Mission

Shimura Danzo did not choose to summon Hyuga Ning. Instead, at the hour of the Monkey in the afternoon, he leaned on his cane and headed toward the Hyuga Clan Compound accompanied by two guards.

Inside the Hyuga Council Hall.

Many clan elders sat kneeling to the side, while before them stood the infamously ruthless Shimura Danzo.

"Clan Head Hyuga, there is a mission of great importance that requires the assistance of your clan's Byakugan."

"The target area has complex terrain and is extremely difficult to scout; it cannot be accomplished without the Byakugan."

"Considering the risks involved, it is not appropriate for the Main Branch to put themselves in danger. Let us select elites from the Branch Family instead."

His tone was not a request, but a command.

After he finished speaking, he paused, then continued.

"I recall that Jonin Hyuga Ning possesses outstanding abilities and is in his prime. For the overall interests of Konoha, I trust the Hyuga Clan will not be stingy with this strength."

"Besides, he caused Konoha to lose a significant amount of capital just a few days ago. Sending him out can be considered an opportunity to atone for his sins through service."

His words occupied the moral high ground. By citing the interests of Konoha and subtly referencing Hyuga Ning's previous "mistake," he made it difficult for the Hyuga elders to refuse.

The clan head remained silent for a moment. Knowing the style of Root and Danzo, he could only nod in agreement in the end.

After all, Jonin were rare within the Hyuga clan, and each one was considered part of the clan's foundation. However, thinking that Hyuga Ning was merely a newly promoted Jonin, he did not feel quite so pained.

Thinking of this, the expressions of many elders eased, and they began to send for Hyuga Ning.

Soon, Hyuga Ning was summoned to the council hall. He walked in with steady steps, bowed to the clan head and elders, and looked at Danzo calmly.

Danzo looked at him, his tone devoid of any ripples.

"Hyuga Ning, there is an important mission that requires your Byakugan. The target location is at the border; the environment is complex, and the risk is not low. I will be leading this mission personally. All you need to do is provide the most precise visual reconnaissance."

Hyuga Ning bowed slightly.

"Yes, Lord Danzo. This subordinate will certainly do his utmost."

He did not ask why it had to be him, nor did he show any emotion, as if this were merely a routine mission assignment.

But he knew in his heart that this was inevitably related to the conflict from a few days ago. The fact that Danzo was leading the team personally cast an unusual shadow over the mission.

Danzo nodded slightly, said nothing more, and turned to leave the council hall with his guards, as if he had only come to deliver a simple notification.

That night, when Hyuga Ning returned home, the night was already deep. His wife, Hyuga Yuki, had long since prepared a warm meal and greeted him gently when she saw him return.

"You're back. Has the mission been assigned?" She keenly sensed that her husband's aura was more somber than usual today.

Ningxue also walked out of the bathroom, watching her father quietly.

Hyuga Ning looked at his wife and child. A rare hint of gentleness appeared on his stern face, but it was quickly replaced by gravity. He sat at the dining table and ate a few bites in silence before speaking slowly. "Yes, I received a mission. I need to be away for a few days."

"Where to? Is it dangerous?" Hyuga Yuki asked softly, her eyes filled with unconcealable worry.

As the person closest to Hyuga Ning, she knew her husband's strength well, but she also understood that a mission capable of making him this grave was by no means simple.

"To the border, to assist Lord Danzo in carrying out a reconnaissance mission."

Hyuga Ning did not hide the identity of the person he was assisting, but he deliberately downplayed the risk. "With the Byakugan, reconnaissance missions aren't too difficult. It's just a long journey, so it might take a bit longer."

"Danzo..." Hyuga Ningxue repeated the name in a low voice, her brows furrowed.

The reputation of the leader of Root was not good in Konoha. Carrying out a mission with such a person inherently implied uncertainty and potential danger.

Ningxue listened quietly, her fingers gripping her chopsticks tightening slightly.

He remembered what he had vaguely heard after school today regarding "The Takamagahara Chamber of Commerce applying pressure, Konoha making concessions."

His intuition told him that this matter was definitely not that simple. It was highly likely that because of this, Danzo had personally named him. He could be almost certain that this was by no means an ordinary reconnaissance mission; furthermore, a mission requiring Danzo to lead it personally was at least an S-rank.

The "not too difficult" his father spoke of sounded more like a comfort.

He did not act like an ordinary child, eagerly questioning or expressing worry, but instead looked at his father with a grave expression, his tone lacking its usual calmness.

Instead, he looked at his father with a hint of worry and gravity.

"Father, please be careful."

Hyuga Ning looked at his son, his heart stirred slightly. His son had been introverted and deep-thinking since he was young, far exceeding his peers. He might have already guessed something. He reached out and gently patted Ningxue on the shoulder, saying in a gratified tone.

"Take care of your mother at home. As for training... do not slack off."

Ningxue nodded.

"I understand."

Dinner ended in a somewhat stifling atmosphere. Hyuga Yuki silently helped her husband pack his gear, carefully sorting and wrapping portions of military rations and first-aid supplies, her movements gentle yet filled with an indelible sorrow.

Ningxue returned to his room. He did not turn on the lights, but sat by the window, gazing at the cold moonlight outside. His father's words echoed in his heart. He knew that his father's departure boded ill.

That so-called border reconnaissance mission could potentially be a hard-fought battle.

There were always sacrifices in war, and he sincerely prayed it would not be his father.

Moreover, he estimated that Danzo had originally not intended to look for personnel from the Hyuga.

But because of this damned Chamber of Commerce, Danzo used this matter to both settle the score regarding his lost interests and add two excellent tools to his team.

A sense of powerlessness quietly welled up in his heart. If he could awaken his Byakugan, if his strength were sufficient, could he change anything? At the very least, he wouldn't be like this now, forced to watch his father step into danger without even the qualification to offer a warning or stop him.

Under the moonlight, a rare expression of sorrow appeared in Ning Xue's eyes.

"Power..." he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible in the silent room.

That night, Ning Xue pondered many things before finally drifting into a deep sleep.

As for what he was thinking about? Perhaps this damned fate, or perhaps the Caged Bird—who knows?