Have I… and every branch family member of the Hyuga clan… really been brainwashed by the rules the Main House forced on us?
Jujiro's words wouldn't stop replaying in Neji's head.
He couldn't help but look inward and reflect on himself.
And he realized—he had no way to argue against that talking cat.
Because everything it said was true.
If he hadn't been brainwashed, if his mind hadn't been so deeply conditioned… then why did he still hold out hope for the Main House? Why did he instinctively try to defend them, even when they had never treated the branch fairly—not even once? Why did he still lean toward them in his heart?
All those unanswered questions—suddenly had answers.
The Main House's decades of indoctrination had locked the branch family into something far worse than just the physical Caged Bird Seal.
They were stuck in a mental prison—and they didn't even realize it.
Without someone from outside to call it out, the Hyuga branch would've stayed oblivious forever.
Neji looked up at the man standing alone against Hiashi and the elders—Uchiha Chizumi.
The Hyuga clan's internal affairs had nothing to do with him.
Yet he still stepped in.
He didn't care if he offended the Main House.
Was this… justice?
"Uchiha Chizumi…" One of the Hyuga elders finally spoke, his face tense, trying to mask his growing frustration. "You've gone too far. You're an outsider, yet you're trying to change rules passed down for centuries? No one in the Hyuga clan is going to support something like this!"
Chizumi's response was sharp and casual. "Why would I need the Hyuga clan's approval to change the Hyuga clan's rules?"
The elder froze.
Was this guy serious?
Had he ever met someone so arrogant in his life?
Did this Uchiha brat not even understand basic conversation?
"Who says no one supports it?" Neji suddenly stepped forward. "As someone from the branch family, I support changing the clan rules."
The elder's face went rigid.
He turned to Hiashi, silently begging him to say something—anything—that would push Chizumi away without escalating the situation.
He didn't want a confrontation. He just wanted Chizumi gone.
But Hiashi stayed quiet.
Then he let out a breath. "…Fine. The Hyuga clan… will consider it."
He looked Chizumi in the eye and added, "If these rules are truly making many of our people unhappy, then we'll look into changing them."
Hiashi sounded tired. Like something had broken inside him.
He could already feel the disappointment from his own people. But he had no other choice.
Because deep down, Hiashi had a terrifying feeling.
If they kept pushing back against Chizumi, he'd snap. And once Chizumi lost patience, there'd be no stopping him.
"…Chizumi," another elder muttered, trying to say something but choking on his own words.
He understood Hiashi's position. In the end, he just sighed.
"Uchiha Chizumi, like our clan head said, we'll come up with a solution that satisfies both the Main and Branch families. Once it's done, we'll bring it to you."
His fists were clenched tight inside his sleeves.
"That should be enough, right? Your so-called justice mission is done now, right? It's time for you to leave."
The Main House had actually backed down.
Many of the branch family members stood there, stunned.
No one ever imagined something like this could happen.
An outsider had just walked in and stood up for them—and the Main House had actually been forced to give ground.
This was, without question, the biggest concession the Main House had ever made to the branch family.
But then—
"Who said this is over?" Chizumi asked calmly.
The elder nearly choked.
Chizumi took a step forward.
"You're seriously going to ignore the fact that you've abused the Branch with the Caged Bird Seal for generations? That you used those twisted, self-serving clan laws to justify your cruelty?"
Hiashi and the elder both felt an ominous chill.
"Chizumi… what are you trying to do?" Hiashi asked.
Chizumi replied coldly, "I'll judge each of you based on how severely you oppressed the branch. The worst—like Hyuga Jinsuke—will pay with their lives. Executed on the spot. The rest? Ten to twenty years, three to ten, or at the very least, three months in prison depending on how bad it was."
Hiashi's face twitched in shock.
Chizumi wasn't finished.
"Murder isn't the only evil worth punishing. You don't need to be a killer to deserve justice."
"I've looked at all of you. I know the Main House inside and out. And very few of you are innocent."
"Most of you have used the seal on your own people."
"…Including you, Hyuga Hiashi."
A bead of cold sweat slid down Hiashi's face.
Now he understood why people called Chizumi a maniac. Why they named him the Uchiha Plague. Why people compared him to a beast prowling the streets of Konoha.
Chizumi didn't care if you gave in.
He didn't care if you tried to compromise.
He wasn't trying to negotiate.
He was here to carry out justice—ruthless, absolute, unforgiving.
And now, the Hyuga clan was his target.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" a young Main House jonin shouted suddenly. Hiashi's heart sank. He couldn't stop it in time.
"So just using the seal makes you a criminal now? Who made that rule—Uchiha Chizumi?"
"You're saying eighty to ninety percent of the Main House should go to prison? Who's going to carry on the Hyuga bloodline then? You want our Byakugan to go extinct?"
"You call this justice?! You don't care what the majority thinks—you only care about your own twisted ideals. You're the selfish one!"
Hiashi was sweating bullets.
He recognized the voice. It belonged to one of their younger elites. Nineteen years old, already a jonin. Talented, proud, and clearly lacking in self-awareness.
"You don't get to claim you represent the Hyuga majority!" Neji shouted back, stepping up.
"Look around you. Who's the real majority here—the Main House or the Branch?"
"They're just scared you'll trigger their seals. That's the only reason they've stayed quiet. You've oppressed them for so long that they've forgotten what real freedom is."
"That doesn't mean they're on your side. The branch family has always outnumbered you—hundreds of us. How many are you? Forty?"
"You're just scared. Scared that once the seal's gone, the branch will surpass you. That the genius title you cling to will be meaningless."
Neji knew—this was it. His only chance to avenge his father. To break the cage once and for all.
He couldn't back down.
And he wouldn't let the Main House twist their way out of it.
"You little—!" The young jonin clenched his teeth and suddenly formed a hand sign.
Neji's pupils shrank. He recognized that sign.
The same one Hiashi had used to kill his father.
"Stop!!" Hiashi turned and rushed to knock his hand away—
But he was too slow.
Whoosh—
No one saw Chizumi draw his blade.
They didn't even see him move.
Only a blur. A flicker of steel.
Then a severed arm spun into the air.
Blood sprayed.
"Hyuga Horiao. Twenty years in Konoha prison."
Chizumi's voice was calm. Icy. Final.
…
Meanwhile — Hokage Tower, Konoha
A soft patter of paws echoed down the hallway.
Pakkun, Kakashi's ninja dog, came sprinting through the corridor and slipped into the Hokage's office without hesitation.
"Hm?"
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow as he saw a dog enter. But the moment he recognized Pakkun, he understood why the Anbu guards hadn't stopped him.
"Hokage-sama," Pakkun got straight to the point, "Kakashi sent me. Something's going down in the Hyuga clan."
Hiruzen froze for a second. "…The Hyuga clan?"
His expression tightened slightly. He glanced at Mitokado Homura standing nearby, then turned back to Pakkun.
"Is it because of Chizumi? What happened over there?"
"No idea," Pakkun replied, his droopy eyes showing no emotion. "Kakashi just told me to report to you ASAP."
He paused for a moment, then added, "When I was summoned at the compound, the smell of blood was strong. Not just a cut or a scratch—really strong."
Kakashi, wary of how tense the situation was becoming between the Main and Branch families, had ultimately decided to send his summon to call the Hokage directly.
"Blood…" Hiruzen repeated.
Homura's expression darkened. "Hiruzen, it's likely that Hyuga Jinsuke—one of the Main House elders—didn't manage to leave Konoha. Chizumi probably caught up to him."
"And in Chizumi's eyes, if Jinsuke activated the Caged Bird Seal and caused a Branch member's death, then he's a murderer. And murderers…" Homura shook his head. "They don't get second chances with Chizumi."
"Kakashi thinks the Hyuga are in real trouble," he added. "Most likely because Chizumi already executed Jinsuke—maybe even in front of the entire clan."
"Chizumi does like to make a statement when he kills someone," he said dryly.
Hiruzen's mouth twitched. "He does have a thing for… making examples."
He coughed once and brushed the thought aside.
"Still, Kakashi may be overreacting. If Chizumi had a legitimate reason, and it's clear he acted from a moral high ground, then executing Jinsuke is something Hiashi likely won't challenge. Hiashi's one of the few in the clan who can see reason."
"And even if some hot-headed Hyuga kids want to fight back," Hiruzen added, "Hiashi will probably keep them in check."
To him, there was no real need to intervene.
In fact, part of him felt that the Hyuga clan needed this kind of disruption.
Sure, their old-fashioned values made them reliable and obedient—but it also made them rigid, stagnant, and far weaker overall than the Uchiha had been in their prime.
And with so many of Konoha's elite shinobi dead after the last war, Hiruzen knew he needed a powerful clan to fill that void. Preferably, one that would stay loyal and follow orders.
The Hyuga clan was… perfect for that.
"Looks like I'm letting Chizumi do the dirty work for me this time," Hiruzen mused silently.
But then Pakkun added something that changed everything:
"It wasn't just one person's blood."
"…What?"
"I smelled blood from at least two, maybe even three people. Possibly more."
That froze the room.
"…Two or three?" Hiruzen repeated slowly.
Homura's brow furrowed. "Something's off. Chizumi might be going overboard again. Wouldn't be the first time."
Hiruzen exhaled deeply and looked up.
"Homura… I'm assigning you five Anbu squads. Go check it out immediately."
Homura's heart skipped.
Five Anbu squads meant Hiruzen was bracing for the worst—that this could erupt into a direct clash between Chizumi and either the Hyuga or Konoha's forces.
"…Understood," Homura said with a serious nod, already preparing to move.
…
Meanwhile — Rain Village
Heavy rain poured down from gray skies, as always.
Konan stood quietly at the highest tower, her expression cold, her figure partially shielded from the downpour by floating sheets of paper above her. The rooftops below glistened with water, and the rain never stopped.
She looked down at Amegakure.
Then, without turning, she spoke to the man in the wheelchair beside her.
"Some of our Rain-nin in Konoha just sent a report—Biwa Jūzō abandoned them and left the village on his own."
She turned her head slightly toward Nagato.
"He must've found the intel I wanted. And now he's rushing back."
Nagato looked up at her, meeting her gaze.
"What makes you so sure?" he asked calmly.
Konan explained, "Because he didn't use any long-distance transmission to contact us. That means he's worried the intel could be intercepted if said aloud."
"And if it's intercepted… he's dead. Some people really don't want us knowing the truth he found—especially not me."
"That's why he's bringing it back the old-fashioned way. In person."
Nagato nodded slowly. "Cautious. Smart."
But he frowned slightly. "I do have one concern."
He paused.
"If you're right… and 'Uchiha Madara' isn't who he claims to be—what do you plan to do?"
Before she could respond, he added firmly, "I still agree with the plan he proposed. Whatever you decide, don't jeopardize it."
Konan was quiet for a few seconds.
Then she said, "I'm not trying to destroy the plan. I just want to peel away that strange, dangerous aura around him. I want us to be ready in case he betrays us."
"I'll act carefully. I won't break the plan."
Then she switched topics.
"We also successfully provoked a border conflict between the Land of Bird and Land of Bear countries. Over a hundred samurai died, and several ninja were killed too. For small nations, that kind of loss is devastating."
She smiled faintly. "It's the perfect opportunity to pitch our mercenary model. We'll offer our services to both sides. Send a few of our people to each army. Stage a fight, collect double the pay from both daimyōs."
Nagato gave a rare approving nod. "Good thinking. We need the funds."
"Capturing the Tailed Beasts isn't going to be cheap. Especially once we start recruiting stronger members. We'll be bleeding money."
"I'll leave that to you. You've always been better at that kind of thing."
"…One more thing," Nagato said suddenly. "Start putting together a list."
Konan tilted her head.
"A list of who we'll have to fight when we go after each Tailed Beast," he explained. "Gather intel on them. Learn their habits. We need to prepare early."
"For example…"
"When we go after the Nine-Tails… we'll definitely have to face Uchiha Chizumi."
Konan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"He's no ordinary shinobi. If even Madara avoids a direct fight with him… that tells us everything."
"He could be our most dangerous opponent."
Konan nodded without hesitation.
"…Understood."
…
Gasps filled the air as the Hyuga watched the young prodigy collapse, clutching the bloody stump where his arm had once been. His pale face was drenched in sweat and twisted in horror as he stared at Chizumi, unable to believe what had just happened.
"You…" he stammered.
But Chizumi didn't even glance at him.
His voice, cold and terrifyingly composed, cut through the silence once again:
"Hyuga Sakaishi—ten years for repeatedly activating the Caged Bird Seal on branch members without just cause."
Shock rippled through the crowd. Someone went pale. Another took a shaky step back.
Chizumi's eyes scanned the Main House shinobi.
"Hyuga Katsuno—five years."
"Hyuga Hitomi—seven months."
"Hyuga Jakusoku—nine years."
"Hyuga…"
One name after another, spoken with absolute conviction, like a judge handing down sentences from a courtroom of no return. With each name, another Main House member froze or instinctively backed away. The list was endless. Some even trembled visibly.
Hiashi felt his breath catch.
At this rate… Chizumi was going to name every last person in the Main House.
If they followed through—if all these Main House members were imprisoned for months, years, even decades—then what would be left of their authority?
By the time they were released… the Branch would've already taken over.
In fact, by then there might not even be a distinction between Main and Branch.
The mighty Hyuga Main House would have fallen—completely.
"Hyuga Mei."
Chizumi's gaze settled coldly on a particularly grim-looking elder.
"Twenty years."
That was the breaking point.
The elder's mind exploded.
This is insane!
This Uchiha brat was actually trying to dismantle the Hyuga clan from the inside!
He was no different from that other lunatic—Uchiha Madara.
Every Uchiha is crazy! And this one… this one's the worst of them!
"That's enough, Uchiha Chizumi!!!"
The elder exploded, face flushed with rage. His wooden cane slammed against the ground over and over again.
"You're out of control!"
"You're not a Hyuga—you're just an outsider! You think your twisted idea of justice gives you the right to interfere in our clan's affairs?"
"If your actions destroy the Main House, if the Hyuga clan collapses because of you, will you take responsibility for that?"
"You're trying to throw every one of us into prison? Do you even realize how much chaos that would bring to Konoha?!"
He paused, trying to steady his breath.
But then—
He felt it.
A blade.
A thin, sharp, bloodstained ninja sword pressed firmly against his neck.
The steel had already broken the skin.
A small trail of blood trickled down.
Chizumi's voice was so calm it was almost chilling:
"Those who defy justice…"
"…are to be executed without hesitation."
He leaned in slightly.
"If that leads to chaos, then it only means justice hasn't gone far enough. It means I haven't purged enough of you."
The elder opened his mouth to reply—
But another voice cut in, like a thunderclap.
"Chizumi—wait!"
A new presence arrived, just in time.
Mitokado Homura stepped into the scene, flanked by five fully armed Anbu squads.
~~~
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