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Over the following days, news about the Hyūga clan quickly spread throughout Konoha.
Many villagers were shocked.
What's going on with the Hyūga? Why is the Main House so harsh on the Branch House?
They treat Branch House members as less than human.
They're from the same clan. No other clan is like this.
For the sake of clan heritage, there's no need to make it this terrible.
When the truth came out, many were surprised.
After all, the Hyūga clan's rules were shockingly severe.
Paired with the Main House's inaction, the Branch House was simply inferior.
In no time, countless villagers sympathized with the Branch House. The Main House's reputation was ruined.
This situation made the Main House elders as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
To be fair, Shikaku was quite mean. Every day, when delivering supplies to the Hyūga, he'd toss in a piece of news for free.
Otherwise, the Hyūga wouldn't know their reputation was ruined.
While the Hyūga situation was a hot topic, Hyūga Hiashi, the clan leader, was leisurely drinking tea in a secluded courtyard in Konoha.
Watching Hiashi patiently prepare tea, Kazuki shook his head.
"The outside world is in an uproar. News about the Hyūga is everywhere. The Main House's reputation is ruined. And here you are, drinking tea."
"The time to act isn't right yet. The pressure isn't enough. The Main House elders are more stubborn than one can imagine."
As clan leader, Hiashi knew well how entrenched these elders were. This kind of issue either needed to be resolved in one go or not touched at all. So he had to be patient.
Until then, he needed to lie low.
"Whatever you say. If things go south, the Hyūga clan will take the hit. I don't care if they hate me."
"Enjoy your tea."
Having a cup of hot tea occasionally was fine. But doing it like Hiashi and Fugaku...
Kazuki admitted he lacked the patience and interest.
Since Hiashi wasn't in a hurry.
The Hyūga could panic all they wanted. They wouldn't dare move. They could only wait by their windows, eagerly hoping for their clan leader's return.
Unfortunately, their clan leader had been back for a while.
He just felt the time wasn't ripe, so he wasn't going home yet.
If the Hyūga elders ever learned that their clan leader and Kazuki were conspiring together, using the same plan to deal with them...
Those elders would probably vomit blood.
They thought their clan leader was on their side.
Not only was he not on their side, but he was stabbing them in the back. Every stab aimed at their kidneys.
If the Main House is ruined, the entire Hyūga clan's reputation is ruined. The Branch House might get some sympathy, but it won't amount to much.
In the short term, the Hyūga won't be able to hold their heads high.
Fortunately, Hiashi was determined this once.
So what if their reputation was ruined?
A little ruined reputation was better than their clan heritage being damaged.
As for reputation, after everything was over, the Hokage's office could issue some statements, diverting attention, and slowly rebuild it.
Even if someone brought it up later, they wouldn't dwell on it.
After all, public opinion could be controlled.
As long as the Hyūga's internal conflicts were resolved, controlling public opinion wasn't difficult – as long as the Hokage's office cooperated.
So Hiashi wasn't worried. Not at all. He thought the bullets could fly a little longer.
Hiashi wasn't worried, but the Hyūga elders certainly were.
Sitting in the Main House meeting hall, they no longer had their former glory. All had dark circles under their eyes, looking sleep-deprived. None had rested well.
Day after day of turmoil was exhausting.
"Now the clan's reputation is ruined. The Branch House is restless. If this continues, something will happen to the clan."
"The clan leader still hasn't returned. I suspect he's been detained by that brat Uchiha Kazuki."
"Damn it! He's the future Hyūga Main House's son-in-law, yet he keeps targeting us! What good would destroying the Hyūga clan do him?"
Some elders couldn't hold back and started cursing Kazuki as an ingrate. After they'd agreed to betroth Hinata to him, Kazuki targeted the Hyūga.
The elders' worst fear was realized: unrest in the Branch House.
As Kazuki predicted, the Main House could control the Branch House's lives, but they couldn't afford widespread outrage at this time. Even if Branch House members harbored rebellious thoughts, the Main House could only swallow it.
If they acted against Branch House members now, they'd be lighting the fuse.
Then, before Kazuki could act, the Hyūga clan would tear itself apart.
They were reluctant to give up power. But the current situation wouldn't let them hold on.
The Main House elders were all red in the face with anger. The Branch House elders, strangely, all remained silent.
They were caught in the middle. If they spoke for the Branch House, the Main House would target them. If they spoke for the Main House, they'd become the Branch House's number one enemy.
At this critical moment, even the Branch House elders who were staunch Main House loyalists dared not speak.
Them being hated was one thing. But if their families and descendants were hated too... that would be serious.
"Wait."
The Hyūga Grand Elder had no good ideas. More importantly, without the clan leader, any decision they made would be useless.
Besides, the Grand Elder could see that as pressure mounted, a few Main House elders were wavering.
They were considering whether to give up these powers to resolve the issue.
Though these less-committed Main House elders didn't treat Branch House members well, at least they weren't the aggressive, targeting type.
But those who truly despised the Branch House showed no sign of compromise.
Glancing at those few, the Grand Elder sighed inwardly.
I hope it doesn't come to bloodshed.
When forced to choose, those who remained stubborn might not have good endings.