Sasuke's Eighteenth Challenge

After completing the escort mission, and with Otsutsuki Toneri leaving ahead of them, Neji Hyuga parted ways with his teammates at the gates of Hoshinin Academy and returned alone to the Hyuga Branch House compound in Star City's eastern district.

The compound was quiet and peaceful, no different from usual, but when he stepped into his own residence, he froze slightly.

His father, Hizashi Hyuga, who should have been stationed in Wind Prefecture, was sitting upright in the seat of honor in the living room, while his mother sat quietly at the side doing needlework.

"Father, Mother, I'm home." Neji quickly bowed in greeting, his posture meticulous.

Hizashi nodded faintly. A trace of hard-to-detect fatigue lingered on his dignified face. He pointed to the cushion opposite him and said in a steady voice, "Neji, there's no need for ceremony. Sit. I have some things to tell you."

Seeing this, Neji's mother set down the work in her hands, looked gently at her son, and said softly, "You father and son should talk. I'll go make tea."

With that, she rose and quietly left the living room, leaving the space to the two of them.

Neji sat properly on his knees across from his father as instructed, but his heart was full of doubts.

As the supreme commander of the Western Front Force, his father should, by all rights, have remained at the old site of Sunagakure to deal with the heavy military affairs and stabilization work during this critical period, when they had just taken full control of Wind Prefecture.

And just a few days ago, when their squad escorted Temari and the others back from Sunagakure, his father had still been issuing mission arrangements through remote communication. How had he returned to Star City in the blink of an