Chapter 18 — The Hyūga Clan Will Always Be Konoha's Hyūga Clan
Led by Hyūga Arima, Minato Namikaze stepped for the first time into the Tametsu Shrine, the heart of the Hyūga Clan's sacred grounds.
He'd been to the Hyūga compound before, of course—but always to visit someone's home. The shrine itself was something he'd only heard about in passing, a name that carried centuries of weight.
Now, however, he had no mind for admiration.
The rain outside came down like a waterfall, and the tension in his chest left no room for curiosity.
Arima guided him into a quiet tearoom, sliding the shōji door closed behind them. Servants came forward to offer tea.
"Please wait just a moment, honored guest," Arima said politely, bowing. "The clan head is finishing some important matters. He'll be here shortly—"
He never finished the sentence.
From beyond the shōji came the sound of quick, synchronized footsteps—several sets at once.
Then the door slid open.
A young man strode in with a bright smile and a casual wave.
"Minato-senpai," he greeted warmly, "it's been a while."
"Eh—?"
Minato froze.
His composure cracked for half a heartbeat—his shoulders tensed, his breath hitched.
Hyūga Ritsu.
The man who wasn't even supposed to be in the village.
And following behind him—six of the Hyūga's most renowned Branch House elite, all of them calm and deferential, falling into line behind Ritsu as though they were his attendants.
Minato's heart sank.
What in the world is going on?
He'd come expecting to meet Hiashi Hyūga, the clan head. Instead, he was face-to-face with a man who should've been under punishment at the frontlines—accompanied by six high-ranking Hyūga who looked nothing short of loyal.
It took every ounce of his training not to show his confusion.
When Ritsu knelt gracefully across the tea table, Minato sat down opposite him, expression composed but solemn.
"Ritsu-kun," he began carefully, "what's the meaning of this? This young man—Arima—told me he was sent under orders from your clan head, Hiashi-sama, to escort me. Is Hiashi-sama not here?"
Ritsu tilted his head slightly, then glanced at Arima.
"I said I was following the clan head's orders," Arima explained innocently.
And in that instant, Minato understood.
Arima hadn't lied—he'd just left out the crucial detail who the "clan head" was.
Ritsu smiled faintly.
"Ah, that misunderstanding's my fault. The clan head Arima mentioned isn't Hiashi-sama. Hiashi is our former clan head. As of today, that position belongs to me."
Minato blinked. "What?"
For once, the man known as the Yellow Flash was at a complete loss for words.
"You're saying… Hiashi-sama is no longer the clan head?"
Ritsu's calm demeanor only deepened the surreal atmosphere.
Minato could hardly believe what he was hearing. A coup? In the Hyūga Clan?
He forced himself to breathe steadily, eyes fixed on the young man before him. "Ritsu-kun, please—explain this clearly. What happened here? Lord Hokage sent me to speak with Elder Hyūga Masamune. Where is he? Could you bring him here?"
"I'm afraid that won't be possible."
Ritsu's tone remained composed, almost serene.
"Hyūga Masamune and the other Main House elders were tyrants—men who treated the Branch like cattle, who lashed and humiliated us without restraint. Today, my brethren and I rose up against that cruelty. The Main House members have been judged and executed.
"Though the former clan head, Hiashi-sama, was away at the front lines, the entire clan gathered in fury and grief. By unanimous decision, he was removed from his position. And after that…"
He smiled slightly. "Though I'm unworthy, I could not refuse my clan's trust. So, for now, I've taken up the role of clan head."
He delivered the entire story smoothly—without a single tremor or pause, as if he were reading from a script he'd rehearsed a hundred times.
Behind him, Hyūga Hizashi and the other new elders exchanged covert glances—half astonished, half impressed.
Even after all they'd seen of Ritsu's power, his composure in front of Konoha's Yellow Flash left them awestruck.
So this is what it means to lead, they thought. Even lying sounds like truth when he says it.
Minato sat in stunned silence.
His mind was a whirlwind of disbelief.
A coup d'état within Konoha's most ancient clan—executed cleanly, quietly, in a single night?
It sounded impossible. And yet the serenity with which Ritsu spoke made denial feel equally absurd.
The only thing that kept Minato still was the absence of killing intent.
No hostility emanated from Ritsu or his followers. Otherwise, he doubted he'd even be able to sit calmly right now.
Ritsu continued smoothly, turning to gesture toward the six men behind him.
"While you were on your way here, Minato-senpai, the clan's jōnin and special jōnin gathered at this shrine to elect our new council of elders. These six"—his gaze swept across them—"were chosen unanimously by over a hundred of our ranking members."
He emphasized that number deliberately: a hundred jōnin and special jōnin.
Minato caught the implication instantly.
This wasn't the whim of a few radicals—this was the collective will of the Branch House.
"So…" Minato finally said after a long pause, his voice low and grave, "you're saying this group before me… is the new leadership of the Hyūga Clan?"
Ritsu smiled faintly.
"Not quite, Minato-senpai. There is no longer a 'Main' or 'Branch' house. From this day forward, every Hyūga stands equal."
Minato's expression tightened.
"Then can I ask—how exactly did you deal with the former Main House?"
Ritsu met his gaze without flinching, the calm of a man who'd already accepted the weight of his choices.
And though the air in the room was still,
Minato could feel it—
a quiet, unyielding resolve radiating from Ritsu like heat beneath the surface of calm water.
The kind of resolve that told him, beyond any doubt:
Hyūga Ritsu would never turn his back now.
He had already burned every bridge behind him.
"Simple," Ritsu said. "I erased my Caged-Bird seal. Those Main-house worms weren't a match for me." He unfastened his forehead protector and set it down openly — there was no point hiding it.
Minato blurted the question before he could stop himself: "How did you do it?"
Ritsu only smiled and put the protector back on. He could tell Hizashi and the others that he'd used a forbidden jutsu to remove the mark, but he would never say that to Minato, who stood for the Third Hokage. Forbidden techniques were forbidden for a reason — banned from study, use, and practice. To confess to using one would give the village the right to punish him.
"My apologies," Minato said, lowering his gaze. Of course Ritsu wouldn't speak of such things; it was a foolish question born of shock.
"No matter," Ritsu replied. "I understand how you feel, Minato-senpai. But the deed is done. Please inform the Hokage of our situation. Though much has changed in the clan, the Hyūga remain Konoha's Hyūga. Every Hyūga shinobi is still a Konoha shinobi — that will not change."
He spoke each sentence with measured calm. "There are still matters to settle here. Once the clan is stable, I will come and pay my respects to the Hokage in person."
Minato's mouth twitched — "a few large changes," he thought, when in truth the world had been turned upside down — but Ritsu's attitude was composed and respectful. That mattered. Perhaps, Minato reflected, this upheaval might not be entirely bad: if the clan's inner strife was gone, the Hyūga might emerge stronger and contribute more to Konoha.
Duty bound him, though: his only option was to report the facts to the Hokage. He stood up. "I understand. I will report everything exactly as I've seen it. Excuse me then." With those words, Minato vanished in a flash.
"Flying Thunder God — truly something," Ritsu murmured with approval as the air stilled. He flicked his sleeve, facing the clan elders. "Our guest has left. Let's return to the meeting."
Whatever the Hokage's reaction, Ritsu's priorities remained the same: continue consolidating clan power and make his leadership real. Only by binding the entire Hyūga to him could he build the leverage he would need when negotiating with the village.