Chapter 272 Neji's Ascension and the Purge of the Hyuga Clan.
Hyuga Hiashi was somewhat prepared for this day, as he could sense the approaching war. Uchiha Touko would never allow a powerful ninja clan he couldn't fully control to exist in the rear during a war.
After all, the Hyuga clan had a history of rebellion, and given their current situation, if it weren't for the relationship between Uchiha Touko and Neji, the other main branches would likely have already begun their attacks. His two daughters, despite being chosen as the young clan leaders, hadn't been imprisoned. Under
these circumstances, some of the more talented members of the branch families were becoming restless. After all, none of them were qualified to be main members, so why was Hinata, already 14, still not imprisoned? Was it simply because they were the clan leader's daughters?
Hiashi Hyuga felt ashamed, as the pressure in this regard had been borne by Neji, the young clan leader, for the past two years. After all, Neji was Hinata and Hanabi's father, and he lacked confidence in his words, nor did he have the ability to rule the Hyuga clan.
Now, with Touko Uchiha almost explicitly stating his intentions, Hiashi felt that handing over the position to Neji wasn't a bad thing. He knew he wasn't cut out to be a clan leader; otherwise, he wouldn't have been helpless in the face of his brother's death. Moreover, Touko Uchiha had given him a border commander position as compensation.
With this in mind, Hiashi didn't hesitate any longer and immediately said, "Hokage-sama, there's no need to worry. National affairs naturally take precedence over family matters. It is an honor for me and the Hyuga clan that you are willing to entrust me with such an important task. As for clan affairs, Neji has grown up, and I think it's time to give him more responsibilities."
"Since Clan Leader Hiashi thinks so, that's even better," Touko Uchiha nodded.
"I wonder if Hokage-sama could grace us with his presence at Neji's inauguration ceremony as clan leader in a few days?" Hyuga Hiashi asked.
"Of course," Uchiha Touko replied. "Neji is my disciple, and I must be present for such an important moment in his life."
...
After Hyuga Hiashi left, a figure slowly emerged from a shadowy corner of the Hokage's office.
"Fifth Hokage, you should know what kind of impact your disciple's ascension to clan leader will have on the Hyuga clan," Senju Tobirama said, emerging from the shadows.
Looking at the person emerging from that corner, Uchiha Touko was speechless. He now understood where Danzo's habit of loitering in that corner of the office came from. This corner had long been used as a storage area after Uchiha Touko took office, but Senju Tobirama had managed to clear it out, occasionally loitering there when the staff was free.
"Second Hokage, don't stay there unless it's absolutely necessary next time." Uchiha Touko first gave a helpless reminder, and then said, "What impact would it have on Neji becoming the clan leader? Neji is already the strongest in the Hyuga clan. Putting aside his advanced equipment from the Konoha Ninja Tool Research Institute, his Gentle Fist technique alone makes him the most talented person the Hyuga clan has ever produced since the Warring States period. Whether it's his improvement on their Hyuga clan's Bagua Step or the staff technique he developed by combining it with Gentle Fist, these are things that the Hyuga clan has never seen before. If he doesn't become the clan leader, who will?"
"But he used to be a member of a branch family with a Caged Bird Seal on his head, right? If he becomes the clan head, the Hyuga clan will inevitably be thrown into turmoil," Tobirama Senju said. "If your disciple learns your methods, then the final result will probably be the complete abolition of the Caged Bird Seal system."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Touko Uchiha shrugged. "If Neji hadn't become my disciple, his talent would probably have been buried by this Caged Bird Seal. From the Warring States period to now, how many geniuses like Neji in the Hyuga clan do you think have been buried by the Caged Bird Seal? You know, as far as I know, the Hyuga clan has the same Sage bloodline as your Senju and our Uchiha clans."
"But not every branch family member is a genius like your disciple, and almost everyone in the Hyuga clan can awaken the Byakugan at a certain age. If the Caged Bird Seal is gone, ordinary members of the Hyuga clan will be coveted by the entire ninja world," Tobirama Senju reminded him.
"Second Hokage, I think your thinking is still stuck in the Warring States period," Uchiha Touko said. "I don't deny that the Caged Bird Seal can protect those branch clan members who don't have enough talent. Given the conditions of the Warring States period, without the protection of the Caged Bird Seal, the Hyuga clan would probably have been wiped out long ago. However, this is the era of ninja villages. Every war in the village involves more than just the Hyuga clan. I think the village is capable of taking on the responsibility of protecting its comrades in the Hyuga clan."
"Furthermore, didn't the Second Hokage always think that our Uchiha clan couldn't integrate into the village because of our arrogance? Don't you think that the Caged Bird Technique is also an obstacle to the Hyuga clan's complete integration into the village?"
Senju Tobirama fell silent after hearing Uchiha Touko's words. Of course, he knew that with the existence of the Caged Bird Technique, the Hyuga clan had never been fully integrated into the village since its founding. Although the Caged Bird Technique ensured the stable inheritance of the Hyuga clan to a certain extent, it also artificially created two opposing classes. The main family of the Hyuga clan stayed at home all year round, while the branch family were born slaves. Under such circumstances, how could they integrate into the village?
Tobirama Senju hadn't paid much attention to this issue before. After all, compared to the Uchiha clan, which frequently produced extraordinaryly powerful lunatics, the Hyuga clan, which seemed to have abandoned its own martial arts, didn't require his excessive concern. Moreover, with the Caged Bird Seal, the Hyuga clan didn't need him to worry about the Byakugan, a strategically important bloodline limit, falling into the hands of another village. Therefore, Tobirama Senju had always maintained a laissez-faire attitude towards the Hyuga clan, focusing his energy on guarding against the Uchiha.
"Haven't you considered what would happen if the Byakugan fell into the hands of another village..."
"If that happened, it would be a dereliction of duty on my part as the Fifth Hokage, or the future Hokage!" Touko Uchiha said resolutely.
Tobirama Senju gave Uchiha Touko a deep look, then chuckled self-deprecatingly after a while: "It seems that I, someone who grew up in the Warring States period, am indeed somewhat outdated."
...
Hyuga Hiashi brought the news back to the clan, announcing at the clan assembly that Neji would soon officially inherit the position of clan leader and that he himself would become the commander of a new garrison in the village. This immediately caused a huge uproar within the Hyuga clan.
"Hiashi, it's certainly a good thing that you're becoming the commander of the village's garrison, but Neji is still so young. Isn't it a bit too hasty to let him succeed as clan leader? I think it's better to proceed gradually, let Neji slowly get involved in the affairs of the clan leader, and then officially inherit the position in a few years," a senior member of the Hyuga main branch said at this moment.
"Is it too hasty? I don't think so." Hiashi Hyuga shook his head and said, "Neji has been helping me handle some of the clan's affairs over the years. Neji is already very skilled at handling the things that the clan head needs to do."
"But, Hiashi, don't forget the clan's rules." At this moment, the successor of the main branch of the clan who had been removed from power for forcing Hiashi Hyuga to step down also spoke up.
"Rules? Elder, perhaps you could remind me?" Neji, sitting to Hiashi's left, suddenly turned to look at him, his gaze sharp as a knife, scrutinizing him. He hadn't activated his Byakugan, but even the Hyuga elder felt a prickling sensation under that gaze.
Neji's gaze immediately extinguished the elder's idea of putting Hinata and Hanabi in the Caged Bird Seal.
"Elder, what rule requires you to specifically mention it?" Neji pressed, seeing the elder's silence.
"Uh… Hiashi, Neji, as you know, the clan head must marry before ascending to the throne; it's a long-standing rule." The elder, scrutinized by Neji, racked his brains to come up with this excuse.
"Is that so? The clan has such a rule?" Hyuga Neji turned to Hiashi, asking.
"Well, strictly speaking, there is a rule. It's written in the clan rules, but both my father and I were already in our twenties, married with children, when we became clan leaders, so no one specifically mentioned it." Hyuga Hiashi thought for a moment and then nodded. "But it's easy to handle. Just arrange the engagement before you officially become clan leader." "
Then I'll trouble you, Uncle, to go to Tenten's house to deliver the betrothal gifts these next few days." Hearing this, Neji also had a headache. Faced with what he wanted to do, he didn't want to break such a trivial rule and cause trouble, so he said to Hyuga Hiashi.
"Tenten?" At this moment, the elders looked at each other, their eyes seemingly asking each other, whose branch family girl named Hyuga Tenten was so lucky to have caught the young clan leader's eye?
After exchanging bewildered glances, a senior member of the Hyuga clan finally spoke up, asking, "Which family's daughter has the young clan leader taken a fancy to?"
"The only daughter of Tenten, the owner of the largest ninja tool retailer in the village, and currently the deputy director of Konoha's Scientific Ninja Tool Research Center," Neji replied.
"Uh, young clan leader, I'm afraid that won't do. The clan leader's partner can only be chosen from within the clan; that's the clan's rule," a Hyuga elder said, forcing a smile.
"However, Tenten has provided our Hyuga clan with considerable assistance in acquiring new inventions from the Ninja Tool Research Institute over the years, thanks to our relationship," Neji said. "Moreover, with her talent in this area, it's not impossible for her to lead Konoha's Ninja Tool Research Institute in the future. You should know how much our teacher values this and the Konoha Medical College—these two new departments. If I marry her, our Hyuga clan will also achieve greater development in the future."
Neji patiently explained Tenten's status, attempting to persuade the elders from a perspective of mutual benefit.
"Young clan leader, I'm afraid that won't do. For our Hyuga clan, the purity of the main family's bloodline is of utmost importance," an elder insisted.
"These are all clan rules, are they?" Neji sneered. "In that case, I think the Hyuga ancestral precepts should be revised."
"Young clan leader, please be careful with your words," an elder immediately interjected upon hearing Neji's words.
"Is there anything wrong with what I said?" Neji sighed. He had originally wanted to resolve some of the clan's historical issues peacefully, but these elders didn't seem to have any intention of giving him face, so Neji was ready to overturn the table.
As the Hyuga clan member who had directly come into contact with the Uchiha clan, Neji understood better than anyone that a massive upheaval was about to occur in the ninja world. However, it seemed that the Hyuga clan was still clinging to the rules of the Warring States period.
Both were major clans in the village, both had young clan leaders, so why didn't Sasuke have so many old fogies dragging him down?
Neji sighed inwardly, then his gaze hardened.
"Alright, Uncle, there's no need to propose marriage," Neji said slowly.
"That's more like it, young clan leader. The Hyuga clan has been able to survive since the Warring States period because of these ancestral rules," an elder from the main clan said, delighted that Neji was about to give in.
"I'll propose myself after I become clan leader," Neji said. "As for the time being, I remember in a few days it's the annual ceremony where the branch family's children are all caged with the Caged Bird Seal, right? Let's put that on hold for now." "
What do you mean by that, young clan leader? The ceremony of caged with the Caged Bird Seal for the branch family is the most important event in the clan. Even if it involves the change of clan leader, we have to give way to this ceremony," an elder said.
"Is that so?" Neji slowly rose, looking down at the kneeling Hyuga elder before him. "I think this matter can be postponed for a few days. After all, the first thing I'll do after becoming clan leader is abolish the Caged Bird Seal system. I've experienced the pain of being released from the Caged Bird Seal; it's quite painful. If possible, I don't think it's necessary for the branch family children to experience that feeling again."
"Hyuga Neji! Do you know what you're saying?" At this moment, the First Elder, who had been yielding all along, finally couldn't hold back any longer and immediately shouted angrily, "The Caged Bird Seal is the foundation upon which our Hyuga clan has survived to this day! Allowing you to be released from the Caged Bird Seal and become the young clan leader is already an extraordinary favor from the clan out of respect for the Hokage! How dare you shake the foundation of the clan?"
"The foundation of the clan?" Neji couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing this.
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(End of Chapter)