Hyuga * Blue Lion

When Izuna returned home, Madara was still at the Hokage Building and had not yet come back.

He drove along using a map, precisely avoiding all routes where he might encounter people, without even disturbing a stray cat sunbathing at the alley entrance.

Back home, he changed out of his outdoor clothes, glanced at his Shadow Clone still reviewing documents, and then sat cross-legged on the porch.

The startled deer in the courtyard gently tapped its head on the stone after the water was filled. The hydrangeas next to the Stone Lantern were in full bloom, and the wind blew through them, releasing a sweet fragrance.

After enjoying a moment of peace, Izuna opened the System Panel, entered the Rhythm Game interface, and randomly selected a song he hadn't finished playing before.

He stood up, stretched his arms and legs, and began to strike notes in the air that only he could see. The rhythm gradually accelerated from a gentle pace to a frantic, rapid series of strikes. His body tumbled and danced, his movements graceful and elegant, yet his breathing remained steady.

After finishing a piece of music, the score popped up: perfect score, but the accuracy of a few notes was only just passing.

He clicked his tongue, then reopened the same piece to practice his precision.

My fingers are a little sore after practicing Rhythm Games for half an hour.

He turned off the System Panel, got up and went to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of hot tea. He then carried the teacup and arranged all the items in the house one by one.

He readjusted the angle of the flowers in the vase, arranged the scrolls on the low table by date, and even rearranged the spice jars on the stove according to height.

After doing all this, he sat on the veranda for a while longer, and finally had to admit a fact.

Life without a cell phone is so damn boring.

Ban Ge told him to stay home and not go out, but now every cell in his body is screaming that he wants to do something.

He used to think about taking a vacation Tenten, but now that he's free, he feels uneasy.

He stood up and paced around the yard, going from one side to the other, and then strolling back.

Finally, he stood at the gate of the courtyard, staring blankly at the ants crawling on the ground for a full half minute, when suddenly something occurred to him.

He had not formally visited Lady Wakako since the incident ended.

As the Principal Wife Daimyo, she attended the entire Memorial Service. Given her political acumen, she must have had many things she wanted to discuss with him.

More importantly, as Diplomat, he had not yet communicated with the Daimyo couple in person about the sudden submission of residency documents by the Envoys from the Four Nations.

Furthermore, Hinata and Rei's matter hasn't been settled yet, so I absolutely must go to the Hyuga Clan with Lady Wakako.

So this doesn't count as wandering around; it's official business.

Yes! Official business!

He quickly changed into a slightly more formal dark blue solid-color coat, checked his appearance in the mirror, and then stuffed a small bag of konpeito (Konpeitō) that Ban had bought earlier into his cuff.

Then he formed a Shadow Clone hand seal, sending the clone to the Hokage Building's residence to report his whereabouts, while his main body followed the most concealed route on the map toward the Post Station where the Daimyo was staying.

Izuna bypassed all the main roads, gracefully gliding over the village. He leaped across the Konoha River in one breath, using the giant kebab on the roof of the Barbecue Restaurant as a springboard to fly to the Post Station.

He had been waiting for the right opportunity regarding Hinata and Rei.

Previously, he and Wakako had already discussed this matter and confirmed the Uchiha Clan's attitude.

Now, all that remains is communication with the Hyuga Clan.

He thought he would be able to find some free time to deal with this matter after the Arena Match, but he didn't expect so many things to happen, which caused a lot of delays.

Moreover, he wasn't really sure what the Hyuga Clan's attitude was right now.

Although the Hyuga Clan has begun reforms and made its stance clear to the village, the Cursed Seal of the Caged Bird Seal cannot be broken overnight, and the rift between the Main Family Branch Families cannot be easily eliminated.

Previously, he thought that the matter of the main Branch Family was relatively easy to resolve. If it were brothers like Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga from the original story, it would be even easier to resolve, and a little bit of motivational talk would be enough to settle things.

But after hearing the story of Kasuga, he changed his mind.

Damn, the original work portrays him as too sentimental and righteous. The events that happened to Kasuga's older brother, Akiyuki, are the true way to depict the main Branch Family!

I knew the original work handled it so lightly that it was incomprehensible. They even created a script about a young lady and her bodyguard. If the romance hadn't been handled that way, the Hyuga Clan would probably have become the main characters!

What kind of script is this where the younger brother rises up because the older brother is persecuted by the Main Family?!

The only reason Kasuga wasn't forced to become missing-nin is because his parents are still alive. If he hadn't died, he would have been a tragic second male lead.

If a girl from the Main Family likes him, he'll instantly become the male lead!

I've already thought of what the title should be!

"I'm in Hyuga, and I Start as an S-Rank missing-nin"

He's dead now? No problem, there are definitely people who admire him, we can just change the script.

The Hyuga Branch Family: The white moonlight dies at the beginning.

Hyuga's high-intensity PUA environment, this kind of thing would absolutely happen! Absolutely!!

I can't take it anymore... This is insane...

In order to prevent such a melodramatic plot from developing, this matter must be dealt with immediately!

Wakako's position by the Daimyo's side, a single word from her is more effective than a hundred petitions written by Izuna.

To resolve this quickly, we must use force! Sorry, Hyuga Clan! Please bear with it!

Two servants from the Land of Fire stood at the entrance of the Post Station, and they both bowed respectfully upon seeing Izuna.

One of them quickly went in to announce his arrival, while the other led him through the corridor to the Daimyo's Dwelling.

The paper door was half open, Wakako was sitting on the veranda flipping through a scroll. Hearing footsteps, she looked up, saw Izuna, put down the scroll, and smiled slightly at him.

"Lord Izuna has arrived at just the right time." Wakako put the documents into the box and gestured for a servant to make tea. "Tamaki just went to meet with the Envoy from the Land of Earth, leaving me alone to struggle with these Alliance Draft. Now that you're here, I have an excuse to slack off."

Izuna sat down on the cushion opposite her, accepted the teacup offered by the servant, exchanged a few polite pleasantries, and then got straight to the point.

Izuna held the teacup in both hands, the rising steam blurring the fleeting slyness in his eyes.

He set down his teacup, adopted a serious expression, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice, saying, "Lady Wakako, I have come today with a very important matter to ask of you."

Upon Wakako immediately pushed the box containing the documents aside, folded his hands on his knees, and adopted a dignified posture of listening attentively.

But her eyes had already lit up, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

The last time Izuna spoke to her alone, it was to discuss how to secretly arrange Rei and Hinata's marriage.

That matter was eventually shelved due to a series of unforeseen events, but she kept it in mind. Now that he has come knocking on her door, it must be because of that matter!

"It's about Rei and Hinata." Izuna got straight to the point. "I discussed it with my wife before, and we're going to help them finalize their marriage. We've already taken care of the Elders on the Uchiha side, and now all we need is the Hyuga Clan's approval."

"But Madam must have inquired about the Hyuga Clan's situation recently. The rift between their Main Family Branch Families is too deep. If I go alone to talk to them, I'm afraid I won't even be able to get through the door."

"But the lady is different. She is the Principal Wife Daimyo, and in the eyes of the Hyuga Clan, she is a level above the Hokage. As long as the lady sits there, the aura of those old stubborn people will be diminished by three points."

"You don't understand the ways of us Ninjas, so I'll bring it up myself. Just nod and act all high and mighty, and I guarantee this matter will be resolved smoothly!"

Wakako's dignified demeanor crumbled in less than a second after hearing this.

She slapped her knees, leaned forward slightly, and lowered her voice but couldn't suppress her excitement. "We've finally waited for this day! Lord Izuna, you have no idea how much I've been cooped up in the Post Station these past few days reading the Alliance Draft; I'm practically growing mold from it."

"Tamaki talks to those Envoys Tenten, and I, his wife, am left to serve him tea and water. I can't interrupt, and I can't even yawn. My smile is practically frozen into a mask."

She stood up and paced back and forth in the corridor. "Going to the Hyuga Clan to cause trouble? When? Now? Should I change into something more formal? This plain outfit isn't intimidating enough. Should I wear that gold hair accessory? Let me tell you, with that hair accessory on, Tamaki wouldn't dare talk back to me!"

Izuna chuckled at her battle-ready stance and quickly waved his hand, "Enough, enough. Your face is the strongest deterrent. Besides, we're going to discuss marriage, not to declare war. Being too aggressive will only scare people away."

Wakako stopped and turned around. The excitement on her face subsided slightly, but she still couldn't suppress her eagerness. "Tell me how to do it, and I'll cooperate fully."

After whispering for a while, the two hit it off and set off immediately.

Wakako changed back into that glittering gold hair accessory. She looked at herself in the bronze mirror, nodded in satisfaction, and then turned around, raising her eyebrows haughtily. "Come on, let's go make a good impression on you."

Izuna was so caught up in her imposing manner that he almost forgot he was the one who proposed the solution, and quickly followed suit.

The two left the Post Station one after the other, followed by several servants from the Daimyo's Residence. The procession was not large, but it was formal enough. They walked along the main road toward the Hyuga Clan Compound.

Five minutes later, the Shadow Clone that Izuna had sent out from his home finally sneaked into the Hokage Building.

When the Shadow Clone pushed open the door, Madara was sitting behind his desk, looking through some documents.

Hashirama stood beside him, a pained expression on his face, flipping through a budget application for the hospital. Tobirama wasn't there; it was just the two of them in the Office.

It seems Tobirama has been sent out to do some work.

"Madara-kun," the Shadow Clone said, standing in the doorway, "The real body went to the Hyuga Clan and asked me to report this."

Madara raised his head, stared at the Shadow Clone for a full three seconds, then slowly put down his pen and asked in an extremely calm tone, "Did he say what he was going to do?"

"What else could it be? It's about Ren and Hinata."

This is bad, something terrible is going to happen.

Upon hearing this, Madara silently stood up, turned to look at Hashirama, Hashirama had already tacitly pushed the documents aside. The two simultaneously activated their Body Flicker Technique and jumped out of the window, speeding towards the Hyuga Clan Compound's territory.

As expected.

When they arrived at the Hyuga Clan Compound, a crowd had already gathered Meeting Room.

However, it wasn't as tense as Madara had imagined; rather, it was a more subtle... atmosphere.

Several young members of the Hyuga Clan stood at the corner of the Outer Corridor, craning their necks to look inside. Their expressions ranged between shock and bewilderment, as if they were seeing something completely beyond their comprehension.

A Hyuga Clan maid stood at the other end of the corridor, holding a tea tray, unsure whether to go forward or backward. The teacups on the tray were already trembling slightly.

Madara and Hashirama walked through the crowd and saw Izuna.

To be precise, what I saw was Izuna standing in the small courtyard Meeting Room, grabbing a Hyuga youth by the collar with one hand and lifting him off the ground.

The young man's clothes were covered in dust and grass clippings, and his face... was a pitiful sight, clearly indicating he had been punched more than once.

The surrounding area is very clean, which means Izuna did a good job. At least there's no need for compensation.

But Izuna, why can't you just not Hyuga? There's already enough going on... I don't want to work... Hashirama gradually emptied, his mind wandering elsewhere.

Tennin stood at the Meeting Room door, his face ashen, but he did not make a move to stop them.

Wakako stood beside him, her hands folded in front of her, her expression indifferent.

Her golden hair ornaments shimmered in the afternoon sunlight, and she looked as dignified as if she had just stepped out of a portrait. Only the faint smile at the corner of her mouth betrayed her true feelings.

Izuna lifted the young man up again, so that he was at eye level with him.

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone around heard him clearly. "What did you just say? Singing and dancing at Memorial Service? Where's the dignity of Ninja? If I don't beat you into a pulp, I'm not Uchiha!"

The young man opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something. Izuna didn't give him the chance, punched him in the stomach, let go and let him fall to the ground, then dusted off his hands and turned around.

Then he saw Madara and Hashirama.

The fierce look on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a guilty conscience.

"Uh... Madara-kun, Hashirama- kun, what brings you here?" Izuna chuckled dryly. "Well, the situation is a bit complicated, but I can explain..."

"You don't need to explain." Madara raised a hand to stop him, his gaze shifting to the Tennin's face. "I need to know what happened."

"I want to know too!" Tennin practically ground his teeth to powder as he stared at the man lying on the ground, his face unrecognizable, his entire body radiating murderous intent.

Let's rewind two minutes.

Izuna and Wakako spent some time arriving at the Hyuga Clan Compound. They were led through the main gate by servants and walked along the Outer Corridor to the Reception Room.

Tennin was already waiting there. After they sat down and exchanged a few pleasantries, they got down to business.

Izuna had two purposes for this trip. The first was to inquire about the progress of the Hyuga Clan's reforms, as he wanted to know what practical solutions the Tennin had for the Caged Bird Seal.

The second issue is the marriage between Hinata and Rei. The Uchiha have already given their approval, and as long as Hyuga agrees, the matter can be settled.

Wakako sat beside him, holding a teacup, her posture dignified, occasionally interjecting a word or two, her tone gentle yet weighty.

Tennin's answer to the first question was more candid than he had expected.

The Hyuga Clan has begun to adjust the task allocation system of the Main Family and Branch Families, and the Gentle Fist reform team has made initial progress. However, the resistance within the Main Family regarding the Caged Bird Seal is greater than he expected.

Tennin did not hide these difficulties, nor did he use bureaucratic language; instead, he laid out the current stalemate in a straightforward manner.

Just as Izuna was about to continue the conversation on this topic, he heard an untimely commotion coming from Meeting Room.

It was the sound of a group of young people laughing and talking, their footsteps approaching from afar along the Outer Corridor.

Someone at the end of the Outer Corridor whispered a reminder that important guests were being received, but the group seemed not to hear and instead raised their voices even louder.

A particularly loud male voice said, "Do we need anyone's permission to go home?" and then footsteps continued to approach.

Izuna hadn't intended to pay any attention to it; he was there to discuss serious matters, not to discipline someone else's child.

But the next sentence from that voice made him laugh in anger.

"That idiot Akiyuki, even in death he's still causing me trouble! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't still be a squad leader! If it weren't for my magnanimity, I'd be asking his parents for compensation!"

"But Kasuga is an idiot. He thinks he can turn his life around by currying Uchiha? It's hilarious. Look, now that he's dead, nobody even mentions him. He deserves it."

"And that Uchiha Izuna, despite his high status, he acted like a performer, singing and dancing, turning his Memorial Service into a theatrical performance. What is it about this person that Tetsuya admires? I should take the position of Young Clan Head."

Tennin's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened. He abruptly stood up, but refrained from lashing out immediately out of consideration for his reputation.

Wakako put down her teacup, the smile on her lips vanished, and she turned to look at Izuna, expecting him to fly into a rage.

But Izuna's reaction was quieter than she had expected.

He merely curled the corners of his mouth as if he had heard a joke, tilted his head slightly, and then let out a soft snort.

The next second he stood up, bowed slightly to Tennin, and said in an impeccably polite tone, "Clan Head Tennin, my apologies, I have some personal matters to attend to."

Before Tennin could speak, Izuna had already walked to the Meeting Room door, reached out and pulled open the paper door, and stepped over the threshold.

Then Wakako heard a muffled, solid thud of a fist striking flesh, followed by a heavy thud as something hit the stone floor, interspersed with Izuna's demonic voice.

"Little Blue Lion! Little Zazong! What did you just say?! Huh?!"

"That little mouth of yours keeps talking, mysky, what kind of decent person spends Tenten badmouthing others to show off? Oh! So there is one here!"

"You even went out of your way to talk near the Meeting Room, as if you were afraid your grandpa wouldn't hear you? Seriously! Why didn't you just run out of words? Just because you're from the Main Family doesn't mean you can do whatever you want, right? Capital is over, and your skin is still practically new. You really think you're so noble, don't you?"

"I'll beat you to a pulp, you'll be a paper doll by now! I guarantee the world will owe you two cubes after I'm done beating you!"

"Serves you right for calling me your brother! Serves you right for calling me a performer! Serves you right for spouting nonsense here! Young Clan Head?! You're more like a premature gray-haired bastard! What the hell, why are you lying down?! Is this a bed?! Did I tell you to lie down?! Get up and keep getting beaten up!"

Wakako, barely suppressing her laughter, picked up her teacup, took a small sip to calm herself, then turned to look at Tennin face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and smiled slightly, "Clan Head Tennin, it seems a bit noisy outside."

Tennin closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then got up and walked out of the Meeting Room.

The Hyuga Clan will be missing one Main Family member today.

This guy insulted Akiyuki and Kasuga; this is a matter within the clan, and he can still handle it according to Clan Rules.

But he insulted Izuna, and in front of the Daimyo's Principal Wife, he insulted Diplomat from Konoha. This behavior was not just arrogant; it was like trampling on the face of the entire Hyuga Clan.

He wouldn't know what this guy was really thinking. Maybe he was jealous of Tetsuya, maybe he harbored resentment because he was among those who got beaten up when Izuna took on the entire clan that day, or maybe he was just plain stupid, thinking that nothing he said would get out of the house.

But it's too late to say anything now.