But when Hinata Hyuga met those deep, cold, pool-like Byakugan eyes that showed no ripple for her, the tiny joy was doused at once. She lowered her head again, hiding her dimmed gaze, and spoke softly.
"Father, I… I will go review my lessons." Then she fled down the corridor at a trot, her light footsteps soon fading from Hizashi Hyuga's hearing.
Watching her retreating back, Hizashi Hyuga understood more clearly just how stubborn his brother had been. What he once thought was her weak nature now seemed largely shaped by her father.
With a quiet sigh, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, only a colder-than-iron light remained in his Byakugan. All churning emotions were sealed away as he turned and left, his footsteps echoing alone in the empty corridor.
He stopped before what looked like an ordinary storage room and quickly formed several discreet hand signs. An unseen Sealing Technique was silently removed.
The wooden door opened inward with a dull sound, revealing cold steps leading underground as damp air and mold rushed out. Hizashi Hyuga descended without hesitation, the door closing quietly behind him as the Sealing Technique activated again to block all prying eyes.
In the dark chamber, only a few lamps burned in wall niches, their yellow light casting wavering shadows. As Hizashi Hyuga went deeper, the sound of chains grew clearer.
At last, he entered the heart of the chamber and saw the figure within. Limbs were bound by four thick chains, and needles pierced one hundred and eight chakra points across the body.
Hearing Hizashi Hyuga's steps, the disheveled figure raised its head. That face, identical to Hizashi Hyuga's, could only belong to the real Hiashi Hyuga.
Compared with the once glorious head of the Main Family.
At this moment, Hiashi Hyuga looked miserable, his face a pale white from long confinement in darkness, and his Byakugan were filled with fine red veins. Time in the dark seemed frozen, and he had no idea how long the outside world had passed.
A day, a week, a month, or a year? Locked away for so long, he had completely lost any sense of time passing.
Yet his body was not thin and his face was not withered, which showed that his food and water had been properly provided. It could be said that Hizashi Hyuga had given his elder brother the highest level of respect possible, on the condition that escape was impossible.
However, for the lofty head of the Hyuga Clan Main Family to be framed by his own Branch Family brother and replaced by him, Hiashi Hyuga was clearly in a terrible state of mind.
"Elder brother, it has been a long time," Hizashi Hyuga said calmly.
Hiashi Hyuga did not answer. He stared at him and spoke in a hoarse voice, "What exactly do you want to do…"
Even though his eyes were now blind, they still revealed deep hatred.
"That does not depend on me," Hizashi Hyuga replied lightly. "I think you also know how terrifying that person from Akatsuki is. Whatever he tells me to do, I can only do it."
Clack, clack, clatter.
Hearing this, Hiashi Hyuga's expression twisted as his body struggled violently, the chains rattling with his movements. "Hizashi Hyuga!"
Hiashi Hyuga's eyes nearly bulged as he struggled like a madman and roared, "You know that guy has bad intentions! Do you want to destroy the Hyuga Clan?!"
How could he not know how terrifying that person was. It was exactly because he knew Akatsuki that he felt fear.
Ever since he was swapped and manipulated into walking into the secret chamber, everything outside had only been learned through Hizashi Hyuga's words. He did not know what relationship that monster who killed the Magnet Release Ninja Troy and hundreds of Kumogakure ninja had with that person.
He only knew that the one who tempted Hizashi Hyuga into betrayal, deception, and replacing his elder brother was a complete demon from Root.
"The current Branch Family is very good," Hizashi Hyuga said calmly. "Neji Hyuga has walked out of the shadows and is working even harder. I even let him secretly read the unsealed texts in the library. Without the restraints of the Main Family, he will only go farther."
"As for Yunchuan, free from the restraints and burdens of the Hyuga Clan, he has already become a 'hero' of Konoha and earned merits on the battlefield against Kumogakure."
"On the other hand, the Main Family you value is still stubborn and arrogant, rotten to the core."
"So stop wasting your strength. You and I are both powerless to change anything."
Hizashi Hyuga placed the Insulated Food Container filled with food on the table. As he opened it and took out the meal, he spoke in the same even tone.
"You chose to be the 'Main Family head', and I simply made my own choice, which was to be Neji Hyuga's father. No matter whether the final result is good or bad, at least this choice was made by me."
As he spoke, he brought the food to Hiashi Hyuga's mouth, but Hiashi Hyuga only stared with his dim Byakugan fixed on Hizashi Hyuga in front of him.
In the next moment, he completely lost the dignity of a Main Family head. "Pah!"
Hizashi Hyuga's chest was spattered with flecks of spittle, but he did not react. He did not even wipe it off, only watching his elder brother's disgrace with cold eyes.
In his heart, feelings of hatred, pity, pain, and a twisted sense of pleasure rose without restraint.
"Mmph… cough, cough!" Hizashi Hyuga expressionlessly stuffed the food into Hiashi Hyuga's mouth. His low voice echoed hollowly in the underground chamber.
"Do you feel it? Think about when you used the Curse Seal to control me, how cold and merciless you were."
"Think about how you made the decision back then, pushing me out to bear your mistakes for you."
"This pain of being 'unable to act', this feeling of 'having no power', this Zetsu Wang." His voice was calm, but each word cut into Hiashi Hyuga's nerves as he spoke coldly into his face.
"Can you empathize now?"
After saying this, he straightened up and looked down at Hiashi Hyuga, who lay like a puddle of mud. There was no victor's pride on that face, only bottomless exhaustion and a heavy sorrow that almost drowned himself as well.
"You must live, you have to live," Hizashi Hyuga said, his voice suddenly turning cold. "You are the Main Family head, and I am Neji Hyuga's father."
"If we cannot be family, then we can only be bound by hatred. So I want you to live and see what the future of the Hyuga Clan will be."
With that, Hizashi Hyuga did not wait for Hiashi Hyuga's response. He fed him again, his movements showing an almost eerie carefulness.
After finishing all this, Hizashi Hyuga did not look at Hiashi Hyuga again. He turned and walked out of the secret chamber, which was like a tomb.
From beginning to end, he did nothing to prevent Hiashi Hyuga from committing suicide. Because Hizashi Hyuga knew very well that this man from Root never had the courage to face death.
Bang.
The door of the chamber closed, and darkness once again swallowed Hiashi Hyuga's lost expression. Only a few dim candles remained, casting twisted shadows on the walls like silent mockery.
Only the chains on his body continued to make faint, suffocating clanking sounds as his body trembled, echoing again and again in the dead silence underground.