In the main hall of the Main Family at the Hyuga Clan compound, a Branch Family servant led Kaguya Utsusemi to meet the Hyuga Clan's current head, Hyuga Toki.
He was a refined-looking middle-aged man with the Hyuga Clan's customary pure white eyes and long black hair. Yet those hollow eyes held a deeper meaning, and his stare made Kaguya Utsusemi uneasy all over. Utsusemi sat stiffly in the guest seat and forced himself to greet Hyuga Toki patiently.
Fortunately, Hyuga Toki was quite friendly. He began with a few compliments, praising Utsusemi's talent and strength, then rambled on about the friendship and shared history between their clans' ancestors.
Only after he had talked at length, until Kaguya Utsusemi was nearly drowning in the endless chatter and forgetting why he had come, did he abruptly change the subject and mention the Kaguya Clan's current plight.
"Our two clans have always been on good terms. It pains me deeply to see the Kaguya Clan suffer such a disaster."
"Then will the Hyuga Clan help us?"
Kaguya Utsusemi was hardly a skilled negotiator. Although the Kaguya Clan possessed an extremely powerful kekkei genkai, its members all had problems, to varying degrees, with both their minds and bodies.
His patience was almost exhausted now, and he was eager to get to the point, unaware that Hyuga Toki had been controlling the entire conversation.
"Alas..."
Hyuga Toki heaved a long sigh, his face filled with genuine grief and dejection. Seeing the anticipation on Kaguya Utsusemi's face, he explained awkwardly:
"If we were still in the Warring States era, the Hyuga Clan would certainly send troops to help. But now, this is a matter between two villages. The Hyuga Clan truly wishes it could help, but it cannot..."
"Then why did you say all that