When the grim-faced Hyūga elders arrived upon being summoned, the Main House's hall had already been mostly tidied up.
Hyuga Hiashi's corpse had been collected by himself and prepared for burial later.
Meanwhile, Hyuga Hizashi, who had been knocked unconscious with a single strike, had also awakened. He sat silently in a corner, head lowered.
These seasoned elders, upon seeing the seating arrangement inside the hall and noticing Hyuga Soushu's perfectly unblemished forehead, quickly pieced together an approximate understanding of what had transpired by combining it with intelligence they'd secretly gathered.
Even the elders who had always been most passionate about supporting the Main House bore solemn expressions, though they remained silent instead of rising to accuse Soushu—who now openly occupied the head seat—of any crime. Instead, following prior tradition, they sat on both sides of the still-damaged hall, eyes lowered respectfully, appearing as if they were patiently awaiting instructions.
Hiashi's heart suddenly plummeted into an Ice Cellar, the last flickers of hope vanishing instantly.
Although he had mentally braced himself for the saying "when power shifts, emotions fade," he hadn't expected these once-loyal elders to shift their loyalties so quickly. What pained him most was that not even one among them had bothered to deliver a single morally charged accusation.
Outwardly, Hiashi maintained his usual expressionless and composed demeanor. Inside, however, waves of turmoil crashed endlessly within his heart.
A ninja's emotional state naturally affects the quality of their chakra.
Soushu noticed some disturbance in Hiashi's emotional state, but made no attempt to interfere.
After all, he had seized this seat of authority through sheer strength. There was no need to concern himself over others' gazes.
"General Soushu, all clan elders have arrived."
After everyone had taken their seats, an elder from the Branch House finally spoke up—the oldest-looking among them, his beard and eyebrows completely white—but then immediately fell silent afterward.
The elder addressed Soushu using the formal title reserved for military commanders within the ninja forces.
It was a cautious move—a way to stay safe until things became clearer.
Soushu hadn't officially been declared head of the clan, nor could he continue to be referred to merely as a jonin after pulling off such a monumental act. So employing a formal title instead was both respectful and allowed room for retreat.
After all, the two brothers Hiashi Hyuga and Hizashi Hyuga weren't dead yet.
Soushu said nothing. Silence fell across the hall like a heavy shroud.
"The Clan Head is deceased."
Finally, long moments later, Soushu broke the silence.
A ripple of unrest passed among the elders, though it was quickly suppressed. They resumed sitting in silence, waiting obediently for Soushu's next words.
"Our clan has reached a time for change."
Soushu continued, "It is high time we put an end to the millennia-old Main House/Branch House system and the rigid hierarchy of superiority and inferiority."
Although many elders had their own thoughts on the matter, not one stood to object or challenge him outright.
"A family exists only when all its members gather as one. The Hyuga Clan does not belong to a single household, and our ninja are not private servants of any particular branch. The countless members of our clan should never be controlled by a single leader alone."
Hyuga Soushu continued, "If we wish to grow stronger as a clan, we must value harmony above all and focus our swords outward—uniting our strength for the benefit of the entire family!"
His words weren't technically wrong, but they lacked depth and inspiration. As expected, the elders remained unmoved.
Soushu understood these old men would never act without seeing real proof first, so he was not bothered by their cold reception and continued, "Yet uniting and reviving our clan will not be easy. External pressures will inevitably affect our people, and without the Caged Bird seal, there's also a high possibility some may willingly turn against us, risking the exposure of our Kekkei Genkai."
At this, the elders nodded in agreement.
"But if we truly want unity among our people, we must offer sufficient incentives; after all, this is a new era—we can't keep expecting our ninja to work for nothing."
Hyuga Soushu proposed his first suggestion—or rather, issued his first command: "It's time we passed down the refined techniques of Gentle Fist to our Branch House members based on their aptitude, rather than keeping them confined to the Main House."
This point raised no major objections.
Although the elders had never voiced any opinion regarding the Main House's policy of restricting access to Gentle Fist, that didn't necessarily mean they supported suppressing the Branch House ninja.
Nothing in the world of ninja—be it Ninjutsu or Taijutsu—remains unchanged forever.
The refined complexity of Gentle Fist, once guarded and controlled by the Main House, has forced most talented Branch House ninja into independent exploration. Whether their self-learning could surpass past generations aside, the effort wasted during this process significantly hindered their cultivation progress.
As a result, more and more Hyuga ninja found themselves lacking versatility in combat, showing signs of declining strength with each passing generation.
One generation weaker than the last.
In short, opening up the inheritance of Gentle Fist was absolutely necessary. Didn't every household have a few favored and ambitious younger generations?
"So, who agrees, and who objects?"
Hyuga Soushu scanned the room, but wherever his gaze landed, heads bowed.
"If no one objects, then everyone supports it, right?"
Still no one spoke.
Now Soushu grew irritated: "Raise your hand if you agree; stand up if you oppose!"
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Instantly, hands flew up across the room.
Even Hizashi Hyuga, who sat silently in the corner, deep in sorrow, lifted his hand alongside the rest.
"Excellent! Unanimously approved!"
Soushu was clearly satisfied: "Now, the second matter: the position of Clan Head shall be abolished permanently!"
"What?!"
Hiashi Hyuga and Hizashi Hyuga, along with all the elders, were immediately stunned and alarmed!
They had assumed Soushu merely wanted to replace the current leader—but who could have imagined he would overturn the table entirely!
Without a Clan Head, how could such a massive clan remain united and led?
Without a core leader to unify consensus, wouldn't the Hyuga Clan, known for their solidarity, immediately fall apart and become scattered factions each acting independently?
"Instead, it will be a Jonin Unit composed of the clan's Jonin that oversees and makes decisions on all matters related to the collective interests of the clan!"
Hyuga Soushu continued.
So that's how it is!
The elders finally saw through his plan.
Abolishing the clan head system was not just a revolution—it was, in essence, a total power reorganization framed as reform. Soushu's actions did not stem from selfless virtue, but instead aimed to completely break free from the constraints of old systems and personally establish a brand-new management framework centered around himself. This so-called "Jonin Unit" was cleverly shaped according to his personal will.
Besides, in this new structure meticulously designed by Soushu, besides himself, who among the Hyuga Jonin would dare or even possess the capability to compete for leadership over the clan's Jonin Unit?
Moreover, this moment marked a monumental change unseen in a thousand years for the Hyuga Clan. All members, regardless of rank or strength, were completely unprepared for such a drastic upheaval. Therefore, after Soushu revealed his plans, no one reacted at all—neither protest nor approval followed.
Silence once again filled the room.
"Who among you supports this decision, and who opposes it?"
Soushu asked again.
The elders quickly resumed their usual timid posture, silently raising their hands without uttering a word.
Meanwhile, seated at one side of the upper seat, Hiashi Hyuga once again truly felt how cold-hearted the world could be—but there was absolutely nothing he could do.
The Main House's rule over the Hyuga Clan was a paradox: strong yet vulnerable. The clan head, possessing the ultimate secrets of Gentle Fist, was undeniably the strongest within the clan—but only within the existing clan hierarchy.
Yet because the survival and prosperity of the entire clan hinged upon a single individual, although the clan head enjoyed immense prestige and exalted status, after ascending the position he could never leave the village, rarely even stepping outside the clan territory. Except during meetings with clan members, the head was constantly guarded by elite Branch House Jonin.
Under such circumstances, even the mightiest ninja would inevitably experience a decline in abilities due to prolonged inactivity and a severe lack of combat experience—an unavoidable truth.
Plus, if even his father—the current clan head who had mastered the complete Gentle Fist—had fallen at Soushu's hands, then what could he, a man who had never known hardship outside the comforts of home, possibly change? Even if he desired rebellion, all he'd achieve would be bringing destruction upon himself.
Thus, glancing toward his younger brother Hizashi Hyuga, who sat in the corner slowly raising his hand in agreement, Hiashi followed suit.
"In that case, it passes unanimously!"
Soushu was thoroughly pleased with this outcome.
Though it was obvious these people had agreed merely out of pressure, likely scheming secretly in their hearts, for Soushu, none of that mattered.
What he relentlessly pursued was change itself! Regardless of the final outcome, the primary objective was to push forward with transformation—make it happen first, then deal with everything else.
"The third matter is that from now on, apart from those clan members who have no qualifications to become ninjas, none of the New Generation shall be forced to bear the Caged Bird (Tenketsu) Curse Seal."
Hyuga Soushu spoke slowly, delivering a declaration heavier than any before.
This time, despite their fear of Hyuga Soushu, the elders exploded into chaos.
In the corner, Hizashi Hyuga remained unmoved while Hiashi Hyuga's eyes flickered with unknown thoughts.
"Silence!"
Soushu roared.
Instantly, the elders' murmurs ceased, and the entire hall fell silent.
"This decision is nonnegotiable!"
Soushu saw the fear in the elders' eyes—he knew exactly what was troubling them. "But listen carefully—I said no one must be forced!"
"The freedom I grant our clansmen is the freedom to choose whether or not to bear the Caged Bird (Tenketsu) Curse Seal upon their own bodies! The protection offered by the Caged Bird did help ordinary clan members survive the Warring States era, but in today's Ninja World, it's no longer suitable."
Soushu explained further: "How long has it been since our clan last bore someone who could rival a [Tennin]?"
"This compulsory seal may appear protective on the surface—but in reality, it crushes any hope of genius emerging within our clan!"
"But if a member without the Caged Bird (Tenketsu) Curse Seal gets kidnapped or has their eyes stolen, wouldn't this cause our bloodline limit—our Byakugan—to permanently leak outside the clan?"
An elderly elder trembled as he stood up to question: "For us the Hyuga, our eyes are undoubtedly our most precious treasure!"
"The Uchiha Clan's Sharingan lacks anything like this kind of curse seal to safeguard their eyes."
Soushu pointed out this fact.
"But anyone attempting to transplant a Sharingan would be drained completely of chakra by that evil eye—and die from exhaustion!" the elder disagreed. "And those who even dare to reach for their Kekkei Genkai will find themselves hunted across the Ninja World—without mercy!"
Before finishing his sentence, the elder suddenly froze.
"It's true our Byakugan can be easily stolen and transplanted, and its rejection reaction is much milder than that of the Uchiha's Sharingan," Soushu admitted. "Yet, given how vast the Ninja World is and how many talented individuals there are, can we really assume nobody could possibly overcome the Sharingan's rejection issues?"
No one could answer affirmatively; such a premise itself was invalid.
The truth is undeniable: even without a seal like the Caged Bird, the Uchiha's bloodline hasn't leaked—at least not openly.
But in the Hyuga's case, the elders greatly feared that in trying to mimic the Uchiha, they'd end up doing it half-heartedly—like copying a gourd from a ladle, never getting it right.
"A specialized elite ninja unit can be formed specifically to deal with enemies attempting to steal our clan's Kekkei Genkai, as well as eliminate potential traitors within."
Hyuga Soushu added, "As long as our methods are ruthless enough, and we make the enemies tremble in fear, no one will dare even dream of touching our Kekkei Genkai!"
The elders couldn't help but wonder from Soushu's words—was this proposed assassination squad essentially the same as the Hokage's personal Anbu forces?
Though nominally just a family ninja force for internal clan use, the very existence of such a unit was already an extremely delicate matter. Combined with Soushu's earlier proposal to form a Jonin Unit to replace the Clan Head Position—it seemed as though beneath Konoha's existing structure, a miniature Hidden Leaf Village system was being recreated internally within the Hyuga.
Although the elders remained silent outwardly, they exchanged knowing glances, silently communicating through years of cultivated tacit understanding.
While Soushu's idea sounded impressive, it felt quite foreign to these elders who had long grown accustomed to keeping a low profile. This sudden show of boldness was something they were unaccustomed to—and made predicting the consequences of this proposed new policy extremely difficult.
Moreover, Soushu's plan mainly targeted the younger generation. Every member of the Branch House from his generation carried the Caged Bird seal engraved on their forehead, so the elders believed that as long as this transitional period could be stabilized, no major problems would arise soon.
Therefore, with shared understanding already established among them—and without needing any prompting from Soushu—the elders gave their approval one by one.
"Excellent! You esteemed elders truly understand what is best for the clan!"
Hyuga Soushu then gave his final order, "In that case, send out the notice immediately—gather every Hyuga Jonin currently in the village and proclaim the arrival of the new age!"
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