Declaration (Part II)

What is Hitoshi-sama asking a child?

Both Hanako and Kuroyama wondered what this question implies.

He's so melodramatic

Yami apathetic to Hitoshi's question's implication, inwardly commented as he already knew what it meant.

But despite his apathy towards the man's life situation, he was at the very least interested about something, their Kekkei Genkai.

"Uh- uhmm.... I feel sad for that bird..."

Yoshi thought nervously for a while as the others commented inwardly to Hitoshi's question. And while looking at the man's scary eyes, she then spoke out her honest answer.

"That is very kind of you to sympathize with them, however I never mentioned anything about the bird being trapped, I only said that it was in a cage. Now, let me ask you my second question, what will you feel once that bird finally finds out that the cage wasn't locked at all and frees itself?"

Hitoshi reacted calmly and asked her once again with a revised question.

Hearing this complicated question, Yoshino felt confused but she still answered.

"I- I will feel happy for them! But I will also pity that bird for having wasted his time feeling trapped in a cage"

She answered as she poke her head out of Kuroyama's back, which made the Hyuuga man glad.

"That's lovely, now here's a candy for your trouble"

He offered a candy to Yoshino, but seeing this, Yoshino shook her head.

"No! I can't accept a candy from a stranger, humph"

She declared and harrumphed as she hid behind Kuroyama nervously.

Hitoshi smiled as he watches the little girl, and still held out his palm with a candy on top of it, but this time, he turned to the young boy beside Hanako.

"Do you want it?"

He offered.

The boy, which was Yami, has actually been looking at him as if he were some kind of animal in an exhibit.

This is a real Hyuuga, those eyes are so ghastly yet beautiful and powerful, I wonder what I could see and do if I have those Byakugan. And that cursed seal, he must be a branch member-

But he soon snapped out of it to respond to the man.

"I don't want it, but I do want your eyes"

He responded with a creepy grin.

"... "

The branch clan head and the other nearby Hyuugas became more shocked by this boy's words.

Seriously, what is up with all these Naras, they really do say outrageous stuff like they all say.

Some hyuugas agreed with the claims inwardly.

"Just kidding, I want it, thanks"

Yami joked and playfully reached the candy from Hitoshi's hands and also hid behind Yoshino's parents.

Kuroyama and Hanako, feeling the awkwardness of the atmosphere in this place, could only smile wryly as they led both of the children out of that scene.

"Uhmm, Hitoshi-sama... "

Hanako called out for him to end this scene.

Hitoshi heard this and immediately snapped out of his daze.

"Oh, oh yes, I remember you wanting to meet me. Actually I was about to get your family from the district gates, as I was worried that you might not be welcomed by the district guards, since you know the political situation these days. But here we are haha"

The solemn branch clan head explained with an awkward laugh at the end as they continued walking towards his house.

Hitoshi also periodically conversed with Yoshino, but as for Yami, he avoided talking with him since the child creeped him out. But as he took a cautious glance at Yami, he saw that the boy was looking at him, which made him quiver slightly.

The boy continued looking at him and began opening his tiny mouth to say-

"I still want it"

As he looked at the man in the eyes.

The man could only watch the little boy uncomfortably as he then led his attention to Yoshino.

That kid is really creepy...

The Hyuuga shivered in thought.

---

The four Naras eventually reached the branch clan's main compound.

Along the way, Hanako and Kuroyama explained to Hitoshi why they wanted to meet him.

They told him about Yami's rare condition, and also told him of the event that transpired in his and Yoshino's training.

The man was befuddled of Yami being the topic of their meeting, but soon he just decided to deal with it since he owed these two couple.

Hearing about his situation made him perplexed and majorly confused.

A chakraless condition? That's really rare. That's why I felt a creepy factor from this child, he is basically an empty void inside, devoid of the warm energy that normal humans possessed.

He then heard the spouse' request of wanting him to check Yami's body with his Byakugan.

Hitoshi reluctantly agreed.

After welcoming themselves into Hitoshi's home, they met his wife and greeted her. They then settled themselves in the meeting room/dinner room, where they will conduct the scan.

"Again, thank you for doing this for us Hitoshi-sama, Yami is also very thankful, although he has trouble communicating it, this boy is grateful"

"Oh don't bother, I owe you two"

Hitoshi signaled to stop their excessive gratification with a smile.

He then turned to look at the black and white child in seriousness, who was also looking at him with seriousness, but with a mixed of wariness.

He's wary of me, this child is definitely hiding something...

And soon, veins started appearing on both of his temples as chakra began being rapidly delivered into his eyes.

He stressed his pristine white pupils as his worldview began shifting into seeing a colorless world. But as he looked around, he could see things akin to a blue flame inside the bodies of the two couple and even Yoshino.

However, when he glanced at Yami, he felt like he'd seen something he shouldn't have, a dark sphere resembling a dead black dwarf star.

He isn't empty at all, no, something is inside him, something fundamentally different from chakra.

And as he continued analyzing what he was even looking at, his eyes grew in horror, sweat began forming on top of his skin, the hairs all around his body began standing up, and his heart started palpitating rapidly.

He was currently looking at pure darkness, a void, a black hole, pure entropy inside this boy's body.

Looking at this otherworldly energy made him feel sick to the bones, as if something hidden deep within the blackness was staring back at him.

Due to the extreme stress, he needed to shut down his Byakugan.

"Hoooohh"

He exhaled in relief, as if he has escaped a terrifying movie monster.

And there, he saw the family looking at him in worry, all except the enigma in the room, Yami.

The boy was looking at him with lesser emotions this time, as if looking at a dead corpse.

"Umm, Hitoshi-sama, are you alright? You've been sweating profusely since you looked at Yami, what did you see?"

Kuroyama asked in worry.

When he heard Kuroyama speak, he snapped out of his focus in Yami.

"Oh- oh, there was... "

"What is it Hitoshi-sama?"

Both the couple and also Yoshino looked at him in curiosity and worry.

He felt the pressure in the room, the pressure of choosing between revealing and not revealing this vital information that may or may not endanger him and this family.

So something about this dark energy was the reason why he was still able to heal from Kuroyama's mystical palm despite not having any chakra...

Hitoshi realized inwardly and took his eyes back to the boy in question. The boy still looked emotionless as he stares back at him.

He saw something, it must've been the dark energy inside me. I knew it! The Byakugan is the real threat to my existence, they are still able to see something like this.... This was a risk worth taking, at least I now know one of the major threats to my existence.

Now let's see what he will choose, either reveal it to them, which will force me to do something bad to all of them, including him, or he will keep it to himself, so he's the only one I'm doing something to...

Yami inwardly threatened as he stared at Hitoshi bloodshot and nonstop, to which the latter felt the former's real intentions.

After seeing the boy indirectly threatening him to not reveal the information, Hitoshi finally decided.

"You have no chakra, I'm sorry Yami-kun"

Hitoshi declared with fake sympathy for the boy.