A joke.
How could they dare leave these two calamities waiting outside?
After receiving the report, Santai and Ichi exchanged a glance and gave bitter smiles. What was destined to come had finally arrived. They hurried to the reception hall to meet Kaede.
As soon as they entered, Santai and Ichi lowered themselves with utmost humility.
"Kaede-sama, we didn't know you would visit. If this is about the village you're building, you only had to tell us. We can provide funds and resources—material support as needed," Santai said with a placid smile.
"We…" Ichi began.
"Mm. I'll skip the hollow courtesies—I dislike them," Kaede cut in. "You have two choices. One: join the Uchiha—join the village. There you'll be protected, you can grow, and you'll hold authority second only to the Uchiha. Two: after today, the Hyūga will no longer exist. Choose."
Hearing that, the expressions on Santai and Ichi's faces were close to tears. So the day had come after all. Strangely, they also felt a lightness inside, as if a stone they'd shouldered for years had finally been set down.
They looked at each other, then clenched their teeth. Santai spoke:
"Kaede-sama, if we agree to join, what guarantees do we have?"
"Madara, you answer," Kaede said.
"Yes, sensei." Madara nodded. "If you join, the village guarantees your safety and the protection of your people. Inside the village you'll receive resources and positions appropriate to service."
Truthfully, Madara didn't know exactly how the village would run after it rose—but everything was moving in a good direction.
To be honest, Santai and Ichi weren't satisfied with that answer, but what could they say? Kaede stood before them; refusal today could mean the immediate end of the Hyūga. Besides, their terms were already far better than what other clans had received. Those who entered earlier had become little more than slaves; the Hyūga were being invited in as equals. And protection mattered—dōjutsu bloodlines invited covetous eyes. The Sharingan at least drained its host's chakra constantly and, outside the Uchiha, couldn't be closed; the burden on the body was great. The Byakugan was different—an eye of perception with far less strain. Many would try to seize it; the Caged Bird technique could only do so much, and it was no lasting solution. If they wanted a future, joining the village was the way.
"We accept," Santai and Ichi said.
"Good. You've made the right choice. You have three days—settle your affairs and move to the village," Kaede said with a nod. "When you arrive, speak with the Uchiha overseeing construction. They'll mark out your clan's district."
"Understood," Santai replied.
With the Hyūga's agreement secured, Kaede said no more. He turned and left with Madara.
"We respectfully see Kaede-sama off."
Once they were gone, Santai and Ichi immediately assembled the clan.
"We've agreed to join the Uchiha's village. In three days we move. Pack your things now and be ready to depart with us," Santai announced.
"Yes!" the Hyūga answered in unison and dispersed to prepare.
On the road back, Madara noticed they weren't taking the route toward the Uchiha's core settlement at all—it bent toward the Senju.
"Sensei, are we…?" he asked, hesitant.
"Going to resolve a problem," Kaede replied.
Hearing that, Madara fell silent and kept pace.
At dawn the next day, sunlight sifted through the forest, scattering dappled gold. The Senju stirred awake and began their morning tasks.
At the gates of the Senju compound, Kaede and Madara were already standing.
"Don't move! You wicked Uchiha—what do you want here?" the gate guards snapped, faces dark.
"You're the first to dare speak to me like that," Kaede said lightly. He smiled, then flicked his hand.
In an instant, the two guards flew backward and smashed into the gate.
Bang!
The main doors of the Senju compound splintered; the guards fell, vomiting blood, and lay still, their fates uncertain.
The crash brought Senju flooding out. They took one look—and their voices died in their throats.
There stood Kaede and Madara.
No need to say more; that alone froze their blood. The Uchiha and the Senju were ancestral enemies; they had stood against each other for centuries. Now two Uchiha had stepped into their grounds, and every Senju went taut with alarm.
"What's happening?" Butsuma came out, Hashirama and Tobirama at his back.
"Kaede… what business brings you here? This is the Senju compound. If you have something to say, speak," Butsuma said, face changing as he took in the scene.
(End of Chapter)
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