"Hmm, I'm in a really bad mood today..."
Hyuga Hiashi, the current head of the Hyuga Clan, was sitting quite comfortably in his courtyard, enjoying his midday tea.
As one of the most powerful ninja leaders in Konoha today, he is still very young. This is the advantage of the clan system. Unlike ninjas from ordinary backgrounds, he does not need to spend a lot of effort to cultivate his own team. He only needs to become the clan leader.
Actually, the rule that Konoha is home to three great clans is incorrect. The correct rule should be one clan with two lineages. The Senju Clan was targeted in the First World War, suffering heavy casualties and has yet to recover. This is why a collateral branch replaced the direct line in taking power. Subsequently, the Senju Clan's power structure shifted from a clan system to an alliance system. After all, the true Senju Clan has now declined, and in terms of numbers, it is probably even smaller than the newly established Huiyue Clan. From this perspective, the clan system is actually quite fragile.
However, one has to admire the Senju Clan's magnanimity; they managed to build an even more powerful Senju Clan lineage through their master-disciple relationship.
As a neutral clan leaning towards the Senju Clan faction, and also the strongest among them, the Hyuga clan didn't really have any ambitions Hyuga Clan the Senju Clan's dominance. The Senju Clan's strength was beyond the Hyuga Clan's ability to challenge; only the Uchiha Senju Clan. Even if he didn't admit it, Hyuga Hiashi knew in his heart that the Uchiha Clan was far stronger than the Hyuga Clan. Fortunately, while the Senju Clan clan suffered because of the war, the Uchiha didn't fare much better. In the Second and Third Shinobi World War, the Uchiha also lost many people, at least more than the Hyuga Clan.
" The Senju Clan have the Anbu, the Uchiha have the Police Force... Hmm, we Hyuga Clan don't have the resources right now. It would be great if we could control a department too."
Nine-year-old Hiashi's eyes gleamed with a strange light, but more than anything, they reflected a sense of helplessness.
While the Hyuga Clan possesses the immense advantage of having all members capable of activating bloodline limits, it's undeniable that the Byakugan, though ranked alongside the Sharingan as one of the Three Great Dojutsu, is primarily a support-type Dōjutsu. Furthermore, it suffers from the fatal weakness of being unable to utilize Ninjutsu. Therefore, Hyuga Clan ninjas are most effective in team battles; their effectiveness is significantly diminished in individual combat. Consequently, despite the Konoha Hyuga Clan, it's impossible for any single member to single-handedly control a division like the Senju Clan or Uchiha.
"Chief."
A member of the Hyuga Clan clan appeared beside him.
"The patriarch of the Huiyue Clan, Kagetsu Qi, has come to pay his respects."
"Please come quickly!"
Upon hearing this, Hiashi stood up.
"Don't be impolite; welcome the guest into the living room."
"Yes."
The tribesman bowed and left.
Hiashi first tidied his clothes before heading towards the living room.
"Although the elders are old and have lost their drive, their vision is indeed excellent. This child has finally become a local leader, which may really add weight to our families."
Ninja clans are not actually as glamorous as they seem. While Ninja Academy are often seen as a breeding ground for cannon fodder, they have also fostered the rise of the commoner ninja class. Today, the majority of the Konoha Ninja Army consists of commoner ninjas, and no one can ignore the influence of this group.
Namikaze Minato's high approval rating is also related to his background as a commoner ninja. Compared to those ninjas from powerful clans, this commoner master who was trained by the Senju Clan lineage is undoubtedly more approachable.
The commoner ninjas are currently the strongest force in the Senju Clan lineage, and based on this, their strength completely surpasses the combined strength of the many ninja clans in Konoha.
While maintaining neutrality, the Hyuga Clan outwardly favors the Senju Clan over the Uchiha. This isn't because they want to compete with the Uchiha —they wouldn't be that foolish—but simply because of the circumstances; the Hyuga Clan has to express goodwill towards the Senju Clan more often.
As he entered the living room, he saw Qi.
Even after becoming the clan leader, Qi still wore the same Konoha Jonin battle uniform. He sat there quietly, seemingly uninterested in the tea and snacks in front of him.
" Huiyue Clan, welcome to visit my Hyuga Clan."
A smile appeared on Hiashi's face as he sat down opposite Qi.
"How is the nobleman doing these days?"
"Thank you for your Hyuga Clan. Everything is fine."
Hearing Hiashi's polite remark, Qi also smiled.
"I am grateful for your help with the matter last time."
"Not at all. We are a bloodline family, where we share both glory and ruin. This is nothing. You've come to see me today, is there something you need?"
He waved his hand, and the other clansmen who were still in the living room left and closed the door.
"There is something I need to do, actually..."
Qi Yiran had a smile on her face, but her words seemed somewhat out of place with her expression.
"I'm here to be an enemy of the nobility."
"Oh..."
Hiashi's expression looked even more off, as if he had only heard a meaningless question like "Have you eaten today?"...
"I didn't expect it to be your family in this role. I thought it would be our Hyuga Clan."
"After all, I'm the most suitable, aren't I? On the contrary, it's not easy for nobles to change direction after all these years, is it?"
Qi chuckled.
"My life is much easier. As a member of the Senju Clan lineage, this approach will be very effective."
"You must be really busy today. You've come all this way, and you still have to go to the Uchiha and Senju Clan later."
Hiashi laughed heartily.
"But the timing is excellent. With so many people waiting for Feudal Lord of Fire's newly added resources, you can do whatever you want right now."
"There's nothing I can do; I became the clan leader after all."
Qi confirmed Hiashi's attitude, and Taiseki was lifted from his heart. He stared intently at Hiashi.
"So, how do we 'become enemies'?"
"That's easy."
Hiashi took a sip of tea.
Do you remember the girl from last time?
"Last time? The girl?"
Qi suddenly remembered something very bad.
"The conflict between two bloodline families is the most frustrating kind of issue, and as a half-blood, you know it all too well."
He gently rubbed the cup with his fingers, Hiashi revealed a very strange expression.
"Our clan possesses secret techniques that can absolutely ensure that our bloodline will not be lost. One type is for the dead, and the other is for the living."
He squinted.
"As the head of a clan, one cannot be without a woman. You understand what I mean. From this day forward, she is your woman. This is the best reason for our two clans to become enemies."
"Clan leader, it's not that I'm being disrespectful..."
Qi frowned slightly upon hearing this. Ogata had really hit the Ogata. The Hyuga Clan was quite despicable; they hadn't shown any signs of weakness. With things like this, the Senju Clan really wouldn't have a word to say...
But he still wanted to try his best, to fight for the chance to "marry an ordinary woman" in the future.
"I'd also like my people to intermarry, but wouldn't this kind of thing be inappropriate?"
"It's alright, it's not like you're getting married right now. You just need to act like that kind of relationship."
Hiashi, however, didn't seem to see any problem at all.
"After activating that technique, she can still use the Byakugan, but she absolutely cannot pass on the power of the Byakugan. This is to prevent us from going too far with our act and turning it into a real one."