Night falls.
Konoha Village is shrouded beneath a tranquil deep‑blue veil, its countless lights mingling with the starry sky.
The vast Hyuga Clan Compound looms like a dormant beast in a corner of the village—stern, orderly, yet exuding an ancient, oppressive weight in the night.
High walls and deep courtyards, winding corridors that follow an ancient, strict layout, showcase the heritage and seclusion of Konoha's premier noble house.
A figure, as if merged with the night's shadows, silently lands in the central area of the Hyuga compound.
At the highest point of the clan head Hiashi Hyuga's residence, atop the main house's eaves.
The newcomer wears a flowing black robe that flutters in the night wind, his face concealed by a primitive, angular fox mask—its eyes obscured by Sealing Techniques.
His black hair, left untied, dances in the breeze, blending with the robe and adding an extra layer of mystery and menace.
He stands quietly on the roof ridge like a night owl surveying his domain, his gaze sweeping over the illuminated and shadowed courtyards, training grounds, and shrine below.
This is the power core of the Hyuga Clan, a symbol of restraint and antiquated rules.
The air seems to thicken with the invisible, heavy aura of the Caged Bird Seal.
A deliberately altered, low and slightly hoarse voice emerges from beneath the mask, carrying a cold, playful tone.
"Perfect timing to test the technique I just learned."
The moment the words fall, the black‑robed man's perception spreads like an unseen net suddenly flung open, centering on him and silently, swiftly extending across the entire Hyuga compound and beyond.
Kagura Minds Eye, Activate!
In Naruto's perceptual world, everything is radically different.
The outlines of buildings, the sway of foliage, the flow of Chakra… all appear as crystal‑clear three‑dimensional images within his "mind's eye."
Every living being's position, Chakra intensity, even the subtle fluctuations of emotional state are displayed like a palm‑size tapestry, every detail laid bare.
He "sees" the Hyuga branch Ninjas patrolling key points, their Byakugan activated, their Chakra tinged with vigilance yet also shackled by the seal's stagnation.
He "sees" the elders' residences within the main clan area—places of great Chakra but exuding rot and arrogance.
He also "sees" the ordinary clan members on the outskirts, the familiar energy veins of the compound's barrier… everything is within his grasp.
The range, precision, and Chakra‑analysis capability of the Kagura Minds Eye far surpass any of his previous senses, truly worthy of the Uzumaki Clan's famed perception techniques.
Having confirmed the target's location and surroundings, Naruto retracts most of the spreading perception, maintaining only a fine‑tuned monitor over specific zones.
He slowly raises his right hand, wrapped in a black glove, fingers gently curved as if grasping a sword hilt.
In the next instant, a strange, piercing cold gathers suddenly in his palm.
Moisture in the air is rapidly drawn, compressed, and shaped, accompanied by a faint "crack" like forming ice crystals; a translucent, chilling longsword materializes in his hand.
The blade is long and sleek, its lines cold and fluid—not solid metal, but pure, stable Ice Release Chakra solidified.
Moonlight glints off the blade, casting a cold, lethal sheen; even the air at the edge seems to warp from the low temperature. This is one of the newly mastered, stable Ice Release forms Naruto created by combining his massive Chakra control with water and wind nature transformations.
Gripping the ice sword, Naruto's aura shifts dramatically.
The previous stealth and observer's calm evaporate, replaced by a poised, ready‑to‑strike edge, the blade's chill mirroring his newfound resolve.
He lowers his head slightly; behind the fox mask's eye holes, his gaze locks onto the depths of the compound.
Night deepens.
The wind grows colder.
It's the perfect moment for killing.
The black robe stirs, and the figure on the roof, as if swallowed by darkness, vanishes in an instant.
Only a few stepped‑on tiles remain on the ridge, and a lingering, sharp chill hangs in the air like the after‑taste of winter.
——————————
Earlier, Hiashi's party returned to Konoha Village and part ways at the village gate.
Hiashi did not head straight back to the clan compound.
After sending Tokuma and Homon away, he grabbed Neji and slipped through a quiet alley beneath Konoha's night sky, his steps light and purpose clear.
Neji felt a flicker of doubt, but years of experience kept him from asking, and he simply followed in silence.
Finally, the two stopped in front of a rather ordinary, slightly dated apartment building.
The building sits in Konoha's older district, away from main roads, and exudes an unusually quiet atmosphere.
Hiashi pulled out a key and opened an unassuming door on the ground floor.
"Lord Head of the Clan, what is this…?"
Stepping inside, bathed in faint moonlight filtering through the window and the distant glow of streetlamps, Neji surveyed the room and couldn't help asking softly.
The room was small, simply furnished, covered with a thin layer of dust, and carried a stale, long‑uninhabited scent.
It was clearly not any known residence of the Hyuga Clan head.
Hiashi did not answer immediately.
He slipped off his travel coat as if returning to another home, and headed straight for the bedroom.
A short while later, when he emerged again, he was draped in a peculiarly styled black cloak.
The cloak's material was heavy and felt superb, almost merging with the darkness in the dim light.
Most striking were the two shoulder pieces, each a grotesque, boldly‑lined metallic shoulder guard.
The guards were forged into snarling demon heads with exposed fangs, emitting a cold, hard black glow in the faint light, as if ready to bite, adding a terrifying aura to the already mysterious attire.
Donning this garb, Hiashi's demeanor shifted dramatically.
The usually composed, dignified clan head seemed to vanish, replaced by a colder, more inscrutable figure with a hint of wildness.
Next, Hiashi walked to an old dressing mirror in the living room and sat down.
He opened a drawer of the small tea table beside the mirror, took out a leather pouch, and revealed neatly arranged makeup pens, paint boxes, and other tools.
His movements were methodical, clearly showing great familiarity.
Neji stood quietly, watching his uncle's actions, his questions mounting.
When Hiashi picked up a fine brush, dipped it in a specially‑crafted green pigment that faintly glowed in the dimness, and began, with effortless precision, drawing on his smooth forehead...
Neji's breath caught, his pupils contracting sharply.
The familiar, intricate pattern—each twist etched into memory since the age of three—was the Hyuga branch's lifelong seal of absolute obedience and bondage: the Caged Bird!
And the one inscribing this mark was the clan head himself, Hiashi Hyuga!