Return

Leaf Village was peaceful in the early morning, and the flowers within the Hyuga Clan Grounds bloomed in competition with one another, filling the air with a rich floral fragrance.

Sitting on his bed, Hyuga Iwa recalled what had happened yesterday, as well as the Hyuga Clan's Caged Bird situation.

Hyuga Main Family: the true inheritors of the Hyuga Clan, responsible for protecting and carrying forward the Hyuga Clan.

Hyuga Branch Family: the guardians of the Hyuga Main Family, responsible for protecting the Hyuga Main Family.

The Caged Bird was a Cursed Seal Technique that protected the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan bloodline from being coveted. It was also the means by which the Hyuga Main Family controlled the Hyuga Branch Family. Furthermore, after the Caged Bird was branded upon someone, the Byakugan's abilities would be restricted to a certain extent. It would only be lifted after death, but the Cursed Seal would also destroy the deceased person's brain and eyes.

As times changed, the Hyuga Main Family gradually forgot its own responsibilities, and the Caged Bird became purely a means for the main family to control the branch family.

Although it had blocked many covetous eyes from targeting the Byakugan, it had also intensified the conflict between the main and branch families.

Honestly, Hyuga Iwa had never imagined that carving a Cursed Seal would hurt this much!

If this was what the Hyuga Main Family's punishments felt like to the Hyuga Branch Family, Hyuga Iwa felt that he could understand how the branch family felt.

But did every clansman branded with the Caged Bird experience this feeling?

Hyuga Iwa rubbed his eyes, then massaged his temples.

Hyuga Iwa realized that his eyes were severely swollen and throbbing, as if they possessed a life of their own.

Just then, Hyuga Yuko opened the door and came in. Seeing what Hyuga Iwa was doing, she said gently, "Do your eyes still feel sore? It's alright. They'll get better after you rest for a while."

"Mom used to feel this way too..." Hyuga Iwa truly could not find the right words to describe it.

"Yes, Mom felt this way too, but it got better after resting for two days."

"Oh."

I thought I was the only one, Hyuga Iwa thought to himself, though he was still somewhat concerned.

Over the next two days, Hyuga Iwa rested for only half a day before he began wandering around the clan grounds again.

During that time, something major happened: the return of the Legendary Sannin that had been mentioned before.

Perhaps because he had been branded with the Caged Bird, when Hyuga Iwa followed his mother to watch the welcoming ceremony, he was no longer stopped. The Jonin guarding the clan grounds merely glanced at them before walking away, rather than persuading them to turn back as they had in the past.

After waiting for half the day, two of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru and Tsunade, took the lead in entering the village gates. Behind them followed shinobi from several major clans, including the Uchiha Clan, the Hyuga Clan, and Ino–Shika–Cho.

The triumphant procession was enormous. It marched continuously down the streets before finally arriving at the square in the center of the village.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had been standing on the raised platform in the square since early morning, watching his two disciples at the front of the procession with a smile.

"Teacher, we're back."

"Lord Hokage, we have not failed our mission."

As the army's commander, Orochimaru submitted the military orders to the Third Hokage and received the crowd's cheers.

Watching the cheering crowd, the Third Hokage delivered an "impassioned" speech, once again reaffirming the Will of Fire and announcing that all of Leaf Village would celebrate for two days. The crowd's cheers immediately grew even louder.

Next came the victory celebration, but that had nothing to do with Hyuga Iwa. At just over three years old, he would not draw anyone's attention at all.

Come to think of it, what had left the deepest impression on Hyuga Iwa during the entire welcoming parade was not the Hokage, the Legendary Sannin, or even his own clansmen, but the Uchiha Clan members who had marched alongside them.

Sure enough, judging solely by their appearances, every Uchiha clansman was so arrogant. During the parade, their heads were nearly tilted up to the sky. Their Sharingan were indeed rather intimidating too, all crimson red and nowhere near as good-looking as the Byakugan, Hyuga Iwa could not help but complain.

Thinking back to Leaf Village's three great clans—the Senju Clan, the Uchiha Clan, and the Hyuga Clan—Hyuga Iwa sighed inwardly. Of the three great clans that had been powerful for a thousand years, the Senju Clan had faded into Leaf Village, while the Uchiha Clan had been exterminated for rebellion. A thousand years later, only the Hyuga Clan remained, yet it too was plagued by deep conflicts.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was a heroic figure whom Hyuga Iwa considered controversial. In truth, Hyuga Iwa felt that he simply lacked both courage and strength.

But there was nothing to be done about it. Leaf Village had gathered so many descendants of the Otsutsuki Clan, and nearly every generation produced powerful individuals. For a native of Earth like him to maintain his suppression over his subordinates for so long among such people was already quite impressive.

Unfortunately, this world still valued bloodlines greatly. Many times, one's birth determined one's upper limit. No amount of envy from others could change that.

A village's Hokage had always been the strongest person in that village!

When a Hokage could not suppress his subordinates, turmoil would arise within the village. Under this one country, one village, one Hokage system, that was an unshakable truth.

As Hyuga Iwa pondered, he looked up and realized that the parade had already dispersed. After the procession ended, a faint sorrow spread throughout Leaf Village.

War had always been cruel. Too many people had already died in this war, which had been sparked by the Rain Country and launched first by Leaf Village.

Whether civilians or shinobi, they could not avoid losing their lives in war.

Although Leaf Village had already won on the main battlefield, the war had not truly ended. Local conflicts would continue for another two or three years before gradually coming to an end, and it was only the third year since the war had broken out.

But the war had already entered its countdown, and peace in the Shinobi World was within reach.

Hyuga Iwa's father had died early in this war, so after the parade ended, Hyuga Yuko carried Hyuga Iwa home and grieved in silence.

What Hyuga Iwa did not know was that at the parade site, Hyuga Hiashi had been observing this Hyuga Branch Family child whom he found different from the others. What had happened at the ancestral hall yesterday had already left a rather deep impression on him.

Only after returning home did Hyuga Iwa suddenly remember that he was living in the Shinobi World, where wars never ceased. Less than ten years after the Second Shinobi World War ended, the Third Shinobi World War would break out again. There would also be all sorts of dangerous missions waiting for him in between. Maybe I can start training? Would that be too early?

Hyuga Iwa thought to himself.

Maybe I can go ask tomorrow?

Who should I ask? Mom doesn't seem to be a shinobi, so... Hyuga Hiashi? Should I try tomorrow?

As Hyuga Iwa thought, the tired boy lay down on his bed and fell asleep.

Hyuga Yuko looked tenderly at her son, her eyes filled with love. She gently tucked Hyuga Iwa beneath the blanket and began her day's work. She had already accomplished far less today in order to watch the triumphal ceremony.

Elsewhere in the Hyuga Clan Grounds, Hyuga Hiashi said to the person before him, "Father, I observed Hyuga Iwa for half the day today and found that he seemed quite interested in the Uchiha Clan members. As for the others, his gaze only lingered on Orochimaru and Tsunade for a while."

"What do you think of him?"

"Hm? It's hard to say anything else, but at least he doesn't seem to resent the Hyuga Main Family like some branch family members do."

After pondering for a while, Hyuga Tenka said, "Then cultivate him for now. If there are no problems, have him serve as a guard for your children in the future."

"Like that?" Hyuga Hiashi thought briefly before nodding. "That works."

"Mm." After thinking for a moment, Hyuga Tenka continued, "Someone from the Hokage's side came to invite me to a meeting. We can discuss the details after I return."

"Alright, Father."

"The Hyuga Clan will have to rely on you from now on. I've decided to give up my position to you soon."

"Ah? Yes, I understand. I will never disgrace the Hyuga Clan's name. I will make the Hyuga Clan the strongest clan in Leaf Village."