"Neji… this is really because of you."
Thinking of everything that had happened, Hiashi reached out and patted Neji on the shoulder.
"Although I'm still not entirely happy about it, I sincerely am glad for you."
"I hope you can grow stronger as quickly as possible."
After saying those words, he let out a long sigh.
Things had already developed far beyond his expectations.
For the sake of the Hyūga Clan, he had no choice but to obey the Fifth Hokage's will—abolishing the division between the main family and branch family, and ending the Caged Bird Seal once and for all.
Of course, deciding it was one thing.
Actually implementing it would be much harder.
The clan elders would need to be gathered first.
A formal decision had to be made.
"Clan Head Hiashi, I never really had a choice."
Neji clenched his fists and spoke with absolute conviction.
"You understand the conflict between the main family and branch family better than anyone."
"As long as it remains unresolved, the Hyūga Clan will never truly know peace."
"I hope you're right."
Hiashi sighed again.
"Come with me."
"We're holding a meeting."
Neji nodded immediately.
"Yes."
Now that he had the Fifth Hokage backing him, he had nothing to fear.
More importantly—
he wanted to see the expressions on the elders' faces when they learned that the main family and branch family system was about to be abolished.
Half an hour later.
Hyūga Clan Headquarters.
The clan's highest-ranking elders had already gathered in the central assembly hall.
As always, the atmosphere was tense.
Years of resentment between the main family and branch family had ensured that every meeting felt more like a battlefield than a discussion.
The moment the elders arrived, arguments immediately broke out.
"So the branch family fossils are still alive?"
One main-family elder sneered.
Another laughed coldly.
"What? Unhappy about it?"
"Be careful, or we'll ask the Clan Head to activate your Caged Bird Seals."
A third elder looked down his nose at the branch-family representatives.
"A branch family should know its place."
"Don't dream about becoming masters."
"You aren't qualified."
"You never will be."
The main-family elders wore expressions of complete arrogance.
To them, the branch family had always been beneath them.
Meanwhile, the branch-family elders sat with dark expressions.
Their fists tightened beneath the table.
They wanted to argue.
They wanted to refute every word.
But the seals branded onto their foreheads made them powerless.
In the Hyūga Clan—
the branch family was born inferior.
No matter how angry they were, they could only endure it.
Then—
Bang!
The meeting room doors opened.
Hiashi entered first.
Neji followed immediately behind him.
"Hm?"
Several elders frowned.
Neji was talented, yes.
But he was still young.
He technically had no right to attend a meeting of this level.
Then suddenly—
one of the elders froze.
His eyes widened.
"Wait…"
"Where is Neji's Caged Bird Seal?"
His shout instantly attracted everyone's attention.
"What?"
"That's impossible!"
"How could that happen?"
"Who removed it?"
"Who has the ability to erase the Hyūga Clan's seal?"
Every elder stared at Neji's forehead.
Shock filled their eyes.
The seal was gone.
Completely gone.
The Caged Bird Seal was the defining symbol of the branch family.
Once branded, it remained until death.
Not only did it suppress the Byakugan, but it also allowed members of the main family to destroy a branch member's brain with a single command.
It was the cornerstone of the Hyūga Clan's hierarchy.
And yet—
it had vanished.
For a moment, every elder, regardless of faction, was completely stunned.
"Enough."
Hiashi's cold voice echoed through the hall.
"This is a clan meeting."
"Stop making fools of yourselves."
Silence instantly descended.
Although nobody spoke, every pair of eyes remained locked onto Neji.
After ensuring the room was quiet, Hiashi slowly sat down at the head of the table.
"I called everyone here today to announce an important matter."
Before he could continue, one of the main-family elders interrupted him.
"Clan Head!"
"Explain Neji's seal first!"
The elder's face was dark.
"Who dared remove the Caged Bird Seal?"
"This is a direct challenge to the Hyūga Clan itself!"
"That," Hiashi replied calmly, "is exactly what I'm about to discuss."
The elder's expression changed.
"What do you mean?"
Hiashi glanced toward Neji.
The meaning was obvious.
It's your turn.
Neji stepped forward.
He no longer showed the fear he once carried.
Instead, he stood tall and looked directly at every elder present.
"It was Lord Fifth Hokage."
"The Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Ren, personally removed my Caged Bird Seal."
The room instantly fell silent again.
But Neji wasn't finished.
"Not only that."
"Lord Fifth Hokage has already evolved Lady Hinata's and Lady Hanabi's Byakugan into Tenseigan."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Every elder froze in place.
The words struck them like lightning.
The Caged Bird Seal had been removed.
And the legendary Tenseigan had appeared within the Hyūga Clan.
For several long seconds, nobody could even process what they had just heard.
The entire meeting hall seemed to stop breathing.
A storm was coming.
And everyone present knew it.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios