"Big brother? Is he trying to entice you?" Hiashi Hyuga's voice was cold as he narrowed his eyes at Kimimaro. "I don't know who you are or who you're working for, but don't think you can lure a Hyuga heir away so easily."
With a step forward, Hiashi released a surge of pressure, sharp and heavy like the point of a spear. Even Jonin would feel it.
"No, big brother isn't trying to abduct me." Hanabi stepped in front of Kimimaro without hesitation.
"Hanabi, move aside!" Hiashi barked, his voice laced with authority.
But Hanabi didn't budge.
Then, from behind her came a calm voice. "Hanabi, move aside."
It was Kimimaro.
And to Hiashi's great irritation, Hanabi obeyed that voice without a second's thought.
Hiashi's brow twitched. This boy said the same thing I did, and she listens to him? The Hyuga patriarch's irritation threatened to spill over into action—he instinctively shifted into a stance resembling Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
"Uncle Hiashi," Kimimaro said respectfully, stepping forward, "I take full responsibility for the misunderstanding. I assure you, I have no harmful intentions toward Hanabi."
"Uncle?" Hiashi's eyebrow twitched again. "You speak as if we're family already. Who told you to call me that?"
The air was tense. Kimimaro bowed slightly, unshaken. "Our two clans share deep roots. Although this is our first meeting, the Kaguya and Hyuga were once one."
Hiashi's expression stiffened. "Kaguya… The main bloodline was wiped out during the Kirigakure rebellion. Only a few from the Taketori branch remain. You—where did you come from?"
Kimimaro didn't answer verbally. Instead, he extended his hand—and from his back, a long, gleaming bone whip grew out with a smooth ripple.
Hiashi's face darkened, and his Byakugan activated instinctively. The chakra flow, the cellular density—this wasn't a trick.
"…It's real," Hiashi muttered. "Shikotsumyaku. You're not from the Taketori offshoot. You're a pureblood Kaguya."
"My name is Kaguya Kimimaro," he said, removing his glasses and letting his pale hair fall to its natural length. "To hide from those who once sought to control me, I changed my appearance. But I believe the higher-ups in Konoha still have my records."
Hiashi narrowed his eyes. His instincts told him to be cautious—but his judgment told him otherwise. This child possessed one of the rarest kekkei genkai and carried himself with the bearing of someone raised in harsh battlefields, not deceit.
Hiashi also remembered: After the fall of the main Kaguya line, he had personally led a visit with Hanabi to the Taketori branch in Kusagakure. The Hyuga were proud of their lineage, and he knew full well that the Kaguya clan were distant cousins—descendants from a common progenitor, likely Hamura or Kaguya Ōtsutsuki herself.
"I thought you were dead," Hiashi finally said, suspicion and curiosity mixed.
Kimimaro gave a thin smile. "By all rights, I was. My body gave out due to my clan's cursed disease. But at the brink of death, something inside me awakened—a force from deep within my soul. It brought me back. Along with knowledge… techniques that have kept the illness at bay."
Hiashi was silent for a long moment. In the shinobi world, reincarnation and miraculous survivals weren't unheard of. He had heard the rumors—of Madara Uchiha's resurrection, of the reincarnations of Asura and Indra. It wasn't beyond belief.
But something else still nagged at him. "…You were with Orochimaru."
"I was," Kimimaro admitted without flinching. "He saved me once. I repaid him with my life. I owe him nothing now. From this point on, I live only for myself—and for those I choose to protect."
He glanced toward Hanabi.
Hiashi's eyes narrowed, but his inner thoughts had already begun shifting. This child is dangerous… but not toward us. If he truly no longer serves Orochimaru, then what remains is his bloodline—and his loyalty.
Besides… Hanabi had spoken in his defense.
Hiashi sighed. "Hanabi is still young, and so are you. But if your intentions are pure, and your past ties severed, then I see no harm in you returning to Konoha—for now."
Hanabi smiled. "See? I told you he's brave, Father."
Kimimaro bowed deeply. "Thank you, Uncle Hiashi. I have no desire to cause trouble. If Konoha permits it, I would like to stay and support those I care about."
Hiashi folded his arms, nodding slowly. "Very well. I will bring you before the Hokage and explain the situation myself."
As for Kimimaro's role in the attack that took Uchiha Sasuke… Hiashi didn't mention it. That Uchiha boy has nothing to do with the Hyuga. The Uchiha are gone. Let the Hokage worry about his return.
The Uchiha were indeed ostracized in Konoha. Successive Hokage, including Hiruzen Sarutobi and even Danzo in the shadows, sought to harness the clan's power while harboring deep mistrust about their loyalty—especially after the Nine-Tails' attack, where suspicion fell squarely on the Uchiha due to their Sharingan's known ability to control the beast.
Among the elite clans, the Hyuga were one of the few who could be considered "equals" in status and dojutsu prowess, but that also bred silent rivalry.
Kimimaro exhaled, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "No need. If I return to Konoha, that loud-mouthed Uzumaki kid will pester me nonstop, and that green jumpsuit freak will challenge me to taijutsu duels every day."
Hiashi Hyuga raised a brow but said nothing.
"I don't mind sparring with them," Kimimaro continued, "but I heard Lady Hinata has feelings for that Uzumaki boy. I wouldn't want to get on little sister Hinata's bad side."
Hiashi gave a knowing nod. "That's… not inaccurate."
"Hmph, another 'little sister,'" Karin muttered under her breath.
Kimimaro shot her a subtle glance, signaling her to let it go.
The truth was, there were girls Kimimaro might entertain if fate allowed, but Hinata and Sakura weren't among them. Their hearts were already spoken for—Hinata's unwavering love for Naruto, and Sakura's obsession with Sasuke were well-known across the village. Kimimaro had no interest in entangling himself in that mess.
He wasn't chasing romance, and certainly not a harem. Why compete for someone already emotionally bound to another?
"Uncle Hiashi," Kimimaro said seriously, "I intend to travel. Hanabi wishes to come along. I give you my word—I will protect her with my life."
"She's still very young," Hiashi replied, his tone laced with concern.
"Which is exactly why she needs to see the world. Experience shapes strength. If she stays cloistered in the clan compound, how can she grow? Uncle, you haven't placed the Caged Bird Seal on her… isn't that because you believe the old ways need to change?"
Hiashi stiffened, but said nothing.
"Keeping her in Konoha, guarded but isolated—that too is a kind of cage, is it not?" Kimimaro added, voice firm but respectful.
Hiashi looked away, conflicted.
"She's your second daughter, and Neji's branded seal changed many things. Hanabi might not inherit the clan, or perhaps she will—who knows what the future holds? But outside, she may find her own path. And don't forget… I'll be with her."
"Yes, Father," Hanabi said softly, stepping forward. "Big brother is right. I want to see the world with my own eyes."
Hiashi looked at his daughter, then at Kimimaro.
Finally, he gave a slow nod. "Very well. But her safety is your responsibility."
Kimimaro bowed slightly. "It always has been."