Hyuga Hizashi pulled a white outer robe over his shoulders with practiced precision.
He stepped silently before the mirror, fingers pausing instinctively at the pale cyan seal etched into his forehead. That cursed mark—the caged bird seal—remained a constant reminder. No matter how much time passed, it never stopped stinging.
With a forceful tug, he tightened his forehead protector over the brand, the motion sharp, almost defiant.
It would stay hidden.
Twelve years old.Top of his class.Even outshined the heir.
In both clan evaluations and academy records, Hizashi had exceeded his twin brother, the one destined to lead.
A genius, they called him.
But to Hizashi, that word only made the weight on his shoulders heavier. It wasn't praise—it was a sentence. A reminder that even brilliance couldn't free him from a fate written in blood.
He breathed deep, emotions pressing at the back of his throat, then strode toward the clan head's courtyard with quiet resolve.
The branch and main families had long since settled into their respective roles. And with that settlement came a hierarchy too rigid for merit to alter.
A calm, distant voice called from within."Is that Hizashi? Come in."
Inside, three near-identical figures gathered.
Snow-white robes. Pupil-less, pale eyes. Hair like silk, hanging past their shoulders.
The only visible difference was in what lay beneath the cloth.
Two foreheads were bare, pristine.One was hidden behind a tight forehead protector.
Hyuga Raido, head of the Hyuga clan, sat in the center, radiating composed authority. Beside him sat Hyuga Hiashi, the next in line.
And before them now knelt Hyuga Hizashi, the branch son—the twin without a future.
"Clan Head."
Hizashi bowed low, voice as steady as it was impersonal.
Raido's lips curved into a gentle smile—measured, polite, but just short of warmth.
"Hizashi," he said. "This opportunity is rare. To train under Master Furukawa Itoshiki is a privilege not just for you, but for the entire Hyuga clan."
He set his teacup down. "Make the most of it."
"Yes," Hizashi replied, gaze lowered.
"There's no need for such formalities," Raido continued, though his voice lacked the conviction of that sentiment. "You are family."
"Yes."
Raido's smile thinned. A barely perceptible flicker of disappointment passed through his eyes.
After a moment, he waved his hand dismissively."Go. Don't keep Master Furukawa waiting."
Hizashi stood, bowed again, and exited with unhurried grace.
It wasn't until he stepped past the outer wall of the Hyuga estate that he let out the breath he'd been holding.
As though shedding a weight stitched into his very bones.
"…'Mad Lion' Furukawa Itoshiki…"The name slipped from his lips like a thought spoken aloud.
"Are you my chance?""Someone like you… have you ever tasted the sting of fate?"
His gaze drifted skyward. The clouds above moved slowly, opening just enough for sunlight to break through—a fragile metaphor for the shift in his heart.
Senju Clan GroundsCourtyard of the North Wing
After presenting the letter sealed with the Senju crest, Hizashi was led by a retainer to a secluded courtyard.
No one else had arrived.
The space was tranquil—too tranquil. The kind of stillness that made time stretch.
He seated himself beneath a gazebo, folding his hands in his lap, and waited in silence.
Minutes later, the sound of footsteps approached.
A boy about his age was being led in—a black short-sleeved shirt emblazoned with the Uchiha fan crest, dark hair stylishly tousled.
The boy's sharp eyes lit up when he saw Hizashi.
"Yo, Hizashi!" he called out with a grin that radiated self-assurance.
"So you're one of my teammates, huh? Looks like I'll have at least one guy worth fighting alongside."
He strolled over, voice full of bravado."I swear, if the third's some dead weight, I'm filing a complaint. This great one doesn't carry passengers."
Uchiha Rinpo.
Hizashi nodded slightly. "Rinpo. It's good to have you as a companion."
They had been classmates—opposites in temperament, but often compared.Where Hizashi was somber and mysterious, Rinpo was loud, confident, and charismatic—idolized by the academy's boys, and charming to the girls.
He excelled in Fire Release, shurikenjutsu, and unshakable confidence.
As Rinpo flopped dramatically onto a stone bench, they waited.
The third arrived just as the courtyard's bell tolled the top of the hour.
They both looked up.
A tall girl stepped into view—taller even than the two of them. Her golden hair, long and radiant, shimmered in the light.
Her expression, however, was unreadable.
Blank, quiet, and distant. Eyes that seemed to see through things, rather than at them.
Rinpo tilted his head, raising an eyebrow.
"...Huh," he muttered.
Hizashi narrowed his eyes subtly, saying nothing.
No clan crest. Civilian clothing.
So she's the one.
The one who didn't carry a bloodline, but carried something else—something even rarer.
The three of them stood now in the courtyard, strangers bound by fate, about to be shaped by the same hands.
The hands of a man known as the Mad Lion.And the eyes of Konoha were watching.
"Yakushi Nonou?"
Hyuga Hizashi combed through his memories.
She was always... quiet. Easy to overlook in class. A marginal figure, really.Did she have some kind of hidden talent that earned her a spot here?
Despite his internal musings, Hizashi wore a soft smile as he stood and gestured politely.
"Nonou, come sit here.""It's good to be teamed with someone familiar. I was worried I'd be paired with total strangers."
His voice struck just the right balance between warmth and formality—classic Hyuga courtesy.
Uchiha Rinpo snorted but didn't object. That counted as a greeting, more or less.
"Tch. Since we're classmates, I'll acknowledge you... reluctantly."
Nonou gave no response, just a silent nod as she walked to the other end of the gazebo and sat down, eyes unreadable. She hadn't spoken a word since arriving.
The atmosphere subtly shifted. A quiet tension wove between them, thin as thread, waiting to be pulled.
Just then, soft footsteps approached.
A yawn echoed from the entrance.
A tall man strolled in, white robe lazily tied, dark hair loosely falling over half-lidded eyes. He looked more like someone just out of bed than a legendary war hero.
"Yo. Everyone's here."His tone was dry, almost amused."Shame. I was half-hoping someone would be late so I could try the whole 'tied to the post as punishment' routine."
Furukawa Itoshiki.Nicknamed "Mad Lion" during the Second Shinobi World War.
He was a figure whispered about alongside the likes of the Sannin and Konoha's White Fang. Rumors even claimed he had some "complicated" connection with Tsunade-sama.
Hizashi's pale eyes fixed on the man, calm on the surface, but filled with quiet calculation beneath.
"Furukawa-sensei."He rose and bowed deeply, posture textbook-perfect."It is an honor."
Itoshiki chuckled at the formality.
"No need for that. Just call me 'sensei.' I'm not that old… yet."He turned his attention to the other two."I assume you all got the letters? Great. Let's skip the fluff."
"I'm your squad leader—Furukawa Itoshiki. Starting today, we're a team."
"Hyuga Hizashi. I'll be in your care, Sensei."Hizashi bowed again, his tone crisp.
"Uchiha Rinpo! Also in your care!"Rinpo mimicked Hizashi's posture, surprisingly respectful for once.
"Yakushi Nonou. I'll do my best, Sensei."The girl bowed slightly, voice soft but emotionless.
Itoshiki scratched his head, looking vaguely troubled."Whew… awkward start, huh?"He sighed dramatically."But hey, give it time. You'll see—I'm incredibly easy to get along with. Just don't ask Tsunade for a second opinion."
There was a pause.
"By the way…"He looked at them sideways."You kids eat yet?"
Hizashi blinked.
"No, Sensei."
"Perfect. Let's go, then. I'm starving."He turned and started walking off without waiting for a reply.
Rinpo raised a hand, confused."Wait—Sensei! Aren't you gonna test us? I heard Jonin do brutal Genin trials!"
Itoshiki didn't even break stride."A test?"He gave a lazy laugh, voice floating back over his shoulder."You think I'd waste time second-guessing myself?"
"I picked you. That was the test.""You want me to send you home crying to your clan just because you missed a bell or tripped in a spar?""Not happening. You're my team. That's final."
Just before he disappeared around the gate, his voice rang out again:
"Now come on. Breakfast's getting cold—and Tsunade will definitely nag me if I skip meals again."
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