonexistent. And yet… she endures."
He turned and left without another word.
Takama watched him go, eyes unreadable. He sensed something the elder hadn't spoken aloud—a flicker of confusion, perhaps even fear. The old man couldn't fathom how a child with no chakra, whose bloodline had been severed, could still cling so stubbornly to life.
The thought lingered as Takama looked once more to Hinata's face.
"You are far stronger than they understand," he murmured.
And somewhere within Hinata's soul, in the depths of the Silver World, her flame pulsed softly. Waiting.