Ancestors Are Always Right

"It is like this, Minato-senpai." Under the gaze of everyone present, Xuanye spoke unhurriedly.

"The reason I was able to be reborn and see my strength skyrocket is because I discovered a secret—a secret related to my Hyuga Clan."

"Oh? What secret?" Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't even care about his pipe anymore, asking impatiently.

Hyuga Yuansheng, standing to the side, was the same.

Although he wished he could strangle Xuanye, the moment he heard the secret concerned the Hyuga Clan, he hurriedly pricked up his ears to hear what would come next.

"This secret is..."

Xuanye placed a hand on his forehead protector, revealing a wicked smile.

Oh no, Xuanye isn't planning on making that public, is he?! Hizashi Hyuga's expression shifted slightly.

The next moment, under Hizashi's anxious gaze, Xuanye ripped off his forehead protector, revealing his smooth, bare forehead.

"The secret is this: I have broken the restrictions of the Caged Bird Seal and surpassed the limits of the human body, which is why I have become this strong!"

"And that's not all!"

Not giving the others time to react, Xuanye spoke rapidly: "I have also gained the ability to remove the Caged Bird Seal for others, just like this!"

He raised a finger and pointed; a bolt of chakra shot out, instantly piercing Hizashi's forehead.

In the horrified eyes of everyone present, the green mark on Hizashi's forehead melted away like spring snow, vanishing completely in the blink of an eye!

Click.

Hizashi could clearly feel the shackles that had bound him in the dark shattering. He was free!

Everything happened too suddenly; Hizashi's first reaction wasn't joy, but bewilderment.

The shackles that have been there all along... just like that... they're gone?

Am I truly not dreaming?

Why could Xuanye, with a single point from a distance, easily break the cage that most Hyuga clansmen struggled their entire lives to escape?

"Hyuga Genya, you are courting death!"

The next instant, Hyuga Yuansheng's roar pulled Hizashi back to reality.

"Do you have any idea what you are doing?"

Hyuga Yuansheng was beyond furious; had Hiashi not held him back in time, he likely would have already charged at Xuanye.

Even when he had several bones broken by Xuanye's punch, he hadn't been this enraged, but now he was truly gnashing his teeth, his face contorted with fury!

Hyuga Hiashi felt bitter inside.

Although he was also shocked and angry that Xuanye was encroaching on the interests of the Main Branch, he thought, Father, that is a monster who can take down the Nine-Tails with one punch! Say what you want, but don't attack him!

Otherwise, if a fight really broke out, should he immediately succeed his father, or just not intervene at all?

"The Caged Bird Seal can be undone? Is it really that magical?"

"I don't know, never heard of it. Let's just keep watching."

Minato and Hiruzen exchanged glances, one smoking and the other sipping tea, intending to wait and see for a while.

"You scoundrel!"

"The patriarchal system is the foundation of our Hyuga Clan, passed down for a thousand years! It is the supreme truth handed down by our ancestors!"

Hyuga Yuansheng pointed at Xuanye, but because he was being held back by Hiashi, he could only jump up and down in a rage on the spot.

"If not for the 'Caged Bird Seal' protecting our Hyuga Clan, how could we have survived until now? Do you know how many people in the ninja world covet the eyes of our Hyuga Clan? Huh?!"

"You don't know anything at all! You unfilial descendant! You are digging up the roots of our Hyuga Clan! You are going to cause the destruction of our clan! Aaaaaah!"

Watching the wildly roaring Hyuga Yuansheng, Xuanye picked his ear with his pinky finger and said calmly.

"First, I hate it when people point their fingers at me."

"I'll give you three seconds to put your hand down, or else I will go and remove the Caged Bird Seal from every single clansman right now."

"You scoundrel, you dare to threaten me!" Hyuga Yuansheng stood his ground, fuming impotently. "Hiashi, let go of me! I'm going to kill this little bastard!"

"One..."

"Father, why don't you put your hand down first? Otherwise, this will be very hard to resolve," Hiashi whispered in his father's ear.

He knew Xuanye; the kid was stubborn as a mule, and he really would do it!

"Two..."

Finally, under the tugging of Hyuga Hiashi, Hyuga Yuansheng "reluctantly" lowered his hand... he certainly wasn't afraid of that brat!

"Second."

Seeing Hyuga Yuansheng lower his hand, Xuanye continued: "Just because something has been passed down for a thousand years, does that make it right?"

"The Uchiha Clan doesn't have any 'cages,' yet aren't they still thriving just fine, and no weaker than our Hyuga Clan?"

In fact, if the Uchiha hadn't been hoodwinked by the Will of Fire, they would certainly have developed quite well.

"Sophistry! This is nothing but sophistry!"

Hyuga Yuansheng sneered, "My Hyuga Clan is the strongest clan of ocular jutsu. How dare you compare the Uchiha to my clan?"

Holy crap!

Genye was stunned. Was this old guy serious?

"Alright, so much has happened tonight, and everyone is tired. Why don't we head back to rest and discuss any further matters in a few days?"

At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke up at the right time to smooth things over.

Heh!

Genye glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen and rolled his eyes hard.

He was the one who gathered everyone together to dig for secrets, and now he was the one playing the nice guy.

This old geezer was truly wicked!

"I have no objections," Genye shrugged, then added, "But let me make this clear: once we go back, don't even think about placing the Caged Bird Seal on Uncle Hizashi again."

"Otherwise, every time you apply it, I will undo it. It's no trouble for me at all."

The Caged Bird Seal was a mysterious thing; it only required a few simple hand seals to activate, but its core logic relied on the suppression of bloodline purity.

The purer one's bloodline, the more the seal "obeyed" that person.

And Genye's current bloodline—well, let's just say he could easily be Hyuga Yuansheng's ancestor.

Rules set by an ancestor—couldn't the "ancestor" change them however he pleased?

Questioning him, this "ancestor"—who knew who the real unfilial descendant was?

"You...!" Hyuga Yuansheng's liver flared with rage, and he wanted to point a finger at Genye's nose and curse him out again.

"Father, please, let's discuss this after we return."

Hiashi held Hyuga Yuansheng firmly, offering a bitter smile while signaling to Hizashi, who was standing to the side.

"Brother, come over and help me support Father."

"Oh, right!"

Hizashi was startled for a moment, but he reacted instantly, moving to the other side to gently support Hyuga Yuansheng.

As they led the old man away, Hizashi looked back at Genye with gratitude; everything was understood without a word.

Thank you, Genye. Although I don't know how long this freedom will last, I am incredibly grateful!

"Then, my lords, I shall take my leave as well."

After the Main Branch father and son departed, Genye also stood up to bid farewell.

"Very well, goodbye, little Genye."

"Goodbye, Genye."

"It seems this child really does have the ability to undo the Caged Bird Seal, just as he claimed..."

Watching Genye leave, Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

"Minato, what do you think?"

Minato rested his chin on his hands, pondered for a moment, and spoke slowly.

"Lord Third, I believe this might not necessarily be a bad thing."

"The Hyuga Clan is currently like a stagnant pool. Unlocking the Caged Bird Seal might better unleash the clan's potential and enhance the strength of our Konoha."

Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head in disagreement.

"But without the Caged Bird Seal, the Hyuga Clan will become difficult to control. Perhaps they will become a second Uchiha, refusing orders and acting on their own."

"Konoha cannot afford any more turmoil right now. The Uchiha are already enough of a headache; we cannot gamble."

Minato frowned slightly. On this point, he and the Third Hokage held different views.

The two of them—one seeking stability and conservatism, the other yearning for bold progress—were bound to clash sooner or later.

However, Minato's wings were not yet fully grown, and for now, everything still had to follow the Third's arrangements.