Meanwhile, at the Hyuga Clan estate, the Main Family residence.
"This is...!"
Hyuga Hiashi, who had been sitting properly behind his desk reading something, suddenly looked up. His eyes, already carrying some of a clan head's authority, widened abruptly, and his entire body jolted.
This... how is this possible!
This should be... this should be...
But how could this be possible!
How could it...
Yet inwardly, he was even more shocked than he appeared.
At that moment, Hyuga Hiashi stared at the scroll in his hand, his entire body nearly rigid, his face almost frozen. Other than disbelief, his widened eyes held only shock.
Just then, in that instant, with that single glance, he saw that a line of text was missing from the scroll he had been reading.
A name had vanished from it.
"Come! Someone, hurry!"
After remaining stiff for a moment, Hyuga Hiashi seemed to suddenly recall something and snapped back to his senses. He hastily called for someone, his voice carrying a panic wholly unbefitting the head of the Hyuga Clan.
"Lord Hiashi!"
Almost instantly after his call rang out, a ninja dressed in Hyuga attire flashed into existence before him, dropped to one knee, and answered.
"Quick, go check! Is Hyuga Yukina still alive?"
Seeing the Hyuga ninja appear, Hyuga Hiashi nearly rose to his feet. Pointing toward the Japanese-style wooden house, he spoke urgently.
Beyond his anxiety, panic, and urgency, his words also carried a trace of disbelief.
Whether Hyuga Yukina is alive? Lord Hiashi, why... why would he suddenly ask that?
Hadn't Hyuga Yukina gone to the camp of that Ninja Engineering Corps under the arrangement of Taki Chiba, the Hokage Assistant? She even seemed to be commanding the Defense Force. Wasn't she doing quite well?
Hearing this, the Hyuga ninja was slightly