The one who had just spoken was none other than Uchiha Itachi, Aoki's newly accepted disciple.
Aoki's gaze swept over the remaining Hyuga elders and clansmen in the hall, his voice low and firm. "Shisui, Itachi, remember this: whether it's a clan or a village, only by advancing with the times can it endure. The wheel of time never stops. Once you fall behind, you will be abandoned by the era. Look at the Hyuga clan today—clinging stubbornly to outdated traditions, they have trapped themselves, endlessly exploiting the branch families."
His eyes fell upon the privileged main family members who held high positions and enjoyed special rights, each word striking with weight, laying bare the deep-rooted problems that had plagued the Hyuga clan for so long.
"One day, the contradictions will erupt completely. When that happens, the entire Hyuga clan will collapse and cease to exist."
After hearing Aoki's words, thoughtful expressions appeared on Shisui and Itachi's faces. Beside them, Hyuga Hiashi quickly approached Aoki, knowing full well that the Hyuga clan no longer had time for internal strife.
Aoki turned to the dejected elders who had yet to recover from the upheaval and asked, "Honored elders, will you continue to persist in your delusions?"
Several elders exchanged glances, their eyes filled with resigned despair, and slowly nodded. "We… will abide by the clan leader's arrangements."
"From this day forward, the distinction between the main and branch families is abolished. There will no longer be two factions—only the Hyuga clan!"
The elders personally announced this decision, their aged bodies appearing even more weary, surrounded by a heavy aura of despondency. But at this moment, no one paid any attention to their gloom.
The news exploded like thunder across the Hyuga clan grounds. The branch family members erupted in earth-shaking cheers, their shouts filled with the relief of newfound freedom. The news quickly spread throughout the entire Hyuga clan, countless branch family members weeping with joy, tears streaming down their cheeks.
In contrast, the main family members wore expressions of deep concern. They understood clearly that without the protection and sacrifices of the branch families, they would have to take on missions and go to the battlefield themselves from now on. No longer would there be dedicated individuals shielding them from hardship—they would have to rely entirely on themselves. Hyuga Hiashi showed no pity for these pampered main family members and immediately ordered clan personnel to take them away for training.
With the matter settled, Aoki prepared to leave with his two thoughtful disciples. Before departing, he turned back to Hyuga Hiashi and instructed, "I will send Konoha's Sealing Team later to assist in removing the Caged Bird Curse Marks from your clansmen's foreheads. You and the elders must cooperate fully."
With that, Aoki turned and left the Hyuga clan grounds with Shisui and Itachi.
Hyuga Hiashi readily agreed, knowing full well that relying solely on the few elders in the clan skilled in sealing techniques to remove all the branch family's Caged Bird Curse Marks would take an unknown amount of time. He feared that given more time, the elders might change their minds.
After respectfully seeing Aoki's group off into the distance, Hyuga Hiashi's gaze fell upon Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi beside the Hokage, and a sudden gleam flashed in his eyes.
"No! I cannot let the Uchiha Clan monopolize these benefits!" he thought to himself. "Our Hyuga clan must also closely follow in the Hokage's footsteps!"
With this in mind, Hyuga Hiashi immediately turned to find his younger brother Hyuga Hizashi and asked if there were any suitable children in the clan. Seeing his elder brother's gaze fixed on the two Uchiha children, Hizashi instantly understood his intentions.
"Brother, are you thinking of selecting a talented disciple from our clan to become the Hokage's student?"
"Exactly!" Hyuga Hiashi nodded firmly.
Hizashi's mind raced as he began calculating how to choose the clan's most gifted child—if a Hyuga could also become the Hokage's disciple, the Hyuga clan would be firmly tied to the Hokage, securing their future without worry.
"Brother, give me some time. I will find the most suitable candidate!"
"Good. Remember, the talent must be exceptional, and their character and appearance must also be upright," Hiashi reminded him.
Having settled this matter, Hiashi shifted his attention back to the removal of the curse mark. Several clan elders had already begun working to lift the Caged Bird Curse Mark from the branch family members.
Meanwhile, Aoki was leading Shisui and Itachi back to the Hokage Building.
With both the Uchiha and Hyuga—the two great noble clans of Konoha—now fully aligned, Aoki felt a deep sense of confidence about the upcoming second Hokage group meeting. With the two strongest clans under his influence, along with the long-loyal clans like the Ino-Shika-Cho, the civilian ninja would naturally follow as well.
Moreover, he had top-tier powerhouses like Minato Namikaze, Sakumo Hatake, Tsunade, and Orochimaru under his command, not to mention Uzumaki Kushina, who was soon to become the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. Konoha's peak combat strength had reached an unprecedented level.
Aoki pondered that the strength of his world should be on par with Tsunade's Fifth Hokage era.
The power of the First and Second Hokage's worlds remained unknown, but it was likely that his side held the advantage. As for the Hokage world that had yet to join the chat group, it probably paled in comparison to the foundation he had built.
Having reasoned this through, Aoki wasted no time and immediately contacted Minato Namikaze.