Naruto: Systematic Shinobi Chapter 321: Monkey On Hold - 9

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Silence reigned.

Hinata gazed at him, as did Neji beside her. At the table's head, her father's mouth was slightly agape, a reaction that, from Hyuuga Hiashi, was akin to someone else tumbling from their seat.

Her father possessed far greater knowledge of the matter than either of them. Having been active during the war, he had witnessed the Yondaime employ it firsthand. Hinata and Neji, on the other hand, only had academy history lessons and the fragments shared during breakfast to rely on.

Even so, the mere description was enough to convey the sheer extraordinariness of the Flying Thunder God jutsu. The name itself revealed most of its essence.

Thus, she fully understood why her typically stoic father sputtered, "Hokage-sama, you would genuinely... teach Hanabi that jutsu? And make such a casual decision about it?"

Daiki's eyes held a distinct sparkle, a sign she had learned meant he was quite pleased with the reaction he provoked. He clearly relished drawing strong responses from people.

"Undoubtedly," he stated, "Hanabi is my cherished apprentice. My ultimate shoulder loli of destruction."

"I am not a loli," Hanabi grumbled, puffing out her chest.

Daiki glanced towards her chest and let out a snort, prompting a deeper pout from her, then continued without a pause, "I will impart any knowledge she desires to learn." He shrugged, "Can't have her turning out like all those other Hokage student scrubs, now can I?"

Her father blinked, a flicker of bewilderment still evident on his face, "Scrubs?" She knew it would take him considerable time to adapt to Daiki's peculiar way of speaking. It had taken her time as well, and he hadn't even held the position of Hokage back then. "Do you refer to... the Sannin? And Hatake Kakashi?" Hiashi inquired, pausing as if carefully considering his next words, "My apologies, Hokage-sama. I have personally observed your might and do not doubt it. However, Kakashi is no pushover; no one within the Hyuuga clan approaches his caliber. And the Sannin, or at least Orochimaru in his past, were considered to be even beyond him."

Kakashi was Naruto-kun's sensei, wasn't he? Hinata hadn't realized his power was so immense. It must have been a blow to her father's pride to admit that no one in the Hyuuga clan could match him.

Daiki scoffed, "A band of utterly useless vagrants," he declared, rolling his eyes. "Setting aside the despicable traitorous snake. Tsunade languished for two decades. Jiraiya expended all his energy pursuing that wretched snake when he had far greater responsibilities demanding his focus. And Kakashi?" The disappointment in Daiki's voice was undeniably genuine, something Hinata could discern only due to the significant time she had spent in his company by now. "A Chunin at six, a Jonin at thirteen, possessing the potential to rival the Yondaime himself. And what did that amount to? Barely skirting the edges of S-class, because he spent a decade wallowing in grief after his comrades and sensei perished, letting everything go to waste."

Her father seemed to falter slightly, a remarkable sight in itself. "Well... you are not entirely incorrect, Hokage-sama. Though there are perhaps some nuances beyond that."

"You are correct," Daiki readily conceded. "But that encapsulates the core of it, doesn't it?" He shrugged, the arm still draped around Hanabi shifting with the movement. "Regardless. I will not have Hanabi content with the level of a mere Sannin. She is far too exceptional for that." He spoke as if stating an undeniable truth, as if his word were absolute law governing reality itself. "By the time Hanabi reaches eighteen, she will have surpassed the Yondaime. I guarantee it."

Hanabi froze, her eyes widening as she turned back to her instructor.

Neji's eyebrows ascended slowly towards his hairline.

Her father opened his mouth, then closed it, before opening it again. "...Hokage-sama," he stated, enunciating very carefully, "The Yondaime Hokage is widely regarded as the most powerful Hokage in the village's history, with perhaps the exception of the Shodai himself."

"Mhm," Daiki responded pleasantly.

"Hanabi is eleven years old."

"She is," he agreed.

Her father stared at him for a prolonged moment. "...You are entirely serious, aren't you?" he inquired, an palpable excitement coloring his voice as his chest swelled with pride.

Daiki simply offered him a wide grin.

Then, tilting his head, he added, "Well, one correction there, Hiashi. Neither the Shodai nor the Yondaime holds the title of the most powerful Hokage in this village's history." He smirked. "That distinction belongs to me."

He had declared that during his speech, hadn't he? And truthfully, Hinata had no basis to dispute it. Merely recalling the glimpse she had of his battle with Orochimaru through a screen was sufficient.

"I cannot definitively say either way, Hokage-sama," her father replied cautiously. "I have never witnessed the full extent of either of their powers firsthand."

"That’s fine, I’m well aware of how powerful they both were at their peak." Daiki waved that concern away. "I know how strong all the Hokage were. And even if all four that came before me fought me together, I’d still emerge victorious."

No one had a ready retort to his bold declaration when he placed his palm upon Hanabi’s head, ruffling her hair with playful abandon. "Now then, I’ve got a rather large cloud monkey I need to go put in its place, so I’ll be seeing you all later."

A streak of blackness blurred the air.

And then he vanished, resembling a tempest that had swept through, leaving a sense of disarray in its absence. Daiki-kun, at times, truly embodied the might of a natural phenomenon.

Hinata’s eyes stared, unblinking, at the void where her sister had stood moments before. Meanwhile, Hanabi beamed, her thoroughly disheveled hair standing on end at peculiar angles, yet she seemed unbothered by its state.

She gazed absently at the vacant spot for a beat, then a thought surfaced, ’Ah. I completely forgot to inquire about the mark on his neck.’ Hinata mused, clicking her tongue in mild exasperation.

Her father remained remarkably still at the head of the table, his gaze fixed on the area where the Hokage had been just moments prior. Gradually, he lowered his head to the table, exhaling a profound, shuddering breath through his nose.

Indeed, her father’s emotional composure was nothing short of flawless.