Chapter 258: The Hyūgas

In reality, even though Hiashi had refused to reveal what had happened back then, using "family matters" as an excuse, Natsuro, who had read the original story and felt dissatisfied with it, still remembered exactly what had transpired.

It had happened during a training session between Hiashi and Hinata. As Hizashi watched his niece, who lacked exceptional talent, he couldn't help but think of his own son, a boy born with the greatest talent in the Hyūga clan.

Yet despite Neji's immense potential, he had still been branded with the Caged Bird Seal, while Hinata, who was far less gifted, did not have to bear such a mark.

And all of this… was simply because Hizashi had been born a little later, making him part of the branch family.

These thoughts stirred up an intense sense of injustice within Hizashi, as well as deep guilt toward Neji. In that moment, those feelings twisted into a surge of killing intent directed at Hinata.

Sensing this murderous intent, Hiashi had activated the Caged Bird Seal on Hizashi right in front of Neji.

Natsuro had no doubts about the effectiveness of the Caged Bird Seal. That kind of agony was not something mere willpower could withstand.

As a result, in front of Neji, Hizashi had been forced into a state of agony... His anguished screams, his twisted expression… It must have left a deep psychological scar on Neji.

At that time, though Neji had already been branded with the Caged Bird Seal, he hadn't fully understood what it truly meant.

Later, during his sparring matches with Hinata, when he injured her too severely, he had been punished with the Caged Bird Seal multiple times as well.

Thus, Neji's resentment and hatred had only grown deeper and deeper.

From Natsuro's perspective, Hiashi had not done anything wrong in that situation.

Did Hizashi deserve to be punished? Absolutely. No matter what, directing killing intent at his own niece was unacceptable, how could that not warrant punishment?

Even if the branch family's duty to protect the main house were disregarded, purely from a moral standpoint, Hiashi was not in the wrong.

Put yourself in Hiashi's position, imagine you had a daughter, and then discovered that your own younger brother harbored the intent to kill her…

How many people could simply ignore such a thing?

Frankly, punishing him was lenient. Not cutting ties with him entirely was already an act of restraint.

Of course, in the real world, people can't always perceive the thoughts of others. In this world, however, although there were ways to sense emotions, the Caged Bird Seal clearly did not provide that ability.

Otherwise, Neji would have been punished the moment he developed the thought of harming Hinata, rather than after he had already struck her.

Rather than believing the Caged Bird Seal allowed the main house to monitor the thoughts of the branch family, he was more inclined to believe that Hizashi had simply lost control of his emotions. The more he dwelled on it, the angrier he became, until his frustration erupted into an external display of killing intent.

Because in this world, killing intent was a tangible force. If Hizashi had reached the point where his intent to kill Hinata became outwardly perceptible, then for that instant, he had truly wanted to kill her.

Even if it had lasted only a fleeting moment and he had never actually taken action, did that mean he shouldn't have been punished?

I see you as my own brother, and you want to kill my daughter?

What kind of brother does that?

Even knowing that he was filled with resentment, crossing that line into murderous intent was too much.

So, from Natsuro's point of view, Hiashi's response had already been quite lenient.

From a father's perspective, perhaps the punishment would have been even harsher.

Moreover, when Natsuro had questioned Hiashi about it earlier, he hadn't given the details, likely to protect Hizashi's reputation.

This trait of Hiashi's, his stability and composure, was undoubtedly far better than Hizashi's impulsiveness.

So, as the Hokage of Konoha, he felt that Hiashi was a suitable leader for the Hyūga clan.

If Hizashi had been the clan head instead, Natsuro probably wouldn't have even let him eavesdrop on Neji's conversation. He would have simply issued a direct order as Hokage to have Neji's Caged Bird Seal removed.

Of course, whether Neji would have even had the Caged Bird Seal under Hizashi's leadership was another question entirely, but that was just a hypothetical scenario.

That being said, Hiashi wasn't entirely blameless either. In fact, he had made two major mistakes, both related to his daughters, he was, without a doubt, a complete doting father.

The first mistake occurred when Kumogakure and Konoha signed their alliance treaty.

Hiashi had been celebrating Hinata's birthday instead of attending the treaty ceremony.

What's more, records indicated that not a single member of the Hyūga clan had participated in the celebration.

Even if Hiashi himself had been preoccupied with his daughter's birthday, couldn't Hizashi, who held a similarly high status, have attended in his place?

But for the Hyūga clan as a whole to completely avoid the event? That was unacceptable from any perspective.

Natsuro speculated that the most likely explanation was that relations between Konoha and the Hyūga clan had been far more strained back then than they were now, perhaps even very tense.

This decision, however, had only served to antagonize the Hokage and demonstrate the Hyūga clan's internal unity in standing apart from Konoha.

Natsuro had pondered whether Hiashi had acted alone in this decision or if the Hyūga elders had pressured him into it.

But the truth of those events had long been buried by time. Even if Natsuro were to ask the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the old man probably wouldn't tell him.

After all, the Hyūga clan had lost much of its arrogance since that incident.

Under Hiashi's leadership, their once-overbearing attitude had mellowed significantly.

So, in Hiruzen's mind, there was no need to dwell on the past.

Revealing the clan's past misdeeds to Natsuro would only further strain relations between the Hyūga and the Hokage. Hiruzen would never do such a thing.

The second mistake, of course, was when Hiashi killed the Kumogakure captain who had attempted to kidnap Hinata.

But in that case, it was obvious that he had been set up.

The Kumogakure leader's "captain" title might not have even been legitimate, he could have been appointed as a temporary commander just for that operation.

Natsuro suspected that Kumogakure had already devised two possible outcomes.

If they had succeeded in abducting Hinata, they would have secured the Byakugan with ease.

If they were caught, then the "captain" had to die within the Hyūga compound, ensuring that Hiashi himself would be the one to kill him.

This way, Kumogakure could justify demanding that Konoha hand over Hiashi as compensation.

They didn't even need to worry about finding witnesses, after all, the testimony of Hyūga clan members wouldn't be enough to defend their clan leader.

And if Konoha did hand over Hiashi, Kumogakure would obtain the Byakugan through other means.

Of course, what they hadn't anticipated was that Hizashi would step forward and take the fall in Hiashi's place, sacrificing himself to counter their scheme.

Because of the existence of the Caged Bird Seal, Kumogakure's final scheme ultimately failed to grant them the Byakugan.

Yet these two mistakes, the first straining relations between the Hyūga and the Hokage, and the second affecting the harmony between two major hidden villages, had concentrated all the issues into one focal point.

Natsuro rubbed his forehead as he looked at the documents in his hand. The records were far from complete, after all, they involved the hidden tensions between Konoha and the Hyūga clan, and the Third Hokage certainly wouldn't want to leave too many traces of those conflicts.

Still, no matter how one looked at it, he felt that while Hiruzen's decision to trade Hiashi's corpse to Kumogakure in order to maintain peace was understandable, it undeniably exposed his weakness.

At that time, relations between the Hyūga clan and Konoha were indeed strained. Furthermore, the village was still recovering from multiple crises. The Fourth Hokage had died in the Nine-Tails' attack a few years prior, Orochimaru had defected soon after, and Tsunade had disappeared on her wandering travels, unwilling to return.

Konoha's combat strength at the time was severely diminished, facing both internal unrest and external threats. Hiruzen himself certainly did not want to escalate tensions into another war.

So, given all these factors, it was somewhat understandable that he made such a decision.

However, he still could not agree with it.

Even considering all these circumstances, such a choice was not what a victorious village from the Third Great Ninja War should have made.

If Konoha had been the losing side in the war, then perhaps swallowing their pride would have been necessary. But as the victor, why should they concern themselves with such petty concerns?

Of course, Natsuro could see the logic in using this situation to pressure the Hyūga clan, forcing them to make a decision on their own. Would they willingly hand over Hiashi's corpse or not?

If the Hyūga chose to side with Konoha and refused to comply with Kumogakure's demands, it would prove their loyalty to the village. Afterward, a few more "reminders" from the Hokage would be enough to keep them in check.

Natsuro simply did not believe that Kumogakure would have dared to start a war over this. Even in its weakest state, Konoha was still the strongest of the hidden villages.

Moreover, the Third Raikage, Kumogakure's most powerful leader, was already dead. They lacked the military strength to launch a full-scale conflict.

At most, they might have resorted to minor skirmishes to save face.

If it had come to war, Jiraiya, who was traveling outside the village, would not have stood by idly. He would have returned to Konoha immediately. Even Tsunade, despite her reluctance to return, would have kept an eye on the situation. If the need arose, she would have come back as well.

When that time came, Konoha could afford to give Kumogakure a little face if necessary. But if they pushed their luck too far, then a battle would have been inevitable. Even in its lowest state, Konoha would not have feared Kumogakure.

Of course, if the Hyūga clan had outright refused to hand over Hiashi's body, then Konoha would have had to stand by them, leading to an inevitable conflict.

However, in that case, the story could have been spread throughout Konoha, permanently tarnishing the Hyūga clan's reputation.

This would have had the added benefit of suppressing the Hyūga's influence, ensuring that they would struggle to hold their heads high in the village for years to come.

Natsuro stroked his chin, considering the possibility that such treatment might have pushed the Hyūga clan down the same path as the Uchiha.

Would it have led to another "Massacre"?

Of course, reality played out differently, the Hyūga clan did not take that path. Hiashi himself had agreed to sacrifice himself for the sake of both the Hyūga and Konoha.

Unfortunately, it was the Third Hokage in power at the time.

Natsuro sighed, rubbing his temples before rolling up the scroll.

No matter what, the records did not reveal too much of the truth. Even when cross-referenced with the events of the original story, some parts still didn't quite make sense.

But what was done was done, what mattered now was the future.

And the future of the Hyūga clan… likely lay in the hands of Neji and Hanabi.

Hanabi's talent might not be inferior to Neji's at all.

And as for Natsuro, he had already done what he could. No matter how displeased he was with the past, these were ultimately internal matters of another family. He could not waste too much time on Hyūga affairs.

At this moment, he stepped toward the window, looking in a particular direction, the direction where his true self resided, the location of the Shikkotsu Forest.

After all these days, his main body had finally achieved some results...

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