Main House and Branch House

At dawn the next day, the sounds of training were already coming from the training ground at Hyuga Soji's home.

Sweat sprayed through the air, and a wooden post on the ground had already been completely wrecked. This was the scene Hyuga Kumokawa saw when he passed through the entrance hall after waking up that morning.

"This kid really works himself to the bone!"

Thinking of what he had seen last night and the sight before him now, Hyuga Kumokawa did not know what to say about his grandson.

"Soji, come eat breakfast first. You can continue training afterward."

Only when he saw his grandson finish a set of Gentle Fist strikes and prepare to take his stance again did Hyuga Kumokawa hurriedly call out to him.

"Ah, Grandpa, you're awake. Got it, I'm coming."

Hearing the familiar voice, Soji quickly relaxed his stance, took the towel handed over by a servant and wiped himself down, then went over to Hyuga Kumokawa to eat the breakfast the servants had just brought out.

"Soji, your dedication to training is certainly commendable, but remember that too much is as bad as too little. You are still growing, and if you cause irreversible damage to your body, you will regret it for the rest of your life."

Hyuga Kumokawa did not mention seeing Soji train the previous night. He merely offered his grandson a subtle reminder.

"Ah, Grandpa, don't worry. I know my limits. If I really can't keep going, I won't force myself to train."

Soji spoke with certainty. Perhaps it was because he had transmigrated, but although he had no cheat ability or system or anything of the sort, his mental strength was remarkably high. He had not felt anywhere near his limit during the past two days of training.

Hearing this, Hyuga Kumokawa nodded.

"After breakfast and washing up, come with me to the Clan Head's residence. During the days you were unconscious, the Clan Head and the other Main House members were all worried about you. Now that you have recovered, we should pay them a visit."

Hyuga Kumokawa said this to Soji during breakfast.

Soji was startled.

That was right. He was the sole heir of the Third Branch of the Hyuga Clan Main Family, one of the masters of the Hyuga Clan. Something as significant as waking up from unconsciousness naturally required informing the other Main House members.

"Mm, I understand, Grandpa."

After agreeing, the two silently finished breakfast together. Once Soji had washed up, he followed Hyuga Kumokawa, who was waiting at the door, toward the Clan Head's residence.

As he looked at the various buildings throughout the Hyuga Clan compound, Soji could only think of words like solemn and austere. In short, the place gave off an oppressive feeling.

They soon arrived at the Clan Head's grand residence. Since Soji's family was also part of the Main House, it was not far away.

At the very center of the Hyuga Clan compound stood the Clan Head's residence. Beside it lived the core members of the eight Main House lines, the Eight Elders. Further out lived the Branch House ninja, while the outermost area housed ordinary Hyuga Clan members without ninja talent.

This sort of arrangement was probably common among most ninja clans.

The Hyuga Clan had roughly sixteen hundred members in total, around four hundred of whom were ninja—approximately one quarter of the population. There were about forty jonin, while chunin and genin numbered roughly one hundred and eighty each.

There were only around twenty Main House members in total. In other words, the nearly sixteen hundred Branch House members existed to serve those twenty people!

As for the neighboring Uchiha Clan, it had a population of around two thousand, with roughly five hundred ninja—also about one quarter. There were nearly sixty jonin, around three hundred chunin, and roughly one hundred and forty genin.

As Konoha's largest and second-largest clans, both were maintained by roughly four ordinary people supporting the growth of one ninja.

As for how Hyuga Soji knew all this, he had learned it during the week he spent bedridden, asking his grandfather Hyuga Kumokawa and the Branch House servants attending him.

After waiting outside the Clan Head's residence for a while, they were welcomed inside by a servant and led into the council hall.

Soji had originally thought the servants would bring them to the reception room. When he entered the council hall and saw so many Hyuga Clan members around him, he was briefly taken aback.

Hyuga Kumokawa, however, remained calm throughout.

He then brought Soji to sit on an empty cushion at the side, while Soji quietly knelt beside Hyuga Kumokawa.

Several Hyuga clansmen nearby nodded in greeting to Hyuga Kumokawa, and he returned each greeting with a smile and a nod.

Hyuga Soji looked around. Including himself and Hyuga Kumokawa, there were ten people in the council hall. They all shared the same traits: Byakugan and smooth, exposed foreheads.

Without needing to guess, Soji knew that everyone present was a Main House member. They were most likely the current Hyuga Clan Head and the Eight Elders—the very core of the clan.

As for the Main House members not present, they were probably those who had yet to inherit the positions of Elder or Clan Head, as well as retired elders.

"Elder Kumokawa, you're here. How is Soji's recovery?"

The first to speak was a middle-aged man kneeling on the central cushion.

Judging by his position, he had to be the Hyuga Clan Head. Soji was certain of his guess.

Sure enough, Hyuga Kumokawa's next words confirmed it.

"Thank you for your concern, Clan Head. Soji has fully recovered. Come, Soji, quickly greet the Clan Head."

"Hyuga Soji, heir of the Third Branch of the Hyuga Clan Main Family, greets the Clan Head. Thank you for your concern." At the prompting of his grandfather Hyuga Kumokawa, Soji hurriedly bowed in proper form.

"Hehe, Soji has grown so much. I have hardly seen you since your parents passed away, but it seems your grandfather has taken good care of you. Elder Kumokawa, when the meeting ends, take a century-old blood ginseng from me for Soji to nourish himself. Consider it a bit of care from me, in place of his parents, for a younger member of the Main House."

As expected of the Hyuga Clan Head. He was truly generous, casually giving away a century-old blood ginseng.

Even the Clan Head's stern face suddenly seemed friendly to Soji.

Grandfather and grandson once again expressed their gratitude to the Clan Head.

As fellow Main House members, Hyuga Kumokawa could have applied to the clan for a blood ginseng, but it would have required a vote by the Main House members. Unlike now, the Clan Head could simply take one from his private treasury.

Giving away clan property required a vote. Giving away personal property, however, left no room for anyone else to interfere.

"Soji, your grandfather and I have some matters to discuss. Go rest in the courtyard with a servant for now. Hiashi did not go to the Ninja Academy today, so you can go play with him and learn about the academy from him. After all, you will be enrolling next year, won't you?"

As expected, they were about to discuss important matters concerning the Hyuga Clan. The Clan Head wanted to send away Hyuga Soji, who was still a child.

After Hyuga Kumokawa gave him a subtle nod, Soji rose and bowed to the Clan Head and the Eight Elders seated on either side of the council hall before withdrawing.

Only after leaving the council hall did he finally let out a breath. It was not that Soji was being overly dramatic; the atmosphere inside had simply been too oppressive, as though a storm was about to break.

If his memory was correct, the Second Ninja World War should be about to erupt.

If he remembered correctly, the Second Ninja World War would begin in Konoha Year 29, only a year from now. It was now the spring of Konoha Year 28. At the latest, a war that would sweep across the entire ninja world would break out next winter.

For the Five Great Nations, the outbreak of war was merely a game of power. For the smaller nations, however, it was a catastrophic disaster.

Konoha would ultimately emerge victorious, but the casualties it suffered along the way would undoubtedly be enormous.

Perhaps because of the influence of his previous life, Soji always felt heavy-hearted whenever he thought of people dying in droves. It was probably a sign that he had not fully adapted to this cruel ninja world.

With a heavy heart, Soji followed the Clan Head's servant into the courtyard.

Shaking off his gloomy mood, Soji spotted two children around eight or nine years old sparring in the Clan Head's courtyard from afar.

The two did not look exactly alike, but they were at least eighty or ninety percent similar.

One of them should be the future Hyuga Clan Head, the current Clan Head's eldest son—Hyuga Hiashi.

As for the other child, who looked very similar to Hyuga Hiashi, he should be Hizashi Hyuga, the younger twin brother who would die in place of his elder brother Hiashi in the original story.

Although the two looked astonishingly alike, Soji could still immediately tell which was the elder brother Hyuga Hiashi and which was the younger brother Hizashi Hyuga once he got closer.

After all, the clear Caged Bird Seal on Hizashi Hyuga's forehead was hard to overlook.

They were both the Clan Head's children, and even twins, yet because the elder brother had been born a few minutes earlier and the younger brother a few minutes later, their fates were worlds apart.

Hyuga Hiashi enjoyed the service of the entire clan, while his younger brother could only serve as a slave to the Main House.

If they had been born into an ordinary family, there would never have been such a vast difference in status between them.

When the Hyuga Clan Head had sent Soji away earlier, he had mentioned only his eldest son, Hyuga Hiashi. He had not said another word about Hizashi Hyuga, who had already been relegated to the Branch House.

They were both his children, yet he treated them so differently. Soji did not know what to say.

Perhaps the Clan Head found it inappropriate to suddenly mention a Branch House member in front of so many Main House members. Or perhaps he himself was a supporter of such outdated rules. Who knew?

But to Soji, this was a curse.

That was right. Soji was now a member of the Main House, but who could guarantee that his descendants would remain Main House members as well?

The children of the Branch House were Branch House members, but the children of the Main House were not necessarily Main House members. If this continued, there would only be more and more Branch House members.

When he imagined having two sons in the future—one becoming a master and the other becoming a slave—then his grandsons, great-grandsons, and further descendants producing more and more Branch House offspring, Soji shuddered.

No. Absolutely not!

Either he would one day break these outdated rules separating the Main House from the Branch House, or he would never leave behind any descendants!

At that moment, Hyuga Soji silently made another decision.

When the servant brought Hyuga Soji closer, the two brothers training in the courtyard finally turned their gazes toward him.

"Ah, Soji, it's you. I heard Father say that you fainted from overtraining. Because of that, Father even increased the intensity of my usual training."

It was Hyuga Hiashi who spoke. They were both Main House members and saw each other often, so Soji and Hiashi knew each other.

"Soji-sama, how is your recovery?"

Hizashi Hyuga spoke immediately afterward. Compared with Hyuga Hiashi of the Main House, Soji's former self had met Hizashi Hyuga of the Branch House only a handful of times.

The difference in status between the two brothers could be felt simply from the way they addressed Soji.