Family Meeting

"Of course I do! Brother Shinichi, you haven't come to see Kaede in such a long time."

Hyuga Kaede replied in a milky, childish voice while nestled in Hyuga Shinichi's arms, then tightened her grip around his neck.

This little girl, Hyuga Kaede, was the daughter of Branch House head Hyuga Nikku; she was four years his junior and had been born during the time he had left the clan to apprentice under his master.

Hyuga Shinichi carried Hyuga Kaede, chatting idly with her as he walked toward the clan's main hall.

He had barely taken a few steps when he saw a group of people running toward him from ahead. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were all young children, each face a familiar sight.

Presumably, these children had heard Hyuga Kaede's earlier shout and had rushed over to see what was happening.

When they saw Hyuga Shinichi appearing before them with Hyuga Kaede in his arms, joyful smiles immediately bloomed on their faces, and they swarmed around him in a flurry.

The boys kept calling out.

"Brother Shinichi! Brother Shinichi!"

Their voices rose and fell, filled with enthusiasm and affection.

The girls, meanwhile, cast their gazes toward Hyuga Kaede in Hyuga Shinichi's arms, clamoring for Brother Shinichi to hold them as well.

Faced with this situation, Hyuga Shinichi could only smile as he set Hyuga Kaede down, then proceeded to lift and hug the children one by one.

Seeing the boys nearby who were equally eager to be lifted and hugged, Hyuga Shinichi did not ignore them, instead picking them up in turn to bestow the same affection.

There were twelve children in total, so completing this process took some time.

However, during this brief interaction, every child was grinning from ear to ear, their laughter echoing through the air.

For Hyuga Shinichi, this made him deeply feel the warm camaraderie among clan members, and it stirred a profound sense of happiness within his heart.

As he neared the clan meeting room, Hyuga Shinichi's pace slowed until he finally stopped. He leaned down slightly and spoke softly to the group of little ones trailing behind him.

"You all go play by yourselves for now. Brother has some things to attend to, but I'll cook you some delicious food later as compensation."

Every time he returned to the clan, a grand banquet would be held, and whenever that happened, he would always volunteer to prepare a few of his signature dishes for everyone.

These adorable children had all tasted Shinichi's cooking, and without exception, they were his die-hard fans.

Upon hearing that Brother Shinichi would be cooking delicacies later, they cheered with joy, and after bidding him farewell, they held hands and went off to play together.

Hyuga Shinichi stood in the corridor, watching the children scamper away in high spirits, and could not help but reveal a doting smile.

He turned and stepped into the meeting room.

Upon entering, he saw the Main House head, Hyuga Nimitsu, in the seat of honor, with Branch House head Hyuga Nikku sitting beside him.

Seated on both sides below were the elders, and at the very end sat the brothers Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga.

When Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga saw Hyuga Shinichi, they both revealed delighted smiles.

"Shinichi, you're finally back. We thought you had forgotten about us."

Hyuga Hiashi said.

"Hahahaha, sorry about that, Hiashi-bro. I've been so busy lately that it slipped my mind."

After Hyuga Shinichi finished speaking, he greeted everyone in the room. Seeing both heads of the house and the other elders present, he wasn't narcissistic enough to think they were all there just to welcome him; they were likely there to discuss that specific matter with him.

At this moment, Hyuga Nimitsu, in the seat of honor, spoke up.

"Shinichi, your arrival happens to coincide with our meeting. The content of this meeting concerns you as well—it's about the cooperation with the Inuzuka Clan and the Aburame Clan."

Hmm, just as expected, it was because of this! Back then, this matter had caused quite a stir, with all three clans taking action.

Even the Hokage had been alarmed. After learning the specifics, Sarutobi Hiruzen had been unable to sit still.

With such a powerful lineup, whether it was gathering intelligence or tracking enemies, everything would become effortless.

However, getting the three clans to successfully cultivate the next generation of the Eye-Nose-Ear Squad was no easy task.

Relatively speaking, the Hyuga Clan was doing quite well; they only needed to select those with high Byakugan talent. The real difficulty lay with the Inuzuka Clan and the Aburame Clan.

The Inuzuka Clan needed to expend special medicinal herbs and utilize clan secret techniques over a long period to effectively train the sensitivity of their noses.

As for the Aburame Clan's Sound-Stealing Bug, it was even harder to cultivate successfully; the success rate was basically extremely low, and very few survived.

Thinking about it now, it still felt incredible. He really didn't know how that guy Aburame Tomohiro had managed it; perhaps it could only be explained by sheer luck.

Therefore, up until now, the Eye-Nose-Ear Squad consisted only of his own team—himself, Inuzuka Gai, and Aburame Tomohiro—and the next team of members had yet to complete their training and selection.

This meeting was being held precisely to select new recruits and prepare for the cultivation of new "eyes."

Hyuga Shinichi looked at the list in his hand, finished reading the information, and spoke.

"Lord Head, can the people on this list be brought in for me to see? Paper information alone isn't enough."

"Hmm, bring them in!"

After Hyuga Nimitsu called out, the side door of the meeting room slowly opened, and two children were led in by guards.

Their innocent faces revealed a hint of curiosity and timidity, and they clutched their respective toys tightly in their hands.

Hyuga Shinichi walked slowly toward the two children, crouched down, and carefully examined the two little ones.

The document in his hand stated that the two were twins and had just turned two years old.

After soothing the two children, Hyuga Shinichi activated his Byakugan, intending to check their physical condition.

Ever since receiving the blessing of Hamura Otsutsuki, the Byakugan abilities of Hyuga Shinichi had improved significantly; he could now perceive the subtle conditions within the human body with far greater clarity.

It was precisely because of this that he had proactively offered to assist Namikaze Minato in fusing the Kekkei Genkai. Relying on this keen observational power, he could detect any minute issues or abnormalities and immediately call a halt the moment they arose.

Turning his attention back to the two children, Hyuga Shinichi focused his Byakugan with total concentration, observing their physical conditions one by one.

It did not take long for him to discover that both children possessed exceptional constitutions, making them excellent candidates for practicing the Gentle Fist.

"Clan Head, these two children are both quite impressive."

Hyuga Shinichi turned his head to look at Hyuga Nimitsu, who sat in the seat of honor.

"Even if they fail to form the Eye-Nose-Ear Squad, with proper cultivation, they will still become the backbone of the Hyuga Clan."

Hyuga Nimitsu did not question this, expressing his agreement with Hyuga Shinichi's assessment.

Following this, they began to discuss the training plans for the two children, with Hyuga Shinichi further praising their robust physiques and potential for the Gentle Fist.

After a pleasant exchange, it was decided that two elders would be assigned to instruct them individually.

These two elders were no simple figures; they had learned the Taiji Fist with remarkable speed, and among all the elders, they were the most skilled in the Gentle Fist.

Once all the details had been arranged, the meeting finally concluded successfully.