Hiashi’s Visit

"Lord Yota, Neji Hyuga and Hiashi Hyuga have arrived."

In the laboratory, Yota was mixing medicine when a fat Sound Ninja walked in and spoke to him.

There were many things in Medical Ninjutsu that Yota did not need to learn at all; the Munch-Munch Fruit could do them even better.

But there were also jutsu such as the Reanimation Jutsu, which could directly divide and cultivate human organs—something even the Munch-Munch Fruit could not achieve.

There were even many illnesses that the Munch-Munch Fruit could not cure, so Yota had put more effort into pharmacology and pathology. That was why he preferred concocting medicines.

"They’re back? Nothing happened on the road, right? Did Konoha make things difficult for them?" Yota casually asked as he examined the medicine’s effects through a microscope.

"Uh… well… Neji Hyuga and Hiashi Hyuga have arrived!"

"I know. Didn’t I just have them escort Hinata back then… Wait, who did you say? Hiashi Hyuga!? Not Hizashi Hyuga?" Yota suddenly looked up, his face full of surprise.

"Yes, Hiashi Hyuga—the current Clan Head of the Hyuga Main Family!" the ninja nodded.

"What is Hiashi Hyuga doing here?" Yota muttered, but he still decided to meet this Clan Head.

In the reception room, Yota pushed open the door and looked at Hiashi Hyuga.

The Clan Head of the Hyuga Main Family sat upright and moved with rigid precision, giving off a rather old-fashioned impression. When he saw Yota approach, he showed no disdain for his age. Instead, he gave him a formal, respectful bow.

Yota looked at Hiashi Hyuga in confusion, unable to understand what he was thinking. Only after Hiashi finished bowing did he speak.

"May I ask why Clan Head Hyuga is paying me such respects? If it’s about Hinata Hyuga, there’s no need."

"After all, I only acted because I was employed by Konoha."

"That is not the case," Hizashi Hyuga said. "The main purpose of my visit today is to ask that Lord Yota remove the Caged Bird Curse Mark, the affliction that has plagued the Hyuga clan for nearly a thousand years!"

Hiashi’s words were so archaic that Yota had to think for a moment before he understood. Hiashi Hyuga wanted him to remove the Caged Bird Curse Mark from every member of the Hyuga Branch Family!

Yota’s eyes widened at once, and he recalled a famous saying from the internet in his previous life: Why would Your Majesty rebel?

But Hiashi Hyuga paid no attention to Yota’s thoughts and continued, "The Caged Bird Curse Mark has bound the Hyuga for thousands of years. Countless members of the Hyuga Branch Family have become dispirited because of this jutsu, while the Main Family has grown arrogantly complacent. This has deeply divided the clan. Brothers in name, masters and servants in truth, with all affection lost."

"Though I have long wished to reform things, the clan’s accumulated problems have become too entrenched to reverse. I have no power to turn the tide…"

"Stop, stop, stop. What kind of ancient language are you even speaking?" Yota rubbed his temples. He could understand Hiashi Hyuga’s words, but they took quite a bit of effort to process.

A trace of embarrassment flashed across Hiashi Hyuga’s face, and he coughed twice. "Ahem. My apologies. I got used to it after debating with those old men."

"After all, I have only discussed these matters with the elders of the clan. I have never spoken of them to outsiders, so whenever the subject of the Caged Bird Curse Mark comes up, I unconsciously…"

Yota curled his lips slightly. "So you, the Hyuga Clan Head, had wanted to remove the Caged Bird Curse Mark a long time ago?"

Hiashi Hyuga’s expression turned solemn. "Naturally. The Caged Bird Curse Mark has severely stifled the Hyuga clan’s ambition. Konoha has existed for so long, yet the Hyuga clan has never produced any ninja of true renown. This system is the reason."

Yota trusted some of Hiashi Hyuga’s words, but not all of them. Perhaps Hiashi Hyuga had truly wanted reform when he was young, but after having children, that was much harder to say.

Just like Hizashi Hyuga. When he was young, he and Hiashi Hyuga had not grown distant because of the Caged Bird Curse Mark. But after he had Neji Hyuga, his way of thinking immediately changed.

As for why Hiashi Hyuga now wanted Yota to remove the Caged Bird Curse Mark from the Branch Family—he had no choice. He had been backed into a corner!

The Caged Bird Curse Mark was basically like a bomb. When there was no way to remove it, every member of the Hyuga Branch Family had to obediently behave themselves. But once a way to remove it existed, the Hyuga clan would explode into chaos on the spot.

A complete split would be the mildest outcome. Even a mass defection would not be surprising. If things got uglier and the Hyuga Branch Family wiped out the Main Family, Yota would not find that strange either.

As long as a method to remove it existed, the Hyuga clan would never know peace again.

Trust had always been a two-way thing. Once a method to remove the Caged Bird Curse Mark existed, the Hyuga Main Family could no longer have any trust in the Hyuga Branch Family! And the Branch Family would constantly entertain thoughts of defecting.

The arrival of Hizashi Hyuga and Neji Hyuga had undoubtedly detonated that bomb completely. At the time, quite a few Hyuga elders had wanted to kill the two of them.

Of course, that was impossible. Not only could the Hyuga clan not withstand Yota’s retaliation, but Konoha would never allow them to do such a thing. Besides, it would have been meaningless—the method to remove the Caged Bird Curse Mark was in Yota’s hands.

Under these circumstances, Hiashi Hyuga had no real choice. Either he watched the Hyuga Branch Family and Main Family split apart, with most of them defecting to Yota, or he took advantage of the Main Family’s remaining authority within the Hyuga clan and directly asked Yota to remove the Caged Bird Curse Mark. By taking a step back, he could instead earn the gratitude of the many Branch Family members.

Yota was no fool. He simply had not considered these angles at first, but he quickly understood Hiashi Hyuga’s reasoning and gave him an approving look.

This old man looked quiet and unassuming, but he actually had some political sense. He was far better than those brainless idiots in Konoha’s upper ranks!

Yota did not expose Hiashi Hyuga’s intentions. After all, it was just a trip to Konoha.

Still, he asked curiously, "Since you came here, where is Hizashi Hyuga?"

Hiashi Hyuga smiled awkwardly. "Hizashi is currently pretending to be me in Konoha. Some of the older members of the Hyuga clan are difficult to persuade, so I could only come see you in secret."

Yota nodded in understanding. Clearly, those old men had the political awareness typical of the Naruto World. The word compromise did not exist in their minds, much less the idea of taking a step back to advance.

"Fine, then get ready. We’ll go to Konoha tomorrow."