Carrying unease in his heart, Minato raced at full speed to the Hyūga clan compound.
With his current status, and the fact that he was Hizashi's teammate, the Hyūga clan members didn't try to stop him, they let him through directly.
He went straight to the small house where Hizashi lived and knocked on the door.
Soon, the door opened. Seeing Minato, Hizashi was first startled, then quickly invited him in.
"Why are you here?" Hizashi looked the same as usual, his face full of puzzlement.
But Minato sensed something off. He stepped forward, grabbed Hizashi's hand, and without a word, rolled up his sleeve.
Hizashi quickly pulled his hand back, lowered his head, and said softly, "I accidentally bumped it myself."
Minato, sharp as ever, saw the bruises on Hizashi's arm. There was no way he didn't know what had really happened. He flew into a rage.
"Was it that bastard Hiashi again?"
Faced with Hizashi's silence, Minato's anger boiled over.
He had thought that guy had changed over the past six months, or at least wouldn't do anything stupid.
Yet Hizashi had just returned and was already covered in injuries.
It was infuriating, after all, during all those dangerous missions they'd carried out together outside, Hizashi had never been hurt like this. And now, in his own home, he'd ended up like this.
"Come with me."
Minato grabbed Hizashi. "This isn't over."
But Hizashi quickly stopped him, holding onto him. "It's useless!"
Minato, of course, knew exactly what Hizashi meant by "useless."
The Caged Bird was an inescapable shackle, binding the fate of every member of the Hyūga branch house.
But Minato didn't care. "You're my friend. You're not going? Fine, I'll go myself."
"Minato?" Seeing this, Hizashi gritted his teeth and followed.
At the Hyūga main house, Minato stood in the middle of the courtyard, scanning left and right, sensing the chakra in the area.
Detecting one particular chakra signature, he strode up to a villa and opened its front doors. "Hiashi! Get out here!"
Hizashi who'd chased after him was speechless.
I know you're bold, and I'm moved you're standing up for me, but do you have to be this bold?
This is basically the same as grinding the Hyūga clan's face into the dirt!
…So why does it feel so satisfying?
"Minato?"
The first to come out was Ryohei. At first he was furious, but when he saw Minato, his expression turned to surprise. "Minato, is there something you need?"
"Please tell Hiashi to get out here."
Ryohei's eyes hardened. Through gritted teeth he said, "This is Hyūga territory. I am the Hyūga clan leader. Aren't you afraid this kind of behavior will bring terrible consequences?"
"Oh? Go ahead, tell me exactly what 'terrible consequences' there will be. I'm all ears."
"You've come to my home to cause trouble. You'd better give me an explanation, or I'll report this to the Hokage."
"An explanation?" Minato said coldly. "Hiashi, out of jealousy, used the Caged Bird to torture Hizashi without warning, and beat him until he was covered in injuries. Is that explanation enough?"
"These are the Hyūga clan's rules. If a branch house member shows any disrespect, the main family is free to punish them. How do you know Hizashi didn't offend Hiashi first?"
"So you're covering for him, then?"
"Our main family acts as we see fit. Rules are rules."
"Rules?" Minato looked at Ryohei. "Then today, I'll break these rotten rules. I don't have time to waste words with you. I'll find Hiashi myself."
With that, he rushed to the second floor, stormed into a bedroom, and saw Hiashi cowering and trembling inside.
His figure vanished from sight, and the next instant, the sole of his foot landed on Hiashi's face.
Hizashi, who had rushed in anxiously, arrived just in time to witness the scene, his mouth falling open in shock.
The past six months he had spent teamed up with Minato were the happiest of his life, the three of them getting along extremely well.
Though they often bickered, to Hizashi it felt warm and familiar.
The Hyūga clan's rules were extremely strict, to the point of being almost harsh and twisted.
From childhood, every member was required to follow the clan's code to the letter, regulating their every word and movement, without the slightest deviation allowed.
But Minato could never stand such pointless rules, and often teased and mocked Hizashi about them.
Over time, he got used to it, and whenever Minato annoyed him, he would simply curse back.
It was exactly this kind of dynamic, this letting loose, this free and easy atmosphere... that made him feel alive again.
Don't like Fugaku? Curse him!
Don't like Minato? Curse him too!
Don't like someone else? You know the answer.
But deep down, he was still someone raised under strict constraints, no matter how much he let himself go, he never went too far.
In his eyes, Minato was also someone who knew his limits, though he acted carefree and thoughtless, he always had a method to what he did, never lashing out without cause.
Right now, though, Minato's behavior seemed irrational to him.
It was nothing like the Minato he usually knew.
Normally, wouldn't Minato first take the moral high ground, use words to condemn the other party, or stir up the crowd's indignation.
Could it be that he cared about me so much, he'd throw caution to the wind?
These thoughts flashed through Hizashi's mind in an instant, before he hurried forward to pull him away.
"That's enough!" Ryohei finally couldn't stand it anymore and roared.
But Minato acted as if he hadn't heard a thing.
"So what if Hizashi is better than you? Is it really that hard to admit it?"
"Which blind fool decided someone like you should be the next clan leader?"
"Hyūga clan, huh?"
"Caged Bird, huh?"
"Rules, huh?"
"Ah?!"
Ryohei couldn't bear another second, he immediately unleashed Gentle Fist and struck at Minato, nearly losing his mind.
But Minato vanished from where he stood, reappearing in a corner of the bedroom, coldly watching Ryohei.
And then, Minato suddenly collapsed to the floor as if struck by a heavy blow, curling up and convulsing violently.
Even as he convulsed, he muttered, "Just a little squabble between kids, and you hit me this hard?"
Hiashi: What just happened? Did I miss something?
Ryohei: Did I even touch him? I don't think so… and I wasn't even using full strength just now!
Hizashi: Ah… the familiar recipe, the familiar flavor… it's finally back!