Hizashi Hyuga's Choice

Uzumaki Menma shifted his gaze to Leaf Village's Hokage Rock.

The faces of four Hokage were carved upon it.

"The First Hokage and Madara Uchiha were immensely powerful—so powerful that either one of them alone could have ended the ceaseless wars of the Warring States Period."

He spoke in an utterly calm tone. "But the facts proved that the One Country One Village System they established could not bring peace to the Shinobi World. Instead, it created a true meat grinder of war."

"In the very first year after the First Hokage's death, in Leaf Village's seventeenth year, the First Shinobi World War erupted. The scale and casualties of that war even surpassed any battle of the Warring States Period."

"This..."

Hizashi Hyuga sat on the cold floor, his expression exceedingly complicated.

As a staunch supporter of Leaf Village, he should have spoken up to refute and rebuke him.

Yet the Masked Man's words left him speechless.

The First Hokage and that man had ended the Warring States Period, ushering in the New Era of one village per country.

But just when everyone believed peace was at hand—

The Shinobi World's Asura and the God of Shinobi, who had created that peace, turned against one another.

In the Valley of the End Battle, Madara Uchiha died, and Hashirama Senju died not long afterward as well.

Without the suppression of those two overwhelming powers, the false peace vanished completely, and the First Shinobi World War erupted almost instantly.

There had been three Shinobi World Wars in succession, each one more terrifying in scale and casualties than the last.

The eight Tailed Beasts distributed by the First Hokage had not formed a balance of power. Instead, they became massive weapons of destruction on the battlefield.

The benefits that had been handed out had now become shells fired back at them by their enemies.

Things had been fine during the Second Hokage's reign, but by the time the Third Hokage took office, children from the Ninja School were once again sent to the battlefield.

Everything seemed to have changed, yet it also seemed as though they had returned to the beginning.

"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns on."

Menma sneered. "The Will of Fire has now become a tool for hypocritical politicians to pursue their own interests."

"If the Will of Fire truly existed, then the Main House and Branch Family system of the Hyuga Clan should never have existed in the first place!"

Hizashi froze for a moment, then raised his head to look at Hokage Rock as well.

All of a sudden, he felt that the four solemn faces carved into the rock were filled with irony.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's visage did not deserve to stand alongside those of the other three Hokage.

The One Country One Village System established by the First Hokage could not bring peace to the Shinobi World either.

What could truly bring peace, perhaps, was...

"Power."

Menma suddenly spoke. "Only absolute power can inspire fear, command awe, and break the shackles of the fate you people speak of."

"Fate never stands with the cowardly or the weak. The limits decreed by fate may endure forever, but defiant challenges can never be absent even for a moment."

As Menma spoke, he lowered his head.

Under Hizashi's gloomy gaze, he removed the bandage from Neji Hyuga's forehead, revealing that ugly [Caged Bird] mark—the symbol of "fate."

Menma stroked the [Caged Bird] mark and asked indifferently, "A gifted genius is branded with such an ugly mark, meaning that the ceiling of his talent is sealed. He must live his entire life beneath the shadow of the Caged Bird."

"Do you think Neji would love such a cold and cruel clan? Would he love a weak village that turns a blind eye to all this?"

Hizashi stared fixedly at the mark for a long while without answering.

"...Sigh."

After a long silence, he finally let out a sigh.

The Branch Family and the Main House were blood relatives, and the Branch Family's sacrifices were not without value.

But...

"Why?"

Why should the Branch Family be the ones to sacrifice?

Just because they were born a few minutes later, were they inherently lower and more worthless than the Main House?

Just because they were born a few minutes later, did all their descendants have to become members of the Branch Family, reduced to tools under the Main House's command?

Why?

Hizashi suddenly realized how ridiculous the Will of Fire spoken of by the Third Hokage and the talk of fate spoken of by the Main House truly were.

Since when had the Will of Fire become nothing more than a slogan on people's lips?

Since when had fate become an excuse for those who benefited from it to feel justified?

Looking again at the ugly mark on Neji's forehead, Hizashi clenched his teeth, and his expression became resolute.

"So, what do you intend to do?"

Hizashi spoke bluntly. "Since you need my assistance, tell me your true purpose."

Although this village had rotted to the core, it was still the "home" the Hyuga Clan had guarded for generations.

All he wanted was to sweep away those parasites.

If this Masked Man's goal is to completely destroy Leaf Village, then even if I die, I will stop him!

Just as Hizashi made up his mind, the Masked Man gave a laugh. "First, I can tell you very clearly—tell you my one and only purpose."

His formerly slack posture straightened. Though his tone still carried a faint smile, it now gave people an inexplicable sense of conviction.

"This village, this Shinobi World—the meaningless charades, the endless wars—they all disgust me. They are boring beyond measure!"

"And my sole purpose is to purge every rotten system that refuses to progress, and build a new world of absolute unity and relative fairness, rather than wallowing in happiness and fear, living each day in constant anxiety!"

"You..."

Listening to the Masked Man's almost deranged words, Hizashi's scalp went numb, and goosebumps rose all over his body.

He could not help saying, "Don't you think you're incredibly arrogant?"

Just because he found the village and the world disgusting and unbearably boring, he wanted to use power to change everything he disliked.

It was far too willful, far too domineering, far too arrogant!

"Am I?"

Menma paid no heed to Hizashi's retort and smiled. "In my view, the difference between our minds and ideals exists only because your understanding of the world is too shallow, and your comprehension of truth is too limited."

"When you stand at the highest point as I do, you too will grow tired of things that never change."

Menma had never thought his ideas were arrogant.

He had merely voiced the truest thoughts buried deep within his heart.

Borrowing Orochimaru's theory of "wind"—

As an equally progressive "intellectual," Menma also hoped that an interesting "wind" would blow through this boring world.

However, unlike Orochimaru, who waited for the wind—

He would personally use his own strength to raise a gale powerful enough to change the entire world!

"Also, you need to understand something."

At this point, Menma's tone became heavier. "What I need is the cooperation of the entire Branch Family, not merely yours."

"Impossible!!"

At first, anger flashed across Hizashi's face. Then it instantly faded, leaving behind a bitter expression. "The Hyuga Branch Family is not united. It has long since split into two factions."

"One faction has submitted to the Main House, while the other is hostile toward it. Those who submitted to the Main House have long since lost their freedom and dignity as people."

"It doesn't matter."

Menma shook his head, coldness in his voice. "What I need are birds that yearn for freedom, not pets lost in decadent dreams."

As he spoke, he extended his left hand and suddenly clenched it tight.

The moment Hizashi saw that gesture, his pupils contracted sharply.

He immediately thought of the "Caged Bird" that Menma had crushed to death before.

Did I lead the Branch Family into another abyss...?

But he had no other choice...