Hyuga Clan.
Reception Room.
As he listened to Hyuga Hiashi, Jin's eyes narrowed slightly.
So Hyuga Hiashi knew that he had killed the Kumogakure ninja back then?
It was no surprise. The Hyuga Clan had been a great clan for a thousand years, able to stand firm in the Shinobi World and even grow stronger through the reign of the Seventh Hokage!
There was a reason for that.
But... if Hiashi knew, why hadn't he told the Third Hokage?
Otherwise, Jin wouldn't have spent the past few years so carefree.
How interesting.
At the thought, a faint smile gradually appeared at the corner of Jin's mouth.
Then he squeezed Hinata's little hand with his right hand and led her over to sit down.
He had no intention of letting go.
Beside him, Hinata's cheeks had already turned bright red.
Her mind was completely blank.
She let Jin lead her to the seat, staring dazedly.
Hiashi glanced at his little move, and a vein immediately popped up on his forehead.
How dare he take liberties with his daughter right in front of him!
This Uchiha Chatterbox seemed quite different from the rumors.
He fell silent for a moment, then poured a cup of tea and said gratefully, "This cup is to thank you for saving my daughter's life."
"Thank me now? You're two and a half years late."
Jin shook his head and downed the tea in front of him.
He had more or less guessed why the Hyuga Clan Head had invited him for a talk.
There could only be one reason:
To reveal information about the Leaf's upper echelons and show goodwill.
As the only two great clans in the Leaf, the Uchiha Clan's destruction was no good thing for the Hyuga Clan.
They'd had someone to share the fire with before. Now it was just them, and all that fire would be focused on them.
Of course, Hiashi didn't dare go too far.
He only hinted at the Leaf leadership's wariness.
He also said that they could offer support if needed.
Finally, he poured another cup of tea and asked with a smile, "Jin, why not stay with the Hyuga Clan for a few days as our guest?"
"My daughter has missed you quite a lot these past two years."
"Father..." Hinata's face flushed so red she didn't know where to look.
She could only shrink back as hard as she could.
Like a quail tucking its head away.
"No wonder. So the girl woke up after I saved Hinata that day?"
Jin shook his head, thinking that his experience as a child had been lacking.
If it were now, he'd have given her another palm strike, whether she was unconscious or not. Then she'd really be out cold.
He fiddled with the cup in front of him for a while, then finally shook his head.
The Hyuga Clan was all right, but he still preferred the crazy Uchiha.
That way, he could chat and fight with them without feeling pressured.
Besides...
The Hyuga Clan's support probably wouldn't come until the clan massacre reached a turning point.
Before then, given Hiashi's habit of enduring humiliation, even offering a warning was probably the most he could do.
He might add flowers to the embroidery, but he would never offer charcoal in the snow.
Jin could understand. It was a matter of survival, after all. Hedging their bets on both sides was only natural.
"In that case, I can have my daughter show you around the clan."
After chatting for a while, Hiashi stood up and waved for Hinata to take Jin around.
[After talking with Hyuga Hiashi for ten minutes, attempting to copy a trait.] [Copy failed.]
Jin rolled his eyes and deliberately led Hinata out by the hand.
It didn't matter that Hiashi had failed. There were plenty of young men in the Hyuga Clan.
Including Neji, the most talented boy in the early days of the Konoha 12.
If talking didn't work, then...
Clatter.
As the wooden door slid shut, the reception room gradually fell silent.
A moment later, an elder slowly emerged from behind the screen.
His hair was white, and his back was hunched.
He had to stop and rest after every step.
He slowly made his way to the spot where Jin had been sitting. After a long silence, he murmured, "I can't see through him."
"Hmm?" Hiashi was clearly startled, and his Byakugan activated. "Great Elder, even you can't see through him?"
The Great Elder was the oldest living member of the Hyuga Clan.
He had also mastered the Byakugan to an extraordinary degree.
"That boy is shrouded in a mist. My Byakugan can't see through him... but his strength shouldn't be that great..."
The elder hesitated, then added uncertainly,
"Hiashi, are you really going to bet on him?"
"The Uchiha Clan's destruction is already a foregone conclusion. Inviting Uchiha Jin now might incur the Third Hokage and the others' displeasure."
Hiashi waved his hand. "Their displeasure doesn't matter. The front lines need our clan's Byakugan. The Third Hokage won't do anything to us."
"Besides... they owe Hizashi this much..."
As he spoke, his mood sank.
Back then, faced with pressure from the Third Hokage and the others, he had had no choice but to sacrifice his younger brother.
But... that didn't mean the matter was over.
This time, it had only been an attempt to begin with.
At the mention of Hizashi, both men fell silent.
Crash!
Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted outside.
Hiashi frowned, then opened the door to look.
Outside.
A crowd of young Hyuga men had Jin completely surrounded.
The hot-blooded young men had seen the young lady being led by the hand and simply couldn't hold back.
One after another, they started shouting.
"Hmph! You, let go of the young lady!"
"Someone like you thinks you can defile the young lady?"
"Let go, or I'll challenge you to a duel!"
Amid the uproar, a distinct voice quietly rang out. "Are you sure you want to duel someone from the Uchiha Clan?"
The Uchiha Clan!
The boys jolted, only then noticing Jin's clothes.
Their confidence immediately faltered.
After all, among the Leaf's famous clans, the Uchiha were the ones people feared most.
Their strength was strange enough, but the most terrifying thing was becoming friends with an Uchiha!
Who hadn't heard the saying about friends and family being sacrificed to awaken the Uchiha's eyes?
"Heh..."
Seeing the clan members fall quiet, Neji stepped forward with a cold expression.
"Jin, what are you doing here?"
They were the same age, and though they hadn't met often, Neji knew him.
For a time, Uchiha Jin had clung to him every day, chatting with him, then suddenly disappeared.
It had been strange.
"Huh? Neji, the genius, is skipping class too?"
Jin glanced at Neji in displeasure.
This guy had interrupted his harvest!
He immediately turned around, lifted Hinata's little hand, and smiled at the Hyuga boys.
"Ahem, is anyone here unhappy with me? You can all come at me together!"
As he spoke, he openly brought Hinata's little hand to his lips and kissed it lightly.
Whoosh!
Hinata's face turned crimson.
Then... her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
The other boys could no longer hold back their envy, jealousy, and hatred. They shouted and charged forward.
"Everyone, get him!"
"That's right! Let's attack together. Even if he's an Uchiha, he can't necessarily beat all of us!"
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