As Ryōsuke checked the unconscious Hinata in his arms, a figure sprinted in from afar. The man's face was tight with worry. It was the Hyuga clan head, Hiashi Hyuga. During a patrol, a clansman had noticed Hinata's window opened wider than usual. When he went to close it, he spotted signs of intrusion, rushed inside, and found Hinata missing.
The disappearance of the clan heir was a grave matter. The report reached the clan head at once, and Hiashi mobilized the entire clan to search. He had not scolded Hinata much lately, so she could not have left in distress. It had to be a kidnapping, and the culprit's goal was surely the Hyuga's Byakugan.
For the clan and for his daughter, he would not let the offender live. Rage burned in him. Someone had dared infiltrate the Hyuga compound and abduct his child. He would smash the criminal to pieces. After dispatching his clansmen in all directions, he set out himself. His Byakugan was the strongest in the family. Others could see about one kilometer. He could see beyond that. The kidnapper would try to flee the village, so he headed for the sector nearest Konoha's outskirts.
He soon found signs of a fight. His pursuit was on the right track. From a distance he spotted the fleeing culprit and saw his daughter in the arms of an Uchiha—Uchiha Ryōsuke, the same man who had returned Hinata earlier. Chakra surged around the Uchiha, and the aura gave Hiashi pause. But the abductor lay nearby in black garb, writhing in pain. Ryōsuke had knocked him down and rescued Hinata.
Fury exploded in Hiashi's chest. To lay hands on his daughter was a death sentence. Let this man be the warning to others. He suddenly accelerated at the black-clad ninja, thrust out his right hand, and drove savage chakra through the meridians of his arm, slamming his palm toward the man.
"Gentle Fist."
The Hyuga's signature taijutsu drove chakra into an enemy's body, wrecking meridians and organs. A direct hit meant certain death and a gruesome one.
Dodai, already heavily injured by Ryōsuke's kick, knew the Uchiha was terrifying. He struggled to his feet out of sheer fear of dying. Before he could react, killing intent washed over him, and a palm crashed into his chest. A violent force surged into him and detonated inside. Eyes bulged. Blood burst from his mouth. He died in an instant, horribly.
Ryōsuke clicked his tongue at the sight. Hiashi had truly flown into a rage and used a finishing move that shattered the man from within. It suited Ryōsuke's aims. He walked over to Hiashi.
"Lord Hiashi, impressive—but too impulsive. Why kill him on the spot?"
Hiashi's anger had not cooled. "He abducted my daughter. He deserved death."
"I understand your anger," Ryōsuke said, handing Hinata to him, "but that man seems to be the leader of Cloud's peace delegation."
"I noticed this man skulking around the Hyuga grounds today and suspected a plot," he continued. "So I waited here. Sure enough, he dared to abduct your daughter."
Hiashi examined the unconscious Hinata and relaxed slightly. Only sedated. Then he tore away the intruder's mask and saw the attire beneath. Cloud Village gear. So they had come to negotiate and still tried to steal his daughter.
"Thank you for saving her," Hiashi said. "But even if he was a Cloud envoy, he deserved to die for attempting to take my child."
"I agree he deserved it," Ryōsuke said. "But if he's dead, how will Konoha and Cloud sign a peace accord? This could bring trouble to the Hyuga."
Hiashi's face tightened. The war with Cloud had dragged on for years and cost Konoha dearly. The Third Hokage had long shown a desire for peace.
"I know what you imply," Hiashi said, "but this is Cloud's fault. They owe the Hyuga an explanation."
Ryōsuke scratched his head. 'You want an explanation. When the Third arrives, he will likely demand your brother's life to appease Cloud.' He kept that thought to himself. Saying it now would only anger Hiashi.
Soon other Hyuga arrived. Hiashi sent Hinata back for a thorough check and ordered that the Hokage be informed. He believed the Hokage would secure justice for the Hyuga.
Not long after, the Third Hokage hurried to the scene. One look at the corpse made his head throb. The swelling and rupture made it clear: Hiashi had struck the killing blow, bursting the man's organs. The peace signing was tomorrow. The village was on the brink of long-awaited calm. How had this happened?
He looked at Hiashi, displeased. "Lord Hiashi, why so impulsive? Could you not have left him alive?"
If the envoy lived, the Hokage could overlook the incident and still sign the peace. Hiashi bristled at the rebuke. Cloud was at fault. Why blame him?
"He abducted my daughter, who bears the Byakugan," Hiashi said. "Anyone coveting our Kekkei Genkai will not be spared by the Hyuga."
The Third knew exactly why Cloud wanted Hinata: the Byakugan. But the envoy was dead. How could there be a peace signing now? The villages might even spiral into worse conflict. Konoha could not afford that.