"However… since Neji has already brought it up…"
"Then abolish the main and branch family system."
The moment those calm words echoed through the room—
Hiashi felt his entire body freeze.
His mind went completely blank.
Damn it.
He actually agreed.
The Fifth Hokage—Uchiha Ren—had actually agreed.
At that moment, disbelief and fear flooded Hiashi's heart simultaneously.
Earlier, the moment Neji spoke, Hiashi had already sensed something was wrong.
Now his worst premonition had become reality.
Ren truly intended to force the Hyūga Clan to abolish the branch family system.
What was he supposed to do now?
For a time, Hiashi found himself trapped in an impossible dilemma.
In complete contrast—
Neji had been stunned speechless by overwhelming happiness.
Yes.
He had genuinely been shocked.
This time, when he came to see the Fifth Hokage, he had merely wanted to gamble on a tiny possibility.
At most, he hoped Ren might pressure the Hyūga Clan slightly.
But now?
Not only had Ren intervened—
he had directly ordered the abolition of the main and branch family system altogether.
The happiness came so suddenly that Neji almost could not process it.
Calm down.
I have to calm down.
Several moments later, Neji finally forced himself to steady his emotions.
Then, with visible nervousness, he looked toward Ren.
"Lord Ren… are you serious?"
Even after asking, Neji still felt uneasy.
A part of him feared this was all some cruel joke.
"Of course I'm serious."
Ren shook his head indifferently.
"The Hyūga Clan should never have been divided into main and branch families in the first place."
"On the surface, it was supposedly for protecting the Byakugan."
"But in reality?"
"It simply turned branch family members into slaves."
Of course—
Ren left one thing unsaid.
He had disliked the Hyūga Clan's internal structure for a very long time.
Now that he possessed absolute strength—and stood as the Fifth Hokage—
there was naturally no reason for him to keep tolerating it.
More importantly—
the existence of the main and branch family system was the true root of the Hyūga Clan's internal conflicts.
It had severely limited the clan's growth.
Now was the perfect time to clean things up completely.
After all—
the Uchiha Clan was already flourishing under his leadership.
There was no reason the Hyūga Clan should continue stagnating.
"Lord Fifth Hokage… please reconsider carefully."
At this moment, Hiashi finally spoke again.
His face was pale as he forced out in a bitter voice,
"The distinction between the main and branch families is an iron rule of the Hyūga Clan."
"Even I cannot casually abolish it…"
"Heh."
Ren laughed coldly.
"What?"
"My words no longer carry weight?"
"Or has the Hyūga Clan simply lived in comfort for too long?"
"No—!"
Bang!
Before Hiashi could finish speaking, fear overwhelmed him completely.
He dropped to his knees instantly.
Cold sweat poured down his face as he trembled uncontrollably.
"Lord Fifth Hokage…"
"The abolition of the main and branch family system is an enormous matter."
"I truly don't dare make such a decision lightly…"
"You don't dare?"
Ren's expression turned cold immediately.
"And you have the nerve to say you don't dare?"
Boom!!!
An overwhelming pressure erupted outward.
This time—
Ren intentionally released a fragment of his aura.
Pfft!
Hiashi coughed out several mouthfuls of blood on the spot.
His face instantly turned deathly pale.
He looked as though he had suffered a devastating injury.
"The existence of the branch family system…"
"You know better than anyone what it truly represents."
Ren slowly rose to his feet.
His voice became colder and colder.
"Back when Hiruzen Sarutobi was Hokage…"
"During the so-called Kumogakure incident…"
"What exactly did the Hyūga Clan choose to do?"
"You don't need me to spell it out, do you?"
"There are many things I choose not to interfere with."
"But that does not mean I am unaware of them."
"Understood?"
As those words entered his ears—
Hiashi's forehead became drenched in sweat.
His lips trembled slightly.
Yet in the end, he could not say a single word.
He understood clearly.
Once Ren had spoken—
there was no room left for negotiation.
If the Hyūga Clan obeyed, things might still remain peaceful.
But if they resisted…
the consequences would be unimaginable.
Gulp…
Watching this unbelievable scene unfold, Neji's mind went completely blank.
He swallowed nervously, feeling as though he were dreaming.
He truly never imagined—
that Ren could be this domineering.
With only a few sentences, he had completely suppressed the Hyūga Clan Head.
From beginning to end—
Hiashi had not even possessed the qualifications to argue back properly.
Too terrifying.
Far too overbearing.
At that moment, Neji's gaze toward Ren became filled with pure admiration and reverence.
This—
this was what a true shinobi should look like.
Absolute dominance.
Absolute confidence.
Every word carried crushing authority.
"So… so overwhelming…"
"Father…"
"Even Father was completely suppressed…"
Hinata and Hanabi stood there blankly.
Neither of them had even fully reacted before seeing Hiashi kneeling on the ground, pale and coughing blood.
Still—
once they thought about the Hyūga Clan's internal system—
both girls wisely chose to remain silent.
They might still be young, but neither of them was foolish.
On the surface, the Hyūga Clan appeared prosperous.
But internally, the conflict between the main and branch families had already grown increasingly severe.
Now that Ren was willing to step in—
perhaps this was the perfect opportunity for the Hyūga Clan to cut away its rotten flesh completely.
As for protecting the Byakugan?
That argument had long become meaningless.
With Ren standing behind the Hyūga Clan—
who in the shinobi world would still dare target the Byakugan?
Who would even dare harbor greedy thoughts toward the Hyūga Clan anymore?
Did they have a death wish?
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