The system said it would upgrade based on his spending, but he didn't have much left to buy. He'd already won everything worth buying in the lottery. He still had two top-quality Chakra Fruits in his System Space, too.
Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye.
The Land of Lightning's delegation arrived in Konoha.
On the surface, they were there to sign a peace treaty. In reality, they were testing Konoha and the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan.
Hise sat atop a building, watching the delegation's convoy slowly enter Konoha. Once they had all passed into the village, he left and headed to the Hyuga Clan.
Not long after he arrived in Konoha, the village's ninja clans investigated his identity. It was no wonder: he had held off the Nine-Tails during the Nine-Tails Incident, giving them a moment to breathe and easing the pressure on them. Otherwise, the casualties would have been devastating. None of them knew whether they might die at the Nine-Tails' hands, and his appearance had saved many lives.
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't stop them from investigating. He even let a few details slip, making Hise fairly well known among the Konoha Ninja.
The clans learned that, in addition to being Madara Uchiha's grandson, he was a descendant of the Senju and Uchiha clans who had been lost to the outside world. His elders had poor relations with the Uchiha, though, which secretly delighted the other clans. After all, no one wanted the gap between themselves and the others to grow too wide. Hise's joining would give the Uchiha a major combat asset.
But I digress.
Not long after Hise arrived in Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi had suggested that he get to know the Hyuga Clan.
Hise stood with Tsunade, who stood with Hiruzen Sarutobi. In a sense, that meant Hise stood with Hiruzen Sarutobi, too. So if he reached out to the Hyuga and built a good relationship with them, it would benefit both him and Hise. The Hyuga Clan would also gain a powerful genius. In the future, anyone eyeing the Byakugan would think twice about whether they could withstand Hise's wrath.
Hiruzen Sarutobi believed that as Madara Uchiha's descendant, Hise wouldn't stay out of the spotlight. Someone who possessed two of the Ninja World's most renowned Kekkei Genkai, Wood Release and the Mangekyō Sharingan, wouldn't remain unknown for long.
Hise followed his advice and approached the Hyuga Clan. When Hiashi Hyuga, the clan head, heard who he was, he was stunned. Hadn't Hise been a descendant of the Senju and Uchiha? How had he become a descendant of the Hyuga Clan?
After Hise explained, Hiashi Hyuga understood. Hise was a descendant of his great-uncle, Hien Hyuga.
His grandfather had been the second son. He should have been marked with the Caged Bird Seal.
The seal had been created during the Warring States Period to prevent the Byakugan from falling into outsiders' hands. The Main Branch rarely went to the battlefield; instead, they stayed behind at their stronghold, directing operations and making plans.
Hien Hyuga doted on his younger brother, Hifang Hyuga. When his brother reached the age to receive the Caged Bird Seal, Hien left home and fled far beyond the Hyuga Clan's territory.
On the way, he came across Suijing Uzumaki, badly wounded and pinned beneath a pile of corpses.
Back then, Hien Hyuga had disguised himself so no one would recognize him, carving several scars into his face.
His fierce appearance nearly led to a misunderstanding.
Hien treated her wounds, and as they spent time together, they fell in love and married. Suijing had already gone to war despite her misgivings. Left behind on the battlefield, she fled to a sparsely populated place, where they settled down and had a daughter: Hise's mother, Nana Uzumaki.
Just before his mother came of age, Hien Hyuga passed away. Not long afterward, Suijing Uzumaki wasted away from longing and died a few years later.
Later, Nana met a man whose fate resembled her own: Sakuragi Ping, or rather, Uchiha Ping.
Madara Uchiha still had plans to carry out in the Ninja World, and he had less and less time to spend with them. As time passed, many of the old injuries in his body began to act up.
By the time the child was ten, Madara Uchiha hadn't visited them in two years.
Sakuragi Ri also wasted away from longing and passed away.
And after Hise's father was killed, his mother also wasted away from longing and died.
After hearing Hise's story, Hiashi Hyuga understood his past. The boy could be considered a younger brother to him and Hizashi. If it hadn't been for the boy's grandfather—his own great-uncle, Hien Hyuga—leaving home, he himself would never have become part of the Main Branch. He would have been marked with the Caged Bird Seal.
After they talked for a while, the Hyuga elders left. They had the sense not to suggest that Hise join the Hyuga Clan as a member of the Main Branch. As for joining the Branch Family, he'd have to be out of his mind.
Hiashi Hyuga called Hizashi over, and the three of them talked at length. Over time, they grew closer. After Hinata Hyuga, Konoha's princess, was born, Hise often visited his little niece. Thinking about how long Hinata would have to wait in the future, he couldn't help feeling sorry for her. Naruto chased Sasuke for an entire Shippuden, while Hinata chased Naruto for the whole of Naruto. Sigh, I should help her out. One's my adopted son, and the other's my niece. Why not let them spend more time together?
"Hey, isn't that Hise? What brings you to see your big brother?"
A rare smile appeared on Hiashi Hyuga's usually stern face.
Although Hise was still called Uchiha Hise, he had, in name, become part of the Hyuga Clan. Whenever he visited, he made time to guide the clan's younger generation.
Hise had also taught them Taijiquan, Bajiquan, the Flick Finger Technique, Pressure Point Strike, and other martial arts, demonstrating each technique and instructing them personally. Hiashi Hyuga had learned from him, too, and benefited greatly, especially from Taiji and Pressure Point Strike.
By blending Taiji with it, the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist had reached a new level. Pressure Point Strike was also different from the Hyuga Clan's own pressure-point techniques. The Hyuga Clan's version restricted the flow of chakra, preventing the opponent from using it. Hise's technique directly restricted the body's movement. Even if it could only hold a Chunin or Jonin for about three minutes, that was enough time for even a fresh Ninja Academy graduate to kill them.
With the Byakugan and both methods of striking pressure points, the Hyuga ninja had become far more formidable.
This made Hiashi Hyuga so happy that he wished he could bring Hise home, but there was nothing he could do if Hise didn't agree.
"Hahahaha! I just missed you a little, big brother. Hahaha!"
"You missed your little niece, didn't you? Whenever you visit, you spend most of your time playing with her. I'm a little worried you'll spoil her. She's a member of the Main Branch, after all, and will inherit the clan. Without enough strength, how will she keep the Branch Family in line? The Caged Bird Seal can control them, but we can't afford to let our guard down."
"Ah, Senior Hiashi, the Caged Bird Seal should be abolished. I don't believe you haven't thought about it yourself. After all, who could watch their own younger brother suffer while they enjoy a comfortable life?"
Hiashi Hyuga fell silent.
He had thought about it, but it wasn't just the Main Branch that opposed the idea. Some members of the Branch Family did, too. It concerned the clan's inheritance, and some in the Branch Family had no resentment about being marked with the Caged Bird Seal. As long as the clan and its traditions remained intact, they wanted nothing more. Unless something unusual happened, they didn't deliberately provoke the Main Branch. As long as they received their usual treatment and didn't break the clan's rules, the Main Branch treated them quite well.
Before you continue