blogombal Chapter 247 Reunion
Chapter 247 Reunion
Hiashi Hyuga watched as Hiruzen Sarutobi left the Hyuga clan compound, a sense of helplessness welling up inside him. He understood perfectly well why Hiruzen Sarutobi had made this exchange.
After all, Konoha's current situation is quite unique. The village has just lost the powerful Uchiha clan, and needs time to recover. A direct conflict with the Hyuga clan at this time would not be good for Konoha. Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi chose to compromise. However, the Hyuga clan cannot continue to fight them indefinitely; prolonged conflict will inevitably lead to an accidental clash and a true war.
While the Hyuga clan isn't afraid of the Konoha leadership's strength, they must consider the village's overall situation. If war were to break out, the Hyuga clan might suffer heavy losses, but Konoha would also be severely weakened, potentially pushing the already weakened village towards destruction. The Hyuga clan has contingency plans; even in defeat, they can retreat to Hyuga Kanan's training grounds to continue their development. However, Konoha would likely face a combined attack from other ninja villages, potentially leading to its annihilation into history.
Therefore, the Hyuga clan had to consider this. After all, they had lived in Konoha for many years and had developed strong bonds and affections. They couldn't bear the thought of Konoha perishing because of them. Moreover, the Hyuga clan couldn't emotionally bear such consequences. Therefore, the Hyuga clan had no choice but to compromise. Although they had taken another step back, at least they gained peace. Whether the Konoha leadership would honor their agreement depended on Hiruzen Sarutobi's abilities. However, the Hyuga clan had a backup plan. They had already transferred some clan members to Hyuga Kanan's training grounds as a precaution. At the same time, the Hyuga clan was secretly strengthening their power, just in case. As long as the Konoha leadership didn't break their promise, the Hyuga clan wouldn't provoke trouble. After all, no one wanted to become a sinner in history.
Hyuga Neji shook his head. He knew perfectly well that Konoha was no longer the powerful village it once was. When he was a child, the people of Konoha possessed a strong sense of self-confidence and pride, and were incredibly proud of Konoha's strength. Now, Konoha's power was far inferior to what it once was, and if things continued this way, Konoha would eventually be swallowed up by the other four great ninja villages. Thinking of this, a sense of disdain welled up in Hyuga Neji's heart.
He held Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, in utter contempt for his actions. He believed that as Hokage, Hiruzen should prioritize the interests of Konoha, not just his own pride and status. However, Hiruzen only knew how to maintain his rule through scheming, a practice that would only weaken Konoha further.
Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi's methods were not clever; in fact, they could be described as utterly foolish. He actually wanted to sacrifice the Uchiha clan to secure peace and stability for Konoha—this was tantamount to self-destruction. If the Uchiha clan were still alive, Konoha might have a glimmer of hope, but now it's too late.
Without the Uchiha clan, Konoha lost one of its most powerful forces, significantly weakening its overall strength. While Konoha had other ninja clans, their power was far inferior to the Uchiha. Furthermore, Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions fueled resentment towards Konoha among other clans, leading to signs of internal division.
In Hyuga Neji's view, Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions not only led to the decline of Konoha but could also trigger a civil war. If other ninja clans united to rebel against Konoha's rule, the village would face an unprecedented crisis. At that point, Konoha might not even be able to protect itself.
In short, Hyuga Neji believed that Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions were unacceptable. If Konoha could not change its current situation and regain its former glory, then without top-tier fighters, Konoha would eventually be swallowed up by the annals of history.
Hiashi Hyuga noticed the disdain on Neji Hyuga's lips but said nothing. He knew Neji didn't have much affection for Konoha now, and had always been taught by Kanan Hyuga. He certainly disdained this method of maintaining rule through intrigue and scheming. But Konoha's current situation was what it was; to prevent Konoha from collapsing instantly, they had no choice but to maintain it this way. The Hyuga clan could only continue living as they pleased, waiting for Konoha to change. If nothing changed in the end, the Hyuga clan could migrate to Kanan Hyuga's territory.
After returning to his residence with Hyuga Neji, Hyuga Hiashi did not immediately sit down to rest. Instead, he pulled Hyuga Neji into a room and began to introduce his youngest daughter, Hyuga Hanabi, to Hyuga Neji.
"This is my youngest daughter, Hyuga Hanabi," Hyuga Hiashi said proudly, pointing to a little girl.
Following the direction Hiashi Hyuga pointed, Neji Hyuga saw a little girl, about six years old, sitting on the bed, engrossed in reading a scroll. She had long black hair and large, clear eyes, and was very cute.
Seeing Hyuga Neji's gaze fall upon her, Hyuga Hanabi put down the scroll in her hand and looked at Hyuga Neji curiously, asking, "Dad, who is this big brother?"
"His name is Hyuga Neji, he's your cousin, and he'll be living with us from now on. You two should get along well," Hyuga Hiashi explained to his daughter with a smile.
Hearing her father's words, Hyuga Hanabi nodded happily, then gave Hyuga Neji a sweet smile. Looking at the adorable little girl before him, Hyuga Neji felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
"Neji, Hanabi is still young, but she has already shown great talent. I believe she will become a leader in the clan in the future." Hiashi Hyuga continued to introduce his youngest daughter to Neji Hyuga, his eyes full of pride.
After hearing Hiashi Hyuga's words, Neji Hyuga also focused his attention on Hanabi Hyuga. He knew how much the Hyuga clan valued bloodlines, and someone who received such high praise from Hiashi Hyuga must possess extraordinary potential. He couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation, wanting to see what was so special about Hanabi Hyuga.
Hiashi Hyuga then began to describe Hanabi Hyuga's talent: "Hanabi has shown amazing talent and potential since she was a child. She mastered Gentle Fist very quickly, almost instantly. Moreover, her control over chakra is also excellent, which allows her to perform various ninjutsu and skills more accurately."
Hearing this, Hyuga Neji couldn't help but nod slightly, inwardly marveling, "I didn't expect Hanabi to be so outstanding..." He had always been a natural talent, so this didn't surprise him much. But now it seemed that the person before him was also a member of the natural talent group.
Hiashi Hyuga continued, "Not only that, Hanabi also possesses extremely high combat intelligence. When facing enemies, she can always quickly find their weaknesses and deliver a fatal blow. This ability is very important in actual combat, as it can greatly improve her survivability and combat power."
Neji Hyuga nodded silently in agreement. He knew these were essential qualities for becoming an excellent ninja. And since Hanabi possessed these talents, her future achievements were undoubtedly limitless.
Hiashi Hyuga concluded, "Considering all these factors, I believe Hanabi will definitely become the pride of our Hyuga family in the future." After saying that, he looked at Neji Hyuga with expectant eyes, hoping that he would understand the meaning behind his words.
Hyuga Neji listened quietly to the other's story, his heart filled with emotion. He agreed; his teacher had often said that those with exceptional talent grew very quickly in their early stages and had a greater chance of becoming strong. At the same time, he felt gratified to have such talent in his clan. After all, they all bore the mission of protecting the clan's honor.
Time continued to pass, and both sides continued their exchange. Hyuga Hiashi was incredibly curious about the training grounds established by Hyuga Kanan, and Hyuga Neji kept explaining the situation there. Their conversation was quite pleasant.
Just then, a girl with short, ear-length hair, a cute face, and a slightly shy demeanor slowly walked into the living room. Upon seeing Hyuga Hiashi, she politely greeted him and stopped, standing quietly to the side to wait. Hyuga Neji turned around upon hearing the voice, and when he recognized the girl, a genuine joy immediately appeared on his face—the first time he had felt so happy since returning to Konoha. It turned out that this girl was Hyuga Hinata. Although she had grown up, her shy and timid personality remained unchanged; even her tone of voice was gentle and delicate.
Looking at Hinata Hyuga, whose appearance hadn't changed much, but who now seemed even more shy and adorable, Neji couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. Time flies, and before they knew it, they had grown into adults. A warm feeling of nostalgia welled up in Neji's heart.
He recalled the carefree days they spent together in the Hyuga clan's courtyard when they were young. Back then, Hinata was always so shy and introverted, always hiding behind him. But her pure and kind heart was deeply imprinted in Neji's heart.
As time went by, Hyuga Neji gradually realized that a large part of his affection for his clan stemmed from his shy and adorable younger sister. Despite the bonds of fate and the clan's mission between them, this familial bond was unbreakable. Now, seeing Hyuga Hinata grow even more beautiful and charming, Hyuga Neji's heart was filled with joy and satisfaction.