The game he had entered before transmigrating had a resurrection mechanic, after all. He would only lose levels.
Besides, they would not do it.
It was not that they did not dare, but that they did not think it was worth it.
The two escorted Hyuga Akira to the Council Chamber. Despite its name, it was just a tatami room, with four elderly men already kneeling on cushions along the two sides.
Directly ahead, a middle-aged man who resembled Hyuga Hiashi knelt in the seat of honor, facing Hyuga Akira.
He looked around but did not see Hyuga Hiashi.
Still, he knew these people too.
The Hyuga Main Family's council of elders.
The Hyuga Five Main Family had five main families in total, each branch responsible for different duties.
The main family represented by Hyuga Hiashi was the clan head's branch, which controlled the entire clan.
The others were the branch in charge of the Byakugan, the branch in charge of their final fallback, the branch in charge of the Hyuga Clan's private assets, and the branch in charge of the Hyuga Clan's weapons and ninjutsu.
Apart from the clan head's branch, the other four branches did not join the ranks of Konoha's ninja. In fact, they had it even worse than the clan head's branch.
Unless absolutely necessary, they were forbidden from leaving Konoha and could only live within it for their entire lives.
This was to prevent the Byakugan from falling into outside hands.
In later years, other Main Family members appeared among Konoha's ninja.
Leaving aside the resentment between the Main Family and the Branch Family, the Hyuga Clan truly spared no effort to protect those eyes of theirs.
If one looked at it from an outsider's perspective.
The Hyuga Clan actually had it pretty miserable. The Branch Family had no freedom and spent their whole lives under the Main Family's control, while the Main Family could never leave Konoha and could only live holed up inside it.
Everyone was tormenting one another.
The only ones who were truly free were those of the clan head's branch. They had no restrictions.
And the fact that Hyuga Hiashi had only left the village on his first mission two years after graduating was also the clan head protecting his son, rather than any restriction placed on him.
As for other Main Family members appearing among Konoha's ninja in later years, there was only one explanation.
The Hyuga Clan had gradually lost its autonomy under pressure from the Hokage.
Discontent within other ninja clans was forced on them by outsiders.
Only the Hyuga Clan was different. Their own people caused it all.
"Hyuga Akira!" the elder on the left, Hyuga Hi, snapped. "Do you understand what you did wrong?"
"What did I do wrong?" Hyuga Akira asked back.
"Unrepentant," Hyuga Fangxiang, one of the elders on the right, said coldly.
Hyuga Hi's face was full of anger. "You repeatedly talked back to the young clan head and even attacked him without permission, injuring his hand. Are you saying you didn't do that?"
Hyuga Akira sneered. "Just how weak is the young clan head if he can't stand a few words of backtalk? What's wrong with getting a little hurt in a fight between Shinobi? The young clan head attacked me first during the mission."
"The young clan head attacked you, and you actually dared to fight back? Have you forgotten your status as a Branch Family member?" Hyuga Fangxiang demanded in a low voice as well.
"He can't stand a few words of backtalk, and he can't even beat a child who only just became a Shinobi. Is Hyuga Hiashi really qualified to be the young clan head?"
The other elder on the right, Hyuga Huangku, instead questioned Hyuga Hiashi's qualifications.
"The Branch Family exists to protect the Main Family. What does this have to do with Hyuga Hiashi being the young clan head?" the Main Family elder on the left, Hyuga Fu, said gravely.
"Stop changing the subject. Hyuga Hiashi has been a Shinobi for two years, yet he couldn't even beat Hyuga Akira, who just graduated. Doesn't he feel ashamed?" Hyuga Huangku refused to let the point go.
This made the Hyuga clan head, Hyuga Masayuki, look somewhat displeased. Hyuga Hiashi was his son, after all. He said gravely, "Elder Huangku, we are here today to hold Hyuga Akira accountable. As a Branch Family member, he has already broken the rules."
Hyuga Huangku snorted coldly and said no more.
Hyuga Akira understood now. It seemed the Main Family was dissatisfied with the clan head's branch too.
After all, the clan head's branch had far more freedom than they did.
Hyuga Masayuki looked at Hyuga Akira, whose expression remained calm, as though the matter being discussed had nothing to do with him.
He frowned and asked gravely, "Do you have anything else to say in your defense?"
Hyuga Akira shrugged, his expression mocking. "Defending myself wouldn't do any good anyway, would it? After all, I'm just a Branch Family member."
He was only here to go through the motions.
Hyuga Masayuki said coldly, "For defying the Hyuga Main Family and attacking a Main Family member without permission, Hyuga Akira will be confined for ten days as a warning to others."
Two figures appeared beside Hyuga Akira, about to take him away.
Just then, Hyuga Hiashi suddenly rushed in through the doorway and knelt beside Hyuga Akira.
"Father, it was only a momentary argument. There's no need for such a severe punishment," Hyuga Hiashi said hurriedly.
Ten days of confinement meant more than simply being locked up. It was a dark room the Hyuga Clan used specifically to punish its members, primarily through mental torment, and no food was provided during confinement.
Only Shinobi could last ten days without food or water, but even they would be tormented by hunger.
A trace of gratification flashed across Hyuga Masayuki's face and vanished.
A hint of mockery tugged at Hyuga Akira's lips, but he did not speak up. It would be better not to be confined. He still needed to grind some experience.
The Hyuga Main Family elders all fell silent as well.
Everyone waited for Hyuga Masayuki's decision.
Hyuga Masayuki said gravely, "The clan rules cannot be set aside."
Hyuga Hiashi also said gravely, "Hyuga Akira is a member of my squad, after all. Without him, our squad won't be able to carry out missions either. I hope you can forgive Hyuga Akira's disrespect, Father."
Beside him, Hyuga Akira silently sighed.
Circumstances left him no choice.
Once he grew strong in the future, he would show these people.
If their roles were reversed, he would show them what cruelty meant.
Chapter 9: A confinement punishment that started strong and ended weak
Hyuga Masayuki looked at the expressionless Hyuga Akira.
There was not the slightest remorse on his face, and Hyuga Masayuki frowned.
He turned to Hyuga Hiashi and said, "Since you have pleaded for him, his punishment can be reduced, but not waived. Three days of confinement."
"Father." Hyuga Hiashi still wanted to try to defend Hyuga Akira.
But Hyuga Masayuki had already decided. "You may leave."
Two Hyuga clansmen led Hyuga Akira away, heading toward the Hyuga Clan's prison.
The prison was located in the back courtyard.
Quite a few people saw them along the way. This time, however, they were not walking one in front and one behind. Instead, each of the two held one of Hyuga Akira's arms, taking him away entirely like a prisoner.
This was also meant as a warning to the other Branch Family members.
The Hyuga Clan's prison was a dungeon. Inside a small building, stairs led down beyond the door.
Inside the dungeon, torches were spaced along both walls, with a tightly sealed iron door between each pair.
Who would have thought all of this had been prepared for their own people?
More precisely, it had been prepared for Branch Family members.
Still, people who openly resisted like Hyuga Akira were ultimately few, and there were not many people in the entire dungeon.
The two unlocked an iron door and threw Hyuga Akira inside.
Without a word, they shut the door, cutting off the last sliver of light as it closed.
In the darkness, Hyuga Akira opened his eyes.
"One playing the bad cop, the other playing the good cop."
He was thoroughly disdainful.
If Hyuga Hiashi thought he could win him over this way, he was dreaming.
"Byakugan."
He activated his Byakugan and scanned the room. Only after seeing no surveillance equipment did he take something out of his Inventory.
An electric lamp.
"Good thing I prepared ahead of time."
Although this was his first time being locked up, he had long known how the Hyuga Clan punished people. He had heard about the dungeon for ages.
Many Hyuga Branch Family members loathed the dungeon.
He switched on the lamp.
Bright light illuminated the entire dungeon cell. The square cell was not very large and had only one tiny ventilation duct.
There was a chair inside the cell. Looking at the chains fastened beside it, he did not need to think to know what it was for.
He took a few more pieces of jerky out of his Inventory and put them into his mouth.
This place was torture for others, but not necessarily for him.
He had plenty of things in his Inventory, enough for him to stay here for years without a problem.
"In three days, I'll be back as good as ever. I just need to watch one thing."
He could not put on weight over these three days.
He began exercising right there.
Still, he might not necessarily spend all three days here.
The next day.
The Princess of Konoha, Tsunade, visited the Hyuga Clan.
Inside the Council Chamber.
This time, only Hyuga Masayuki and Tsunade were in the room, with a wooden table and two cups of tea between them.
The sliding door behind Tsunade stood open, revealing the lush green lakeside scenery.
"Jonin Tsunade, are you satisfied with my son?" Hyuga Masayuki asked directly.
He did want Hyuga Hiashi to become Tsunade's apprentice, but Hyuga Hiashi had not been assigned to her by the Ninja Academy, so theirs could not be called a teacher-student relationship.
The two could only be considered a superior and a subordinate.
This was also why the Hokage had agreed to let Tsunade lead the three Hyuga Clan members.
Tsunade frowned. "Your son's abilities are passable, but he's too impatient. However, that's not what I came here about today."
Hyuga Masayuki set down his teacup expressionlessly. "Then may I ask what brings you here, Lady Tsunade?"
"Hyuga Akira." Tsunade stated her purpose directly. "To prepare for future missions, I need to give Hyuga Akira special training."
Hyuga Masayuki's brow furrowed slightly. He had not expected Tsunade to come for Hyuga Akira.
And her reason was perfectly valid. A squad leader could train her subordinates.
"Then will my two sons need training as well, Jonin Tsunade?" Hyuga Masayuki changed the subject.
Although the Third Hokage's position was now secure, that stability had only come after great sacrifices and a long period of maintaining it.
What had been sacrificed was the Hokage's authority, increasing the authority held by their ninja clans.
Just as now, if Hyuga Masayuki did not intend to hand him over, there was nothing Tsunade could do. This was no longer the era of the Second Hokage or the First Hokage.
But Tsunade's status still carried weight.
Hyuga Masayuki did not want to offend Tsunade, but he could not let go so easily either.
Tsunade merely frowned, then soon said calmly, "What I intend to teach Hyuga Akira is Medical Ninjutsu. If Hiashi and Hizashi are interested, they can train alongside Hyuga Akira."
This put Hyuga Masayuki in a difficult position.
Before you continue