Loyalty is not absolute, it is absolutely disloyal

The elders of the Hyuga Clan thought their discussions were discreet, little knowing that the reorganized Anbu of Konoha was no longer a mere display.

Every word they spoke and every shift in their expressions was captured by the Anbu and promptly reported to Uchiha Yoru.

Upon hearing the intelligence, the corners of Uchiha Yoru's mouth curled upward, revealing a cold, meaningful sneer.

Originally, out of respect for Hyuga Hiashi's sensibility, he had disregarded the Hyuga Clan's decaying system of main and branch families. Yet, who could have imagined that these old fossils would actively throw themselves into the path of death?

He leaned back casually in his chair, fingers tapping rhythmically against the desk, his tone mocking:

"Hyuga Hiashi, those old antiques in your clan... isn't it time to deal with them?"

The air froze instantly.

Hyuga Hiashi's spine felt as if it had been struck by lightning, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

He understood the subtext of Uchiha Yoru's words perfectly—the Hokage could tolerate the existence of the Hyuga Clan, but he would never tolerate a Hyuga Clan that harbored ulterior motives.

His mind raced, desperately trying to find a compromise that could both preserve the Hyuga Clan and appease Uchiha Yoru.

However, under that irresistible pressure, his throat felt as if it were being throttled, and he could not force out a single word.

In the end, he could only speak stiffly: "Lord Hokage, this..."

"The 'Caged Bird' seal of the Hyuga Clan clearly does not align with the 'Will of Fire' of our Konoha."

Uchiha Yoru interrupted him indifferently.

"This system was originally intended to protect the Byakugan, but it has completely deteriorated into shackles for enslaving the branch family."

"Konoha does not need, and will not allow, such a thing to continue existing."

He leaned forward slightly, reached out, and patted Hyuga Hiashi on the shoulder, his tone as casual as if he were chatting with a close friend.

"I am a reasonable man," Uchiha Yoru said with a smile. "So, I will give you two choices—"

"First, you personally purge those old relics, and I will send men to assist you, followed by the removal of the Caged Bird."

"Second, I will help you clean up the stubborn remnants of the Hyuga Clan, and incidentally... remove the Caged Bird as well."

"How do you choose?"

The words were spoken lightly, yet they sounded like the whisper of the Grim Reaper, causing Hyuga Hiashi's heart to sink violently.

Whether he removed the "Caged Bird" or personally executed the clan elders, he was bound to face fierce backlash from the rest of the main family and might even be ostracized by the entire Hyuga Clan.

However, he knew even better that if Uchiha Yoru were to take action himself, the "Hyuga Clan" would likely cease to exist from this day forward.

He thought of his younger brother, the tragedy he had been powerless to prevent, and the deep-seated rot that plagued the Hyuga Clan...

Finally, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, his gaze was resolute.

"Lord Hokage, I choose the first option... I will deal with those people myself."

His voice was not loud, but it carried a sense of finality.

Uchiha Yoru smiled slightly, looking at him with a meaningful gaze, and nodded slowly.

Then, he turned his head slowly, his gaze sweeping over the other clan leaders present.

These former heads of powerful families all lowered their heads involuntarily, their expressions anxious, cold sweat dripping down their foreheads.

"You all know that I am a reasonable man."

Uchiha Yoru's voice was not loud, yet it boomed like thunder in everyone's ears.

"Here, loyalty is the most important thing."

"If loyalty is not absolute, then it is absolutely not loyalty."

"I hope others will take this as a warning."

Once the words fell, the hall descended into a deathly silence.

The clan leaders felt heavy-hearted, yet they were also filled with confusion.

They had expected Uchiha Yoru to take this opportunity to discuss matters of declaring war abroad, but unexpectedly, he did not mention a single word about it.

Could it be that the Hokage was merely trying to intimidate the other clans of Konoha?

The crowd was filled with doubts, but feeling helpless, they could only depart with heavy hearts.

Uchiha Yoru stood by the window, his gaze calm, as if he had already foreseen everything.

Just as he had said, what he required were subordinates who were single-minded and completely loyal.

For now, the future situation of Konoha was set, and the battle for the entire Ninja World was about to begin, but before that, he had to clear out the wavering turncoats within Konoha.

In the evening, at the Hyuga Clan compound.

Hyuga Hiashi returned to his clan and summoned the elders of the main family for a meeting. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke:

"From today on, the 'Caged Bird' system is abolished."

As soon as the words left his lips, the entire conference room fell into a deathly silence.

Immediately, a wave of fierce protests erupted. The elders glared at him, and several elderly men slammed their hands on the table, angrily demanding: "Hiashi! Have you lost your mind?"

But Hyuga Hiashi did not waver in the slightest. He lowered his head, took a deep breath, and slowly looked up, his eyes flashing with firm determination.

"The Hokage has said—"

"If loyalty is not absolute, then it is absolutely not loyalty."

"If you do not agree, then do not blame me for being ruthless."

As soon as these words fell, the main hall of the clan erupted in an uproar, with several elders even shouting in anger on the spot, but facing the resolute gaze of Hyuga Hiashi, they knew that everything could no longer be changed.

Night fell, and the sounds of disputes and roars from the Hyuga Clan echoed in the air; however, beneath this chaos, blood had already quietly seeped into this ancient land.

The next morning, Hyuga Hiashi walked into the Hokage office with heavy steps, carrying a trace of exhaustion.

When he saw Uchiha Yoru, he immediately bowed respectfully, his tone steady but filled with a hint of excitement:

"Lord Hokage, this subordinate has not failed his mission; all dissenters have been purged."

Although his face was etched with fatigue, the light in his eyes was exceptionally bright—last night, all the main branch elders who opposed him had vanished, and the loyalty of the remaining branch family members toward him had reached an unprecedented height.

What comforted Hyuga Hiashi even more was that his own nephew, the son of his late brother Hizashi Hyuga—Neji Hyuga—had also undergone a significant shift in attitude toward his uncle.

The coldness and alienation of the past had now been replaced by deep respect and support.

All of this seemed to signal that Hyuga Hiashi had finally grasped the lifeblood of the clan, and the Hyuga Clan would never again repeat the same mistakes or suffer the irreparable tragedies of the past. His heart was filled with unprecedented determination and conviction.

And all these changes were precisely because of the support of the Fifth Hokage—Uchiha Yoru.

Thinking of this, Hyuga Hiashi's admiration for the Hokage deepened; he knew well that without the push from Uchiha Yoru behind the scenes, the fate of the Hyuga Clan might still be lingering on the edge of darkness.

After hearing the report, Uchiha Yoru nodded slightly, offered a few calm words of encouragement to Hyuga Hiashi, and signaled for him to withdraw.

Afterward, he slowly left the Hokage Building, passed through the bustle of Konoha, and arrived at a secluded corner of the Uchiha compound.

At this moment, the figure of the Nine-Tails appeared in his sight, clearly having been waiting here for a long time.

A smile appeared on the corner of Uchiha Yoru's mouth; since there was a war to be fought, how could he be without a Tailed Beast-grade power bank?

He leaped lightly, landing instantly on top of the Nine-Tails' head.

The next instant, he saw a woman appear in front of them.

"Brat, did you kill Jiraiya?"