Hiashi: Why is my little padded jacket letting in the wind?

Tears welled up in her eyes, gradually blurring her vision.

Hinata bit down hard on her trembling lower lip, her slender fingers clutching the corner of her notebook so tightly that the paper crinkled into deep folds.

She struggled to suppress her sobs, but her thin shoulders could not stop a slight, rhythmic heaving. Only now did she vaguely begin to understand why the Hyuga Clan in her first simulation had met such an extreme end.

"But... but Father said..."

Although the Main House bore the heavy responsibility of protecting and advancing the Hyuga Clan, it was precisely because of the trust and sacrifices of the Branch House members that the clan had been able to endure until now.

"So... was that statement just a lie?"

Hinata's voice trembled, and crystalline tears rolled down her pale cheeks.

Was I the fool who ended up deceiving herself?

By the time dusk fell, lanterns were lit along the corridors of the estate.

Hyuga Hiashi finally finished processing the last of the clan affairs on his scrolls. He pressed his furrowed brow and let out a long, weary sigh.

The intense focus of the entire day had left him feeling somewhat exhausted. Only after finishing his work did he realize, with a start, that he hadn't seen Hinata all day. She hadn't appeared for lunch or dinner—had she gone out to play?

His memory flashed back to the dojo that morning. He recalled how he had simply offered a brief "not bad," and the look of overwhelmed joy that had instantly bloomed on Hinata's face.

Perhaps... he had indeed been too harsh on her in the past.

He stood up, walked outside, and called over a maid who was sweeping the floor: "Where has Hinata gone?"

The maid lowered her head respectfully, her voice tinged with caution: "Reporting to Lord Hiashi, the Young Mistress has locked herself in her room ever since she returned from her morning training. She hasn't come out."

She hadn't come out all day... did that mean she had also neglected her afternoon practice?

Hiashi's brow furrowed instantly. He waved the maid away and, with a dark expression, strode toward his daughter's courtyard.

He stood before Hinata's paper sliding door. There was no light inside, nor was there the slightest sound; it was deathly silent.

"Hinata."

He spoke, his voice carrying the usual authority of a father and clan head, yet there was no response from within.

Hiashi waited for a moment longer, suppressing his growing impatience, and decided to try a different approach.

"Open the door! As the heir to the Hyuga Main House, locking yourself in your room without eating or drinking—what kind of behavior is this!"

His voice grew sharper, yet the only response was a deathly silence.

Hyuga Hiashi called the maid over and asked, "Are you certain Hinata is in the room?"

The maid replied, "Lord Hiashi, I am certain the door has not been opened all day."

Hyuga Hiashi slowly raised his hand, as if to force the door open, but his palm stopped in mid-air.

He did not know how much time had passed, but the anger in his heart slowly leaked away like a punctured balloon.

Although their daily interactions were few, Hiashi knew his daughter well. Unless there was a specific reason, Hinata would never lock herself away like this, especially not after he had praised her that morning.

He stood outside the door for a long time before finally turning to leave, leaving behind only one instruction: "Take good care of the Young Mistress. Have food and water prepared so they can be brought to her at any moment."

"Yes."

The maid nodded and watched him depart.

Hyuga Hiashi walked to the outer hall and summoned Hinata's guard, Hyuga Homura.

"Where has the Young Mistress been these past two days? Who has she been in contact with, and what has she heard?"

Hyuga Homura knelt on one knee: "Last night, the Young Mistress went out alone and was bullied by three boys on the street. Following your orders, I did not intervene and merely observed."

Hyuga Hiashi suddenly recalled how Hinata had been looking for opportunities to attack him during their morning training. Could it be... that this was the reason for the change?

A hint of anticipation crept into his tone as he hurriedly asked, "What did she do? Did she fight back?"

However, Hyuga Homura shook his head: "The Young Mistress chose to retreat."

"Retreat? That sounds more like running away," Hyuga Hiashi said, feeling a sudden wave of disappointment. "What happened next?"

"The three boys pursued her relentlessly and cornered the Young Mistress in an alley. One of them had hidden a stone inside a snowball. Just as I was preparing to intervene to prevent the Young Mistress from being injured, someone else stepped in before me."

"The person who arrived was Hyuga Kiyonari from the Branch House. That boy is the same age as the Young Mistress; I assume he was out playing and happened to pass by."

As he spoke, Hyuga Homura paused slightly, the scene from the previous night flashing through his mind.

"Princess and Knight" or whatever—it was probably best not to mention that to the Clan Head...

He lowered his gaze, hiding the guilty look in his eyes, and continued his report calmly: "After Hyuga Kiyonari drove the three boys away, he accompanied the Young Mistress for a walk, and later they went to Ichiraku Ramen for a late-night snack. To avoid disturbing them, I kept my distance and was unable to hear the content of their conversation."

Even though Hyuga Homura had mastered the art of subordinate-to-leader communication, the chill in Hyuga Hiashi's eyes at that moment was enough to turn into solid ice.

To think that his daughter had found the courage to strike at him because of an outsider...

Wait!

Hyuga Hiashi froze for a moment, as if remembering something, and hurriedly asked, "Homura, are there any other children in the clan named Kiyonari?"

"Reporting to the Clan Head, he is the only one."

Under the dim, amber sunlight, Hyuga Hiashi's expression shifted through the interplay of light and shadow, until the sun sank completely below the horizon and his face turned thoroughly grim.

Hyuga Kiyonari... This name had been spoken by the Hokage himself earlier that afternoon when he went to discuss official business.

He had stroked his pipe, making no effort to hide his admiration for the child, even going so far as to instruct: "Hiashi, you must protect this child well. If Danzo comes to demand him, you must not hand him over. Once he is of age, send him to the Ninja Academy."

Though he did not know the reason, he would naturally obey a direct order from the Hokage. He had originally intended to finish his official duties before seeking out the child to get to the bottom of things, but who would have thought... the brat would just pop up on his own!

And yet, he couldn't touch him right now, even though this brat had just gone and grazed on his prize cabbage!

Damn it!

"What is the child's character and aptitude like?"

Hyuga Homura kept his head bowed, failing to notice the psychological shift in Hyuga Hiashi, and simply answered truthfully: "His character is pure and kind, though his aptitude remains unclear. The child's parents are both deceased, and he has yet to begin training in the Gentle Fist Technique; he has only been consciously conditioning his body and building a foundation."

Hyuga Hiashi pondered for a moment before finally reaching a decision: "In that case, there is no need to interfere for now. However, increase his monthly living allowance slightly, and say that it is..."

"From the Hokage."