บท 21: Family is forever

"The gloomy atmosphere here is the exact opposite of the festive Tanzaku Quarters, we only left that town a few hours ago but I'm already missing it"

Mizuna and his companion are walking in a deserted alleyway of Kohonogakure near the Hyuga compound

"I miss the laughter and music echoing in the streets, unlike this place, everyone looks so tensed"

Asami and Hirabi looked at Mizuna and then asked "Eldest young lord, can we ask our family to go to Tanzaku Quarters using your name like the others?"

"It's what I told the other Hyugas to do, why ask again? Do you miss your families that much?"

The Asami looked down "Well my parents are both from the branch clan, I don't want to return here one day and found out that they have been sent to the front line on the Land of Grass and died there. Before leaving with you I was staying near the clan leader's residence so I am aware of how many branch members of our clan have been sent to the front line and never returned home"

Hirabi whose parents are from the main branch and in a much better position felt her heartache after hearing what her companion just said and became teary

Mizuna thought 'Sigh the branch clan can never refuse the orders of the main clan, I can only Imagine how many of them died during this war just to protect the prestige of the Hyuga clan'

He then hold Asami and Hirabi's hands and said "Don't worry I'll take care of them"

"Thank you, young lord"

"Your family too Hirabi, your families are also my family too"

Their face turned red and her body swayed left and right. Asami who was now smiling supported her to prevent her from falling

*thug* Kimi hit Mizuna in the head

"I know it's fun to tease her but you should stop, you should be aware of them right?"

"Byakugan" "I know, I can feel them watching us too, looks like their meeting ended and have decided to keep an eye on us"

"*sigh* Hiruzen is sharper than I thought Lucky I already planned for this, but this is the worst-case scenario, I can sense 2 Shinobis trying to blend with the crowd while watching us from afar earlier but looks like they are gone now"

"Should we capture them?" Mizuna shook his head and said "No Aunt Kimi, we will leave here tomorrow anyway, let's not raise any more suspicion and just let them be"

"I have a plan for them don't worry about it" Kimi looked at Mizuna and then shook her head "You grow too fast little twerp, you grow too fast"

"do you think the other two will be ok" Asami nodded and said "Yes young lord, Miss Jonin is Highly respected in Konohagakure no one will bother them there"

"*sigh* I hope you're right"

As the group entered the Hyuga Compound, they were immediately struck serenenquil atmosphere that enveloped them. The carefully manicured gardens, with their trimmed shrubs, seemed to whisper secrets to each other in the gentle breeze.

The sound of soft chanting drifted through the air, carried by the wind, and the group couldn't help but feel a sense of calm wash over them as they made their way deeper into the compound.

Two white-eyed shinobis approached the group and slightly bowed "Eldest young lord, the Clan head is calling for you, please follow us"

Mizuna followed the two Hyugas but they didn't go towards the main residence instead they went towards a wooden house at the back of the compound "We have arrived eldest young lord, please enter" they said slightly bowing

Mizuna looked at them suspiciously and raised his guard against them. "Enter," said someone from the inside

Mizuna entered the door and there he saw not the Hyuga clan's leader, but the former one, his grandfather

As Mizuna entered the wooden house, he was struck by the eerie silence that filled the air. His grandfather, a stern-looking man with a worn face, stood before the Clan altar, his eyes fixed intently on the intricate carvings that adorned it.

Mizuna felt a shiver run down his spine as he approached his grandfather, sensing that something was amiss. His grandfather's eyes flickered towards him, and for a moment, the man saw a glimmer of deep sadness in them

"Do you know why I called you here?" his grandfather asked

Mizuna shook his head and replied "No grandfather" his grandfather used his Byakugan and then pointed towards his chest and said, "How did you become a Jinjuriki?"

Mizuna took a few steps back and then looked around and prepared himself to fight his grandfather but he noticed a faint smile appearing on his grandfather's stern face and then his grandfather said

"Looks like you managed to take full control of that tailed beast, you're the only one I know who managed to make a tailed beast submit willingly. How did you do it?"

Mizuna stood frozen with a pale face

"*sigh* don't worry I won't harm you, some of the elders of the Hyuga clan are aware of it as well"

"Wh-what? How?"

"child, do not underestimate the Hyuga clan, you are very smart for your age but it will take more than that to survive the warring period"

"Do you think no one saw you when you opened that sealed box inside the Senju's villa?"

"Grandfather please stop with the mind games, how much do you know?"

His grandfather walked towards the stone tablets and looked at them then a deep sadness returned to his eyes

His grandfather pointed towards his eyes and said "There's nothing you can hide from our eyes Mizuna, I initially ordered my men to protect you and your mother in secret but I couldn't believe what they reported back, my grandchild opened a sealed box and managed to use the chakra of the seven tailes as his own"

"I've already ordered my trusted men to take care of all those sensory shinobis that felt the presence of the tailed beast inside Tanzaku Quarters before news of it spread out so you don't have to worry about it, as for what you do inside the forest, even I am not aware of it, and it's all thanks to those two chunin who always use their Byakugan while travelling with you"

Mizuna was so shocked he couldn't say anything