CHAPTER 35
Hinata walked silently beside Naruto and Sakura, her heart racing with each step. She had prepared for this moment in her mind countless times, but now that she was here, in front of the house where Sasuke was being kept, nothing felt real. The house loomed ahead, its presence almost suffocating. She stopped at the door, her hand hovering over the knob. She stole a glance at her friends.
Sakura gave her a small but encouraging smile. "Go on, Hinata. We'll be right here."
Naruto nodded, a soft but reassuring smile on his face as well. "You've got this. We're with you."
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, and then, with a gentle turn of her wrist, she opened the door.
Sasuke sat motionless in the chair, his mind adrift, numb from the emotional toll that had already begun to weigh on him. Every part of him had braced for this moment, imagining it countless times, what he would say, how he would act, what he might feel. But nothing could have prepared him for the reality of it.
The door creaked open, and his eyes immediately snapped toward it. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw her standing there.
Hinata.
Time seemed to stretch and contract at once, the world falling away as their gazes met.
She looked even better than his memory of her. That soft glow, the gentle but confident air about her, everything he had missed and more. He swallowed hard, pushing down the memories that threatened to overwhelm him.
He cleared his throat, the words feeling foreign as they escaped his lips. "You can sit."
Hinata hesitated, just for a moment, before slowly stepping inside. Her movements were careful, almost tentative, as if she too was unsure of how to navigate this fragile moment. Sasuke watched her, taking in every detail, the way her hair framed her face, the softness in the way she carried herself. He focused on her every motion, afraid that this might be the last time he would get to do so.
She sat across from him, the quiet clicking of her fingers on her lap the only sound breaking the suffocating silence between them. For a long moment, neither of them moved, neither of them spoke. The tension was palpable. He could feel it, thick and suffocating, wrapping itself around him like an invisible chain. The space between them felt endless, like a chasm that neither of them could cross.
Then, her eyes dropped to the bandages wrapped around his body. "How have you been?" she asked, her voice soft, careful.
Sasuke blinked at the question, caught off guard by the sheer tenderness in her words. Even after everything, she was still... this. Still gentle. Still warm. Still offering kindness, even when he didn't deserve it. Then, he saw it, the way her gaze lingered on his wounds. And suddenly, shame gripped him. Shame at how she might see him now. At how far he had fallen. He looked away, unable to face her again.
"I'm... fine," he muttered, his voice rough, strained. But the words felt hollow, meaningless. They always did when it came to her. The lie tasted bitter in his mouth.
Another silence stretched between them, heavier now, like a storm gathering overhead. He felt his chest tighten, the pressure building as if the air itself was thickening with the weight of everything he wanted to say but couldn't. His heart pounded loudly in his ears, too fast, too loud.
Sasuke kept his eyes on the floor, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. He couldn't stop thinking about her, about why he was here. What was he hoping for? Why had he come?
The questions churned within him, but all he could do was sit there, lost in the silence and the tension. Finally, he looked up. Without thinking, the words spilled out of him. "I heard you're getting married." His eyes never left her face, studying the subtle shifts in her expression.
Hinata blinked, her expression shifting to confusion. "What?" Her voice cracked slightly, like she wasn't sure if she had heard him correctly.
He cleared his throat, trying to steady himself, though he knew the calm facade was slipping. "I just heard it in passing," he said, his voice sounding more detached than he felt. "That the Hyuuga heiress is getting married. Is it true?"
He watched her closely, the anticipation almost suffocating. He didn't know why he asked, didn't know what he was hoping to hear. But the answer seemed to hang in the air, and he braced himself for it.
Her brows knitted together in confusion, her expression growing more pensive. Then, a moment later, her eyes widened slightly, as if the realization hit her. "No, uhm... I mean, yes, it's true," she said, the words hesitant, as if she weren't sure how to explain it to him.
Sasuke felt his heart drop at her words, his chest constricting painfully. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but the truth settled in his chest, solid and suffocating. She was moving on. She had moved on. His heart twisted, but he didn't let it show on his face.
She paused, seeming to gather her thoughts before she spoke again, and he could feel the tension in the room as she added, "But it wasn't me..." She trailed off, her voice gentle but firm, as if trying to clarify. "It was Hanabi."
He blinked, a strange relief washing over him, though it was fleeting. Hanabi? The younger Hyuuga? He hadn't expected this. The feeling that had been threatening to suffocate him just moments ago eased a little, but the confusion remained. He wasn't sure what to make of it.
His mind was in chaos, the pieces of the conversation swirling around him, trying to make sense of them. So, she's not getting married? The question repeated itself in his mind, but he couldn't grasp the full meaning. His heart pounded in his chest, fast, almost painfully so, and his thoughts raced as his emotions threatened to overtake him.
Is fate giving me another chance? He tried to keep himself grounded, but the thought lingered, impossible to ignore. Hearing her words, seeing the uncertainty in her eyes stirred something in him he thought he had buried deep inside. For a moment, Sasuke let go. The walls he had spent years building around his heart crumbled, just a little. The longing that had been gnawing at him, the ache that had followed him even in his darkest hours, surged within him. He let himself feel it, let the hope rise even though he didn't know what to do with it.
The silence between them thickened. His fingers twitched at his sides, as if grasping for something unseen. He had never been good with words, never been the type to express emotions easily, and before he even realized what he was doing, his body moved on its own, driven by a need he could no longer suppress.
He stood up and pulled her into his arms.
The moment their bodies met, a tremor ran through him. She was warm, solid, real. He exhaled shakily, his grip tightening as if afraid she might slip through his fingers. He had spent so long in the dark, so long wandering through the emptiness, convincing himself that solitude was his only path. But now, holding her, he felt the weight of everything he had lost crash into him all at once.
He buried his face against her shoulder, his breath unsteady. How long had it been since he had held her like this? Since he had let himself need this? The scent of her, the quiet, steady rhythm of her breathing, it was all so achingly familiar. It was too much. And yet still not enough.
His hands fisted in the fabric of her clothes, as if grounding himself, as if reminding himself that she was really here.
He had missed this.
More than he could ever put into words. More than he had let himself admit. The absence of her had been a wound he had carried for years, one that had never truly healed.
And now, in this fragile moment, he held her as if she was the only thing keeping him from falling apart.
"Sasuke," Hinata whispered, his name slipping from her lips like a prayer, a fragile breath of disbelief and longing.
Her hands moved on instinct, wrapping around him, holding on as though he might disappear if she let go. The moment her fingers curled against the fabric of his shirt, the reality of it struck her- he was here. Warm, solid, alive.
A shuddering breath left her lips, and before she could stop herself, her chest tightened, the weight of everything crashing down on her. She had spent years carrying the ache of his absence, of not knowing, of wondering if he was even still out there somewhere. She had thought she had buried it, convinced herself that she had moved forward, that she had accepted the silence he had left behind.
But now, with him in her arms, the dam inside her broke.
Tears welled in her eyes before spilling over, silent and unrestrained, slipping down her cheeks as she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. She didn't care if he saw, if he felt the way her body trembled against him. She had spent too long pretending she was fine, too long swallowing the emotions that now threatened to consume her.
She clutched him tighter, her fingers trembling against his back. He felt different, worn down in ways she couldn't yet understand, but he was still Sasuke. Still the man who had haunted the quiet spaces of her thoughts, the shadow she had never quite been able to let go of.
And now, here he was, holding her just as tightly, as if he, too, was afraid to let go.
Hinata closed her eyes, her tears soaking into the fabric of his shirt, her heart aching with something too vast to name. Relief. Grief. Hope.
She had missed him.
More than she could ever put into words. More than she had ever allowed herself to feel.
Sasuke pulled away slightly, just enough to see her face. "Don't cry," he murmured, his voice low, rough with something unspoken. His fingers brushed against her cheek, wiping away the tears that fell freely. Her skin was warm beneath his touch, soft, fragile in a way that made his chest tighten. He had seen her strong, composed, unwavering, but now, with her tears glistening in the dim light, he saw the rawness of her emotions laid bare.
And she was crying for him.
His fingers lingered, tracing the path of a tear as it slipped down her cheek. Something in his chest ached at the sight of it. A deep, unfamiliar pull that left him unsteady. He wasn't sure what he had expected when he came here, but he hadn't prepared for this.
For the way she looked at him, as if he was something precious she had lost.
For the way she held onto him, as if afraid he might vanish again.
His thumb ghosted over her cheek, slow, deliberate. He should have let go, should have pulled away before he lost himself in the moment. But he didn't. He couldn't. Instead, he let his gaze linger, taking her in, memorizing the softness of her expression, the way her lips trembled, the quiet vulnerability in her eyes.
"Hinata," he said, her name barely above a whisper.
He didn't know who moved first, but it didn't matter. The moment their lips met, the world around them faded into nothing.
The weight of everything, their past, the years of distance, the silence, melted away in the heat of that single, fragile moment. It was hesitant at first, unspoken emotions trembling between them, the touch of their lips carrying the weight of everything left unsaid.
Sasuke felt his breath hitch, a deep ache blooming in his chest. It had been so long since he had let himself feel this. Since he had let himself want this. But now, with her in his arms, with the warmth of her lips against his, the years of restraint, of running, of solitude, cracked open like a dam breaking.
A quiet shudder ran through him as the tears still clinging to her lashes mixed with the kiss, her heart pressing into his, beating in a rhythm he hadn't realized he had been missing. She had waited, hoped, and longed for him. She was something he had never allowed himself to believe he could have. And now, she was here in his arms.
He deepened the kiss, his hands tightening around her, pulling her impossibly closer. He needed this, needed her, more than he could ever put into words. The loneliness that had followed him for so long, the emptiness he had convinced himself was permanent, trembled in the face of the warmth she offered so freely.
He poured his longing into the kiss, into the way his fingers traced the curve of her jaw, into the way his body pressed against hers as if trying to make up for all the lost time.
For one breath, one heartbeat, nothing else mattered.
No regrets. No doubts. No past.
Just this.
Just her.
When their lips finally parted, Hinata cupped his cheeks, her thumbs gently brushing the skin as if memorizing the feel of him after all this time. Her eyes softened with something more than just affection. It was love, pure and unwavering, something she had never fully allowed herself to show until now. Sasuke could feel the weight of her gaze, the tenderness in it, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like everything was finally right.
His hands instinctively lifted, covering hers, holding them there as if anchoring himself to the warmth she offered. But as her daze shifted, her eyes landed on the bandages wrapped around his arm, the faint smudges of dried blood peeking through.
Her brows furrowed, and her voice came softer this time, laced with worry. "What happened? Why are you injured?"
Sasuke exhaled sharply, as if the question itself was exhausting. His grip on her hands tightened momentarily before he muttered, "It's nothing."
Hinata didn't look convinced. Her gaze flickered between his face and his wounds, reading everything his words refused to say. She was about to push further, to demand the truth from him-
But before she could say more, he leaned in again, capturing her lips in another kiss.
It wasn't gentle this time. There was something raw, something desperate in the way he kissed her, as if he was trying to make her forget the questions burning in her mind. As if he needed this, needed her, to drown out whatever storm raged beneath his calm facade.
Hinata's hands trembled slightly against his face. She could feel the urgency in the way he held her, the silent plea hidden in his touch. His hand slipped to her waist, his touch firm, his intent clear, he wasn't planning to stop there.
She pulled back slightly, her breath uneven, eyes wide with shock and disbelief, her face burning red. "You can't be serious," she stammered, voice almost a whisper. Her blush deepened as she threw a nervous glance toward the door. "Naruto and Sakura are outside!"
Sasuke scoffed, entirely unbothered. "They'll leave if they know what's good for them," he muttered, his tone dark and possessive as he reached for her again.
Hinata blinked at him, then let out a giggle, light, breathless, and filled with disbelief at his audacity. She slapped his hand away, shaking her head. "No, you're injured."
He groaned, frustration clear in the low sound that rumbled from his chest. But instead of arguing, he pulled her against him in a tight embrace, his arms wrapping around her as if he could hold her there forever. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply, his breath warm against her skin.
"You think I care about that right now?" he muttered, his voice low and rough, laced with something she couldn't quite name.
She didn't pull away. If anything, her hold on him tightened.
Sasuke didn't sense a shift at first. His focus was on the warmth of her body against his, the steady rhythm of her breath, the way she fit so perfectly in his arms. He was still caught up in the moment, in her, until he felt the slight tremble of her fingers gripping his shirt a little too tightly. His brows furrowed as he pulled back just enough to see her face. She looked hesitant now, her expression shifting from something soft to something weighed down by uncertainty.
"Hinata?" His voice was lower, quieter, but laced with the faintest trace of concern.
She hesitated for a brief moment, gathering her thoughts, her hands clasping the fabric of his shirt as she steadied herself. She had been preparing for this conversation, rehearsing the words in her mind over and over again. But now that the moment had arrived, they suddenly felt too heavy.
She swallowed, lifting her gaze to meet his. "Sasuke," she began softly, watching him carefully. "There's something I need to tell you."
Sasuke's gaze softened, his voice calm, almost accepting, as he asked, "Is this about your son?"
She froze.
Her breath caught, her mind stumbling over itself. He already knew? No, that wasn't it. There was something off about the way he said it. He wasn't shocked. He wasn't angry. There was no tension in his voice, no hesitation. And that was what made her stomach twist. Her throat tightened. "You... think I had a child with another man?" Her voice was quiet, but the disbelief was impossible to miss.
He blinked, as if thrown off by the question. His brows knit slightly, but his expression remained unreadable. "Did you not?" he asked, his tone carrying genuine confusion, like the answer could go either way.
A flicker of irritation ignited in her chest. Of all the things he could assume-
She pressed her hands against his chest, her lavender eyes burning with frustration. "No, Sasuke," she said firmly, her voice sharper now. "I didn't."
Something flickered in his gaze at her reaction: doubt, confusion, something else entirely.
She inhaled deeply, steadying herself before locking eyes with him. "Haruki is your son."
Sasuke went completely still. The weight of her words crashed over him like a tidal wave, drowning out every other thought. His grip on her instinctively tightened, but his expression barely shifted- only his eye betrayed him, dark and searching, seeking any sign of uncertainty.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Hinata held her breath, watching the carefully built walls around him crack, even if just slightly. She could see it now, the tension in his jaw, the way his fingers twitched against her back, as if trying to grasp onto something solid.
"You're lying," he finally said, but there was no conviction in his voice. It was quiet, almost hollow, as if he was trying to will the truth away before it could fully take root.
She exhaled softly, her gaze steady. "I'm not."
His mind raced, torn between logic and the sheer impossibility of what he was hearing. It didn't make sense. It couldn't make sense. If this was true, if Haruki was his, then that meant... His throat tightened. His lips parted, but no words came out. His mind was still trying to catch up, still trying to process the weight of what she had just said.
"You..." he started, then faltered, as if the words were too foreign, too impossible to form. He swallowed thickly, his throat working around the lump lodged there. He tried again, softer this time, barely more than a whisper. "You... bore me a son?"
Her chest ached at the raw disbelief in his voice. She had never seen him like this before, so unguarded, so shaken that he couldn't even mask it. Slowly, she nodded. "Yes."
Sasuke exhaled sharply, as if the confirmation had knocked the air from his lungs. His grip on her hand tightened, not out of anger, not out of frustration, but as if holding onto her was the only thing keeping him grounded. His thoughts spiraled. How? When? Why hadn't he known? Why hadn't she told him? A hundred questions fought to be spoken, but all he could do was stare at her, searching for any sign that this was some kind of cruel joke.
But it wasn't.
"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice was dangerously low, but beneath it was something raw, something unreadable.
Her heart clenched at the question. She had carried this truth for years, wondering how he would react when the moment finally arrived. Yet now, as she stood before him, his gaze held a quiet intensity, like he was standing at the edge of something unknown, something that terrified him in a way he refused to acknowledge.
She swallowed, her voice soft but unwavering. "I wanted to, Sasuke. I really did." She looked down for a brief moment, as if gathering the courage to continue. "But you were gone. You never came back. And after a while... I thought you had moved on."
Her words hit him harder than he expected. Sasuke remained silent, his jaw tightening as he let them sink in. And the worst part? She was right. How could she have told him? He had left everything behind. He had walked away without looking back. His fingers twitched at his sides, the weight of his own choices pressing down on him like a vice. He inhaled sharply, as if struck by something unseen. He turned his head slightly, his gaze dropping to the floor. It was rare, so rare, to see him at a loss for words.
Hinata searched his face, and for once, he didn't know what she saw in him.
"I thought it was better this way," she admitted. "That maybe you were happier wherever you were."
His fingers curled into fists. "I wasn't."
Her breath hitched. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
Sasuke finally met her gaze, and for the first time since she had spoken those words- Haruki is your son- he allowed himself to truly feel the weight of them. The regret. The loss. The unbearable realization that while he had been chasing ghosts, he had left behind something real. Someone real.
His lips parted slightly, as if testing the name on his tongue before speaking it aloud. "Haruki," he murmured, his voice unreadable. Then, sharper, more certain. "That's his name?"
She nodded, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the fabric of her sleeves. "Yes."
He let out a slow breath, his expression impossible to decipher. The name felt foreign yet familiar all at once, like something that had always existed in a space he hadn't known belonged to him.
Haruki. His son.
The silence stretched between them, thick with emotions neither of them could fully name. His mind raced, trying to grasp onto something that would make this feel real. "How old is he?" His voice was low, restrained, but she could hear the unspoken weight behind the question.
She hesitated, watching him carefully. "He's five," she said softly. "He's kind, strong-willed. Mischievous." A faint smile flickered across her lips. "He looks so much like you, Sasuke."
His breath hitched. Five.
Five years. He had a son for five years, and he had never known.
She watched him carefully, waiting for him to say something, but he didn't. His silence wasn't cold or dismissive, it was heavy. Measured.
Sasuke remained motionless, but something flickered in his gaze. Then, after another beat of silence, he asked the one question that had been gnawing at him the most. "Does he know about me?"
Hinata nodded slowly. "Yes. I told him what I could."
He exhaled deeply. He didn't know what to feel, if he was even allowed to feel anything. He had a son. A son who had lived for five years without him. A son who had grown up without ever seeing his father's face. And yet... he existed. Something inside him shifted. He clenched his fists once more before releasing them, his voice barely above a whisper when he finally spoke. "...I want to see him."
She smiled softly, blinking away the mist of unshed tears in her eyes. She nodded, her expression gentle yet cautious. "I'll... try to ask Tsunade-sama," she said quietly. "But give me some time. Haruki... he's still young. I don't want to overwhelm him."
Sasuke gave a curt nod, though impatience gnawed at him. He had already missed five years, he didn't want to waste another moment. His gaze lingered on Hinata, taking her in, seeing her not just as the woman before him now, but as the one who had raised his son alone, without him. The weight of that realization hit him harder than he expected. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms.
Hinata stiffened slightly in surprise before relaxing into his embrace, her hands resting gently on his back.
"Thank you," he murmured, his voice low and rough with emotion.
She blinked, her lips parting slightly as she processed his words. "Sasuke..."
He held her closer, his chin resting lightly against her shoulder. "Thank you," he repeated, his grip tightening slightly. "For everything. For raising him. For..." He hesitated, searching for the right words. "...For not giving up on me."
She felt her eyes sting with tears again. The sincerity in his voice, the quiet vulnerability in his touch, it unraveled something deep within her. She tightened her hold around him, her fingers curling slightly against the fabric of his shirt. "I never could," she whispered.
Sasuke pulled back slightly, just enough to look into her eyes. His usual hardened gaze had softened, replaced with something deeper, something unguarded. He cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly against her skin as he took a moment to truly look at her. Time had changed her. Her features were more refined, her presence radiating a quiet strength he hadn't fully appreciated before.
But as he continued to look at her, a sudden awareness crept over him. His expression shifted slightly as he glanced down at himself, taking in the bandages wrapped around his arms and torso, the leaner state of his body from weeks of healing.
Hinata reached up and gently held his wrists, the warmth of her touch grounding him. She smiled, a radiant, reassuring smile, as if she had just read his mind. "You're as handsome as ever," she said softly, her voice filled with sincerity.
He snorted lightly, shaking his head. "I doubt that." He hadn't looked at himself in a mirror recently, but he could imagine the state he was in, pale, worn, and scarred. Yet, even with his self-awareness, he couldn't ignore the way she was looking at him, as though none of it mattered.
She chuckled quietly, warmth in her gaze as she reached up, her fingers brushing aside the strands of hair that had grown longer, falling over one side of his face.
Her breath hitched. Her fingers stilled.
Sasuke noticed immediately, his sharp eyes narrowing. "Is it that odd?" he asked, his voice low, almost cautious.
She shook her head quickly. "No," a soft smile graced her lips. "It's not odd."
His mismatched eyes- one his natural dark iris, the other the faintly glowing Rinnegan- held her gaze. "Then what is it?" he pressed, his voice softer now.
She hesitated, her fingers lightly tracing the edge of his cheek as if lost in thought. "It's just... Haruki," she murmured, her voice trailing off.
His expression sharpened. "What about him?" he asked, tilting his head slightly, curiosity piqued.
Hinata's lavender eyes glistened with emotion as she looked at him, her next words barely above a whisper. "Haruki has mismatched eyes too."
The scent of burning incense hanging thick in the air where the Hyuuga elders had gathered, not in the grand council chamber, but in the private residence of one of their own. A more discreet setting, chosen deliberately for a discussion that was never meant to be made public.
Sitting at the head of the low wooden table was Hyuuga Naomasa, an elder whose influence stretched far beyond what most of the clan realized. His pale eyes, sharp and calculating, observed the others in the dim candlelight. He had called this meeting for one reason.
And he was not alone in his concerns.
"I have noticed... something unusual about our clan head," muttered one of the elders, Hyuuga Renji, his wrinkled hands folded before him. "She has been leaving the compound frequently."
The others exchanged glances.
"She is the acting head. She has responsibilities within the village," one elder offered hesitantly.
Renji scoffed. "Do you truly believe she is tending to official duties? No. She is going somewhere specific. And after some... careful inquiry, I have learned exactly where."
The room fell silent.
Renji's milky-white gaze slid across the table before settling on Naomasa, who remained impassive. But when the elder spoke his next words, the effect was immediate. "She has been meeting Sasuke Uchiha in secret."
A sharp intake of breath. A hushed murmur of disbelief.
Another elder, Hyuuga Chisato, narrowed her eyes. "That traitor is back in Konoha?"
Renji gave a slow nod. "He has returned. He is under surveillance, of course, he is still a criminal."
The room erupted.
"This is unacceptable!" one elder snapped.
"She endangers the Hyuuga's reputation by openly associating with him!" another spat.
"She doesn't think about her position," Chisato hissed. "She only thinks of herself."
The unrest grew louder. Even though Hinata Hyuuga was only acting as the head, and would step down in a few months' time when Hanabi was married, this was a disgrace.
"She was permitted to keep the boy," Renji said, his voice dark. "A child tainted by traitor's blood, and we showed mercy. But this... this is unacceptable."
A pause. Then another elder, one of the older members seated toward the back, turned to Naomasa, the one who had yet to speak. His voice carried a weight of suspicion. "You were the one who permitted her to keep the child, Naomasa-dono," the elder said, his tone edged with accusation. "Why?"
The room fell into deep silence.
Naomasa had anticipated this question. He had his reasons, reasons the other elders could never understand. Slowly, he exhaled, eyes shifting toward the unlit corner of the room, as if peering into a memory.
He recalled the moment he had found the scroll. It had been purely by accident, buried deep within the clan's private archives, a place even most elders had never stepped foot in. He had been searching for something entirely unrelated when he came across a sealed document, its parchment aged and fragile.
The Secret of the Byakugan and the Sharingan.
Curious, he had taken it. He had read every word. And when the boy was born, the moment he saw his mismatched eyes, one pale, the other dark, he realized the possibilities. He could possess the Byakugan and the Sharingan... or something far stronger. Naomasa had marveled at the potential.
A child like this had never existed before. What power lay dormant within him? He had watched, observed, waited. Haruki was still young, but the potential in his blood... it could be limitless. He had allowed Hinata to keep the boy, not out of mercy, but out of curiosity. He wanted to see what Haruki would become. But now that the Uchiha father had returned, it complicated things. Sasuke posed a threat to his plans. The boy had to remain under Hyuuga control. The power in him belonged to the Hyuuga, not to the Uchiha. Not to anyone else.
Naomasa returned his focus to the present, to the expectant gazes of his fellow elders. His face gave nothing away.
"Hinata's attachment to the Uchiha must be dealt with," he said at last, his voice slow and deliberate. "We cannot allow her to jeopardize the boy's future. Or the future of the Hyuuga Clan."
Chisato leaned forward. "Then we must act now."
Naomasa gave a single nod.
The game had begun.
And Sasuke Uchiha was about to learn that the Hyuuga were not so easily challenged.