The outside world was filled with chaos, as if everything had been turned upside down.
But within the Hyuga clan's territory, it was as if all disturbances had been cut off, so quiet it almost felt unreal.
Inside a quiet chamber of the Hyuga clan, a warm fragrance lingered in the air.
The Hyuga clan head reclined slightly against a cushion, his eyes half-closed, holding a celadon wine cup between his fingers as he slowly sipped the clear rice wine, looking completely at ease.
"Ah, the outside world is in turmoil, yet only my Hyuga enjoys such a fine scene."
Outside, the Sage of Six Paths was sweeping away demons with thunderous force. Countless evil forces had turned to ashes, and the major ninja clans were living in constant fear.
Only their Hyuga clan, because they had followed the ancestral rules and had not been stained by any evil deeds, managed to remain untouched, completely unaffected.
This sense of stability filled his heart with relief. It felt like an unprecedented period of peace.
Once the Sage of Six Paths finished cleansing the world, their Hyuga clan would become the strongest in the ninja world.
Just as the Hyuga clan head was immersed in this moment of calm, the wine cup just reaching his lips, a burst of hurried and chaotic footsteps suddenly came from outside.
It broke the silence of the room. The steps were rushed and urgent, clearly signaling that something extremely important had happened.
"Hm?"
Hyuga Ryoichi's brows instantly furrowed. The relaxed look on his face disappeared. Just as he was about to scold the servants for lacking manners, the wooden door of the quiet room was suddenly pushed open.
Bang!
Several elderly figures with hunched backs and white beards hurriedly rushed in.
They were the most senior and influential elders of the Hyuga clan.
Seeing who had arrived, the displeasure in the Hyuga clan head's heart instantly disappeared. A sincere smile immediately appeared on his face as he quickly put down his wine cup, stood up, and walked toward the elders.
"Ah! So it's Grandpa Shin, Grandpa Tomo, and all the honored elders. Why have you suddenly come here? Please sit, please sit, I'll pour you some wine right away!", The Hyuga clan head smiled respectfully.
It couldn't be helped.
Within the Hyuga clan, the status of the elders was sacred and could not be challenged.
Even someone like Hyuga Hiashi in later generations did not dare to push for reform of the Caged Bird because of the pressure from these elders.
"If there was something, you could have just sent someone to inform me. Why did you have to come personally?"
As he spoke, the Hyuga clan head reached out to help them.
But the elders, who were usually gentle, now all had faces as heavy as iron. Their eyes were filled with urgency and solemnity, with no intention of sitting down to drink.
"Ryoichi! Stop drinking! You're still here taking your time drinking, don't you know disaster is about to fall upon us!"
Grandpa Shin, who stood at the front, halted his steps and shouted in a deep voice.
"Ah?"
The wine jug in Hyuga Ryoichi's hand froze midair. The smile on his face instantly stiffened. Seeing the expressions of the elders, his heart suddenly sank.
At once, the Hyuga clan head no longer dared to be careless. He immediately put away all his relaxed attitude, stood straight, and his expression became extremely serious.
The Hyuga clan head asked in a deep voice, "Honored elders, what exactly happened? Has something gone wrong within the clan, or has the chaos outside affected our Hyuga?"
His heart was full of unease, afraid that the storm of demon-cleansing had finally reached the Hyuga.
But the elders did not say much. They exchanged glances with each other, then all raised their hands together and took out a scroll that emitted a faint golden light.
The material of the scroll was neither silk nor brocade, carrying a transcendent, sacred aura!
The elders' hands trembled slightly as they held the scroll. Their expressions were extremely respectful, even carrying a sense of reverence like pilgrims, as they slowly and gently unrolled it.
"This is?"
Hyuga Ryoichi frowned tightly, full of doubt as he leaned forward. His gaze fell on the scroll. At first, it was just curiosity, but when he clearly saw the words on it, his pupils suddenly shrank.
All the color drained from his face in an instant.
His expression changed from confusion to shock, then to extreme fear and reverence. His entire body couldn't help but tremble slightly.
Without any hesitation, Hyuga Ryoichi dropped to his knees with a heavy "thud".
In the most humble posture, he looked respectfully at the contents of the scroll, his voice trembling uncontrollably, "It… it's actually the Sage of Six Paths' divine decree! The Sage… he actually wants to personally arrive at my Hyuga clan and visit us himself!"
This news exploded in his mind like thunder, shaking him to his core.
He hurriedly kowtowed repeatedly toward the scroll. The elders beside him also knelt down, their expressions filled with devotion.
———
Very quickly, the entire Hyuga clan mobilized. The vast Hyuga plaza was cleaned until not a speck of dust remained.
At the center of the plaza, on the high platform, a polished and gleaming portrait of the Sage of Six Paths was placed with great care.
In front of it were the most precious offerings, with incense smoke curling upward, sacred and extraordinary.
All members of the Hyuga clan, regardless of age or gender, regardless of branch or main family, wore their most formal clan attire and knelt densely across the plaza, their postures respectful, their heads lowered.
The scene was grand and solemn, far more magnificent and serious than any clan ritual before.
Hyuga clan head Ryoichi and several elders knelt at the very front, their backs straight, their expressions devout yet tense, waiting with both anticipation and fear for the arrival of the Sage of Six Paths.
The entire plaza was silent, with only the faint sound of the breeze passing by. Everyone held their breath in anticipation.
Buzz!
Amid this extreme solemnity and waiting, a wave of immortal mist suddenly surged out of thin air above the platform.
The mist was pure white, carrying a gentle yet vast aura, slowly spreading out and instantly covering the entire platform.
A pressure far beyond all worldly power quietly spread.
Within the flowing mist, a figure slowly appeared, floating in midair above the platform, standing tall like a pine tree, carrying an aura that looked down upon the world.
The person was an old man with silver hair. His hair flowed like moonlight, smooth and falling naturally.
He wore a spotless white robe, its sleeves fluttering gently in the wind, like an immortal descending to the mortal world.
Arisu sat calmly in the air, needing no support, yet naturally exuding supreme authority.
Behind him, nine pitch-black Truth-Seeking Orbs slowly rotated, and in his hand he lightly held an ancient and heavy Six Paths staff.
Arisu's vast and boundless Rinnegan calmly swept over everyone present.
The Tenseigan on his forehead made the Hyuga clan feel a sense of shared origin.
At this moment, everyone understood that the person before them was the Sage of Six Paths, the ancestor of everything they had.
Arisu looked at the tens of thousands of Hyuga clan members below.
Countless thoughts passed through his mind.
Now that the major ninja clans had mostly been weakened by him, the Hyuga clan still retained such strong power.
Even if the Uchiha and Senju joined forces, they would not be able to defeat the current Hyuga clan.
After all, the elites of the Uchiha and Senju had already been wiped out by him in a single move.
If he did not place some restrictions on the Hyuga clan, with their current strength, it was very likely that ambitious individuals would emerge. Combined with their power, they could sweep across the ninja world.
"There is no need for such formalities. You performed well during this turmoil. I am very pleased."
"It is rare that you were able to keep your original intentions, had no greed toward the tailed beasts, and still maintained such faith in me. I will give you three words, good! good! good!"