High Hopes
At Chi Yu's house.
Chi Yu scolded Hizashi harshly.
If it had been anyone else, Chi Yu would not have wasted his breath—he wouldn't even have acknowledged them.
But ever since Minato Namikaze's wedding—when Hizashi agreed to let Neji become his disciple—Chi Yu had considered Neji as good as his own student. That was why, when faced with Hizashi's stubborn shortsightedness, Chi Yu chose to lash out, hoping to jolt him awake.
A father's influence on his child is profound—more than most realize.
Just like in Neji's original path.
The boy had once burned with quiet resentment toward the Main Family, detested the injustice of their "destiny," and yet… accepted it. And when Hizashi, at only thirty-two, chose to die in his elder brother's place during the Hyūga Affair, that fatalistic seed fully took root in Neji's heart.
From then on, Neji clung to the idea that fate was absolute.
Chi Yu loathed that kind of pessimistic fatalism.
He didn't even know if, in such a future, he would still take Neji as a disciple. That was why he wanted to reason with Hizashi now. If Hizashi understood, good—if not, then perhaps he and Neji simply weren't meant to be master and student.
Hizashi was caught in a deep dilemma.
Was the Hyūga Clan worth his loyalty? Was the Main Family worth his sacrifice?
The answer came easily: no.
The clan's obsession with bloodline purity had split one family into two castes—the Main Family and the Branch Family—tearing brothers apart. The "Caged Bird" seal had been devised to keep the Branch Family under absolute control, branding them as tools rather than kin.
And the Main Family had never seen the Branch Family as equals.
A human life is short, but its influence can last generations.
If he died, Neji would simply become a second Hizashi. Then Neji's children would inherit that same yoke… and the cycle would never end.
Was that truly the future he wanted?
Since the age of three, when the seal was burned into his forehead, Hizashi had been taught that his role was to protect the Main Family and be ready to die for them. That indoctrination had carried him from confusion, to anger, and finally… to quiet resignation.
But was he really going to pass the same shackles down to the son in whom he had placed such high hopes?
If Neji's fate was simply to die for the Main Family, what was the point of those hopes?
And what exactly were those "high hopes"? Strength? Skill? Or something deeper?
If they were truly high hopes, then the answer was clear—he wanted Neji to achieve what he himself never could.
To control his own destiny.
And yet… Hizashi realized with a jolt that he was on the verge of crushing that very possibility.
A bitter smile spread across his face.
> "It's Neji's misfortune to have a father like me…"
He looked at Chi Yu with a rare sincerity.
> "But it's his good fortune to have you as a teacher."
Chi Yu raised a brow and smiled faintly.
> "So… it seems you've reached a conclusion, Head of House Hizashi?"
Hizashi nodded gravely.
> "I have. And along with it, I feel dread. I nearly doomed my own son without realizing it. Chi Yu, I hope that once Neji is old enough to understand, he can remain under your guidance."
Chi Yu's eyes narrowed slightly.
> "Always? You're certain? Under my teachings, Neji might lose any sense of belonging to the Hyūga Clan. He might even come to despise it—especially after seeing how you've been treated."
Hizashi let out a quiet sigh.
> "Better that than to see him become like me—a man who accepts his fate without a fight. I will respect whatever path he chooses. So… I leave his education to you."
Chi Yu gave a slow nod.
> "In that case, I will guide him to the best of my ability."
From the side, Uzumaki Kushina smiled, clearly pleased that the two had reached an understanding.
Neji, still a small child, seemed to catch the warmth in her expression and stopped crying—his lips curling into a shy laugh that matched hers.
After a bit more conversation, Hizashi rose to leave, Neji in his arms.
Once the door closed, Kushina turned to Chi Yu, curiosity written all over her face.
> "Chi Yu… earlier you told Hizashi that I could release the Caged Bird Seal. But I really don't know how."
Chi Yu chuckled.
> "You don't need to. I do."
Kakashi, who had been quietly observing, frowned.
> "Then why say Kushina-sensei could do it?"
Chi Yu shrugged.
> "In their eyes, I'm not a sealing expert. If I claimed I could break it, they wouldn't believe me. But if the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails—the pride of the Uzumaki sealing arts—was said to be capable, they'd accept it without question."
Kushina pouted.
> "So I was just your cover, huh?"
But her expression softened into a sigh.
> "Still… that Hyūga system is awful. They're supposed to be one clan, yet they created something that splits their own family in two."
Chi Yu's voice turned cold.
> "The most foolish system of any noble clan in Konoha. That's why the Hyūga have always been overshadowed by the Uchiha. Even after the Uchiha's downfall, the Hyūga still can't rise.
> "The Main Family holds all the authority. Even if one of them is useless, the Branch must protect them with their lives. On the surface, the Branch bows in respect, but underneath… they seethe with hatred.
> "That kind of division destroys talent. If a genius is born in the Main Family, the constant overprotection makes them complacent and mediocre. If a genius is born in the Branch, their potential is wasted serving the Main Family.
> "Look at Hizashi—a capable shinobi who has spent his life torn between his pride and his chains.
> "The Uchiha have many flaws, but never this. That's why they've produced shinobi who are feared and respected across the world."
Kushina and Kakashi exchanged a glance and nodded. They couldn't deny a single word.
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