Chapter 27: Hyūga Hizashi's Choice
Uzumaki Menma shifted his gaze towards Konoha's Kage Rock.
Carved upon it were the faces of the four Hokage.
"The First Hokage and Uchiha Madara possessed immense power, power great enough that either one of them alone could have ended the endless strife of the Warring States Period."
He spoke in an emotionless tone: "But facts prove that the 'one country, one village' system they established could not bring peace to the ninja world. Instead, it created a true meat grinder of war."
"In Konoha Year 17, the very first year after the First Hokage's death was confirmed, the First Shinobi World War broke out. The scale and casualties of this war even surpassed any single campaign during the Warring States Period."
"This..."
Hyūga Hizashi sat on the cold floor, his expression extremely complex.
As a staunch supporter of Konoha, he should have refuted and reprimanded him.
But the words spoken by this masked man left him speechless.
The First Hokage and that man ended the Warring States Period, ushering in a new era of 'one village, one country'.
But just when everyone thought peace was arriving,
The Asura of the Ninja World and the God of Shinobi, who had created peace, turned against each other.
In the battle at the Valley of the End, Uchiha Madara died, and Senju Hashirama also died not long after.
Without the suppressive power of these two, the false peace completely vanished, and the First Shinobi World War erupted almost instantly.
Three successive Shinobi World Wars – the scale and casualties of each war were more terrifying than the last.
The eight Tailed Beasts distributed by the First Hokage, far from forming a balance of power, instead became massive weapons of destruction on the battlefield.
The benefits distributed back then have now become the enemy's cannonballs fired back at them.
Things were still somewhat manageable during the Second Hokage's reign, but by the time the Third Hokage was in power, those children from the Ninja Academy were once again sent to the battlefield.
Everything seemed to have changed, yet it also seemed to have returned to the starting point.
"Where leaves dance, fire burns."
Menma sneered: "The original Will of Fire has now degenerated into a tool for hypocritical politicians to strive for their own interests."
"If the Will of Fire truly existed, then the Hyūga clan's main-branch family system should never have existed in the first place!"
Hizashi froze, similarly looking up at the Kage Rock.
He suddenly felt that the four stern faces carved on the rock were filled with irony.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face did not deserve to be placed alongside the other three Hokage.
The 'one country, one village' system established by the First Hokage also failed to bring peace to the ninja world.
What could truly bring peace was perhaps...
"Power."
Menma suddenly spoke: "Only absolute, immense power can make people fear, can make them hesitate, can break the shackles of fate you speak of."
"Fate never sides with the cowardly or the weak. Fated limitations may forever exist, but unyielding challenges cannot be absent for even a moment."
As Menma spoke, he lowered his head.
Under Hizashi's gloomy gaze, he removed the bandage from Hyūga Neji's forehead, revealing the ugly [Caged Bird] mark symbolizing "fate".
Menma caressed the [Caged Bird] mark, asking calmly: "A genius of exceptional talent, branded with such an ugly mark, means his potential ceiling is fixed, destined to live his entire life in the shadow of the Caged Bird."
"Do you think Neji will love such a cold and cruel clan? Will he love a village that turns a blind eye to this, weak and easily bullied?"
Hizashi stared intently at the mark, remaining silent for a long time.
"Sigh."
After a long silence, he finally sighed.
The branch family and main family were blood relatives; the sacrifices of the branch family were not without value.
But...
"By what right?"
By what right must the branch family choose sacrifice?
Simply because they were born a few minutes later, is the branch family inherently lowly and inferior to the main family?
Simply because they were born a few minutes later, must their descendants also be relegated to the branch family, becoming tools in the hands of the main family?
By what right?
Hizashi suddenly realized how laughable the Will of Fire spoken by the Third Hokage and the talk of fate from the main family truly were.
Since when did the Will of Fire become a mere slogan?
Since when did fate become a self-serving justification for the beneficiaries?
Seeing the ugly mark on Neji's forehead again, Hizashi clenched his jaw, his expression becoming firm.
"So, what do you plan to do?"
Hizashi asked directly: "Since you need my assistance, then tell me your true purpose."
Although this village was rotten from top to bottom, this was, after all, the 'home' the Hyūga clan had guarded for generations.
What he wanted was merely to sweep away those parasites.
"If this masked man's goal is to completely destroy Konoha, then I must stop him, even if I die trying!"
Just as Hizashi made his resolve, he heard the masked man chuckle: "Firstly, I can tell you very clearly, tell you, my sole purpose."
His previously slouching figure straightened, and though his tone held amusement, it now carried an undeniable sense of conviction.
"This village, this ninja world, the meaningless tricks, the endless wars – all of it bores me to tears, utterly tedious!"
"And my sole purpose is to purge all stagnant, decaying systems and establish a new world of absolute unity and relative fairness, rather than indulging in beauty and fear, living in constant trepidation!"
"You..."
Listening to the masked man's seemingly mad words, Hizashi's scalp tingled, goosebumps rising all over his body.
He couldn't help but ask: "Don't you think you're being arrogant?"
Simply because he felt bored and annoyed with the village and the world, he wanted to use power to change everything he disliked.
Isn't that too willful, too domineering, too arrogant!
"Am I?"
However, regarding Hizashi's question, Menma just smiled nonchalantly: "From my perspective, it's your low level of understanding of the world, your low degree of comprehension of the truth, that causes the difference in spirit and thought between us."
"When you stand at the highest point as I do, you too will grow weary of unchanging things."
Menma never felt his ideas were arrogant.
He was merely voicing the truest thoughts from the depths of his heart.
Borrowing Orochimaru's "wind" theory.
Menma, as a similarly advanced "intellectual", also wished for an interesting "wind" to blow through this boring world.
However, unlike Orochimaru who "waited for the wind,"
He would personally use his own power to stir up this tide capable of changing the entire world!
"Also, you need to be clear."
Speaking here, Menma's tone hardened: "What I need is the assistance of the entire branch family, not just yours alone."
"Impossible!!"
Hizashi's face first showed anger, then instantly slumped, his expression turning bitter: "The Hyūga branch family is not united in purpose; it has long been divided into two factions."
"The branch faction that sides with the main family, and the branch faction hostile to the main family. And those who side with the main family have long lost their personal freedom and dignity."
"It doesn't matter."
Menma shook his head, a coldness in his tone: "What I need are birds yearning for freedom, not pets living drunk and dreaming."
Saying this, he extended his left hand and clenched it into a fist.
Hizashi, seeing this gesture, felt his pupils instantly dilate.
He immediately recalled the "caged bird" that Menma had crushed earlier.
Hizashi couldn't help the thought arising: "Am I... leading the branch family into another abyss..."
But, he no longer had a choice...
(End of Chapter)
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