"F-Father…"
Hyuga Hinata's voice was barely louder than a whisper. The moment she stepped out from the sense of security surrounding Naruto, she lowered her head deeply and hurried to her father's side.
She looked like a child caught red-handed, her shoulders instinctively drawing inward.
The cold night wind brushed past her, yet it felt far less biting than the chill welling up in her chest.
She had snuck out.
Now that her father was standing here in person—waiting in the wind and snow—guilt surged through her.
Father must be angry…
She worried that he had been forced to come out so late because of such a disappointing daughter. Her thoughts drifted back to the sparring match earlier that day.
Against Hanabi's fierce attacks, she hadn't been able to strike back.
Every opening had been perfectly clear to her Byakugan, yet her hands—and her heart—had refused to let her Gentle Fist land on her younger sister's small body.
Hesitation. Soft-heartedness.
Fatal flaws in a duel.
It was because she couldn't bring herself to hurt her sister.
But a loss was a loss. In her father's eyes—and in the eyes of the entire clan—results were everything.
Once again… I've disgraced the Hyuga Main Family.
She remembered the cold sigh Father had let out after the match, the disappointment plainly visible in those pale eyes.
His anger back then had been only natural.
She accepted that "fact" silently, placing all the blame on her own weakness and inadequacy.
---
Oh no.
The instant Naruto saw those unmistakable white eyes, his heart sank.
Dragging the Hyuga Clan's eldest daughter around until this hour, only to be intercepted at a crossroads by the clan head himself—this was practically the definition of being caught in the act.
I'm done for. He's totally going to think I'm some shady punk luring little girls around.
That instinctive panic lasted less than two seconds.
Naruto forced himself to calm down.
Wait—why am I panicking?
What did I even do wrong?
I treated her to ramen, walked her home, and protected her the whole time.
I've got nothing to feel guilty about!
With that thought, Naruto unconsciously straightened his slightly hunched back. The awkward tension drained from his expression. Though still awed by the imposing clan head before him, his gaze steadied.
---
Hiashi Hyuga watched his daughter hurry over, looking as though she wished she could sink into the ground. Fear, guilt, and self-blame radiated from her small frame.
A complicated mix of emotions passed through him—helplessness, and a faint, nearly imperceptible ache.
His gaze shifted past Hinata and landed on the blond boy doing his best to stand composed.
He saw Naruto's honest, slightly foolish grin.
After a brief silence, instead of questioning or scolding as Hinata expected, Hiashi gave a small but unmistakable nod.
His voice was calm, betraying little emotion—but his words stunned both Hinata and Naruto.
"Thank you… for looking after my daughter."
"No problem!"
Naruto puffed out his chest, flashed a wide grin, and gave a confident thumbs-up.
"I'm the guy who's gonna be Hokage! Protecting people in the Village is just what I do!"
The pose.
The tone—like he was stating an obvious truth.
That overflowing, slightly goofy enthusiasm.
Hiashi's pale eyes flickered faintly.
So the rumors are true… He really has been training with Might Guy.
Naruto's posture and expression mirrored that elite jonin almost perfectly.
That unrestrained youthfulness. That blunt, almost reckless way of speaking—pure Guy.
He wondered, not without curiosity, whether the boy had also inherited Guy's philosophy of "youth."
Yet when Hiashi's gaze lingered on Naruto's bright blond hair and those clear blue eyes filled with unwavering resolve, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Those features… they really do resemble yours, Minato.
A gentle yet powerful figure surfaced in his memory.
The hero who had once stood at the forefront, guarding every corner of the Village. The man who inspired others with a smile like the sun.
The Yellow Flash of the Ninja World.
Minato Namikaze and his wife had given their lives for Konoha during that disaster. They were heroes—without question.
Yet their child, who should have grown up protected by that legacy, had instead endured cold stares and rejection because of the "Demon Fox" sealed within him.
An indescribable mix of emotions welled up in Hiashi's chest—regret, sorrow, and perhaps a father's quiet grief for a hero's son.
Minato… can you see this from where you are?
Your son has inherited your and Kushina's will.
From the bottom of his heart, he loves this Village and wants to protect it—just like you did.
The corners of Hiashi's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. For a fleeting instant, a gentle, fatherly smile threatened to break through his usual sternness.
In that moment, a simple, sincere thought formed.
If it's convenient… perhaps I should invite him to our home tomorrow.
If he were speaking purely as a father, he would have done so without hesitation.
Invite Naruto in. Thank him properly. Let Hinata—who had finally made a friend—be happy.
He could already imagine her reaction.
But those words never left his mouth.
Because he was not only Hinata's father.
He was the head of the Hyuga Clan.
That title granted authority and honor—but also bound him with heavy chains.
One must not get too close to a Jinchūriki.
Especially now, when the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was a highly sensitive figure, closely watched by the Village's upper echelons—particularly Danzo Shimura and the organization beneath him.
Any clan that appeared overly close to Naruto could be suspected of ulterior motives. Of attempting to influence or control the Jinchūriki's power.
That would invite scrutiny. Vigilance. Even suppression.
For the sake of the Hyuga Clan's stability, he could not take that risk.
In the end, that fleeting smile vanished completely, and his expression hardened once more.
He gave Naruto another small nod, then turned to his daughter.
"Let's go home."
The wind continued to howl through the snowy street, but something unspoken had already changed.