"Ah, I've fully recovered now. Shouldn't the young heir and Hizashi be at the academy today? I recall you're set to graduate next year."
Souma found it odd that the brothers weren't at school but were instead sparring at home.
"The entire academy is closed today, so we had nothing to do. Father also forbade us from wandering outside recently," Hiashi explained.
The brothers had long sensed the strange tension in the village. Whether it was shinobi or civilians, unease was written on everyone's faces.
Even the Konoha Military Police Force patrolled until dawn, and ANBU operatives could occasionally be seen darting across rooftops.
Hearing Hiashi's words, Souma was certain—Konoha was already preparing for the next great shinobi war.
...
Meanwhile, in the Hyūga clan's council hall, the nine main family members wore grave expressions.
The Third Hokage had just issued mobilization orders to all clans. Now, it was up to each clan to relay the directive to their members.
For the Hyūga, orders from the Hokage Tower were first discussed by the main family elders before summoning branch family representatives for a final decision.
Among those present in the council hall, three—including Kurakawa Hyūga—were elders past their fifties. The remaining six, including the clan head, were still in their prime.
"The Third Hokage and the advisory council demand that each clan dispatch at least one-third of their shinobi in preparation. If war breaks out, no less than three-fourths must be mobilized. What are your thoughts on this?"
As clan head, Ryūsuke Hyūga had convened the main family elders immediately after the morning's high-level meeting.
"Sigh, another war? How many of our clansmen will perish on the battlefield this time?"
This came from the Sixth Branch elder, a peer of Kurakawa. With no promising shinobi in the next generation, he remained in his position, hoping his grandchildren might rise to the occasion. Handing the role to his son now would only leave him as a spoiled heir, unfit to contribute to the clan.
"Even if a great war breaks out, our main family shouldn't need to go directly to the frontlines. The branch families will naturally charge ahead for us."
This was the opinion of the Second Branch elder, whose father had died during the First Great Ninja War. Though possessing ninja talent, he was currently just a chūnin, essentially the type who idled within the main family waiting to die.
"I agree with the Second Elder's view."
"Same here."
After the Second Branch elder finished speaking, the Fourth and Eighth Branch elders also voiced their agreement.
"I disagree! As members of the main family, we should guide the branch families. In recent years, our main family has hardly produced any powerful shinobi. If this continues, even if we can control the branch families with the Caged Bird Seal, other clans in Konoha will truly see us as useless parasites. I propose that main family members should also prepare to fight when needed!"
This was the suggestion from the Seventh Branch elder, who still retained the heart of a ninja.
"I tend to support the Seventh Elder's opinion."
The Fifth Branch elder then expressed his view as well.
Soon, heated arguments erupted in the council hall.
"Everyone, please calm down first."
Seeing the elders arguing endlessly, clan head Ryūsuke had to step in to mediate.
The debating elders then turned their attention to Ryūsuke before collectively looking toward the few elders who hadn't spoken yet.
The remaining three silent elders were the oldest in the council hall and commanded the highest prestige among all elders.
These were the three elderly men over fifty years old that Souma had seen earlier in the hall, including his grandfather, Kurakawa.
Even the clan head had to show them respect as elders.
It should be noted that there was no hierarchy among the elders - the First Elder and Eighth Elder held equal status. The numbering system was simply established by the main family ancestors for easier identification.
"First Elder, Third Elder, Sixth Elder, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
Clan head Ryūsuke asked on behalf of the younger elders.
"Since war is inevitable, our Hyūga clan must face it in our best condition. We absolutely cannot let the village or our enemies look down on us."
"As part of Konoha, the Sixth Elder is right. Since the Third Hokage has issued orders, we should select appropriate proportions from genin, chūnin and jōnin. Trying to shirk our duty is unacceptable."
The Sixth Elder and Kurakawa voiced their opinions in turn.
"As for whether to send main family members to battle, I suggest we participate, but not during the early stages. We should join during the later phases. After all, how can members of the Hyūga main family remain bloodless? Fighting later would also better protect the Byakugan of our main family."
This was the First Elder's proposal.
The three senior elders exchanged knowing glances, having all survived the brutal First Great Ninja War together. Their experience gave them this perspective.
True to their greater wisdom, the three elders' arrangements for main family members perfectly reconciled the conflict between the two factions.
Deploying later in the war would allow both the Hyūga main family members who wished to fight and those who didn't to safely earn merits—truly killing two birds with one stone.
"Good. After this meeting concludes, we'll proceed according to the proposals of the First, Third, and Sixth Elders. Does anyone have any objections?"
As the clan head, Ryūsuke Hyūga was highly satisfied with the three senior elders' suggestions—so much so that he couldn't find a single flaw in them.
After some hushed discussions among the elders in the council hall, both factions unanimously agreed to the arrangement.
"Very well. The preliminary preparations for mobilizing our clansmen will be entrusted to the three elders."
Clan Head Ryūsuke still placed greater trust in the three senior elders.
"Clan Head, I have one additional small proposal."
Just as the meeting was about to adjourn, Kurakawa addressed Ryūsuke once more.
"Oh? What else does the Third Elder have in mind? Please, speak freely."
At this, both the clan head and the other elders turned their attention to Kurakawa, puzzled. They couldn't think of any oversights, so their expressions were full of curiosity.
Kurakawa took a deep breath and said, "Clan Head, esteemed elders, my humble suggestion is this: if any clansmen—whether from the main or branch families—volunteer for battle, they should be given priority consideration."
Silence fell over the council hall. No one had expected Kurakawa to propose this.
The suggestion wasn't entirely good, nor was it entirely bad—it had both advantages and drawbacks.
On the positive side, it would allow the rest of Konoha to witness the Hyūga clan's ambition, especially if main family members volunteered. This would boost the morale of branch family members on the battlefield and reduce criticism from other shinobi toward the main family.
The downside, however, was the risk of overconfidence among volunteers—to put it bluntly, some might not know their own limits. This could lead to discord within their teams, causing trouble for their allies. As the saying goes, "It's not the gods you fear, but the fools beside you."
After thorough discussion, everyone ultimately agreed to Kurakawa's proposal.
No one objected. The main family members who didn't want to fight were unaffected by the suggestion, while those eager to participate fully supported it. Even the two senior elders tacitly approved.
"Then it's settled. This afternoon, we'll notify representatives from the branch family for another meeting to finalize the matter."
Regarding the impending war, not a single member of the main family—from the clan head to the elders—had considered the branch family's opinions. To them, the branch family only needed to follow orders.
Even the more progressive elders never treated the branch family as equals. At most, they might secure minor benefits for them—the height of their so-called benevolence.
Perhaps this mindset was so deeply ingrained in the main family's bloodline that they saw nothing wrong with it. Wasn't this simply how things should be?
Meanwhile, during Kurakawa's meeting with the clan head and elders, Souma had been questioning Hiashi and his brother about the rules and regulations of the sinobi academy.
After all, he would be enrolling in a year. It was always good to learn about the school in advance.
By the time of next year's enrollment, the Hyūga brothers would be just at the right age to graduate from the ninja academy.
Souma was born in Konoha Year 23, while the Hyūga brothers were both born in Konoha Year 19, making them four years older than him. In this era, just two decades after the end of the Warring States Period, most students entered the academy at six and graduated at ten.
It wasn't until after the Third Shinobi World War in the original timeline that the academy's system was reformed into a six-year education program, meaning the newer generation of shinobi mostly graduated at twelve.
The reason for the two-year difference in education was that, in this era, many shinobi learned their skills and techniques directly through war and combat experience.
With conflicts breaking out at any moment, there simply wasn't enough childhood time for prolonged study. As a result, many children matured early, some even having blood on their hands at a young age.
Since the establishment of the hidden villages, the minimum age for shinobi sent to the battlefield had gradually increased. During the Warring States Period, there were records of six-year-olds fighting—a blatant case of child labor exploitation!
In this era, living to fifty was considered a long life. The early years of battle left too many hidden injuries, and the accumulated damage would inevitably take its toll in later years.
After consulting the Hyūga brothers about the academy's rules, Souma expressed his desire to join their training sessions.
"Alright, but Souma, you'll have to know your limits. We're four years older than you, and our training might be too much for you to keep up with."
After a brief consideration, Hiashi agreed. In his eyes, Souma was barely five years old, while he and his younger brother, Hizashi, had already spent three years in the academy. He figured it wouldn't hurt to guide the boy.
Since Hiashi, the elder brother and future head of the main family, had given his approval, his younger brother, Hizashi—a member of the branch family—had no grounds to object.
Moreover, as a branch family member, Hizashi's status was already lower than Souma's, making it even less appropriate for him to voice any opposition.
"Souma, watch closely. Hizashi and I will spar using the Byakugan and Gentle Fist. How much you learn from this is up to you."
With that, the two brothers activated their Byakugan simultaneously. Their eyes turned pale blue, veins bulging around them, while black markings appeared in their pupils. Then, they both assumed the opening stance of the Gentle Fist.
To an outsider, if not for the prominent Caged Bird seal on one of their foreheads, it would have looked like a mirror image.
Watching this unfold, a glint of determination flashed in Souma's eyes.