Visiting

"If there's a problem, just ask directly. What's the point of standing here thinking alone?"

Tenten grumbled, then dashed to the side of a man staring oddly at Neji, grabbing his shoulder with one hand.

"Hey, what's your deal? Why are you looking at my teammate so rudely?!"

"Sorry! Sorry!"

The man hurriedly turned his face away.

"If you're really sorry, just say it. What's the reason? Why are you all acting like this?" Tenten demanded.

Shikamaru, Neji, and the others gathered around.

"Well… alright, here's what happened…"

The man recounted everything that had happened to the Hyuga Clan.

Hearing this, several team members and Guy froze in place.

"You're saying the Hyuga Clan is finished? Attacked? All the main branch lost their Byakugan, then tried to take the branch members' Byakugan, and because the Caged Bird seal was removed, both sides fought fiercely until they completely split? Are you sure you're not joking?" Tenten said in disbelief.

"I'm not joking. If you don't believe me, ask someone else. I'm leaving!" The man hurriedly ran off.

They then asked a few other passersby, and the answers were nearly identical.

This time, everyone was at a loss for words.

Neji clenched his fists tightly.

His expression was deeply conflicted.

The Hyuga Clan, finished? Branch members no longer had to endure the main branch's oppression and restrictions.

'This… is clearly what I've wished for since childhood, but why, now that it's happened, does it hurt so much…'

Neji felt utterly hollow.

"Neji… are you okay?" Tenten asked with concern.

"Of course I'm fine, but this main branch issue is serious. By the way… Hanabi?"

Neji whispered softly, then suddenly realized.

He grabbed another passerby and asked about Hanabi's condition.

"Of course, her Byakugan was stolen too… all the main branch, not one spared… No, that's not right. Only the Hyuga princess, Hinata-ojousama, seems to have been spared because she was on a mission." the passerby replied.

"Damn it! Even Hanabi's Byakugan was stolen!"

"She's only 11 years old!"

"Does that bastard have any conscience?!"

"This is absolutely not youthful! No spirit!"

Tenten, Ino, and Lee cursed angrily.

"Damn it!"

Neji swore under his breath, then broke from the group and ran into the distance.

"Neji!"

Everyone shouted and hurriedly followed.

Soon, they arrived at Konoha Hospital.

In a large room, Hiashi and Hanabi were resting. A commotion came from outside, followed by the door opening.

Hiashi instinctively turned, his bandaged eyes facing the door.

"Wasn't the medicine just changed? Is there something else to do?"

"Hiashi-sama, Hanabi."

A soft call made Hiashi pause.

Hanabi was even more excited.

"Is that Neji-nii? Neji-nii, you're finally back! Hanabi missed you so much!"

"I'm back. I'm sorry, Hiashi-sama, Hanabi… I didn't protect everyone well." Neji said regretfully.

"Neji-nii! Neji-nii… do you hate Hanabi too? Will you be like the other branch siblings and cut ties with us?" Hanabi asked worriedly.

"Of course not." Neji said firmly.

"Phew… that's a relief… So many branch siblings started hating Hanabi… and uncles and aunts too… I even overheard them arguing with Father earlier…" Hanabi sighed in relief, then spoke with concern.

"Hanabi… your eyes…" Neji said.

"My eyes were stolen… but luckily, the hospital reattached them. The nurse said in a few months, I'll be able to see again." Hanabi gave a faint smile.

"Hanabi…" Neji muttered, his heart deeply conflicted.

"Neji, it's good you're back safe. Now, there's no more branch or main. You don't need to keep calling me Hiashi-sama—just call me Uncle." Hiashi said with a faint smile.

"Hiashi-sama…" Neji was momentarily at a loss for words.

"No need to pity or feel sorry for me. All this is punishment for the main branch. For years, we stood above the branch members, claiming the Caged Bird protected them, yet some always oppressed them… This is the punishment we deserve." Hiashi sighed.

"Even if it's punishment, it should fall on those who were disobedient and arrogant, not someone like you, Hiashi-sama." Neji said sadly.

"Hehe… As head of the Hyuga Clan, I failed to stop such behavior. That itself is a grave mistake. If I'm not punished, who should be?"

Hiashi shook his head magnanimously.

"Hiashi-sama…"

"Neji, there are others with you, right? Come sit together. There's some fruit on the side—take some and eat." Hiashi smiled, patting the small cabinet beside his bed.

"Hyuga Clan Head."

"Hello, Uncle Hiashi."

The group greeted in unison.

"Those voices… Is that Shikamaru from the Nara Clan? And Ino from the Yamanaka… Lee, Tenten, and Guy? Has everyone returned?" Hiashi twitched his ears.

"The Hyuga Clan Head even remembers small fries like us." Shikamaru said.

"What's small or big? We're all just ordinary beings in Konoha's life." Hiashi smiled.

"Clan Head… why does it feel like losing your Byakugan hasn't made you angry at all?" Shikamaru asked.

"Losing my Byakugan let me see more things. For me, it's not necessarily bad." Hiashi explained, smiling.

"Do you want revenge on the one who stole your eyes?"

"I… have no such intention, but others seem very angry." Hiashi said.

"You don't want revenge, Hiashi-sama? Your and Hanabi's Byakugan were stolen! A Hyuga without Byakugan…" Neji shouted emotionally.

"Without Byakugan, I'm still a Hyuga! The Hyuga Clan was never defined by the Byakugan! Ordinary eyes can still let us see the world clearly." Hiashi cut Neji off.

"Hiashi-sama, can you tell us the specific situation that day? Who exactly did it? I'll definitely avenge everyone!" Neji said, gradually calming down.

"Revenge? No… Neji, never think like that." Hiashi quickly shook his head.

"Hiashi-sama? What are you saying? No revenge? Can the Hyuga Clan just fall apart like this, with your and Hanabi's eyes stolen?" Neji said angrily.

"Neji… you don't know everything yet… listen to me carefully…"

Hiashi shook his head and sighed, quickly recounting the events of that day to everyone.

When he finished, several people showed blank expressions. "One person? Really just one person?"

"Yes, just one person." Hiashi nodded seriously.

"That's too much. The Hyuga Clan has hundreds of members… including fifteen Jonin, and they lost to one person? What kind of creature is that guy?" Shikamaru grumbled.

"It feels… stronger than Hokage-sama…" Tenten swallowed hard.

"Such a terrifying monster… even if I opened the Seventh Gate, I'd be far from matching that…" Guy said gravely.

"It's like listening to a myth…" Ino muttered.

"A monster like that… can youth really catch up to it?" Lee looked incredulous.

"Damn it! Even if he's as strong as a Bijuu, Konoha still has all of us, and Tsunade-sama. Together, we can definitely defeat him!" Neji clenched his fists tightly.

"No… that person isn't afraid of group attacks. No matter how many, it's meaningless. Neji, let go of your hatred…" Hiashi continued to advise.

"Hiashi-sama…" Neji felt anger in his heart but didn't want to keep opposing the ailing Hiashi, so he fell silent.

Afterward, the others chatted with Hiashi about other matters, but Neji wasn't very interested.

Some time later, they left the hospital. Neji initially wanted to head straight home.

But then he saw Hinata, Shino, and Kiba running toward the hospital.

This made Neji pause, standing rooted in place for a long time until Kiba and Shino emerged from the hospital.

"Hinata… how is she?" Neji asked.

"Oh, Neji… Hinata's not doing so well…" Shino shook his head.

"After such an ordeal, with the Hyuga Clan fractured, her father and sister's eyes stolen, how could she be okay? But Clan Head Hiashi is quite magnanimous, even comforting Hinata, telling her not to be trapped by the chains of revenge…"

Kiba spread his hands.