"Tch, are you saying Konoha is some completely unified block of steel?" Temari's expression soured. That guy Nagare had already made a complete fool of himself in Sunagakure, and now he still acted like the greatest shinobi under heaven while visiting Konoha. Still, Nagare was her own teammate, so she didn't want to speak ill of him in front of Sakura.
"From what I know, isn't the Hyūga clan—the strongest Kekkei Genkai family currently in Konoha—is full of internal conflicts, right?"
"First off, we've never claimed Konoha was perfectly united. As the saying goes, wherever people gather, there's Jianghu (a martial world filled with intrigue and conflict). Completely eliminating all conflict is practically impossible. I'm no deity who can unify everyone's thoughts. Besides, Konoha simply doesn't like exposing our internal village disputes to outsiders."
Sakura raised a finger and shook it teasingly, predictably darkening Temari's mood further. Then she continued, "Secondly, your understanding of Konoha must be stuck several years back. Right now, the Main House and Branch House within the Hyūga clan don't really have any major issues anymore. What you know is seriously outdated!"
"Tch, who are you trying to fool? Everyone knows how decayed the Hyūga clan's system truly is. With the Main House controlling the Branch House members' lives like that, you expect me to believe there aren't any serious conflicts? You really think I'd buy that?"
"That was all in the past!" Sakura shrugged without elaborating much further. To be honest, the Hyūga clan really was pretty rotten back then. This system where the Main House controlled the Branch House members' lives had divided the Hyūga into two opposing factions. However, since their very lives were literally in the hands of the Main House, Branch House members dared not voice any disagreement and could only bury their feelings deep inside.
All this started changing when Hinata began gradually taking over the affairs of the Hyūga Main House. Thanks to Hinata, Neji, and the Hyūga elders Hiashi and Hizashi, the line between Main House and Branch House all but vanished. The Caged Bird Seal was no longer passed on to the next generation, and all existing seals had been removed through Sakura's help at Hinata's request. Although officially the Main House and Branch House titles were still preserved, relations between them had completely changed from what they used to be.
As for those Main House elders who initially opposed reform, well, let's just say certain members of the Hyūga Main House had proven remarkably accident-prone. So many people kept meeting their end in the most bizarre ways—tripping over their own feet, choking on air, or even suffocating mid-bite at dinner. Particularly during the early stages of reform, without Branch House members constantly serving and catering to their every need, numerous Main House members carelessly managed to kill themselves in droves. While inwardly amused by these developments, Sakura couldn't really offer assistance with such matters—she could only kindly help tidy up after the unfortunate incidents.
Meanwhile, during the short time that Sakura and Temari were chatting, Lee and Nagare had already started fighting below. Since everyone came from different ninja villages, they skipped the habit of forming Defiant Seals before battle and jumped straight into combat.
Lee himself doesn't know any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu techniques, so he relied entirely on Taijutsu during the fight. Surprisingly, Nagare—who was fighting against Lee—also used only Taijutsu without resorting to any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu techniques.
"Is that Nagare guy also a Taijutsu specialist?" Guy watched the back-and-forth battle between the two and immediately showed excitement in his eyes. "Who would've thought Lee's opponent is also a Taijutsu expert? Could this be destiny at work?"
[Leaf Whirlwind!]
Lee flew up and kicked Nagare directly in the face, sending him flying backward. Yet there was no sign of happiness on Lee's face—something about that kick just didn't feel right.
"A Substitution Jutsu!"
The moment Nagare was kicked away, he instantly transformed into a block of wood. The solid timber had cracked from the powerful impact of Lee's kick.
"I still got careless. I should have noticed the Substitution Jutsu earlier!" Lee reminded himself inwardly. Normally, during battles with Naruto and others, Lee could easily recognize low-level Ninjutsu like the Substitution Technique. However, caught up in intense emotions just now, he hadn't detected the substitution in time.
"Tsk, green bowl-cut kid, your skills are pretty good," Nagare stepped out from the shadows, looking at the shattered wooden log that had taken the blow. His heart nearly stopped for a second—he hadn't underestimated his opponent, but hadn't expected Lee's power to be this strong. This level of Taijutsu cultivation really matched his own!
"You're strong too." Lee honestly accepted Nagare's compliment and reciprocated.
"Heh, of course. I'm Sunagakure's genius after all!" Nagare wore an expression filled with pride. "You're actually a decent opponent—I guess it's time to get serious!"
"Thank you for the compliment!" Lee let out a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination.
Chapter 196: The Lotus of Konoha Will Bloom Again [Continued]
"Huh?" Nagare looked puzzled by Lee's sudden gratitude. Hadn't he just said something complimentary about this strange bowl-cut kid?
"Though I'm happy that you consider me a decent opponent, I won't hold back!" Lee stood with one hand behind his back, stretching the other toward where Nagare stood. "Next, I'll start getting serious too!"
"I didn't praise you!" Nagare frowned deeply. Is this green-haired kid insane? He'd just casually made that remark—how did that become praising Lee?
"I know you're just being modest, but I understand completely!" Lee inherited Guy's quirky way of interpreting words, automatically twisting Nagare's words into exactly what he wanted to hear. A knowing look appeared on his face right away.
"Tch." Suddenly, Nagare felt mentally drained. Talking to someone who thought in such a strange way was exhausting.
"Come on then, let us both give our all and make this a youthful duel!"
Letting out a deep breath, Lee suddenly launched himself off the ground. His figure dashed lightning-fast toward Nagare, not forgetting to shout a warning as he went. "Here I come!"
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>