The Beginning of Tragedy

When he reached the fork in the road, Neji was already waiting there.

The two exchanged a glance and, with a silent understanding, turned to head toward the Hyuga Clan Compound's training grounds as they did every day.

However, today was destined to be different.

Just as they had taken a few steps, a sharp, arrogant argument erupted from ahead, blocking their path.

A group of people dressed in flamboyant, ornate clothing—styles vastly different from the typical attire in Konoha—stood there.

They were surrounding a Konoha chunin responsible for guiding them, loudly accusing him of something.

The leader was a pot-bellied middle-aged merchant with a thin mustache; he waved his ring-adorned hands, spitting as he shouted.

"Is this how you treat guests in Konoha? Letting two blind brats bump into distinguished visitors! Do you know who we are? We are the Takamagahara Chamber of Commerce, here to negotiate important business with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire!"

Ning Xue and Neji stopped in their tracks, both frowning. They had been walking normally and were still a distance away from the group; how could there be any talk of bumping into them?

It was clearly a deliberate provocation. Perhaps the negotiations were not going well, and they were looking to make a scene to suppress Konoha's momentum, or perhaps they simply disliked the conspicuous appearance of the Hyuga Clan.

The Konoha chunin looked distressed, trying to explain.

"My deepest apologies, sir. They are just children; they didn't mean to..."

"Didn't mean to?"

The merchant raised his voice, refusing to let it go.

"Doesn't the Hyuga Clan call itself a prestigious family of Konoha? How can you lack even the most basic etiquette? It seems the quality of your Konoha ninja is nothing to brag about!"

His gaze swept over Ning Xue and Neji with undisguised contempt, his mouth curling into a sneer especially when he saw the bandages on their foreheads, which concealed the Caged Bird curse mark symbolic of the Branch Family.

Neji's fists clenched instantly, a flash of anger crossing his white eyes.

The pride of the Hyuga Clan made it impossible for him to endure such an insult.

Ning Xue's expression also turned cold, but he remained silent, his mind racing as he considered how to resolve this unprovoked disaster without drawing further attention.

Just as the tension reached a breaking point and Neji was about to retort, a calm voice filled with unquestionable authority rang out.

"Gentlemen of Takamagahara, why lower yourselves to bicker with two children?"

Everyone turned to look, and they saw a middle-aged man with a serious expression and features somewhat similar to Ning Xue's, dressed in traditional Hyuga attire, appearing at the intersection.

The man was none other than Ning Xue's father, Hyuga Ning.

His gaze swept calmly over the merchants before settling on their leader. Although his tone was level, the subtle pressure belonging to a Hyuga jonin caused the noisy merchants to fall silent involuntarily.

"Father."

Ning Xue called out softly. Neji also bowed slightly in greeting.

Hyuga Ning nodded slightly at the two children before looking back at the merchants.

"If the children were rude, I apologize on their behalf. However, this is the perimeter of the Hyuga Clan Compound; I hope you will respect Konoha's rules and keep the noise down."

The meaning behind his words was clear.

This is not a place where you can run wild.

The merchant's face shifted several times, as if he wanted to say more, but under Hyuga Ning's calm yet oppressive gaze, he eventually just let out a cold snort.

"Hmph! The Hyuga family... fine, very well! Let's go!" He led his men away in a huff, but the venomous glance he cast before leaving signaled that this matter was far from over.

The conflict had subsided for the moment, but a price had already been paid.

Afterward, it was said that during the subsequent negotiations, the Takamagahara Chamber of Commerce made a mountain out of a molehill, taking a hardline stance on trade terms. This ultimately led Konoha—or rather, the Land of Fire—to concede certain interests to settle the dispute and maintain the facade of cooperation.

Though not explicitly stated, this debt was clearly noted by certain individuals.

A few days later, in a dim room next to the Hokage's office.

Shimura Danzo looked at a classified mission scroll in his hand that required exceptional reconnaissance and infiltration skills, a glint of light flashing in his single eye. The environment of the mission site was unique, requiring even his personal attention, and it necessitated the assistance of a Kekkei Genkai with superior insight.

"The Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan is the most suitable," he said in a low, raspy voice. "It is not appropriate to easily mobilize members of the Hyuga Main House, so let us select from the Branch Family."

"I recall... the ones who offended the Takamagahara Chamber of Commerce a few days ago, causing the village to suffer losses, were from Hyuga Ning's branch, were they not?"

His words were casual, yet they seemed to carry a chilling frost.

"Then send him and another member of the Branch Family. For the sake of Konoha, the Hyuga Clan should make their contribution."

This order seemed logical, matching the mission requirements with the personnel's capabilities.

However, in the eyes of those in the know, this was undoubtedly pushing Hyuga Ning into an extremely dangerous position.

The difficulty and potential risks of that mission far exceeded a standard A-rank mission, bordering on S-rank.

Danzo's move was not only to utilize the power of the Byakugan but also a subtle punishment for Hyuga Ning for damaging the village's interests, as well as a warning to the Hyuga Clan—especially the Branch Family.

Ning Xue was unaware of these undercurrents; he continued his life of moving between the academy, the training grounds, and home.