Hyuga Hiashi's Pain

"You forced Danzo into a corner at the Clan Leaders' Meeting. To be honest... I admire you."

Uchiha En said nothing and waited for him to continue.

Hyuga Hiashi went on. "You may be young, but your political instincts are remarkably sharp. You know how to find an opponent's weak spot and turn public opinion against him."

"Even old foxes who've spent decades in Konoha might not know how to do that."

Uchiha En smiled.

"You flatter me, Clan Head Hiashi."

"It was just a little cleverness."

"A little cleverness?"

Hyuga Hiashi shook his head.

"You drove Danzo into a corner in front of every ninja clan at the Clan Leaders' Meeting, forcing Hiruzen Sarutobi to suspend him... A little cleverness wouldn't have been enough."

He paused.

When he spoke again, his voice was more solemn.

"Uchiha Clan Head."

"I invited you here today because there's something important we need to discuss."

Uchiha En set down his teacup.

He sat up straight and looked at Hyuga Hiashi.

"Go ahead, Clan Head Hiashi."

Hyuga Hiashi was silent for two seconds before he spoke.

"You must know this too."

"If the Konoha High Command could target the Uchiha Clan... they could target the Hyuga Clan as well."

Uchiha En nodded.

"That's right."

"The Sharingan and Byakugan are both Kekkei Genkai that can be transplanted into others."

"And those people at the top... they'd do anything to gain power and tighten their grip on Konoha."

Hyuga Hiashi rubbed a finger along his teacup.

His gaze grew distant.

"So..."

He paused.

"I want to ask what the Uchiha Clan plans to do next."

Hearing that, Uchiha En cursed the old fox inwardly once more. Still won't show your hand? Then don't blame me for reopening an old wound.

He picked up his teacup and took another sip.

Then he set it down.

Instead of answering Hyuga Hiashi, Uchiha En abruptly changed the subject.

"Speaking of plans... something just came to mind."

Hyuga Hiashi raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

Uchiha En did not answer at once.

He fell silent for two seconds, as though weighing his words.

Then he spoke slowly.

"The incident years ago, when Kumogakure abducted Miss Hinata."

Hyuga Hiashi's expression changed at once.

His pupils contracted, and the teacup in his hand trembled.

Uchiha En continued.

"I heard the Konoha High Command eventually made your younger brother, Hizashi Hyuga, take the blame."

"As if Konoha were the one that had lost."

A deathly silence fell over the reception room.

Hyuga Hiashi said nothing.

His fingers tightened around the teacup. He lowered his gaze to the clear tea inside, but did not drink.

The silence stood between them like an invisible wall.

A long time passed.

At last, Hyuga Hiashi spoke.

His voice was a little hoarse.

"That incident..."

He paused, as though struggling to control his emotions.

"I... will never forget it."

Uchiha En sat quietly without speaking.

He knew all he had to do now was listen.

Hyuga Hiashi set down his teacup and looked toward the landscape painting on the wall, though he did not seem to see it.

His gaze seemed to pass straight through the painting to somewhere far away.

"Back then, Kumogakure's envoys claimed they'd come to sign a peace treaty."

"But in truth... they came for Hinata."

"They slipped into our clan compound on the night of her birthday, when the Hyuga guards were least alert."

"If I hadn't discovered them in time... they would have taken her away."

Uchiha En nodded.

He had not witnessed the incident himself, but he had seen that part of the story countless times in his previous life.

"What happened next?"

Hyuga Hiashi's voice sank lower.

"I killed the Kumogakure leader on the spot."

"But the next day, Kumogakure turned the accusation on us. They claimed Konoha had murdered one of their negotiators."

"They threatened to restart the war unless Konoha handed over the killer."

"And that killer..."

Hyuga Hiashi stopped.

His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles cracking.

"That killer was me."

Uchiha En picked up his teacup and took a sip.

He said nothing.

Hyuga Hiashi continued.

"To prevent another war, the Third Hokage refused to stand by me."

"He told me to do as Kumogakure demanded."

"He said... someone had to take responsibility for the sake of the village's peace."

Suppressed anger edged his voice.

"Do you know how I felt when I heard that?"

Uchiha En did not answer.

He knew Hyuga Hiashi was not asking him.

Sure enough, Hyuga Hiashi went on.

"I thought about it for a long time. I could never make sense of it."

"Konoha had won. Why were we afraid of Kumogakure, the side that lost?"

"And a Kumogakure ninja had tried to abduct my daughter Hinata first. Yet after they turned the accusation on us, the Third Hokage demanded that I answer to them..."

He fell silent for a long time.

"In the end, my younger brother... Hizashi went in my place."

"He said the clan head couldn't die. The Hyuga Clan couldn't be left without one."

"He said he belonged to the branch family, so his death wouldn't matter."

"He died in my place."

Silence fell over the reception room once more.

Uchiha En set down his teacup.

He looked at Hyuga Hiashi, his expression conflicted.

"What happened... was a disgrace to the Konoha High Command."

"And a source of pain for the Hyuga Clan."

Hyuga Hiashi said nothing.

He sat there with his back perfectly straight.

But Uchiha En could sense the exhaustion and guilt hidden beneath that rigid posture.

After a few seconds of silence, Uchiha En spoke.

"Clan Head Hiashi."

"This is why I'm standing against the Konoha High Command."

"They've grown old and rotten. They don't deserve to hold power in Konoha, but they still cling to it."

Hyuga Hiashi raised his head and looked at him.

Uchiha En's gaze was calm, but his words landed with force.

"They want to steal our Kekkei Genkai to keep themselves in power."

"First, the Uchiha Clan."

"Next, it could be the Hyuga Clan."

"After that, it could be the smaller clans with secret techniques."

"If we don't join forces..."

Uchiha En's gaze sharpened.

"None of us will escape."

A long silence settled over the reception room.

Outside the window, the night breeze stirred the leaves in the courtyard.

At last, Hyuga Hiashi spoke.

"You're right."

His voice was still a little hoarse, but it had grown firm.

"Our Kekkei Genkai clans... do need to stand together."

He raised his head and looked at Uchiha En.

"Uchiha Clan Head, you're a clever man."

"I'm willing to form an alliance with you."

At those words, a faint smile appeared on Uchiha En's face.

He picked up his teacup.

"Then... here's to a good partnership?"

Hyuga Hiashi raised his teacup as well.

Just then, a gentle, sweet voice came from outside the door.

"Father, are you entertaining a guest?"