The hospital room was silent.
Only the faint rustle of the wind brushing against the curtains could be heard.
"Say a few words... at the Memorial Stone... to everyone?"
Hyuga Kawa's breathing seemed to halt for a moment. He looked up, meeting Hiruzen Sarutobi's cloudy eyes. A rare earnestness, hope, and expectation appeared in those eyes. Undoubtedly, Hiruzen Sarutobi's words were more born out of rationality.
Of course, it wasn't just because Hyuga Kawa had decisively secured victory against Kumogakure. It was also because Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly recognized Hyuga Kawa's true value. Konoha needed "heroes," just as the Sannin and Minato had once been. Hiruzen Sarutobi had been troubled by the village's lack of rising talent, and Hyuga Kawa's appearance perfectly filled that void. In Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, Hyuga Kawa was comparable to Minato Namikaze in terms of strength, character, appearance, and talent.
A "hero's" true value lay in inspiring people's hearts, far exceeding the value their own strength could bring. Because no matter how strong a single ninja's power was, unless it reached the level of Hashirama and Madara, it couldn't profoundly influence the outcome of wars between nations. In situations where the Five Kage and Jinchuriki, who possessed extraordinary combat power, did not appear on the battlefield, winning a war relied on people's morale and powerful fighting spirit.
Although the war with Kumogakure had seemingly ended, Hiruzen Sarutobi's intuition told him it wasn't over yet. If it truly was over, then it would be a comfort to the fallen heroes, but if anyone still harbored ill intentions...
"..."
After a long silence, Hyuga Kawa seemed to sense Hiruzen Sarutobi's anticipation. He gave an extremely slight, almost imperceptible nod.
"Yes," he said.
There was no fervent promise, just a simple gesture and answer, yet it seemed to carry immense weight.
"Good, good, good."
The wrinkles on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face eased somewhat. He didn't say any more encouraging words, but simply extended his wrinkled and calloused hand, gently placing it on Hyuga Kawa's left shoulder.
"Then I won't disturb you here. Rest well, gather your strength. Tomorrow, I'll send an Anbu to pick you up."
With that, he smiled, withdrew his hand, and turned to leave, his figure disappearing into the shadows of the corridor.
The faint scent of licorice smoke lingered. In the now peaceful hospital room, Hyuga Kawa remained in the same posture. Bright sunlight shone on his face; one half was bright hope, while the other fell into a deeper shadow.
A speech... in front of Konoha's Memorial Stone, in front of all the Konoha ninjas?
Hyuga Kawa looked at Greed, the blade leaning against the wall, and his thoughts drifted as he gazed at the tightly closed eye on the tsuba.
This was truly an unexpected surprise.
The Konoha sunset, like cooling embers, cast deep shadows on the Hyuga clan's main residence. The incident where Kumogakure kidnapped a member of the Hyuga Main Family, which once shook Konoha, had now been gradually buried by the continuous friction and conflicts.
As evening approached, dusk settled in.
The wind chimes under the eaves occasionally tinkled in the evening breeze, but they couldn't dispel the perennial chill within the deep family compound.
In the shadows of the porch, Hizashi Hyuga gazed at the distant Konoha Hospital, a plain white bandage still wrapped around his forehead. To others, this was to cover the scar left by the Kumogakure ninja. No one knew it was actually to hide the ugly Caged Bird Seal.
A long time had passed since "Hizashi's death."
Hizashi, taking his brother's place, had become increasingly skilled at acting. He could now perfectly imitate him.
However, not everyone was fooled...
"Father, it's getting cold." A timid, soft voice came from behind.
Hearing the voice, Hizashi Hyuga didn't turn around. Only the fingers of his left hand, clasped behind his back, curled in an almost imperceptible way.
Hinata Hyuga carefully approached him, holding a cup of hot tea with both hands. She slightly raised her head to look at the back of the figure before her. She remembered that in the period after Neji-nii-san's father died, her father's aura was so cold it almost froze her. Communication was limited to cold commands and emotionless scrutiny.
However, somewhere along the way...
She felt a difficult-to-detect crack appear in her father's cold exterior. In those Byakugan, which usually only showed "rules" and "duty," there seemed to be a complexity that Hinata Hyuga couldn't yet understand. He even noticed that she often didn't eat enough, something Hinata would never have dared to imagine before.
Just like this moment.
Hinata Hyuga held her breath, as if waiting for an eternity. The figure before her finally turned halfway. The dim light outlined his stern face. His gaze lingered on the tea cup in her hands for a moment, and he spoke in a voice less cold than before:
"Put it there."
It was still deep and indifferent, but Hinata's heart gave a sudden leap, feeling a hint of warmth. That warmth was too faint, like a fleeting touch of warmth on a surface of ice that quickly returned to its cold hardness. Yet, it made Hinata almost unable to control the small joy that blossomed on her face.
"Yes, Father."
She lowered her head, her voice barely audible, yet one could sense a hint of barely concealed elation.
Carefully stepping forward to place the teacup on the low table, she didn't immediately retreat. Instead, she mustered the greatest courage of her life and quickly raised her eyes.
But as Hinata met those Byakugan, still as deep and cold as a winter pond, seemingly unmoved by her presence, that tiny joy was instantly doused with cold water. She hastily lowered her head again, hiding her dimmed eyes, and whispered, "Father, I... I'm going to review my lessons."
Then, as if fleeing, she scurried away from the corridor, her hurried footsteps quickly fading from Hizashi Hyuga's ears.
"..."
Slightly turning his head to look at Hinata's disappearing back, Hizashi Hyuga could increasingly appreciate just how stubborn his brother truly was. He once thought Hinata was naturally weak, but now it seemed that most of it was due to her father.
At this thought, Hizashi Hyuga sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his Byakugan held only a colder-than-steel light, locking away all surging emotions.
He turned and left. In the empty corridor, only his own footsteps echoed as he returned to his room.
He walked to the seemingly ordinary storage room door and quickly formed a few secret hand seals. Unbeknownst to anyone, the seal was silently dispelled.
Thump.
The wooden door opened inward, revealing cold steps leading underground. The pungent smell of mold and the unique dampness of the underground instantly wafted out.
Hizashi descended the steps without hesitation. Behind him, the wooden door quietly closed, and the seal reactivated, cutting off any potential prying eyes.
In the gloomy secret chamber, only a few candles flickered in wall recesses, casting dim, yellowish light and creating ghostly, swaying shadows on the walls.
Clank! Clank!
As Hizashi Hyuga went deeper, the sound of chains gradually became clearer.
Finally, he entered the space of the secret chamber and saw the figure within.
It was a figure whose limbs were firmly bound by four thick chains, and needles were embedded into all one hundred and eight of its chakra points.
Perhaps hearing Hizashi Hyuga's footsteps, the disheveled figure finally raised its head.
That face, identical to Hizashi's, was, without a doubt, the real Hiashi Hyuga.