A Storm Named Hyuga

Three days later, the Hyuga Clan Head returned to the village. For a ninja, it was a journey that should have taken only half a day, yet he had somehow managed to waste three full days on the road.

However, upon arriving at the village, the Hyuga Clan Head did not even return to his clan grounds; instead, he entered the Hokage Building with a "flustered" expression.

Not long after he went inside, that consultant Danzo, who was wrapped in bandages from head to toe and remained an extremely mysterious figure within Konoha's ninja circles, followed him in.

For a full half-day, the two men never stepped out of the Hokage Office once. No one knew what they had been discussing with Sarutobi Hiruzen behind those closed doors.

It was not until half a day later that a few observant ninjas happened to see the Hyuga Clan Head emerge from the Hokage Office with a grim look on his face.

In the minds of most ninjas, the Hyuga Clan Head was a stubborn old man who always wore a stern, humorless face. Beyond that, he was considered an outlier among the various clan heads; even when he learned that his own younger brother had died on the battlefield, his expression had remained unchanged.

Therefore, upon seeing the Hyuga Clan Head looking so distressed, many ninjas were filled with curiosity, discussing it among themselves whenever they gathered with friends during their leisure time.

Ordinary ninjas were unaware of the inside story, but recently, Anbu ninjas had been surprised to discover that many new members of the Hyuga clan had joined their ranks, and every one of those Hyuga possessed at least the strength of a Special Jonin.

Beyond the Anbu, the Root, which was under Danzo's direct command, had also received a number of Hyuga ninjas.

However, compared to the Hyuga elites who had entered the Anbu, the ones Danzo received could only be considered mediocre, with an average strength of only Chunin.

Although this result left Danzo somewhat dissatisfied, the Byakugan's greatest utility was reconnaissance, so he could barely accept it.

Aside from the ninjas within those two departments, the number of people who knew about the Hyuga clan supplying ninjas to the Anbu and the Root was pitifully small, and it caused not even a ripple in the outside world.

However, another matter had become common knowledge to everyone in Konoha, and even Kawaki Aoba, who had been resting and training in peace recently, had already heard of it.

Inside the barbecue restaurant owned by the Akimichi Clan, Kawaki Aoba and Yuhi Kurenai were leisurely eating grilled meat.

Do not misunderstand; this was not some cozy date, but rather a way to relax after high-intensity training.

The two had just finished their morning training at the practice grounds, and because of the massive expenditure of physical energy, they had come here to replenish their strength.

Although the Akimichi family's barbecue was quite expensive, Kawaki Aoba was an orphan. Because of this, he received a pension for the orphans of heroes every year until he graduated, and combined with his parents' former savings, he could afford to indulge in such a meal occasionally.

As for Yuhi Kurenai, did one really need an explanation when her father was a Jonin with a "daughter-obsessed" streak?

Moreover, it was worth mentioning that this meal was on Yuhi Kurenai.

"Aoba, I didn't expect you to be so suited for training in sensory ninjutsu. You've already recovered your perception of the outside world so quickly. Father said that even if you only relied on your sensory abilities, you would have the potential to be promoted to Chunin, and in the future, you would at least be a Special Jonin specializing in sensory work."

It sounded like casual chatter, but in reality, Yuhi Kurenai was simply trying to encourage Kawaki Aoba, telling him that he still had a vast future ahead of him.

Kawaki Aoba was well aware of Yuhi Kurenai's intentions, but he was not so fragile that he needed a young girl to comfort him.

However, in order not to appear abrupt, he still had to play the part. Over the past few days, he had clearly sensed that he was being watched.

Well, to be precise, he was being watched by members of the Hyuga clan. Whenever he walked down the street and encountered a Hyuga, the gazes landing on him would increase, and the various emotions directed at him made Kawaki Aoba feel extremely uncomfortable.

Wrapping a piece of grilled meat in sauce and popping it into his mouth, Kawaki Aoba chewed it thoroughly and swallowed before shaking his head. "I do have some talent for sensory ninjutsu, but sensory ninjutsu is meant to target a ninja's chakra fluctuations; it isn't of much help in daily life. As for my current state, I have simply adapted to the darkness and learned to perceive the outside world using my other senses."

Although his words carried a faint trace of sorrow, Yuhi Kurenai always felt that something was off. It was just like back when he was about to graduate and had created a seal-less ninjutsu; he had used that same understated tone back then, too.

At that moment, a low conversation drifted over from the table next to them.

"You must have heard, right? It seems Ryoko is going to be branded with the Caged Bird by the Hyuga clan."

"The Caged Bird? What is that?"

"I asked Reiko about it earlier. She said it's a sealing technique used by the Hyuga Main Family to control the Branch Family. In short, it's just ninja business."

"What does this Hyuga clan matter have to do with Ryoko? Doesn't Ryoko lack a surname? And she isn't even a ninja."

"Even though Ryoko doesn't have a surname, her mother was a member of the Hyuga clan. That's why Ryoko has to be branded with the Caged Bird. Besides, it's said that Ryoko will also learn how to become a ninja. If she can become a ninja, she can even obtain the Hyuga surname."

"What? Ryoko has a chance to become a member of the prestigious Hyuga clan? That's truly enviable."

"Who's to say it isn't? That's the prestigious Hyuga clan! If Ryoko really can become a ninja, then the next time we see her, should we call her Miss Ryoko, or Lady Ryoko?"

The two young girls at the next table were whispering, but with a ninja's hearing, Kawaki Aoba and Yuhi Kurenai could hear them quite clearly.

However, the more they listened, the more wrong it felt. How did those two girls at the next table end up expressing envy as they talked?

Kawaki Aoba, in particular, besides sensing envy from that pair of friends, clearly captured a trace of jealousy as well.

Perhaps this was the result of an information asymmetry, but it was more so the tragedy of the commoners.

As commoners of Konoha, how could they possibly know the dark side of the ninja world or the various sordid affairs of the Hyuga clan? In their eyes, being able to become a ninja or a member of a prestigious clan like the Hyuga was already an incredible thing.

To them, becoming a member of the Hyuga and being branded with the Caged Bird seemed like a favor. For ordinary people, perhaps that wasn't an entirely incorrect way to interpret it.

At that moment, Kawaki Aoba thought of a certain phrase without warning: What's wrong with being a dog? So many people want to be dogs, but they don't even have the connections to do so.

Aside from this pair of girls, Kawaki Aoba encountered many others discussing the matter afterward, but the emotions displayed by most were envy, jealousy, and the like.

To achieve such an effect, one could only marvel at how truly formidable the Hyuga clan's methods were. On this point alone, the Uchiha clan couldn't even hope to catch up.

Of course, there was certainly some guidance from certain high-ranking officials in Konoha involved; otherwise, the public opinion would never have swayed so one-sidedly toward the Hyuga clan.

Tsk, I really wonder what kind of benefits the Hyuga clan offered. They couldn't have gone all out, could they?