The next afternoon, Senju Mori arrived as scheduled. He brought no retinue or guards, coming alone to the Hyuga Clan's compound.
Unlike his attire when visiting Uzumaki Mito, Senju Mori's black hair was simply tied back with a plain white hair tie, falling naturally behind his head.
He wore a dark ink-colored inner robe with a light green haori over it. On the front chest, back of both sleeves, and center back of the haori, there was a crest of the Senju Clan.
This was already the highest level of formal attire.
Due to the name card being submitted in advance, the Hyuga Clan had also prepared a rather grand welcoming ceremony, with almost all Main Family members participating in greeting Senju Mori.
Although such a grand ceremony could very likely be seen as an act of prematurely taking sides, the Hyuga Clan's inherent arrogance and conservatism ultimately led them to choose to proceed in this manner.
At the main gate of the Hyuga compound, two Branch Family Jonin, dressed in traditional white kimonos with white headbands, had been waiting for an unknown period. Upon seeing Senju Mori, they immediately bowed and said:
"Lord Mori."
This address made Senju Mori raise an eyebrow, but the two Branch Family Jonin seemed to have long been accustomed to it.
Not to mention a distinguished guest like Senju Mori, who was powerful and from the Senju Clan; within their own family, even when seeing a Main Family Chunin or Genin, they would still bow and address them as "Lord."
Senju Mori said nothing more, merely nodding slightly and following the two Branch Family Ninja into the Hyuga compound.
After all, Senju Mori was not a member of the Hyuga Branch Family, so from his perspective, the Hyuga's Main and Branch Family system was undoubtedly an excellent one.
It ensured that the Byakugan, a "critical asset of Konoha," would not be easily lost on the battlefield or during daily missions, and also effectively prevented the Hyuga Clan from producing truly powerful individuals who would be difficult to suppress.
Furthermore, because the Hyuga Main Family held almost all the power within the clan, the entire Hyuga Clan became extremely easy to satisfy, never raising any excessive demands for benefits.
If there was any cost, it was merely that the members of the Hyuga Branch Family suffered some restrictions and servitude.
But since they themselves had not tried to break free and resist, Senju Mori, as an outsider, naturally would not meddle.
Upon entering the Hyuga compound, the first thing that came into view was a straight path, with meticulously maintained flowers and trees on either side.
Every day, people were specifically assigned to prune the branches and leaves here, ensuring that every plant grew identically.
Upon reaching a central gate in the main residence area, the guiding Branch Family Jonin consciously stopped, where a middle-aged man dressed in a more formal montsuki haori hakama was waiting.
His gaze was calm, and his demeanor was distinctly different from the two previous Hyuga Branch Family members; he was a core family elder of the Hyuga Main Family.
"Excellency Mori, you've had a long journey. The family head is waiting in the tea room."
The Main Family Elder offered a perfectly polite smile, then turned to lead the way, taking over the duties of the two previous Branch Family Jonin.
Only then did Senju Mori finally step into the Hyuga Clan's main residence. Led by this Main Family Elder, he passed through one corridor after another.
This house design, like a maze to outsiders, was navigated with extreme familiarity by the Main Family Elder beside him.
Passing through the last meticulously maintained corridor, the tea room of the main residence came into view.
The tea room's doors were open, and the current head of the Hyuga Clan, Hyuga Sogo, accompanied by several Main Family Elders, was personally standing on the veranda below the entrance to welcome Senju Mori's arrival.
"Excellency Mori, it is an honor to have you grace us with your presence." Hyuga Sogo bowed slightly; unlike the nearly ninety-degree bow of the Branch Family members earlier, this was a normal courtesy.
Senju Mori stopped before the veranda, also bowing in return, saying, "I am deeply humbled to be personally welcomed by Excellency So-go."
"The tea room is prepared. Please come in."
... The two entered the tea room, one after the other. The interior furnishings were extremely simple, with only a hanging scroll of the character "Stillness" in the alcove, and a single half-bloomed chrysanthemum obliquely placed in a narrow-necked vase.
Hyuga Sogo again invited, "Please take the honored seat."
After the two exchanged polite gestures of deference, Senju Mori, as the guest of honor, naturally sat in the honored seat against the alcove, while Hyuga Sogo sat opposite him.
The other Main Family Elders also silently entered the tea room, sitting formally in the rear positions on both sides. Their status as family elders entitled them to observe.
The two, Senju Mori and Hyuga Sogo, who had sat down first, did not immediately begin talking. A quiet Main Family girl calmly prepared and served tea to them, the entire process unfolding in a nearly ritualistic silence.
Senju Mori bowed slightly in acknowledgment, picking up the tea bowl with his right hand and placing it in the palm of his left hand.
He gently rotated the tea bowl twice clockwise to avoid drinking from the front, then drank the tea in three sips.
After drinking, Senju Mori rotated the tea bowl back counter-clockwise, made a gesture of appreciating the tea bowl in front of Hyuga Sogo, and then gently placed the tea bowl back in its original position.
All of Senju Mori's actions followed the most standard etiquette.
He wanted to convey to Hyuga Sogo that he was of the same caliber as him, a well-bred Ninja from a major clan who respected rules, and certainly not some arrogant, ignorant youth.
Throughout the process, Hyuga Sogo performed the same actions. As the two almost simultaneously put down their tea bowls, a hint of admiration quietly flashed in Hyuga Sogo's eyes.
It wasn't until the girl refilled their tea, bowed, and retreated, closing the heavy paper door, that Hyuga Sogo first broke the silence, yet steered the conversation towards the past:
"I remember when the First Hokage Hashirama established Konoha, it was also a season of clear autumn skies and crisp air, just like today."
"The glorious past remains vivid in my memory."
Senju Mori naturally took up the topic. "The reason Lord Hashirama wanted to establish Konoha was to protect his clansmen, descendants, friends, and family. Lord Tobirama also inherited this great ambition."
"Lord Tobirama was undoubtedly a great Hokage. The Village flourished under his leadership. It's just a pity that he died in battle, leaving us unable to see where Konoha's future path lies..."
Both knew what mattered most to each other, but neither pursued the topic of "Hokage." With unspoken understanding, they completely avoided mentioning the position of Third Hokage.
For an old-fashioned person like Hyuga Sogo, decorum was paramount, and conversation was about subtlety. If one immediately jumped to benefits and transactions, it would easily make him feel averse.
Senju Mori never lacked patience, so he directly changed the subject, posing a question to Hyuga Sogo:
"Excellency So-go, what do you believe is the essence of a family?"
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