In other words—
Hinata and Hanabi had truly awakened the Tenseigan.
The legendary Tenseigan…
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Neji nearly wanted to cry.
For years—
as the greatest genius of the branch family—
he had always carried a certain pride and arrogance within himself.
Especially when compared to Hinata, his talent in training had once seemed incomparable.
Unfortunately—
reality rarely followed expectations.
Faced with Hinata and Hanabi, who had now awakened the Tenseigan, Neji felt an overwhelming sense of despair rise from the depths of his soul.
"Neji, you came at the perfect time."
Noticing the shock on Neji's face, Hiashi straightened proudly and declared,
"Fifth Hokage-sama has not only awakened Hinata and Hanabi's Tenseigan, but also their immortal bodies."
"From this day onward, the Hyūga Clan will undergo a complete transformation."
"Our overall strength will rise to an entirely new level."
As he spoke, Hiashi unconsciously puffed out his chest, as though he could already see the glorious future awaiting the Hyūga Clan.
"What?!"
"Not just the Tenseigan… but immortal bodies too?"
Neji froze completely.
Disbelief flooded his Byakugan as waves of envy and jealousy surged through him.
Damn it.
The Fifth Hokage treated Hinata and Hanabi far too well.
First the Tenseigan.
Now immortal bodies as well.
Honestly, if Ren's favor had not clearly been aimed at Hinata and Hanabi, Neji might have wished he could receive such treatment too.
Truthfully—
he wanted to receive Ren's favor too.
"Brother Neji, I feel like I could instantly defeat a Kage-level shinobi now!"
As if Neji wasn't shocked enough already, Hanabi puffed out her cheeks proudly and waved her tiny fist.
"From now on, whoever dares bully me will experience the terrifying power of the Tenseigan firsthand!"
Hearing that, Neji could only force out a bitter smile.
The gap between them had become too enormous.
It was no longer something talent or hard work could bridge.
It was an abyss.
An uncrossable abyss.
"Neji."
At that moment, Ren finally put down his teacup and spoke calmly.
"What did you come here for?"
"Lord Fifth Hokage…"
The moment the conversation turned serious, Neji's expression tightened immediately.
He glanced cautiously at Hiashi.
His lips moved slightly, but hesitation filled his face.
"Speak."
Ren smiled faintly.
"With me here, Hiashi won't say anything."
The moment those words were spoken—
Hiashi's heart skipped a beat.
For some reason, he suddenly had a terrible premonition.
Allowing Neji to meet Ren…
might have been the worst decision he had ever made.
"Yes… Lord Fifth Hokage."
Neji inhaled deeply before speaking with absolute determination.
"Lord Fifth Hokage… can you abolish the distinction between the main family and the branch family?"
"We are all members of the Hyūga Clan…"
"Especially the Caged Bird Seal—it's nothing but humiliation and torture for the branch family!"
"Impudent!!"
Boom!
Hiashi exploded instantly.
His furious roar shook the entire room.
He had imagined many possibilities—
but never expected Neji to say something so utterly rebellious.
This was no simple complaint.
This was a direct challenge to the very foundation of the Hyūga Clan.
After all—
the Hyūga Clan had been one of Konoha's founding noble clans since the establishment of the village.
To protect the Byakugan, the clan had long ago divided itself into the main family and branch family.
The main family held authority over the clan.
The branch family existed to protect them, even at the cost of their lives.
To ensure obedience, branch family members received the Caged Bird Seal upon reaching a certain age.
And now—
Neji wanted the Fifth Hokage himself to abolish it all.
In Hiashi's eyes, this bordered on treason.
"Silence."
Buzz—
Before Hiashi could continue, Ren's gaze turned cold.
A faint trace of his aura leaked out unintentionally.
Yet even that tiny fragment of pressure—
was enough to make Hiashi feel as though a mountain had descended upon him.
His body trembled violently.
Even his soul seemed to shake.
Too terrifying.
Far too terrifying.
Hiashi genuinely felt like crying.
He had only reacted instinctively after hearing Neji's outrageous words.
Yet he had accidentally displeased Ren.
"Forgive me, Lord Fifth Hokage…"
Sweat poured down Hiashi's forehead as he lowered his head hurriedly.
"The division between the main and branch families is a tradition of the Hyūga Clan."
"It exists to protect the Byakugan. It has value—"
"Oh?"
Ren leaned back casually.
"I originally had no intention of interfering in your clan's internal affairs."
Hearing that, Hiashi immediately relaxed.
Thank goodness.
But before his relief could fully settle—
Ren's next sentence froze him completely.
"However…"
"Since Neji has already brought it up…"
"Then abolish the main and branch family system."
The moment those calm words fell—
Hiashi felt as though lightning had struck his brain.
His entire body stiffened on the spot.
Everything about him instantly went numb.
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