Warmth

"Big brother! Big brother!"

Neji shouted as he flapped his arms and jumped into Yuzuru Hyuga's embrace.

Yuzuru Hyuga hurriedly crouched down and caught the little guy, who seemed to have grown quite a bit in the blink of an eye. Just a few days ago, he had still been wobbling around and falling over with every step. Now, he could already trot steadily toward Yuzuru's legs in a suicidal charge.

Yuzuru picked Neji up, and the little hands that smelled of milk flailed wildly at his face. It was impossible to tell whether Neji wanted to punch him or touch him, but Yuzuru could only tilt his head back helplessly. "Be good, Neji."

Neji laughed, letting out an adorable childish giggle as he forcibly snatched away his glasses. Yuzuru sighed and let him play with them, raising his head to see his mother smiling at the low table.

"Welcome home, Yuzuru. Have you eaten?"

"Mm, I had ramen with Kakashi-senpai before coming back." Yuzuru Hyuga sat down on the other side of the low table with Neji in his arms and asked with concern, "How have you been feeling lately?"

"The same as always. Don't worry. As long as you're both doing well, your mother will live long enough to see you holding your own son." She really did seem to be in good condition. Perhaps it was because Hizashi Hyuga had been unusually domestic lately, often staying in the Branch House instead of going out.

Or perhaps seeing both of her sons grow up had filled her heart with strength.

Yuzuru Hyuga smiled faintly. "Then you'll have quite a wait ahead of you. In a while, how about having a medical ninja examine you again?"

"Your mother was born with a weak constitution. It's not like I'm sick with anything. As long as you don't make me sad, I'm perfectly healthy!"

His mother comforted him somewhat helplessly. She felt that this little fellow seemed to have some misunderstanding about her health—her body had indeed always been weak, but it was not some terminal illness. As long as she lived peacefully and happily like this, she should have no problem living into her sixties or seventies.

Yuzuru Hyuga felt somewhat relieved upon hearing that. "That's good."

The reason he worried about his mother's health was because, in the original story, Neji had seemed like an orphan after Hizashi's death. There had not been a single scene involving his mother in the anime, making Yuzuru wonder whether she had some hidden health problem.

But now, it seemed that his mother was doing well.

There was nothing he could do about simple physical weakness. His mother did not have the talent to become a ninja, and Life Return—the only secret technique that currently seemed capable of helping her—was incredibly complex and difficult to learn. Even though Yuzuru Hyuga understood every key point of the technique, according to his mother, she had struggled even with the ordinary Chakra Refinement Technique since childhood.

In any case, Yuzuru Hyuga made up his mind. No matter what, he would have to think of a way to develop a curse seal technique in the future.

The purpose of the curse seal would simply be to strengthen the body and improve his mother's health.

A curse seal did not need to be learned. As long as he knew how to use it, he could apply it to his mother.

Or perhaps he could develop and research some other unconventional methods.

Time waited for no one.

Yuzuru Hyuga sighed softly. There was still not enough time. Even now, he felt terribly insecure about the power he possessed. Forget Obito, the Akatsuki Organization, Madara Uchiha, and the Otsutsuki lurking behind the scenes—even some veteran cannon-fodder Jonin had the ability to pose a fatal threat to him.

He had already devoted himself entirely to improving his combat knowledge and strength.

He truly could not spare the energy to conduct research or work on development.

If he could resolve the Hyuga Clan's problems and stabilize the clan before the Uchiha Clan erupted, then there should be a period of stability afterward. He could develop safely and expand his abilities in every direction.

Seeing Yuzuru Hyuga lost in thought, faint exhaustion visible between his brows, his mother merely smiled gently. "Neji, come to Mommy."

Neji clutched Yuzuru Hyuga's glasses, climbed onto the low table, and bounced his way over to his mother. She took the glasses, leaned forward, and personally put them back on Yuzuru's face.

She said softly, "Mom doesn't know what you're thinking about, or what's troubling you. But Mom believes in you. No matter what it is, you can do it."

Yuzuru Hyuga froze for a moment, then smiled warmly. "There are just too many things I want to do, while I'm still too young, so I'm a little troubled. If only I could grow five years older overnight."

"No. Mom still wants to see you looking adorable for a while longer. Once you grow up, you'll definitely look as fierce as your father."

She spoke with a meaningful smile. Yuzuru Hyuga turned his head and saw Hizashi Hyuga standing at the doorway.

Hizashi Hyuga's face was cold. He was clearly dissatisfied that his son had returned home without greeting him first. After snorting, he walked in anyway, kicked Yuzuru Hyuga's backside without ceremony, and stole his seat.

Yuzuru Hyuga moved aside helplessly and sat at the side of the table. "Childish."

"This is my seat," Hizashi Hyuga declared righteously.

"Alright, alright. Yuzuru finally came home, can't you stop picking on him?" His mother was used to the father and son bickering like children and covered her mouth as she chuckled.

Hizashi Hyuga quietly looked Yuzuru Hyuga over. Only after seeing no wounds on him did he relax. He casually picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea, and brought it to his lips. After hesitating for a moment, he set it in front of Yuzuru Hyuga and poured himself another cup.

"How's life in the ANBU?"

he asked.

Yuzuru Hyuga smiled rather easily. "Pretty good. It's just a pity that Kakashi-senpai is still someone who strictly follows the rules, so I can't just wander around while we're out on missions. What a shame."

"Looks like you adapted quickly." Hizashi Hyuga could tell that the boy genuinely did not find ANBU life particularly difficult, and only then was he completely reassured.

Still, he could not help but offer a reminder. "Don't let your guard down. Your strength may be impressive, but any Jonin from any ninja village has the ability to kill you. In the ninja world, no one will challenge you openly and fairly. One moment of carelessness, one mistake, could make you lose to an opponent far weaker than yourself."

"Besides, your strength lies in close-quarters combat. The ninja world is filled with strange bloodline limits and complicated secret techniques. If someone can restrain your strengths and target your weaknesses, do not hesitate. Run immediately."

Hizashi Hyuga said with considerable confidence, "You trained your Body Flicker Technique so well precisely so you could escape, didn't you? Run when you need to. Don't let reputation or anything else weigh you down. Only by staying alive is there hope."

His mother could no longer bear it. "Hizashi, he just got home."

Yuzuru Hyuga merely propped up his chin lazily, stuffing both legs beneath the low table with a listless expression. "It's fine. Father makes perfect sense. Don't worry, when I'm outside, caution is my ninja way."

"Mm." Hizashi Hyuga could tell that he truly meant it.

His heart settled completely.

For nothing else, he had personally experienced his son's Body Flicker Technique.

He had no idea how the boy had trained it into such a monstrous state. In terms of straight-line acceleration, he believed it was enough to rival the Uchiha Clan genius Shisui. Perhaps only ninja like the Raikage, who had mastered secret Lightning Release techniques, could hold an advantage in speed.

"When is your next mission?"

"Tomorrow. More precisely, tomorrow afternoon. I still have half a day off," Yuzuru Hyuga said.

"How long will you be gone?" Hizashi Hyuga asked casually.

"I don't know. A few months? Half a year? A year?"

As soon as the words fell, the air in the room seemed to freeze slightly.

"Is it possible you won't even be back for your birthday?" his mother asked in shock.

"Mm, it's possible," Yuzuru Hyuga replied.

Yuzuru Hyuga did not dwell too much on whether a long-term mission away from home would delay his plans.

Stepping onto the battlefield was also why he had joined the ANBU.

He craved battle. He hoped to use one brutal fight after another to grow faster and gain free experience points more quickly.

"I'm really looking forward to the journey starting tomorrow."

"Yuzuru! Were you even listening to your mother? This isn't something to joke about!"

"Yes, yes."

Yuzuru Hyuga had no choice but to lower his head obediently and let his mother remind him again and again not to be careless, to pay attention to his safety, and that if necessary, he could even volunteer to become a hostage—as long as he was not killed outright, he would surely come back.

In short, it was a mother's wild imagination at full force.

But he liked this warmth.

Hizashi Hyuga watched Yuzuru Hyuga get scolded with an old-fashioned air, chuckling as though he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Even the tea tasted better.

Only after his mother had talked herself tired was Yuzuru Hyuga finally able to take his leave. He left his mother's room with Hizashi Hyuga, and the two strolled down the corridor.

What the father and son needed to discuss would not be nearly so warm.