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"Heh! What am I doing?"
Hyuga Hizashi smirked with contempt and said, "Isn't it obvious? Just like you said, I'm rebelling! I'm going to overthrow the corrupt system of the Hyuga Clan's Main and Branch Houses and establish a brand-new Hyuga Clan!"
Behind him, countless Branch House members stared directly at the Main House elders, their expressions showing their unwavering support for Hizashi.
"What?! How dare you?!"
"You insolent fool! Do you even hear yourself?!"
"Outrageous!"
The Main House elders' faces turned pale with shock. Almost instantly, all of them formed hand seals and shouted in unison, attempting to activate the Caged Bird Seal.
They weren't planning to kill Hizashi or all the Branch members outright but intended to put them through excruciating pain as punishment before dealing with them properly.
After all, if they immediately used the Caged Bird's death command, the Hyuga Clan would essentially be annihilated.
However—
"Huh? Why isn't it working? This is impossible! Could it be...?!"
The next moment, the elders realized that their attempts to activate the seal had no effect. Neither Hizashi nor any of the Branch House members showed any sign of pain.
The Main House elders' faces contorted in horror as they stared at Hizashi and the others. "Did you... Did you actually remove the Caged Bird Seal? How is that possible?!"
If the Caged Bird Seal could be removed so easily, the Main House wouldn't have been able to control the Branch House for so many years without issue.
"Wait... could it be the Hokage?"
They quickly connected the dots. If anyone in Konoha—or even the entire ninja world—could break the Caged Bird Seal, it would have to be Fourth Hokage Uchiha Kaito or Uzumaki Mito.
Those two were the greatest sealing masters in the world.
"Hizashi, what is going on? What have you done? Or rather... what did the Hokage do?"
Hyuga Souen, the head of the Main House, took a deep breath and fixed a sharp gaze on Hizashi, demanding answers.
Meanwhile, Hyuga Hiashi's expression was incredibly complicated. He had never expected his younger brother to secretly plan something this drastic behind his back.
If the Main House were to be overthrown, wouldn't that mean he, as the clan head, would also be removed and lose all his power?
Naturally, he was resistant and dissatisfied with such an outcome. Yet, at the same time, he understood his brother's grievances and motivations.
For a moment, Hiashi found himself deeply conflicted, unsure of what to say.
But Souen's words had triggered something in him.
"Could this really be the work of the Hokage?"
"It's highly likely!"
"Otherwise, there's no way Hizashi could have pulled this off so seamlessly, let alone broken the Caged Bird Seal."
The thought sent shivers down Hiashi's spine. Unlike the elderly Main House members who had not personally experienced the Second Shinobi War, he had seen the horrors of the Fourth Hokage firsthand.
Though his time on the front lines had been brief, he had witnessed enough.
Moreover, from Hizashi, he had learned just how terrifying Uchiha Kaito's power truly was.
A man like him, once he set his sights on changing something, would never fail.
He simply wouldn't allow himself to.
Not to mention, he had the full backing of the Uchiha, Uzumaki, and Senju Clans—three powerful ninja families that had grown unnaturally strong in recent years.
The Main House had actually discussed this phenomenon many times, trying to uncover the secret behind their rapid growth. They had longed to find a way to share in that power, to keep up with the changing tides.
Otherwise, the Hyuga Clan would inevitably be left behind.
"Now that the Caged Bird Seal's control has been nullified, the Main House has lost its leverage over the Branch House!"
"There are only about a dozen of us from the Main House, while the Branch House has over a thousand members!"
"This rebellion was over before it even began!"
"If we stubbornly resist now, we'll just be wiped out entirely!"
"Instead of fighting a losing battle, I should switch sides and support Hizashi."
"That way, even if I lose my position as clan head, I'm still his elder brother. Given our past relationship and my decision to side with him, I should at least secure a high-ranking role in the new leadership."
"Besides, once Hizashi takes over, our Hyuga Clan will likely become part of the Fourth Hokage's direct faction."
"That means we'd gain his full support, access to the Uchiha's secret training methods, and the resources that made them so powerful!"
"Instead of weakening, the Hyuga Clan will only grow stronger!"
"The only real losers here are the stubborn old men from the Main House!"
With all this in mind, Hiashi realized the situation wasn't as bad as he had initially feared. In fact, it might actually be beneficial.
His eyes hardened with resolve as he interrupted the Main House elders' angry outbursts. Unleashing a powerful surge of chakra, he bellowed, "Enough! All of you, shut up!"
Silence fell over the gathering as all eyes turned to Hiashi, waiting to hear what he had to say.
In the next moment, they watched in shock as he grabbed his father's shoulder, flashed over to Hizashi's side, and—amidst the wary gazes of the Branch House members—nodded at him.
Then, he turned to face the crowd and declared, "Everyone, for a long time, I have believed that the Main House and Branch House system, as well as the Caged Bird Seal, were deeply flawed!"
"I have spoken with Hizashi about this issue many times, hoping to find a way to abolish these injustices."
"But we never found a viable solution."
"Of course, part of that was my own failing—I lacked the courage and decisiveness to act."
"However, now that Hizashi has solved the issue of the Caged Bird Seal, the time for change has come!"
"As the head of the Main House, I fully support Hizashi!"
"No matter what decisions he makes!"
His declaration sent a wave of shock through both the Main and Branch House members.
The Branch members looked at Hiashi with mixed emotions. Some were still skeptical, but their hostility had lessened. After all, this was Hizashi's older brother—the two had always been close.
Hizashi, too, was visibly moved by Hiashi's words. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Was he touched?
Of course.
But at the same time, he knew his brother was a pragmatic man. This decision was as much about self-preservation as it was about their bond.
Still, that was fine.
It was more than he had hoped for, and he wouldn't hold it against him.
However, the Main House elders were furious.
"What?!"
"Hiashi, what do you mean by this?!"
"Traitor! Have you forgotten that you're the Head of the Main House? You're supposed to represent our interests!"
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