Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 16 Hyuga Hizashi, Tell Me Your Choice (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Who is it? Get out!"

The moment that voice reached his ears, Hyuga Hizashi activated his Byakugan without hesitation.

But to his astonishment, he sensed that apart from Neji, there was no one else around.

Only the sound of the wind and the rustling of leaves, along with my own breathing and heartbeat, could be heard; it was so quiet that even the chirping of insects seemed to have vanished.

Hyuga Hizashi activated his Byakugan and looked around, but could not find the source of the sound.

"Where are you looking?"

That ethereal voice came again.

This time, Hizashi Hyuga heard it very clearly and turned around abruptly to look behind him, following the sound.

However, it remained empty.

The trees stood silently before me, their dense branches swaying in the wind, casting shadowy shapes, as if countless figures were hidden among them.

Then, a soft, slow footstep sound slowly approached.

Just by listening, one can sense the ease and comfort of the footsteps. Although walking in the Hyuga clan's territory, which is filled with Byakugan, it gives the feeling of strolling leisurely in a garden.

A moment later, a figure emerged from the shadows, its ink-black color spreading in Hyuga Hizashi's Byakugan.

The dark figure stopped in front of him. Hyuga Hizashi stared intently at the face beneath the black robe, as if trying to see through it to discern every inch of flesh beneath the hood.

However, beneath the hood, only dense shadows surged like living things, chewing up and swallowing his probing gaze, which he cast like a moth to a flame, yet he could not expect the other party to spit out even a trace of dregs out of pity.

A monster as deep as the abyss.

The thought suddenly popped into his mind, and cold sweat trickled down Hizashi Hyuga's forehead.

A guy who silently infiltrates Konoha, ignores Konoha's sensory barrier, even infiltrates the Hyuga clan's territory, and can disregard the Byakugan's perception.

Even though the other person is standing right in front of you, you can't sense them at all.

If the other party hadn't spoken, he probably wouldn't have noticed until someone stood behind him, raised their hand, and slit his throat.

Is this some kind of secret technique?

Or perhaps some kind of bloodline limit?
Even "penetrating the air" couldn't do that, right?

"who are you?"

While frantically analyzing intelligence in his mind, Hyuga Hizashi tried to stall for time by putting his hand inside his robes, as if to signal an enemy invasion.

"The moment you give the signal, I can slit your throat and kill the child before reinforcements arrive."

A cold, calm statement was laced with an undeniable killing intent.

Hizashi instinctively stiffened, and his hand movements instantly stopped.

The strange way the person in front of him appeared and the calmness in his tone made Hyuga Hizashi dare not doubt the truth of his words in the slightest.

Given the bizarre ability the other party displayed to block his senses, if he truly possessed the power to kill him instantly, he could indeed leave this place silently and safely, without being discovered by anyone afterwards.

So, does the other party possess the power to kill him instantly?

"..."

Hyuga Hizashi pulled his hand out of his robes, stared intently at the dark figure before him, and said in a deep voice, "What do you want to do?"

Yes, he didn't dare to gamble.

This guy in front of me is too strange.

It didn't matter whether he lived or died, but Neji was right behind him.

The fact that the other party did not directly attack him suggests that they may not have intended to kill him.

But Hyuga Hizashi had no idea that the shadowy figure before him, whom he feared and even dreaded, was actually the person he had met not long ago. The shadowy figure, Hyuga Kumokawa, did not answer Hyuga Hizashi's question, but calmly stared at him.

A deathly silence fell between them once more, broken only by the rustling of the wind through the leaves, Hyuga Hizashi's increasingly heavy breathing, and even his increasingly rapid heartbeat.

Just as the atmosphere became extremely oppressive and heavy, Hyuga Hizashi's fingers twitched slightly, and he couldn't help but want to make a move.

"You're saying that all the suffering that child endures will become an even greater treasure for him?"

The dark figure in front of them finally spoke. Although the voice was still hoarse and terrifying, Hizashi breathed a sigh of relief.

The guy in front of him was looking at him at eye level, but it felt like he was looking down at him from above, his deep gaze sweeping over him little by little.

It was as if an invisible black hand was holding every inch of his skin and slowly squeezing it, as if trying to squeeze out a pool of blood.

"What do you want to say?"

The last vestiges of resistance vanished, and Hyuga Hizashi frowned, speaking in a deep voice.

“You’re deceiving yourself,” Hinata Kumokawa said calmly. “Suffering is suffering; it’s not something to be celebrated, much less a valuable asset.”

"Suffering only drains a person's flesh and blood, making them sensitive and extreme."

At this point, a hint of sarcasm crept into his voice as he said, "Just like your parents did to you."

"They shatter your worldview and stuff your brain with the values, life, and world they believe in."

"They want you to obey, they belittle you to the extreme, they say this is the right thing to do, they say this is your fate. You want to struggle, you want to resist, but they change their attitude, they yell at you, they cut off your hands and feet, they lock you in a cage."

"They hit you, scold you, persuade you, beg you, but they just won't let you go. They say it's wrong, they say they're right, they say they're doing this for your own good, so you give in and join them."

Watching Hyuga Hizashi's expression gradually darken, Hyuga Kumokawa's words grew increasingly sharp and sarcastic: "A long time later, you discover that your child, just like you used to be, will kneel down and accept his fate like a dog, so you..."

"enough!"

Almost an uncontrollable low shout interrupted Hinata Kumokawa's next words.

These sharp words were like knives, constantly tearing at Hyuga Hizashi's heart, causing him to tremble all over.

Every word he spoke reminded him of the past, of two faces whose images had become blurred in his memory, and of the words uttered from those blurred faces.

"What do you know!" He no longer cared about fear or apprehension, gritting his teeth tightly, "I, I did it for..."

As he finished speaking, the last words seemed to get stuck in his throat, causing his throat to move slightly up and down.

For Neji's own good?
Isn't this exactly what the other party was talking about?
"Cough! Ugh!"

Thinking of this, Hyuga Hizashi suddenly turned pale, covered his mouth, and felt a strong urge to vomit.

Disgusting.

It's not about disgusting others, it's about disgusting yourself.

He didn't want to admit it, but he truly couldn't understand Neji's thoughts, couldn't understand why Neji harbored such resentment. He was the one who showed murderous intent towards Hinata, he was the one in the wrong, he was the one who was wrong...

He can no longer understand his former rebellious self.

He was born only fifteen minutes after his older brother, Hyuga Hiashi. In those short fifteen minutes, he became a member of the branch family, was branded with the Caged Bird Seal, and lost his sense of self and freedom.

He had resisted and questioned it before, but now he just feels that this is "fate".

When did it all start?

What on earth is he doing?
"Some birds cannot be caged; every feather of theirs shines with the light of freedom. They are born to belong to the sky."

Hyuga Kumokawa lifted his foot and slowly walked towards Hizashi, coming to his side, his words full of seduction: "Hyuga Hizashi, tell me, what is your choice?"

"You have chosen to be a cruel executioner, to personally break the wings of a bird that flies into the sky."

"Or should I choose to become a father?"

(End of this chapter)