Hyuga Sho sat calmly, entirely in control.
Every day, he checked on Yakushi Kabuto's follow-up treatment of Gui.
He inspected the work of the Torture Department.
He persuaded Pakura.
Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
Nohara Rin's return seemed to have changed something, yet it also seemed as if nothing had changed at all.
His friends were busy with their own affairs.
Everyone could only find time to visit Nohara Rin.
Once they had seen her, they left, and the attention faded.
Things continued as they had before.
The days still had to pass, one after another.
The same went for everything else.
Uchiha Obito's "death" had affected Kakashi, but apart from him, it seemed to have caused no ripples among the others.
After all...
The earth kept turning no matter who was gone.
Earlier, he had reported Uchiha Obito's attack to Konoha.
But Hyuga Sho did not believe Konoha could solve the problem.
After all the scandals among the higher-ups, he no longer trusted them.
Besides... from the very beginning, Hyuga Sho had relied on himself.
Two more days passed.
Gui had nearly recovered.
As a rehabilitation test,
Hyuga Sho chose to spar with Gui.
This time, they trained outdoors.
Inside a training ground opened near Konoha's Back Mountain... Yakushi Kabuto and Nohara Rin watched from the side.
Gentle Fist!
Hyuga Sho's hands danced up and down.
His fierce attacks forced Gui back step by step.
Finally...
A set of Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms sent the retreating Gui crashing back against a training target.
"Mm, not bad. You've almost recovered. I'll use Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms to get your muscles and blood flowing. This way... I believe your remaining injuries will heal as well."
"Thank you, my lord..."
Gui straightened, blood surging through her body.
Just as Hyuga Sho