After Kei left, Hiashi stepped out from behind the door.
He had been standing there the entire time, listening to every word exchanged between Kei and the Grand Elder.
Seeing Taihiro still deep in thought, Hiashi asked quietly, "We've confirmed that his condition hasn't affected the Caged Bird seal. Is it truly necessary to assign someone to monitor him closely?"
"Of course," Taihiro replied without hesitation. "The Caged Bird must never show the slightest flaw. His existence is a potential variable, we cannot afford complacency."
Hiashi considered this. "If there truly were such a possibility… perhaps a more direct solution would be simpler."
"That would be the worst approach," Taihiro said, shaking his head. "We must consider more than one angle. We still don't know whether his illness was accidental. What if it's contagious? What if it's a hereditary bloodline disorder? For the clan, that could be catastrophic."
He paused before continuing, voice firm.
"The Byakugan is the foundation of our survival. Not only can we not eliminate him, we must protect him."
Hiashi nodded slowly. "Very well. Let's proceed as planned. I only hope nothing unexpected occurs."
Taihiro let out a faint scoff. "What could a blind man possibly accomplish? Especially when the Caged Bird remains in place."
Then, as if recalling something, he asked, "Hiashi, do you remember what I told you the day you inherited the position of Clan Head? Do you remember the purpose of the Caged Bird?"
Hiashi fell silent for a moment before answering, "The Caged Bird was established to protect the branch family."
"Correct," Taihiro said evenly. "It was created to protect them, and it must always be justified as protecting them."
He turned his gaze toward the imposing main estate behind them.
"No matter how others interpret it, we must never waver from that position."
"I understand," Hiashi replied quietly, finally grasping the deeper implication.
"Now," Taihiro continued, waving the matter aside, "what do you think of the 'lead bird' theory Kei mentioned earlier?"
Hiashi reflected briefly. "I believe he isn't wrong. The Uchiha's current situation is proof enough. Even if we Hyūga are not as overtly dominant as they were, our size and cohesion alone may one day draw similar attention."
"Not one day," Taihiro corrected him. "It has already begun."
"You're referring to that incident?"
"You understood it long ago, didn't you?" Taihiro's gaze drifted toward the distant Hokage Tower. "On the surface, that event appeared to be the village's concession to Kumogakure. In truth, it was a warning to us."
"If the village had truly handed you over to the Cloud, even when we were not at fault, would any clan remain loyal to Konoha? No Hokage would be foolish enough to misunderstand that."
He continued, voice low but steady, "Look at the Hatake clan. Once glorious. And now?"
"To prevent such things from happening again, we must prepare in advance."
Hiashi sighed faintly. "What is your suggestion, Grand Elder?"
Taihiro's expression grew sharp. "As that boy said, with the Uchiha declining, we are now the other lead bird."
"In my view, compared to the Uchiha, the Hyūga are even more unified. That unity benefits us internally, but to the village, such cohesion may not be reassuring."
"That boy sees part of the problem, but not the depth of it. He recognizes the danger, yet he doesn't understand the solution."
He gave a dismissive hum. "Still, he is only a child. Even if he harbors small ambitions, they amount to little."
Hiashi frowned. "Are you suggesting we deliberately fracture the clan? Even provoke internal tension to make us appear weaker and less unified?"
"I suspect the village, and the Third Hokage, would prefer such a Hyūga," Taihiro replied calmly.
Hiashi hesitated. "But that would cause considerable harm to the clan. Since Hizashi's death, the branch family already harbors resentment. If we deepen that divide, I fear something unexpected may occur."
"Unexpected?" Taihiro's gaze turned cold. "Hiashi, your heart is still too soft. With the Caged Bird in place, nothing unexpected will occur."
"And if matters grow unstable, we can always step in to pacify them. A few concessions are enough to quiet dissatisfaction."
Hiashi studied the elder's composed confidence. Weighing future possibilities against present risks, he finally nodded.
"If we retain a way to retreat, then we shall proceed. At worst, we compensate them afterward."
"Good," Taihiro said sharply. "That is the decisiveness expected of a Clan Head. For the greater interests of the Hyūga, appropriate sacrifice is inevitable."
His expression hardened.
"That is the branch family's fate."
Hiashi said nothing more. As one who benefited from the system, the last trace of hesitation in his heart quietly dissolved.
....
That very afternoon, news began to circulate.
Several branch family members who had once casually expressed dissatisfaction were severely punished. Others were placed under confinement for alleged incompetence.
More rumors followed.
At one point, Kei even heard that Taihiro had proposed disciplining Hyūga Neji, citing his lingering resentment after Hizashi's death. That decision, however, was ultimately rejected by Hiashi and never carried out.
Even so, the branch family was shaken.
Whispers spread like ripples, though for the moment, most endured in silence. The Caged Bird had hung above their heads for far too long.
Years of suppression had bred numbness. Such conditioning could not be undone overnight.
Amid the subtle shift in atmosphere, Kei remained outwardly unaffected, continuing his routine at the clinic as if nothing had changed.
He understood perfectly that while his earlier words had served as a spark, the explosion was still far away.
The fuse needed time to burn.
...
A few days later, early in the morning, Kei had barely risen when he was summoned to the Grand Elder's residence.
Upon entering and offering a greeting, he immediately sensed another presence in the room.
"Kei," Taihiro said, "this is Hyūga Haru. She is your age. If I recall correctly, you were in the same academy cohort, though different classes."
"My apologies, Grand Elder. I don't remember much about my school years," Kei replied evenly.
"That's fine. You'll grow familiar in time." Taihiro gestured lightly. "You run a clinic, do you not? She can serve as your assistant."
Kei understood there was no room for refusal.
"Then I thank you for your generosity, Grand Elder. I will remember this kindness."
"We are family," Taihiro said with a faint smile before turning to Haru. "I'll leave the rest to you young people. Take your time."
With that, he exited the room.
Only after Kei sensed Taihiro's departure did he turn slightly toward Haru.
"Haru," he said gently, "may I call you that? I look forward to working together."
"There's no need for formality. This is my duty," Haru replied in a measured, almost mechanical tone.
Kei did not mind.
After a brief exchange, he led her toward his clinic. In practical terms, she was now his assistant, regardless of whether he had chosen it.
On the way, Kei had already mapped out his strategy.
If Haru had been assigned to monitor him, then every move he made would likely be reported upward. That meant he would need to be cautious with his words and actions.
If the clan sensed any trace of resentment from him, given his unique circumstances, Taihiro would not hesitate.
Fortunately, Kei had always been careful. His clinic served genuine patients; there was little risk of revealing anything unnecessary.
If Taihiro believed a single person could keep watch over him, then that was a grave miscalculation.
Kei could just as easily reverse the situation, feeding carefully crafted impressions through Haru, shaping the narrative delivered back to the elders.
After all, did they truly believe he was merely a man who treated trivial anxieties?
Haru, though he did not yet know her full background, was undoubtedly branch family.
And that alone was more than enough.
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