Chapter 21 – Visiting the Hyūga (Part One)
The following afternoon, Senju Morin arrived precisely as scheduled.
He brought no attendants and no bodyguards, coming alone to the Hyūga clan compound.
Unlike his attire when visiting Uzumaki Mito, Morin's appearance this time was markedly different. His black hair was simply bound at the back with a plain white ribbon, falling naturally down his spine. Beneath, he wore a dark inner robe, over which rested a light green haori.
Emblazoned upon the garment—on both sides of the chest, the backs of the sleeves, and the center of the back—were the crests of the Senju clan.
This was formal wear of the highest rank.
Because a name card had been delivered in advance, the Hyūga clan prepared a correspondingly grand reception. Nearly all members of the Main Family participated in welcoming Senju Morin.
Such a ceremony could easily be interpreted as an early declaration of allegiance—but the Hyūga clan's ingrained pride and rigid traditionalism ultimately led them to proceed regardless.
At the main gate of the Hyūga compound stood two Branch Family jōnin, dressed in white traditional robes, white bandages wrapped around their foreheads. They had clearly been waiting for some time. Upon seeing Senju Morin, both immediately bowed deeply.
"Lord Morin."
The form of address caused Morin's eyebrow to lift slightly, though the two Branch Family jōnin appeared entirely accustomed to it.
To them, this was nothing unusual. Even within the clan, they addressed Main Family genin and chūnin alike as "lord," bowing just as deeply.
Morin offered no comment—only a slight nod—before following the two Branch Family shinobi into the Hyūga compound.
After all, Morin was not a member of the Branch Family himself. From his perspective, the Hyūga's Main–Branch system was, in many ways, an exceptionally effective structure.
It ensured that the Byakugan—an "important asset of Konoha"—would not be easily lost in battle or routine missions. At the same time, it prevented the Hyūga clan from producing individuals powerful enough to become truly uncontrollable.
Moreover, with the Main Family holding nearly absolute authority, the Hyūga as a whole became remarkably easy to satisfy, rarely making excessive political demands.
If there was a price to be paid, it was simply that the Branch Family lived under constraint and servitude.
But since the Branch Family themselves showed no signs of rebellion, Morin—as an outsider—had no intention of interfering.
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Inside the compound stretched a perfectly straight pathway, flanked by meticulously manicured flowerbeds and trees.
Every plant was trimmed daily by dedicated caretakers, ensuring uniform growth—no branch, no leaf permitted to stand apart.
At a secondary gate leading into the main residence, the two Branch Family jōnin halted of their own accord.
Waiting there was a middle-aged man dressed in a far more formal montsuki haori-hakama. His gaze was calm, his bearing entirely unlike that of the Branch Family escorts.
He was one of the core elders of the Hyūga Main Family.
"Lord Morin, thank you for making the journey. The clan head awaits you in the tea room."
The elder offered a perfectly measured, courteous smile as he turned sideways to lead the way, seamlessly assuming the role of escort.
Only then did Senju Morin formally enter the Hyūga main residence.
Under the elder's guidance, he passed through corridor after corridor—architecture that would have felt like a maze to any outsider, yet which the Main Family elder navigated with effortless familiarity.
At last, after one final, immaculately maintained walkway, the tea room came into view.
Its doors stood open.
Standing beneath the eaves at the entrance were the current head of the Hyūga clan—Hyūga Sōgo himself—alongside several Main Family elders, personally awaiting Morin's arrival.
"Lord Morin," Hyūga Sōgo said, bowing slightly. "We are honored by your presence."
This was a proper, restrained bow—nothing like the near ninety-degree bows offered by the Branch Family earlier.
Morin stopped before the veranda and returned the gesture in kind.
"To be received personally by Lord Sōgo is an honor beyond my station."
"The tea room is prepared," Sōgo said smoothly. "Please."
The two entered the tea room one after the other.
The furnishings inside were exceedingly simple—nothing more than a hanging scroll bearing the single character "Stillness" in the alcove, and a withered chrysanthemum arranged at a slant in a narrow-mouthed vase.
Hyūga Sōgo gestured once more.
"Please, take the seat of honor."
After another round of courteous refusals, Senju Morin—now formally the honored guest—settled naturally into the upper seat with his back to the alcove, while Hyūga Sōgo took the seat opposite him.
Several Main Family elders then entered the tea room in silence, kneeling properly along the rear sides of the room. Their status granted them the right to observe, though not to speak.
Neither Morin nor Sōgo began the conversation immediately.
A young Main Family girl moved quietly between them, preparing and serving the tea. The entire process unfolded in near-ritual silence.
Senju Morin inclined his head slightly in thanks, lifting the tea bowl with his right hand and placing it upon his left palm. He rotated the bowl twice clockwise to avoid drinking from the front, then drank the tea in three measured sips.
When finished, he turned the bowl back counterclockwise, briefly admiring its craftsmanship in Sōgo's presence, before gently setting it down.
Every motion followed the etiquette to the letter.
Through this, Morin was making his intentions clear: he was of the same kind as Sōgo—a cultivated shinobi of an ancient clan, respectful of tradition and rules, not some rash youth emboldened by recent success.
Hyūga Sōgo mirrored the gestures with equal precision.
When they set down their tea bowls almost simultaneously, a faint glimmer of approval crossed Sōgo's eyes.
Only after the girl returned to refill their tea, bowed, withdrew, and slid the thick paper doors shut did Hyūga Sōgo finally break the silence—by speaking of the past.
"When the First Hokage, Lord Hashirama, founded Konoha," he said calmly, "it was during a season much like this—clear skies, crisp air."
"The victories of those days remain vivid in memory," Morin replied smoothly.
"Lord Hashirama founded Konoha to protect his clan, his successors, his friends, and his family. Lord Tobirama inherited that same great aspiration."
"There is no doubt that Lord Tobirama was a great Hokage. Under his leadership, the village flourished. Yet now, struck down in war, he has left us uncertain of Konoha's path forward…"
Both men understood perfectly what the other truly wished to discuss.
Yet neither pursued the subject further.
With tacit agreement, they avoided mentioning the Third Hokage altogether.
For someone like Hyūga Sōgo—an elder steeped in tradition—decorum mattered above all else. He favored implication over bluntness, subtlety over naked transactions. To speak of benefits and bargains too directly would only invite distaste.
Senju Morin possessed patience in abundance.
Rather than press forward, he gently shifted the conversation—and instead posed a question.
"Lord Sōgo," he asked evenly,
"what do you believe is the true essence of a clan?"