Branch and Main House, Brothers, Different Choices

The next day.

Explosive news spread throughout Leaf Village like a stone cast into a lake, sending ripples across its surface.

"Hey! Did you hear? Kakashi Hatake, the White Fang's son, got beaten up!"

"No way, right? Kakashi Hatake, that super genius, actually got beaten up?"

"It's true! Lots of people saw it. Kakashi even cried in the end!"

"Hey, did you hear? Kakashi got beaten until he cried!"

"Yeah, yeah!! I heard he was even rolling around on the ground at the end!"

"What? Wasn't it that Kakashi hadn't even started fighting before he lay down on his own? Then he cried and begged Hyuga Satoru not to hit him?"

Early that morning, Hyuga Satoru had just stepped outside.

He heard rumors filling the streets, and his face immediately turned green.

"How did the rumors turn into this?"

What did they mean, Kakashi had been beaten until he cried by me? He cried on his own. What did that have to do with me? And kneeling to beg for mercy, pissing himself... What the hell was all this?!

The key was that most of the people spreading the rumors were actually Hyuga Clan members.

As he walked along the streets of the clan compound, he could see clan members gathered in groups of three or five, excitedly discussing things like "the number one genius of the new generation," "beating Kakashi until he cried," and "even the Uchiha Clan had submitted."

Hyuga Satoru lowered his head and crept along on tiptoe, terrified someone would notice him. Then, without warning, a commotion erupted behind him.

"Look, it's that genius who beat Kakashi until he cried."

In an instant, every clan member's gaze focused on him.

"It wasn't me! I didn't do it! Stop talking nonsense!"

Hyuga Satoru's face darkened. He immediately sped up and fled, leaving behind a crowd of confused clan members.

Unlike the noisy branch family outside, the main hall was completely silent. The atmosphere was unusually oppressive, and most of the main house elders looked grim.

Suigetsu Hyuga swept his gaze over the elders around him and could not help feeling a headache coming on.

The reason the Hyuga Clan had endured in the Shinobi World for more than a thousand years and become the oldest clan in history was because of its rules and systems.

Yet now, one clansman had repeatedly broken those rules.

Hyuga Satoru, the first Dual Bloodline in Hyuga history, seemed to have never settled down since the day he appeared.

"Hmph! Have those branch family members forgotten the rules?"

One main house elder looked livid as he slapped the table indignantly.

From yesterday until now, he had seen countless branch family members gathering together, disregarding etiquette as they shouted excitedly. There had even been many such scenes outside the clan grounds.

"The clan's reputation has been utterly ruined by those branch family members."

Another main house elder shook his head.

Beside Suigetsu Hyuga, Hiashi Hyuga sighed inwardly. He knew the branch family had been suppressed for too long. After Hyuga Satoru had thoroughly defeated Kakashi, that suppression had turned into excitement and fervor.

But the Hyuga Clan was not the Uchiha Clan. In the Hyuga Clan, rules had to be followed.

"Enough."

Suigetsu Hyuga sighed, feeling only a pounding headache.

Although Hyuga Satoru had caused the incident, punishing him for it would make little sense. After all, he had defeated Kakashi and brought honor to the clan.

But if they truly ignored it, those branch family members would soon be running wild.

Furthermore, the Hokage's attitude toward Hyuga Satoru was quite thought-provoking, and they had to take that influence into account as well. With all these factors combined, he truly could not make up his mind.

Just then, Hiashi Hyuga, beside him, suddenly spoke. "Clan Head, leave this matter to me."

"Oh? What do you have in mind?"

Suigetsu Hyuga could not help becoming interested. Hiashi Hyuga was practically the successor he had personally chosen.

Hiashi Hyuga smiled. "The reason this matter is complicated is because Hyuga Satoru is merely an ordinary branch family member. Rewarding him is inappropriate, and punishing him is inappropriate. In that case, we should give him another identity."

Then, Hiashi Hyuga calmly explained his plan.

Suigetsu Hyuga's eyes gradually lit up.

"Good. I'll leave it to you!"

Hyuga Satoru had just slipped back from the street, his heart still pounding. Nearly the entire way, he had heard people talking about him.

The key was that hardly any of those discussions were reliable.

Even some of the older women in the clan had set their sights on him, eagerly trying to introduce their granddaughters to him. Hyuga Satoru had been so frightened that he ran for it, and he was still covered in cold sweat.

"Too terrifying. I'd better not go out for the next few days."

Still shaken, Hyuga Satoru patted his chest.

Just as he was about to rest, a knock sounded outside.

Hyuga Satoru immediately became alert. He crept behind the front door and cautiously peered through the gap in the frame.

"Password!"

Password???

The person outside froze. Since when did visiting someone require a password? What password?

Just then, the door opened, making him sigh faintly in relief.

Hyuga Satoru was not unfamiliar with the visitor. The clan's most famous pair of brothers looked nearly identical and dressed much the same. The only difference was that one of them wore a forehead protector all year round.

"Lord Hizashi, why are you here?"

Hyuga Satoru cautiously looked around and confirmed that no other Hyuga Clan members had followed him.

"Satoru, may I come in?"

Two cups of tea sat on the wooden table, gently steaming. Judging from the quality of the leaves, it was not the expensive kind.

"Lord Hizashi, I don't usually drink tea, so I can only offer you this inferior stuff."

"It's fine." Hyuga Hizashi smiled and lifted the cup for a sip.

The Hyuga Clan had a culture of tea tasting. If someone served tea, taking a sip was a matter of courtesy.

After the pleasantries, Hyuga Hizashi looked at Hyuga Satoru's still somewhat youthful face, and his expression could not help becoming complicated.

"I had guessed that you would be a variable within the clan, but I never expected that variable to grow so quickly."

A genius who surpassed Kakashi, the number one of the new generation—merely reciting those titles in his heart made Hyuga Hizashi burn with fervor.

Without a doubt, Hyuga Satoru was the greatest genius the Hyuga Clan had produced since Leaf Village was founded!

"I imagine a genius like you would never be willing to have shackles placed upon you."

Hyuga Hizashi looked at Hyuga Satoru with a complicated expression.

Hyuga Satoru remained silent. Those words carried far too many implications. If the main house heard them, there would surely be trouble.

Seeing that Hyuga Satoru said nothing, Hizashi sighed and took a scroll from his robes, placing it on the table.

"What is this?"

"You'll know when you open it."

Hyuga Satoru opened the scroll and sent a thread of chakra into it. His expression immediately changed in surprise.

The contents stored within the scroll were incredibly abundant, undoubtedly the most valuable things he had ever seen. In one corner was an enormous sum of cash. Hyuga Satoru roughly estimated that there were at least five million ryo.

On the other side were numerous secret techniques related to cultivation, some even being closely guarded clan secrets that were never passed down.

The cash was one thing, but these clan secret techniques were another. If the main house learned of it, Hyuga Hizashi would definitely be severely punished.

"Why?" Hyuga Satoru asked in a low voice.

Hyuga Hizashi gave a helpless smile. "Think of it as an investment."

Then he stood and walked toward the door.

"I truly hope that your variable can stir up a wind and make the Hyuga Clan's rotten old tree burst back into life."

Hyuga Satoru silently watched his retreating figure. Rather than an investment, it was more like choosing a side—taking a stance.

Did he know that I would never willingly be bound by the Caged Bird and intend to resist alongside me?

Had Hyuga Hizashi, who in the original story had ultimately accepted his fate and committed suicide, changed his original path because of Hyuga Satoru's influence?

Hyuga Satoru carefully put away the scroll. Hyuga Hizashi's support would be of great use to his training.

About half an hour later, knocking sounded outside once more.

Hyuga Satoru opened the door and saw that familiar face. The words nearly slipped out instinctively.

"Lord Hizashi, why are you here again..."

The words caught in his throat.

The other man's forehead was perfectly bare.

"So it's Lord Hiashi. Is there something you need?"

Hyuga Satoru spoke calmly.

It was still the same wooden table, with the same two cups of tea. Hiashi Hyuga glanced at the tea before him and frowned slightly. He did not choose to drink it, instead speaking directly.

"I came this time because I intend to take a disciple. Satoru, how would you like to become my disciple?"

He smiled faintly as he looked at Hyuga Satoru before him.

Taking a disciple was naturally the result of careful consideration. Everyone knew he was the next clan head. In terms of strength, he had already become a Jonin just after turning twenty, more than capable of teaching Hyuga Satoru, a mere Genin.

More importantly, once Hyuga Satoru bore the title of the next clan head's disciple, every problem would be solved.

Because of Hyuga Satoru's identity as a main house disciple, the branch family would become more obedient to the main house. As for the Hokage, since he had already taken Hyuga Satoru as a disciple, he likely would not be in a position to interfere.

"I refuse."

The smile on Hiashi Hyuga's face instantly froze, and he seemed to doubt whether he had misheard.

"Are you worried about Aburame Shibi? Don't worry. He is only your instructor, and that does not conflict with becoming my disciple. Once you become my disciple, the clan will provide you with a monthly stipend of one hundred thousand ryo. In addition, some of the main house's secret techniques will be opened to you."

Hyuga Satoru gave him a helpless look. "I think you misunderstand, Lord Hiashi. My unwillingness to become your disciple has nothing to do with Instructor Shibi, nor does it have anything to do with anything else..."

"Once I become Lord Hiashi's disciple, I'm afraid many things will no longer be up to me. I don't want to be bound by so many restrictions."

That answer left Hiashi Hyuga stunned. He did not know how to say the words he had prepared.

How ridiculous!

Do you know how many people dream of becoming my disciple?!

A trace of anger welled up in Hiashi Hyuga's heart. Yet his years of clan upbringing made him instinctively maintain his so-called composure. He took a deep breath and calmed himself.

"Very well. Since you have made your decision, I will not force you. Although you will not become my disciple, you will still receive the monthly stipend of one hundred thousand ryo. This is the clan's reward for you."

With that, he rose and left without lingering in the slightest.

Hyuga Satoru watched his departing back with deep eyes. Today, both Hizashi and Hiashi, that pair of brothers, had come to see him, yet their purposes could not have been more different.

By refusing Hiashi's offer to take him as a disciple, he had, in a sense, made his stance clear.

The future might not be peaceful.

He sighed to himself.