Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Fading Tradition
The Hyuga clan's estate was sprawling, with a meeting hall large enough to accommodate every clan member. Currently, the brothers Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hizashi were locked in a heated debate with several clan elders, voices rising in intensity.
"No, absolutely not! What about the traditions left by our ancestors?" one elder barked, his face flushed with anger.
"Traditions? They're just a means for you to oppress the branch family!" Hizashi countered.
"It's for their protection! How long do you think the Hyuga's Byakugan would remain protected without the Caged Bird Seal?"
"I've yet to see how controlling someone's life and death protects them!"
Shin leaned back, stifling a yawn as he observed the argument raging for nearly half an hour. The Hyuga clan's usual dignified atmosphere had long since evaporated.
'When it concerns their own interests, even the seemingly aloof Hyuga can get red in the face... Although these elders seem oblivious to the glares from the branch family members.'
He glanced around at the assembled branch family members, noting their silent, watchful expressions. "Besides, it doesn't matter whether the elders agree or not. I hold the key to freeing them from the Caged Bird Seal. Unless they decide to slaughter every branch family member here and now, they'll be outnumbered as soon as I remove the seal. They might end up with a dozen kunai in their backs before they know it."
As he mused, Shin reached out and patted Hinata's head, ruffling her hair fondly. Sitting beside him, Hinata looked as if her face might catch fire, blushing deeply under his hand.
The meeting continued, but no resolution was reached. The brothers and the elders eventually left in frustration, each side unwilling to concede.
As they departed, the elders dared not direct their ire at Shin but cast sidelong glares at the branch members. The branch family ninjas collectively lowered their gazes in submission.
Later that night, Shin found himself unable to sleep. He sat in the small courtyard, enjoying the tranquility, when he heard a knock at the door.
First, the Hiashi and Hizashi arrived. They apologized, explaining that the elders were unwilling to compromise, and asked Shin not to take offense.
Soon after, Shin sensed more movement outside. Branch family members began slipping into the courtyard one by one, each expressing embarrassment as they realized the clan heads were already there. Despite the awkwardness, they stayed, silently expressing their support.
By the second half of the night, the courtyard was nearly filled with Hyuga branch family members standing in quiet solidarity.
The following morning, as the sun rose, half of the branch family members had removed their forehead protectors, revealing their unmarked foreheads, free from the Caged Bird Seal.
When the remaining branch members witnessed this, they wasted no time. By mid-day, the last of them approached Shin in broad daylight to have the seal removed, too. The elders, though visibly displeased, remained silent.
At last, the elders withdrew, unable to contain the rising tide. The thought of activating the Caged Bird Seal to "punish" their defiance was dismissed immediately—after all, they were still in Konoha, and the branch members were also Konoha ninjas. Any attempt at a massacre would undoubtedly draw swift repercussions from Konoha's leadership.
With no choice, the elders retreated, leaving Shin to continue his business without further interference. He mused to himself, hoping the elders would remain as silent figureheads. Otherwise, he feared they might "accidentally fall in battle."
Meanwhile, Hiashi and Hizashi found themselves exalted in status within the clan. The removal of the Caged Bird Seal had won them immense respect, securing Hiashi's position as clan head.
"This is our clan's secret archive, where we keep the most comprehensive records of the Hyuga's history, along with the techniques and secrets of our Gentle Fist style," Hiashi explained, opening a barrier-protected room for Shin.
Despite the vault's importance, it was minimally guarded, as the Gentle Fist were closely tied to the Byakugan. Without the Hyuga's unique bloodline, most ninjas would find it impossible to master the techniques, and even those who could would lack their full power. Thus, few outsiders ever attempted to access these secrets.
After a brief pause, Hiashi and Hizashi left, allowing Shin to peruse the documents.
Shin skimmed over the Gentle Fist techniques, finding them less suited to his own fighting style, which didn't rely exclusively on chakra-based techniques.
Instead, he turned his attention to the historical records of the Hyuga clan, searching for any information on the moon. "I wonder if there's any mention of the Otsutsuki on the moon… or even instructions for reaching it," he thought, flipping through the ancient scrolls.
While Shin pored over the Hyuga archives, Konoha's leadership was wracked with anxiety.
A "walking nuclear bomb" had settled in the village, and it was unsettling, to say the least. Shin's strength was already known, but now Konoha was aware of his alliance with the Hidden Mist Village. Not only was he a formidable fighter, but he also had significant influence and potential allies.
The Hokage and other Konoha leaders weighed the thought heavily. They dreaded Shin's proposal that Konoha should join the Akatsuki.
To resist was unthinkable—it would be a devastatingly one-sided massacre. However, complying with this demand would break the hearts of the Konoha ninjas.
Conflicted emotions simmered within Konoha, where Shin's presence sparked unease and renewed old tensions. Some, like the newly revived Root division, felt a deep-seated animosity towards Shin, while others—like the Uchiha—harbored grievances of their own.
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