Hyuga, Gradually Crumbling

At the very center of the Hyuga Clan Compound stood the Hyuga Clan Head's residence. From the outside, it looked like an imposing manor, but inside it was unremarkable: just a few ordinary two-story buildings, a fishpond spanning several dozen square meters, and a training ground covering several hundred.

Hyuga Hiko, the current Hyuga Clan Head, was not particularly competent. Compared with his father and grandfather, each generation had been worse than the last.

A Sealing Technique meant to protect the clan's eyes had been turned by three generations into the Caged Bird, a mark of class distinction and punishment.

It had left the entire Hyuga clan lifeless and rigidly divided by status. After the fall of the powerful members who had united the Hyuga during the Warring States Period, the clan had gradually declined in the village era.

During the First and Second Shinobi World Wars, hardly any renowned new-generation fighters had emerged.

In the living room, three generations of the family sat facing one another. This was usually the time each week when Hyuga Hiko passed on lessons about managing subordinates and his cultivation experience to his two sons.

But this time, an argument broke out.

"Father, why must there be a distinction between the Main Family and Branch Family? How am I any worse than my older brother?" Hizashi Hyuga protested angrily to Hyuga Hiko.

As Hiashi's younger twin brother, he had been branded as Branch Family simply because he was born a few seconds later.

Though he was the clan head's son, Hizashi was destined to be sacrificed so the clan head could maintain authority and those who already held power could secure an even higher standing.

Smack! "As a member of the Branch Family, you must not question the clan head's decisions! And as my son, you must not question the clan's rules!" Hyuga Hiko slapped him sharply across the face. His expression was blank as he looked at his son, without a trace of fatherly affection.

Beside Hizashi, Hiashi sat calmly on his knees, watching it all without a word.

Hizashi's eyes reddened, tears welling in their pale sockets. He stretched his arms straight and clenched his fists against his knees, his face filled with humiliation and resentment.

"I hope this is the first and last time. If you ever make such a disrespectful remark again, I won't hesitate to have your older brother punish you," Hyuga Hiko said coldly.

"Then what about Grandpa Shin? He was Branch Family too, so why wasn't he marked with the Caged Bird?" Hizashi forced the words through his anger, his voice strained and hoarse, asking the question that cut to the heart of the matter.

"Impudent! Where did you hear that rumor? Who told you to question me? Speak!" Hyuga Hiko's expression hardened. He swiftly formed Hand Seals with his right hand and activated the Caged Bird.

"Ah!" The pain, as if boring straight into his bones, made Hizashi wail uncontrollably.

He could no longer hold his kneeling posture and fell onto the wooden floor, his body curled like a shrimp.

Watching his younger brother suffer, Hiashi's expression shifted slightly, as if he couldn't bear to see it. But in the end, he said nothing.

He knew that if he pleaded for mercy, Hizashi might suffer all over again—and Hiashi himself would most likely be the one to carry out the punishment.

When the punishment was over, Hyuga Hiko released the Hand Seals and stared coldly at his second son, without the slightest pity.

"Whatever your grievances, the mission you bear is already set. Support your older brother well. That is your fate! The will of the clan cannot be defied!" Hyuga Hiko's words left no room to dispute his defense of the clan's rules.

With that, he swept out of the room.

Hiashi rose and left as well, offering no comfort. He knew that whatever he said would only feel like a silent mockery to his younger brother.

A few minutes later, Hizashi recovered from the aftereffects of the Caged Bird. He looked around the empty hall, tears slipping down his cheeks, and returned to his room in a daze.

The next day, a rumor spread throughout the Hyuga Branch Family.

"Shota, have you heard? Young Master Hizashi was punished by the clan head. Apparently, it was because he spoke out against the Main Family and Branch Family system." Two middle-aged Hyuga, watching the clan members train, discussed the rumor spreading among the Branch Family.

Their children were sparring hard on the training ground. They were around thirteen or fourteen, and both had marks branded on their foreheads.

"Knowing that won't change anything. And think about who might have let this kind of thing get out, Hayato. You should look a little deeper," Shota replied impassively, arms crossed.

"Didn't it come from a Branch Family member who works as a servant in the clan head's residence? Is there some deeper meaning to it?" Hayato was simple-minded and didn't like to think much. The Main Family liked people like him.

"Do you think any Branch Family member would dare let this kind of news out without the clan head's approval?"

"The point is to intimidate the Branch Family. Haven't you noticed how angry everyone is? Even those two kids have been affected." Shota glanced at Hayato, feeling a little envious of his somewhat foolish kinsman.

Sometimes, being too clever was painful.

"That's true. It really does hurt when the Caged Bird is activated," Hayato said, as single-minded as ever.

"Father, is our fate as Branch Family really set in stone?" The two boys finished their sparring and walked over together. One of them turned to Shota and asked.

"Sawano, you're still young. You don't need to worry about things this far in the future. Focus on getting stronger—that's what you should be doing." Shota rested a hand on Sawano's head and tried to reassure him. He didn't know what else to say.

"But are we really going to spend our whole lives beneath the Main Family? We get punished over a few words! Big Brother Hizashi has always been so kind and hardworking!" Sawano's words brimmed with resentment.

"Uncle Shota, does the Branch Family have any future?" the other boy asked.

"Sawano, Naoto, you are the future of the Branch Family. Knowing when to speak and when to stay silent is essential for us. I hope you can keep your emotions in check and not let the Caged Bird's shadow cloud your judgment." Shota was at a loss for words, and could only offer comfort.

"That's right, Naoto. Don't let your emotions control you. Just focus on doing your best," Hayato added, advising his son.

Though the two boys listened to their fathers, their faces still showed resistance and resentment.

"All right, that's enough sparring for today. The situation's getting more and more tense, so don't dwell on pointless things. Improving your strength is what matters most. Let's go home." Then he and Hayato ushered the two boys away.

A gust stirred up by the Main Family became a raging wave among the Branch Family, but in the end, it was only a stagnant pool, devoid of life.

In a quiet room in the clan head's residence, Hyuga Hiko sat facing his father, the former clan head, Hyuga Sōki. They discussed the unrest caused by Hizashi's punishment.

"After the news got out, did the Branch Family react too strongly?" Hyuga Sōki took the matter very seriously. After all, it was the result of years of effort.

He was nearly sixty, yet he looked scarcely younger than the eighty-something Hyuga Shin.

Once people reached a certain age, the aging process under the Chakra system accelerated rapidly!

"No. It's all as expected. With the Caged Bird as a deterrent, no one in the Branch Family dares show disrespect to the Main Family. At most, they complain in private." Hyuga Hiko had anticipated all of this.

"What do you think of Hyuga Shin, Father?"

"He's not simple. Have you started considering something?"

"I think he's an unstable factor for the clan, and he's old and frail." Hyuga Hiko spoke calmly.

"Not worth it. Uzumaki Mito is dead, and he doesn't have many years left either. We can just wait for him to die."

"But his presence will inevitably influence Hizashi. How can we trust Hizashi to serve as head of the Branch Family and support Hiashi in the future?"

"You should know that your grandfather and I tried. He hid himself too well! Even someone as clever as the Second Generation, Tobirama Senju, admitted he couldn't see through him."

"Let's set his matter aside for now. Sand Village has troops stationed at the border, and that brat Hiruzen Sarutobi has informed all the clans. What did he say?" Hyuga Sōki had more pressing concerns.

"War is likely. The mobilization order has been confirmed and will be issued tomorrow. The Hyuga have been assigned to reconnaissance teams and will set out in seven days."

"Any movement from the other villages?"

"Iwagakure, Cloud Village, and Kirigakure have all been active. They seem ready to join the fighting. If war breaks out, Konohagakure will likely face enemies on all sides." Hyuga Hiko's words carried his anxiety over the conflict, since the situation could escalate at any moment.

"If the Main Family needs to go to the front, make sure the Branch Family guards are arranged to protect the Byakugan and prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Go make the arrangements," Hyuga Sōki instructed.

"Understood," Hyuga Hiko replied, then stood and left the quiet room.