Fuyuki had left at one thirty, right in the middle of the family's afternoon lessons. Now it was four, the time those lessons ended. After a hard day of training, Fuyuki left the woods and headed home for dinner.
Fuyuki wasn't afraid of his Old Father's scolding. Missing a class on noble etiquette wasn't a big deal.
Besides, Hiashi was always stone-faced, wearing the same sour expression no matter what. Whether he was angry, furious, or happy, no one could tell what he was feeling.
As the eldest son of the Hyuga Clan, Fuyuki had endured countless glares since he was a child. What was one pair from his Old Father? At the family's Martial Arts Tournament, there were dozens of Byakugan glaring at him, veins bulging.
Fuyuki strode down the street, always wondering about one thing: why did his foolish older sister always run into troublemakers whenever she went out, and why did not one of those troublemakers recognize the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan?
But when he went out, lo and behold, the troublemakers who liked picking on his foolish sister were nowhere to be seen. The street's stone bricks had been swept cleaner than wooden floors, without a single fallen leaf in sight.
Did Hinata have some strange knack for attracting bullies?
"Natsumi, you and I have gone home this way several times. Why haven't we run into those troublemakers who picked on Hinata last week?" Fuyuki asked outright.
Hyuga Natsumi paused, then replied, "Young Master Fuyuki, you look a lot like Hinata, but your temperaments are completely different. And with me here, how could the other kids dare pick on you?"
As twins, Hinata and Fuyuki looked remarkably alike—almost as if they'd been carved from the same mold. On top of that, the Hyuga Clan had a rule that clan members keep their hair long, so it was hard to tell the two apart by their looks before they grew into their features.
The rule about long hair wasn't because the Hyuga Clan was full of cross-dressers. It was because of a Medical Ninjutsu technique called Healing and Regeneration. Every Hyuga Clan ninja was precious, and both the Hyuga Clan and Konoha would do everything they could to save them.
Healing and Regeneration could turn some of an injured person's cells into the flesh and blood missing from their wounds, giving them the best chance of survival.
The Hyuga weren't on par with the Uchiha in strength, but their importance to Konoha was beyond question. During wars and prewar intelligence-gathering missions, Hyuga were the most important eyes. They made sure Konoha never fell behind on battlefield intelligence, especially during ambushes.
That was why the Hyuga Clan received plenty of resources and special treatment in Konoha.
"Tch."
Fuyuki spat in annoyance. "Next time, I'll go out with Hinata myself. I'll see which blond punk dares pick on my Hinata!"
After her family lessons, Hinata liked to take walks outside the clan grounds. But she didn't like making other people accompany her, and several times the village's bored brats had left her in a sorry state.
Hinata could have taken them down with a single Gentle Fist strike and made them cry for their mommies, but she never had the heart to hit them. She always came home in a mess and got scolded by Hiashi.
Hiashi was obsessed with saving face. Seeing his darling daughter get bullied infuriated him, but he still refused to step in, afraid it would make the Hyuga Clan look bad. He worried people would whisper behind their backs that Konoha's powerful Hyuga Clan was bullying the weak.
After sending Natsumi off to one side, Fuyuki walked around the streets and alleys by himself, but didn't see any troublemakers.
With dinner time approaching, he had no choice but to give up and wait for another chance to go out with Hinata and see which idiot dared to challenge the Hyuga Clan.
"Young Master Fuyuki."
One of the Hyuga clan members standing guard at the gate greeted him.
"Scammer, get lost!"
At the sight of the greeter, Fuyuki's face darkened. "You cost me eighty thousand ryo, and you still have the nerve to show your face? Don't you feel guilty, scamming a child like me?"
Hyuga Himon waved his hands repeatedly. "Young Master Fuyuki, that's not fair. You asked me to bring back local specialties from the Land of Water. It's not my fault they didn't sell. I'm not going to pay you back for your losses."
"If your Yatsuhashi Snacks hadn't been selling so well, would I have bought so much stock?"
Himon looked up at the sky. "Young Master, maybe you really don't have a head for business. Yatsuhashi Snacks, a specialty from the Land of Water, have always been in short supply in the Land of Fire. You still managed to lose money on them. You really can't blame me."
The Hyuga Clan regularly sent patrols to the borders on Konoha's behalf, so its members often traveled to the border regions. Naturally, they could buy local specialties in bulk and make some extra money on the side. How much they earned depended entirely on how deep their pockets were.
"Bah! Scamming even a child out of his allowance. You crook!"
Fuyuki looked furious. Behind him, Natsumi's lips twitched. She wanted to laugh, but didn't dare let out a sound.
She would never tell Young Master Fuyuki that Himon had made a huge profit on those local specialties.
But after he met Hinata, the amount of merchandise had been cut by a third, which was exactly why Young Master Fuyuki had lost a week's allowance on his first business venture.
Why not tell him?
It concerned Hinata's ladylike image. How could she let the world know the truth—that Hinata was a big eater?
She'd never do that, even if someone beat her to death!
"That's enough for today. You've worked hard, so go get some rest."
Fuyuki stopped in front of the private bathhouse and spoke to Natsumi beside him, telling her to go rest.
If he didn't say that, the maid would really help scrub his back.
Don't ask how he knew. He'd tried it before. He had to save face!
"All right, Young Master Fuyuki." Natsumi bowed, then left the Main Branch Courtyard and headed toward the Branch Family residences.
The Hyuga Main Branch and Branch Family lived on the same clan grounds, but in different compounds. The Branch Family had more residential buildings, while the Main Branch had fewer, but it had an indoor dojo and an outdoor Training Ground for all Hyuga clan members to practice in.
After bathing, Fuyuki put on the training clothes he usually wore to practice Gentle Fist. He went to a hall, knocked, then went inside and sat beside Hinata. In the seat of honor sat a stone-faced middle-aged man. He spoke sternly. "You—"
"What do ninjas need noble etiquette for? This is a profession that should be all about fighting with weapons. But you want me to learn how to kneel elegantly and how to drink tea—" Fuyuki said, utterly unapologetic.
"No," Hyuga Hiashi said sternly. "I only wanted to tell you that you came home late today. The maids have already washed the bowls, so there probably won't be any hot food for you tonight!"
The Hyuga Clan had strict rules, demanding that every member exercise self-discipline and serve the clan.
There were set times for training, meals, and rest. Of course, extra training for those with poor results wasn't included in the schedule.
In front of her demon of a father, Hinata was always timid. She quietly tugged at Fuyuki's sleeve, urging him not to argue with their father and get himself into trouble again.
"That's it?"
Fuyuki looked puzzled. "Can't I just order Ichiraku Ramen for delivery and still have a hot dinner?"
"No. You're out of time. The patrols have already started their rounds, and no one is allowed in or out."
As Hiashi spoke, he picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself a cup of hot tea. A hint of amusement entered his gaze as he looked at his son. He seemed to be thinking, Didn't see that coming, did you? I was only keeping you talking to stall for time.
Tonight, you can sit there and chew on your compressed rations!
Before you continue