New Clan Head

A fine autumn rain drifted down, like silk, like gauze, like mist, like smoke.

A cold wind swept into the living room, sending a chill through everyone's hearts.

Ayano sat silently on her knees in her place, head lowered as she stared at the steaming teacup on the low table.

Ayari, seated to her right, kept scanning the council hall, wondering why Shin had not arrived yet. She had clearly notified him.

A clansman hurried in and announced that Lord Taikei was ill and could not come.

The crowd erupted into an uproar, the buzzing arguments ringing in everyone's ears.

"How can the Main Branch not send anyone to today's meeting?!"

"Isn't Miss Ayano part of the Main Branch too?"

"She isn't married yet. How can she count?"

"How can this meeting proceed without the Main Branch?"

"We should wait for Hizashi to return."

Ayari beckoned to Tokuma, who was standing nearby, and the little boy immediately came over.

She whispered, "Go see what Shin is doing. Why hasn't he come yet?"

Today's clan assembly had gathered every member of the Hyuga Clan. Some highly respected elders sat on both sides, while the few remaining young and middle-aged clansmen stood behind them, along with younger members like Kamado and Natsu.

Yet the seat of honor stood empty. It had been reserved for Hyuga Taikei, but he had yet to arrive, and sending someone to invite him had yielded nothing.

Besides the empty main seat, the foremost seat on the left was also vacant. That was Hizashi's seat.

At previous clan meetings, whenever Taikei did not attend, Ayano would sit in the foremost seat on the left. But now, she sat behind Hizashi's place.

Before long, Tokuma, who had gone out at Ayari's request, suddenly hurried back.

The moment he entered, he shouted, "Lord Hizashi has returned!"

The noisy council hall instantly fell silent. Tokuma then quickly went to Ayari's side and whispered, "Shin... came too."

Everyone turned toward the doorway. In the silence of the room, the sound of rain outside seemed to grow louder.

A figure appeared in the doorway. It was Hizashi Hyuga.

Ayari looked behind Hizashi but saw no sign of Shin, making her blink in confusion.

Then Hizashi spoke. "The Fourth Hokage has been chosen. It is Lord Orochimaru, one of the Sannin."

Everyone present was shocked. They had only known that Hizashi had gone to the Hokage's Office for a meeting.

Hizashi continued, "The criminal Hyuga Hiashi has been sentenced and executed. In consideration of the Hyuga Clan having fought the enemy to the death, the Hokage and the daimyo will not pursue the matter of Hyuga Hiashi any further."

Upon hearing this, Ayano, seated among the crowd, could not help closing her eyes.

They had learned many things in the middle of the night yesterday, and many had remained awake all night because of it.

She had been terrified and helpless too. She had thought of many solutions and even gone to see Hyuga Taikei.

But now, everything had become an established fact.

An elder spoke up to ask, "Hizashi, since Hiashi... the criminal is dead, where does that leave our Hyuga Clan?"

Someone else immediately followed, "Yes, Hizashi. Who should lead our Hyuga Clan now?"

Hizashi's expression remained calm. "The clan head is dead. The Hyuga Clan needs a new clan head."

Hearing him say "clan head" rather than "Main Branch," all the elders present showed delighted expressions. They felt as though they had seen dawn—the dawn that could change the Hyuga Clan's circumstances and lead them out of their cage!

"Lord Taikei is advanced in years, and the Main Branch has no descendants. I think Hizashi should take the position."

"Isn't Hizashi part of the Main Branch line already? No one but Hizashi can take this seat!"

"That's right! Hizashi should be our new clan head!"

Some were so excited at the prospect that they stood up, faces flushed as they spoke.

Hizashi held considerable prestige within the Hyuga Clan. As the former clan head's brother, he was one of the clan's most outstanding young talents in terms of strength. When Shin's eye replacement had first happened, some in the clan had hinted that Hizashi might seize the opportunity to act.

Yet despite the voices supporting him all around, Hizashi's expression did not change.

He glanced toward Ayano's place and saw that she remained seated there in silence, her eyes closed in quiet repose.

"No, I am not the new clan head." Hizashi suddenly rejected everyone's proposal outright.

The hall fell into a brief silence, followed by an even fiercer wave of voices.

"Hizashi, there's no need to decline!"

"There is no one in the clan more suitable than you!"

"Hizashi, you must shoulder this burden! Step forward and lead us!"

They said the will of the people could not be defied.

Hizashi seemed not to hear the impassioned voices around him and walked straight toward the empty seats in the council hall.

Just as everyone thought he would reluctantly take the main seat, Hizashi instead sat down beside Ayano.

If Hizashi would not be clan head, then who could?

Hyuga Taikei?

When they had just gone to invite him, he had refused to come out. Wasn't that because he realized the situation was already beyond his control?

Hyuga Ayano?

As long as they refused to acknowledge her Main Branch status, what could a woman who did not control the Caged Bird Seal possibly do?

At that moment, Shin stood beneath the corridor outside, watching the rain.

He remembered attending a similar clan meeting one or two months ago. The weather had been much the same, and the old tree in the courtyard, stripped bare of leaves, still swayed in the wind and rain.

Back then, the people inside the room had discussed and decided his fate.

Things would be different from now on.

Shin slowly turned around and walked into the living room.

"Shin?"

Ayari froze when she saw the person appear in the doorway. He wore a black casual outfit today, with black hair and black eyes. Standing before the Hyuga clansmen, he seemed like an outsider.

She recalled what Hizashi had just said, and her pupils widened slightly.

No way...

Hearing Ayari's soft cry, Ayano also opened her eyes and looked over, a bizarre, indescribable feeling rising in her heart.

Him?

An elder abruptly shot to his feet, turned toward Hizashi, and demanded, "Hizashi, don't joke with everyone!"

"Are you saying you want Shin to become our clan head?"

"He's just a child!"

Everyone found it unbelievable, but aside from those few highly respected elders, no one spoke.

"Lord Manzo, is it?"

Hizashi ignored him. It was Shin, standing at the doorway, who spoke.

He looked at the elder expressionlessly. "Do you think I'm unqualified?"

Hyuga Manzo frowned deeply, anger faintly visible on his face. "It isn't your turn to speak here!"

But Shin suddenly raised one hand in a sword-finger sign, forming a hand seal that filled every Branch Family member present with terror.

Hyuga Manzo's entire body stiffened. His cane fell to the floor as he suddenly clutched his head with both hands, eyes bulging in fury. It was as if he were suffering an indescribable, piercing agony. He collapsed to his knees and howled.

"Ah—"

The scream chilled everyone to the bone.

Shin released the hand seal and looked at Hyuga Manzo, who had collapsed to the ground and been tortured senseless by pain. No one present dared to help him up.

The shadow of the Main Branch once again descended over everyone's hearts.

That glimmer of dawn was extinguished.

Shin calmly walked past the crowd and slowly sat in the main seat.

"Don't be so afraid of me."

No one dared utter a word. Every face was filled with fear. The Caged Bird Seal's deterrence made them unable to muster even the slightest thought of resistance.

Why was Hizashi supporting Shin as clan head? Had he also been controlled through the Caged Bird Seal?

Why did this Hyuga Shin possess a way to control the Caged Bird Seal? Had Taikei given it to him?!

Shin then said, "Hizashi, show everyone."

Hizashi understood immediately. He reached up and removed the forehead protector from his brow, revealing a smooth forehead.

The green curse mark that should have been branded there had vanished!

"From today onward, children under the age of three and those born in the future will no longer receive the Caged Bird Seal."

"As for the rest of you, the seal may be removed depending on your future conduct."

The moment these words were spoken, hope instantly ignited in everyone's eyes. Especially among the younger clansmen, who saw freedom reaching out to them.

Shin gave a faint smile. "Don't worry. I have a good temper and am easy to talk to."

Hyuga Manzo still lay on the floor, unconsciously letting out pained howls. Someone wisely carried him out.

The clansmen exchanged glances, then all knelt and bowed, crying out in unison.

"Clan Head!"

After hesitating, the sisters Ayano and Ayari, seated on the left, also lowered their heads along with the others.

"End of Volume"