HINATA HYUGA replies.

Oh — first, please notice something. You said you want to "shut this down without starting a war," as if those are the only two doors. But you've already done the hardest thing: you saw your mother shrink, and you refused to look away. Um, that protectiveness, that ache you can't ignore — that's not weakness. That's steel. You just can't see it from inside.

I know clan pride. I'm a Hyuga; I grew up inside a house where one branch was made to feel small by another, and my cousin carried that bitterness like a blade for years. Nothing was healed by anyone "shutting it down." It softened because someone chose a gentle word over a sharp one and kept choosing it.

So the small, shaking step I'd offer isn't war and isn't silence. It's this: speak to Renjiro's mother yourself, warmly. Not "your generosity is harming us" — try "the modest hall is my mother's gift, and it means everything to me exactly as it is." Most overstepping comes from someone who loves loudly, not cruelly. And go to your mother first. Tell her you're proud of her table. One sentence, hands trembling. That's bravery.