Chapter 15

The Hyuga clan's compound is located within the small Land of Fields, wedged between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire. Like the Uchiha, the clansmen live in a concentrated settlement, strictly divided into a Main House and a Branch House. The Uchiha consolidate their power and lead the clan by establishing a Main House based on the rate of eye-awakening and seniority; the Hyuga's Byakugan requires no awakening, so they rely solely on seniority, with their ancestors having established the "Caged Bird" seal to restrict the strength of the Branch House.

Ancient, physically formidable, and obsessed with hierarchy, the clan carries the same rigor and rigidity typical of old families. This is the impression most people have of the Hyuga.

The buildings in the compound are centuries old, a uniform collection of low, flat Japanese-style rooms integrated into an orderly settlement. Deep green plants cling densely to the dark brown bases of the exterior walls. Copper bells hang from the wooden eaves, their dark yellow shells slightly tarnished with verdigris; they always hang silently, and even when they do chime, the sound is muffled. Looking up, one sees a sky half-obscured by the low eaves.

The dignity and order seen by outsiders are nothing more than shackles they have placed upon themselves.

Age implies heritage, but it also implies repression. That repressed unwillingness, that repressed resentment—the conflict between the Branch and Main Houses that has accumulated for hundreds of years without being spoken aloud—stems from the jealousy, arrogance, and longing for freedom deep within human nature. How could a mere curse seal block that?

As his fingers brushed the white cloth wrapped around his forehead, Hyuga Ryosuke's smile was bitter, tinged with mockery. He took another long swig from his sake flask, his gaze unfocused as he stared at the sky above.

Tap, tap. The sound came from the left—the distinct rhythm of wooden clogs on a wooden veranda, steady and unhurried, possessing the composed air unique to a great family. Even as a ninja clan, strict etiquette was carved into their very bones. The sound grew clearer, finally stopping beside him. "Lord Ryosuke."

Hyuga Ryosuke gave a soft grunt and raised the flask again. A hand with calloused fingertips blocked him, the white sleeve of a kimono falling to obscure half his vision. "Lord Ryosuke, why are you still drinking at a time like this?"

The newcomer wore the white male kimono unique to the Hyuga clan, his long, smooth black hair falling past his shoulders, a white cloth wrapped around his forehead as well. His eyes, white with a hint of pale purple, stared at Hyuga Ryosuke with a faint reproach.

"Is there something you need?"

"Everything is prepared."

"...And then?"

The man watched him for a moment before saying, "You are hesitating."

"What am I supposed to do?" He looked up at the man and countered.

"Do what you want to do," the man said calmly. "Do what we want to do."

Hyuga Ryosuke turned his gaze back to the sky, where a few crows flew by with a flurry of wings, their pitch-black feathers casting an ominous, cold shadow over the summer afternoon. "And after we fly out? Is it freedom, or is it death?"

"At least we will have seen the blue sky, won't we?" The man released his grip on the flask and straightened up. "We have already come this far; no matter the outcome, we must try. If we lose, it is but death; if we win, we will gain more choices instead of living our whole lives under the tyranny of the Main House. Too many people are following us. Lord Ryosuke, you who bear their ideals cannot afford the slightest cowardice."

"From the moment I made up my mind, I stopped caring about life and death. But I cannot disregard them." Most of those who followed him were young people in their teens and twenties. Unlike the middle-aged and elderly who had already spent most of their lives, these youths with infinite futures were more proud and could not bear the clan's heavy-handed control. "They... are still children."

"Ninjas are not children. Since they are clear about their own choices, life and death are no longer your responsibility."

Hyuga Ryosuke covered his eyes with his palms, tears flowing silently. "I can't," he said. "I can't."

"If I were still twenty, of course I could follow my heart and move forward just like them, ignoring everything else. You can call me indecisive, but I am twenty years older than them; I am destined to no longer be impulsive. I have already seen this world well enough; even if I died right now, it would be nothing. But they are still young."

"Sacrifice is inevitable," the man said softly. "As a ninja, you are accustomed to death; you should not be troubled by this."

"No one is born destined for sacrifice," Hyuga Ryosuke's voice was filled with exhaustion. "It is precisely because I am accustomed to death that I know how precious it is to be alive—even more precious than some illusory ideals."

The man watched him in silence. When he finished speaking, he slowly pulled away the hand covering Ryosuke's eyes and stared at him. "How can you call it illusory? How many years have our predecessors endured and how many sacrifices have they made to break the 'Caged Bird'? How can we, standing on their bones, not continue to move forward? Besides, Hyuga Akisetsu has created an even crueler 'Caged Bird' soul-binding technique. No matter who ends up in power, the Branch House will suffer. We, and our descendants, will all have to endure this senseless fate. No one is willing to sit and wait for death. Even if it is illusory, there are followers behind us supporting it."

"The Uchiha have Uchiha Madara, the Senju have Senju Hashirama, yet our Main House is in civil strife. Hyuga Akisetsu and Hyuga Tetsue are locked in endless conflict, and most of the clansmen are forced to be dragged in. Look at the outside world; second-tier clans like the Akimichi, Nara, Inuzuka, and Aburame are all on the rise."

"This clan is rotting."

His voice was as calm and slow as ever. Yet, Hyuga Ryosuke knew what kind of unshakable belief and will this person, who had followed him for over a decade, possessed. Hiding strength beneath softness was a specialty of the Hyuga.

"Lord Ryosuke, the arrow is on the string; we have no choice but to fire."

At some point, a group of people had gathered below the veranda steps, mostly young faces, both men and women. They wore the standard Hyuga ninja uniform, with a small, blood-red spider lily secretly embroidered on the collar, visible only when the collar was folded back. Their long black hair was tied back tightly, and their white-purple eyes looked at him in unison, silent and firm.

Beneath the calm surface, an indescribable aura permeated the small courtyard, solemn and resolute.

"Five days from now, the Senju and Uchiha clans will meet at the border of the Land of Fire. Many heads of ninja clans will attend, and Hyuga Akisetsu and Hyuga Tetsue will be no exception—this is our final chance. Once one of them wins and completely controls the clan, we will never be able to turn things around."

"Whether for the sake of the clan, our descendants, or our dignity, please, lead us out—or fight our way out."

The Land of Fire is located in the center of the Five Great Nations, occupying several key transportation hubs and bordering all of them. To balance various concerns, the two clans chose the intersection of the Three Countries of Lightning, Earth, and Fire.

The Uchiha were responsible for setting up the venue. Under the astonished gazes of the Senju, they transformed the negotiation site with startling efficiency. For aesthetic reasons, they transplanted many ornamental trees and potted plants, and even purchased brocades, porcelain, and calligraphy from the nearby Land of Fire to decorate the interior.

Hey, hey! This is just a temporarily rented negotiation site, is it really necessary to go this far?!

Senju Yūri's eye twitched. After hearing Uchiha Etsu's complaints earlier, he had thought the man was exaggerating. Now it seemed... he nudged Uchiha Etsu with his elbow. "Does your clan head... have people walking in front of him scattering flower petals wherever he goes?"

Uchiha Etsu held the ledger, his face full of world-weary sorrow as he looked into the distance, tears streaming down his heart: "I believe that if it weren't for the trouble of having too many people, Lord Clan Head would definitely do that!"

The Senju present were stunned: Worship! One must worship such a god-like man!

Senju Yūri suddenly realized that his own Lord Hashirama, who had no concept of money, was actually quite decent—at least much better than Uchiha Madara, wasn't he!

"By the way, did two... clan heads come from the Hyuga side this time?" Senju Yūri discovered something wrong while reviewing the list.

Whether the Senju side was truly ignorant or just pretending, Uchiha Etsu laughed twice: "The Hyuga clan has always been arrogant, and outsiders don't know much about them. Besides, those old fossils have complicated clan rules, who knows!"

Senju Yūri curled his lip and didn't ask further.

The Uchiha clan was a bit further away, so they set off earlier than the Senju and arrived at their destination two days before the negotiations. Uchiha Madara and his entourage stayed at a local Uchiha property.

"I heard you've been getting quite close to a certain elder of the Senju clan recently." That evening, Uchiha Madara had just finished bathing, his skin flushed with a faint, rosy glow from the steam. He had changed into a loose, white swallow-tailed robe embroidered with silver patterns, which made his slightly damp long hair, draped over the white fabric, look even darker like ink. In the contrast between black and white, his features appeared even more refined.

A beauty like jade, a sword aura like a rainbow—what kind of beauty was it when these two qualities merged? Uchiha Etsu's throat bobbed as he swallowed involuntarily, and he silently averted his gaze.

"Yes, my lord. Senju Yūri is in charge of the Senju clan's finances, and we get along quite well." With his head bowed and hands at his sides, Uchiha Etsu's demeanor was extremely respectful.

Uchiha Madara toyed with an ice-crackle glazed porcelain cup, his eyes lowered in thought. "...And what else?"

Uchiha Etsu gave a bitter smile: "My lord, I will be mindful of my boundaries and will never let personal matters interfere with official business." He was still technically a man under judgment, so he naturally had to be more careful with the details of his words and actions.

Madara nodded slowly: "The relationship between the two clans is not what it used to be. Pass the word down: our precautions against the Senju should not be too obvious."