Quarrel
Hyūga Hiashi had never been so distraught.
At this point, Chi Yu had become the subject of intense suspicion. Hiruzen Sarutobi's watchful eyes were fixed on him. The only reason the Third Hokage had not yet moved against Chi Yu was because he lacked conclusive evidence. Once Hiruzen obtained certainty, Chi Yu would no doubt be purged.
Everyone in Konoha knew this. No one dared approach Chi Yu, fearing Hiruzen might misinterpret it as disloyalty to the village. Those who did risked becoming the Hokage's next target.
That was why Hiashi's fury boiled when he learned that his brother, Hizashi, still wanted his son Neji to remain under Chi Yu's tutelage.
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Hizashi's pale eyes were calm, stagnant like a still pond, as he faced his elder brother.
"I told you before," Hizashi said evenly. "Who Neji learns from is my decision. Even if you are clan head, you cannot dictate that."
Hiashi's composure broke. His voice thundered through the room:
"But you and Neji are of the Hyūga Clan! I will never agree to him being tied to Chi Yu. Hizashi, you are treating the future of our clan as a game!"
Hizashi slapped away Hiashi's hand, which had seized his collar. His jaw was tight, but his words were firm:
"If Chi Yu is willing to guide Neji, then even without your consent, I will allow it. If you want to wield your position as head to pressure me, then do it. If you want to use the Caged Bird seal, then use it!"
Hiashi's veins pulsed with anger. His Byakugan flickered alive.
"Do you think I won't?"
A thin, bitter smile curved Hizashi's lips. "I know you will. Then do as you please."
The Caged Bird Curse Mark flared. Hizashi dropped to his knees, clutching his head, his body convulsing with pain.
At that moment, the door creaked open.
Neji stood there, frozen in shock. He had been on his way to see Chi Yu but now stared at the scene before him—Hiashi standing tall, and Hizashi writhing in agony at his feet.
"Father!" Neji cried, running forward. Tears streaked his young face as he clutched his father's arm. "What's wrong?!"
Hizashi could not answer through the torment.
Neji's eyes blazed red with fury, and he turned on Hiashi.
"Why are you hurting him?!"
He lunged, throwing a wild punch. Hiashi evaded easily, cut off the chakra flow to the seal, and spoke coldly:
"From this day on, Neji, you are forbidden from leaving the Hyūga estate. Any violation will be punished according to clan law."
Without another word, Hiashi left.
---
It took Hizashi a long while to recover. His breathing was shallow, his face drained of color.
"Neji," he said faintly, "why did you return so soon? Did you not meet with Chi Yu?"
Neji wiped his eyes, still shaken. "I did. Master saw me and immediately knew I was your son. He told me I am officially his disciple from today forward. But then… he told me to hurry home, so I came back."
Hizashi blinked. Hurry home?
Could Chi Yu have known what was happening here? The Hyūga compound was heavily guarded; no outsider could easily observe their affairs. It had to be a coincidence… yet Hizashi could not shake the unease.
"What else did he say?" Hizashi asked.
Neji sniffed and rubbed his sleeve across his face. "He said tomorrow morning, he will come to the Hyūga estate himself to bring me for training."
Relief flickered across Hizashi's face. If Chi Yu came in person, then even Hiashi could not simply bar the way.
---
What Hizashi did not know was that Chi Yu had, in fact, witnessed the argument.
His network of snakes stretched across Konoha. Though seemingly ordinary creatures, they carried faint traces of his chakra—so subtle that even Byakugan users rarely paid them notice. Through their eyes, Chi Yu had watched.
When Neji came to see him, Chi Yu immediately shifted his senses to the serpents inside the Hyūga estate. He saw Hiashi's fury, Hizashi's defiance, and foresaw the moment the Curse Mark would be invoked.
That was why he urged Neji to return home at once—so the boy would see for himself the cruelty that bound the Branch House, and the coldness of the Main House head.
Chi Yu knew Hiashi would never willingly allow Neji to train under him. Tomorrow, when he arrived to claim his disciple, confrontation was inevitable.
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"Father," Neji said angrily, "why does he treat you this way? Aren't you brothers?"
Hizashi was silent for a long time. Then, with bitterness heavy in his voice, he replied:
"Once, we were. But now… he is not my brother. He is the Head of the Hyūga Clan."
Neji clenched his fists, his small body trembling. The image of Hiashi coldly watching as his father writhed in pain seared itself into his heart.
---
When Neji left Chi Yu's home earlier, Uzumaki Kushina had just returned with groceries.
"I thought I saw a boy who looked like Neji on my way back," she said curiously.
"That was him," Chi Yu answered. "He came to see me alone."
"Alone?" Kushina's eyes widened. "Neji?"
Chi Yu nodded. "Hizashi is confined. Neji was the only one who could come. But now he is also confined. Tomorrow morning, I'll go to the Hyūga estate myself to bring my disciple out. From then on, Kushina, you can rest. I'll train Cangna and Neji together."
Kushina smiled softly and nodded. "Alright."
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At dawn the next day, Chi Yu set out toward the Hyūga estate, ready to face Hiashi directly.
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