Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 113 The Real Hiashi Hyuga

The ward was completely silent.

Only the faint sound of the wind rustling through the gauze curtains could be heard.

"Will you say something to everyone in front of the memorial?"

Hinata Kumokawa's breath seemed to pause for a moment. He raised his head and met Sarutobi Hiruzen's cloudy eyes.

A rare seriousness, hope, and expectation appeared in those eyes, and there was no doubt that Hiruzen Sarutobi was speaking out of reason.

Of course, it wasn't just because Hyuga Kumokawa secured victory against Kumogakure in one fell swoop, but also because Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly recognized Hyuga Kumokawa's true value.

Konoha needs "heroes," just like the legendary Sannin and Minato.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was already troubled by the village's lack of successors, and the appearance of Hyuga Kumokawa filled that void.

In Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, Hyuga Kumokawa was comparable to Minato Namikaze in terms of strength, character, appearance, and talent.

The true value of "heroes" lies in their ability to inspire people, which far exceeds the value that their own strength can bring.

Because no matter how strong a single ninja is, unless they reach the level of Hashirama or Madara, they cannot have a profound impact on the war between nations.

In the absence of extraordinary combat forces such as the Five Kage and Jinchuriki on the battlefield.

To win a war, one must rely on the hearts and minds of the people, on a strong will to fight.

Although the war with Kumogakure had come to an end, Hiruzen Sarutobi's intuition told him that it was not over yet.

If it's truly over, then let it be a tribute to the fallen heroes. But if there are still those who harbor ill intentions...

"..."

After a long silence, Hyuga Kumokawa seemed to realize Hiruzen Sarutobi's expectation and nodded very slightly, almost imperceptibly.

“Yes,” he said.

There were no grand promises, just a simple gesture and answer, yet it seemed to carry immense weight.

"Good good."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's wrinkles softened a little. He didn't say anything more encouraging, but simply reached out his wrinkled and calloused hand and gently placed it on Hiruzen's left shoulder.

"Then I won't bother you here any longer. Get some rest and recharge your energy. I'll send my secret service to pick you up tomorrow."

With that, he smiled, withdrew his hand, turned and left, his figure disappearing into the light and shadow of the corridor.

The faint smell of licorice smoke lingered for a long time, and in the now quiet ward, Hinata Kumokawa remained in that position.

The bright sunlight shone on his face, half of it radiating hope, while the other half was shrouded in deeper shadows.

Will he give a speech in front of the memorial monument in Konoha, in front of all the Konoha ninja?
Hinata Kumokawa looked at the "Greed" sword leaning against the corner of the wall, his thoughts swirling as he gazed at the tightly closed pupil on the hilt.

This is truly an unexpected delight.

------

The sunset over Konoha, like cooled embers, cast a deep shadow over the Hyuga clan's main residence.

The kidnapping of the Hyuga main family by the Hidden Cloud Village, which once shocked Konoha, has been gradually buried by the continuous friction and conflict.

As dusk fell, twilight descended.

The wind chimes under the eaves occasionally chime crisply in the evening breeze, but they cannot dispel the lingering desolation of the deep courtyard.

In the shadows of the porch, Hyuga Hizashi gazed at the distant Konoha Hospital, his forehead still wrapped in a clean white bandage.

To others, it was to cover up the scars inflicted by the Cloud Village ninjas. No one knew that it was actually to cover up the ugly Caged Bird Seal.

It has been a long time since the "death of Hizashi".

Hijiri, who replaced his older brother, has become increasingly skilled at acting, and now he can even convincingly portray the character.

However, it wasn't entirely unnoticed...

"Father, it's getting cold." A timid, soft voice came from behind. Hearing the voice, Hyuga Hizashi didn't turn around, but the fingers of his left hand, which was behind his back, curled up very slightly.

Hinata Hyuga carefully approached him from behind, holding a cup of hot tea in both hands, and slightly raised her head to look at the figure in front of her.

She remembered the time after Neji's brother's father died. His aura was so cold that it almost froze her. Communication was limited to cold commands and cold, indifferent scrutiny.

But, I don't know when it started...

She sensed a barely perceptible crack appearing in her father's cold exterior.

Those Byakugan eyes, which used to only show "rules" and "righteousness," now seemed to hold a complexity that Hinata Hyuga couldn't yet comprehend.

They even discovered that she usually didn't eat enough, something Hinata would never have dared to imagine before.

Like right now.

Hinata Hyuga held her breath, as if she had waited for a year, and the figure in front of her finally turned half a body to the side.

The dim light outlined his hard face. His gaze lingered for a moment on the cup of tea in her hand, and he spoke in a tone less icy than before:

"Put it there."

His voice remained low and indifferent, but Hinata's heart skipped a beat as she felt a touch of warmth.

That warmth was so faint, like a fleeting touch of warmth across the surface of ice, quickly returning to its cold hardness, yet it made Hinata almost unable to suppress the small joy that rose on her face.

"Yes, Father."

She lowered her head, her voice barely audible, yet one could detect a hint of barely concealed joy.

She carefully stepped forward and placed the teacup on the low table. Instead of immediately backing away, she mustered the greatest courage of her life and quickly looked up.

But when Hinata met those Byakugan eyes, which remained as deep and cold as a pool, seemingly unmoved by her presence, her small joy was instantly dampened.

She hurriedly lowered her head again, hiding her dimmed eyes, and whispered, "Father, I...I'm going to review my lessons."

Then, as if fleeing, he jogged away from the corridor, his light footsteps quickly fading from Hyuga Hizashi's ears.

"..."

As Hyuga Hizashi turned his head slightly to watch Hinata's disappearing figure, he could better understand just how stubborn his older brother was.

I used to think Hinata was weak by nature, but now it seems that most of it was caused by her father.

Thinking of this, Hyuga Hizashi sighed, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, there was only a light colder than iron in his eyes, which tightly sealed off all his surging emotions.

He turned and left, his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor as he walked back to his room.

Reaching the seemingly ordinary storage room door, he quickly formed several hidden hand seals, and the unknown seal was silently broken.

boom.

The wooden door opened inwards, revealing a cold, damp staircase leading underground, from which a pungent musty smell and the unique dampness of the underground instantly rushed out.

Without hesitation, Rizashi stepped down the stairs. The wooden door behind him quietly closed, and the seal was activated again, isolating any potential spying.

In the dimly lit secret room, only a few candles were lit in the grooves in the walls, casting a dim, yellowish light that cast ghostly, swaying shadows on the walls.

Click! Click!

As Hyuga Hizashi ventured deeper into the area, the sound of chains gradually became clearer.

Finally, he entered the secret room and saw the figure inside.

It was a figure whose limbs were firmly bound by four thick chains, and needles were inserted into all 108 meridians and acupoints on its body.

Seemingly having heard Hyuga Hizashi's footsteps, the disheveled figure finally raised his head.

That face, identical to Hyuga's, was without a doubt the real Hyuga Hiashi.

(End of this chapter)