The Shadow That Haunted Hyuga Hiashi All His Life

Night fell.

The moonlight was as cold as autumn water, and the wind howled like a savage blade.

"That's enough. Since none of you agree with what I've said, I won't say anything more."

"Fortunately, my son Sasuke Uchiha's birthday is in three days. The entire Uchiha Clan will celebrate at our compound then, and not a single one of us will appear before you."

"Oh, right! Hyuga Clan Head, I heard that's also the birthday of your clan's heiress. Allow me to offer my congratulations in advance. And one more thing: be sure to watch out for the Cloud..."

The howling wind tossed the shadows of the trees outside the window. A middle-aged man abruptly sat up in the room and slowly opened his eyes. His Byakugan was filled with exhaustion.

He had lost count of how many times he had jolted awake from a dream tonight. The sight of Fugaku Uchiha storming out of the Hokage's conference room that morning still lingered before his eyes.

Especially the glance Fugaku had cast back at him before leaving. The gloom on his face and the Three Tomoe, brimming with schemes, had been deeply unsettling.

Hyuga Hiashi breathed softly for a moment, slowly calming himself.

"Fugaku Uchiha..."

His exhausted Byakugan stared at the silhouettes beyond the window as he murmured the name of the man who had become an inescapable shadow in his heart over the years.

The Uchiha brothers and the Hyuga brothers had long been one of the village's most talked-about topics.

Both were brothers born into prestigious clans with special ocular techniques, and people had compared them ever since they were born.

Whether for the honor of their clans or the young men's competitive spirits, they were destined to become rivals and fight each other for years to come.

And yet...

[Some people are alive, but they're already dead!]

That had been the last time he and Hizashi had fought the two Uchiha brothers.

That day, beneath the setting sun, the two pairs of Three Tomoe had shone like red clouds on the horizon. Fugaku Uchiha had stood proudly in the cold wind, while he himself lay on the ground...

[The outcome between us was decided the year we were born.]

Ryuu Uchiha had pinned Hizashi, who was just as battered, beneath his feet. He had used a kunai to flick aside the forehead protector covering Hizashi's forehead and spoke the cruelest words, exposing the Hyuga Clan's years of shameful pretense in all its bloody ugliness.

[What Hyuga brothers? My Sharingan sees only a master and his slave. Do you really think you're fit to be rivals to my brother and me?]

Those damn Uchiha brothers! That damn Ryuu Uchiha!

He really should have died!

But why had he died so easily?

The night wind still howled through the Hyuga compound. The veins around Hyuga Hiashi's eyes bulged, but he simply couldn't fall asleep.

[In three days, my son Sasuke Uchiha will turn three!]

Fugaku Uchiha's voice rang through his mind again. Hyuga Hiashi clutched his forehead, his expression twisted.

After a long while, a drawn-out sigh came from the darkness.

The Uchiha Clan would surely be lively three days from now...

What about the Hyuga?

Like the wind that blew tonight, the question had no answer and nowhere to go.

The next day.

The training ground atop the Hokage Monument.

The sun shone bright, and a white cloud drifted across the blue sky like a gigantic ship.

A gentle, warm breeze brushed his face, making Qing Xuan's already listless eyes grow even sleepier.

"What's with that look?"

An irritated scolding came from the spiky-haired uncle before him. His long white hair swished against his red coat, and the eyes beneath the red markings twitched as if expressing his displeasure with Qing Xuan.

"Shouldn't Asuma be here?"

Qing Xuan lazily picked at his ear. "Why did they switch instructors today?"

"What could that brat Asuma teach you?"

Jiraiya clicked his tongue dismissively, then pointed proudly at himself.

"Listen up, kid! Standing before you is the legendary Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, Jiraiya! I'll be teaching you profound ninjutsu secrets. You should be grateful!"

"Wow! Amazing! Incredible! How dignified!"

Qing Xuan applauded without the slightest sincerity, then helpfully pointed out what was lacking.

"Your entrance could use a little work, though. It needs more atmosphere."

"Oh? Really? What should I do, then?"

Jiraiya sheepishly pulled out a notebook.

"You could summon a toad or something. That would give you a much more imposing presence, wouldn't it?"

"Of course!"

Jiraiya smacked his left palm hard. He scribbled furiously, then couldn't help looking up to ask, "What else? What else?"

Qing Xuan rubbed his chin, doing his best to offer more professional advice. "I think you should change your entrance move, too. Yours is too flat. It has no soul..."

"Oh! Is that so?"

"The eyes are the windows to the soul, but movement is the language of the body. You need to pour your soul into it and create a sense of artistry. That's something you should give serious thought to..."

"So that's how it is~"

"Your opening line is a little too blunt... Why not use that poem from last time?"

"The one about the swimming dragon returning to the sea?"

"It's so evocative!"

"Master! You're okay with me using that?"

"Of course! It was made for you!"

"I used to think only Ryuu could understand me! But now, Qing Xuan, you're my soulmate!"

"Then you'd better keep working hard!"

"You two... What on earth are you doing?"

Under the shade of the trees, Tsunade watched the two of them gazing at each other like kindred spirits, with no idea what they were up to. She clenched her fists, feeling her patience reach its limit!

After a thorough beating.

With a bruised and swollen face, Jiraiya sat cross-legged in the sunlight, feeling as if every part of him had been refreshed.

"Let's get down to business!"

He cleared his throat and looked at Qing Xuan. The brat he hadn't liked at first was now growing more and more to his liking.

"Qing Xuan, Ryuu and I were close friends. We used to tell each other everything and were practically inseparable! We gathered material together, created together, and even..."

Qing Xuan glanced at Tsunade, who stood to the side. "Chased the same girl?"

A flush crept across Tsunade's face. She shot the little brat a fierce glare, then casually walloped Jiraiya and snapped, "Jiraiya! I didn't invite you here to listen to you ramble! Get to the point, you idiot!"

Jiraiya staggered from the blow, then straightened up as if nothing had happened. Qing Xuan almost felt sorry for him at that moment.

If only you'd acted serious, maybe you could've beaten Dad back then...

Perhaps this was the price of becoming a man like the wind?

"Ryuu left behind an incredibly powerful secret technique. Now it's time for you to inherit it!"

Qing Xuan's eyes lit up. "Dad left behind a secret technique?"

Jiraiya raised his eyebrows, looking proud. "Ryuu and I developed it together! It took a lot of effort, but we finally completed this incredible technique!"

Qing Xuan froze, and an ill-formed idea suddenly came to mind.

Could his dad really have been a transmigrator?

Qing Xuan hadn't considered it before, but ever since arriving in Konoha, all sorts of clues had forced him to think about it.

A transmigrator, who had developed a jutsu alongside Jiraiya.

Then this jutsu...

"Could it be the Rasengan?"

Qing Xuan stared at Jiraiya, watching for his reaction.

However...

"How could it possibly be the Rasengan? That jutsu was developed by the Fourth Hokage!"

"Then... the Chidori?"