Hiashi's Inquiry

"Brother Toichi, you're out! Let's hurry home."

Hyuga Natsu happily linked arms with Hyuga Toichi as he came out.

Hyuga Hiashi watched the two walk away. Thinking about their conversation just now, he felt a strange, complicated mix of emotions.

"So you relied only on your own gut feeling, thought Cloud Village might target our Hyuga Clan, and kept watch nearby for three days?"

Hyuga Hiashi looked at Hyuga Toichi with a perplexed expression. He could hardly understand the boy's behavior. Would a normal person really do something like that?

His feelings were complicated. The boy had kept watch there for three days based on nothing but a hunch—and, more absurdly, people from Cloud Village had actually shown up.

"Yes. That's exactly what happened."

Hyuga Toichi answered seriously. He couldn't very well say that he came from another world and had foreknowledge of what would happen.

"Then why was Natsu with you in the middle of the night?"

"The first two nights of keeping watch wore me out. Natsu noticed, so she secretly followed me on the third night."

"And why did you want to take the body out of Konoha?"

Hyuga Hiashi asked the question that puzzled him most.

"I thought that if we took the kidnappers' bodies to Cloud Village and demanded an explanation, they might turn around and deny everything. They could accuse us of killing their envoy and demand that we pay with our lives. Their people are dead, and what if they threaten war on top of that? Since they dared to do this, they might have made all kinds of preparations."

"So I thought it would be better to take the body away from Konoha. That way, no matter what happens, our Hyuga Clan won't be implicated. The situation is sensitive right now, and we can't afford to fall out with them."

Hyuga Toichi explained everything he had been thinking.

Hearing him say this, Hyuga Hiashi could hardly believe that a boy of about ten had come up with such a plan. He stared at Hyuga Toichi, momentarily dazed.

As the two disappeared from view, Hyuga Hiashi had the strange feeling that he was already old. If he hadn't remembered that his daughter was not yet four and that another child was about to be born, he might really have thought he was getting old.

Thinking back to what had happened last night still sent a faint shiver through him. If his wife hadn't suddenly said she felt uneasy and wanted to check on Hinata, who knew how things would have ended? Perhaps that boy would have saved her? Hyuga Hiashi shook his head.

He decided not to dwell on it. Fortunately, they hadn't suffered any losses this time. He would have to strengthen security around the estate. With that thought, he turned and went inside.

The sun sank in the west, and night fell.

Hyuga Toichi lay in bed, lost in thought. This was the first time since coming to this world that he had changed the course of events. It seemed he had succeeded, and Hizashi's fate had changed as a result.

His feelings were complicated, half happiness and half worry. He was happy that his efforts had truly changed the course of events in this world and saved Hizashi from death.

But he worried that changing the world's course might trigger a chain of disastrous consequences.

For example, if Hizashi didn't die, Neji Hyuga wouldn't grow to hate the Main House so intensely. Could that keep him from becoming the so-called genius? In Hyuga Toichi's view, hatred of the Main House was one of the things that had driven Neji to excel.

And then there was the fact that Neji had thought Hinata was beautiful when they were young and seemed to have fallen for her. If he didn't hate the Main House, could he end up with Hinata? Then Naruto wouldn't have a chance.

Of course, he might just be overthinking it. But one thing was certain: what he had done had affected the course of this world.

"Was what I did right? Could it cause unpredictable changes in this world and make everything collapse in the end?"

Hyuga Toichi fell into deep thought.

"Forget it. Why worry so much? If I've changed things, then I've changed things. Otherwise, why did I come to this world?" Suddenly, Hyuga Toichi took a deep breath and murmured softly.

"From this moment on, I'll follow my heart, go where I please, and act as I see fit. That's my ninja way. Haha."

Remembering Naruto's declaration of his ninja way, Hyuga Toichi found the words rising from deep within him.

At that moment, the worry that had been lingering in his heart lifted, and he seemed to see everything clearly.

He slept especially soundly that night. It felt like the sweetest sleep he had ever had.

Morning came, and the sun rose as usual, but Hyuga Toichi thought the air felt especially fresh.

After breakfast, Hyuga Toichi stayed behind, quietly waiting for Hyuga Kamen to finish eating. He ate quickly—a habit he had brought with him from his other world, and probably not a very good one.

"Go on, what is it?" Hyuga Kamen asked, looking at Hyuga Toichi after finishing his meal.

"Old man, I want to move back home."

Hyuga Toichi looked at Hyuga Kamen seriously. He had already made up his mind. He couldn't keep living here forever. It was nice, with people to cook and do his laundry, but he still wanted to go back.

"Have you made up your mind?"

Seeing Hyuga Toichi's serious expression, Hyuga Kamen knew he wasn't joking.

"Yes, I have."

"All right, then. I'll ask Aunt Hui to go over and help you clean up."

"No need. I'm grown up now. I can clean and tidy up by myself, so there's no need to trouble Aunt Hui."

"Why are you being so formal, child? Isn't it nice living here? Why do you want to move back?" Hyuga Hui sounded reluctant.

"That's my home. I should go back and live there."

"Isn't this your home too?"

"Well... I suppose this is home too."

Hyuga Hui wanted to say more, but Hyuga Kamen gave her a look, and she fell silent.

"If you want to go back, I won't stop you. I'll give you the key when you get back from school this afternoon."

Hyuga Toichi nodded and got up to leave for school.

"Toichi... he's grown up."

Watching Hyuga Toichi walk away, Hyuga Hui sighed.

"He has."

Hyuga Kamen nodded in agreement.

"Actually, no. Hmph, hasn't that kid always acted like an adult? He's even more cunning than one."

Seemingly remembering something, Hyuga Kamen added another remark.

"He hasn't even moved out yet, but for some reason, I'm already starting to miss him."

"You..."

Hyuga Kamen pulled Hyuga Hui close and let her rest her head on his shoulder.

"Children always grow up. Besides, he won't be far away. I'll tell him to come visit you more often."

Meanwhile, Hyuga Toichi also told Hyuga Natsu and Yu Zhihui that he was planning to move back. Hyuga Natsu was a little disappointed at first, but after Hyuga Toichi comforted her and explained, she cheered up.

So they agreed to go over together on the weekend to help Hyuga Toichi clean and tidy his room.

Meanwhile, the Cloud Village party traveled day and night and finally crossed out of the Land of Fire. Thanks to the special tracking mark Dodai had placed on Saiji—the one who had kidnapped Hinata—he soon sensed a response from it.

But when Dodai saw Saiji, his face turned deathly pale. Though the body's face was unrecognizable and horribly disfigured, Dodai still recognized him. His senses couldn't be wrong.

He used Earth Release to bury the body. Then Dodai gazed toward Konoha and said without a trace of emotion, "Let's go."

He knew the mission had failed—and that they had lost completely.