Hizashi stared blankly at the slightly broken rice cracker held out before him.
Then he looked at the corpse of the Kumogakure elite on the ground, a large hole punched through its chest.
The Byakugan and Gentle Fist he took such pride in seemed so powerless at that moment.
"Who... who exactly are you?"
Instead of taking the rice cracker, Hizashi asked in a dry voice.
As far as he knew, Konoha had absolutely no such Taijutsu monster.
Seeing that he would not take it, Kenya nonchalantly withdrew his hand and stuffed the broken rice cracker into his own mouth.
Crunch, crunch.
As he chewed, he said indistinctly:
"My name is Senju Kenya, an idler who just defected from Konoha."
At the name "Senju," Hizashi's pupils abruptly contracted.
Of course he knew that name!
The madman who, according to the stories, had been driven into a corner by Root and ultimately shattered Hokage Rock with a single punch in front of the entire village!
So he was the last surviving orphan of the Senju Clan!
No wonder he possessed such terrifying strength.
No wonder he showed the Kumogakure ninja no mercy.
"Why... why did you save me?"
Hizashi took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil within him.
"Even if you saved me, I still have to return to Konoha."
"As a member of the Branch Family, protecting the Main Family and appeasing Kumogakure's anger is my destiny."
At the word "destiny," Kenya nearly spat out the rice cracker in his mouth.
He rolled his eyes dramatically and walked to the wooden cabin's broken window, gazing at the dense woods outside.
"Hizashi, oh, Hizashi. Is your head full of water, or did that damn birdcage lock up your intelligence too?"
Kenya turned around and mocked him mercilessly.
"What bullshit destiny!"
"People from Kumogakure came into your home and tried to kidnap your young lady."
"Your brother, as the clan head, killed that bandit. That was fucking entirely justified!"
"And what happened?"
Kenya suddenly slammed his hand onto the battered wooden table beside him, smashing it to pieces.
"Those Kumogakure bandits turned around and accused the victims, demanding that your Konoha hand over the killer!"
"And your Konoha High Command, that old Third who's always spouting the Will of Fire, actually agreed!"
"Instead of protecting their own villagers, they're sending you, the Branch Family head, to die in someone else's place!"
Every word Kenya spoke was like a heavy hammer slamming into Hizashi's heart.
"You think going back to die will buy peace?"
"Stop dreaming!"
Kenya sneered repeatedly, his eyes filled with contempt for Konoha High Command.
"This time, you compromise and hand over the Branch Family head."
"What about next time? If they demand your brother's life or your niece's life next time, who else can your Hyuga Clan hand over?"
"Compromise only makes them demand more!"
"In the eyes of Konoha High Command, your Hyuga Clan is nothing but a bargaining chip they can use whenever they need to appease an outside threat."
Hizashi began trembling violently.
He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his flesh and drawing thin trails of blood.
Kenya's words tore open the wound of self-deception buried deepest in his heart.
How could he not know how weak Konoha High Command was?
How could he not know that his departure would mean the Hyuga Clan's dignity had been utterly trampled?
But did he have a choice?
The Caged Bird Seal on his forehead was like an invisible shackle, clamped tightly around his throat.
"I know everything you said is right."
Hizashi's voice was full of despair and bitterness.
"But I have no choice."
"As long as the Caged Bird Seal remains, the Branch Family must die for the Main Family."
"If I don't go, the flames of war from Kumogakure will engulf the entire Hyuga Clan."
Seeing Hizashi looking utterly dead inside, Kenya shook his head helplessly.
He walked up to Hizashi, took another, intact rice cracker out of his pocket, and forcibly stuffed it into Hizashi's hand.
"Eat something. Give that brain some nourishment."
Kenya patted Hizashi's shoulder, his tone becoming more serious and commanding than ever.
"Since I saved you, you're not going to die."
"As for that stupid birdcage you mentioned..."
Kenya pointed at his own head, and pitch-black Armament Haki flashed briefly.
"That low-grade crap made out of chakra? I can smash it to bits with one punch!"
Hizashi abruptly raised his head and stared at Kenya in disbelief.
"You... you can undo the Caged Bird Seal?"
How was that possible?
It was an absolute seal passed down through the Hyuga Clan for hundreds of years!
Even the successive Hokage had been powerless against it!
"Undo it? No, I said smash it."
Kenya grinned, revealing two rows of stark white teeth.
"My power is just the thing for dealing with all kinds of flashy Ninjutsu and seals."
"You saw that Lightning Release user today. In front of me, he might as well have been made of paper."
Hizashi looked at the rice cracker in his hand, his resolve beginning to waver violently.
That was right.
The strength this man had just displayed had already gone completely beyond common sense.
Perhaps he really could do it!
If he could break the Branch Family's destiny, if he could free the Hyuga Clan from being at others' mercy...
Hizashi's gaze gradually shifted from despair to fervor.
"What do you want me to do?"
Hizashi raised his head and stared intently at Kenya, his voice trembling slightly.
He knew there was no such thing as a free lunch.
Having saved him and made such an earth-shattering promise, this man surely wanted something.
"Smart."
Kenya snapped his fingers.
"I want you to return to Konoha first."
"Return?" Hizashi froze.
"Yes, return."
Kenya put away his smile and looked toward Konoha with a deep gaze.
"The Kumogakure delegation is dead to the last man. Konoha High Command must be running around like ants on a hot pan right now."
"After you go back, tell them a mysterious powerhouse attacked you along the way, wiped out everyone from Kumogakure, and you escaped by sheer luck."
"That old Third may be weak, but he won't go so far as to force you to your death again in front of the entire village at a time like this."
Understanding dawned on Hizashi.
The dead could not contradict his story!
Without the Kumogakure delegation pressuring them, Konoha High Command would naturally have no excuse to send him to his death again.
"And after that?" Hizashi hurriedly asked.
"After that?"
Kenya turned and strode out of the wooden cabin.
"After that, lie low in the Hyuga Clan for me."
"Train hard, and keep an eye on Konoha High Command's every move for me while you're at it."
Kenya stood at the cliff's edge, the sea breeze stirring his black hair.
He turned his head, looked at Hizashi, who had followed him out, and held up two fingers.
"Two years."
"Give me two years."
"In two years, I'll set foot in Konoha again as the strongest!"
"When that time comes, I'll personally smash the Caged Bird Seals on your foreheads."
"I'll make the Senju Clan the rulers of Konoha once more!"
"And as long as your Hyuga Clan chooses to submit to my iron fist, I guarantee you'll never suffer humiliation at the hands of outside enemies!"
Kenya's voice rang out like a great bell, echoing above the cliff.
That supremely domineering declaration swept through Hizashi's heart like a raging storm.
Hizashi gazed at the figure standing tall at the cliff's edge like a god of war.
He could no longer suppress the surging emotions within him.
He abruptly dropped to both knees and buried his head deep in the dirt.
"I, Hizashi Hyuga, swear to follow Lord Senju unto death!"
"Everyone in the Branch Family is willing to serve you with all our strength, my lord!"
This bow was not merely in gratitude for saving his life.
Even more, it was a bow to the supreme powerhouse who could break those invisible shackles and bring true hope!
Kenya nodded in satisfaction.
"All right, enough with the empty formalities. Hurry up and get back."
"Don't forget to buy plenty of rice crackers and stockpile them. I'll be checking when I come back."
Hizashi stood up, gave Kenya a long look, then resolutely turned away.
With unprecedented hope and determination, he raced toward Konoha.
Watching Hizashi's retreating figure disappear into the woods.
Kenya turned around and cast his gaze toward the surging, boundless sea ahead.