"Love"

When she arrived at the Hyuga Clan Compound, Uzumaki Mito didn't wait for the clan head or elders to express their thoughts. She had only come to inform them, so she sat quietly, savoring the pastries and tea the servants had brought.

The Hyuga clan's leaders were all bewildered, but they didn't dare disturb her. She was a woman of great importance, and they could all sense the sinister power inside her, which filled them with fear.

Uzumaki Mito was long used to this. She continued drinking her tea as if nothing were amiss, waiting for Hyuga Shinichi.

"I'm leaving the room that's been with me for three years. I'm going to miss it a little."

Hyuga Shinichi stood in the middle of the room, staring blankly at everything inside. He didn't have many belongings, and he'd packed them up long ago. Aside from some clothes and the gifts he'd received for his birthday, that was all.

"Shinichi, are you becoming Lady Uzumaki Mito's apprentice?"

Hyuga Shinichi heard a familiar voice from the doorway and turned to look.

"Oh, Hiashi-nii and Hizashi-nii. Sorry, I forgot to say goodbye. Hiashi-nii, I really am becoming Grandma Mito's apprentice."

"Will you come back, then?"

"If I'm not busy, I'll come visit you two."

Hyuga Shinichi was answering Hyuga Hiashi when Hyuga Hizashi, who had been standing quietly to the side, spoke up.

"It must be hard, though. She may be the wife of the First, but we could all sense the terrifying chakra inside her. Shinichi, you don't have to push yourself so hard. You're only three..."

Hyuga Shinichi looked at the worried expressions of the two brothers before him and couldn't help laughing.

"Pfft, hahahaha! Don't worry, Hiashi-nii, Hizashi-nii. Grandma Mito's a really good person. It'll be fine. But you two better put some effort into improving yourselves, or I'll leave you in the dust!"

Hyuga Shinichi lowered his head and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around the two brothers.

"Thank you."

Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hizashi exchanged a glance. Their younger clan cousin rarely showed such warmth; he was usually so bad at expressing himself. They both smiled and hugged Hyuga Shinichi back.

The brothers helped him with his luggage. He picked up the breastplate Tsunade-nee had given him, took one last look around the room, then headed downstairs to the hall.

"Grandma Mito, I've got all my things ready."

"Mm. Then let's go."

Hyuga Shinichi hesitated, but in the end he faced everyone in the hall and bowed.

"Thank you for looking after me these past three years. Clan Head, Elders, and you too, nii-san who's on guard duty, as well as Hiashi-nii and Hizashi-nii. I'm sorry about last time. I acted impulsively."

The elder who had tried to lecture him back then said,

"It's all right. It's normal for young people to be full of fire."

The others, including the guard he'd called nii-san, said nothing. They only smiled and shook their heads.

During the previous meeting, he'd unconsciously unleashed Byakugan: Pressure on them, and he hadn't found a chance to apologize until now.

He straightened and was about to leave with Grandma Mito when the clan head, Hyuga Nimitsu, spoke.

"Wait, Shinichi. There's something I haven't given you yet."

Hyuga Nimitsu took a bracelet from his sleeve. A white jade bead was secured to it with a red cord.

"Your parents planned to give this to you for your third birthday. They should have given it to you yesterday."

(The author personally thinks that the Hyuga Main Family's third birthday is a very important occasion. It's also the day the fate of same-generation members of the Branch House is decided.)

Hyuga Shinichi stood there in a daze, his eyes fixed on the bracelet in Hyuga Nimitsu's palm.

"Your parents went to the Fire Temple to pray for this uncut piece of jade when they first learned they were expecting you. Then your father carved it, and your mother made the red cord herself. They hoped this bracelet would protect you."

Hyuga Shinichi stood rooted to the spot, unable to collect himself. His thoughts were already in utter turmoil.

He used to think his parents had left him nothing but an inexhaustible inheritance, just like in his previous life. But as their child, he'd always considered inheriting their fortune perfectly normal.

Deep down, he knew this was only his one-sided view.

He'd thought his parents hadn't given him "love," but he hadn't dared to consider whether he would even have been born if they hadn't loved him.

They'd simply passed away before they could show him their "love."

He'd never really resented them for leaving him alone. Because he'd always felt he hadn't received any "love," he still longed so badly to be loved.

He was afraid that if he resented them, they would stop watching over him.

In his previous life, no one had paid much attention to him, and no one in the clan paid much attention to him now, either. But the clan had never treated him badly. He'd thought that was enough; at least he wasn't lonely now, with clan members and friends by his side.

But seeing the bracelet and learning what it meant still made his heart tremble. He could feel his parents' desire to protect him and their unconditional "love."

His vision gradually blurred. He felt a warm trickle run down his cheek. Were those tears? It was embarrassing to cry in front of so many people.

But he couldn't stop. He could only close his eyes and keep crying. (You can refer to Sasuke's reaction when he learned the truth about Itachi.)

Everyone present was at a loss, except for Uzumaki Mito, who could sense that Hyuga Shinichi longed for "love."

Just as when she had become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, she knew that a Jinchūriki could live happily as long as they were surrounded by "love." Hashirama had given her "love," and now Hyuga Shinichi had felt his parents' "love" for him.

Uzumaki Mito stepped forward and hugged Hyuga Shinichi.

"Grandma Mito... So... my parents always loved... loved me. I wasn't... left behind... all alone..."

"Mm. Your parents have always loved you, and you still have me and Nawaki and the others. You aren't alone."

Hyuga Nimitsu also stepped forward, patted Hyuga Shinichi on the head, and handed him the bracelet.

"Taihe and Kaoru were always looking forward to your birth. They often told me what they planned to do once you were born, but things didn't go as they hoped.

"I'm sorry, Shinichi. I didn't realize how you felt. I should have given it to you sooner instead of waiting until you turned three."

After crying for a while, Hyuga Shinichi finally composed himself. He took the bracelet and clasped it tightly in both hands, pressing it to his forehead. Then he started crying again.

This time, though, he was smiling as he cried tears of happiness.

After saying goodbye to everyone in the clan, Hyuga Shinichi walked along the road to the Senju Clan Compound with his luggage on his back. His free left hand was raised high.

The bracelet was on his left wrist. In the moonlight, the white jade bead looked like another moon.

The red cord securing the white jade bead had clearly been woven with great care. Its knots were intricate yet beautifully made.

Hyuga Shinichi couldn't stop smiling as he looked at the bracelet. This was the first time he'd felt the "love" his parents had for him.

Watching Hyuga Shinichi, Uzumaki Mito couldn't help thinking that when the boy played with Nawaki and the others, he always acted carefree and cheeky. So he'd only been hiding his deep longing for "love" where no one could see it.

Then she noticed the hairpin she'd given him tucked into his tied-up hair, and the gifts Nawaki and the others had given him packed neatly on his back. Uzumaki Mito smiled warmly.

This child truly treasured everything around him.