No One Stands on Top From the Beginning

Strictly speaking, Hyuga Ritsu wasn't a very competent Clan Head. He wasn't good at handling clan affairs, nor was he interested in studying them. After a brief attempt, he handed them over to several elders.

Although the elders were pushed into it, being jointly recommended as elders by the other Jonin and Special Jonin already indicated they had a certain prestige and connections among the clan members. Relying on this prestige and these connections, most clan affairs could be resolved smoothly. After a bit of initial scrambling, they all gradually got the hang of it.

As for Hyuga Ritsu himself, he had been living a routine life, commuting between the shrine and his residence for the past few days.

During the day, he would linger in the shrine's treasure hall, poring over the Main House's secret texts he never had the chance to access before, absorbing knowledge like a sponge and attempting to transform that knowledge into power.

If any clan members came to learn the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, he would personally guide them, receiving unanimous praise from the clan.

When night fell, he would return home to sleep with a groggy brain. Although elders or Jonin from the clan would visit and talk with him before bed every night, his actual sleep time was quite irregular.

This life continued for five days.

Then, On the sixth day, the sky was overcast. After several clear days, it seemed rain was coming again. The air was filled with a slight moisture, and a strong wind blew simultaneously. The trees by the roadside swayed as if dancing, and pedestrians on the street lowered their heads, tightened their collars, and hurried along.

At 8:10 AM, after breakfast, Hyuga Ritsu, along with twenty clan members, arrived at the Hokage's office building.

Sarutobi Hiruzen received Hyuga Ritsu in the Hokage's office. The twenty clan members, led by Elder Hyuga Shinichiro, waited downstairs.

"Hokage-sama, I am ready to return to the eastern front and continue serving the village."

Hyuga Ritsu's attitude was polite.

"Clan Head Hyuga Ritsu... calling you that feels rather formal. May I call you by your name?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, sitting behind his desk, holding his pipe with a smile.

"Yes."

"Then, Ritsu-kun, have you settled everything within the clan?"

"Everything has been arranged."

"As expected, I wasn't wrong about you. Ritsu-kun, like Minato, you are a future hope for the village. With you leading the Hyuga Clan, I'm sure it will flourish before long."

"You flatter me."

Hyuga Ritsu didn't say much.

Although Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed eager to chat, he had no interest in engaging in small talk. He knew Sarutobi Hiruzen would never truly appreciate someone who rebelled against him. In fact, the more Sarutobi Hiruzen admired him, the more he might want to get rid of him.

No matter how hard he tried to please him, it would be meaningless.

So, Why waste his already limited "fake smile" in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen?

"Humility is indeed a virtue, but excessive humility can sometimes look like showing off. Someone with a bad temper might actually resort to violence. Honestly, at your age, I was just a brainless kid, only knowing how to follow orders during missions, completely lacking my own judgment!"

"..."

Hyuga Ritsu narrowed his eyes slightly.

There was a hidden meaning in his words!

He remained calm, quietly watching Sarutobi Hiruzen's performance.

"Ritsu-kun, you are now the Clan Head of the Hyuga Clan, a position of importance. However, on the battlefield..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen displayed a hesitant, troubled expression. He gritted his teeth as if making a difficult decision and said gravely, "This is unpleasant to say, and it might hurt your feelings, but Ritsu-kun, you've also fought your way through piles of dead bodies. You should know that once on the battlefield, there is no Clan Head of this family, no commander of that department, no these miscellaneous titles. Once an order is given, it must be carried out to the end!"

"Do you understand what I'm saying?"

After speaking, he stared intently at Hyuga Ritsu, awaiting the response of this young boy who presumably lacked much political experience.

"Please rest assured, Hokage-sama. I understand the principle of obeying orders."

Hyuga Ritsu answered calmly. He met Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze and said, "Although I am the Clan Head of the Hyuga Clan, once I reach the front lines, I am merely a Jonin. If there is a mission that requires my execution, I will naturally do my utmost to complete it and will never shirk my duty."

"Good!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked genuinely impressed. "I believe Ritsu-kun will surely give the Kirigakure Shinobi a harsh lesson and bring back the lost Byakugan!"

Hyuga Ritsu smiled faintly.

The idea that there were no special privileges or identities on the front lines was pure nonsense. When the heads of various clans went to the front, even if they didn't hold command positions, they were usually given roles like advisors. This meant they spent most of their time directing operations from the main camp and generally didn't engage in frontline combat.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's attitude clearly indicated he had no intention of assigning Hyuga Ritsu any official position.

This meant that upon reaching the front lines, he would likely be ordered to charge into the fray as before, dancing with the Kirigakure Shinobi on the blade's edge of death, waiting to see who would be chosen by the Grim Reaper.

However, Hyuga Ritsu had no intention of arguing.

After all, the fact that clan heads were often given advisor positions on the front lines was merely an unwritten rule, or more bluntly, a tacit understanding. It was how things were usually done, but there was nothing to criticize if it wasn't done that way.

Therefore, Arguing would be useless.

He had prepared himself for difficulties when he came.

This situation was acceptable!

He hadn't come to the front lines to slack off in the main camp. He genuinely intended to reclaim the Byakugan stolen from the Main House and solidify his authority within the clan.

After that, he could continue to study the Chimera Technique, forge a path upward, and glimpse the scenery from higher positions.

A certain "King of Arrogance" once said, "No one stands at the heavens from the start. Whether it's you, or me, or even God," so why couldn't the person who sits on the empty throne be me?

Hyuga Ritsu's ambition grew like wild grass!

"Hokage-sama, this is the list of clan members accompanying me to the front lines."

Hyuga Ritsu handed over a list.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took it and glanced over it, sighing, "As expected of the Hyuga, seven Jonin, thirteen Special Jonin. Truly a grand gesture!"

As he spoke, he picked up his brush and signed an order that had long been prepared, dispatching reinforcements to the front lines. After signing and sealing it, he rang a bell to summon a work assistant and ordered them to transcribe all eleven names, including Hyuga Ritsu's, onto the already signed and sealed document.

And just like that, a perfectly legitimate and compliant dispatch order was freshly produced.