Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand paused for a moment. With his strong will, even if he is engulfed in flames, he wouldn't frown, but now, in the Hokage's office, a single sentence from a twelve-year-old branch family member of the Hyuga clan left him stunned.
"If it could make everyone in the village happy, that would be wonderful."
No demand for more "power."
No craving for higher "status."
Not even a mention of the Hyuga family.
To make everyone in the village happy...
'Yuto Hyuga, in your subconscious, is the importance of the village above all else?'
'The Hyuga clan's teachings certainly wouldn't instill such a thought. Was this sentence specifically crafted for me... or is it genuinely heartfelt, beyond even your awareness?'
For the first time, Hiruzen earnestly looked at the twelve-year-old branch family member in front of him.
'Very young, with thick calluses on his hands, indicating hard work. The Hyuga's jewel... Right, since becoming a Genin, you have rarely been in the Hyuga clan's territory, spending most of your time on missions. You were only six when you were promoted to Genin, so you haven't had much time for clan education...'
He suddenly thought of the genius who fought and died for Konoha, Kagami Uchiha.
Even in the closed, proud, and powerful shinobi clans, there are those who inherit the Will of Fire...
Hiruzen thought of many things, but finally, he suppressed all these thoughts, looking deeply at Yuto Hyuga: "Yuto-kun, you may leave now. Have a good rest."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Yuto bowed and exited.
He made no unnecessary moves and left the Hokage building in high spirits.
He had done all he could. What would happen next, Yuto couldn't foresee.
A highly talented Hyuga branch member with the "Will of Fire"... How would Hiruzen handle this?
If it were sixteen years later, with the canon officially beginning and the elderly Third Hokage nearing his end, he would likely remain passive, at most providing some secret assistance.
But now, the fifty-something Third Hokage, a man full of ambition and daring enough to make bold moves and drastic decisions, stood in his place.
Hiruzen Sarutobi... don't let me down.
Yuto thought this as he headed directly back to the Hyuga clan's territory, in keeping with his usual behavior.
This time, he could enter through the front gate.
The Hyuga clan's grounds were extensive. The central area belonged to the main family, while the surrounding areas were occupied by numerous branch families. The difference in location and elevation of these areas clearly conveyed the deep-rooted belief that "the main family is the master of the Hyuga, and the branch family must protect and serve the main family."
A thousand-year-old tradition, the concept of hierarchy, was as deeply ingrained as blood in every member of the Hyuga clan.
The main family saw this as natural law.
The branch family did too.
Over the long years, any seeds of rebellion had long been eradicated.
Yuto's home was in the southwestern part of the clan grounds, about four hundred meters from the tall walls, at the outskirts of the Hyuga clan's area.
But thankfully, his home was quite spacious. Though not filled with valuables, his parents had enjoyed gardening, making the yard pleasant, reminiscent of a flower garden.
He walked through the yard and entered the house, beginning to clean and tidy up.
Yuto had been away for eighteen days, and a layer of dust had settled on the tatami mats.
Cleaning was a tough job, but Yuto enjoyed it. As a shinobi, he could use chakra to walk on walls, so no corner was left untouched. He cleared away cobwebs, dust, and insects.
By the time the entire house was spotless, the sun was setting.
Yuto lay on the grassy-smelling tatami mats, removed his forehead protector, and touched his smooth forehead. He knew the hideous Caged Bird Seal was there, painless but ever-present, like a spider spinning silk.
Feeling disgusted by the thought, he shivered, got up, and went to the kitchen to cook.
A twelve-year-old boy, even a shinobi, would struggle to make delicious food. Skilled with kunai and chakra control, he still couldn't master cooking techniques, often fumbling with kitchen tools.
Fortunately, he only needed to prepare a small amount of food.
After much effort, he finally made a dish of fried fish, a plate of vegetables, and a bowl of rice.
The fish was slightly burnt, the vegetables overly salty, and the rice partially uncooked.
Despite this, Yuto ate happily.
No one in Konoha knew that when Yuto was alone, he was quite cheerful.
Born into the Hyuga branch family, destined to be a slave from birth, if he were always gloomy, he would have long since succumbed to despair.
As he ate, Yuto suddenly felt lonely.
He quickly got up, ran upstairs to a room, and retrieved two kunai from a box.
The kunai still had dried blood on them.
These were among the few personal belongings left by Yuto's parents.
Nine years ago, When he was three.
That year, as a reincarnated soul, Yuto was a carefree child, full of hope despite being a Hyuga branch member.
He knew the future development of this world, with the "Child of Prophecy" Naruto Uzumaki, everything would be fine, with happiness ahead!
Until one day, his parents, as "protectors," were brought back to the clan grounds, covered in blood.
A significant main family member was attacked, and his parents fought desperately, nearly dying to protect them.
Out of gratitude or fear of the change, Yuto clung to his dying parents, determined to witness their fate.
But in the end, he didn't see them die.
He was taken away with force, whips, and rules.
On the day his branch family parents died for the main family, their son received the Caged Bird Seal.
The reward for the dead heroes was to mark their offspring as slaves.
The date for the seal had been set, unchangeable under any circumstances, a rule the Hyuga clan took pride in for a thousand years.
When three-year-old Yuto, clutching his forehead, stumbled towards his parents, he found only two cold bodies.
He saw their lifeless faces and noticed their mouths slightly open, as if speaking.
After much thought, comparing mouth shapes and asking those present, Yuto Hyuga finally understood his parents' last words:
"Yuto, we're sorry."
Sorry... sorry for what?
At this moment, in his lonely, cold home, Yuto Hyuga held the blood-stained, rusted kunai and murmured: "There's nothing to apologize for."
"You did nothing wrong... Father, Mother."
(End of Chapter)