Watching the Branch House members lose control in excitement, Hyūga Hiashi could only sigh inwardly.
Once upon a time, he too had entertained the idea of abolishing the Caged Bird Seal. After all, his own younger brother had been its victim. When Hyūga Hizashi's eyes lost the light called hope, Hiashi's heart had felt unbearably heavy.
But just as Uchiha Ashikaga had once analyzed, Hiashi himself was the greatest beneficiary of that curse. Even if the Caged Bird Seal were abolished, he would remain clan head—but the resources, privileges, and influence he enjoyed would never be the same.
Then there was the fierce opposition from the Main House. No one was willing to carve away their own flesh to feed another. And after so many years of simmering resentment, the rift between the Main and Branch Houses had grown too deep. Without the seal as leverage, the Main House would inevitably face retribution.
Ninja, after all, excelled at one thing—assassination. Especially among a clan like the Hyūga, skilled in Gentle Fist. To take a life, all it took was a handshake, a pat on the shoulder, or merely brushing past in a corridor.
The true terror of the Gentle Fist lay in its exquisite chakra control—channeling lethal force through the smallest, most imperceptible movements.
In sheer destructive power, the Gentle Fist might not match the Iron Fist.
But in the realm of subtlety and surprise, the Iron Fist could never compare.
Without the Caged Bird Seal, and given the Main House's clear advantage in raw power, the Branch members would have countless ways to strike back.
That was why Hiashi had been forced to maintain the status quo.
The resistance was too great, and the consequences too severe.
Now, however, with the situation pushed to this point, a strange sense of relief washed over him.
"From this day forth, the Caged Bird Seal will be abolished. In addition, the Hyūga Clan's secret techniques will be opened to all members. I will personally lift the seals on our jutsu, and I swear to keep my word."
"Thank you, Clan Head!"
"What resolve!"
"It's about time! Hoarding power only weakens the clan as a whole!"
The same lapdogs who once flattered him now shouted their praises, while the Branch House members echoed with thinly veiled sarcasm.
Still, no matter how one looked at it, Hiashi had regained a measure of prestige in this desperate situation.
Even if he were no longer clan head after today, he could at least retire as a respected elder.
With the Caged Bird Seal lifted, the Hyūga's internal conflict came to an end. The worst of the Main House offenders could no longer stir up any real trouble.
At the edge of the crowd, Danzō watched in silence, his expression dark. His goal of weakening the Hyūga Clan had failed completely. But no matter how bitter he felt, there was nothing he could do now. The Hyūga's internal strife had already settled—if he acted again, he would have no justification.
In a village dominated by powerful ninja clans, the Hokage's direct forces had to tread carefully.
To strike at a clan without proper cause would risk a united backlash—even from the Hokage's most loyal allies, like the Ino–Shika–Chō trio.
They might serve the Hokage faithfully, but they were still clan-born shinobi. Everything they possessed came from that heritage. So if the very foundation of the ninja clans were threatened, they would stand together without hesitation.
That was precisely why Danzō had acted so decisively this time—this was his best and last opportunity.
Miss it, and he would never have another reason to cut into the Hyūga again.
In the original history, when the Kumo delegation kidnapped Hinata Hyūga, both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō had seized the chance to weaken the clan.
Otherwise, how could it make sense that the greatest ninja village in the world—the Leaf—would pay for an enemy's crimes with Hizashi's life?
All that talk about international diplomacy was nothing but a convenient excuse.
In war, if you can't win something on the battlefield, you'll never gain it at the negotiation table.
Once you start paying reparations, it never stops—until the nation itself collapses.
"Hmph. Hyūga Hiashi, let's hope you don't regret today's decision. You've chosen your path—walk it well."
With a cold snort, Danzō turned and left with his Root operatives.
Seeing this, Rokuro also excused himself. What remained were the Hyūga's internal affairs—none of his concern, nor his interest.
The very next day, word of the Hyūga Clan's abolition of the Caged Bird Seal swept across all of Konoha.
Rumors bloomed like wildfire.
Some claimed the Main House had been purged, their estates seized.
Others said Hiashi had abdicated, exiled from the ancestral compound, with Hizashi ascending as the new clan head.
While the gossip-mongers whispered, the other clans of Konoha sent formal congratulations—especially on Hizashi's succession, which nearly every major ninja clan celebrated.
After all, the Main House had grown too complacent for far too long.
They rarely accepted missions above B-rank, while the Byakugan's power as a reconnaissance tool meant that most Hyūga seen on the field were Branch members. Naturally, the other ninja who had fought alongside them had developed bonds with the Branch, not the Main.
Under such circumstances, no one was inclined to defend the Main House. The flaws of the Caged Bird System were now glaringly obvious.
And amid all this, aside from Hizashi's rise as the new clan head, another name stole the spotlight
Rokuro.
"Hey, I heard it was a boy from the Uchiha Clan who broke the Hyūga's Caged Bird Seal!?"
"No way! Since when do Uchiha specialize in sealing techniques?"
"You'd be surprised. Those new Uchiha buildings were apparently built using a fusion of sealing and Earth Release—designed by that same boy!"
"His name's Uchiha Rokuro. His mother's one of Konoha's senior fūinjutsu masters—it runs in the family."
"Even so, to undo a Hyūga curse seal at his age… that's pure genius!"
"He's not just good at seals. Word is he's already a genin at eight years old, and has completed an A-rank mission!"
Konoha had its fair share of civilians, but living alongside ninja had made them quite familiar with the profession.
They all knew what an A-rank mission meant—and to hear that a mere child had completed one left them stunned.
When Rokuro killed Kakuzu, the event had been deliberately suppressed due to its sensitive nature, leaving his name largely unknown.
But this time
With the Caged Bird incident broadcast across the entire village
Uchiha Rokuro's fame exploded overnight.
He became the newest rising star of Konoha, his name spoken in the same breath as the Three Legendary Sannin in their youth.
While the villagers gossiped in excitement, the great clans began to quietly reassess their stance toward him.
Meanwhile, within the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Fugaku's face had turned pitch-black as he learned the details.
"Why didn't Uchiha Rokuro inform me before acting? Does he take me, the clan head, for nothing!?"
He was furious—but helpless.
Rokuro was now under the protection of the Great Elder, Uchiha Setsuna, who all but treated him as a successor.
And Setsuna's authority within the clan ran deep.
Fugaku himself had only become clan head because of the old man's support.
In other words, Setsuna was Fugaku's benefactor, and that debt couldn't simply be ignored.
Unless Setsuna personally withdrew his favor, Fugaku dared not lay a hand on Rokuro.
Even if he tried, he likely couldn't win—and any confrontation would risk igniting a civil conflict within the Uchiha.
The clan was already on Danzō's watch list.
If infighting broke out, the Root would waste no time swooping in to exploit the chaos.
After weighing it all carefully, Fugaku swallowed his anger and said nothing more.
He would endure—for now.
END OF CHAPTER
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