Orochimaru's sudden appearance cast an eerie shadow over the Hyuga clan's funeral.
After sensing the brief conversation between him and Hyuga Hiashi, Satoru couldn't help but wonder—were the recent deaths of so many Hyuga shinobi somehow connected to that man?
From the perspective of Konoha as a whole, the number of Hyuga among the fallen in recent years was alarmingly high.
True, war was unpredictable. But the Hyuga clan's shinobi mostly served in reconnaissance and sensory units—their duties focused on observation and detection.
Such operatives were indeed key targets for enemy elite squads—but they were also supposed to be heavily protected.
If war could be compared to a fight between men, then the Hyuga were the eyes. And if the "eyes" couldn't be safeguarded, the battle itself could no longer be fought.
So for so many Hyuga to die in such a short span… something wasn't right.
When Hiashi emerged from his private talk with Orochimaru, his expression was dark and grim. Clearly, he shared Satoru's unease.
Even as he presided over the ceremony, his mind was clearly elsewhere.
Most people assumed it was simply grief—for among the dead were several clansmen close to him.
No one thought to link his distraction with Orochimaru's earlier visit to "pay respects."
"Big Brother, what's wrong with Uncle Hiashi?"
"He looks really pale. But… it doesn't seem like it's because he's sad."
Neji's quiet question caught Satoru by surprise. For someone so young, the boy was sharp.
"It's nothing," Satoru replied softly after a pause. "He's probably just tired, Neji. Don't worry about it."
Hiashi's face was pale—but it wasn't grief that darkened it.
As clan head of the Hyuga, he had just been threatened. His chest surely burned with anger, but in a public setting like this, he had to suppress it completely.
The Hyuga needed to maintain their standing in Konoha, and Orochimaru had deep ties with the village's senior advisors. Whatever had just passed between them, the Hyuga couldn't afford open conflict.
They might pride themselves as "Konoha's foremost noble clan," but the truth was—they didn't have the strength to overturn the table.
"…I see."
Though Neji clearly didn't believe his cousin's vague answer, he was a well-behaved child and didn't press further.
Throughout the rest of the ceremony, he stayed quietly by Satoru's side, perfectly obedient—making the older boy's task of watching over him much easier.
By noon, the service had ended and the mourners began to disperse.
After exchanging a few polite words with the bereaved families, Satoru took Neji and his bodyguard Hyuga Keisuke home.
Hiashi and Hizashi remained behind to oversee the vigil until the coffins were sealed and the burial was completed the following morning.
During those two busy days, the responsibility for looking after Neji naturally fell to Satoru.
It wasn't a difficult task. With his little sister Hinata in the house, there were already maids employed to help. Neji was also quite capable of looking after himself. Satoru simply needed to keep the boy entertained so he wouldn't get bored.
A little training in the family dojo would be enough to tire him out.
"Neji, after lunch, rest for a bit," Satoru said as they walked home. "I'll check your training this afternoon."
Neji's face immediately fell.
"Big Brother, can't I—"
He stopped mid-sentence when he met Satoru's firm gaze, then sighed in defeat and nodded.
"…Alright. I'll do my best."
His obedient tone made Satoru's heart soften. He patted the boy's head gently and spoke with the tone of an older brother giving serious advice.
"This is for your own good, Neji. I don't ever want the next time I see you to be in front of the clan's ancestral shrine."
"Even for us Hyuga, if we want to survive in this world, we have to work hard."
At those words, Keisuke—walking a few steps behind—visibly shivered.
As a fellow Hyuga who had seen the battlefield, he understood that truth all too well.
At the same time, he couldn't help but glance at Neji with faint envy.
To have such a mature, protective heir of the Main Family as an elder brother—this branch child was truly blessed.
Back home, Satoru brought Neji to greet his mother.
In the sitting room, Lady Hanako was teaching young Hinata how to hold a brush.
Until the age of three, Hinata wouldn't begin formal ninja training. Only after her third birthday would she start gradually learning basic discipline and chakra control.
But because of Satoru's existence, both Hiashi and Hanako held little expectation for Hinata to "carry the clan's future." She was adored as a daughter—not burdened as an heir.
It wasn't that they looked down on girls. It was simply the way of an old and traditional clan like the Hyuga—sons inherited duty, daughters were cherished.
All Hanako wanted was for her daughter to grow up healthy, and to have enough strength to protect herself one day.
"Big Brother's home!"
"Oh~ and Cousin Neji's here too!"
Hearing the door open, Hinata immediately threw down her brush and cheered.
Then, with her tiny legs pattering across the floor, the two-year-old launched herself at Satoru.
It was hard to imagine someone so small could jump, but Satoru caught her effortlessly, used to her habit by now.
Snuggling happily in his arms, Hinata grinned and wrapped her little arms around his neck, then turned toward her mother with a mischievous smile.
"Mother, I'm done writing!" she declared proudly. "I'm going to train with Big Brother!"
Of course, "training" meant nothing to a child that young—it was just an excuse to escape her lessons.
Or perhaps, after watching Satoru practice every day, she had grown curious about what her brother was always doing.
"Training with me, huh?" Satoru chuckled. "Not yet. You'll have plenty of time for that later. For now, stay with Mother and behave."
He set her down gently, smiling as he refused.
But the moment her feet touched the floor, Hinata puffed out her cheeks in protest.
"No! I don't want to!" she cried, plopping down on the tatami with a little thud. "I wanna go with Big Brother!"
As she squirmed and pulled insistently at his sleeve, Satoru scratched his head, feeling a wave of awkwardness wash over him.
Wait a second… isn't Hinata supposed to be the quiet, gentle type?
Why does she act more and more spoiled as she grows older?
Could it be… that because of him, Hiashi and Hanako had overindulged her?
Great, Satoru thought helplessly. Did I just help raise a little troublemaker?
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