I Want to See Hyuga Ritsu

It was already evening, and the sky grew darker and more uncertain. The torrential rain continued to fall. Every household had long since lit their lamps. Although the cooking smoke was swallowed by the rain, one could smell the aroma of food by getting close to the window. Regardless of how much the clan had changed, meals still had to be eaten.

Of course, Hyuga Ritsu and the six elders remained at Tamagushi Shrine.

The grand assembly had concluded, and the smaller meetings continued.

The current situation could only be described as the overall situation being settled. The clan members' hearts had been temporarily calmed, but hidden dangers still existed. The former Clan Head, Hyuga Hiashi, and former elders Hyuga Daichi and Hyuga Hisho were the biggest sources of instability.

Without eliminating these hidden dangers, it would be difficult for the Hyuga Clan to truly achieve peace.

Furthermore, regarding the matter of hiring Hiruko to research a method for widely promoting the cracking of the Caged Bird Seal, although Hiruko was Hyuga Ritsu's teacher, this involved the fate of everyone in the entire clan. It was not Hyuga Ritsu's private affair, so they needed to discuss what to offer in exchange for Hiruko's help.

In addition, the matter of the Main House's Byakugan being stolen could not be ignored.

"I will handle the issues of dealing with Hyuga Hiashi and other hidden dangers, as well as recovering the stolen Byakugan. I plan to head to the front lines tomorrow to find a way to retrieve the Byakugan snatched by the Kirigakure shinobi and, in passing, deal with Hyuga Hiashi and the others. Those who should be killed will be killed, and those who can be reasoned with will be reasoned with."

Hyuga Ritsu laid out his plan.

"Clan Head, I'll go with you!"

Hyuga Takashi, forty-four years old this year, spoke up. "You can't bear everything alone, Clan Head. Since we've become elders, we must do what elders are supposed to do, not be like those useless members of the Main House."

"That's right, Uncle Takashi is right. Clan Head, I'll go to the front lines with you too."

"Count me in."

Including Hizashi Hyuga, the six elders were all top experts within the clan, survivors who had fought their way through battlefields. They held no fear of going to war.

"You can go if you want, but not all of you need to. We still need people left in the clan..."

"Clan Head, we have a situation."

Before Hyuga Ritsu could finish speaking, Hyuga Arima, who was on guard outside, rushed in. "Third Hokage-sama, the Hokage's assistant, the Yellow Flash, as well as Hyuga Hiashi, Hyuga Daichi, Hyuga Hisho, and Hyuga Daisho, and a group of people have broken into the clan grounds and are now heading towards the shrine."

Byakugan, activate!

Hyuga Ritsu immediately activated his Byakugan and, following the direction Hyuga Arima pointed, indeed saw a group of people rapidly approaching.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, Namikaze Minato, and the remnants of the Main House..." Hyuga Ritsu narrowed his eyes. Hyuga Hiashi and the others, who should have been at the eastern front-line camp, returning to the village could only be by Sarutobi Hiruzen's order, with Namikaze Minato executing it.

Then, why did Sarutobi Hiruzen order Namikaze Minato to bring Hyuga Hiashi and the other Main House remnants back from the front lines? Was it to mediate? To have the Main House and Branch House reconcile and live together as one family from now on?

That was pure nonsense!

This was clearly an unwelcome arrival!

"Clan Head, what should we do now?"

The female elder Hyuga Karin, twenty-six years old this year, asked.

Everyone had crawled out of seas of blood and mountains of corpses, possessing a keen sense for danger and clearly perceiving the approaching crisis.

"Since the Hokage-sama has personally delivered the remnants of the Main House to us to deal with, there's no need for us to be polite. As I just said, I will handle these remnants of the Main House. Your task is to entertain the Hokage-sama and his party."

Hyuga Ritsu replied with a smile.

Hizashi Hyuga and the others exchanged glances, lost in thought.

"By the way, Elder Hizashi, if Hyuga Hiashi resists later, I won't be able to show any mercy."

Upon hearing this, Hizashi Hyuga's expression became extremely serious.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Clan Head, let me go and meet the Hokage-sama and his party!"

"Alright."

Hyuga Ritsu nodded.

It was good for the brothers to talk beforehand. If Hizashi Hyuga could persuade Hyuga Hiashi to abandon his Main House stance, it would be an undeniable good thing for him.

After receiving permission, Hizashi Hyuga, holding an umbrella, rushed out in a hurry.

"Arima, go contact the Jonin and Special Jonin of the clan and have them all gather at Tamagushi Shrine!" Hyuga Ritsu commanded again.

"Yes, Clan Head."

Hyuga Arima took the order and dashed out.

At this moment, the wind and rain gradually subsided.

Hizashi Hyuga encountered Sarutobi Hiruzen and his group on the main road, eight hundred meters away from Tamagushi Shrine.

"Hokage-sama, I have been sent by the Clan Head to welcome you!"

Hizashi Hyuga shouted loudly.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others stopped in their tracks. They all knew that any sneak attack was completely impossible against the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan, and they hadn't planned on using such tactics to deal with Hyuga Ritsu. It was unrealistic.

Being discovered was inevitable.

But even if they were discovered, it didn't matter. Their target was Hyuga Ritsu. As soon as they got close enough to him, they would kill him with lightning speed. Until then, there was no harm in a little feigned politeness.

"Clan Head? Hyuga Hizashi, whose orders are you following? Are you also going along with that arrogant brat Hyuga Ritsu? Your own elder brother, the Clan Head of our clan, is right in front of you."

Hyuga Daichi's emotions ran high as he shouted, "It's not too late to repent now. Otherwise..."

"Shut up!"

Minato's sharp shout cut him off.

His icy gaze sliced through the air like a knife, silencing Hyuga Daichi. He was filled with dissatisfaction. What kind of idiots were the Hyuga Main House members? They almost revealed their true intentions before even meeting Hyuga Ritsu.

Were they afraid Hyuga Ritsu wasn't prepared enough?

Not just him, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō also had faces as dark as the bottom of a pot.

"Brother, can we talk for a moment?"

Hyuga Hizashi, as if he hadn't heard Hyuga Daichi's yapping, stared at Hyuga Hiashi and asked.

"Hizashi, what do you want to say?"

"Brother, do you remember your ambition when Father was alive?"

"I..."

Hyuga Hiashi froze.

His ambition?

His thoughts drifted back to the past, when their father was alive and served as Clan Head. He had his own grand aspirations. He had told his younger brother Hizashi that one day he would definitely change the clan's system, so that the Branch House members would no longer be driven like dogs by the Main House.

However, after his father passed away and he hastily took over as Clan Head, he had unknowingly cast aside his past ambition. It wasn't until his younger brother Hizashi reminded him at this moment that he finally remembered it again.

But, what could be done?

The Hyuga Clan had relied on the Main House-Branch House system for a thousand years. He had exhausted his wisdom but couldn't think of a better system to replace it. He could only proceed step by step, like his father and grandfather before him, to maintain the continuous inheritance of the Hyuga Clan.

"Hizashi, lead the way! I want to see Hyuga Ritsu."

Hyuga Hiashi said expressionlessly.