Hyuga

After finishing his conversation with the Third, Jiraiya went to find Naruto, who was currently feeding Three-Color Dango from a box to Hinata.

Seeing Jiraiya return, Naruto said to him, "Yo, Pervy Sage, done with your business? Want a dango?"

Jiraiya looked at him speechlessly upon hearing that title; he had corrected him countless times, but Naruto still insisted on calling him Pervy Sage.

Resigned, he slowly tried to accept the nickname. "No, you two go ahead and eat."

After feeding Hinata another dango, Naruto said to her, "Hinata, this is Pervy Sage. He'll take us to your place in a bit to discuss with your father about you leaving Konoha."

Hinata didn't know Jiraiya. Hearing Naruto's words, she struggled with how to address him, feeling it wouldn't be very polite to call him Pervy Sage.

Jiraiya noticed Hinata's hesitation and spoke up, "My name is Jiraiya. I'm going to discuss taking you on as my apprentice with your father later, so you can just call me Teacher from now on."

Hinata quickly replied, "Thank you, Teacher Jiraiya."

Looking at the well-behaved Hinata and then at Naruto beside her, Jiraiya suppressed the urge to kick him.

He then waved his hand and led the two toward the Hyuga Clan Compound.

They soon arrived at the main gate of the Hyuga Clan Compound. The guards at the entrance saw that besides the young mistress and Naruto, there was also a tall, young-looking man, so they quickly stepped forward to ask, "Hello, may I ask who you are?"

Jiraiya looked at him and said, "My name is Jiraiya. Go inform your clan leader that I have come to visit him."

The guard was young and perhaps didn't recognize Jiraiya, so he said, "Please wait a moment."

He then pushed open the gate and went inside.

Jiraiya didn't get angry over such a small matter; he just stood there quietly waiting, while Naruto and Hinata stood behind him.

Before long, the gate opened again, and many people emerged. Leading them was none other than Hinata's father, Hyuga Hiashi.

The people following Hyuga Hiashi quickly stood in two rows after exiting the gate, while Hyuga Hiashi hurried toward Jiraiya.

Reaching Jiraiya, Hyuga Hiashi bowed respectfully, then straightened up and said with a smile, "Lord Jiraiya, it has been a long time. You are looking younger than ever."

Hinata, standing behind Jiraiya, was stunned by this scene. Her father, the leader of the Hyuga Clan, was usually a dignified and solemn man; this was the first time she had ever seen him smile, let alone act with such deference.

Hyuga Hiashi was so respectful to Jiraiya not just because of his strength and status.

As a Konoha ninja, he had also been on the battlefield in his youth. Counting it up, he and Namikaze Minato were of the same generation, and they had encountered danger on the battlefield several times, only to be saved by Jiraiya.

That was why Hyuga Hiashi was so respectful when he saw Jiraiya.

At this moment, Jiraiya patted his shoulder and said, "Hiashi, you are too polite. I came to see you today because I have something to discuss."

Hearing this, Hyuga Hiashi quickly said, "Please, Lord Jiraiya, let us go to the main hall to talk."

They walked in side-by-side, with Naruto and Hinata following behind them.

The Hyuga Clan occupied a vast area. Their clansmen lived within the compound, and the scenery inside was specially arranged.

Well-spaced pavilions, meticulously pruned greenery, and luxurious decorations all served to highlight their status as a major clan in Konoha.

Naruto, entering the Hyuga Clan Compound for the first time, couldn't help but exclaim at the sight, "So rich."

After passing through a corridor and turning to the right, they arrived at a large hall—the reception room where the Hyuga family usually entertained guests.

Seeing Jiraiya seated in the main seat at the front, Hyuga Hiashi sat down to his right.

After the maid served tea and was dismissed, and the doors were closed, only Naruto and Hinata remained in the hall with him and Jiraiya.

Only then did Hyuga Hiashi ask Jiraiya, "I wonder, Lord Jiraiya, what is it you wish to discuss with me?"

"I intend to take Hinata as my apprentice, so I came to ask for your opinion," Jiraiya replied with a chuckle.

Hearing this, Hyuga Hiashi quickly said, "It is Hinata's good fortune to be the apprentice of Lord Jiraiya; naturally, I have no objections."

"It's not just about taking her as an apprentice; I want to take her away from Konoha. That is what I need to discuss with you," Jiraiya continued.

Hearing this, Hyuga Hiashi frowned. If Jiraiya were only taking Hinata as an apprentice, he would have agreed without a second thought.

But taking Hinata away was a bit difficult. As members of the Main House of the Hyuga Clan, they were not branded with the Caged Bird Seal.

Other ninja villages were desperate to obtain the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan, especially the Cloud Village, which had even come to Konoha years ago to kidnap Hinata.

Fortunately, it was discovered early, and he had caught up with the Cloud Village ninjas in the forest not far outside the village. In his rage, he had killed the kidnappers on the spot.

This had led to his own brother taking his own life to appease the situation after the Land of Lightning applied pressure and Konoha wished to avoid war.

Now, hearing that Jiraiya wanted to take Hinata out of the village, he couldn't help but think of many things.

If the Byakugan of the Hyuga Main House were plundered, the secrets of the Hyuga Clan would be exposed.

Beyond that, Hyuga Hiashi was a man who valued family ties deeply.

According to the clan rules, the first child born to the clan leader belonged to the Main House, while any subsequent children were relegated to the Branch House. As members of the Branch House, they were branded with the Caged Bird Seal from birth to prevent the Byakugan from leaking out.

Hinata was nearly seven now, and Hanabi was nearly four, but neither had been branded with the Caged Bird Seal—a result Hyuga Hiashi had achieved only by bearing immense pressure.

But if Hinata were to leave the village now, the elders would certainly demand she be branded with the Caged Bird Seal, which was his greatest concern.

"Lord Jiraiya, if you want to take Hinata away, I'm afraid that is quite difficult. You should know the rules of the Hyuga Clan," Hyuga Hiashi said.

Jiraiya nodded and said, "I know them, of course. But Hiashi, as the leader of the Hyuga Clan, you should be aware of the origins of your clan, right?"

Hyuga Hiashi nodded to indicate he knew.

The Kekkei Genkai Byakugan, passed down through generations of the Hyuga Clan, originated from Kaguya Otsutsuki, the mother of the Sage of Six Paths, and they were the clan left on Earth by the Sage of Six Paths' brother, Hamura Otsutsuki.

Their true ancestral home is the moon, though as time passed, this fact was only passed down from the old clan head to the new one during the transition of power.

"Do you know the evolutionary path of the Byakugan within your Hyuga Clan?" Jiraiya continued to ask.

Hearing this, Hyuga Hiashi furrowed his brows even tighter; he only knew that the Hyuga Clan originated from the moon, but he was unaware that the Byakugan could evolve.

Seeing this, Jiraiya realized that Hyuga Hiashi was in the dark, so he continued, "The Byakugan has three evolutionary paths: the Rinnegan, the Tenseigan, and the Jōgan. These stem from the Otsutsuki Clan bloodline within you. Of course, the conditions to awaken such bloodlines are extremely harsh, requiring specific bloodline concentration and strength. This is the reason why no one in your Hyuga Clan Compound has been able to evolve their Byakugan for so many years."

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Hiashi said with a hint of excitement, "Does Jiraiya mean...?"

Jiraiya pointed at Hinata and said, "Hinata is very special. She should be the only one in your clan with white eyes and purple hair, right?"

Aside from Hinata, every member of the Hyuga Clan has white eyes and black hair. This is because, over time, the concentration of their bloodline has become increasingly diluted; one must know that the Otsutsuki Clan all possessed white hair.

Hyuga Hiashi then glanced at Hinata, already roughly grasping the reason why Jiraiya had said so much.

"Hinata should be the only person in the Hyuga Clan currently capable of evolving the Byakugan. As for which eye she might evolve into, even I cannot say for sure," Jiraiya said with a shrug.

At this moment, Hyuga Hiashi continued to ask, "Can Lord Jiraiya make Hinata's eyes evolve?"

Jiraiya nodded and said, "That is correct. This is the reason why I want to take Hinata away from the village. I believe you are also very clear about the current state of the Leaf."

The ninjas of the Hyuga Clan do not join the Anbu, do not join the Root, none serve in the upper echelons, and they do not participate in decision-making related to the village.

This is not only out of fear that the Byakugan might be leaked, but more importantly, because they have sensed the changes within the Leaf.

When Namikaze Minato served as the Fourth Hokage, he worked hard to bridge the gaps between the major clans of the village. When Hiruzen Sarutobi was in power, he vigorously weakened the influence of various clans in the Leaf. Basically, apart from the Ino-Shika-Cho, members of other families held no positions in any of the Leaf's power structures.

After Namikaze Minato took office, he not only mentored Shisui Uchiha but also had him join the Anbu; this was done to slowly alleviate the Uchiha Clan's dissatisfaction with the village.

Back then, Namikaze Minato would also consult with the heads of the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan regarding certain decisions.

However, after the Fourth Hokage died in battle and Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to power, the situation reverted to how it was before. The Uchiha Clan faced even more severe exclusion than before, and various policies targeting them were slowly implemented.

Perhaps because they were too close to the situation to see it clearly, the Uchiha Clan remained oblivious, continuing to act as they pleased.

As for Hyuga Hiashi, upon sensing the changes, he immediately recalled the Hyuga ninjas from various institutions, ordering them to resign from their current positions as quickly as possible.

Reflecting on the events that occurred in the village since Hiruzen Sarutobi became Hokage—the near-extermination of the Senju Clan, the death of almost all of the Eight Colors of the Leaf, and so on—Hyuga Hiashi had an epiphany. He hurriedly constrained his clansmen, urging everyone to keep a low profile, which caused their clan's presence to slowly fade from the impressions of others.

This is the reason why the Hyuga Clan has such a low profile in the Leaf.

Subsequently, Jiraiya looked at Naruto Uzumaki, who quickly formed hand seals and set up an isolation barrier in the hall.

Seeing Naruto Uzumaki nod to indicate that there were no issues, Jiraiya looked at Hyuga Hiashi and said seriously, "The content of the following conversation must only be known to you and Hinata; it must not reach the ears of a third person."

Seeing how serious Jiraiya was, Hyuga Hiashi replied solemnly, "Rest assured, Lord Jiraiya, the information will never be leaked."

Naruto: Starting with Asura Chakra by Ti Ta.