Konoha 51

Ah... time for school again... what a drag.

The young man waiting at the traffic light grumbled to himself while gnawing on the egg pancake in his hand.

Just then, an arm suddenly reached out from behind, hooked around his neck, and offered a friendly greeting.

"Yo, isn't this Xiansheng?"

He didn't struggle after being put in a headlock, as he knew from the voice that it was his best friend.

They had been together from elementary through middle school, and to his surprise, they had even ended up in the same class after the shuffle last month in high school.

They were as thick as thieves.

So, he didn't mind at all and replied with a deadpan expression.

"Yo, aren't you here pretty early too? Want a bite?" He waved the egg pancake in his hand.

"Holy crap, for real?" His friend let go, his face full of surprise.

"Fake." He pulled the egg pancake back and brought it to his mouth to keep chewing.

"Damn, then you've gotta let me have a bite." As he said this, he prepared to forcibly take a bite.

The two of them—one pushing, one trying to snatch—were still at it when the light turned green.

They stopped their horseplay and continued on their way toward school.

Just then, the blare of a truck horn rang out.

The two turned their heads and saw the truck seemingly lose control, barreling toward the sidewalk nearby.

The terrible thing was that there were still quite a few people standing blankly on the sidewalk.

He had expected it to crash into them, but he never imagined the truck would suddenly swerve and head straight for the two of them instead.

Fortunately, Xiansheng was quick-witted and pushed his friend out of the way.

But in that brief moment spent pushing him, he had lost his chance to dodge.

He could only watch helplessly as the truck drew closer and closer.

Until—bang.

His body flew backward like an arrow released from a bow.

Then, with a thud, he lay on the ground, looking very peaceful.

At this moment, he was covered in blood.

His body could no longer hear or feel a thing.

His consciousness was nearing dissipation.

And in the very last moment before his consciousness faded, he saw his friend shouting at him and running toward him.

But he couldn't hear anything anymore.

...What was he shouting?

December 6th, Year 51 of Konoha

Konoha Hospital

Waaaah—

A loud, clear cry rang out in the night at the hospital.

"It's born!" a nurse exclaimed in delight.

Another nurse, quite experienced and seasoned, quickly checked the baby's airway after birth to ensure clear breathing and examined the heart.

Afterward, she coordinated with the other nurse to cut the umbilical cord, wipe off the amniotic fluid, disinfect the baby, and wrap it in a blanket.

"The baby?! My baby—"

The young woman lying on the bed, seeing the child was born, turned her head, wanting to see her baby.

After finishing the procedures, the nurse placed the newborn in the crib next to the young woman.

The newborn was chubby and pink, with barely any hair, eyes squeezed shut, and tiny hands clenched tight.

The woman lying beside the crib reached out a hand to touch the child's face, her expression filled with the relief of having survived a trial and pure joy.

Because today, she had become a mother; this was the child of her and her beloved.

After resting for a while, she and the baby were wheeled out of the delivery room and transferred to a ward.

The young man at the door had been pacing back and forth nervously, and upon hearing the baby's cry, he had become even more anxious and worried.

Seeing the ward door open, catching sight of that familiar face, and then the crib beside her, his worries vanished, replaced by immense joy.

Today, he had become a father.

He hurried forward to ask about the woman's condition.

"Xue, are you alright!?"

"Doctor, is she okay?" He spoke at a rapid pace, his tone laced with concern.

He didn't even glance at the child first.

Seeing his frantic state, the doctor didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly.

"Congratulations, it's a baby boy. The mother is fine, just a bit exhausted and needs bed rest. The delivery went smoothly, and the baby is perfectly healthy."

Only then did the stone in the man's heart finally settle.

After the mother was moved to the ward, the loving couple began to talk.

"Xue'er, are you really okay?"

To this, the woman only replied in a soft voice.

"Mm... I'm fine." After a brief pause, she suddenly remembered.

"Right, the baby!"

"Ah, yes." The two hurriedly picked up the child to check on him.

But strangely, the father didn't look at the child's features or gender first.

Instead, he looked at his eyes.

He gently lifted the infant's eyelids with an expression of immense anticipation, as if he were opening a blind box hoping for the grand prize.

And in that anticipation, upon seeing the child's eyes, the father cried out in surprise.

"Xue'er! The Byakugan! It's the Byakugan! This child has inherited the Byakugan!"

"Believe me, with the Byakugan, the elders in the clan will surely acknowledge his status, and by extension, they will acknowledge you too, Xue'er."

Seeing the man so overjoyed, the woman beside him couldn't help but feel happy for him, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

After his excitement settled, he kissed the baby deeply, then turned to the woman and said, "You stay here and rest for these next few months. Once you've recovered, we'll take the child to return to the clan and claim our roots. By then, we will be recognized by the clan as well."

"Mm!" After responding, the woman remembered something.

"Hey, Ning. What should we name the child?" The woman looked at the man tenderly and asked softly.

The man was slightly taken aback, as if he had only just realized this question.

He lowered his head to gaze at the child in his arms, whose pink, delicate face was fast asleep with eyes tightly shut.

The man was silent for a moment, many names flashing through his mind, but none felt perfect enough.

Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to the snowy scene outside the window; the pure white snowflakes drifted down like a dream, and at the same time, he thought of the woman beside him.

His heart stirred, and he had an idea.

"Let's call this child... Ning Xue," the man said to the woman with a smile, his voice filled with excitement.

"Hyuga Ning Xue..." The woman repeated the name softly, a flash of pleasant surprise in her eyes.

The name not only contained their love for the child but also corresponded to both of their names.

The man carefully lifted the child high, as if he were the most precious treasure in the world.

"I believe this name will bring this child good fortune."

Ugh... so cold. Where am I?

Why can't I open my eyes?

Who are they?

Who is talking?... Hyuga Ning Xue?

Who is that?

And who... was I again?

A few months later.

Hyuga Ning held the infant in his arms, his fingertips gently stroking the soft blanket wrapped around the child.

His beloved Xue, though her face remained pale, had a gaze that shone with firm and warm light.

They both knew that returning to the Hyuga Clan's territory to seek the elders' recognition would be an uphill battle.

Xue was not from Konoha; she came from the distant Land of Snow and lacked a distinguished ninja bloodline. In the eyes of the Hyuga Main House, which placed extreme importance on lineage and the purity of the Byakugan, this was practically an original sin.

As a member of the branch family, Ning's union with a woman from outside the clan and the birth of their child had already invited much criticism.

Now that the child was born and had luckily inherited the Byakugan, this became their only, and most important, bargaining chip.

A few mornings later, Ning carefully supported Xue, who held the tightly bundled Ning Xue in her arms, as they stepped through the solemn and ancient gates of the Hyuga territory.

The atmosphere instantly turned stagnant. The clansmen they encountered along the way cast complex, curious, and scrutinizing gazes at them, some even filled with undisguised contempt, especially toward Xue's pale white hair and features, which were clearly different from the norm.

Inside the main hall of the head family, three elders with white hair and beards sat upright, the atmosphere so oppressive it made it hard to breathe. Hyuga Tadayoshi, the Great Elder seated in the center, had eyes as sharp as a hawk's. He spoke slowly, his voice devoid of any warmth.

"Hyuga Ning, do you realize the grave crime you have committed? What does it mean to bring a woman of an outside clan and a child of unknown bloodline into the restricted grounds of the head family?"

Ning took a deep breath, straightened his back, and replied neither servile nor overbearing.

"Great Elder, esteemed elders. This is my beloved, Xue, and our child, Hyuga Ning Xue. The child has awakened the Byakugan, which is proof of the pure bloodline of our Hyuga Clan."

He gently held the child out toward the elders. The elder who took the child lifted the infant's eyelids.

After confirming it was indeed a Byakugan, he returned the child and nodded to the other elders, signaling that it was authentic.

The Second Elder on the left let out a cold snort.

"A Byakugan? Who can guarantee the purity and power of a product born from a branch family member and an outsider? The Land of Snow... I hear it is merely a small nation. What qualifications does it have to integrate into the noble bloodline of our Hyuga Clan?"

Xue's body trembled slightly, but she still struggled to maintain her composure. Sensing her tension, Ning shielded her more tightly and said in a deep voice, "Elder, the purity of bloodline is not the only standard. Xue is my beloved, and Ning Xue is a descendant of the Hyuga; they deserve the recognition and protection of the clan."

The Third Elder, who had been silent, let his gaze fall upon the infant's peaceful little face and spoke slowly.

"The child has indeed awakened the Byakugan; that is a fact. However, the clan rules cannot be disregarded."

He paused and looked at Xue.

"Woman, you come from the Land of Snow. Does your family possess any special abilities or heritage? Perhaps... you can prove that you are not without value."

Xue raised her head, a trace of determination appearing on her pale face. She gently handed the child to Ning, then formed a simple seal with her hands. Despite her post-partum weakness and the sluggish flow of her chakra, the temperature in the room dropped instantly, and a few tiny, crystalline ice flowers condensed out of thin air, slowly drifting to the floor.

"The Land of Snow possesses secret ninjutsu for manipulating frost. Although it is not a Kekkei Genkai and I am not a ninja, it has been passed down through generations. I am willing to pass this technique on to the Hyuga in the future to help the clan's ninjas grow stronger and add to the power of the Hyuga Clan."

The elders exchanged glances; though the chill in the air was faint, it was an undeniable fact.

The Great Elder pondered for a moment, his gaze finally resting on the infant's eyes—the symbol of the clan's future—and he nodded slowly.

"Very well. Since she has borne a child for our Hyuga, and the Byakugan has appeared, it is a continuation of the Hyuga bloodline. The child... may be entered into the clan registry and categorized under the branch family. As for you..."

He looked at Xue.

"Since you have chosen to marry in, behave yourself, fulfill your duties, and raise your offspring with care. As for your secret techniques, the Hyuga of Konoha have no need for the arts of such a small nation; you may teach them to your child alone."

The elder's words allowed Hyuga Ning's tense nerves to relax slightly, and Xue, standing behind him, revealed a joyful smile.

However, the Great Elder's next words cast a shadow over that joy.

"But since they have entered the branch family, the rules cannot be ignored. When the child is a little older, the Caged Bird seal must be branded upon him. This is the foundation for protecting the head family's bloodline and maintaining the peace of the Hyuga. You must be prepared for this."

Hyuga Ning's body stiffened, but he quickly lowered his head. "...Yes, I will strictly follow the elders' orders."

The return to the clan had been successful, and Ning Xue's future was secured, yet he was destined to be shackled by the constraints of the branch family. Holding the child who had finally been recognized by the clan, the couple retreated from the elders' room with complex emotions, their joy intertwined with worry.

In his arms, Ning Xue seemed to sense his parents' emotions and smacked his lips, remaining deep in his peaceful slumber. He had heard them, and he roughly understood where he was.