"Understood! Please, this way…"
Ko Hyuga sensed something familiar in the Anbu's voice, but he had no time to dwell on it. He turned sharply to the two branch members beside him. "You two, inform the clan head!"
The Hyuga Branch House guards obeyed without a word, moving like puppets whose strings had been pulled.
"The Main House will lead the way?"
Hizashi Hyuga watched Ko Hyuga's eager smile, the way he tried so hard to leave a good impression. A strange feeling stirred in his chest.
It looked… pathetic.
He had never wanted to stand above others for no reason like the Hyuga Main House did. He only wanted to live as himself. As an independent man.
Still.
Seeing Ko Hyuga, who once strutted arrogantly through the compound, now wearing this ingratiating expression—
Hizashi could not deny the flicker of satisfaction in his heart.
This proved something.
The Hyuga Main House, or at least a large portion of it, relied on the Caged Bird Seal to dominate the branch members. Outside the compound, if they lacked ability, that title meant nothing.
In the reception hall of the Hyuga Clan.
Tenzo Hyuga, clan head of the Hyuga Clan and Hizashi's father, sat upright in the main seat, waiting for Sakumo Hatake and his son.
Several Main House elders sat below him, discussing the day's events. As always, branch members stood nearby as silent attendants and guards.
When the two Anbu stepped inside, Tenzo rose slowly, wearing an official, courteous smile as he approached.
"What brings you to the Hyuga compound today?" he asked warmly. "Does the Third Hokage have instructions for us?"
Hizashi stared at his father.
The way he stood. The way he walked over. That smile.
He had never seen it directed at him before.
At the same time, Tenzo was evaluating the situation in silence.
What happened?
He had witnessed the battle between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru earlier. As clan head, he was nothing like Ko Hyuga. His Byakugan ranked among the finest in the clan.
A few incompetent Main House members were tolerable. The Hyuga Clan was wealthy and strong enough to support them. As long as successors were chosen carefully, the foundation would hold.
But what he had seen today unsettled him.
Though the Hyuga rarely used the Byakugan at full strength within the village to avoid suspicion, there were always moments to observe key figures.
Like today.
Through his Byakugan, Hiruzen Sarutobi's meridians pulsed with vitality. His Chakra was as abundant as a man ten years younger.
How did that old fox manage it?
That was why Tenzo had been so anxious for Hizashi's report, repeatedly asking Ko whether his son had returned.
To maintain neutrality, to let the Hyuga enjoy the protection of the Hidden Leaf without bleeding for it, one had to observe the village's power structure with perfect clarity.
Straddling the wall was never easy.
"I voluntarily joined the Anbu."
Hizashi steadied his trembling hands and pounding heart, then slowly removed his mask.
"If the Hyuga Clan has matters to discuss with the Hokage, especially ones difficult to speak openly…"
"You may pass them to me. I will submit a written report to the Third Hokage promptly."
The moment Hizashi spoke, Tenzo knew something was wrong.
For years, he had strictly treated Hizashi according to branch standards to preserve the Main House and Branch House system.
If even his own son labored like an ox, then no other branch member could object.
It was the perfect justification for the clan rules. The results had been effective.
Let his younger son suffer, and in exchange, the branch members endured more quietly, while the Main House praised his fairness.
A seasoned Caged Bird Seal strategist.
And yet, Hizashi was still his son. He recognized his voice instantly.
Tenzo's heart skipped. His pale eyes widened.
His younger son had joined the Anbu without informing him?
"Hizashi? It's you!"
Ko Hyuga's eyes bulged. Anger surged up like fire.
"Why are you only coming back now? I told you to check the situation and report immediately! Are you deaf?"
Damn it. He had just smiled at him.
He was Main House!
Ko's fury burned hot. As a Main House member with little talent, his superiority came from absolute control over the Hyuga Branch House.
That control had lasted more than twenty years. It had never failed him.
And his anger was not his alone. Several Main House members in the hall felt the same resentment.
A branch member daring to negotiate with the Hokage privately?
If anyone negotiated, it should be the Main House. The branch were tools. Bargaining chips.
Now he dared to sit at the table?
It was betrayal.
Ko swept his gaze across the others, reassured by their reactions, and prepared to lash out again.
This was his role.
If he lacked strength, then he would at least serve as the loudspeaker who said the ugly words.
"What's his name?" Sakumo Hatake asked calmly, pointing at Ko.
Ko froze. All his rehearsed words died in his throat.
"Ko Hyuga," Hizashi replied with a faint smile when no one else spoke.
"I'll remember you," Sakumo said, nodding. "I've served in the Anbu for many years. This is the first time I've seen someone demand that Anbu, who answer directly to the Hokage, report to a clan."
"Since I heard it, I can't pretend it didn't happen."
His voice was level, but cold.
"Ko Hyuga, are you asking Anbu to serve you? Are you dissatisfied with Hizashi joining the Anbu?"
Ko, who had just been shouting, wilted under Sakumo's gaze.
"No! That's not what I meant… I was only…"
He stammered uselessly, unable to form a coherent excuse.
Tenzo watched and shook his head inwardly.
Closed management preserved the clan, but it also narrowed horizons. It bred naivety in dealings beyond the compound.
Still, that weakness was unavoidable.
The Main House and Branch House system must remain. The ancestors' law could not change.
As long as Hiashi was properly cultivated, the clan would endure.
"Please forgive him," Tenzo said smoothly. "Ko rarely leaves the compound. He has little understanding of the Anbu."
"He meant no offense. I will discipline him."
At that moment, Tenzo's gaze fell on the short blade at Sakumo's waist.
White Fang.
His expression grew serious.
So it was that man.
His younger son had sold himself at a high price.
"Is that so?" Sakumo nodded. "Understood."
He was satisfied with Hizashi's performance.
Hizashi had not said the Third Hokage invited him. Instead, in front of his clan, he declared he joined voluntarily.
A pledge of loyalty.
He gave both the Hokage and the Main House room to maneuver, taking responsibility publicly.
Well done.
"Hizashi, continue performing well. I have high expectations for you."
Sakumo patted his shoulder. Then his figure flickered like a ghost and vanished.
"So fast…"
Even with the Byakugan active, following that speed would be difficult. Seeing it did not mean the body could react.
Hizashi stood alone in the center of the hall.
He swept his gaze across the Hyuga present.
No more lowered head. No more submissive posture.
The Main House members met his eyes with anger, but Sakumo's warning still rang in their ears. The Anbu mask still hung at Hizashi's face.
One by one, they snorted and looked away first.
In the eyes of the Hyuga Branch House watching nearby, something burned.
What kind of power was this?
What kind of freedom?
At last, father and son faced each other.
"I'll retire to my room," Hizashi said evenly. "Please don't send anyone to clean it anymore. If you believe I'm troubling the clan, I can move out."
"Of course not, Hizashi…" Tenzo's knuckles bulged beneath his sleeves, though his smile remained steady. "The clan supports you. Those requests are nothing."
Hizashi nodded lightly. "Thank you for understanding."
The Main House members bristled again.
What was that tone?
That was the clan head. His father.
Why was he speaking as if to an equal?
Hizashi walked out of the reception hall.
Then he laughed.
Loud and unrestrained, though a trace of a sob lingered beneath it.
Today, he was no Caged Bird.
The laughter echoed through the Hyuga compound.
It fueled the Main House's anger and carved itself into every branch member's heart.
Hizashi lifted his head.
In the distance, on the Hokage Rock, the statue of the Third Hokage shone under the fading sunset, bathed in golden light.
"Third Hokage-sama…"
Hizashi bowed deeply toward the monument.
"I can never repay this grace. I offer only my life."
On the other side of the village.
Fugaku Uchiha led members of the Military Police Force, reporting the day's events to the current clan head, Isshin Uchiha.
Isshin puffed steadily on his pipe. Smoke coiled around him as his brows knit tightly.
As the younger brother of Setsuna Uchiha, he represented the hawkish faction.
The news left him deeply displeased.
How could that old man grow young again?
"He used a Forbidden Jutsu from a previous Hokage?"
Isshin exhaled sharply. "Damn Tobirama Senju. Even dead, he won't stay quiet."
Fugaku chuckled.
Among older hawks, blaming Tobirama was practically a reflex. Eyesight weakening? Curse Tobirama. A child struggling with jutsu? Curse Tobirama.
Sometimes Fugaku wondered whether they blamed the Second Hokage even for constipation.
"Clan Head Isshin, let's not focus on Tobirama for now. We need to face reality."
Fugaku's tone turned serious.
"Based on what the Third Hokage displayed today, does anyone in our clan stand a chance against him?"
"And Orochimaru… he used techniques that even a Three Tomoe Sharingan couldn't fully perceive."
Thinking about it made Fugaku's expression strange.
He had not meant to call Orochimaru monstrous in public. But what else could he say?
Snake spits out him. He spits out snake. Snake spits out a sword.
Burned by Fire Style at that level, he simply shed and refreshed himself?
Was that some miniature Izanagi?
As vice-captain of the Military Police and a key figure in the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku knew the reality-altering Forbidden Jutsu, Izanagi.
The Uchiha's second life.
A source of pride.
And yet watching Orochimaru perform, he felt the weight of the world's talent pressing down.
"Cheap tricks," Isshin snorted. "It can't compare to Izanagi. As for Hiruzen Sarutobi… he is Sasuke Sarutobi's son. Some talent is expected."
"Sure, not equal," Fugaku muttered, rubbing his forehead. "But Orochimaru doesn't need eyes for that kind of ability… You talk about staying tough, but we can't be blindly stubborn."
"Our Three Tomoe users aren't many these days. The younger generation lacks standout geniuses."
"Shisui shows promise, but he's descended from Kagami Uchiha…"
Isshin fell silent.
After a long pause, he sighed.
"Fugaku, I'm not a fool."
"Hawk ideology doesn't mean rebellion. It means vigilance. It means preserving our will."
"The village was founded by the Senju and the Uchiha together."
"Yes, Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju fought to the death for reasons unknown. But did the Uchiha abandon loyalty?"
Fugaku gave a dry laugh. "The elders say when Madara left, he walked right out the front gate of Konoha. Everyone thought he was taking a stroll."
"Then suddenly, they were fighting at the Valley of the End."
Isshin smacked him lightly on the head.
"Brat! Of course he called us."
His gaze grew distant.
"He did call. But people were tired of chaos. They hesitated. Their enthusiasm wasn't strong."
"Everyone thought that with Madara and Hashirama alive, even if Tobirama was hostile, he wouldn't dare touch the clan."
"Who could have imagined they'd suddenly clash? Madara fell. Hashirama was gravely wounded. Tobirama took the title of Second Hokage in their absence."
When speaking of Madara, Isshin used the clan's traditional title, Great Clan Head. He still maintained a measure of respect for Hashirama.
But when Tobirama's name came up, his eyes darkened with venom.
"That man cannot be trusted."
"Since the Warring States era, his hands were soaked in Uchiha blood. He obsessed over the Sharingan and Uchiha bloodlines. Who knows how many of our people he dissected."
"After the village was founded, he marginalized us constantly. He blackened Madara's name so village children saw him as a murderer."
"Then he took Kagami Uchiha as a guard to divide us."
Fugaku frowned. "Taking Kagami into the inner circle sounds like inclusion."
"On the surface," Isshin replied coldly. "Then why was Kagami the only one who died when Tobirama served as rearguard?"
"Among Kagami's teammates, now high-ranking officials, has anyone ever supported the Uchiha?"
"Are all those coincidences?"
"And Danzo Shimura's hostility has never faded. He even prides himself on being Tobirama's most loyal successor."
"Root agents monitor our compound openly."
Isshin shook his head.
"I tell you to study history so you won't be fooled. Tobirama's disciples and their disciples, how many of them are truly trustworthy?"
"If we don't maintain a hawkish stance, if the next generation forgets this vigilance, then when the elders die, that will be the day the Uchiha are devoured."
"Do you understand?"
Fugaku nodded slowly. "Then when do we restore our glory? Are we just to endure like this forever?"
"Wait," Isshin said quietly. "Endure."
"We have not surrendered. We're waiting for opportunity."
"Our blood holds limitless potential. That is the Uchiha's greatest strength."
"When the next Great Clan Head arises… when another prodigy like Izuna appears… everything will change."
The next morning.
Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived early at the Hokage's office, already contemplating the Uchiha issue.
"The Second Hokage left us assets," he murmured.
"But he also left a mess."
"A thousand years of accumulated resentment… not easy to resolve."