Knock, knock, knock.
The crisp, steady knocking broke through the rustle of a pen moving across paper in the Principal's Office.
Behind the desk, Hyuga Hiashi was buried in a mountain of documents. His expression was focused and stern, his pen moving swiftly and steadily as he reviewed them.
A closer look revealed that the documents were not limited to class schedules, student evaluations, and budget requests. Quite a few bore markings from the Hokage's Office.
Yes, even in the relatively quiet surroundings of the academy, Hiashi still could not truly escape into an easy life. The Hokage Building often passed a share of its workload to this principal, who was renowned for his meticulousness and efficiency.
Hearing the knock, Hiashi continued working. "Come in."
Before he left that morning, Hanabi had said she wanted to try cooking that evening. The thought of enjoying a dinner prepared by his younger daughter made Hiashi eager to finish his work and head home early.
The office door was gently pushed open.
A small head peeked in first, smooth black hair falling loose around a fair, delicate face. Her clear white eyes shone with excitement and anticipation. It was Hanabi Hyuga.
Behind her followed a blond boy with a radiant smile.
His smile seemed capable of dispelling any gloom as he walked in, holding Hanabi's hand with easy familiarity.
"Dad!"
The moment Hanabi saw her father, she called out sweetly.
Yet Hiashi's gaze remained on the documents, and his pen showed no sign of stopping. Without looking up, he corrected her in a businesslike tone. "Hanabi, your father is working right now. Please address me by my title."
It was not that Hiashi was rigid or unfeeling. This was simply how he had always conducted himself, particularly at work, where he valued proper