The warfront had been reporting victory after victory.
Ever since Hyuga Hiashi had led the Hyuga Branch Family's elite to the front lines as field commander, Orochimaru had ceased all his covert manipulations and instead unleashed a series of fierce counterattacks on the Hidden Mist. With those decisive offensives, Konoha achieved tremendous localized victories.
As each triumphant battle report returned to the village, Orochimaru's prestige grew ever higher. Once again, the title of "Legendary Sannin" was on everyone's lips throughout Konoha—only this time, Jiraiya and Tsunade's fame was being rekindled thanks to Orochimaru's exploits.
The deaths of Hyuga shinobi on the battlefield had finally been curbed. During his rare moments of respite, Hiashi would send letters home—simple, sparse messages inquiring after the clan's well-being, asking about Satoru's growth, and occasionally recounting a battle or two he'd witnessed at the front lines.
Though his letters were devoid of flowery sentiment, Satoru could still sense the quiet longing of a father missing his family.
Yet Hiashi had always been a man who reported only good news, never bad. He never once mentioned the dangers he faced—though in truth, since the day he arrived at the front, the Hyuga had been the target of repeated ambushes and assassination attempts.
And not merely from the Mist. There were also attacks from Iwa-nin… and Kumo-nin.
Still, every assault had been repelled by the Hyuga's formidable defenses.
Hiashi was a true elite jonin, and one with a kekkei genkai no less. Across the entire shinobi world, short of being overwhelmed by sheer numbers, only an elite squad led by a Kage-class opponent could possibly threaten him.
But the enemy's hunger for the Byakugan would not fade simply because their attempts had failed. On the contrary, the more formidable the Hyuga proved, the more covetous their rivals became.
And when direct attacks on Hiashi proved futile, their focus shifted elsewhere.
The Hidden Cloud—the village infamous for collecting kekkei genkai—had already set their sights on a new target.
A new plan was quietly set into motion.
Konohagakure Year 51.
Peaceful, fulfilling days made time pass quickly. Before anyone realized it, another year had drawn to a close.
December 27th.
The streets of Konoha were ablaze with color—lanterns strung high, banners fluttering in the winter breeze. Everywhere, faces were bright with joy.
Today was a day of celebration.
After nearly two years of negotiations and political tug-of-war, Konoha would finally sign a Friendship Treaty with the Hidden Cloud. From this day forward, the northern front would at last know peace.
It had been years since the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had risen to prominence during the Third Great Ninja War. Since then, Konoha had gradually pulled itself out of the quagmire of endless conflict.
Once surrounded by enemies on all sides, the village had fought tirelessly to survive:
The Sand, once rivals, had returned to Konoha's sphere of influence.
The Stone had drawn back their forces, turning their aggression toward the Cloud.
The Mist, though still troublesome, no longer waged full-scale war—thanks to Orochimaru's control of that front, casualties had been minimal in recent years.
Now, with the signing of a peace treaty with the Hidden Cloud, Konoha would finally be free of all external restraints—a village that could at last enjoy true peace.
For the war-weary people of Konoha, this was the day they had long prayed for. Ordinary villagers celebrated in the streets, and even the great clans let out sighs of relief.
The Hidden Cloud was a military powerhouse—far stronger in scale than the Mist. Had the Stone not tied them down, Konoha might have paid a steep price to fend them off.
Amid cheers and flower petals, the Cloud envoys rode tall horses down Konoha's main avenue. The thunderous applause of the people made clear their welcome.
At their head was Yotsuki Go, a high-born member of the Yotsuki Clan—cousin to the Fourth Raikage himself. Trusted deeply by his leader and famed for his own prowess, Yotsuki Go was a seasoned jonin whose name had echoed across battlefields.
He was accompanied by fourteen others: four jonin and eleven chunin. Such a delegation was formidable enough to decide the outcome of a mid-sized battle. Their very presence showed just how seriously the Hidden Cloud treated this diplomatic mission.
While the rest of the village reveled in celebration, one clan remained curiously unmoved.
At the Hyuga Compound, lanterns shone just as brightly as in the rest of Konoha—but not in honor of the Cloud envoys.
They were preparing for Hyuga Hinata's birthday.
For the young girl, today was supposed to be a momentous day. According to Hyuga custom, a child's third birthday was also the day a Branch Family heir of similar age would be branded with the Caged Bird Cursed Seal.
However, with Clan Head Hiashi still absent from the village, the branding had been postponed. As a Main Family child, Hinata would never bear the seal.
Until then, Hinata remained a child of the Main Family.
Though she was only the clan leader's daughter, her birthday celebration was still well-attended. Many Branch Family members came to offer blessings, and even more importantly—today's event would host a few very special guests.
The Hokage himself, Minato Namikaze, was busy receiving the Cloud envoys, but his wife Kushina Uzumaki and their son Naruto had been personally invited by Hanako Hyuga to attend.
Hinata and Naruto had grown up together; they were inseparable playmates. On Hinata's birthday, of course the Uzumaki mother and son couldn't be absent.
Had Minato not been tied up with official duties, even the Hokage might have made an appearance at the Hyuga compound that night.
Hinata had spent her young life within the walls of her clan's estate. Aside from Naruto, all her friends were children of other Hyuga families. To make the party more lively, Hanako had invited those close relatives as well.
The celebration was warm, bustling, and cheerful—no less grand than the banquet being held by the Hokage for the Cloud delegation.
Yet while the entire Hyuga clan basked in laughter and festivity, Hyuga Satoru quietly approached Hyuga Shin, his great-uncle.
"Uncle," he said softly, "please strengthen the guards tonight."
Though Shin didn't quite understand Satoru's concern, he didn't ignore it either. He instructed the night sentries to keep their drinking to a minimum and stay alert.
With his preparations complete, Satoru returned to the banquet, smiling and chatting like the rest.
But later that evening, after the feast had ended, he excused himself early and returned to his room—only to sit up abruptly moments later, wide awake.
His chakra was fully restored.
It was time. The storm was coming.
Sliding open the shoji, Satoru stepped out into the cool night air.
Activating his Byakugan, he swept his gaze across the compound, scanning every corner of the Main Family's perimeter. Once satisfied that the guards were in position, he sat quietly on the veranda, eyes lifted toward the bright full moon.
For a long time, he simply watched.
Then suddenly, his head lowered. A cold gleam flashed across his pupils.
He had felt it—several powerful chakras were racing toward the Hyuga estate.
"They're here…" he murmured.
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