[Hyūga Honnō]

It wasn’t always a good idea to isolate yourself from the comfort of the inner village zones, where the local presence of shinobi sought to guard their home at all times. People lived in safety inside the walls of Konohagakure, where they found comfort and harmony among their families and clan members. To deprive oneself of such simple rights, even if in a fit of hysteria, was akin to finding no comfort in one’s very own – to simply mentally isolate oneself from the populace was to doom oneself to solitude, ever fearful of the dangers that lurked around the woods outside of the village.

It didn’t really matter where Hon secluded himself at, as long as he was far, far away from the clan compound of the Hyūga. That sorrowful place was no longer going to drive him mad, for as long as he stayed here – within the wooden walls of a deserted temple hut – he was safe… for as long as he could convince himself so.

He needed to stay here for a while between missions. Even right after having talked with his old sensei, Hon made a beeline towards this place to recharge his inner energies, playing the Ryūteki that he had carved for himself with his back facing the entrance to the temple hut. The temple hut was covered in sealing tags, about a dozen per wooden plate, and it gave off an eerie aura that something bad was located here… almost as if a monster was sealed away.

And so, until his next mission was to be handed to him, Hon would keep on playing the flute, engulfing the woods around in a somber melody. His actions… betrayed his feelings, for despite his upfront nature, he truly felt homesick. However, should he ever be reckless enough to return, he would likely be killed… or subjected to that-that-that-THAT-THAT-THAT-

Relax, Hon… keep on playing the flute, and collect yourself. Any of the Jōnins could show up anytime soon with a mission for him, or one of his students would want to meet him again. So he had to recharge…

[Hyūga Shigure]

"dilapidated shinobi". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." RIGHTING WRONGS Shigure was actively seeking to right the wrongs of the Hyuuga clan, and one of them had to do with Hyuuga Honnou, the child of Hirohito. He had discussed the matter with the head councilmember of the clan, and they had agreed that it would've been better if Shigure himself went to break the news to the man. He had suffered much at the hands of Urashi, and that suffering led him to isolate himself in the woods, seriously traumatized by the pain of the caged bird seal. He knew Hirohito would eventually want to talk to his own son, but that would be more appropriate once the man had moved back into the Hyuuga District. Shigure had also brought with him a scroll that essentially voided his exile from the clan, with the new authority he had as the leader. As he approached the place, he could hear the beautiful sound of a flute, a sign that the Jounin was there. Guided by the song, the new head of the Hyuuga clan would approach the door of the hut and knock on it a few times. "Honnou, are you in there?" a rhetorical, yet polite question. "It's Shigure. I need to talk to you." he would say in a somewhat friendly tone. He didn't want to come across as too bossy or demanding. In his own way, Shigure wanted Honnou to be at ease. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hidden Leaf Village Honnou's hut [Hyūga Honnō] [237 words]

[Hyūga Honnō]

… A new mission, perhaps? Well, despite his mental state, Hon was still a skilled Jōnin – the village needed his strength… even if he suffered. If only things could’ve been different. And yet…

That name… Urashi’s son? Lord Shigure? What was he doing here? Why was he here now? The flute play abruptly came to an end, with the flute falling to the wooden ground with a bump, while Hon remained utterly silent, not knowing what to do. If Lord Shigure was here… then Urashi was likely behind it, one way or another. That meant his life was in danger – he, he, he, he had to flee, he couldn’t stay here-

Hadn’t he suffered enough?! Did Lord Urashi want to end things, now? To end his life, now of all times?! Could even his own father not stop the Head of the Clan from this painful fate? Was Hon simply meant to die a lonesome death, with no offspring and no legacy to call his own? Without his old sensei’s knowing? With only two fingers-full knowing who he was?

Wait… before any other actions were done, Hon activated his Byakugan. The veiny stature of his face, and the paling of his eyes, it led him to see Lord Shigure’s person from outside the hut. Truth was, Hon hadn’t seen Lord Shigure in a long time. The little lord was much older now, and nobody else was around the hut. Was this…?

Holding his forehead protectively, Hon beckoned out to him with a raspy voice: "Did… did Lord Urashi send you?”

[Hyūga Shigure]

"dilapidated shinobi". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." BREAKING NEWS The sound of a thud coming from the inside the second the melody was over made Shigure sigh, feeling a bit concerned about his relative, who had been seriously traumatized by the actions of Urashi. Still, Shigure did not activate his Byakugan in respect of Honnou's privacy; if he wanted to be a different leader, he needed to act differently, even though using his Byakugan to check on things was so natural he would occasionally do it as a natural reflex. After a moment of odd silence, he finally heard the voice of Honnou coming from inside the hut. His voice was raspy, and his tone was overly cautious, fearful even. "My father is dead, Honnou." he responded, pausing for a moment so that the branch house man could take in the information. "I'm the new head of the Hyuuga clan. And..." he took a deep breathe before continuing. "I've came to apologize. For everything the main house did... You see... I'm changing things. But I need you back, Honnou. I want you to come back home. Can you step out? I would much rather talk while looking you in the eye." he asked, his tone was kind, yet he was also rather firm. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hidden Leaf Village Honnou's hut [Hyūga Honnō] [206 words]

[Hyūga Honnō]

…

Hon’s legs began to shake. What had happened back at the inner quarters of the Hyūga? What had happened to the previous Head of the Clan? Why was he dead? Did Lord Shigure kill him?

He was lying… no, he was definitely lying. Yet, Lord Shigure didn’t seem like the type of guy to lie to anyone… but maybe Lord Urashi had forced him to. Hon couldn’t take any chances, his life was still in danger. His mind was still in danger. How had he managed to stay sane after all of this? Sometimes, he really felt like melting away in a pond, just leaving his body to move and act however it instinctively desired at first. Just letting it all go felt like a luxury, at times… but people around clung him to this place. And here he was, in this hut, playing flutes day and night to keep the demons away.

"He… he’s f-finally had enough of me…” Hon stuttered with his hands planted against the wall on the opposite side of the entrance, "Leave me be… Lord Urashi, leave me b-be… d-don’t make your son d-do this to me…”

Hon wasn’t convinced that Lord Urashi was dead. He wouldn’t be convinced, otherwise, without seeing the dead body itself. "He just wants to t-trick me into coming back… I’ve already paid for b-b-being such a failure…” his dry voice almost sobbed in protest against Lord Shigure’s plead, "C-Can’t you understand, my Lord? I did not hide away Natsuo’s eye, I did not! I did not! I did not! I did not! I did not! I… I did not, I did not… I did not…”

Hon was hugging himself tightly, almost inhumanly with his abilities. Lord Shigure brought back deep, aching wounds from the scars in his head. "G-Go back to your father… empty-handed. He c-can’t hurt you…” While unaware of what Lord Shigure himself had gone through, Hon was implying that Lord Shigure didn’t need to fear the power of the Cursed Seal Caged Bird Technique. As long as that was fact, Lord Shigure was free as a swallow… and Hon was a featherless parrot struggling to breathe in its rusty cage.

"I-I… I bet he taught you the Technique… if I go with you, will you please just consider… j-just cut my throat, or something. Quick and p-painless, if you have to…” He genuinely didn’t want to die, that much was clear from his quaking voice, but what choice did a Branch member have?

Hon wasn't just delusional at this point, he was hysterical.

[Hyūga Shigure]

"dilapidated shinobi". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." SINS OF THE FATHER It pained Shigure deeply to hear the words coming out of Hon's mouth. The trauma caused by the caged bird seal had scarred his brain to a terrible degree, albeit not as much as it maimed Kyo and some others. He still had hopes he could rescue Honnou from the darkness of his own mind, but it would not be an easy task. "Honnou..." he murmured, placing his palm on his door, but not forcing it open yet. Still, as the man continued, showing he didn't believe Urashi was dead, claiming it was a trick and that he had already paid for his failure, and insisting he didn't hide Natsuo's eye. "Listen to me..." but it seemed like his words were still failing to reach the broken man, he would have to insist, to speak louder, to make himself heard. Unable to just stand outside, the veins popped up on his temples as he activated his Byakugan, seeing the heartbreaking scene of Honnou hugging himself tightly inside his hut. "You didn't fail, Honnnou!!" he shouted so that his voice would be louder than Honnou's own. "My father set you up! Like he did to so many of the branch house! I found Natsuo's eye! And that eye has been implanted in a Leaf shinobi named Wahei. I also found out that Natsuo died because Urashi set him up! He leaked his location to the enemy! Just like he set up Tsukimono, blaming him for the death of uncle Kyo. But it was all Urashi! But he can't hurt you anymore! I promise! Thrust me! I will change the clan!" he continued, and without wanting to wait any more, he would force the door open, so he could make his way in and towards Honnou. Shigure would knee before him and bow. "Forgive me... For all harm my father caused you and the members of the branch! I will atone for those sins! I will change the Hyuuga so that there's no more main or branch... But I can't do this alone!" he insisted. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hidden Leaf Village Honnou's hut [Hyūga Honnō] [347 words]

[Hyūga Honnō]

What was there to listen to? Hon had dealt with liars before. He-… why was Lord Shigure so adamant? That shout was sudden, nothing like those who came to Hon before. The dilapidated Hyūga had been shut silent at the shout, not uttering another word until all of what Lord Shigure had to say to him was conveyed.

Lord Urashi… set him up? He… he meant to tell Hon that all of this was due to a setup? All of this anguish? Hon wasn’t the only one who suffered from Lord Urashi’s actions – how many Branch members?! How many?! Wait, how could this even be?! How long had this been going on?! At first, Hon could barely fathom what Lord Shigure was saying – there was just… it sounded like… he was pardoned… for a brief moment…

He was set up? He was almost killed due to Lord Urashi’s crime? Lord Urashi committed a crime against the entire clan. He, and many others, suffered the punishment for it?

Why was Lord Urashi dead, then? How much would Hon have given… just to deal the finishing strike…

But what really got to him was the notion that Natsuo’s eye had been found. The source of his scars was… it was here? In the village? Back with the clan again?

Why was life like this, then? Why was Hon fated to bear this Caged Bird Seal? Why was Lord Urashi not a Branch member? It felt as if life just desired to bring torment and grief to the Hyūga, everything felt so cursed… and why… why did Lord Shigure desire to change the clan? He was completely right – it was no task to do alone, but in Hon’s eyes, was it a possible task at all? Lord Urashi was far from alone, in the end – the council, and Hon’s father… they wouldn’t sit idly by.

Hon just… rose his head up silently. Only now had he noticed that Lord Shigure… the heir of the clan- no, the head of the clan, he was kneeling before him. How come someone like him… someone so… so… direct and selfless be of that deceased creature’s blood? Did blood just not matter anymore? Was everything Hon was forced to remember naught but empty words meant to hurt him more than anything else?

It brought the older Jōnin to slight tears, but he tried his best to keep his voice solid. "Y-You… didn’t hesitate…” he uttered almost angrily, "… to bow? Is… is everything really changing?”

For the first time in a while, Hon began feeling… yearning, a little, to return back home. That did bring up a very important question, which he didn’t hesitate to ask: "How is my sister, Tsumori? And… how are my parents? Are they healthy and well?”

[Hyūga Shigure]

"dilapidated shinobi". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." TO ATONE He hadn't hesitated to bow. Even though he was the head of the clan, Shigure believed in owning up for the sins committed by the main house, and it was his duty to atone for such sins. And Honnou had been done dirty, more than most people, and although he had not been killed or damaged beyond repair, he suffered a lot at the hands of Urashi. And he suffered for a crime he didn't commit, he was used as a scapegoat. After the bow, Shigure would lift his head to look at the man, right in his scared and confused eyes. "I will never deny the sins of the main house. They happened, it couldn't be helped. What I can do now, as the new head of the Hyuuga clan, is to atone for their sins. Right their wrongs." and with those words, Shigure would stand up again, so that he could continue the conversation on a more even ground. When asked about his family, Shigure was more than happy to answer. "Your family is doing well. All of them. Your father has been an important ally as head of the council. He has been very helpful with my reforms. My life would've been much harder without his aid, that's for sure." he admitted, and even though he didn't believe Hirohito was doing so out of the kindness of his heart, he didn't really care about his inner motivations. At this point, he needed all help he could get, he couldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. "I won't lie to you, your mother haven't asked about you. But your sister did, and so did your father. They also want you to come back." he pointed out with another nod. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hidden Leaf Village Honnou's hut [Hyūga Honnō] [294 words]

[Hyūga Honnō]

It was still… a lot to receive. Lord Shigure had succeeded his deceased father and become the Head of the Clan, at last. Lord Urashi was dead… too… too light of a reckoning, to say the least. Hon thought so, and many others would think so as well. What that traitor had done to the Branch- no, to the entire Hyūga clan was… unforgivable. It was almost comical. The leader had been the greatest threat to the clan all this time.

At least, the only pleasure Urashi could now take in all of this was his quick death. Hopefully. Now, there was only Lord Shigure and his family… and the rest.

Hon could never really read his father. The man had led the clan council for a long time, and yet there were moments of aid towards the Branch member that the father couldn’t possibly have done with any self-serving purposes in mind – or did Hirohito desperately want Hon to be a guard to his sister? Did Hon serve any other greater purpose for the clan as of now? What was Hirohito thinking?!

His father… had clearly beckoned for mercy towards the boy on that day. Hon, in the end, kept convincing himself that it was out of love – that his father couldn’t bear to see his son getting killed. Did Hirohito know about Urashi’s treason? No, it… it couldn’t be… no, impossible.

"I… I have to see Natsuo’s eye, then,” Hon insisted all of a sudden, his brow sharpening as he began to regain some composure, "I need… to be sure. After what your father did, I… I didn’t… I didn’t get to kill him, you know. Your father… with my own hands… t-that’s almost sad?” It did, kind of, come out of nowhere, but Hon was dead serious – he’d have frequent visions in his mind, all ending with Urashi’s head rolling on the muddy floor next to his feet.

"Many of my missions became… easier when I just swapped bandit faces out with his. It just came naturally to me. I don’t know. I don’t know, I just did. A-And, and, then I just…” It was hard to explain, but it wasn’t that complex – whenever Hon had been in open combat against a bandit or apprehended criminals on the run from the Barrier Corps, he kept seeing Urashi’s face on them… and his eyes slowly turned reddish in result.

"Urgghh… I want to see my family… my head, it… hurts… wait, j-just a moment-” Hon beckoned Lord Shigure to give him some time to recollect himself. The older Hyūga would step back from the young lord and kneel down to pull open and move away a wooden plank on the wall that was hiding his backpack. From within it, he equipped a pair of closed jars and spoons, and he immediately handed out a jar and spoon to Lord Shigure as an invitation to sit down.

Then, he would begin opening his jar… but if Lord Shigure would pay closer attention to his hand, then he would see that Hon was wringing his hand around the capsule several times over at once. It was as if he had spun his hand over 300 degrees to try and get a good grip of the capsule – his fingers should not normally be able to bend and stretch that much.

Obviously, with that sort of grip skill, he opened his jar effortlessly and began intaking the Coffee Jelly inside with his spoon. It brought him a bit more ease than before, and his cheeks even began reddening in slight delight.

[Hyūga Shigure]

"dilapidated shinobi". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." URASHI When Honnou said he needed to see Natsuo's eye, Shigure nodded to him. "I will introduce you to Wahei at our earliest convenience. But I haven't seen him for a couple of weeks, so... It might take some time. I assume he is busy with missions. He has joined the ANBU apparently." he explained, even though - in reality - Shigure was wrong about that assumption. But he didn't know anything about Root. As the older Hyuuga regained some of his composure, he revealed his immense grudge for Urashi, and how he wanted to be the one to kill the man, and how imagining his face on his enemies made it easier for him to just take their lives. It was sad that he had suffered so much that his escapism was based on pure hatred, but that was the sins of the Hyuuga clan. "I understand. My father was not a good person. And he caused plenty of harm." he admitted that with a single, firm nod. Honnou wanted to see his family, but he needed some time before that and he sit down, grabbing a jar. Accepting his invitation, Shigure sit in front of him, accepting the spoon. The young head of the clan didn't fail to notice how unnaturally his fingers would bend and stretch, but he kept his thoughts in the privacy of his own mind for now. "I... Well... I fought my father. Because I found out about his crimes. I wanted him to turn himself in, but he refused. It almost cost me my life, but... My mother... Well... She sacrificed herself to stop my father from killing me, and then Kazuto arrived and took care of Urashi. I was too injured to do anything, but I managed to survive." he said, as he grabbed a spoonful of the Coffee Jelly Honnou offered. "Things are still unstable... As you may know, not every member of the main house is happy with my reforms. But I'm doing all I can to make sure we can finally have equality within the clan." he explained. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hidden Leaf Village Honnou's hut [Hyūga Honnō] [347 words]

[Hyūga Honnō]

… Wahei, huh? That was not a Hyūga, but it didn’t matter. No, it didn’t matter right now… it felt as if a lot had really changed ever since Hon left the compound. To think that a Byakugan was now stored within the care of someone else, though, only cemented the fresh, cold drop of water that coated Hon’s heart in its entirety.

Natsuo’s eye wasn’t stolen by foreign shinobi, nor was it in the hands of any enemies. It was back here, in the Leaf… and it meant that Hon had successfully completed his mission. He was no failure. No one could ever bring that against him again.

To hear that Lord Shigure had fought against his own father made Hon’s skin shiver. He fought that monster on his own? What was he thinking?! Turning himself in?! "… W-What the fuck were you thinking?” Hon’s angry breath drew out, stopping himself in partaking of the Coffee Jelly, "You… you could’ve died. I couldn’t…”

Lord Shigure, Main Family or not, was still younger than him. It was Hon’s responsibility to keep him safe, and yet here he was in his own hell with no regard for anyone else’s safety. Well, fuck all of that – if he was safe from Urashi now, who wasn’t as lucky as him? Seriously, who else out there… Hon had to know. If any other Branch member in particular got the short end of the stick.

Hon finished his jar pretty quickly and put it back into his backpack before rising back up. Regardless of Lord Shigure’s process with his snack, Hon finally walked towards the entrance and planted a hand on one of the Sealing Tags taped to the side of the door frame. It… was malfunctional. It didn’t activate when Lord Shigure made his way in, signaling just how unrefined Hon’s mind had gotten from isolation.

He had to return. Lord Shigure had already lost his mother trying to fix things on his own… his own mother.

"Natsuo… Hideki… Yusaku… Hitomi…” Hon murmured what names he could possibly summon to the front of his eyes, manifesting memories of those he used to stand side by side with, "I want to see them. My family… lead me to them.”

[Hyūga Shigure]

"dilapidated shinobi". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." BACK HOME It was true. Honnou did complete his mission, despite Urashi's allegations. He had been set up and made a scapegoat to perpetuate the illusion that Urashi had not been responsible for Natsuo's death. He was sacrificed so that the corrupt leader of the Hyuuga clan could continue his plots and power game. But things were changing now, and as such, Shigure would make sure that his kinsman new that he was a worthy shinobi, and a worthy member of the Hyuuga clan. Still, when he revealed that he faced Urashi alone, Honnou's reaction was as he had expected it to be; it was like many reactions he witnessed since. The young Hyuuga sighed and nodded. "I almost died. I would have died, if my mother hadn't sacrificed her life to stop my father long enough for Kazuto to arrive. He closed all but five of my tenketsus. It took me weeks to recover." he admitted. One thing Shigure had decided was that - as leader - he would be forthcoming with his kinsmen. He was their leader, yes, but he was also a human being. He wasn't above right and wrong, and he wanted his people to hold him grounded and accountable, despite of his position. Shigure finished the snack as fast as Honnou, and when the branch got up, so did he, following him to the entrance. Then, when he asked him to lead him to his family, Shigure placed his hand on his shoulder and nodded to him. "Then follow me, Honnou. Follow me back home." he said, and with a gentle smile, he would give the man a node before darting back towards the Hyuuga District. Upon getting there, Honnou would be faced with two impactful sights: the first one was the reforms to the branch area of the district; it was being renovated and expanded. The other was the debris still visible in the main house's dojo, where the fight took place. Workers were taking care of fixing it, but the place took quite the substantial damage. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hidden Leaf Village Hyuuga District [Hyūga Honnō] [341 words]

[Hyūga Honnō]

… Lord Shigure’s mother had died?

He wanted to claw wood at this point. Just destroy his nails in the process, maybe let the pain distract him from the shame he began to feel. He wasn’t there… but could he had done anything? Really? It felt like wishful thinking at this point, but if only there was something he could do…

It seemed that Lord Shigure knew what he was doing. To think that the clan might’ve had a chance at change with his leadership – it was still just so weirdly fantastical. We were talking about centuries, no, longer than just centuries of stagnation. Did Lord Shigure plan to eliminate the caste system with the time he had? Or would it take longer than expected?

So many troubling thoughts about the topic… but for now, Hon really wanted to go home.

…

His skin was crawling crazy upon re-entering the Hyūga’s area again. He had to hold his shoulders for a moment to calm himself down before glancing around the buildings – much of what used to be the Side Branch’s district was being rebuilt into something bigger, almost triggering Hon with a sense of disbelief. Were they already getting on with the renovations?

So… nobody tried to oppose the changes? No, Hon wasn’t a fool – somebody here had to oppose it at one point, and the earlier they made their presence known, the better. For he was ready to kill them… genuinely.

He was starting to turn his head around to get a wider look at the area… but from Lord Shigure’s perspective, his neck shouldn’t have been able to turn that much. Like an owl, Hon seemed to be completely unhinged by joint limits and muscle fractures as his neck spun over 300 degrees. "If I… if I knew of Urashi’s betrayal… I should’ve protected your mother. What worth am I…?”

[Hyūga Shigure]

"dilapidated shinobi". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." REUNION The place looked both different and familiar at the same time, it was the proof that Shigure's words were not just word in the wind, but he was putting real effort into making the changes so substantial to the clan, that there will be no denying it anymore; the main and branch were still different, but even that difference would fade within a new generation, once the practice of the caged bird seal died out. Still, in the meantime, he was going to make sure they could live a more dignified life. Still, when they entered there, Honnou seemed to be rather amused with everything, but what caught Shigure's attention was just how unnaturally he had turned his neck looking around; he had definitely learned some odd technique in the time he had been away from the Hyuuga District, and Shigure would definitely ask him about it at a later time, but for now, this was his moment to adjust his mind and emotions so that he could once again embrace the Hyuuga District as his home. With the hand resting gently on the man's shoulder, Shigure shook his head. "He used the caged bird seal, there was nothing you could've done to prevent that. If anything, I am glad you were not there. I value your life too much to see it wasted." he said, as he he said that, he pointed towards the direction of the main house quarter's, where Honnou's father and elder sister were waiting, but not his mother. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hidden Leaf Village Hyuuga District [Hyūga Honnō] [254 words]

[Hyūga Honnō]

… He still remembered the gathering outside. Seeing the grounds where he was almost killed was… grim. Terrifying. To think of what could’ve been was nightmare fuel, but… he had to give Lord Shigure his trust. The boy wasn’t one to just trick others into false senses of security – Lord Shigure had never been like that, right? No, not as long as Hon could remember.

But there was still that sense of alarm in his head. To treat his clan’s grounds as a sort of ‘enemy territory’ spoke volumes, for this was supposed to be his home. A home that had him an outcast… but Lord Shigure’s pointing brought the older Hyūga a sense of direction. A promise, even, to walk the path in front of him, that he may obtain a new, brighter future… a future that the new Head of the Clan had put his own life on the line to secure.

Not a path most traveled, but… it was a path worth taking. A way worth going. And it had Hon going, in light steps, towards the Main House Quarters that Lord Shigure had pointed him towards. With every step he took closer to the building, his heart raced faster out of that same sense of impending doom that he once felt all those years ago… when he saw that Natsuo’s eye was missing. He clearly remembered just how he nearly evicted his own soul at the sight, and a similar sensation was overtaking him once he entered the quarters.

…

If Lord Shigure were to enter afterwards, he’d find Hon already embraced completely by his older sister Tsumori. Not a single word had been spoken between them, but Tsumori’s deep sobbing echoed throughout the walls. And her twintails were sharp and short, so despite the time having passed, Hon recognized her immediately. His arms had lost all strength, and they were both on their knees – with Tsumori making sure that Hon would never leave her again, while the latter’s shoulders twitched from letting go of so much weight.

Tsumori could barely bring a word out of her mouth. To finally have her little brother back home again was like waking up from a bad dream as a child, sobbing in the arms of one’s mother who’d reassure you that everything would be fine in the end. The bad dream was over…