"Asahi-sama, you're finally here! The clan head has been waiting for a long time!"
As soon as Asahi reached the entrance of the Hyuga clan, a Hyuga ninja came to greet him and led him into the Hyuga clan's compound.
The Hyuga clan is one of the oldest noble families in Konoha, possessing the powerful Byakugan kekkei genkai passed down through generations, and one of Konoha's most formidable taijutsu styles, Gentle Fist, earning them the hollow reputation of "Hyuga is the strongest of Konoha".
To protect their kekkei genkai, the Hyuga clan is divided into the Main House and the Branch House. The Main House inherits the purest Byakugan kekkei genkai for generations, and to ensure the Byakugan is well-preserved and not lost, the Branch House must protect the Main House with their lives. Furthermore, members of the Branch House are subjected to a Cursed Seal on their foreheads from a young age, which is also the source of internal conflict within the Hyuga clan.
However, compared to the Uchiha clan, the Hyuga's Byakugan leans more towards support, while the Uchiha's Sharingan is more geared towards combat. Therefore, in terms of individual combat power, there is a significant gap between the Hyuga clan and the Uchiha clan.
"Hiashi-senpai."
"Asahi. Please, have a seat."
The act during the day was clearly for others to see. Both Asahi and Hiashi knew that today was not merely a dinner of gratitude, but a negotiation for cooperation between two factions.
Besides Hiashi, there were also two Hyuga clan elders in the room. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they finally got down to business.
"Now that Yondaime-sama has fallen in battle and the position of Hokage is vacant, it seems Sandaime-sama intends to regain control of Konoha's power." one of the Hyuga clan elders said first. This person's name was Hyuga Haruki, an elder relative of Hiashi, and held a very high position within the Hyuga clan.
As soon as he spoke, Hiashi and the others subtly observed Asahi's expression, but Asahi was destined to disappoint them, as he had no interest in the Hokage position.
If, after defeating Otsutsuki Kaguya, the ninja world returned to peace, he might consider becoming Hokage for a while. But for now, everything had to be focused on increasing his strength.
"Regarding Sandaime-sama's decision, I am not much informed about it." Asahi said.
The Hyuga clan's position in Konoha was very awkward. In terms of strength, they were overshadowed by the Uchiha clan, and in terms of status, they were excluded by the Hokage lineage. If it weren't for the Hyuga clan's inherent strength and the Byakugan's great utility in war, the Hyuga clan would have faced even more exclusion.
Although the Sarutobi clan was also a big ninja clan, they neither possessed a kekkei genkai nor any secret jutsus. In the first few years of Hiruzen's tenure, he was oppressed by many powerful clans.
However, Hiruzen possessed the means befitting of a 'Professor'. He allied with the Ino-Shika-Cho and other smaller clans to resist the major clans like Hyuga and Uchiha. Coupled with Hiruzen's prestige among ordinary ninjas, it took him only a few years to solidify his position as Hokage.
By now, the long-standing conflicts of interest between the two sides had accumulated to a certain degree. If Hiruzen were to retake the Hokage position, the Hyuga clan would inevitably still be unable to enter Konoha's center of power.
The Uchiha clan at least held a position in the Konoha Military Police Force, and in the future, they also got into the Anbu, a unit directly under the Hokage. However, the Hyuga clan, from the beginning of the Naruto's storyline, existed merely as an independent ninja clan.
Decades after Konoha's founding, the Hyuga clan had long been integrated into Konoha. But regardless of their feelings for Konoha, where there are people, there are conflicts, and where there are conflicts, there will be various disputes over interests.
"Asahi, among the younger generation, your strength is evident to all, and you have also performed meritorious deeds in the war. If a few more years pass, you might even have a chance to succeed as the Fifth Hokage." Hiashi said in a deep voice.
For the Hyuga clan, although Asahi was powerful, he came from a commoner ninja background and did not have a reliable faction of his own. Even if he became Hokage, he could only command Konoha's ninjas based on his own prestige.
However, for the various ninja clans within Konoha, a young Hokage's like Asahi's authority could be collectively resisted.
Why did the Third Hokage assist Minato in handling political affairs at the beginning of his tenure?
The purpose was also to help Minato deter the various powerful clans when his power was still insufficient.
"So, what does Hiashi-senpai mean?" Asahi asked.
"If you run for the Fifth Hokage, our Hyuga clan is willing to support you. We also have influence with the Daimyō." Hiashi said.
"I'm afraid Sandaime-sama would not like that." Asahi said.
The Hyuga clan was different from Shimura Danzo. Although Asahi was not interested in the Hokage position, he was happy to see the Hyuga clan's overtures. After all, the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan had very powerful functions and could be used in many areas.
"You are also Tsunade-sama's disciple, so Sandaime-sama should consider letting you become the Fifth Hokage." Hiashi said.
"If I have that opportunity, of course, I won't give it up." Asahi smiled. Then he looked at Hiashi and continued to ask, "But what do you all need me to give in return?"
"My child will be born soon, and I hope you can be her teacher." Hiashi said.
'What?'
"Is that all?" Asahi asked in surprise.
"Of course." Hiashi nodded, not making any further demands.
After a careful thought, Asahi understood Hiashi's plan. Becoming Asahi's disciple would mean entering the Hokage lineage. With this identity, once Asahi became the Fifth Hokage, the Hyuga clan would naturally rise in prominence, and many things could be easily accomplished.
Especially in the world of Naruto, the bonds between people, besides kinship, were mostly comradeship and teacher-student relationships. If Hiashi's child became Asahi's disciple, the bond between the two in the future would be enough to make Asahi favour the Hyuga clan.
However, the thought of Hyuga Hinata, that obedient and sweet girl, gave Asahi a headache.
She was clearly not cut out to be a ninja. Although Hinata had undergone some changes after the Chūnin Exams, compared to Hyuga Neji, there was a certain gap in talent.
But Asahi didn't want to give up on the Hyuga clan either.
This clan had superb abilities in intelligence gathering. If he could cooperate with the Hyuga clan, future intelligence gathering on the Tailed Beasts could be entrusted to them.
Although he might not be able to teach Hinata well and might end up with the title of 'misleading a child', these were clearly insignificant compared to the benefits he would gain.
Moreover, the original work also had some extra descriptions of the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist, and coupled with Asahi's own understanding of taijutsu, he might not be unable to develop Hinata.
"Alright, I agree." Asahi smiled.
*****
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✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
✓ Naruto: Senmei Asahi
✓ Naruto: Uchiha's Intelligence Dealer
✓ Naruto: The Fifth Hokage Is Naruto's Uncle
✓ Naruto: Who Made Him a Ninja?
✓ Bleach: In My Second Reincarnation, I Became The Ninth Kenpachi
✓ To Love-Ru: Spoiler Route [R-18]
✓ Naruto: The Accidental Incubus [R-18]