While the whole of Konoha was celebrating, tension filled the air inside the Hyuga clan compound.
Although Rei had already lifted the Caged Bird Seal from several key members of the branch house, many had not yet been freed in time.
As a result, the main house used those remaining with the seal as hostages, attempting to threaten the newly liberated branch house members into submission.
At the center of the conflict were the clan head Hyuga Hiashi and several elders. Standing in opposition were Hyuga Hizashi and Hyuga Rei—leaders of the branch house.
"Hyuga Rei, you were expelled from the Hyuga clan. What are you doing here now?" one of the elders barked sharply.
A heavy aura of intimidation surged around them.
But Rei, who had long grown accustomed to Simu's oppressive presence, remained unfazed.
Gone was the timid girl who once bowed her head. Now, Rei stood tall, radiating a fierce and unyielding energy.
"The Hyuga clan is not yours alone," she said coldly. "The branch house is just as much a part of the Hyuga family. And today, I stand here as its representative."
Her words caused an uproar among the elders—men used to lording their authority unchecked.
"Insolent! So you've chosen to ignore the will of your ancestors?"
"Enough! If you're set on rebellion, then all main house members—activate the Caged Bird Seal! I want to see how long these inferior branch house pests can last!"
The Caged Bird Seal—it seemed the main house had run out of options and resorted to their most brutal method of control.
Seeing the clan elders unwilling to negotiate, Rei's gaze turned ice cold.
"Think carefully, elders. If you trigger the seal now, you're not just crushing rebellion—you're starting a civil war within the Hyuga clan."
As her chilling voice echoed through the hall, more than fifty Jōnin from the branch house stepped forward. Among them were Hyuga Hizashi and the other members who had been freed from the seal.
In contrast, the main house could only muster around twenty to thirty shinobi. Among them, only eight were Jōnin.
Meanwhile, the branch house had twelve.
"You lowly branch house trash—how dare you turn your blades on the main family!"
"The strength of the main house Jōnin far surpasses yours!" one elder shouted, his fury erupting like fire.
Without warning, he struck.
Chakra surged into his Byakugan, his white eyes locking onto Rei with killing intent. Flame-like chakra flared from his palms as he launched his assault.
"Eight Trigrams Palm: Mountain Breaker!"
A compressed shockwave of chakra roared toward Rei like a cannon blast.
The elder wasn't wrong.
Although both sides had Jōnin, main house shinobi had always enjoyed privilege—access to advanced jutsu, unrestricted training in the Hyuga archives, and greater status. In contrast, the branch house was forbidden from even glancing at those techniques.
That gap had made main house dominance absolute.
But that era had ended—with Rei.
After learning Haki from the Simu-style dojo, things had changed.
Facing the raging chakra blast, Rei's aura exploded.
Her Byakugan gleamed like twin moons, seeming to pierce through reality itself.
Her long black hair lifted on a phantom wind. Her clothes fluttered wildly as chakra swirled around her.
"Gentle Fist: Lion Rush!"
A roaring lion head of pure chakra exploded from her palms, its jaws wide open, ready to devour the incoming force.
The two techniques collided with explosive fury.
From within the lion's maw, Armament Haki surged—dark, dense, and overwhelming.
Rei had fused the Gentle Fist technique with Armament Haki, creating a fearsome hybrid that rivaled Emission Haki from the world of pirates.
The old man's attack shattered like glass under the lion's fangs.
He didn't stand a chance.
The lion tore through his jutsu like a tiger mauling a deer, surging toward him with killing intent.
The elder's expression twisted in horror. He froze.
Luckily, two nearby Jōnin from the main house reacted in time. They intercepted Rei's attack—barely. The resulting explosion sent all three of them flying, crashing through the walls of the Hyuga ancestral hall.
Dust and splinters filled the air.
"Now then," Rei said coldly, stepping forward. "Do you still think the branch house is weaker than the main house?"
She swept her gaze across the stunned clan elders.
Behind her, the branch house shinobi let out a roar of triumph, their morale surging.
Hyuga Hiashi stood still, his expression darkening with every breath.
He had just witnessed the future.
And it terrified him.
He was the same age as Rei, and his talent was considered outstanding even among the Hyuga clan.
But judging from Rei's performance just now, I'm afraid he still wasn't quite his match...
And behind Rei stood so many branch house Jōnin supporting him.
"What exactly are you trying to do, Hyuga Rei?" the elders surrounding Hyuga Hiashi asked sternly.
Rei just smiled faintly.
"Abolish the distinction between the main family and the branch house, remove all Caged Birds, and make everyone in the Hyuga clan equal from now on."
As soon as those words were spoken, most of the branch house members showed joyful expressions.
After all, if freedom could be gained, who would want to be controlled by others for their entire lives?
Of course, some feudalistic branch house members still believed the branch house should naturally accept the clan's leadership.
For such people, the solution discussed by Rei and Simu was simple...
Ignore them.
Rei's request was almost entirely rejected and fiercely opposed by the clan elders.
"Impossible! This is the rule left by our ancestors. What if, after lifting the Caged Bird, outsiders from other villages come to take away our Byakugan?"
The elders glared fiercely at Rei and declared righteously:
"This system exists to protect the Hyuga people. As long as the Caged Birds remain, no one from other villages will dare to come for you!"
Rei sneered.
"We don't need that kind of protection."
However, she had no intention of changing these old-fashioned ideas.
Another solution was proposed directly.
"Branch house."
"Branch house?"
"Yes, divide the Hyuga clan into two. Those willing to stay under the clan's protection can remain, and those unwilling can re-establish a new Hyuga clan."
"Impossible!"
"You're betraying the Hyuga clan!"
The elders were furious.
If it really came to a branch house, their family consisted of only a few dozen people — what kind of great clan would that be?
"Since the elders disagree, then I have no choice. Let's fight honestly."
Faced with a situation where reason failed and victory seemed unlikely, the clan elders could only rely on their unique techniques again.
"If you dare, I will kill all the branch houses!"
Rei narrowed her eyes slightly, revealing a deadly intent.
"Oh my god, the elders of the Hyuga clan really have no energy left."
With his hands in his pockets, Hanyu Simu appeared in front of everyone with Minato.
"Master Hanyu... Hokage."
The elders quickly softened their tone.
They glanced at Rei, then at Hanyu Simu wearing the Hokage's imperial robe.
Their expressions turned ugly.
"Master Hokage, are you planning to meddle in the internal affairs of the Hyuga clan?"
Konoha had its rules.
Ninjas had their rules.
Generally, even the Hokage should not interfere with a clan's internal matters.
Simu chuckled.
"Of course not."
He looked at the ancestral hall behind him.
"Tsk tsk, as expected of the Hyuga clan — a great family with a great legacy. It was destroyed back then, but I didn't expect it to be rebuilt so beautifully."
Upon hearing this, the faces of the Hyuga clan members immediately darkened.
They hadn't forgotten what happened back then.
It was here that Simu humiliated the Hyuga clan.
They hadn't even dared to pursue it afterward.
Of course, most of those who still held this grudge were clan loyalists.
Ordinary ninjas only had respect and awe for Simu.
After all, he was the one who had personally undone the Caged Birds.
And during the Great Ninja War, no one in the branch houses had died.
At worst, they'd suffered injuries.
"Did Hokage-sama come here today to humiliate me, the Hyuga clan?" Hyuga Hiashi asked coldly.
Simu looked at Hiashi, sighed, and said, "It pains me that the Hiashi patriarch looks at me this way."
"The purpose of my visit today is not to interfere in the internal affairs of your clan."
"But—"
He looked at all the branch house members behind him.
"Even the people in the Hyuga branch house are citizens of Konoha."
"Since I am Hokage now, I have an obligation to protect their lives."
"I don't care what you think within the Hyuga clan. But if the lives of Konoha's people are endangered, then I, as Hokage, have a duty to act."
Upon hearing this, Hyuga Hiashi's expression turned ugly again.
Simu kept insisting he didn't interfere, but the implication was clear — the Caged Birds must be removed.
If the Caged Birds were lifted, how could the main family continue to dominate the branch house?
The most important thing was that they couldn't afford to offend Simu now.
As the newly appointed Hokage, Simu was probably looking for ways to establish his authority.
And no one knew Simu's strength better than the Hyuga clan.
He was terrifying even a few years ago.
No one could imagine how much Hanyu Simu, having survived countless battles, had grown now!
"Alright then, you can proceed as you like."
Simu clapped his hands and took Minato back to the office.
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