The Hyuga Clan's System

"Naruto, since the Hyuga Clan has chosen to support you, if you run into any problems in the future, feel free to come to me anytime. We will certainly do everything in our power to help you. If there are any meetings among Konoha's higher-ups, the Hyuga Clan will also choose to stand by your side." Hiashi Hyuga spoke seriously to Naruto.

These words made it clear that the Hyuga Clan would not merely support him in secret. Openly, they would also protect Naruto's reputation within Konoha and truly try to bind themselves to him.

"Then thank you in advance, Uncle Hyuga. Believe me, I'll be able to bring generous returns to the Hyuga Clan in the future!" Naruto understood that the Hyuga Clan's willingness to make such a major investment in him at this time was basically due to Hiashi Hyuga's judgment alone. If Naruto ultimately failed, Hiashi Hyuga's reputation would suffer as well.

In more serious circumstances, he might even face impeachment and possibly lose his position as head of the Hyuga Clan.

"Not at all, not at all. We're on the same side now, so there's no need to be so polite. Oh, right, Naruto. Actually, inviting you here this time was not originally for this matter. We took such a roundabout route, and somehow we still haven't discussed my original purpose."

Hiashi Hyuga suddenly remembered that he had not initially invited Naruto here to form an alliance. Before he knew it, Naruto's charm had moved him, and in the end, he had successfully bound the Hyuga Clan tightly to Naruto.

With such powerful personal charisma, Naruto's chances of becoming Hokage had increased a little more.

"Oh? Uncle Hyuga, then tell me. What did you originally want from me?" Naruto was curious too. So Hiashi Hyuga had another purpose after all. I knew this old man wasn't kind enough to want an alliance the moment I arrived. Turns out he was convinced by my Heavenly Mouth.

"It's actually a small matter. It concerns Neji. Do you know about Neji's situation, Naruto?" A nostalgic expression instantly appeared on Hiashi Hyuga's face. He seemed to have remembered his deceased younger brother, Hizashi Hyuga.

"Not really. Uncle Hyuga, you can tell me in detail. That might also give me a better idea of how to help you with whatever you want me to do," Naruto replied, looking puzzled yet serious.

Although he knew everything perfectly well, he could not say it out loud. It would not be good to arouse unnecessary suspicion. After all, Minato and Kushina had long since passed away when these things happened, and he would have no way to explain his source of information.

Hearing Naruto say this, Hiashi Hyuga let out a heavy sigh, as though recalling everything that had happened in the past. Naruto did not interrupt him, waiting for him to compose himself and speak.

"To explain this, I have to start with the Hyuga Clan's system. Naruto, you know that as one of the founding families that joined Konoha at its very beginning, the Hyuga Clan has an extremely long history." Hiashi Hyuga began slowly.

I know the Hyuga Clan's history better than you do, Naruto thought. I even know that your ancestor was Hagoromo Otsutsuki. I could dig up your entire family history in minutes, believe it or not.

Still, he obediently listened as Hiashi Hyuga began his long explanation.

"Since the Warring States Period, the Hyuga Clan has been an exceptionally powerful clan. It is all because we can awaken the powerful Byakugan. The Byakugan has many uses. For example, it can detect enemies hiding nearby, observe the flow of Chakra within an enemy's body, and see an enemy's chakra points. Combined with our Gentle Fist, it can seal an enemy's Chakra."

"So during the Warring States Period, the Hyuga Clan was often hired by other clans, and our reputation on the battlefield was second only to the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan."

"After we joined Konoha, we naturally received even more generous treatment, and the Hyuga Clan developed rapidly from then on. But once the ninja villages were established, shinobi from every nation learned how formidable the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan was. They all hoped to kill Hyuga shinobi on the battlefield and obtain the Byakugan."

Naruto indicated that he understood. In the world of Naruto, it was either bloodlines or eyes. The eyes in the world of Naruto were especially a marvelous sight. They were basically plug-and-play; even if there were some side effects, they could still be used.

Even impure bloodlines could be used. Pure bloodlines were simply more powerful!

And things like Medical Ninjutsu only existed to better deal with rejection. For short-term use, those side effects could be ignored completely.

"And then?" Naruto occasionally gave a response, making Hiashi Hyuga feel satisfied.

"Then, in order to protect the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan from being acquired by enemies and prevent it from being leaked, our ancestors established the concepts of the Main Family and the Branch Family, and created the Caged Bird."

"Oh? Then what is the Caged Bird?" Naruto continued to ask.

"Before discussing the Caged Bird curse seal, I must first explain the concepts of the Main Family and Branch Family. There can only be one heir to the Main Family. If the Main Family has multiple descendants in the same generation, only one can be selected to inherit the Main Family. All the others become Branch Family members."

"In other words, there can only be one member of the Main Family in each generation. By extension, even if the Hyuga Clan lasts for a thousand years, there will only ever be one Main Family. The Branch Family will forever be the guardians of the Main Family. This clan system is the most efficient protection system."

"The Main Family are the true inheritors of the Hyuga Clan, bearing the responsibility of protecting and carrying forward the Hyuga Clan."

"The Branch Family: guardians of the Hyuga Main Family. They bear the responsibility of protecting the Hyuga Main Family."

"When the eldest child of the Main Family reaches the age of three, those who become Branch Family members have the curse seal known as the 'Caged Bird' carved into their foreheads. The Main Family can use this curse seal to control and destroy the brain nerves of Branch Family members, thereby controlling the Branch Family."

"The curse seal can only be lifted upon death. It can seal the power of the Byakugan and can completely destroy the recipient's eyes and brain if their eyes are removed or if they die. But it is also the source of internal conflict within the Hyuga Clan."

"I understand. This is your Hyuga Clan tradition, so I won't comment too much on it. I understand and respect it! Then what does this have to do with Neji?"

Naruto continued asking.

"In my generation, because I was born slightly earlier than my younger brother, Hizashi Hyuga, I was chosen as the Main Family heir, while my younger brother was forced to become a Branch Family member and guard our Main Family."

"But my younger brother and I were very close. Even the identities of Main Family and Branch Family could not change the fact that we were brothers. It was just that... sigh." Hiashi Hyuga seemed to have reached the most painful part of his story.

"Later, Hizashi had a child a year before I did. That child was Neji. A year later, Hinata came into this world as well."

"You don't know this, but when they were young, Hinata and Neji had an excellent relationship. Back then, Neji sincerely treated Hinata as his little sister, and Hinata also liked Neji very much as her older brother."

"But because Neji was Hizashi's child, he was destined from birth to become a Branch Family member. At that time, although I had just become clan head, I had little influence and had not fully gained control over the Hyuga Clan's authority. So I had no way to change the system passed down by the Hyuga Clan."

"Although Neji had already begun to display some talent at that time, his birth had already determined his fate. As Hinata gradually grew older, the day she turned three approached more and more quickly. Although neither Hizashi nor I wanted to see such a thing happen, we could not escape that fate."

"On Hinata's third birthday, Neji still had the 'Caged Bird' curse seal carved onto him. At the time, he did not understand what it meant. But as he grew up, he came to understand the meaning of the Main Family and Branch Family. From then on, he began distancing himself from Hinata. At first, that was still manageable. At least they still had some feelings for each other."

"Later, two things happened that completely changed Neji's way of thinking. The first happened when Neji was training with Hinata. Hinata was somewhat weak when she was young and could not bear to strike Neji. In her heart, Neji was still her older brother. But even if she had gone all out, she would not have been Neji's match."

"Under the Main Family system, Neji developed resentment toward Hinata. During training, he showed no mercy and gave it his all. Hizashi was nearby at the time. Seeing such a weak Hinata, he lamented the unfair treatment of the Main Family and Branch Family. Neji was clearly more talented, yet he had been forced to become a Branch Family member. Hizashi even developed killing intent toward Hinata!"

"I happened to pass by and discovered what was happening. With no other choice, I used the Caged Bird seal, causing Hizashi unbearable pain. Hizashi could not understand why Neji, who was more talented, had to become a Branch Family member and protect someone as weak as Hinata. He was simply standing up for Neji!"

"Because Hizashi had killing intent toward Hinata, I was forced to use the Caged Bird. But after that, Hizashi's behavior became somewhat more normal."

"However, after personally witnessing Hizashi's suffering, Neji's attitude toward Hinata grew worse and worse, until that incident occurred!"

Naruto listened to the gossip with great interest. Although he had known these things long ago, hearing Hiashi Hyuga recount his own experiences was different. The sense of immersion immediately became much stronger.

"So what happened?" Naruto urged Hiashi to keep going.

"It was also during the year Hinata turned three. Shinobi from Kumogakure infiltrated Konoha in an attempt to abduct Hinata in order to obtain the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan."

"I quickly discovered that Hinata had been abducted, then used the Byakugan to counterattack Kumogakure. After a fierce struggle, I successfully rescued Hinata."

"But the body of the Kumogakure shinobi was discovered in Konoha. Although Kumogakure had been the one to try to seize Hinata for the Byakugan, the weakness of the Third Hokage at the time worsened relations between Kumogakure and Konoha, indirectly triggering a war."

"To avoid war, Konoha made a deal with Kumogakure. Kumogakure demanded that Konoha hand over my body."

"To my surprise, Konoha actually accepted Kumogakure's terms. Konoha was clearly the stronger side, yet in the end, they wanted to sacrifice me and swallow this humiliation!"

"After the news spread, the Hyuga Clan elders proposed handing over the body of Hizashi Hyuga from the Branch Family as my substitute. Although I strongly objected and did not want Hizashi to die in my place, Hizashi understood the fate of a Branch Family member and could only accept the arrangement. In the end, he went to his death without hesitation!"

"Before he died, Hizashi told me, 'Please tell Neji that I was not killed to protect the Main Family. I died to protect my own brother and the village.'"

"And so, Hizashi was killed as my substitute. In the end, Kumogakure could only let the matter go."

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