The atmosphere within the Hyuga Clan was tense.
Several elders sneered. Neji was a genius, but he was also a greenhorn. For one person to think he could overturn rules the clan had upheld for centuries was sheer fantasy.
But then...
They began to notice something was wrong. Beyond the walls, Branch Family ninja had surrounded the place and were watching intently.
"Well, well. It seems I underestimated you!" one elder said with a cold, furious laugh. "So you and your father planned this all along!"
"You're wrong. Things need to change."
"Change? Change what? The Hyuga Clan is what it is today because the Caged Bird Seal protects the exclusivity of our Kekkei Genkai. What have we done wrong?"
They scoffed, glaring at Neji and the Branch Family members behind him.
"If you're right, how did I gather so many Branch Family members in just a few years?" Neji's expression remained calm. "It's precisely because you're wrong that I've gained their full support!"
Rallying the Branch Family ninja had gone so smoothly that Neji and his father could hardly believe it.
It only made Neji more certain he had made the right choice.
They were people with the same blood running through their veins. Their lives and deaths should not be in the Main Family's hands.
"I have no wish to argue with you, and you're in no position to argue with me. Even Lord Kazan cannot interfere in the Hyuga Clan's affairs! Go home. We'll pretend nothing happened today."
They told Neji to leave, unwilling to let the matter escalate. They were wary of his teacher.
That Ghost God was famously unrestrained and never listened to reason.
"That's right. We can discuss this later. Go home for now," Hyuga Hiashi said.
The Main Family might have been small,