Three days later, the Hyuga Clan Head returned to the village. For a ninja, the journey should have taken only half a day, yet he somehow wasted three days on the road.
However, upon reaching the village, the Hyuga Clan Head didn't even return to his clan compound. Instead, he entered the Hokage Building with a "panicked" look on his face.
Not long after he went in, Advisor Danzo, the mysterious figure who was always wrapped in bandages and was infamous among the Konoha Ninja, followed him inside.
For half a whole day, neither of them set foot outside the Hokage Office. No one knew what the two of them had discussed with Sarutobi Hiruzen in there.
It wasn't until half a day later that a few ninjas happened to see the Hyuga Clan Head leave the Hokage Office with a grim expression.
In the minds of most ninjas, the Hyuga Clan Head was a stiff, stern old man who rarely smiled or joked. Beyond that, he was an oddity among the many clan heads. Even when he learned that his younger brother had died on the battlefield, his face had shown no emotion.
So when they saw the Hyuga Clan Head looking so grim, many ninjas grew curious and chatted about it with their friends whenever they had some free time.
Ordinary ninjas didn't know what was going on, but lately, the Anbu had been surprised to find many Hyuga clan members among their colleagues. Every one of them had at least Special Jonin-level strength.
And aside from the Anbu, Danzo's own Root had also received quite a few Hyuga ninjas.
However, compared with the Hyuga elites who'd joined the Anbu, the ones Danzo had received were merely average, with most of them being only Chunin.
Though this result left Danzo somewhat dissatisfied, the Byakugan's greatest use was reconnaissance, so he could just about accept it.
Aside from the ninjas in those two divisions, hardly anyone knew that the Hyuga Clan was sending ninjas to the Anbu and Root. The matter hadn't caused the slightest stir outside them.
But another matter had become common knowledge throughout Konoha. Even Kawaki Aoba, who'd been quietly recuperating and training lately, had heard about it.
At the barbecue restaurant run by the Akimichi Clan, Kawaki Aoba and Yuhi Kurenai were leisurely enjoying some grilled meat.
Don't get the wrong idea. This wasn't some cozy date for two. They were unwinding after intense training.
They'd just finished their morning training at the training ground. Since they'd used up so much energy, they'd come here to replenish it.
The Akimichi Clan's barbecue was expensive, but Kawaki Aoba was an orphan, so every year before he graduated, he'd received a stipend from the village as the orphan of a hero. With his parents' savings on top of that, he could afford the occasional indulgent meal.
As for Yuhi Kurenai, well, what more needed to be said when her father was an elite Jonin who doted on his daughter?
And, worth mentioning, Yuhi Kurenai was treating him to this meal.
"Aoba, I didn't expect you to be so well suited to training in Sensory Ninjutsu. You've already regained your awareness of the world around you so quickly. My father said that even with your sensory abilities alone, you could become a Chunin. At the very least, you'll be a Special Jonin who specializes in sensory techniques."
She sounded as if she were making casual conversation, but Yuhi Kurenai was really trying to encourage Kawaki Aoba and remind him that he still had a bright future ahead of him.
How could Kawaki Aoba not know what Yuhi Kurenai was thinking? Still, he wasn't so fragile that he needed a little girl to comfort him.
But to avoid seeming out of place, he still had to put on an act. Over the past few days, he'd clearly sensed that he was being watched.
Well, to be precise, the Hyuga clan members had been keeping an eye on him. Whenever he walked down the street and passed a Hyuga, he noticed more eyes on him. The various emotions directed at him also made Kawaki Aoba deeply uncomfortable.
He wrapped a cooked slice of meat in sauce and put it in his mouth. After chewing and swallowing, Kawaki Aoba shook his head. "I do have some talent for Sensory Ninjutsu, but those techniques are meant to detect the Chakra fluctuations of ninjas. They don't help much in daily life. As for now, I've only gotten used to the darkness and learned to use my other senses to perceive the world around me."
His words carried a faint sadness, but Yuhi Kurenai still felt that something was off. It was just like when Aoba had casually spoken in the same tone after creating a hand-seal-less jutsu shortly before graduation.
Just then, a quiet conversation came from the table next to theirs.
"You've heard, right? It seems Ryoko's going to be marked with the Caged Bird by the Hyuga Clan."
"The Caged Bird? What's that?"
"I asked Reiko about it before. She said it's a Sealing Jutsu the Hyuga Main Family uses to control the branch family. Anyway, it's something for the great ninja."
"What does the Hyuga Clan have to do with Ryoko? Doesn't Ryoko have no surname? And she isn't a ninja, either."
"Ryoko may not have a surname, but her mother's from the Hyuga Clan. So Ryoko's going to be marked with the Caged Bird, too. And apparently, she's going to learn how to become a ninja. If she does, she can even take the Hyuga surname."
"What? Ryoko has a chance to become part of the prestigious Hyuga Clan? I'm so jealous."
"Tell me about it. It's the prestigious Hyuga Clan! If Ryoko really becomes a ninja, should we call her Miss Ryoko or Lady Ryoko the next time we see her?"
The two young women at the next table were whispering, but with a ninja's keen hearing, Kawaki Aoba and Yuhi Kurenai could still hear them clearly.
Yet the more they listened, the more something seemed off. How had those two young women ended up sounding envious?
Kawaki Aoba especially sensed not only envy from the two friends with his Observation Haki, but also a clear trace of jealousy.
Perhaps it was just an information gap, but more than that, it was the sorrow of the common people.
As ordinary citizens of Konoha, how could they know about the dark side of the ninja world and the Hyuga Clan's many dirty dealings? To them, becoming a ninja or joining a prestigious clan like the Hyuga was already an incredible achievement.
To them, becoming a Hyuga and being marked with the Caged Bird seemed almost like a blessing. Still, for ordinary people, that probably wasn't an unreasonable way to see it.
At that moment, Kawaki Aoba suddenly thought of a saying: What's wrong with being a dog? So many people want to be dogs, but they don't even have the chance.
Besides those two young women, Kawaki Aoba overheard plenty of other people talking about the matter. Most of them, though, showed envy and jealousy.
The Hyuga Clan's methods were truly impressive to get such a result. In that regard, even the Uchiha couldn't hold a candle to them.
Of course, certain Konoha higher-ups must have been guiding public opinion, too. Otherwise, it couldn't have blown so one-sidedly in the Hyuga Clan's favor.
Tsk, I wonder what the Hyuga Clan offered to get this done. Could they have paid a huge price?
Before you continue