Many clans had arrived today, all under the pretense of attending Ryujin's wedding.
But everyone already understood the truth.
The sudden union between the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan had never been about marriage. It was a signal. A declaration. A forced alliance created to challenge Hiruzen Sarutobi's rule.
And the leaders of Konoha's clans were not fools.
Anyone capable of leading a clan possessed sharp instincts, cold judgment, and the ability to read between the lines. They had come for only two reasons—to watch and to choose a side.
But now, as the battle unfolded and Ryujin revealed strength far beyond anyone's expectations, something changed.
The situation was slipping out of control.
Among the clans present, the Hyuga Clan stood apart.
They had not brought many people. As one of Konoha's founding clans, the Hyuga had always been cautious and restrained. Their internal system discouraged reckless action, and their rigid hierarchy ensured that every member knew their place.
The Main House ruled.
The Branch House served.
An order that had remained unchanged for generations.
For an event like this, only members of the Main House would normally attend. Thus, the Hyuga delegation consisted of the clan head, several elders, and two young heirs.
Hiashi Hyuga.
And Hizashi Hyuga.
The twin brothers stood side by side. They had not been brought here for battle but for experience.
Their opponents on the battlefield were Uchiha shinobi, yet the fighting remained restrained. The Uchiha bore no hatred toward the Hyuga. Their anger was directed elsewhere—toward Danzo Shimura and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Not toward the other clans.
Especially not the Hyuga, another clan blessed with powerful dōjutsu.
Between the two clans, there had never been true hostility. Only rivalry.
As a result, there was no killing intent and no deadly attacks. Everyone understood a simple truth.
Ryujin's objective was not slaughter.
It was domination.
Violence was merely a tool—a warning meant to force change.
If blood truly flowed today and the clans suffered devastating losses, then even if Ryujin became Hokage, he would inherit nothing but resentment.
And resentment had a way of destroying everything.
After today, Konoha would still need its clans. If they crippled one another here, rival villages would seize the opportunity to strike.
That would lead to war.
A war far worse than the conflict unfolding today.
Yet none of those concerns mattered anymore.
Because above them hung something that shattered all logic.
The dragon.
That overwhelming, terrifying existence that seemed capable of blocking out the heavens themselves.
Its mere presence had frozen the battlefield.
Even the youngest spectators felt its pressure.
Hiashi and Hizashi were no exception.
For the first time in their lives, they witnessed something beyond imagination.
That dragon.
That divine and overwhelming creature.
No summoned beast could compare to it.
No known creature could rival it.
And yet it wasn't real.
It had been created.
A technique.
The realization was terrifying.
Hiashi stared upward, his expression calm and composed. There was no fear in his eyes.
Only aspiration.
As the future head of the Main House, his purpose had always been clear. He would inherit the clan, strengthen it, and elevate the Hyuga to even greater heights.
The dragon represented everything he admired.
Majestic.
Untouchable.
Absolute.
The Hyuga way had always been survival. They did not seek domination, nor did they challenge the world. Instead, they endured. They concealed their strength, preserved their traditions, and avoided unnecessary risks.
Because of that, they had survived generations of turmoil.
But Hizashi was different.
Born only minutes after his brother, he had nevertheless been condemned to a completely different fate.
A member of the Branch House.
A servant.
A life decided before he could even speak.
As he gazed at the dragon in the sky, something within him began to change.
He did not see beauty.
He saw power.
Power capable of breaking chains.
Power capable of shattering rules.
Power capable of rewriting destiny itself.
His young mind could not fully understand those feelings, but the thought had already taken root.
Why must the Branch House serve?
Why must fate be determined at birth?
Why must power belong to only a chosen few?
Question after question burned within him.
And gradually, something new appeared in his eyes.
Not the Will of Fire.
Something else.
Something deeper.
A spark of rebellion.
A desire for change.
For the first time in his life, Hizashi Hyuga desired power.
Not for protection.
But for freedom.
His gaze slowly shifted toward the sky.
Toward the dragon.
Toward the man standing atop it.
Ryujin.
Standing upon the dragon's head, he remained tall and unmoving, his figure untouched by the chaos below.
Like a king.
Like a conqueror.
Like a revolutionary.
A man using overwhelming strength to overturn the world itself.
"...The Uchiha..."
For the first time, another clan seemed beautiful in Hizashi's eyes.
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