Hyūga Hiashi's words sent a shockwave through everyone present — even the onlookers, Uchiha Izumi and Uchiha Ashikaga, were stunned.
"The Hyūga clan head sure has guts," Ashikaga muttered. "But why didn't he act like this sooner? If he had, today's disaster wouldn't have happened!"
Uchiha Izumi raised a thoughtful brow, then let out a faint, sardonic laugh.
"It's simple. He used to be the greatest beneficiary of the Caged Bird curse. Why would he ever cut off his own lifeline? Besides, he's not the only branch of the main family. That despicable elder, for instance—he's one of the strongest supporters of the Caged Bird system. If Hiashi had proposed abolishing it earlier, those people would never have agreed."
She paused, then added with a wry tone,
"And if Hiashi tried to forcefully abolish it, the main house could've united against him — they might've even overthrown him and chosen a new clan head."
Uchiha Ashikaga's eyes widened.
"What? The clan head isn't the highest authority? He can be overthrown?"
Uchiha Izumi chuckled softly and ruffled Ashikaga's hair.
"Theoretically, yes — the clan head is the highest authority. But if no one listens to him, his title means nothing. Think of it like the Hokage — on paper, he's the supreme leader of the village. But if no one obeys his orders or carries out missions, would you still think of him as Hokage?"
Ashikaga shook her head quickly.
"That'd be a total failure. So you're saying… the Hyūga clan head hesitated because he feared exactly that? That if he abolished the Caged Bird, the entire clan might turn against him — even though he's always wanted to?"
Uchiha Izumi shook her head again.
"Hiashi always had his doubts, yes — but I wouldn't say he truly wanted to abolish it. The reason he dares to stand up now is because if this conflict continues, the Hyūga clan will face total annihilation. In an extreme scenario, they could even be expelled from Konoha and reduced to a dying bloodline — only a handful of survivors left."
She glanced toward the battlefield and continued in a quieter voice.
"There's another reason too. Though Danzō's Root division has many skilled shinobi, they're no match for the Hyūga branch family overall. If the fight dragged on, nine times out of ten, Danzō would have to retreat — and when that happens, the heavily wounded branch members would turn their wrath on the main family. If it reached that point… what do you think would happen?"
Ashikaga thought about it, then her face turned pale.
"If that happened… if so many died, the hatred would overflow. The branch members would definitely vent all their fury on the main house."
"Exactly. Danzō is, after all, a Konoha elder — without the Hokage's permission, no one would dare kill him. So when the dust settles, Hiashi's men would become the scapegoats. The main family would pay the price — not just the men fighting here, but their wives and children too."
Ashikaga gasped and covered her mouth in horror.
"I remember… the Hyūga clan head's daughter is only two years old, right?"
Uchiha Izumi nodded slightly.
"Her name is Hyūga Hinata. She's not yet three — shy and timid, from what I've heard. Even if she survived this massacre, tell me — after her father's death, what future would she have left?"
Ashikaga's expression softened. She, too, was an orphan who had lost her parents. She knew that without Rokuro and his mother's kindness, she would have lived a miserable life.
The Uchiha clan was infamous for its arrogance — revering strength and scorning weakness. She couldn't imagine that her younger self would've ever been shown compassion.
And if even she would've been abandoned, what hope would a gentle, fearful child like Hinata have?
"So in other words," Ashikaga murmured, "the Hyūga clan head made the best possible choice — for himself, and for the clan."
"Exactly," Uchiha Izumi replied calmly. "At this moment, releasing all the Caged Birds is the wisest choice he could make. I have to admit — Hyūga Hiashi's political instincts are far sharper than our own clan head's."
Having long absorbed Rokuro's influence, Izumi now saw through Uchiha Fugaku's nature completely.
In terms of leadership and political sense, Hiashi was far superior.
At the Hyūga estate, Rokuro reached the same conclusion as his mother after hearing Hiashi's declaration.
"What a decisive man," Rokuro murmured with a smirk. "No wonder he's destined to be the father-in-law of the future Seventh Hokage — that political brain of his is top-tier."
After confronting Danzō head-on, Hiashi turned toward Rokuro.
To release the Caged Bird seals, he needed to connect with them — meaning Rokuro's jutsu had to stop first.
"Captain Hizashi," Hiashi called, "this is your family's matter. You should be the one to decide."
Hizashi met his brother's eyes — and saw something he had never seen there before: determination, and a plea.
For as long as he could remember, Hiashi had always been the stronger one. Even his rare moments of kindness had carried a tone of condescension — he had never once asked for anything.
For the first time, Hizashi smiled faintly.
"Brother… you've made the right choice. You've earned the gratitude of every branch family member. But you must understand — from this moment on, your position as clan head is finished."
"I know," Hiashi said softly. "But if it means saving the Hyūga clan, I accept it."
Whether out of genuine conviction or pragmatic calculation, Hiashi's decision was the only one that could preserve the clan's future.
After a brief pause of inner struggle, Hizashi nodded toward Rokuro.
Rokuro didn't speak — he simply halted the sealing technique.
Instantly, the main house members regained their connection to the Caged Bird seals. Some even considered attacking — especially the Great Elder, who, knowing his death was inevitable, tried to take everyone down with him.
But before he could act, Hiashi unleashed a secret technique known only to the clan head.
A surge of green chakra burst from his palm, flaring into a blinding light that shot skyward before splitting in two directions — one beam descending to strike the foreheads of the marked branch members present, the other streaking toward the distant branch compound.
"Hyūga Hiashi! You're dooming us all!"
The Great Elder's furious roar echoed — but he barely finished before Hizashi appeared before him in a blur of motion.
Without hesitation, Hizashi's gentle fist struck the old man's forehead.
At over eighty years old, the Great Elder's chakra and body were long past their prime. Maintaining his Byakugan already consumed most of his strength — how could he possibly withstand Hizashi's full power?
The seemingly soft strike landed, and in the next instant, his skull caved in like shattered jelly. Fluid sprayed from his ears and nose as his clouded white eyes burst free — the elder collapsed lifelessly to the floor.
At that very moment, every Caged Bird seal across the Hyūga clan vanished.
Some branch members tore off their forehead protectors to use as mirrors — and when they saw their unmarked skin, tears welled in their eyes.
"It's gone… The seal is gone! I'm finally free!"
"Ha ha ha! Freedom! I never thought I'd live to see this day!"
"Since I was four years old, I've carried that curse for over twenty years… and now it's gone! I'm free… I'm finally free!"
END OF CHAPTER
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