Hyuga * Public Opinion

The incident is over.

However, for the Hyuga Clan, this is only the beginning, a long beginning accompanied by growing pains and confusion.

Uchiha Izuna was dragged away by his older brother with a dark expression. Before leaving, Hashirama forced himself to endure Madara Uchiha's murderous gaze and Hyuga Tennin's humiliated stare, and tried to smooth things over with a dry laugh, saying things like "exchange of skills," "mutual progress," and "reform takes time," which he himself didn't quite believe.

The Senju Yūki children finally found an opportunity to bring Hinata and Takuma out from Hashirama.

Even after their companions pulled them away from the Training Ground, the two Uchiha boys still had dazed looks in their eyes, clearly not yet fully recovered from the shock of the night.

Hinata Rei and Hyuga Akari were led away by Hyuga Masayoshi. Rei's little hands tightly gripped Akari's sleeve, and she kept looking Hinata the direction Hinata and Akari had left. She then timidly glanced at the mess in the center of the Training Ground, her little face pale.

As the Clan Head, Hyuga Tennin had to force himself to maintain his composure and politeness as he saw off the "distinguished guests."

After the Konoha members disappeared into the night, the entire Training Ground, along with the surrounding Hyuga Clan Compound which had been suppressed for so long, seemed to truly come alive.

But what came back to life was the heavy, deathly silence that permeated the air, and the lingering humiliation and bewilderment.

The servants bowed their heads, not daring to breathe, and quickly began clearing the area and helping the injured tribesmen.

No one spoke, only suppressed breathing, occasional groans of pain, and the faint sounds of sweeping away sand and carrying away broken wooden stakes.

The young Hyuga clan members helped each other and silently walked towards the medical station or their residences.

The anger and fervor of the battle were gone from their faces; only emptiness, exhaustion, and a deep sense of self-doubt remained.

Byakugan... Gentle Fist... Main Family Branch Family... what meaning do these things hold against the pure, almost brutal Taijutsu of that Uchiha youth tonight?

The older people gathered together, their faces growing increasingly grim, talking in hushed tones, their voices anxious and helpless.

Supported by several trusted aides, the Elder staggered away, his back hunched, as if he had aged twenty years in an instant.

Hyuga Sousuke stood at the edge of the Training Ground, watching his servants clean up the last traces, the Kakkō flickering on his face.

Tennin walked to his side, and the two looked at each other in silence, finally letting out a heavy sigh.

Blocking the news is futile.

There were too many Hyuga clan members present that night, and quite a few servants witnessed everything.

Konoha is not a completely impenetrable wall, especially not one with such an explosive incident.

In the darkest hour before dawn, various versions of rumors had already quietly spread throughout Konoha like the night wind.

"Have you heard? There was a huge commotion at the Hyuga Clan Compound!"

"It seems like it was Lord Izuna went?"

"He didn't just go! I heard that Lord Izuna single-handedly took on the entire Hyuga Clan! Using only Taijutsu!"

"Really?! Isn't Hyuga's Gentle Fist very powerful? And can't the Byakugan see through everything?"

"Absolutely true! My cousin's neighbor, the second uncle, was on duty nearby at the time and heard it all clearly. The fighting was so fierce it was like the earth was collapsing! In the end, there were hardly any Hyuga standing!"

After the initial shock, public opinion did not turn out as some Hyuga members had feared, with one side mocking the Hyuga Clan being "incompetent" and saying that "their thousand-year-old Taijutsu is nothing special."

Indeed, there is a small group of people with ulterior motives, or simply those who enjoy watching the drama unfold, trying to stir up the narrative that "Hyuga is no good after all" or "Gentle Fist is all show and no substance."

However, the general public, especially those who had lived through the Warring States Period, witnessed the Shinobi Clans' battles, had family members who had participated in the construction of Konoha, and had heard stories Ninja Kyoto, reacted with surprising rationality.

"Are you kidding me? Those are Hyuga! Don't you know how troublesome their Byakugan and pressure point techniques were on the battlefield?"

"Exactly! The entire clan couldn't defeat a single person. It sounds exaggerated, but you don't even know who our opponents were!"

"That's Lord Uchiha Izuna! The Uchiha Izuna who single-handedly drove away a mysterious monster in Kyoto, forcing even the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to negotiate!"

"I've also heard that Lord Izuna once single-handedly Jonin eight elite Uchiha within his own clan using only Taijutsu! Uchiha! Sharingan! And they couldn't do anything to him, could they?"

"So, this isn't about whether Hyuga is weak or not. It's that Lord Izuna too strong! Strong beyond reason!"

"Yes, yes, that makes sense now. It's not that Hyuga's Gentle Fist is ineffective, it's that Lord Izuna's Taijutsu and fighting style are on another level. Even the Byakugan can't see through it, Gentle Fist can't hit, and pressure point strikes are broken beforehand... How can we compete with that?"

"That's true... Even those with X-ray vision couldn't do anything to him, so how can you blame the Hyuga? If it were our clan, we'd probably lose even faster and more miserably."

"It can only be said that Lord Izuna truly deserves to be a pillar who, along with the First Hokage and Lord Madara, established Konoha. His Strength is unfathomable..."

Public opinion was focused entirely on Uchiha Izuna's unbelievable strength.

"It's not that Hyuga is too weak, but that Izuna is too strong," has become an unspoken consensus among most people.

While the Hyuga Clan's image was certainly damaged in this incident, it evoked more of a sense of helplessness and sympathy in the face of "uncontrollable forces" than outright contempt.

Their Byakugan and Gentle Fists are still seen as a powerful and fearsome tradition by ordinary villagers and other small and medium-sized families, but this time they have encountered an extraordinary monster.

Just how powerful is this "monster beyond the norm"?

This exciting and awe-inspiring topic naturally spread to Taverns, Training Ground corners, and even family dinner tables.

"Hey, do you guys think... Lord Izuna so strong, could he possibly beat Lord Hashirama?"

"And what about Lord Madara? Lord Uchiha Madara is a 'Shura of the Shinobi World' who's on par with Lord Hashirama!"

"It's hard to say... Lord Izuna is Lord Madara's younger brother, Lord Madara is definitely more powerful, right?"

"Not necessarily! Didn't you see what happened last night? Lord Izuna hadn't even used his Sharingan or any Ninjutsu yet! If he had gone all out..."

"Lord Hashirama's Wood Release is on a cataclysmic level! No matter how strong Lord Izuna's Taijutsu is, can he withstand a force of that scale?"

"But Lord Izuna has that magical sword light! And that seemingly all-knowing dodge... Can Lord Hashirama and Lord Madara even hit him?"

"I really want to see... if the three of them had a serious fight..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! You can't just say things like that! But... cough cough, it does pique my curiosity..."

This undercurrent of curiosity stirred within Konoha, even carrying a hint of anticipation.

People are in awe of the power of the strongest, and instinctively yearn to witness the clash between legends.

Of course, no one dared to actually provoke these three into a fight, but that didn't stop people from analyzing, speculating, and debating it with great interest during their leisure time.

When these fragments of outside opinions Hyuga Clan Compound, which was in seclusion and filled with a somber atmosphere, through various channels, Tennin, Sōsuke, and even many mid-level clan members felt extremely complicated.

There was no public condemnation, ridicule, or humiliation as expected.

Instead, they received a more embarrassing understanding and sympathy.

And a conclusion they couldn't refute, and to some extent, agreed with.

They lost to a powerful being beyond conventional understanding, not because their own lineage was truly inferior to nothing.

This conclusion is a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, it preserved the last vestiges of the Hyuga Clan's precarious dignity and honor, preventing them from being completely plunged into the abyss.

On the other hand, it was also like a thorn, deeply embedded in the hearts of every Hyuga clan member with a sense of shame.

Even if our opponent is ridiculously strong, does that mean we, with our millennia-old heritage, can only passively endure it, unable to mount any effective counterattack or produce any commendable performance?

Are the things we are so proud of really so vulnerable in the face of true power?

The urgency of change has never been so starkly and acutely confronted to all members of the Hyuga clan.

Let's rewind to that night.

In the courtyard of the Uchiha Clan Compound Clan Head.

"So, you're really not injured?" Madara Uchiha asked for the umpteenth time, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly, scrutinizing his younger brother from head to toe, practically ready to tear off his clothes to check him over.

Izuna sat cross-legged in the corridor, holding a cup of hot tea. She had changed back into comfortable loungewear, dried her hair, and looked refreshed, harmless, and a little lazy.

"Really, no, Madara-nii." Izuna sighed, his tone a mix of helplessness and reassurance. "It's just that I used up a lot of energy, and my muscles are a bit sore. The Hyuga people are usually quite careful... well, although they might have been a little less careful in the end, but I managed to dodge."

Ban snorted, his expression still grim. "Nonsense! Utter nonsense! A one-man attack on the entire clan? You dare say such a thing! What if..."

"There's no 'what if'," Izuna interrupted him, setting down her teacup and turning her head. Her dark eyes appeared exceptionally clear and calm in the glow of the lanterns in the corridor. "I know I can handle this. I also know that this is the way it has to be."

Ban looked at him, and the certainty in his younger brother's eyes made all the lessons he wanted to teach get stuck in his throat.

In the end, she just snorted again, turned her face away, which was tantamount to acknowledging the necessity of her brother's risky actions, even though she was still terrified inside.

But actually, Izuna was also a little guilty.

Midway through the battle, he realized the power of Hyuga Gentle Fist's pressure point strikes.

The oppressive feeling from those Chakra -infused fingertips brushing against the air caused a dull ache in his skin, even if they didn't hit him.

If someone were to actually take a hit, it wouldn't just be their Chakra that would be sealed; their bones and internal organs would also be damaged.

So later, he not only tried his best to dodge, but also subconsciously avoided letting the Hyuga clan's attacks accidentally injure their own people.

In the chaos, being struck in a vital spot by one's own Gentle Fist is no laughing matter.

That's why he failed to achieve the goal for the whole company, missing a few tricky notes or notes that could have caused collateral damage.

But fighting isn't like playing Rhythm Game, so safety first and playing it safe are the most important things.

Madara sighed helplessly, reached out and vigorously ruffled Izuna's still slightly damp black hair, making his originally smooth hair messy.

"Don't take such risks next time, okay?"

After saying that, he wrapped his arm around Izuna and pulled him into a tight embrace.

This is an embrace that belongs to an older brother.

Madara's arms were strong and powerful, carrying a familiar warmth, and he held Izuna tightly in his arms.

Izuna's body froze instantly.

"Ugh!" He let out a short whimper, his whole body bristling like a cat whose scruff of the neck had been suddenly grabbed.

Not knowing what to do with her hands and feet, she hung stiffly in mid-air, her cheeks slightly burning as Ban held her in his arms, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

The hug was too tight! And... it was so sudden!

His ears turned red at a visible speed, and he didn't know where to put his hands and feet.

He opened his mouth, but only managed to utter a few meaningless syllables. "Ah, um... um, bro..."

He looked like a small animal startled by a suddenly approachable stranger; where was the calm and domineering aura he displayed during the Hyuga Clan Compound?

Ban's hand, which was about to be lowered, froze in mid-air.

He clearly sensed his brother's stiffness and awkwardness at that moment, as well as his obvious panic and helplessness at this moment.

Ban's heart felt as if something had gently twisted it, causing a subtle, unfamiliar stinging pain.

Was a hug something so strange or hard to accept for Izuna?

In his memory, young Izuna was very clingy to him. When she was tired, she would ask him to carry her on his back; when she was scared, she would crawl into his arms; and when she was sick, she would curl up beside him like a little animal, relying on his body heat and breath.

Even as they grew up and took on their respective family responsibilities, fighting side by side on the battlefield, they often put their arms around each other in private, and the occasional physical contact never made them feel uncomfortable.

But now...

Why does Izuna look so uncomfortable, even a little... embarrassed?