NOVEL NEXT 4. Hikari’s Rejection of the Will of Fire
To understand the unique circumstances surrounding Hikari's recent situation that led to his passing out and strange transmigration, we must delve into the history of the parents of this body, named Yoshiro and Akari Hyuga, who were quite the anomaly within the Hyuga clan, and even his entire lineage, which was the Third Elder's lineage of the Main Branch family.
Yoshiro, born into the main branch, married Akari, a side branch member, after a childhood matchmaking.
This kind of union was nothing unusual within the Hyuga clan, especially since Akari had great potential and Byakugan 'purity' was valued above all else by the Main Branch for their lineage's genetic prosperity continuation.
Therefore, Akari was chosen personally by Yoshiro's father, the Third Elder at the time, and was approved by the Patriarch due to her exceptional potential. Hence, Akari was lifted from the Cursed Seal jutsu, integrating her into the main branch, right when they finally married.
Meanwhile, the lineage of the Third Elder was distinct from other main branch families, passionately advocating for Konoha's "Will of Fire" ideology, often prioritizing the village's interests over the clan's, for some reason, since shortly after the founding of Konoha village.
There were some rumors, however, that perhaps Hashirama Senju personally saved Hikari's grandfather, the Third Elder before his father, and the one in this position when Konoha was founded, during the Warring States period during some intense battle.
And that perhaps that type of thinking leaning toward Konoha's interest originated inside this lineage at that time.
Meanwhile, they were the only ones behaving in that way in the entire clan since the Side Branch had no courage or power to say anything due to the Cursed Seals on their forehead. How could they care about or have the guts to care about the Konoha or "Will of Fire" then?
This dedication led to the Third Elder's main family line being nearly decimated during the First Great Ninja War, fighting for Konoha.
The main branch, at first, tolerated all of this, seeing it as a means to align closer with Konoha's central power, and giving a good signal to the rest of the village, they probably thought, 'Since you asked for it, then you go for it'.
Yoshiro, however, took this ideology to an even higher 'extreme'. As the first main branch member educated at the Konoha Ninja Academy and a close associate and subordinate of Sakumo Hatake, his dedication to the "Will of Fire" surpassed even that of his predecessors.
Together with his wife and childhood sweetheart Akari, Yoshiro openly criticized the main branch's 'discriminatory' practices against the side branch of the Konoha's top branch, saying things like "we are all equal citizens of Konoha" always gossiping outside, and at home often advocating for the Hyuga clan to contribute more actively to the village and its military efforts.
Almost like, he didn't care about family's interest at all, but only Third Hokage's interest.
Now understanding his parents' "infamous" history made Hikari less surprised about the rumors and their sudden and quick deaths right after the Second Shinobi World War began a few months ago.
The talk within the Hyuga clan and the whispers he heard about his parents possibly being traitors, accused of sharing clan secrets with Konoha, started to make sense.
His father was the previous Third Elder after his grandfather passed away, someone who would know deep clan secrets, and Hikari knew it could be it.
For Hikari, now looking at his situation from an 'outsider's' perspective, piecing together his parents' story wasn't too difficult;
He just had to put the timeline in order, use his own opinions and knowledge about the original series and the Hyuga family from his past, various historical books he came across in this body's memory, recall and think over the rumors he often heard around the Hyuga compound, and reflect on the things his parents used to say about Konoha directly to him.
By doing this, he could better understand their personalities, their indoctrinated beliefs, and the whole situation and best course of action.
Furthermore, Hikari had zero intention of ever mimicking his parents' self-destructive actions even slightly. He didn't see himself as a "foolish tool" as he considered those two to be at the worst and 'simple-minded sheep' at best.
Just remembering the desolate state of the Third Elder's estate where he lived before was enough to explain everything.
In his view, with all the knowledge from his modern past life, the "Will of Fire" seemed more like a brainwashing propaganda tool to keep Hiruzen Sarutobi and his three crony close friends and comrades in power rather than some 'revolutionary' or noble ideology. It was the most basic form of manipulation.
As for the village, Hikari couldn't see what Konoha had ever done for him. Everything he had in his life so far came from the Hyuga clan. He didn't share the same outlook as Itachi and Shisui, whom he saw as mentally unstable and bizarre traitors.
And even if Konoha actually did something to him, he would still choose to value only his own interest in this life, and reach the highest power in this world no matter what it took, and which aliagnce he needed to break.
The idea of doing it out of respect for his parents' ideals seemed even more absurd to Hikari. To him, they were the root cause of his current plight.
As a rightful heir of the Main Branch, he found himself neglected, ostracized, mocked, and bullied by his own clan, branded as the son of traitors.
The assets and resources that should have been his were locked away and controlled by others, leaving him as nothing more than an orphan. Even before their deaths, Hikari's memories of his parents were sparse, seeing them only every few months as they were constantly away on missions for Konoha, serving the Hokage like a couple of loyal dogs.
Hikari vividly recalled the loneliness that enveloped the original young soul of this body in the vast Third Elder estate, even before his parents' deaths. The brief moments of joy when they returned home were always short-lived, as they would soon depart for another mission.
This cycle repeated itself, leaving Hikari under the care of servants rather than the warm presence of family. The estate, despite its grandeur, felt more like a cage than a home, echoing with the emptiness of his longing for parental affection and a sense of belonging that never truly materialized.
Hikari still vividly remembered the original body discovering a secret letter from his parents hidden in his room shortly after their passing. Written as a final farewell in the case that they die, they explained that all their actions were for the "greater good" and the "Konoha big family."
They expressed hopes of "watching over him from above" and urged him to "become a respectable Konoha shinobi like them." The words, meant to be comforting, instead felt hollow to the young boy back then.
Due to their eminent positions, they didn't even need to talk to Hokage all their lives if didn't want to, not to mention going on actual shinobi missions, let alone going to dangerous wars.
As the last living people of a Main Branch elder family, they would be the last in line Hyuga family would send to work for Konoha. As the noblest of the nobles, as the Elder and his wife, it was even considered shameful and 'crazy' for them to do so by the rest of the clan later.
The notion of the "greater good" they sacrificed so much, for now, seemed completely abstract and distant compared to the tangible absence and neglect he experienced in his childhood. But, thankfully, he could finally see everything clearly today.
This was all obvious to him now, and those were all conclusions he reached, even during the three days of his memory and soul fusion and limbo. After all, it was not hard to reach this answer. You just needed to have the most basic modern education and basic intellect.
Indeed, the original Hikari would have never entertained such thoughts about his parents. Despite the rumors swirling around them and the bullying he faced as a consequence, he held onto a deep love and respect for them unlike the ridicule and negative feelings he had now.
This unwavering admiration was partly due to the influence of his parents' views and ideals, which, to a young child, felt like undisputed truths. Children often mirror their parents, adopting their beliefs and attitudes, as they are the first significant sources of information and authority figures in their lives.
However, the Hikari of now is not the Hikari of the past. The experiences and knowledge from his previous life have reshaped him, granting him a perspective and intelligence that the original Hikari lacked.
After quickly going over everything he knew about his parents in his mind and letting out a mental sigh inwardly, Hikari responded to Takumi's earlier question,
"I don't think much about that guy. He doesn't matter to me. But since he did that to me, he's going to face consequences. Now that I've awakened the Byakugan first, it shouldn't be too hard to return the 'favor' to him soon. We're both from the Main Branch, so finding him and doing to him what he did to me shouldn't be an issue, right, sensei?," Hikari's words carried a tinge of anger that was genuine.
Despite his decision to approach life with maximum rationality to achieve his goals with the highest probability, Hikari wasn't devoid of emotions. His combined life was marked by real anger, stemming from the challenges he had faced so far in both of his combined memories.
The awakening of the Byakugan and the realization of his potential overall had bolstered his self-esteem, instilling in him a newfound sense of pride. Just as he began to envision a future where he stood at the pinnacle, the memory of being overpowered by what he considered a "cannon fodder" five-year-old child was a stark reminder of his vulnerability. This incident now ignited real anger in him, fueling his determination to settle scores as soon as he could.
However, despite his anger Hikari was deliberate in how he spoke to Takumi, emphasizing his identity as a member of the Main Branch, hoping to signal a shift in the right direction.
His parents, during later parts of their short lives, had basically almost shown disdain for the Main Branch, driven by their ideological 'moral' beliefs, acting as if they were part of the Side Branch themselves.
So, by aligning himself more openly with the Main Branch in rhetoric, Hikari aimed to improve his standing in the eyes of the other elders, hopefully quickly reclaim the power and status rightfully his, and integrate more seamlessly within the Main Branch, enjoying the privileges that came with his position.
But, Hikari was well aware of the challenge ahead. The actions and beliefs of his lineage had left a lasting impression on the clan, one that wouldn't be easily erased. It would take time.
