Inside the mountain cave, Hinata Haruki fixed his gaze toward the source of the approaching footsteps. Unfortunately, the light was far too dim, and his already poor eyesight could only make out a vague black silhouette slowly moving toward him.
An old, hoarse voice called out:
"Is that Yukio? Took you long enough to come see this old man… Hm? No, something's not right… Who are you? How did you get in here?"
Haruki lifted the faintly glowing stone in his hand, trying to see the newcomer more clearly.
A tall, white-haired, disheveled old man stepped toward him, his frame draped in a long robe, with an additional garment—draped across one shoulder like a monk's kasaya—hanging loosely over it.
What shocked Haruki was that where the man's eyes should have been, there were only two dark, hollow sockets. The eye sockets were warped and twisted, his appearance unsettling to behold.
Haruki's heart tightened. Seeing another human here was a relief, but he had no idea whether this man was friend or foe. Testing the waters, he spoke weakly:
"Um… hello. I… accidentally fell into this cave and got injured…"
The old man took a few more steps closer. Suddenly, his expression shifted—his withered face contorting in an almost agitated manner, his body trembling slightly.
Haruki's heart sank. If this man meant him harm, it would be the end. But then again, even without this encounter, Haruki would have died alone in the cave's darkness. Either way, death was death. That thought steadied him—at least a little.
"I'm just a kid… Who are you, old man?" Haruki asked, his voice faint from exhaustion.
The man didn't answer. Instead, he stepped closer still, those hollow sockets somehow focusing on Haruki.
"Oh? The Byakugan? I can sense it… it truly is the Byakugan! Ho…"
"Uh… old man, did you hear me?" Haruki asked, shrinking back slightly. His mind was racing: How? How does he know I have the Byakugan? What is he planning?
The man ignored the question, muttering as if to himself:
"No doubt… it's the Byakugan! Though badly damaged—no wonder I didn't sense it at first…"
He can tell my Byakugan's been sealed and damaged… Who is this man?
As the old man drew nearer, Haruki tried to crawl backward, but exhaustion and injury left him pressed against the wall with no strength left to resist.
The man finally stopped right before him and said:
"Hm? Wait… another pair of Byakugan? Such purity… pristine Byakugan… Could it be… the Prince of the Byakugan?"
What?! He can sense Hinata Nisshin's eyes?! Haruki's heart skipped a beat. Those eyes were sealed away inside a scroll—how could he possibly know?
"Old man! Who exactly are you? Answer me, or I won't hold back!" Haruki tried to sound steady, even as he struggled to muster the last traces of chakra—only to find he had none left to call upon.
The old man fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking:
"Child, you're from the Hyuga clan, aren't you? Did Yukio send you?"
"Uh? Who's Yukio?" Haruki froze, then nodded anyway. "Yes… I'm from the Hyuga clan." At this point, with his Byakugan already exposed, hiding his identity seemed pointless.
"Oh, so not sent by Yukio. Then you must be from the branch family! Hahaha!" the old man laughed heartily.
"Old man, who are you? And how do you know that?" Haruki asked, momentarily forgetting his fatigue in his surprise.
The man's laughter faded, his manner softening. Pointing toward Haruki, he asked gently:
"Child, what's your name?"
"My name is Hinata Haruki. I'm from the branch family. I'll be turning seven soon," Haruki replied slowly.
"How did you end up here? What happened to your eyes? And why do you carry the main family's Byakugan?" the man pressed.
"Old man, you're asking me all these questions… shouldn't you answer mine first?" Haruki retorted. Just then, his stomach growled loudly—he hadn't eaten in what felt like forever.
"You're hungry, aren't you? I've got food," the man said, patting his robes, belt, and even rummaging inside the folds of his outer garment.
Haruki eyed him warily. What's this geezer going to feed me? He's not some pervert, is he…?
"Ah, here it is!" The old man finally produced a stone from inside his robe. Pressing it to the wall, he activated a hidden seal—green chakra lines flared across the surface, forming an intricate formula before fading away. A concealed door opened in the stone wall.
The man stepped inside and soon returned with water, bread, and some wild fruit.
"Here, eat."
Haruki accepted the food and began eating without hesitation. The bread was stale and dry, clearly stored for a while, but to a starving boy, it was a feast. Seeing no malice in the man's behavior, Haruki devoured it hungrily.
When they'd both eaten their fill, the man said:
"Child, you may call me Elder Sō."
"Alright… Elder Sō." Haruki thought to himself, What an odd name…
"Now," Elder Sō said, "tell me your story."
Haruki recounted everything—how the Hyuga main family had targeted him and his father, the branch family's cursed seal, the sealing and destruction of his Byakugan, Nisshin's attempt to kill him, and how he had ultimately taken Nisshin's eyes. Lying would be useless—Elder Sō already knew about Nisshin's Byakugan—so Haruki told the truth.
"So I was badly injured, blacked out, and fell into this cave by sheer luck," Haruki concluded with a yawn, exhaustion weighing on him after all the talking.
"I see… For you to crawl this far alone is truly impressive, hehe." Elder Sō gave an approving nod.
"Still… for the Hyuga main family to stoop to such acts… It seems the rift between main and branch has rotted the clan to its core—filled with conflict, hostility, even fratricide…" Elder Sō sighed deeply, sadness clouding his expression.
"There shouldn't be a main and branch family at all! We're one clan—why should the main family be inherently noble while the branch is treated as inferior? Why must we be ruled through cursed seals? These rules are nothing but garbage!" Haruki snapped, his loathing for such traditions running deep.
"Garbage? Haha, you're an interesting one." Elder Sō chuckled. "You look tired. Rest first."
"Mm." Haruki climbed onto a stone bed. After secretly watching Elder Sō for a while and seeing nothing suspicious, he let down his guard enough to drift into sleep.
He slept deeply.
…
When Haruki next opened his eyes, Elder Sō was sitting nearby with fresh fruit and food.
"You're awake? Eat."
Haruki didn't stand on ceremony—he needed to recover his strength and chakra as quickly as possible.
"You called the clan's rules garbage," Elder Sō began, "then how would you run a great family?"
"With fair, just rules—and love for every single member," Haruki replied.
"Love?" Elder Sō tilted his head.
"Yes. What truly binds a family isn't just power—it's the presence of someone respected and trusted by all. Someone who genuinely loves everyone in the clan, like a grandparent figure. If such a person exists, disputes can be resolved, and everyone will rally around them. Combine that with justice and equality, and the clan will thrive."
"And if core beliefs clash?" Elder Sō asked.
"Then sit down and talk it out! Even if the arguments get heated, the next day you eat together as family again. Family always keeps each other's best interests at heart. With a leader who loves the clan, their ideals will naturally influence everyone."
"And if that unifying figure dies? If their ideals cause deep rifts among the next generation?"
"When someone passes, they pass their spirit to their descendants. Those who inherit their will wouldn't let the family break apart. Ideals inherited faithfully won't be distorted. In the end, we're still one family—blood is thicker than water."
Haruki thought of the Uchiha clan—too extreme, too obsessed with their own kin, their pride too intense. United within, prickly without, yet trapped by their own narrow interests, they clung to power and illusions until many became frogs in a well.
"A family…" Elder Sō murmured, falling deep into thought.
After a little more casual conversation, Haruki—still weak—lay down to rest again.
Elder Sō's thoughts churned: Perhaps this child could stop the branch family from straying too far. We mustn't let them betray the will of our ancestors and commit unforgivable acts…
Placing a hand on Haruki's chest, green healing chakra flowed from his palm into the boy's body as he examined him.
Hm? This child's vitality… it's remarkable. No wonder he survived such injuries… His bloodline is closely related to my own clan's… Not only does he possess the Byakugan, but his body seems to carry traces of the Ōtsutsuki line… Could it be from the Uzumaki? Or the Senju?
Wait… this chakra… could it be…? I've found it! I've truly found it… Haha!
His shock turned to uncontainable joy, his body trembling with excitement.
Fate… this is fate! For this old man, in the twilight of life, to meet this boy… Ancestor, is this the legacy you left for us? Have you been guiding me all along? Perhaps… you arranged this from the start… Hahaha!
Elder Sō's laughter was full of deep relief and happiness, the wrinkles on his face easing.
…
In the valley, Tsunade stood atop a boulder, gazing over the vast stone formations. The search had entered its eighth day—this area had been combed over almost completely.
Still, there was no sign of Haruki.
"Tsunade-sama! We found this in a bottomless pit!" A jōnin ran over holding a torn scrap of a green flak jacket, stained with traces of blood.
"This is Haruki's vest! Where did you find it?" Tsunade's heart clenched.
"Between several giant rocks, we found a deep vertical shaft. The walls were slick and jagged, with sharp protrusions. We lowered men down on ropes and found this caught on a small ledge. But we ran out of rope—and still couldn't see the bottom. Below that, the shaft narrows, water seeps from the walls, and even Hayi's trained hawks couldn't descend."
"Bring more rope. Strong rope—long as possible. Lower people down. Haruki should be down there," Tsunade ordered.
"Tsunade-sama, a fall that deep would be certain death… Haruki is likely…" the jōnin began hesitantly.
"If we haven't seen him, there's still hope, isn't there? Try again…" Tsunade's eyes were shadowed with sorrow.
"Shikaku, you're usually full of ideas. Got anything?" she asked the Nara clan tactician beside her.
Shikaku shook his head. "No… Only hope for a miracle. That kid Haruki was cleverer than most. The counterattack plan against Suna was something he and I devised together. The three-pronged kunai—his idea. Before the final battle, he pushed to form a recon squad… which became our second reserve force in the end."
Tsunade froze at his words. After a long silence, she murmured:
"That boy… sly as a fox. And quite the actor…"
A tear slid down her cheek, falling onto the bloodstained scrap of his vest.