Chapter 269: Who Agrees, Who Opposes?
In a hidden corner of Konoha, people had been trickling in since early morning. They were all members of the Hyuga clan, all of them brought together by Saori. They all shared one thing in common: a deep-seated resentment for the main family. For some, that resentment had festered into a burning hatred, a hatred even greater than Saori's own.
She had used that hatred to win them over. But the real key to their loyalty was her promise to free them from the Caged Bird seal. Without that, it was doubtful any of them would have dared to challenge the main family's authority.
Today was the day she would fulfill that promise.
The curse mark that had imprisoned them for so long was about to be broken. They were filled with a chaotic mix of emotions—apprehension, doubt, excitement. They had arrived early, waiting for the young woman who held their fate in her hands.
But she was late.
"Where is she? Does she have any idea the risk we've taken to be here?" one of them said, his voice laced with a mixture of anger and a deep, gnawing fear.
"Maybe... maybe something came up. Let's just wait a little longer," another said, though he sounded as if he were trying to convince himself.
"What if..." a young man in his twenties began, his voice trembling, "what if this is a trap? What if the main family is using her to round us all up... and get rid of us?"
The thought of his own unborn child, of the curse mark that would be branded on his forehead, was what had driven him to take this risk.
"No," an older clan member said, his voice firm. "We all know what Saori has been through. Anyone here might betray us, but not her."
His words did little to soothe their frayed nerves. Every passing second felt like an eternity.
Hours passed. Saori still had not appeared.
"Damn it! I can't wait any longer! I'm going to find her!" a man said, standing up to leave.
Just then, an invisible wave of pressure washed over the room, forcing him back into his seat. The weaker members of the group were pressed to the floor, struggling to breathe.
"What... what's happening?!"
"Who's there?!"
A graceful figure appeared in the doorway. It was Saori.
Her pure, beautiful Byakugan swept over them. She walked to the head of the room and sat down, and the crushing pressure finally lifted.
"You are all my elders. Such expressions do not suit you," she said with a cold smile.
But there was no warmth in her eyes, only an endless, icy cold, and a killing intent that she made no attempt to hide.
It was then that they realized her ambitions went far beyond simply overthrowing the main family.
A suffocating silence fell over the room. They all waited, wondering what she would say, what price they would have to pay for their freedom.
"The purpose of today's meeting is clear," she finally said, her voice breaking the silence. "What I have to say is simple."
She looked at them, her gaze so intense that they were forced to lower their eyes.
"After we have overthrown the main family, I will be the one you answer to."
"Now... I have spoken. Who agrees, who opposes?"
Faced with her overwhelming presence, no one dared to speak. They all quickly nodded their assent.
"Good. I thank you for your support. In six months, the Hyuga clan will be reborn. You will all be free."
"Now, come forward, one by one, and I will remove your curse marks."
One by one, she used her now-perfected "Curse Sealing Method" to break the Caged Bird seal on each of them.
Any resentment they might have felt toward her domineering attitude was now replaced by a profound sense of gratitude.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to have Saori as the clan head, they thought. She is strong, and she is capable. Far more so than that weakling, Hiashi.
Sensing the shift in their attitude, Saori's demeanor softened. They were, after all, pitiful creatures who had shared her fate. As long as they did not cross her, she could tolerate them. Her earlier display of power had been a necessary precaution, a way to ensure their loyalty.
No one understood the mentality of the oppressed better than her. If not for Kyosuke, she herself might have eventually succumbed to despair and submitted to the main family's authority.
Tsk, tsk, little Kyosuke. I was so lucky to have met you, she thought, a strange, unreadable expression on her face.
After a brief rest, she ordered them to begin secretly recruiting other clan members who harbored a hatred for the main family.
She then dismissed them and sat in silence, alone with her thoughts.
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