Hyuga Main House

Two young ninja skipping class were quickly discovered by their teachers and dragged by their ears into the hallway. However, it wasn't long before the bell rang signaling the end of class, and the two parted ways at an intersection.

Little Uchiha Jie walked towards the Uchiha Clan compound, while Hyuga Yue returned to the Hyuga main residence.

Uchiha Jie, with Hinata in tow, followed behind Hyuga Yue. Unlike Hinata, who focused all her attention on Hyuga Yue, he kept looking around as they walked.

"I've never been this way before," he explained softly to Hinata.

"You guys and the Uchiha Clan haven't always gotten along, so usually no Uchiha clan members come here. Even the former Security Force wouldn't send anyone to patrol this area."

"Hmm, is this the shop that Yue mentioned was really good? It's open this early?"

After taking a couple more steps, Uchiha Jie saw Hyuga Yue stop in front of a takoyaki stand. After buying a bag of freshly grilled balls from the owner, she returned to the Hyuga main residence.

"Wow, your front gate is so grand!"

Uchiha Jie tilted his head back, pulling Hinata along. He ignored the Hyuga clan members coming and going. Even with their Byakugan active, they paid no attention to the two passing by.

Hinata even boldly reached out her hand and waved it in front of a handsome young man. For her, it was a magical experience.

In the past, no matter what she did, someone would be watching her closely, judging her right from wrong, and criticizing everything about her.

Now, in this peculiar environment, no one would say anything bad about what she wanted to do.

"That's your dad," Uchiha Jie whispered with a laugh, covering his mouth. Little Hinata hadn't recognized the handsome young man as her father at all.

"Ah!"

Hinata yelped in surprise. After taking a closer look at the Byakugan-wielding handsome man, her face turned bright red. If Uchiha Jie hadn't quickly pinched her philtrum, she would have fainted on the spot.

Just by looking at his features, one could tell that the Byakugan-wielding handsome man was a young Hyuga Hiashi. He was surrounded by many clan members, chatting and laughing together, discussing recent events in Konoha.

Uchiha Jie listened in for a moment; the conversation was about Namikaze Minato.

However, the conversation only lasted a few seconds before Hyuga Hiashi's voice grew quieter, and the surrounding environment began to change.

Hyuga Hinata covered her small mouth, watching as the colors on her father and the other Hyuga clan members began to fade, turning into a stark white outlined only by lines. Then, the Hyuga Clan's gate, the trees, houses, and roads also began to change, becoming like these people.

Next, from far to near, the remaining lines were slowly erased.

The only things left with form and color were her and Uchiha Jie.

"We're too far from Yue," Uchiha Jie realized what was happening immediately. This was his Ninjutsu, but its medium was Hyuga Yue's blood, and the environment was Yue's memory.

The farther away he got from her, the more everything around them would gradually disappear. The reason he had a wide view from the roof of the Ninja Academy during the day was simply because he and Hyuga Yue lay there every day.

If he had left Yue's vicinity back then, he would have discovered that the scenery elsewhere was just blurry textures, without substance.

Uchiha Jie grabbed Hinata's hand and leaped up, sprinting towards the area that still had color. A familiar environment came into view again.

Skimming over the rooftops of several houses, Uchiha Jie saw Hyuga Yue again.

She had returned home and was happily chatting with her parents about the day's events, as if it were just another ordinary day in her life.

"Are those Sister Yue's parents? I've never seen them before," Hinata mumbled softly beside Uchiha Jie.

As the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan, she had met almost every member of the clan, though she saw some more often than others, and some only once a year.

But Sister Yue seemed to have been interacting with their family frequently even before she was born. A year ago, Sister Yue even started instructing Hanabi in her training.

And when Sister Yue's ninja team disbanded some time ago, she spent almost all day with Hanabi.

It was around that time that Hinata lost to Hanabi in a spar. With a simple feint and a clear "Sister," Hanabi's small hand grabbed her sleeve in the instant Hinata was stunned. Using Hinata's own force, Hanabi stuck out her foot and tripped her, sending Hinata sprawling in front of her father.

Hanabi then jumped up happily and leaped into Sister Yue's arms. At that moment, Sister Yue remained expressionless, merely patting the excited Hanabi gently.

This was all Hinata knew about Sister Yue until today.

"It's hard to imagine that the little ninja we've been following today was once Hyuga Yue,"

Uchiha Jie said softly. "She wore red, loved to laugh, had parents who loved her, was always first in school, and I even skipped class with her. Plus, she came from a prestigious clan. To everyone, it seemed like a perfect life."

"Let's keep watching," he said to Hinata.

"Yes..." Hyuga Hinata nodded. She and Uchiha Jie moved closer to Hyuga Yue, listening as she finished telling her parents about her day at school and then began discussing some insights about Gentle Fist.

Hyuga Yue's mother looked like she was carved from the same mold as Hyuga Yue. Like the grown-up Hyuga Yue, she was aloof, nodding occasionally as she listened to her daughter's account, but without much expression.

Even with age, faint wrinkles had appeared at the corners of her eyes. Yet, these wrinkles made Hyuga Yue's mother appear alluringly cold, like a frost-kissed rose.

Hyuga Yue's father, however, was much more ordinary, like a typical middle-aged man, with nothing particularly noteworthy about him. The most striking feature was a scar on his arm, which seemed to have been deeply cut into the muscle. Even though it had healed, it was still very noticeable.

Like Hyuga Yue's mother, his forehead protector was tied tightly to his forehead.

Squatting at a height similar to his daughter's, his facial expressions were much richer – doting, pleased, and a hint of subtle sadness hidden in his eyes that was hard for others to detect.

Hyuga Yue was very happy in front of her father, completely unaware of this. However, Hyuga Hinata, watching quietly from the side, could sense it.

"Sister Yue's father looks very sad," Hinata whispered.

Hyuga Yue's father's hand began to tremble slightly. After listening to Hyuga Yue promise him that she would definitely defeat Uchiha Jie again in their spar at school tomorrow, he gently patted Hyuga Yue's shoulder, his voice becoming hoarse in an instant.

"Yue... come with us to see Elder-sama after dinner."