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The Hyuga compound stood quiet under the shade of the setting sun, its symmetrical courtyards glowing faintly with lanterns being lit in preparation for the following day's clan gathering. Every corridor buzzed with servants polishing polished wood and elders discussing arrangements. Yet amidst all the preparations, in the southern wing of the main house, a very different sort of preparation was underway.
Hiashi Hyuga stood tall and composed in the center of the main training hall. His voice was low and even, but there was a steely firmness threaded into every word. Across from him stood his daughter, Hinata, dressed in a pale lavender kimono that still felt too heavy on her three-year-old frame. Her hands were tucked in front of her, her posture stiff but fragile like a twig caught in a storm.
"You must understand, Hinata," Hiashi said, his arms behind his back, his pale eyes locked onto hers. "Tomorrow, the entire clan will see you. Every elder, every child, every member with a critical eye. The heiress of the Hyuga clan cannot afford to stumble. Not in posture. Not in speech. Not in presence."
Hinata's lips parted slightly, as though to reply—but she said nothing. Her heart beat faster with each word.
"Again," Hiashi said, nodding toward the mat. "Enter the room as you will tomorrow. With dignity."
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Hinata stepped back to the hall's entrance and took a slow breath. She walked forward, trying to keep her feet aligned, her back straight, and her gaze ahead, as she had been shown.
"Stop," Hiashi interrupted halfway through. "You're too hesitant. You hesitate because you lack conviction. The clan cannot follow a girl who doubts herself."
He didn't raise his voice, but his disappointment was clear. Hinata flinched.
"Again."
Again, she walked.
And again, he stopped her. This time, it was her posture. Then her hesitation. Then her inability to project her voice. Her shoulders sagged a little more with each attempt.
"Straighten your spine. Speak like you believe your words. The Hyuga heiress represents centuries of honor. Would your ancestors walk like that?"
Hinata lowered her head. She wanted to disappear.
"Again."
They repeated the drills until the paper lanterns outside had all been lit. The hall had grown cold, and her small feet ached from stepping and turning, walking and kneeling. At last, Hiashi sighed.
"We'll continue tomorrow morning," he said. "You may leave."
She bowed silently and shuffled out, keeping her gaze down. Once she passed the hallway's corner, she leaned against the wooden pillar and let out a long breath she had held in all evening. A dull ache pulsed behind her eyes.
"Why is Father always like that…" she whispered to herself. "I try… I really try."
She sat at the base of a wooden veranda, hugging her knees to her chest.
It wasn't just about the walking or the bowing. It was about who she was supposed to be. Someone proud, poised, untouchable. Someone whose eyes didn't drift downward or whose voice didn't quiver. Someone like…
Her mind wandered again.
To Neji.
Lately, I noticed something off.
He still laughed sometimes when he played with other children. He asked questions and greeted elders properly. But… Hinata had started to instinctually felt something that didn't quite match.
That thought stirred something deeper. Something unspoken.
She buried her face against her arms.
She heard footsteps approaching and quickly wiped her eyes.
A gentle voice called, "Hinata-sama?"
It was one of the branch family caretakers, an older woman who had watched her since infancy.
"There you are. It's late. You'll catch a cold if you sit out here too long."
Hinata nodded and stood up. "Sorry. I was… just thinking."
The woman smiled gently. "Big day tomorrow. Don't let the nerves take you away tonight."
Hinata smiled back—but it felt paper-thin.
Back in her room, under the futon's covers, her thoughts continued to swirl.
What did it mean to be a Hyuga?
Was it just strength, posture, and tradition?
Or was it also what was hidden beneath the surface—like whatever Neji was hiding?
She drifted to sleep slowly, without answers, but with a growing determination she didn't fully understand yet.
Cloud Village Guest Residence – Later That Night
The night air was still and heavy with tension around the temporary residence of the Cloud delegation. The soft rustle of leaves was the only sound accompanying the dim glow of the lanterns, their warm light casting long shadows against the tatami walls. Inside, the elite jounin of the Cloud delegation, known as Raikou, stood near a window, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed, sensing the flow of chakra across the environment like a man feeling for subtle changes in the wind before a storm.
"The ANBU monitoring us aren't sensory types," Raikou said lowly. His voice was calm, but each syllable carried the edge of someone who had stalked prey across battlefields and borders. "I've watched their patrol patterns. Their detection grid is more visual-based."
Tokubetsu Jounin Hoshino leaned forward slightly, unconvinced. "Are you sure, Captain? We can't screw up the plan at this point. And what of Kakashi? He's the Copy Ninja — his instincts alone make him a threat."
Raikou didn't flinch. "Don't underestimate me. I was chosen for this mission because I can disappear from the notice of all but the most advanced sensory types. Even the Hyuga struggle to track me once I initiate my concealment technique."
He pulled out a thin slip of chakra-infused paper marked with a specialized ink seal. "When this seal burns, it means I've failed — and that I'm dead. You'll know when to act."
Hoshino hesitated for a moment, then accepted the paper, his gloved hand trembling slightly.
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