As the sky gradually darkened, Hiroshi finished his mission and headed home.
Having been away for a month, he was sure that Hinata and Hanabi, those two little girls, must have missed him dearly.
Crossing the gates of the Hyuga clan, Hiroshi greeted the clansmen he encountered along the way.
The elder clansmen, upon seeing Hiroshi, smiled and nodded at him. Some even turned to their own children and said, "See, your brother Hiroshi has just returned from a mission. At such a young age, he's already a Chunin. Unlike you, who still haven't mastered the Gentle Fist. No dinner for you tonight - go practice!"
The younger members of the Hyuga clan, on the other hand, looked at Hiroshi with shining eyes, as if they were starstruck fans seeing their idol, their faces filled with admiration.
Over the years, Hiroshi had grown accustomed to such gazes from his clansmen.
Ever since he single-handedly defeated a Cloud ninja and showcased his abilities, Hiroshi had become the role model that the elders used to educate their children, much like the "perfect child" parents often refer to in their lectures.
Some elders even brought their children to meet Hiroshi, hoping that their kids would learn from such a "good child" and "excellent Ninja." The children who came to see him would gaze at Hiroshi with admiration, clearly idolizing him.
Hyuga Hiashi, the clan head, was obviously pleased with this development. After all, his son was destined to inherit his position as the leader of the Hyuga clan. Him being the younger generation to look-up-to from an early age was undoubtedly a good thing.
But Hiroshi didn't see it that way. In fact, he felt quite resistant to the whole situation.
To others, Hiroshi might appear to be just a young boy, but he knew the truth. With the mental age of a man in his thirties, spending his days surrounded by soft-faced kids, some of whom even needed him to help them with their basic needs, was far from ideal.
Fortunately, as a ninja, Hiroshi often had to go out on missions, which meant he didn't have to face these little brats every day.
Suddenly, Hiroshi steps halted as he saw a boy walking towards him. The boy had long hair and wore a forehead protector.
"Neji, are you heading out?" Hiroshi greeted him.
The boy was none other than Neji Hyuga, Hiroshi cousin and the son of Hyuga Hizashi, just a year younger than Hiroshi.
In response to Hiroshi greeting, Neji merely nodded and replied coldly, "I'm going out. Do you have any orders, Hiroshi-sama? If not, I'll take my leave."
There was no trace of brotherly affection in his words, instead it felt as if they were strangers.
Hiroshi heart ached. This wasn't the first time he had encountered such a situation.
Five years ago, when Hizashi sacrificed himself, Neji had planted a seed of hatred towards the main family in his heart. In Neji eyes, his father had been used as a scapegoat by Hyuga Hiashi, nothing more than a tool that could be discarded for the sake of the clan.
This belief was further solidified when Neji was branded with the "Caged Bird" seal.
The root of all this lay in the incident where Hiroshi had been kidnapped by Cloud ninjas. Afterward, Neji father was made the scapegoat, while Hiroshi himself was hailed as a model for the younger generation, someone everyone should look up to.
This made Neji feel increasingly mad.
Before this incident, the relationship between the two cousins had been exceptionally close. However, after this event, they became like strangers. No matter how much Hiroshi tried to mend their brotherly bond, Neji always ignored him.
Seeing that Hiroshi remained silent, Neji turned and walked toward the gate. Watching his retreating figure, Hiroshi lips twitched, and he finally spoke, "Neji, I know the hatred in your heart, but things aren't as you imagine. I hope we can sit down and talk calmly."
Hyuga Neji paused briefly and replied indifferently, "No need Hiroshi-sama, I dare not trouble you to lower yourself to speak with me. If you have any orders, just tell me. After all, the branch family does not disobey the main family order."
Hearing this, Hiroshi was momentarily speechless and silently shook his head.
Every time he tried to talk to Neji, this was the attitude he received. It left Hiroshi completely at loss on how to proceed. He could only shake his head as the two of them went their separate ways.
After passing through several corridors, Hiroshi arrived at the entrance to his family's courtyard. Before he could get close, he heard the sounds of a sparring match inside.
"Strike fiercely and move quickly! Although it's called the Gentle Fist, that doesn't mean you don't use any strength. Your punches are so soft - are you trying to tickle the enemy?"
"Faster! And remember to defend while attacking."
"Thud!" A sound of someone falling echoed from the courtyard.
"You're slow. With skills like this, you probably wouldn't even rank in the top ten at the ninja academy."
"Both of you are my children, so why is the gap between you and your brother so vast? He's already a Chunin, yet you haven't even mastered the basics of the Gentle Fist."
"With a temperament like yours, how will you survive in the ninja world if a great war breaks out someday?"
Standing at the entrance, Hiroshi rubbed his forehead and sighed, 'Really, Father is scolding Hinata again.'
Hiroshi walked into the courtyard and said to Hyuga Hiashi, "Father, really, Hinata is just a little girl. Why are you so harsh on her?"
He then looked at Hinata, who was sitting on the ground rubbing her shoulder with a look of grievance, and Hanabi Hyuga, who was only three years old, watching the sparring match from the side. Hiroshi opened his arms and said, "Little Hinata, little Hanabi, did you miss your big brother?"
As soon as they saw Hiroshi, both Hinata and Hanabi happily stood up and rushed toward him. "Big brother, you're finally back! We missed you so much!"
"Well, of course, you missed me. Look what I brought for you!" With that, Hiroshi magically pulled out two bags of snacks.
Watching this scene, Hiashi shook his head helplessly. "You've been away for a month, and now you're finally back. You always spoil Hinata. Her gentle nature is probably a result of your excessive spoiling."
Undeterred by his father's complaints, Hiroshi replied casually, "Now, now, Father. I've always said that girls shouldn't be treated too harshly. Boys should be raised tough, but girls should be cherished like treasures."
"As for the dangers you mentioned, as her older brother, I will protect her. How could I let her face any danger? Anyone who dares to harm Hinata will have to answer to me."
Little Hinata hid behind Hiroshi, peeking out to watch her brother stand up for her in front of their father. Her little face beamed with a secretive smile.