Itachi Uchiha

"A bunch of old fossils throwing their weight around with the Caged Bird Curse Mark. What a disgrace."

In the suffocating silence, a childish voice suddenly rang out, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

The Branch Family members looked up in disbelief.

Old fossils...

A disgrace...

The one who had spoken such outrageously rebellious words was actually Younger Hinata, who had been standing behind Hyuga Hiashi with her head lowered ever since entering the room.

Under everyone's astonished gazes, the veins around Hinata's eyes bulged as she fearlessly swept her gaze across the room.

The azure light flashing in her eyes seemed to carry an overwhelming pressure.

Though she was small, the air of authority around her made everyone look at her differently.

The Main House Elder frowned deeply and softened his tone. "Hinata, what did you just say?"

It was not that he had truly failed to hear her.

He simply could not believe his ears and suspected that he had misheard.

How could words like "old fossils" and "a disgrace" possibly come from the timid Younger Hinata?

Yes, that had to be it. He must have heard wrong.

"...Wait."

Hiashi, standing to the side, also came back to his senses, a flicker of panic appearing in his eyes.

Could it be that his daughter was about to...

"I said, aren't you ashamed? A bunch of rotten old fossils, using the Caged Bird Curse Mark to lord it over your own clansmen within the clan."

Before Hiashi could stop her, Hinata sneered. "Do you really think you're such important people? Weren't you merely born a little earlier than the Branch Family?"

Hiashi could not help showing a trace of embarrassment.

There had only been a few minutes between his birth and that of his younger brother Hizashi, yet their current statuses were worlds apart.

Only then did the Main House Elder react, anger instantly appearing on his face. "Do you know what you're saying?!"

"As a daughter of the Main House, you show no respect for your elders, speak without restraint, and even question the Caged Bird system passed down by our predecessors!?"

Though the other two elders did not speak, they too stared fixedly at Hinata.

"Whether the Caged Bird's greatest purpose now is to prevent the Byakugan from leaking out or to control and enslave the Branch Family, you know perfectly well."

Looking at the three Main House Elders, Hinata said expressionlessly, "Your thinking is conservative and backward. You lack both initiative and flexibility. The only reason you cling to so-called clan traditions is because they bring you greater benefits, more power, and higher status."

As she spoke, she glanced at the three Main House Elders before her and said mockingly, "You Main House jonin who have learned advanced Gentle Fist Art—if it came down to a fight to the death, how many of you could defeat Branch Family jonin who have only learned low- and mid-level Gentle Fist Art?"

The three Main House Elders were immediately left speechless, while Hiashi repeatedly started to speak, then stopped.

He had only come to this meeting because the elders had practically dragged him here.

He knew that they merely wanted to suppress the Branch Family's spirit and did not truly intend to execute Hizashi and Neji.

But seeing his younger brother so humble while those old fossils flaunted their seniority and put on airs still made him deeply unhappy.

But now...

Though he did not want to admit it, he felt that his daughter was right. He even felt a little satisfied.

On the other hand, he also felt that his daughter had been too blunt.

Seeing the elder beside him breathing more and more rapidly, Hiashi's heart leaped into his throat again.

She should at least show the old men some respect. What if she really angered one of them into collapse?

"The Main House is the foundation of the Hyuga Clan. The Branch Family should protect that foundation. As a daughter of the Main House, are you trying to destroy the foundation of the Hyuga Clan!?"

Hearing the old fossil's blustering shout, Hinata could no longer be bothered to argue with them.

She had nothing more to say to people capable of uttering something so shameless.

"If you truly had the courage to move forward, then use your own strength to intimidate everyone and make them submit willingly, instead of clinging to your clansmen like parasites and turtles hiding in their shells, sucking their blood as though it were only natural."

Hinata turned and walked outside, saying disdainfully, "Go on being arrogant. Let's see whether the Hyuga Clan will truly be finished without you."

Hiashi, behind her, started to speak and stopped several times. In the end, he sighed softly and rose to follow her.

"Outrageous! This is utter rebellion!!"

Watching the father and daughter leave, then looking at the Branch Family members below, who remained silent but had already raised their heads, the three Main House Elders wore more than just anger on their faces.

There was also a trace of fear.

She was the daughter of the Main House!

A daughter of the Main House without the Caged Bird Curse Mark, a daughter of the Main House who would inevitably inherit the position of clan head in the future!

They could exploit their seniority and status to morally pressure Hiashi, who appeared tough on the surface but was actually soft-hearted.

But if the clan head were replaced by someone truly forceful, they would have no way to stop her.

Were they supposed to carve the Caged Bird Curse Mark onto the clan head?

What a joke?!

Were they supposed to claim she lacked talent and make Hiashi have another child?

While the three elders were in a complete mess, not knowing what to do—

Neji, below them, stared dumbfoundedly as Younger Hinata strode away with such confidence, unable to believe his eyes or ears.

"Am I dreaming? A daughter of the Main House openly opposing the Caged Bird? Is this really that timid, easily bullied Hinata?!"

A strange light also flashed through Hizashi Hyuga's eyes.

"Hinata, the Hyuga Forbidden Ground..."

Meanwhile, in a forest within the Land of Rain.

Two enormous Pitcher Plant leaves slowly rose from the ground, revealing a bizarre face that was half black and half white.

"Madara, that pawn you planted by chance has finally become useful."

A man wearing a Tiger-Striped Mask sat in a tree and replied without turning his head, "Oh? How is he doing?"

"You killed his teammate before, and that caused both his eyes to awaken Two-Tomoe. Recently, we discovered that his ocular power has grown stronger again. He should already have Three-Tomoe!"

After White Zetsu finished speaking, Black Zetsu calmly added, "And he has joined the ANBU."

Obito narrowed his eyes beneath the mask. "Two-Tomoe in both eyes at eight, Three-Tomoe in both eyes at ten? And he has even joined the ANBU directly under the Hokage..."

He had encountered the child called Itachi Uchiha several years ago while carrying out bounty missions.

He had originally intended to kill him outright, but after killing the boy's teammate, both of the boy's eyes had unexpectedly awakened Two-Tomoe.

Thinking that he might be a useful pawn, Obito had let him go. At the time, there had been no reason to place much hope in him.

But unexpectedly...

"What should we do next?"

In response to Zetsu's question, Obito said in a low voice, "Since the Nine-Tails Incident, the Leaf Village high-ranking officials have completely lost trust in the Uchiha Clan. They even moved the Uchiha district to the outskirts of the village."

"Caught between the Leaf Village and his clan, Itachi Uchiha may become that crucial pawn."

"When necessary, I will personally guide him toward darkness."

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If you have any suggestions, feel free to message me privately. As long as they do not involve the overall outline or plot, I will consider them as appropriate if they are reasonable.

After all, I can only achieve results because of your continued reading and support. But for the sake of bringing you better plots and stories, I hope you can understand if there are suggestions you make that I simply cannot accept.

After all, I have to be responsible to everyone else as well.

QAQ (One last thing: the soul forms of Older Hinata and Younger Hinata are tied to the main storyline later on. This is not simply a matter of a main heroine and a supporting heroine, so I'm truly sorry, but I can't change this.)

(But you can try guessing. It should be pretty easy to figure out.)