Hyuga Hiashi remained silent.
He looked at Uchiha Ran, then at Hyuga Hinata behind him—her eyes filled with worry—and finally let out a long sigh.
Hyuga Hiashi withdrew his chakra. "Come inside with me."
With that, he turned and headed toward the Meeting Hall.
After taking only two steps, he stopped.
"Does Hinata intend to listen as well?"
His gaze was sharp, cold, and probing.
Hinata's face instantly turned pale. Just as she was about to shake her head in refusal, Ran gently nodded at her.
For a moment, Hinata seemed to forget her father's overwhelming pressure. Summoning every bit of courage she had, she spoke in a soft but firm voice:
"I… I want to!"
This was the very first time she had ever dared to defy her father.
Unexpectedly, the coldness in Hyuga Hiashi's eyes melted away, replaced by warmth. Even his voice softened.
"Since you wish to listen," he said gently, "then come along."
With that, he turned around, his mood visibly improved. At the same time, he couldn't help marveling—he hadn't expected this young boy with such terrifying chakra to bring about such a dramatic change in Hinata.
Hinata stood frozen in place.
She had been certain that defying her father would earn her punishment. Instead, not only had he approved—he had encouraged her.
At that moment, Ran spoke.
"Hinata, are you wondering why the clan head is happy that you defied him?"
Hinata looked at Ran immediately, her eyes full of anticipation as she waited for his explanation.
Ran smiled faintly. "Because your father is the head of the Hyuga Clan—and you are its future successor. A clan successor cannot be weak. If you are weak, you will be bullied."
He paused briefly, then continued calmly.
"Just like Uchiha Fugaku. He gave way at every turn. In the end, not only was he pushed out of the village's core circle—now he's worrying about whether the clan can even survive."
Ran sighed.
The corners of Uchiha Itachi's and Uchiha Shisui's mouths twitched. Even Hyuga Hiashi, who had been listening so intently, failed to watch his step and bumped his head against a stone pillar, rubbing it awkwardly afterward.
How filial. Truly filial—using his own father as an example.
Yet… Ran wasn't wrong.
Perhaps Itachi and Shisui hadn't seen things as clearly as Ran did.
The truth was that the Uchiha Clan's situation was worsening by the day, and the Village's oppression and exploitation of them had only grown more blatant.
This, in turn, served as a lesson for Hyuga Hiashi.
He made up his mind then and there: the successor he raised must be strong, resolute, and unyielding—someone who would never compromise with Konoha.
Hinata fell silent in thought, then nodded seriously.
"I understand, Brother Ran. In the future, Hinata will be strong. I won't give up. And I will dare to say no to oppression."
Ran laughed softly.
Even a five-year-old could grasp this truth—yet his own father, Uchiha Fugaku, had only recently begun to understand it. Ran genuinely didn't know whether Fugaku had been pretending to be foolish all along, or whether he had truly intended to lead the entire clan straight into the Pure Land to follow their ancestor, Uchiha Madara.
Hyuga Hiashi was in an exceptionally good mood now.
To be honest, if not for the number of people present, he would have wanted to bow deeply to Ran on the spot. Ran had effectively handed him a perfect successor.
At the very least, with Hinata leading the next generation, the Hyuga Clan would be able to preserve its legacy.
What he didn't know was that in the future, under Hinata's leadership, the Hyuga Clan would awaken three Tenseigan, becoming a clan truly equal in prestige to the Uchiha.
With her mindset liberated, Hinata no longer looked at her father with fear. Instead, her small face was filled with determination.
Hiashi couldn't have been more satisfied.
No matter what the Uchiha had come for today, he resolved to meet their requests to the best of his ability—even if it meant marching straight to the Hokage Tower without hesitation.
The current Konoha was already rotten to the core.
Under the influence of its supreme leader, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the clans had long since stopped contributing sincerely to the Village. Most now cared only about securing benefits for their own families.
If this continued, Konoha would eventually fall apart, and the clans would scatter, seeking refuge in other Hidden Villages.
Hyuga Hiashi wondered what Senju Hashirama would think if he could see Konoha in its current state.
After walking for about twenty minutes, the group finally arrived at the place where Hyuga Hiashi would formally receive his guests.
Inside the Meeting Hall, five low tables had already been arranged. Members of the Hyuga Clan guided everyone to their seats.
Hinata and Ran shared a table.
Neji, Shisui, and Itachi each had their own.
Hyuga Hiashi sat at the seat of honor.
He glanced at Hinata, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. He hoped she would learn well from Ran's way of thinking—because from their conversation earlier, he was already certain that Ran possessed the mindset of a true clan leader.
Hinata appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, she was quietly taking deep breaths—breathing in Ran's scent, then slowly exhaling.
Neji snorted at the sight and turned his head away.
Once Shisui and Itachi were seated, Hyuga Hiashi finally spoke.
"My three young nephews—did Fugaku send you to the Hyuga Clan?"
Shisui and Itachi instinctively turned to look at Ran.
That single action was enough.
In an instant, Hyuga Hiashi understood—among these three, the one truly in charge was Uchiha Ran.
From that point on, he no longer looked at Shisui or Itachi, focusing his attention entirely on Ran.
Ran stood up, lifted his cup of sake, and said calmly, "This visit was my idea. However, our clan head will follow my arrangements."
Hyuga Hiashi's eyes lit up. His interest in Ran deepened even further.
"Then tell me," he said, "what is your purpose in coming here?"
After draining his cup, he fixed his gaze on Ran, unblinking.
Ran glanced at Shisui and Itachi.
They immediately understood. Rising to their feet, they looked toward the Hyuga servants—and activated their Mangekyō Sharingan.
One by one, all the servants collapsed into unconsciousness.
Hyuga Hiashi narrowed his eyes.
A show of force?
But Ran spoke calmly, "Walls have ears. I could only let them sleep for a while."
Hyuga Hiashi said nothing, simply pouring himself another cup of sake.
Ran continued unbothered.
"The main purpose of our visit today is simple: to learn from the past and avoid repeating old mistakes—and to cure the sickness, so the patient may live."
Hyuga Hiashi's hand paused midair.
Learn from the past… cure the sickness…
Interesting phrasing.
"Go on," he said, setting down his cup as his expression grew serious.
"The Uchiha Clan has made too many mistakes. We must reflect on them—and ensure we never repeat them."
"As for curing the sickness…" Ran's voice hardened. "This Village is sick. We must use decisive, thunderous methods to cut away the rotten roots and the withered trunk—only then can new growth flourish."
Not a single sentence named anyone directly.
Yet every sentence was about someone.
The moment Ran finished speaking, Hyuga Hiashi slammed his palm onto the table and stood abruptly.
"Uchiha Ran, you have quite the nerve!" he roared. "Aren't you afraid I'll report these words to Hokage-sama?"
"Your Uchiha Clan would know no peace—slaughter would follow!"
He stared straight into Ran's eyes, even activating his Byakugan to observe every subtle movement.
"You won't," Ran replied calmly.
He didn't raise his voice. His lips barely moved.
But the words he formed were unmistakable:
Hyuga Hizashi.
Hyuga Hiashi fell silent.
After a long moment, he sighed deeply.
"You're right," he said at last. "Continue."
He took another sip of sake and waited for Ran to speak again.