Change

Footsteps echoed against the bluestone, and as the gates of the inner courtyard were gently pulled shut by the last person to leave, the members of the Branch House finally departed. Today's events had, for the moment, come to an end... at least for now.

The crowd did not immediately disperse. Instead, they remained tethered together by some invisible magnetic force. Even though they hailed from different dojos and courtyards, and some still had unfinished duties to the Main House, they lingered under the scorching sun, their silent shadows clustered together. No one spoke loudly, and no one seemed to know where the crowd was headed.

A strange, viscous silence permeated the air. Each person wore a mask, rigidly maintaining a facade of calm, but their eyes no longer held the suppressed numbness or hidden resentment they had arrived with; instead, complex whirlpools churned within them.

The deep bow from Hyuga Hiashi, which seemed to carry the weight of Thousand Jun, had indeed suppressed the day's turmoil, but the ripples in people's hearts were far from settled.

"That boy..." an old woman in the crowd finally broke the silence, her voice aged and slow, "his name is Uzumaki Naruto, correct?"

As she spoke the name, the heavy atmosphere among the crowd seemed to be punctured, letting in a breath of lighter air. Many recalled the ugly display Hyuga Rokkaku had made earlier, and a young member stifled a laugh as he replied:

"Yes, Grandma Hyuga Unten, his name is Uzumaki Naruto."

"Oh..."

Hyuga Unten responded, her expression dazed, as if her thoughts were sluggish with age. Yet, not a single Branch House member showed impatience; no one interrupted, all waiting respectfully for whatever she might say next.

Hyuga Unten was one of the oldest elders in the Branch House, possessing deep seniority and earning great respect.

In her youth, she had been incredibly fierce, serving as a gang leader for a time. Her favorite thing to do was to recruit underlings and protect them—regardless of whether they wanted it or not. Once she had her eye on you, you belonged to her protection.

From Gentle Fist guidance to psychological issues... she would spare no effort to help with even the most trivial life problems. Consequently, many of the three generations of Branch House members beneath her had, voluntarily or otherwise, received her aid.

There were even stories of a few stubborn fellows who had refused her "kindness," only to be beaten into submission until they were willing, obedient, and grateful... though those were stories from her younger days.

And those few stubborn fellows, who might have initially yielded only out of fear of her might, all grew up to change their tune, calling Hyuga Unten "Mother" without exception.

In truth, this was not strange, as most of those stubborn fellows had lost both parents, while Hyuga Unten's own husband and children had perished long ago during the Second Great Ninja War.

In a sense, Hyuga Unten was the mother with the most children in the Hyuga Clan. Every holiday, her courtyard was the liveliest, with a group of burly men in their forties and fifties competing to let her ride on their backs like a horse.

Because of her lifelong deeds, she held immense prestige and respect within the Hyuga Branch House, and even the Main House. After all, it wasn't as if there hadn't been an incident where some blind, unruly brat was disrespectful to her, only to be bagged and beaten to a pulp by several adults in the middle of the night...

Oh, right, that brat was from the Main House, but because there was no evidence and the repercussions would have been too widespread, Hyuga Hiashi had eventually suppressed the matter. From then on, the respect the Hyuga clansmen held for her expanded from the spiritual to the physical realm.

"When the First Hokage founded Konoha and the Hyuga Clan defected to him."

After a long silence, Hyuga Unten finally spoke.

"My father once met with him in private, begging him to intervene and change the Hyuga Clan's Caged Bird system... I had just been born then."

Hyuga Unten spoke nonchalantly, but the Branch House members were all left dumbfounded, as if struck in the heart by a giant hammer. This had actually happened? Was her fierce nature inherited from her father? Was her father really that brave?

One had to remember that the Warring States period had only just ended, and social customs were still quite primitive; crimes were usually punished by the amputation of limbs. If her father's actions had been discovered, he would have undoubtedly been beheaded by the Main House!

But Hyuga Unten did not seem to think it was a big deal, continuing to speak to herself:

"Father said the First Hokage seemed moved by his words, but he was dissuaded by his younger brother, so he ultimately refused... I've forgotten the reason for the refusal, and it doesn't matter. Fortunately, those two Hokage had the magnanimity not to inform the Main House, allowing me to grow up safely."

"Then, when the Third took office, my father went to find him in secret. Unsurprisingly, he was refused as well, though the Third promised to keep my father's secret... but not long after, my father, a mere Chunin, was assigned by the clan to an S-rank mission and died."

"Later, when the Second Great Ninja War broke out, our family was sent to the most dangerous front lines. My husband died, and I should have died too, but my son gave me a kick and sent me flying." She paused, a strange light flashing in her clouded eyes. "Heh, he's my flesh and blood, alright. The damn brat even dared to kick his own mother. So I lived, but my son died."

"..."

"..."

Hyuga Unten's voice was not loud, carrying the hoarseness and drift peculiar to the elderly, but every word fell like a heavy lead block, crashing into everyone's ears.

The air seemed to solidify, and the thin, happy atmosphere brought on by the memory of Uzumaki Naruto was instantly crushed to dust.

But she kept speaking, giving no one room to interrupt, her aged voice remaining calm:

"When the Fourth took office, since my father was dead, it was my turn to find the Fourth... and he said he would consider it... he wanted to change things."

For the first time, Hyuga Unten's tone wavered.

"But before he could do anything, he died."

"...So young, and he died just like that..."

Hyuga Unten looked up at the sky. Today was cloudless, and there was nothing in the heavens; even the birds that were usually seen were nowhere to be found... What was going on? Wasn't this the time you birds were supposed to make an appearance?

"Grandma Unten..."

A young Branch House woman with reddened eyes stepped forward, wanting to support her, but was stopped by a wave of her hand.

She turned her head slowly, her gaze sweeping bit by bit over every strained face, passing over their clenched teeth, their covered foreheads, and the pale Byakugan that seemed to hold something new in their depths.

"I am not saying these things to preach some grand principle; I am merely stating a fact," she said in a low voice. "Sixty-four years since the founding of Konoha, every inch of this land has been soaked in the blood of our Branch House, yet everyone has turned a blind eye to us. No one has ever spoken a single word for us—even when what we endure is something they themselves would never accept, they have remained silent, only wanting to maintain the status quo."

"Until today."

"That boy named Uzumaki Naruto... he came."

At this, Hyuga Unten actually chuckled:

"He is truly like his father."

"Do you believe me? From now on, the treatment of our Branch House will improve, and the Main House will become much easier to talk to."

"But don't you dare think this is the Main House changing out of the goodness of their hearts... they are just afraid! Because Uzumaki Naruto came today, and the things he said are their greatest fear!"

"Whether he meant it or not, whether he spoke so boldly only out of loyalty to his comrades, the result is that he is the only person in Konoha in over sixty years to stand up and speak for us!"

"You all know me. I have always believed that, damn it, a person must have integrity."

In a daze, the young Hyuga Unten seemed to return for a moment. She rotated her neck, her dry bones emitting a clicking sound. Everyone looked at each other; this was clearly the standard warm-up before a street fight. They just didn't know who the old lady planned to beat up next. Was she actually going to do it herself?

"Since we have accepted his favor, we must acknowledge it."

"So, if he ever finds himself in trouble in the future, my old bones may lack the strength to act, but you—you must help him."

Hyuga Unten's gaze was like a torch, sweeping across the crowd. Though she leaned on a cane, she stood with the imposing air of a warrior guarding a bridge, looking very much like she would sack anyone who dared to disagree.

"Who approves? Who opposes?"

Oh, so she just wants to beat us up, that's fine then... The members of the branch family let out long sighs of relief and hurriedly nodded in succession. Of course, they had harbored such intentions in their hearts all along; Hyuga Unten had simply brought them to light, making everyone's resolve clearer and more defined, ensuring it wouldn't quietly fade away as time passed.

"Fourth Hokage."

Seeing no opposition, Hyuga Unten silently whispered in her heart.

"Since he is your son, then we of the branch family will place our bets on him. Surely... that cannot be wrong."

"...But, one cannot always think of relying solely on others."

"A person is born with two legs... so that they may stand up for themselves."

Hyuga Unten said in a deep voice:

"Just a moment ago, I was thinking that apart from Naruto, the others in Konoha turn a blind eye and remain silent toward the suffering of our branch family. Perhaps that is normal, and we have no right to blame them... After all, haven't we ourselves been playing deaf and dumb, acting like ostriches, whitewashing the peace for the main family?"

Her voice no longer seemed aged; the haughty spirit eroded by the years and past events seemed to reappear in this moment. She grinned, looking like the former gang leader returning to the fray.

The next moment, she suddenly reached up, tore off the headband she had never once removed, and threw it fiercely to the ground!

"Since the main family dares to brand us with the [Caged Bird], then we shall leave them no face! Let the outsiders see it clearly!!"

The blue, slanted swastika curse mark was revealed hideously on her wrinkled forehead. Her fingers jabbed forcefully into the center of the seal, her nails nearly piercing the skin, drawing blood!

"This has never been the shame of our branch family! Because we have shed so much blood for Konoha, our branch family has never had a clear conscience! Let our classmates, friends, and teammates see this clearly; let them see how the main family treats us! Let the people of other villages mock us to their hearts' content; let them see that this is how Konoha treats its own comrades!"

"This [Caged Bird] is their shame, not ours!"

Having said this, Hyuga Unten cast aside her cane and strode toward the exit of the Hyuga clan grounds.

"Screw it, cursing feels good. It's hot enough in the summer as it is, this old lady isn't covering it up anymore!"

--From then on.

In the time that followed, more and more members of the Hyuga branch family gradually stopped using headbands or ribbons to cover their foreheads. The [Caged Bird] they displayed so brazenly became like silent accusations, drawing the gazes and questions of many who were unaware of the truth. From that point on, a wave of dissatisfaction and questioning toward the Hyuga main family began to quietly gather within Konoha.

Of course, that is a story for another time.