Genye Wants to Deal With the Old Clan Leader

"Great, we don't have to die! Waaah!"

"It's so good to be alive. I'll never complain about life being boring again!"

It wasn't just Minato and his wife; with the Nine-Tails sealed away once more, many ninjas embraced each other and wept, taking the opportunity to get a little too close for comfort.

"We really have to thank that kid; he saved everyone's life."

"Indeed. He looks like he's from the Hyuga Clan, but I wonder what his name is?"

Hearing this, Yuhi Shinku hurriedly chimed in, "His name is Hyuga Genya, and he is my son-in-law!"

"Father! Mother!"

Iruka ran to his parents' side, hugging them tightly as he sobbed.

"You silly child, you were being so reckless earlier."

Though their words were filled with reproach, Iruka's parents looked at him with nothing but tenderness and love.

"I truly misjudged him back then..."

Watching Hyuga Genya calmly brush off his sleeves, Sarutobi Hiruzen wore a complex expression.

It was fortunate that his own brat never listened to him and had always maintained a good relationship with this boy.

"Xuanye, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Hyuga Hizashi rushed to Xuanye's side, checking him over repeatedly to see if he had sustained any injuries.

"Don't worry, Lord Hizashi, I'm fine," Xuanye said with a smile.

After confirming that Xuanye was unharmed, Hizashi breathed a sigh of relief, then asked with some hesitation, "Xuanye, that technique you used earlier... was that really Gentle Fist?"

"That's right," Xuanye nodded, speaking as if it were a matter of course. "The ancestral Gentle Fist of our Hyuga Clan, genuine and authentic."

"..." Hizashi found that he still couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

"Hyuga~ Xuanye! Hyuga~ Xuanye!"

"Little hero, let's see you fly!"

Several of the more boisterous ninjas rushed over and, without waiting for an answer, hoisted Xuanye up and tossed him into the air.

By the time Xuanye realized what was happening, he was already soaring skyward.

"Whoo-hoo!"

More and more ninjas gathered around, their cheers growing louder as Xuanye flew higher and higher.

In the wake of a great disaster, the emergence of a hero always serves to uplift and inspire the masses.

Minato and Kushina also gathered around, watching the scene with smiles, savoring the joy of surviving the ordeal.

"Yo, you two lovebirds are here too? I have to copy something from you!"

Xuanye chuckled and opened his system interface, intending to use his final copy opportunity on Kushina.

"System, copy for me!"

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for copying: The Uzumaki Clan's unique ability, "Adamantine Sealing Chains"!]

[Adamantine Sealing Chains: Releases multiple chakra chains from the back, which can be used for both offense and creating barriers to seal a Tailed Beast.]

"Just a standard skill? I didn't manage to copy a Bloodline Puzzle?" Xuanye felt a slight pang of disappointment.

But then again, trying to hit the jackpot right in front of a woman's husband was indeed a difficult task.

Although the battle had ended, there was still plenty of cleanup work to be done. After thanking Xuanye, the ninjas returned to their respective posts.

"Make way, make way!"

Just then, an old man with Byakugan eyes squeezed through the thinning crowd, grabbed Xuanye, and said in an unquestionable tone.

"Xuanye, come with me. I have something to discuss with you."

"What~ do~ you~ want~?"

Xuanye gave the old man a look of disdain. Suppressing the urge to punch him to death, he followed him out of the crowd, curious to see what kind of scheme this old geezer was cooking up.

Needless to say, this old man was none other than the head of the Hyuga Clan—Hyuga Yuansheng.

From the very start of the Nine-Tails Incident, the heroic clan head had spent the entire time on the sidelines, "supervising the battle" while safely out of harm's way.

Now that the war was over, he had suddenly popped up, and it was clear he was up to no good.

"Speak, Old... Clan Head, what do you want with me?"

Outside the crowd, Xuanye shook off Hyuga Yuansheng's hand and asked with visible impatience.

Two years and nine months ago, this old geezer had revoked his ninja status. That grudge...

Ahem, he had never been one to hold a grudge, but Hyuga Yuansheng had truly gone too far that time.

"(̿▀̿̿Ĺ̯̿̿▀̿ ̿)̄ Hyuga Genya! You are bold!"

Hyuga Yuansheng had originally intended to put on a show of "condescending grace," but seeing Xuanye show him such blatant disrespect, his aged face darkened instantly.

He subconsciously formed a hand seal with one hand, intending to activate the Caged Bird Seal.

"Yo, is the Clan Head planning to use the Caged Bird Seal on me?" Xuanye said loudly, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Many ninjas in the vicinity heard him and looked over, casting unkind glares and pointing fingers at Hyuga Yuansheng.

Is this Hyuga Clan Head an idiot?

His own clansman performed such a massive feat, and instead of rewarding him, he wants to punish him?

What, so saving their lives was just an inconvenience?

Reasonably speaking, anyone who could survive the Nine-Tails' claws until now was an elite.

Seeing several elite jonin rolling up their sleeves and looking as if they were about to charge over, Hyuga Yuansheng hurriedly lowered his hand.

"You child, the old man was just joking with you. Why are you so unable to read the room?"

"That's enough, Clan Head." Xuanye said impatiently, "If you have something to say, just say it. I don't have time for your nonsense!"

"You, you...!"

Hyuga Yuansheng's face shifted between green and white; living a life of luxury within the clan, he had never been subjected to such indignity.

He flicked his sleeve and said with great displeasure, "Hyuga Genya, this old man will give you a piece of advice out of kindness: don't treat everyone else like a fool."

"You must have a secret to have become this strong; anyone with eyes can see it! With such a massive commotion tonight, you won't be able to keep this secret!"

Hearing Hyuga Yuansheng's words, Xuanye smiled: "Hmm, what you say makes some sense. So, what should I do?"

"Therefore, you should immediately hand this secret over to the Main Branch!" Seeing that Xuanye seemed to be wavering, Hyuga Yuansheng hurriedly added.

"Firstly, you can receive a reward from the Main Branch, and secondly, the Main Branch will naturally help you guard this secret, keeping it within our Hyuga Clan!"

Speaking to this point, Hyuga Yuansheng looked rather smug: "I'm not boasting, but even the two Hokage have to give this old man some face!"

Xuanye rubbed his chin, pretending to look tempted: "Then what reward will the clan give me?"

Hyuga Yuansheng said magnanimously, "The clan will restore your status as a ninja and raise your monthly allowance to 100,000 ryo. How about that?"

Xuanye: "...That's it?"

"That's not enough?" Hyuga Yuansheng's old face darkened again: "Xuanye, one must know when to stop. Being insatiably greedy is not a good thing."

As a slave owner—no, as the Clan Head—he felt it was already generous enough that he hadn't forced Xuanye to hand over the secret for free and had even offered some compensation. How dare this brat bargain with him?

6.

Xuanye was amused. He tilted his head to think, and under Hyuga Yuansheng's expectant gaze, he smiled and said:

"...Get lost, you old thing!"

Hyuga Yuansheng's aged face instantly turned a kaleidoscope of colors.

"Hyuga Genya! Don't think that just because you have a little strength, you can be disrespectful to your elders!"

Hyuga Yuansheng was trembling with rage, pointing a shaking finger at Xuanye as he gritted his teeth.

"Let me tell you, as long as the Caged Bird Seal remains, you will always be a dog of my Main Branch! If you dare to bark at me again, just wait and see how I deal with you later!"

"Hahahahahaha." Upon hearing this, Xuanye burst into wild laughter, as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world, laughing until tears were almost falling.

"You bastard, what are you laughing at!" Hyuga Yuansheng barked in a fit of shame and anger.

Xuanye continued to laugh to himself, too lazy to pay Hyuga Yuansheng any mind.

It would be too easy to punch this old guy to death, but that wouldn't be fun at all; it wouldn't be satisfying.

He decided to play with this old man properly.

You pride yourself on your status as the Main Branch, don't you?

Very well, then I will strip away the status you are so proud of and see how you react then!

The Hokage's office was very spacious and imposing, not as cramped as it appeared in the manga.

This was Xuanye's first time in the Hokage's office, and he looked around with curiosity, feeling like a fan visiting a convention.

At the long conference table, the two Hokage sat in the main seats, with Hyuga Yuansheng and his two sons seated to the side.

Xuanye sat opposite the two Hokage, facing the surprised and scrutinizing gazes of everyone present.

"Ahem." Sarutobi Hiruzen coughed twice, breaking the silence in the room, and signaled to Minato beside him.

Minato understood, first smiling to express his heartfelt gratitude to Xuanye, then shifting the topic to ask the question everyone cared about.

"Xuanye, we are all very curious: how did you recover from such severe injuries and become so strong?"

"You ignorant bastard! Are you satisfied now?" Hyuga Yuansheng looked at Xuanye with a dark, furious face.

"I told you that you wouldn't be able to keep this secret. Now look, the Hyuga Clan has no choice but to share this secret with the village!"

Facing Hyuga Yuansheng's gaze, which seemed to wish him dead, Xuanye gave a cheeky smile.

"Old thing, you just wait. Watch how I finish you off next!"