Hyūga Shinichi guessed that Hyūga Shin bringing up the topic of branding Hinata with the Caged Bird Seal was not a spur-of-the-moment idea.
It was likely that, in the years Shinichi had been away from the clan, Hinata had shown impressive performance at the Ninja Academy, leading to some rumors within the clan.
Shinichi was not at all worried that Hinata would undermine his status. While he never allowed his current strength to make him conceited, he also wouldn't undervalue himself. No matter how much Hinata grew, her growth rate could not possibly surpass his.
This thought wasn't baseless speculation. It stemmed from the comprehensive and clear understanding of his current strength after killing Sasori and repelling Kakuzu.
While he didn't think Hinata would ever be stronger than him, Hyūga Shin's words piqued Shinichi's curiosity about Hinata's current situation.
He admitted he had been an inadequate older brother in recent years, not paying enough attention to the growth of his two younger sisters. Although he wasn't a "sister complex" like Uchiha Itachi, being completely uninvolved in his sister's development was not the action of a qualified elder brother.
Shinichi's expectations for Hinata were somewhat different from Hyūga Hiashi's. Hiashi didn't have high hopes for his daughter, wishing only for her to grow up healthy, find a boy she loved, and enter a happy marriage.
Shinichi, however, hoped Hinata would not waste her time and the inherent bloodline talent of the Hyūga clan. He wanted her to work hard when she should, cultivate excellent abilities, and have the power to protect herself, regardless of whether she ended up with Naruto or not.
Shinichi had witnessed the cruelty of the ninja world firsthand. In such a world, relying on oneself was always better than relying on anyone else.
But focusing only on Hinata's power development was clearly not enough.
From Hyūga Shin's attitude toward Hinata, Shinichi could tell that her life trajectory had undergone a huge change since his arrival, a fact evident even from her childhood personality.
He wondered how her current personality allowed her to interact with her peers...
Hinata's Schedule
Hanako left early to pick Hinata up, but she seemed to have forgotten that the Ninja Academy had already been dismissed. Hinata wasn't home because Shinichi and Neji had called her to a training ground to practice after school...
Shinichi left the training ground due to the Bounty Station situation, but before leaving, he instructed Hinata and Neji to go home early. However, the two children hadn't listened and continued to train in the field after he left.
Hinata had always been diligent and hardworking. Even with the dramatic change in her personality, that kind and diligent core hadn't changed.
If the "other" Hinata was "forced to be diligent" under the heavy pressure of the Hyūga Main Family, the current Hinata was motivated by a genuine desire to not be left behind by Naruto.
Hinata was somewhat precocious, or rather, children in the ninja world were generally precocious, and Hinata was more obviously so. At her age, she seemed to have found her "lifelong" goal and was actively fighting for it.
By the time Hanako brought the two children, Hinata and Neji, home, it was evening, and the sun had almost completely set, with only a trace of the afterglow remaining on the horizon.
Hyūga Shinichi stood at the gate, welcoming his returning brother and sister. Seeing the two children covered in dust, he knew they hadn't slacked off on their training after he left.
"You two are back?"
"My apologies, I had an urgent matter and only just finished dealing with it. I thought you would have been back ages ago, not still at the training ground."
"I forgot to pick you up. Sorry~"
Hyūga Shinichi leaned against the door frame, speaking with a smile, but this only earned him a Byakugan glance from little Hinata.
Hinata shot Shinichi a look of dissatisfaction, then hurried into the courtyard and walked toward her room.
Neji, conversely, bowed slightly to Hyūga Shinichi with respect and said earnestly:
"It is natural for Elder Brother to prioritize important matters. It is my fault for not listening to your instructions and bringing Hinata back sooner."
"I apologize for making Auntie come to look for us."
Neji had a close relationship with the Main Family. Whenever Hinata was on break from the Academy, Neji would stay at the Main Family compound for a few days.
One reason was that Hiashi saw great potential in Neji and hoped to groom him to become Shinichi's right-hand man, guiding his training during his stays and even, under Shinichi's influence, secretly teaching Neji some of the Main Family's secret techniques.
Another reason was to use Neji as a sparring partner for Hinata, making her vacation "fuller," and preventing her from constantly running out of the house to find that blonde boy from the Hokage's family!
Hiashi held some subtle prejudice against the Hokage's blonde boy.
Of course, it wasn't because Naruto had done anything wrong or because of any specific quality that Hiashi disliked. Hiashi simply didn't want his daughter getting too close to another family's blonde boy.
However, these measures were largely ineffective. Hinata's obedience wasn't because she didn't want to play with Naruto; it was merely because sparring with Neji helped her improve her strength, which would give her more time and opportunities to be with Naruto in the future....
Hinata's clarity of purpose was likely beyond even her father, Hiashi's, imagination.
Shinichi, standing at the door, looked back in the direction Hinata had left, scratching his head awkwardly. Then, he beckoned to Neji, lightly placed his hand on Neji's shoulder, and said warmly:
"Neji, you're the one who knows how to sympathize with your older brother's hardships."
"What an understanding guy. Come on, let's go shower first, then eat."
Neji was still the same Neji: mature and steady. Although Shinichi occasionally sensed a slight distance from Neji, he knew it was likely the result of his father, Hizashi's, "Branch Family" education.
But Shinichi wasn't bothered. He knew that with enough time together, Neji's reserve would naturally fade away.
During dinner, Hiashi also returned home to join them and asked Shinichi about the Bounty Station.
With no outsiders present, Shinichi informed Hiashi of the relevant information without reservation.
It was only then that Neji and Hinata realized their older brother had already completed a trip outside the village and returned in such a short time, even killing a missing-nin from Suna.
Based on Shinichi's description of the enemies, even the less experienced Hinata and Neji sensed the immense power of the opponents. The fact that the Sasori, who died by their brother's hand, could create a human puppet, and that the puppet was the Third Kazekage, sent shivers down Neji's and Hinata's spines.
Yet, those two strong and bizarre opponents, far exceeding the level of Jōnin, had been defeated by their elder brother. This efficiency and strength left a deep impression on both Hinata and Neji.
"Sasori of the Red Sand..."
"Manipulated the Third Kazekage human puppet...."
"Based on your information, Suna was truly foolish to launch the Ninja War using the disappearance of the Third Kazekage as an excuse."
"To think the killer of the Kazekage was their own missing-nin... truly..."
Knowing the identity of the ninja killed by Shinichi, even Hiashi couldn't help but sigh, marveling at his son's strength while secretly feeling pity for the Suna ninja. To risk their lives for revenge only to be played for fools was truly heartbreaking.
"Shinichi, how do you plan to handle this matter?"
"Do you want the clan to widely publicize it for you?"
While Hiashi felt sorry for Suna, he also recognized that this incident presented a rare opportunity for Shinichi to gain prestige. He asked, wondering about his son's intentions.
The person Hyūga Shinichi killed was a Suna missing-nin capable of assassinating the Third Kazekage—the perpetrator who initiated the Third Great Ninja War. If this information could be disseminated, Hyūga Shinichi's reputation would undoubtedly soar.
In the years Shinichi was away, the Uchiha clan had been immensely prominent, their reputation briefly overshadowing the likes of Uchiha Shisui and Hyūga Shinichi.
Hiashi was not a passive person. Although his clan had a good relationship with the Uchiha, he felt uncomfortable being surpassed in fame.
His son was capable. Whether it was helping the clan retrieve the Byakugan from Ao of Kirigakure years ago, or successfully killing the Suna missing-nin who assassinated the Kazekage now.
All these achievements demonstrated Shinichi's power, but the inability to convert this intelligence into fame truly frustrated Hiashi. The feeling of being honored in secret was highly unsettling for him.
"Have the family publicize it for me?"
"Hmm... let's not. That's too un-ninja-like."
Fame... it sounded like a good thing, but did it truly offer many benefits to a ninja constantly walking the line between life and death?
It was hard to say. Aside from making enemies more wary of you, what magnificent effect could it have?
Take Kakashi, for example, "Kakashi of the Sharingan," "Copy Ninja Kakashi." At first glance, his name sounds impressive, but those who know his name likely also have a clear understanding of his profile. One-sided information transparency is not a good thing for a ninja.
Although Shinichi didn't know how much information Kakuzu would leak, at the very least, this information would only circulate within the Akatsuki internally.
Shinichi's future enemies wouldn't all be members of Akatsuki, so the fewer people who knew his intelligence, the better. He didn't need to wear his achievements as a "label" on his forehead every day. Shinichi valued practicality; fame was useless.
He was destined to become the Hyūga Clan Head. What fame could be more "mighty" than "Hyūga Clan Head"!?
"Father, I have no interest in vanity. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gone to such lengths to erase all traces of the battle."
"We can keep this matter within the family for now. Tomorrow morning, I will inform the Hokage of the relevant intelligence."
"Asking him to pay attention to this organization will be enough."
"I have a feeling this organization will cause trouble again, and big trouble at that. It would be better for the village to be prepared."
Some information could be revealed, but others couldn't, or explaining the source would be too troublesome. Shinichi now had direct contact with Akatsuki and could use this opportunity to disclose some intelligence about them. He hoped Minato would take it seriously early on, and any loss the village could be spared would be a good thing.
Going to School
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, as a way of apologizing, Shinichi woke up early to personally take Hinata to the Ninja Academy. Hinata had been attending school for years, but Shinichi had only gone once—on her first day.
Sending Hinata to school was a novelty for Shinichi. Usually, Hanako or a housemaid did it.
Hinata seemed to have forgiven him and didn't hold a grudge. After breakfast, she allowed Shinichi to hold her hand as they walked toward the Academy.
What Shinichi didn't know was that Hinata was quite the sensation at the Academy—she was the student leader who dominated her peers and easily overcame the sixth graders.
The only peculiar thing about this "Student Leader" was that she still had someone escort her to and from school, while most children her age went alone.
Many children who harbored hostility towards the "Student Leader" Hinata often used this point to secretly mock her. Although many had been taught a lesson for this, many children remained incorrigible.
As they neared the Academy, Hinata showed some resistance. Seeing that they were still two streets away, Hinata stopped and said to Shinichi, "Brother, you can go back. I'll walk the rest of the way myself."
However, Shinichi planned to head to the Hokage Tower to report to the Fourth Hokage anyway. Hearing Hinata, he gently shook his head:
"We're already this close. I'll take you to school. I have something to discuss with the Fourth Hokage, so it's on the way."
Shinichi's words left Hinata with no excuse to refuse. Her face fell, and she lowered her head as she walked toward the Academy.
Shinichi didn't understand why, but paid it no mind.
Arriving at the Academy gate, the pairing of the tall man and the little girl drew attention. Some of her peers smiled and greeted Hinata, their eyes constantly scanning Shinichi.
Shinichi was handsome, wore loose training clothes, and did not wear a Konoha forehead protector. His subtle aura of superiority made it clear he wasn't a Hyūga guard ninja.
The students were very curious about the unfamiliar face next to Hinata.
Standing at the school gate, watching Hinata walk into the school, Shinichi felt a momentary sense of returning to his life before he was reincarnated. This kind of tranquil life seemed to be what his heart truly yearned for.
Iruka was smiling and greeting the students entering the school at the gate. Noticing Hinata and the man who escorted her, the enthusiastic teacher gently called out to Hinata and asked:
"Hinata, wasn't your mother supposed to bring you today?"
"Who is that young man? I don't think I've seen him before."
Iruka wasn't just concerned with his students' academic performance; he also paid attention to their family situations.
Hearing Iruka's question, Hinata slowly turned her head, glanced at Shinichi, who was smiling and watching her from a short distance, and a smile appeared on her face:
"He's my brother, Hyūga Shinichi. He was away on a secret mission and only recently returned to the clan."
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