The Road to the Bitter End

The Uchiha Clan had the Naka Shrine.

The Hyuga Clan, whose history was no shorter than the Uchiha Clan's, naturally had its own Tamagushi Shrine.

Of course,

There was no secret-inscribed stone tablet inside Tamagushi Shrine. It was simply a family shrine that had been moved several times, and even its sacred object, the "Tamagushi," had been lost to the passage of time. The deity worshipped there was also different from the one worshipped by the Uchiha Clan, who venerated the "Sage of Six Paths, the ancestor of shinobi."

The Hyuga Clan worshipped the legendary creator deity, the "Rabbit Goddess."

Just as the Uchiha Clan liked to hold secret meetings at Naka Shrine, the Hyuga Clan held assemblies at Tamagushi Shrine whenever something important came up.

By the time Hyuga Ritsu reached the dojo inside the shrine, more than thirty clan members had already arrived in the spacious hall, which could hold over a hundred people. They sat neatly on the wooden floor, kneeling according to their positions in the clan.

"Clan Head!"

The clan members greeted Hyuga Ritsu in unison as he entered.

"You're all here pretty quickly!"

Without hesitation, Hyuga Ritsu walked to the raised platform at the front. A dozen or so cushions had been laid out there, and he sat cross-legged on the one reserved for the Clan Head.

Twenty minutes passed. The dojo was now packed with Hyuga Clan Jonin and Special Jonin, nearly a hundred people in all. About half were Jonin, and the rest were Special Jonin.

And yet,

they still didn't make up the Hyuga Clan's full strength.

The Third Shinobi World War was underway, and Hyuga Clan members could be found on nearly every battlefield. What's more, when former Clan Head Hyuga Hiashi and the others had gone to the eastern front, they had taken fifteen Branch House Jonin with them.

The Hyuga Clan's formidable strength was plain to see.

"It's about time. Everyone who was supposed to come is here."

Hyuga Ritsu broke the silence in the room. His gaze swept over the assembled clan members as he continued slowly, "There were some things I didn't have time to say earlier. I'll tell you now. Since you've all accepted me as your Clan Head, some things in the clan will have to change starting today."

Only Hyuga Ritsu's voice echoed through the dojo.

The Hyuga Jonin and Special Jonin sat quietly, ears perked as they listened closely to every word he said.

"First is the Main House and Branch House system. From now on, there will be no such system. Children who haven't had the Caged Bird Seal placed on them won't be marked, and those who already have it needn't worry. As I said before, I'll ask my Teacher to research a way to remove the seal."

"I can break the Caged Bird Seal myself because my Teacher taught me a Forbidden Jutsu. But the method is extremely dangerous and difficult to perform, so it can't be replicated and widely taught. Still, now that I've succeeded, I believe a way to remove the seal will eventually be developed."

The clan members said nothing,

but light kindled in their pure white eyes.

"The second matter is that I can't manage the clan by myself. The Main House elders have all been dealt with, except for a few remnants still outside the village. So now I need you to recommend six elders to help me manage the clan—"

Hyuga Ritsu paused before finishing the word.

Then he said, "Arima!"

"Clan Head!"

Hyuga Arima answered loudly.

"We have a guest. Go greet them and bring them here."

"Yes, Clan Head."

Hyuga Arima immediately dashed out.

Without changing his expression, Hyuga Ritsu continued, "Let's begin the recommendations. I'll recommend one person first: Jonin Hizashi Hyuga. He's highly skilled and widely respected. I believe he deserves a seat among the elders."

At those words,

everyone first stared in surprise. Then looks of envy fell on Hizashi Hyuga. Was this the reward for being the first to pay his respects to the new Clan Head? If only they'd had the nerve to do it back then!

But there was no point regretting it now.

Fortunately,

according to the Clan Head, there were still five seats to compete for.

Hizashi Hyuga himself was stunned. He truly hadn't expected supporting Hyuga Ritsu to earn him such a reward. He'd opposed his older brother to support Hyuga Ritsu for one reason only: his son.

Still,

after pondering for a few seconds, he didn't refuse the reward. Whether for his own sake or Neji's, he had no reason to turn down the position of clan elder.

"Everyone will speak in turn according to rank. You may recommend someone else or yourself. If more than six people are nominated, the six with the most votes will be chosen. In the event of a tie, I'll make the decision."

Hyuga Ritsu laid out simple, clear rules for choosing the elders. The method wasn't entirely fair, since quite a few of the clan's Jonin and Special Jonin were away.

But there was no time to waste.

Hyuga Ritsu urgently needed people to help him manage the clan. They could choose the candidates first, and if anyone objected afterward, they could make adjustments then.

"I nominate myself, Hizashi Hyuga."

Hizashi Hyuga spoke first. As the younger brother of the former Clan Head, he naturally held the highest standing among the Branch House members.

Getting started was the hardest part.

Once he'd set things in motion, the others followed suit, calling out one name after another. Every candidate was an outstanding Branch House Jonin, though their ages varied.

Eight people were nominated in total. The two with the fewest votes were eliminated.

The six who remained were Hizashi Hyuga, Hyuga Takashi, Hyuga Shinichiro, Hyuga Isamu, Hyuga Karin, and Hyuga Tenma. All were renowned Jonin of the Branch House. The oldest, Hyuga Takashi, was forty-four; the youngest, Hyuga Tenma, was twenty-two.

"...Accordingly, I appoint Hizashi Hyuga, Hyuga Takashi, Hyuga Shinichiro, Hyuga Isamu, Hyuga Karin, and Hyuga Tenma as the clan's six elders."

Hyuga Ritsu formally appointed them on the spot.

There was no ceremony or written document to certify their appointments. Everything was done as simply as possible, making the whole thing look like a makeshift operation with no professionalism, rigor, or proper procedure.

But,

with the support of the nearly hundred Jonin and Special Jonin present, even a makeshift operation could wield real power.

"Next, everyone can take a short break. The village's guests have arrived. The six elders, come with me. Let's meet them and bring the village up to speed, so we can inform them of the changes in our clan."

Hyuga Ritsu rose and headed for the door.

Hizashi Hyuga immediately stood and followed. The other five did the same, staying close behind Hyuga Ritsu. They'd come this far—could they really back out now? They could only grit their teeth and follow Clan Head Hyuga Ritsu all the way to the bitter end!