They had been very happy just a few moments ago. Little Arya and Hanabi were running towards the training grounds where their beloved brothers and sisters trained, they had been watching them for as long as they could remember.
Sometimes, they comfortably hung on a tree trunk with the help of a rope; other times, they sat in a big basket that their sister had brought only for them.
Their sister would often put them on her back in the basket and walk them to their clan compound and the vast forest behind it.
She was very lovable, always feeding them with her hands and playing with them. However, on this cursed day, they accidentally overheard that they weren't their real sisters.
.
With their tiny steps, they quickly approached the second person who loved them the most—their mommy.
Their little and fragile hearts were broken, their pure minds unable to process what they had just heard. They cried because of their cruel sister.
*creak*
They opened the gate as fast as they could and rushed toward where their mother and father were waiting for them.
Their mother looked at their soaked cheeks and red eyes and asked with concern in her eyes, "What happened, baby? Why are you crying?"
*Sob* *sob*
"Hinata, baby said that we alen't youl leal daughtels," they both spoke in unison as if their minds were connected.
.
Hiashi's face darkened with black lines on his forehead at how they addressed their elder sister.
In his eyes, they were impudent little brats.
To be honest, he was disappointed in them, they weren't as strong as his princess. They couldn't do even a fraction of what his elder daughter could do at their ages—whining over little things, crying here and there. His other daughter never cried nor whined, she was the definition of pure perfection.
.
He expected the same thing from them, and when his expectations didn't match, his mind subconsciously felt disappointed.
Her Byakugan was awakened from her birth, and these little runts didn't even know what Byakugan was, to them, everyone had these freaky white eyes.
His eldest daughter's chakra was too much, so much that it was like her chakra pathways could burst any moment. He hadn't seen so much raw and unadulterated chakra in anyone at her age. And even today, she was unrivaled.
.
But he wasn't disappointed in their chakra level because their chakra reserves were also insane.
Only he and his wife knew, not even the elders, that Hinata was doing something with their chakra pathways.
He knew it was too dangerous; the slightest mistakes could render them crippled, never able to use any chakra again. But he was confident in his daughter.
Whenever he looked at his smiling wife and the inner workings of her body, he could only see the complex webs of chakra strings; it still felt unreal to him.
.
He was aware of the inner politics of the clan, just as his daughter was, and that's why she was protecting them from everyone in the clan.
People expected the same talent and potential from them, and if they failed those expectations, they would be looked down upon.
He certainly didn't want that.
.
The Hyuga clan wasn't the fairyland it seemed from the outside, it was literal hell, and the children had to bear the burdens of expectations, and it was made even darker by his daughter.
Sometimes he secretly watched how his nephew Neji worked hard. After their taijutsu training, he secretly practiced in his room until he passed out from sheer exhaustion.
All this, just so he could catch up to his sister. If he slacked even for a day, he would be miles behind her.
Hiashi had never seen such strong willpower from anyone. If it were anyone else in his place, they would have broken by now and remained in her shadow for the rest of their life.
.
However, Neji stood on his own; his achievements were widely recognized. Even the branch members saw him as a member of the main house and respected him.
This was the reason. Whenever Hiashi looked at his younger daughters, he became worried and stressed.
Even with the Cage Bird Seal, he couldn't shut their thoughts. As for the elders, he didn't want to think about them. If not for Hinata, he wouldn't have as much power as he did now.
.
The people would never respect and love his younger daughters as they did Hinata. If they were not strong or couldn't come close to her, they would be discarded and fade into Hinata's shadow.
This would eventually lead to them receiving the Cage Bird Seal, and they would end up hating their sister for it.
.
And he didn't want that; that's why he was stern with them.
"Both of you, stop crying," his strict voice reverberated in the dining room, causing pin-drop silence.
The two little girls momentarily stopped crying. Hearing their father's cold voice, more tears instantly started to flow from their eyes like a broken dam. They started to choke on their dry throats; words weren't coming out, only tears.
.
"M-mommy," both of them ran towards her and hugged her legs, staining her clothes, still crying.
Seeing them like this, his irritation only grew further. "Didn't I say stop crying, or do you want me to come over there?"
The girls immediately tried to stifle their crying in fear, but it only resulted in silent sobs.
.
"Enough," but seeing her daughters like this, his wife sent him a cold glare, stopping him from speaking further.
"Come here, baby. Don't cry. Hinata was joking with you. You are our real daughters, and no one is scolding you, okay?" She tried to comfort them with her warm smile and sweet whispers while patting their backs with tenderness.
.
But her gaze never left him; anger and irritation were clearly visible in her eyes.
"Why are you always so strict with them? They aren't even 2 years old," her gaze pierced him.
"I am doing it for their own good," he yelled back.
"No, you aren't. You are forcing your thoughts on them," her voice matched his.
.
"You are expecting so much from them," she said, tensing the atmosphere.
"So what? Is it wrong for me to do so?" he said, squinting his eyes on the children.
"You have to remember that all fingers aren't equal," she said.
The anger between them started to build up, both of them were right in their own way.
.
"They took after you; that's why they are like this," in the fit of anger, he spoke the words he shouldn't have.
There was pin-drop silence once again; the children were too quiet to release their breaths in fear.
"Haha," a short chuckle escaped her. "Good, very good. When they do something good, they are your children, and when they don't meet your expectations, they become mine," she spoke, her lips quivering.
.
But before they could continue their quarrel, they heard steady steps.
*Step*
*Step*
Hinata, after taking a shower and donning her lavish clothes, approached the dining table.
As soon as she entered the tense atmosphere of the room, it didn't calm down, instead, the tension intensified.
Squinting her eyes, she asked, "What happened here?"
.
Seeing her, a smile appeared on Hiashi's face. "Nothing, princess. How was your training?" he asked, his mood turning merrier.
She looked around, first at her father, then her mother, and finally at the twins. Approaching her chair, she sat down. "Oh, I don't think that nothing had happened."
"As for the training, it's progressing fine," she added.
.
"That's good to hear," Hiashi said, ruffling her hair with a smile.
Not minding him, she looked at the twins, who were uncharacteristically quiet. "What happened to them?"
"They are upset with you. Tell them you were joking," her mother said, hiding the truth from her about the fight with her father. She didn't want to make a bad impact on her daughter, fearing it might weaken their family bond.
.
"Really?" Hinata asked, making her mother slightly nervous. Inside, her mother cursed for having such an observant child.
"Yes, look at their eyes," she said, tilting their heads toward Hinata.
However, Hinata's eyes saw more than that. There was a hint of fear, but not directed at her.
But soon, a sorry expression appeared on her face, and with a guilty voice, she spoke, "Are they crying because of me? I don't mean to do so. I was just joking with them. I was just too tired after sparring, so I thought of having a little fun. But I swear I won't do this again."
.
She quickly approached her mother and snatched the kids, placing them in her lap. "Are you angry with your sister?" she sweetly asked.
Seeing her sweet smile, the twins regained their confidence; that's the sister they knew. "Hmph, yes, we ale angly with you," they both huffed.
"Oh, I am sorry for that. Will you forgive me?" she asked, pinching their cheeks and tickling their bodies.
In an instant, she made them forget everything; they were giggling again with happy smiles. But finding the situation in their favor, they spoke, "We will folgive you, but we want chocolate and cookies."
"Okay, I have lots of chocolates and cookies. Come to sister."
.
Pleasing their young minds, she hugged them with all of her love.
Seeing their children like this, both parents were pleased.
Hinata looked at Hiashi with a sweet smile. "Let's wait before Big Brother comes."
"As you wish, princess."
But unknown to him, Hinata was happily loving and playing with her sister. Soon, a demonic smile crept on her lips as she looked at her father.
Nobody knew what she was plotting, what evil she would commit. Her face looked full of bliss, the joy and innocence on her face so pure, so divine as she played with her sisters.
.
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End of the chapter, how do you like it?