Return to the Village

Conflict was an inescapable theme in any world.

Only if every living being and undead creature in the entire world lacked emotions and cast aside all feelings could a peaceful, beautiful eternal kingdom possibly be created.

But that was impossible. Without emotions, one could not be considered a complete person.

Therefore, whether in the Ninja World or among the various nations and villages, internal conflicts existed everywhere.

This was a common problem that arose whenever a group reached a certain size without a sound system of governance.

In this respect, Konoha's Great Clans were no different.

Whether it was the Hyūga, the Uchiha, the Akimichi Clan, or other Great Clans, once their populations reached a certain scale and each individual possessed relatively independent thoughts, many differing voices would emerge within.

As time passed, those voices would grow harsher and more radical.

It was somewhat like a hundred schools of thought contending, though in reality, it was nowhere near that grand.

Within the Hyūga, where Ryosuke belonged, it was not only the Main Family and Branch Family that were locked in bitter conflict. Even the Branch Family itself had its own factions.

The Main Family had few members and passed down through a single line, so there was little room for any mischief.

But the Branch Family had many members and handled the large and small matters assigned to the Hyūga within the village. With so many people, rights, and responsibilities involved, their internal relationships were exceedingly complicated.

Among them were radical elements who harbored hostility toward the Hyūga Main Family.

Bound by the Caged Bird Seal, they could not openly strike against the Main Family, so they could only resort to underhanded tricks and encroach upon some of its benefits.

Such people hid themselves deeply, and the Main Family had never obtained a concrete list of names.

Apart from those with radical ideas, there were also steady moderates like Souji and Seisai, who could accept the mission assigned to them from birth and live for the Main Family.

Of course, there were also neutral people caught between the radicals and the moderates. They did not live solely to protect the Main Family, but more for the Hyūga's future.

These countless people with differing thoughts and ideals all voiced their opinions within the clan, splitting the Hyūga apart.

Moreover, because Hinata, the future clan head, had not displayed outstanding ability in any regard and found it difficult to win the Branch Family's submission, the conflict had become increasingly fierce and was beginning to spiral out of control...

By the time Ryosuke and the other two returned to the village, it was close to noon.

The clan assigned to guard the gates that month was a small clan in the village, the Mitokado Clan.

This clan was very small.

At first, it had merely been an ordinary ninja family. But after Mitokado Homura became a Hokage Advisor, the ninja family began transforming into a clan, expanding its branches and acquiring its own clan grounds.

After a simple verification of their identities, the Chunin from the Mitokado Clan amicably allowed the three of them into the village. No conflict occurred.

The Hyūga clan grounds lay in the central area of Konoha, a considerable distance from the village gates.

Walking along Konoha's streets, Ryosuke looked at the familiar sights and listened to the familiar cries of vendors. For some reason, he felt a little more relaxed and deeply moved.

Only after leaving the village for a month did he realize that, without knowing it, he had already begun to see himself as one of its people.

Konoha's prosperity and peace remained as they had always been, unchanged by the month they had spent away.

When they passed Food Street, Ryosuke remembered that he seemed to have forgotten to bring Hinata a gift.

Perhaps... he could only make it up to her with some delicious food.

But after thinking it over, it was still school hours, so she should still be at the academy.

If he bought something now, the flavor might change by the time she returned home. It would be better to pick her up after school and take her out for a lavish meal.

With that in mind, Ryosuke's slowed steps returned to their previous pace.

It took roughly half an hour before Ryosuke and the others finally arrived unhurriedly at the entrance to the Hyūga clan grounds.

From afar, they saw Hyūga Hiashi standing at the entrance with a broom in hand, seemingly sweeping the ground. Yet from his expression, it was obvious that he had been waiting for them.

"You're back."

Only when the three of them approached did Hyūga Hiashi raise his head as though he had just noticed them.

Before outsiders, his face remained as stern as ever, but his eyes moved up and down as he inspected Ryosuke, confirming that nothing had happened to him.

"I'm back, Father."

Ryosuke forced a stiff smile, one far less practiced than usual.

To be honest, he felt somewhat at a loss in the face of such a scene.

He could clearly feel the warmth and concern in Hyūga Hiashi's eyes.

But it was precisely that warmth, like that of... family, that left him unsure how to respond.

If he had wanted to put on an act, he could certainly have made it look real. But in a situation like this, he could not pretend, nor was he good at such things.

After carefully examining Ryosuke and sensing the clearly different "aura" around him, Hyūga Hiashi's stern expression softened. He nodded with satisfaction. "Your first trip far from home has helped you grow quite a bit."

"Let's go inside and talk, Father."

Ryosuke smiled gently.

This was the first time since coming to this world that he had felt pressure from Hyūga Hiashi.

The way his father looked at him made Ryosuke feel as though he had not been away for merely a month, but for several years.

Honestly, he truly was not good with these heartwarming scenes of a wanderer returning home.

Hyūga Hiashi did not think much of his reaction. After considering it briefly, he nodded.

Only then did he finally have time to shift his attention from Ryosuke to Souji and Seisai behind him. "You two have worked hard on this mission."

Faced with Hyūga Hiashi's polite words, Souji and Seisai hurriedly waved their hands and respectfully responded, "It was our duty. For this mission to be completed so smoothly, Ryosuke-sama was the true main force."

Hyūga Hiashi noticed the respect in their words and gave the two of them another look.

He did not continue chatting there. Turning around, he took the lead and walked into the clan grounds.

And so, the group headed toward the central area of the Hyūga clan grounds, where the Main Family resided.

Along the way, quite a few clan members bowed and greeted Hyūga Hiashi when they saw them. Their gazes toward Ryosuke were filled with curiosity and scrutiny.

Because he had been so well protected, there was little notable information about Ryosuke, whether in Konoha or within the Hyūga clan.

He himself also kept an especially low profile. Although his academy grades consistently ranked near the top, he had never taken first place and remained somewhere in the upper-middle tier.

Such an unremarkable record made him seem extremely ordinary compared with Neji Hyuga, who was known as a genius.

Many within the clan believed that Ryosuke, like Hinata, was exceptionally mediocre. They thought the clan head had misjudged him when he chose Ryosuke as a son-in-law, someone meant to become Hinata's future right-hand man.

However, neither Hyūga Hiashi nor Ryosuke paid any attention to those remarks and looks.

Hyūga Hiashi believed that with the Caged Bird Seal in place, although there were minor disputes within the clan, they would not have any major impact.

As for Ryosuke, he simply did not care.

He had seen too many stories like this in his previous life. Once he had enough strength to support himself and could reveal his abilities, those voices would fall silent.

Since the outcome was already decided, there was no need to care too much about the petty squabbles that arose along the way.

Thanks to readers Dark Night Phantom, Loki the Meal-Eater, and reader 20210313112141995 for their generous support.