188 - Funeral Shrouds and Dark Clouds

Hiashi lowered his head to the ground, displaying utmost respect and humility.

He understood very well.

At this point, all members of the main house had been engraved with the Caged Bird Seal, and the situation was irreversible.

The branch house members who had long harbored deep resentment towards the main house would undoubtedly stir up a great storm.

Power struggles were insignificant in comparison. What truly worried him was the possibility that some extremists might go as far as to kill the original main house members.

Moreover, the sudden appearance of four giant wooden golems in the Hyūga clan's territory, along with the massive commotion they caused, might turn the Hyūga clan into a laughingstock of the village.

But what concerned him the most was that they could become the target of attacks from those supporting the new Hokage.

If Tsunade and Kei completely lost their trust and patience with the Hyūga clan… Then their fate might be even worse than that of the Uchiha clan in the past, and that was a consequence they could not afford to bear.

In this dire internal crisis, the only solution was to proactively surrender the method to control the Caged Bird Seal, making their stance clear, and fully aligning themselves with the current Hokage's faction.

As for whether they would still be controlled by others afterward… Did they truly have control over their own fate even now?

Besides, given the overwhelming strength Tsunade and Kei displayed so far, it would likely serve as a deterrent to any rebellious branch house members.

A redistribution of power within the clan was inevitable, but at least it could reduce unnecessary turmoil and casualties.

"Make me some tea."

Kei had already guessed Hiashi's thoughts.

This guy had been trying to use the clan elders to probe the stance of Konoha's leadership from the very beginning. Even if Konoha's top officials responded harshly and the conflict became rigid, as the clan head, he could still act as a mediator and smooth things over.

If the opportunity arose, he could retain control over the Caged Bird Seal. If not, he would act accordingly and strive for greater benefits for the main house. At the end of the day, how many clan leaders truly had simple intentions when trying to maintain their authority?

Just like in the original story—when Neji spoke out of turn during the Chunin Exams, Hiashi immediately handed over a scroll containing his father's final words to the opposing side.

Regardless of whether the scroll was genuine or not…

Soon after, Orochimaru launched the Konoha Crush Plan, and Hinata was once again kidnapped by two ninjas from Kumo. Yet, Hiashi sent Neji to rescue Hinata.

When Neji fought with everything he had and was nearly killed, Hiashi saved him at the last moment.

This method of testing the waters, while not identical, was certainly similar in style.

However, this time, Hiashi had completely miscalculated. He never anticipated such an intense counterattack from Kei and Tsunade.

Killing without hesitation at the slightest disagreement. Their attitude was clear—if you don't obey, you die!

Under these circumstances, he had no other choice but to decisively offer up the control method for the Caged Bird Seal!

"Yes."

Seeing Kei's cold gaze, Hiashi felt nothing but bitterness. Though he didn't understand why his opponent chose this moment to drink tea, he immediately retrieved an intact tea set from the collapsed shrine and quickly prepared the tea.

As a prestigious clan in the ninja world, members of the Hyūga main house were highly skilled in the art of tea-making. Yet, the intricate tea ceremonies they once prided themselves on now felt like an agonizing waste of time.

After ten full minutes, a cup of steaming tea was placed in front of Kei, who picked up the cup, gently blew on the clear tea, and glanced at the shrine's broken entrance.

"Go."

There, Hizashi—the first to be branded with the Caged Bird Seal and the first to recover from the excruciating pain of his bloodline being sealed—stared intently at Hiashi without blinking.

He was filled with hatred. Because of this utterly useless clan leader, he had ended up in such a miserable state.

"Yes." Hiashi bowed once again, then walked to the shrine's entrance and knelt before it.

Without the usual elaborate rituals or formalities, his already worn-out hands swiftly formed a seal.

In just over ten seconds, a suppressed, low growl escaped from him at the shrine entrance.

Standing about ten meters away, Hizashi looked at his elder brother, whose face was twisted in agony and body convulsing uncontrollably. A trace of pity flashed in his eyes, but it was soon replaced by unwavering determination.

Back then, when he was branded with the Caged Bird Seal, he had suffered just as much. But if this meant that there would no longer be a distinction between the branch and main house, then perhaps the next generation of children could finally escape the fate of the Caged Bird Seal...

"Recite the method to control the Caged Bird Seal. Louder."

Kei glanced sideways at Hizashi, who looked as if he was exacting long-awaited revenge.

"...Yes! The full sequence of hand seals is...."

Hizashi, terrified by Kei's ruthless methods, did not dare to hesitate. Fearing he would be reduced to a pile of flesh the very next second, he loudly recited the long-guarded secret of the main house—the method to control the Caged Bird Seal.

As for whether the branch house would turn this method against him…

So what? They could all hurt each other. That was still better than being helplessly slaughtered like livestock!

"Ah..." Hiashi wanted to stop him, but the pain, coupled with Kei's cold and indifferent gaze, left him unable to utter a single word.

Kei took a sip of his hot tea, scanning the surrounding branch house members, who wore various expressions.

After setting down his teacup, he got up and started walking toward the Hokage Building.

Swoosh—

The four wooden golems were reabsorbed into his domain.

As he listened to the faint sounds of chaos erupting behind him, he let out a sneering chuckle.

Years of pent-up resentment, now combined with having the same authority and power as the main house… The Hyūga clan would not be quiet today. As for how many would die in the conflict… Debts had to be repaid, after all.

Besides, Hiashi survived in the original timeline, went on to marry, and had Hinata and Hanabi as usual.

As for the others—who even knew who they were?

---

Within the Land of Rain, Kitsuchi was moving swiftly.

Behind him, Rōshi, Han, and Gari, who carried the retired Third Tsuchikage on his back, closely followed.

"What's the rush? Are you in a hurry to deliver your own funeral shroud?" Ōnoki grumbled from Gari's back, glancing up at the dark, heavy clouds in the sky with a sigh.

In just a few short days, Kitsuchi had shown a decisiveness and toughness completely different from his usual mild temperament.

With his solid strength and excellent reputation, he had rallied those who unconditionally trusted him, swiftly taking full control over Iwa's forces and officially becoming the Fourth Tsuchikage.

Logically speaking, what came next no longer required the involvement of the retired Third Tsuchikage.

But… He still couldn't let go of the terrifying, world-shattering Wood Release power he had witnessed.

Just a day ago, while they were on the move, they received intelligence that Konoha had mobilized a massive force to suppress Suna.

First Hokage, Second Hokage, Madara… Would Konoha really treat them as equals, as they had promised?

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

A series of piercing sounds filled the air.

The Third Raikage, his body crackling with lightning, appeared in front of them—bringing along his son and the Eight-Tails jinchūriki.

Behind them, leading a unit of elite Kumo ninjas, was Dodai. They swiftly formed a semi-circle, encircling the Iwa group.