Hiashi Hyuga stood at the threshold of his daughter's room, hands clenched behind his back, his expression a careful mask of self-assured control. Today, there would be no great escape.
Not this time.
He had ensured it.
Guards were stationed at every corner, their Byakugan activated, their focus unwavering. Advanced seal-based barriers surrounded the compound, each one designed to alert him the moment anything unusual happened. This time, his daughter would not slip past his grasp.
With a sharp nod to the guards, he slid open the door.
Hinata lay on her futon, curled on her side, her breathing slow and even. Hiashi exhaled through his nose. Finally. She was exactly where she belonged.
Except something was… off.
His eyes narrowed.
The air in the room felt too cold. A faint mist clung to the edges of the walls, curling toward the ceiling like frozen breath.
A feeling of unease crept up his spine.
Without hesitation, he activated his Byakugan.
The instant his vision sharpened, his blood ran cold.
There was no chakra network.
His daughter—wasn't there.
Before he could react, the figure on the futon stirred. Slowly, almost lazily, "Hinata" sat up, tilting her head in his direction.
And then—she shattered.
The illusion broke apart like fragile ice, her body dissolving into a mist of frost and swirling air. Hiashi took an involuntary step back as the temperature in the room plummeted, frost creeping along the wooden floor.
A new form emerged from the icy remains.
Not his daughter.
A nine-tailed fox.
Its body was crafted from pure ice, its fur made of shimmering frost, tails lazily flicking behind it as it settled onto Hinata's bed like it belonged there. Cold, glowing blue eyes met his, and for the first time in years, Hiashi felt something dangerously close to fear.
"Good morning, old man," the fox purred, its voice rich with amusement. "Having a rough day?"
Hiashi's Byakugan flared. "Who dares interfere with my daughter's discipline?!"
The fox yawned, stretching its front paws forward. "Relax, Lord Paranoia. No one's 'stealing' your daughter. She's simply… outgrowing you."
Hiashi clenched his fists. "Where is she?"
The fox smirked. "Oh, you know. Out."
Hiashi took a step forward, but the fox lifted a single icy paw. The air immediately grew colder, frost racing up the walls, sealing the door shut with a crackle.
"Now, now," the fox murmured, voice dripping with mockery. "Let's talk."
Hiashi's anger boiled. "Who are you?"
The fox flicked its ears. "Oh, wouldn't you like to know?"
The elders behind him shifted uneasily, whispering among themselves. A summoned entity? A spirit? Something more?
Hiashi gritted his teeth. He was not going to let a fox—an ice apparition, no less—mock him in his own home.
"Why are you interfering?" he demanded.
The fox stretched lazily, tails flicking. "Because it's funny."
The veins around Hiashi's temples bulged. "You will tell me who is aiding my daughter. Now."
The fox leaned in, ice-cold breath curling in the air. "Who says she needs help?"
For a moment, silence hung in the air.
Hiashi's mind raced, grasping for explanations. This wasn't possible. There was no way his daughter, his weak, delicate daughter, had grown strong enough to do this on her own.
And yet—she was gone. Again.
His fury burned through his logic. "I will find who is responsible."
The fox chuckled. "Oh, I hope so. It's always so entertaining watching you chase ghosts."
And with that, the ice fox dissolved, shattering into a thousand tiny snowflakes before vanishing completely.
Hiashi stood frozen, fists clenched so tightly that his nails bit into his palms.
"She can't be doing this on her own," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "Someone is helping her. There must be a conspiracy."
The elders exchanged worried glances.
Hinata arrived at the training grounds to find Raven waiting for her, perched on a fallen log, eating a slice of pizza.
"You got out fast this time," Raven mused, watching her with lazy amusement.
Hinata smirked. "One minute and forty-five seconds."
Raven grinned. "Nice. We'll aim for under a minute next time."
Hinata felt something unfamiliar settle in her chest. Confidence.
Her father could build as many walls as he wanted. She would always find a way through.
"Alright, Princess. Time to expand your Ice Domain."
Hinata exhaled, activating her Soul Ice Domain. The air around her grew still, the temperature dropping instantly.
Raven tossed a kunai at her without warning.
Hinata's fingers twitched. The kunai froze mid-air, then shattered into a fine mist.
Raven whistled. "Not bad. Let's go faster."
More kunai. More unpredictable angles. But Hinata's Ice Domain responded before she even moved, freezing and breaking anything that entered its range.
"Now you're thinking like an Ice Queen," Raven commented.
Hinata blinked. "Ice Queen?"
Raven smirked. "Cold, beautiful, lethal. It fits."
Hinata fought back a blush and shrugged. "If you say so."
Raven leaned in, her voice low. "I do."
Hinata definitely did not shiver. It was the cold. Obviously.
Next, Ice Clone training.
Hinata summoned three Ice Clones, but before they could even react, Raven shattered one.
"Too slow."
Hinata adjusted, channeling her Byakugan's insight into her clones.
This time, when Raven attacked, the clones moved before the strike even landed.
Raven grinned. "Now that's what I'm talking about."
A spear of solid ice formed in Hinata's palm. She hurled it toward Raven—
Raven dodged at the last second. The spear pierced straight through a tree, leaving frostbite in its wake.
Raven eyed the tree, impressed. "Damn. You're actually getting dangerous."
Hinata exhaled, a slow smile forming. "That's the goal, isn't it?"
Back at the Hyuga Compound, Hiashi sat in his office, reviewing security reports.
He rubbed his temples.
He had increased security. He had stationed dozens of guards. He had installed barriers.
And still, his daughter had vanished.
A chill ran through the room.
He looked up.
A nine-tailed fox with pure white fur and glowing violet eyes was perched on his desk.
Hiashi froze.
Yuumi smiled.
"Miss me, old man?"
Hiashi shot to his feet. "WHAT ARE YOU?!"
Yuumi just laughed, tails swaying behind her.
"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?"
Hiashi Hyuga was not having a good day.
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