Reporting
Three days passed quietly Hyuga Main Family searched through their family records for information about their family's origins.
Unfortunately, the time was too long ago, and there were many upheavals during that period. Many of the family's books were lost, and many records were dubious, more like myths than facts, making it impossible to restore the true appearance of a thousand years ago.
However, by combining the historical records and the account of the person from the moon, the Hyuga Clan could barely determine whether what he said was true or false.
This laid the foundation for cooperation.
Just as the Hyuga Clan was preparing to approach Yuto Otsutsuki again to discuss specific cooperation methods, Hizashi Hyuga secretly approached his elder brother Hiashi.
In the Reception Hall, Hizashi glanced left and right at the maids serving on both sides, his meaning self-evident.
Hiashi paused slightly while drinking tea, then put down the teacup and gently waved to the maid.
The maids, sensing the situation, quietly left the Reception Hall, leaving the two brothers sitting alone.
"Now you can speak, Hizashi. What did you want to see me about?"
Hizashi Hyuga a deep breath, quietly clenching his fists as if he had made some important decision, before cautiously speaking.
"Brother, have we had some special guests at home?"
Hyuga Hiashi's eyes suddenly sharpened, Byakugan he glared fiercely at his younger brother with his Byakugan.
The matter of Yuto Otsutsuki was an absolute secret. Apart from the elders, only a few maids in the clan knew of his existence. Even his own wife was unaware of it. So how did Hizashi find out?
At that moment, countless thoughts flashed through Hiashi's mind, even including whether the division of the Branch Family was a sinister plot.
"How did you find out? Using your Byakugan to look into the Main Family without permission is a serious offense, Hizashi!"
Hizashi bowed and explained sincerely, "Brother, please calm down. It wasn't that I intentionally investigated. In fact, a man named Yuto Otsutsuki came to see me late last night. I followed his trail and found out that he actually lives inside the Main Family compound. That's why I came here to confirm."
"What!"
This is even more intriguing than what Hizashi mentioned about the Main Family having guests.
Hiashi stood up, walked a few steps to the Reception Hall door, and instructed the guards in the distance, "No one is allowed to disturb us without my order."
After receiving an affirmative answer, Hiashi returned to his study. Still feeling uneasy, he formed a hand Hand Seals and set up a simple isolation Barrier.
Seeing his brother's actions, Hizashi had a guess in his mind. He remained still and waited for Hiashi to finish all his measures.
"Tell me everything he said to you, down to the smallest detail."
Hizashi nodded. This was his idea all along. It wasn't that he wasn't tempted; he had wavered before. But he knew that neither the current state of Konoha nor the other party's empty promises were enough to make that crazy idea a reality. So he decisively went to find his older brother to report this provocative act to the Hyuga.
Time ticked by, Hiashi's brow furrowed deeper and deeper as Hizashi recounted his story. He simply couldn't understand what gave Yuto Otsutsuki the audacity to sow discord right under the Hyuga's nose. How could he possibly look Hyuga and the current state of Konoha?
Yuto Otsutsuki —that messenger from the moon, how dare he do this!
Hizashi continued his narration, recounting without reservation the entire unexpected meeting of the previous night.
How did that man who called himself Yuto Otsutsuki appear in his courtyard like a ghost in the dead of night, and how did he, with his superior attitude, provoke the demon lurking in Hizashi's heart?
His words, each uttered, carried a deadly allure and a chilling provocation. "The shackles of the Caged Bird are not insurmountable before the power of my people—"
"You know nothing of the true power of the Byakugan; it is an eye comparable to the Rinnegan the Sage of Six Paths— "
"The existence of the Main Family has seriously hindered the development of the family; the Branch Family should rightfully take its place—"
At that Hizashi could almost hear the sound of his blood rushing through his veins; a throbbing sensation deep within his blood and an extreme yearning for freedom almost tore the dam of reason apart.
However, when Yuto's haughty, all-seeing eyes swept over him, a deeper chill instantly extinguished that burning delusion.
There was no warmth towards fellow human beings in those eyes, only a calculating look as if they were tools, a naked and chilling intent to exploit.
Everything the other party promised was like a castle in the air, without any foundation, and it carried the sinister intention of completely tearing the Hyuga Clan apart.
This is not salvation, but a deadly poison disguised as honey!
It was this bone-chilling cold that finally made him suppress all his turbulent emotions and choose the safest path to confess everything to the Main Family and his elder brother.
"What else did he mention?" Hiashi's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, a sound of humiliation from being mocked.
Hizashi took a deep breath and uttered the most provocative line. "He said that only by overthrowing the Main Family's rule and allowing all Hyuga clan members to return to their ancestral home on the moon" can they gain true power and liberation, and preserve the entire clan in the face of future threats from extraterrestrial enemies.
He emphasized the last four words.
"That's great!"
The tension in Hiashi's heart was almost about to snap.
This visitor from the moon is not simply seeking kinship or cooperation! His methods are extremely insidious; he bypasses the Main Family and intends to instigate the branch Branch Family to fundamentally dismantle the Hyuga Clan's power structure, and may even provoke a civil war!
His true intentions are obvious: he wants the entire Hyuga Clan to become vassals or even slaves of the "Moon Main Clan" he speaks of! As for the "enemy from beyond the heavens," whether it's real or fake, it's just an excuse he uses to intimidate and manipulate them!
An unprecedented, chilling rage, mixed with fear of an unknown and powerful enemy, swept over Hyuga Hiashi.
His pride as the head of the Main Family was brutally trampled upon, and the foundation that had sustained the Hyuga Clan for thousands of years was being shaken by a dark hand from beyond the heavens!
He suddenly stood up, his tall figure casting an imposing shadow in the dim light.
"Hizashi!" His voice was deep and solemn, tinged with appreciation and satisfaction. "You've done very well. Excellent! This matter is of great importance, far exceeding the scope of the Hyuga Clan's internal affairs. Go back immediately, act as if nothing happened, and especially, do not have any further contact with that person. The rest—"
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Leave it to the family—no, leave it to the village to handle!"
Hizashi the unprecedented solemnity and hidden determination in his brother's eyes, Rishima's last trace of unease caused by the betrayal vanished.
He bowed deeply. "Yes, elder brother! I will follow your arrangements."
He knew that his brother's mention of the "village" meant that the matter had been exposed to the world. He silently rose, bowed, and took his leave, his figure quickly disappearing outside the sliding door.
Inside the isolation Barrier, only Hyuga Hiashi remained.
He walked slowly, his pure white pupils sweeping over every familiar inch of the Reception Hall, those family crests and scrolls that symbolized the Hyuga's thousand-year heritage.
Yuto Otsutsuki's words were like venomous snakes, repeatedly gnawing at his mind.
Every word he uttered challenged his bottom line as the head of the Main Family, and even more so, it challenged the fundamental order upon the Hyuga Clan depended for its survival!
He walked to the window, his gaze piercing through the courtyard, as if he could see that arrogant visitor from the moon sitting calmly in that secluded courtyard.
What gives them the audacity to so brazenly try to turn the Branch Family against them? Is it the Byakugan power, far beyond the Hyuga's comprehension? Or is it the terrifying strength possessed by their so-called main Moon Clan, enough to crush the entire Hyuga and even Konoha?
"Power—from beyond the heavens—" Hiashi clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white.
Anger won't solve anything. The Hyuga Clan's prized Byakugan might just be no match for a true extraterrestrial visitor.
What about Konoha? Konoha has the Fourth Hokage, Taichi Matsushita, and other powerful figures. Surely they can handle a Byakugan clan?
He turned abruptly, walked into the inner room, and quickly changed into a more formal patriarchal robe. This matter required an agreement with the Great Elder.
Personal anger and the family's honor must give way to the survival of the entire clan in the face of potential annihilation!
Deep within the Hyuga Main Family, in the residence of the Great Elder, Hyuga Zongyan.
Hyuga Hiashi walked hurriedly without encountering any hindrance, and went straight to the door of the inner chamber where the Great Elder was meditating.
After a brief announcement, Hiashi pushed open the door and entered, a rich scent of sandalwood wafting towards him.
The room was dimly lit, with only an old oil lamp burning quietly on a low table in the center, illuminating the elderly man, Hyuga Zongyan, who sat cross-legged on a futon opposite him.
"Hiashi, what is the matter that is so urgent?" Great Elder Zongyan slowly opened his eyes, his pale gray eyes falling on Hiashi, calm and undisturbed, yet Hiashi felt an invisible pressure.
Without any pleasantries, Hiashi knelt down on the prayer mat opposite the Great Elder and went straight to the point, First Gate, Hizashi, Hiashi's astonishing statements about Yuto Otsutsuki's late-night defection, his instigation of the branch Branch Family's conflict, his promise to release the Caged Bird and return to the main family on the moon, as well as the other party's mention of "enemies from beyond the heavens."
He spoke at a steady pace, but each word was like a heavy stone thrown into a deep pool, stirring up silent, turbulent waves in the quiet room.
As Hiashi recounted the story, the Great Elder Hyuga Zongyan's face finally began to change.
At first, he was shocked, then his brows furrowed. When he heard "release the Caged Bird" and "the Main Family usurped a high position," his pale gray eyes suddenly flashed with a terrifying light, as if a sleeping lion had been completely enraged!
"Presumptuous!"
A deep, thunderous roar rolled from the Great Elder's throat, making the walls of the secret chamber seem to vibrate. His withered hand slammed down on the low table in front of him, and the solid wood tabletop silently dented into a clear handprint.
"This mere outsider, residing Hyuga my eaves, dares to spout such nonsense, sowing discord among our clans, slandering our ancestral rules, and attempting to overthrow the millennia-old foundation of our people! His heart is despicable! His actions deserve to be punished!"
The Great Elder's chest heaved slightly, clearly indicating his extreme anger. The Caged Bird Seal is the absolute cornerstone for maintaining the Hyuga's Branch Family system, protecting the Byakugan bloodline from being coveted, and safeguarding the family's survival!
Once this foundation is shaken, the entire Hyuga Clan will immediately fall into an irrecoverable bloody internal strife!
Yuto's actions were not merely rudeness or greed; they were a blatant attempt to sever the Hyuga's lifeline!
Hiashi waited quietly for the Great Elder's anger to subside before adding in a deep voice, "Great Elder, this person's actions are so reckless; his reliance must be extraordinary. Last night, he sneaked into Hizashi's residence, and none of our Main Family's numerous inner and outer Barrier and guards noticed!"
This person and the lunar forces behind him—their schemes and power are far beyond what our Hyuga Clan can contend with alone.
"An enemy from beyond the heavens—" The anger in Great Elder Zong Yan's eyes was gradually replaced by a deep sense of apprehension and solemnity.
He slowly withdrew his hand from the table, stared at the clear palm print, and fell into a long silence.
The oil lamp flame resumed its steady flickering, casting two large, swaying shadows on the wall.
The only sounds in the secret room were the faint crackling of burning sandalwood and the suppressed breathing of the two people.
Time seemed to stretch out for an eternity.
"Hiashi, your judgment is correct."
He let out a long sigh, filled with endless regret and a hint of pain. The sigh seemed to drain away a part of his energy, making him look even older.
"Ah—what a wonderful opportunity! If we could obtain the deep secrets of his Byakugan, it might help our clan's bloodline glimpse a higher realm—how hateful! How hateful is this Yuto Otsutsuki, arrogant, ignorant, greedy, and short-sighted!"
He has no concept of cooperation whatsoever; he only wants to treat me, Hyuga a slave to be exploited at will! His actions have completely severed any possibility of peaceful negotiation!
The Great Elder suddenly straightened his somewhat hunched back, a sharp light rekindling in his eyes. "This matter is no longer a private family affair! Report it to the Hokage immediately!"
He reported this person's background, words and deeds, especially his attempts to subvert the Branch Family and his mention of "extraterrestrial threats," in detail.
We beg the village—no, we beg the Hokage-sama to decide on this matter! The Hyuga Clan is ready to fully cooperate!
"Yes!" Hiashi felt Taiseki lifted from his shoulders and solemnly replied.
With the Great Elder's explicit support, his last concerns disappeared.
He stood up and bowed deeply to the Great Elder: "I will go to the Hokage Tower immediately!"
Hokage Building.
Hyuga Hiashi straightened his clothes and pushed open the heavy wooden door.
The Hokage's Office was brightly lit, and outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows was a bustling yet orderly view of the entire Konoha.
Behind the large desk, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, was writing furiously, with thick stacks of documents piled on the desks on either side.
Hearing the First Gate, he looked up, his face showing no signs of fatigue from work, but his deep, bright eyes instantly sharpened like an eagle's when he saw Hiashi's unusually solemn expression.
"Hiashi," Minato's voice was clear and bright, tinged with concern, "You look so hurried, what's the matter that's so urgent?"
"Sit down." He gestured to the chair opposite the desk.
"Hokage-sama!" Hiashi did not sit down immediately, but stood in front of the table and solemnly bowed to the Fourth Hokage, his movements meticulous.
He raised his head, his pure white eyes staring directly at the Fourth Hokage, and said clearly, word by word, "The Hyuga Clan is facing a major crisis! A person claiming to be from the moon, named 'Yuto Otsutsuki,' has come to visit as an envoy from a distant branch of our clan."
However, this person harbors treacherous intentions, and his words and actions have seriously threatened the very foundation of our clan's survival and may even endanger the safety of the village. We earnestly request the Hokage-sama's assistance in dealing with this person.
"Otsutsuki —the Moon—" Minato's fingers tightened around the pen, his knuckles turning slightly white. This was definitely not a surname the Hyuga Clan could casually utter, which meant—