"Lord Hokage, I've basically finished processing today's documents. However, there is an invitation here from Clan Head Hiashi. Next month is the day the Hyuga Main Family confirms its heir."
Shikaku Nara respectfully handed Orochimaru the invitation.
The Hyuga Clan had just sent a messenger to deliver the invitation to the Hokage's Office.
Orochimaru did not pay it much mind. The Hokage generally would not interfere in this sort of matter. Strictly speaking, this was an internal family affair of the Hyuga Clan. The Hyuga Clan was only notifying the Hokage in name because confirming the family heir was such an important matter, sending an invitation as a courtesy. In reality, the Hokage truly had no way to meddle in a ninja clan's choice of heir.
Of course, the Hyuga Clan was rather special. If this had happened among other small or mid-sized ninja clans, and you could gain Orochimaru's support—even just tacit support—the entire clan would probably beg someone with good relations with the Hokage like you to become clan head.
But once that sort of thing was discovered, it would inevitably make the other ninja clans wary.
If the future clan head had a good relationship with the Hokage, then there was no problem, just like the current Nara Clan. But if the Hokage wanted your clan head to become a puppet...
Tsk, tsk. He feared it would end up like the Third Hokage in the original timeline, outwardly cordial but inwardly estranged from most of the ninja clans. They would respect your strength and your status in ordinary times, but when trouble came for you, not a single one of them would come back to save you.
However...
The Caged Bird Seal of the Hyuga Clan's branch family seemed to be placed when the main family heir