Hizashi Hyūga

was a member of the Hyūga clan. He was the father of Neji Hyūga and the younger twin brother of Hiashi Hyūga.

Background
Hizashi was born seconds after his twin brother, Hiashi. For this reason only, Hiashi was made the successor to the Hyūga clan, whereas Hizashi was made a member of a branch house. At some point in Hizashi's life, he was branded with a curse seal that would ensure his lifelong service to the main branch and that would seal his Byakugan when he died. Hizashi was unhappy with this fate, but felt that there was nothing he could do and put up with it.

Hizashi eventually fathered a son, Neji. Several years after Neji's birth, Hiashi's daughter, Hinata, turned three. As was customary to do on the next heir's third birthday, Neji was given his own curse seal. Hizashi was upset that his son was being locked into the same fate that he was, and briefly put up with this as well. But as time went by, Neji's natural genius with the Hyūga clan's techniques became obvious to Hizashi. At the same time, Hinata was proving to be ill-suited as the Hyūga's next leader. Angry that Neji was being denied his full-potential because of his birth, Hizashi became more open with his disapproval of the main house, eventually manifesting as killing intent. Sensing this, Hiashi activated Hizashi's curse seal as punishment, causing Hizashi great pain and giving Neji reason to doubt the main house for the first time.

Sometime later, in an event that would become known as the Hyūga Affair, Hiashi killed the Head Ninja of Kumogakure to save Hinata. Kumogakure demanded Hiashi's body as restitution; in reality, they wanted to obtain the secrets of the Byakugan. The Hyūga elders and Konoha's leadership proposed that Hizashi be used instead; as Hiashi's body double. In addition to protecting Hiashi - the Hyūga's leader - doing so would keep the Byakugan's secrets from being discovered. Hizashi agreed. When Hiashi tried to refuse, Hizashi disabled him with a single blow. He then explained that he was not doing this to preserve the Hyūga's structure, but to save the life of his brother, to prevent war, and to choose his own fate for the first time in his life. Before going to his death, Hizashi asked Hiashi to tell Neji of his reason for his decision, regretting that he had shown Neji his bitterness in life.

Legacy
Hiashi chose not to tell Neji how Hizashi died until he believed Neji was mentally ready. In the interim years, Neji came to blame the main house for Hizashi's death, openly despising all its members and becoming obsessed with the idea that his and everyone else's fates were decided at birth and thus inescapable. After Neji is defeated by Naruto Uzumaki in the finals of the Chūnin Exams, in the process disproving Neji's philosophies, Hiashi finally tells Neji the truth. In the anime, Hiashi also gives Neji a letter from Hizashi. Neji forgives the main house and, like Hizashi, decides to pick his own destiny: to never lose again.

Although Hizashi's death avoided a war between Konohagakure and Kumogakure, relations between the two villages ever-after remained tense. The circumstances surrounding Hizashi's death are well-known among the high-ranking ninja of Konoha, most of them taking it as a serious infraction of Kumo. Nevertheless, Konoha has tried to use the whole affair as a means of forcing cooperation from Kumo, citing the fact that Kumo still owes Konoha a debt.

Shinobi World War Arc
Hizashi is resurrected by Kabuto, along with other famous shinobi through the Summoning: Impure World Resurrection, to prepare for war. Later, he, Asuma Sarutobi and Dan move to the front line while discussing their resurrection.

Trivia

 * In English dub, the English voice actor for Hizashi also does the voice for his twin brother, Hiashi.