But now, every decision he had made out of "weakness" had been interpreted by these old men as ironclad proof of his "deep foresight." They had placed him on a pedestal of "prescience" he had never even known existed.
After a long silence, Hyuga Hiashi slowly lifted the teacup before him and gently blew on the steam, offering no answer to their questions.
He simply spoke in a calm tone that suggested he saw through everything.
"We can begin preparing for Hinata and Toru Kujyo's wedding."
As his words fell, the entire meeting hall grew so quiet that a falling pin could have been heard.
Then came a flood of approval, like a mountain torrent bursting loose.
"A wise decision, clan head!"
"Excellent! Truly excellent!"
"I'll have our people choose an auspicious date right away. No, every day is an auspicious day!"
Watching the Clan Elders, who a moment earlier had looked ready to devour him alive but were now practically bouncing with excitement, Hyuga Hiashi held his teacup rock-steady, even as towering waves surged through his heart.
Wise? Far-sighted?
Wise, my ass!
He was just a father torn between his two daughters, crushed beneath the clan's rules until he could barely breathe! How could he have known that boy named Toru Kujyo was a descendant of the Senju Clan, much less that he could conjure up the First Hokage's Wood Release?
All his hesitation and softheartedness had been for the light in Hinata's eyes, and for the innocence of Hanabi, who carried his blood just as Hinata did. He was merely a father who doted a little too much on his daughters and could not bring himself to be cruel.
Yet now, these accidental instances of "inaction" had been imagined by the old men as some earth-shaking, far-reaching master