Chapter 24: I Want to See Ritsu
Evening had arrived, the sky growing darker and more obscure. The torrential rain continued. Every household had lit their lamps early, and though the cooking smoke was swallowed by the curtain of rain, anyone approaching a window could smell the fragrant aroma of dinner. No matter what tremendous changes occurred within the clan, people still needed to eat.
Of course, Ritsu and the six elders remained at the Tamaeda Shrine.
The large meeting had concluded, but now came the smaller one.
The current situation could only be described as provisionally stable. The clan's hearts had been temporarily settled, but hidden dangers remained. Former Clan Head Hiashi, along with former Elders Daichi and Hisho, represented the greatest destabilizing factors.
Without clearing away these threats, the Hyuga clan would struggle to achieve true stability.
Furthermore, there was the matter of hiring Hiruko to research a method for removing the Caged Bird Seal that could be widely applied. Though Hiruko was Ritsu's teacher, this involved the fate of everyone in the entire clan—it wasn't Ritsu's private affair. They needed to discuss what compensation to offer Hiruko for his assistance.
Beyond that, they couldn't ignore the stolen Main Family Byakugan.
"I'll handle both dealing with the threats posed by Hiashi and the others, and recovering the stolen Byakugan. I plan to head to the front lines tomorrow to find a way to reclaim the Byakugan the Mist ninja stole. While I'm there, I'll deal with Hiashi and the others—kill those who need killing, negotiate with those willing to communicate."
Ritsu laid out his plan.
"Clan Head, let me go with you!"
Forty-four-year-old Hyuga Takashi spoke up. "You can't shoulder everything yourself. Since we've become elders, we need to do what elders should do. We can't be useless like those Main Family trash."
"Right, Uncle Takashi is correct. Clan Head, I'll come to the front lines too."
"Count me in."
All six elders, including Hizashi, were first-rate fighters in the clan—tough warriors who'd survived countless battles. They felt no fear about going to war.
"Those who want to go can, but not everyone needs to. Someone has to stay in the clan—"
"Clan Head, we have a situation."
Before Ritsu could finish, Hyuga Arima, who'd been on watch outside, burst in. "The Third Hokage, his advisor, the Yellow Flash, along with Hiashi, Daichi, Hisho, and Daisho—they've all broken into the compound and are heading toward the shrine right now."
Byakugan!
Ritsu immediately activated his Byakugan. Following the direction Arima indicated, he indeed saw a group rapidly approaching.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Minato Namikaze, and the Main Family remnants..." Ritsu narrowed his eyes. Hiashi and the others, who should have been at the eastern front, had returned to the village—obviously at Hiruzen's command, with Minato executing the order.
So then, why had Hiruzen ordered Minato to bring these Main Family remnants back from the front? To mediate? To make the Main and Branch Families shake hands and reconcile, becoming one big loving family from now on?
That was pure nonsense!
They clearly came with ill intent!
"Clan Head, what should we do now?"
Twenty-six-year-old Elder Hyuga Karin asked.
Everyone here had crawled through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. They possessed keen senses for danger and clearly felt the approaching crisis.
"Since the Hokage is personally delivering the Main Family remnants to our doorstep for us to deal with, there's no need to be polite. As I said earlier, I'll handle these Main Family remnants. What you need to do is entertain the Hokage and his group properly."
Ritsu answered with a smile.
Hizashi and the others exchanged glances, their expressions thoughtful.
"Oh, and Elder Hizashi—if Hiashi resists stubbornly, I won't be able to show mercy."
Hearing this, Hizashi's expression became exceptionally serious.
He bit his lip and said, "Clan Head, let me be the one to greet the Hokage and the others."
"Very well."
Ritsu nodded.
It would be good for the brothers to talk beforehand. If Hizashi could persuade Hiashi to abandon the Main Family position, that would be an unquestionable benefit for Ritsu.
Permission granted, Hizashi grabbed an umbrella and rushed out urgently.
"Arima, contact all the jonin and special jonin in the clan. Have them assemble here at Tamaeda Shrine!" Ritsu issued another order.
"Yes, Clan Head."
Arima acknowledged the command and sprinted out.
By now, the wind and rain were gradually subsiding.
Hizashi encountered Hiruzen's approaching group on the main road eight hundred meters outside Tamae Shrine.
"Hokage-sama, I've come to welcome you all on the Clan Head's orders!"
Hizashi called out loudly.
Hiruzen and his group all came to a halt. They knew full well that ambush tactics were completely ineffective against the Hyuga clan's Byakugan, and they'd never planned to use surprise attacks to deal with Ritsu anyway. That wasn't realistic.
Being discovered was inevitable.
But even if discovered, it didn't matter. Their target was Ritsu. Once they got close enough, they would eliminate him with lightning speed. Before that happened, there was no harm in a little deception.
"Clan Head? Hyuga Hizashi, which clan head's orders are you following? Are you also joining that arrogant brat Ritsu in his foolishness? Your own older brother, our clan's true Clan Head, stands before you right now!"
Daichi's emotions ran high as he shouted his reprimand. "There's still time to repent and reform yourself. Otherwise—"
"Silence!"
Minato's sharp rebuke cut through the air.
His cold gaze sliced toward Daichi like a blade, shutting the man's mouth. Minato was full of dissatisfaction—what breed of idiots were these Main Family members? They hadn't even seen Ritsu yet, and they'd nearly revealed their true purpose.
As if they were afraid Ritsu wouldn't be on guard?
Not only him—Hiruzen and Danzo's faces had gone black as the bottom of a pot.
"Brother, can we talk for a moment?"
Hizashi acted as if he hadn't heard Daichi's barking, instead staring at Hiashi with his question.
"Hizashi, what do you want to say?"
"Brother, do you remember the ambitions you had when Father was still alive?"
"I..."
Hiashi froze.
His ambitions?
His thoughts drifted involuntarily to the past. When their father was still alive and serving as clan head, Hiashi had possessed his own aspirations. He'd told his brother Hizashi that one day he would change the clan's system, so that Branch Family members would never again be driven like dogs and horses by the Main Family.
However, after their father died and he'd hastily assumed the position of clan head, he'd somehow cast those old aspirations aside without realizing it. Only now, reminded by his brother, did he finally remember them again.
But so what?
The Hyuga clan had relied on the Main Family-Branch Family system to endure for a thousand years. Even exhausting all his wisdom, he couldn't think of a better system to replace it. He could only proceed according to precedent, maintaining the Hyuga clan's unbroken heritage like his father and ancestors before him.
"Hizashi, lead the way. I want to see Ritsu."
Hiashi spoke expressionlessly.
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