For the Greater Good

"Hyuga Kazeka, you've been quite active lately!"

The shoji screen was half-open, with a few rays of morning sun slanting in and falling onto the dark brown tatami mats.

The family crest on the wall was half-hidden in the shadows, a wakizashi on the sword rack was covered in a thin layer of dust, its blade seemingly unsheathed for a long time.

The sound of water being added could be heard from the veranda.

"Dong," the bamboo tube struck the stone, startling the sparrows perched on the pine branches in the courtyard, and prompting Hyuga Hiashi to speak to Kazeka:

"You've been going around the village capturing people for experiments, stirring up a lot of dissatisfaction.

That's not all, you even laid hands on your own clansmen, not even my daughter escaped your clutches.

What's more, you even tricked Naruto Uzumaki, a taboo in the village and considered the village head's personal property, into your laboratory.

The last time Naoto and the others went to fetch you, you actually drove them away.

It's a good thing you came yourself this time, otherwise I would have gone to fetch you myself..."

Hyuga Hiashi's face was so cold it seemed like it could shake off ice shards:

"We Hyuga, as one of Konoha's most prestigious clans, are meant to set an example for the village, not act so outrageously like you.

Do you realize that because of your recent actions, you've put our clan in a precarious position?

With your behavior, do you even care about the honor of our clan, aren't you afraid of our Hyuga clan's rules?"

Hyuga Hiashi, the head of the Hyuga Clan.

On one hand, he had a soft spot for his loved ones.

But for the benefit of the clan and its rules, even if his heart ached, he would uphold them to the letter, without fail!

All the clan members treated him with sufficient respect; he had never encountered anyone disrespectful towards him...

However, Kazeka was the exception!

"Clan Head, everything I've done is for our clan!"

Kazeka narrowed his eyes, looking at Hyuga Hiashi with a nonchalant expression.

If he hadn't known that Hyuga Hiashi would continue to bother him for the sake of his clan head's dignity and disrupt his future experiments, he wouldn't have even bothered to come:

"The people I captured were all criminals who committed heinous crimes.

And the purpose of my experiments is solely to improve Konoha's overall strength.

Even Hinata has become stronger, hasn't she?..."

"Oh? You think what you're doing is right?"

Hyuga Hiashi, whose face was perpetually icy, let out a laugh at Kazeka's words:

"You've turned Hinata's personality into such a foul disposition, should I be thanking you for that?"

Speaking of which, Hyuga Hiashi's face grew even more somber:

"She fell ill at home once, and her originally timid nature turned into that of a hooligan.

She even dared to retort to me, calling me a useless old man who should be eliminated by the times. Do you have anything to say about this?"

"Oh, that's a residual effect of the medicine, it occasionally causes personality outbursts..."

Kazeka waved his hand dismissively:

"It's a minor technical issue. I'll be conducting phased improvements on Hinata next, and her personality will become controllable in the future!"

"Hmm?"

Hyuga Hiashi's eyes widened:

"You still plan on a future?"

"Huh? Is there something wrong with that?"

Kazeka glared back with an even more incredulous look:

"Clan Head, Hinata is your heir and the next head of our Hyuga Clan.

And a timid person cannot bear this responsibility.

The complex ninja world, the scheming village politics, the clan with its varied intentions...

Compared to that, a strong personality is better suited to handle it all, wouldn't you agree?"

"Ah, this..."

Hyuga Hiashi had intended to retort and scold Kazeka, but then, thinking of everything Hinata would have to face in the future, he felt that Kazeka wasn't entirely wrong.

However, seeing his daughter, who had always been submissive and never dared to contradict him, turn into such an aggressive, hooligan-like personality, and recalling the way Hinata looked at him as if he were an idiot, he felt deeply uncomfortable.

Coupled with Kazeka's utter lack of respect...

"Clan Head, I heard Hinata say that you always demanded she become stronger and have a more assertive personality in the past..."

Kazeka looked at Hyuga Hiashi with a strange gaze:

"You're not going to be unhappy now that she's actually done it, are you?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Hyuga Hiashi waved his large hand, using the gesture to cover his embarrassment, then turned and asked:

"Hinata's brain hasn't been damaged by your experiments, has it?

Also, how much can you increase Hinata's strength?"

"The increase in strength will not affect Hinata's brain, I can guarantee that. As for the increase in strength..."

Kazeka paused:

"I believe Hinata's future strength will be no weaker than the Third Hokage's!"

Kazeka looked at Hyuga Hiashi with cold, dissatisfied eyes, as if the small amount of intelligence in his head made him uncomfortable:

"Clan Head, you need to understand, I am still part of the Hyuga Clan, and I always put the clan's interests first!

This is all for a greater good!

I believe that with Konoha's current situation, only our Hyuga Clan can turn the tide.

Everything I've done is for our clan, for you, and for Hinata!

As long as you cooperate and trust me, I will increase the strength of everyone in our clan.

As long as you provide me with resources, I will make our Hyuga Clan great again!

Even the position of Hokage..."

"You scoundrel! Our Hyuga Clan has always been loyal to the village. How can we covet the Hokage's position!

Don't say such divisive things again in the future. Pretend today's conversation never happened..."

Seeing that Kazeka was getting into dangerous territory, Hyuga Hiashi interrupted him in time.

After a long silence, recalling the scientific wisdom in Kazeka's mind that even the Hokage coveted, Hyuga Hiashi hesitated and spoke:

"In the future, I'll need you to take care of Hinata's strength increase. As for resources and such, I'll do my best to provide them!"

Kazeka: "..."

"Jiraiya said before that the Clan Head wouldn't let me off. As expected, as long as benefits can be provided, there's no punishment at all.

It's just too annoying having to deal with these people..."

Walking back to the laboratory, Kazeka lazily tilted his head to look at the sky. Without experiments, time always felt like it passed too slowly:

"When I have the capital and become powerful...

I'll just transform all these old guys into puppets that only obey my commands. That way, no one will bother me with my experiments..."

"Kazeka!"

A shout interrupted Kazeka's thoughts. He turned his head and saw a handsome young boy with long hair cascading down to his waist.

This person was Hyuga Neji, Hinata's cousin, the son of Hyuga Hiashi's younger brother, Hizashi Hyuga.

Due to a political reason, his father died in place of Hyuga Hiashi, so he had always harbored resentment towards Hyuga Hiashi, and even Hinata wasn't spared.

This person had extremely high talent, but was enraged by the Hyuga Clan's corrupt system, believing that the clan's systems were all pathological!

"I heard from clan members that you helped Hinata significantly increase her strength through experiments, and she even injured a Chunin. I don't understand..."

Neji walked closer to Kazeka, his eyes filled with undisguised disappointment and anger:

"With this kind of ability, why don't you improve yourself? Why don't you improve your like-minded companions?

Don't you think the clan is corrupt? Don't you want to overthrow it?"