"Now that it's come to this, let's eat first."
Shihui Aburame worried that Hinata Hyuga might faint, so he changed the subject.
"Mm... okay."
Hinata Hyuga lowered her head, not daring to look at him, as though she hadn't been the one who had suddenly lashed out and beaten someone up.
Shihui Aburame raised his middle finger and pushed up his sunglasses.
Did this count as a success?
He wasn't quite sure.
And he hadn't triggered any achievements.
The only gain was that Hinata Hyuga had awakened her Byakugan earlier than in the original story.
"What... should we do about them?"
Hinata Hyuga gradually returned to normal and noticed the three little boys lying on the ground.
Even she found it unbelievable that she had done that to them.
Yet, for some reason, she felt more relaxed and exhilarated than ever before.
"They're just unconscious for now. They'll wake up soon. Leave them be."
Shihui Aburame glanced at them as he spoke.
After all, he wasn't some kind of demon. He wasn't about to finish them off.
He turned and headed toward his wooden cabin.
Hinata Hyuga hurried after him.
Halfway there, she suddenly raised her head and looked at his back.
Now that she had come to her senses, she instinctively felt that something was off.
Those four had been far too nervous.
When they saw Shihui Aburame, they hadn't looked like they were seeking revenge of their own accord, but rather like they had been forced into it.
"Shiki-kun."
Hinata Hyuga couldn't help asking, "Were they...?"
"Were they what?"
Shihui Aburame asked with a calm expression.
You've spotted the key detail, my blind friend.
But he wouldn't bring it up, admit it, or say anything about it.
Hinata Hyuga met his gaze, then quickly lowered her head. "N-no, nothing."
She must have been mistaken. Shiki-kun looked so composed.
Besides, even if it had been a deliberate setup, she wouldn't regret it.
Once they reached the cabin, Shihui Aburame stir-fried several Sichuan dishes without chili peppers for her, just as before.
Though the dishes had lost their soul, Hinata Hyuga enjoyed them very much.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two went to the Hyuga Clan compound.
"See you."
Shihui Aburame turned off toward the old Senju residence.
He no longer went home these days, freeloading meals, drinks, and a place to sleep at Tsunade's instead.
He would go back once he was done tormenting that carp.
"Shiki-kun."
Hinata Hyuga watched him walk away, an unconscious reluctance to part showing in her white eyes.
Tokuma Hyuga, who had been protecting her from the shadows, confirmed that there was no danger, then leaped away to Hyuga Hiashi's study.
He raised his hand and knocked on the door, saying respectfully, "Clan head, Tokuma has something to report."
A few seconds later, he received a reply.
Tokuma Hyuga pushed the door open, stood in the doorway, and bowed deeply.
As a guard, he dared not enter without permission.
Hyuga Hiashi sat at the tea table, unhurriedly lifting his cup and taking a sip.
He looked at Tokuma Hyuga and asked in a slightly cold voice, "Did something happen to Hinata at school?"
"No."
Tokuma Hyuga trembled and hurriedly denied it.
He was Hinata Hyuga's guard. If anything happened to her, he would be punished along with her.
More precisely, his punishment would be harsher.
He might not live to see tomorrow's sun.
Although the Hokage led Konoha, the major ninja clans, especially the Hyuga and Uchiha, had rules of their own.
If Hyuga Hiashi executed Tokuma Hyuga, even Hiruzen Sarutobi had no right to interfere.
Of course, if he insisted on interfering, he could.
"Lady Hinata has awakened her Byakugan."
Tokuma Hyuga took a deep breath as he spoke.
"What did you say?"
The teacup in Hyuga Hiashi's hand paused slightly, spilling quite a few droplets.
But he paid them no mind.
"I saw it with my own eyes," Tokuma Hyuga said earnestly. "I wouldn't dare deceive you, clan head."
"What exactly happened?"
Hyuga Hiashi set down his teacup and asked.
He was no longer in the mood for tea.
Tokuma Hyuga immediately recounted what had just happened.
Hyuga Hiashi's gaze sharpened.
He was an adult and the head of the Hyuga Clan. He could tell at a glance that Shihui Aburame had staged the whole thing.
But judging by the outcome, he owed the boy his thanks.
Awakening her Byakugan at six meant that Hinata Hyuga's talent was not merely adequate, but quite good.
After all, Neji Hyuga, who was hailed as a genius, had awakened his eyes at a similar age.
It was simply that Hinata Hyuga's personality affected how well she could use her abilities.
Hyuga Hiashi waved a hand.
Once Tokuma Hyuga left, he sank into thought.
Previously, he had told Hinata Hyuga to befriend Shihui Aburame merely to forge closer ties with Tsunade.
Now, it seemed that he had indeed shown considerable foresight.
Shihui Aburame was a good kid, worth befriending. When something happened, he really stepped up.
Hyuga Hiashi suddenly sighed.
He had been deeply disappointed by Hinata Hyuga's performance, so he had put his body's remaining vigor to use and fathered a second daughter.
According to the Hyuga Clan's rules, only one of them could inherit the Main Family.
The other would be branded with the Caged Bird Seal on her third birthday and become part of the Branch Family, their destinies diverging from then on.
Hyuga Hiashi thought of Hizashi Hyuga, and melancholy involuntarily crossed his face.
No matter how close brothers were, once the Caged Bird Seal was involved, they would drift apart, ultimately becoming master and servant.
He had once considered abolishing it, but he hadn't dared.
The elders, in particular, would never agree.
The Caged Bird Seal had originally been intended to prevent the Byakugan from falling into outsiders' hands, but by now, it had become a means of maintaining the Main Family's authority.
"Two more years."
Hyuga Hiashi rubbed the space between his brows.
If he refused to place the Caged Bird Seal on either Hinata Hyuga or Hanabi Hyuga, not only would the Main Family object, but the Branch Family would too.
Unless he brought in outside help.
Hyuga Hiashi thought of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Only the Hokage could suppress the Hyuga Clan's opposition.
"Tsunade."
Hyuga Hiashi suddenly had an idea.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had returned to the Hokage position because the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had died during the Nine-Tails' Attack, leaving him to take over temporarily.
In theory, as long as a suitable candidate emerged, he ought to step down in their favor.
At present, no one in all of Konoha was more qualified than Jiraiya and Tsunade.
As for Shimura Danzō, he was the same age as Hiruzen Sarutobi, already an old fossil.
Besides, his missing arm and blind eye hardly made for a suitable image. It wouldn't do to frighten the flowers and grass.
Tsunade was Shihui Aburame's teacher.
If she became Hokage, it would benefit the Hyuga Clan.
Hyuga Hiashi looked thoughtful.
Now, he just had to wait for Tsunade to show an interest.
When the time came, the Hyuga Clan could help drape the white robe over her shoulders and pledge their loyalty.
Failing that, he could only talk to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But that old geezer liked squeezing money out of them.
Without paying a certain price, he probably wouldn't get his wish.
The neighboring Uchiha Clan was an example of what awaited them.
Shimura Danzō and his Root had targeted them over and over again.
Hyuga Hiashi didn't believe Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't tacitly approved it.
The Uchiha's present might be the Hyuga's future.
Moreover, Hyuga Hiashi resented Hiruzen Sarutobi over Hizashi Hyuga dying in his place.
He had been Hokage at the time. Had he firmly opposed it, things would have been different.
The lives of Kumogakure's ninja mattered, but so did the lives of Hyuga ninja.
Especially since they had been in the wrong to begin with.
Here's a cross-promotion for a highly successful fanfic. If you like Batman and DC, you can take a look.
Title: "What Bad Intentions Could Batman Have"
Synopsis: Chen Tao had never imagined that not only would he transmigrate, but he would actually become Batman himself. As everyone knew, Batman was brilliantly clever, extraordinarily wise, and a fighter of transcendent skill, but-what did any of that have to do with a transmigrator like me? Oh! Never mind, I can inherit Batman's powers and memories...?!? Wait, why are they all versions from parallel universes?
(End of chapter)