"Father, it was just a Branch Family elder who died. There's more than one elder in the Branch Family. Just because of his death, you have to go into hiding for a while?"
Inside the Hyuga Clan compound.
The eldest son of the Main Family elder, Hyuga Jinsuke, wore a face full of resentment, grumbling openly in front of his father.
He went on, muttering under his breath, "If this were ten or twenty years ago, back when there was no such thing as so-called 'absolute justice,' would we even need to hide over something like this? Hyuga Yokari, that old fool, did something he shouldn't have—trying to break the Caged Bird Seal is a huge taboo for the Branch Family. He made a grave mistake, so what's wrong with paying the price? Besides, he just got unlucky with a relapse of his illness."
Nearby, Jinsuke's younger brother chimed in, "Father, Uchiha Akainu is a reasonable guy, right? He claims to stand for justice, and rules are justice. In our Hyuga Clan, the family rules are justice too. Even if he gets involved, by the rules, he'd have to side with us, wouldn't he?"
Hyuga Jinsuke rubbed his temples, his wrinkled face showing deep wariness as he addressed his younger son. "You've been handling the Hyuga Clan's business dealings outside the Leaf Village and only returned a few days ago. You don't know enough about that Uchiha Akainu."
Jinsuke let out a heavy sigh, his expression grim. "His 'absolute justice' doesn't align with any local rules or traditions. His stance is his own, and his alone. That Uchiha is extremely stubborn, impossible to reason with, and completely self-assured. But most importantly… he's strong."
That was the real issue. Uchiha Akainu had the power to easily take Jinsuke's life, which is why Jinsuke heeded Hyuga Hiashi's advice to lay low for a while. Even at over eighty years old, with maybe only a few years left, Jinsuke wasn't ready to die early. And certainly not at the hands of an Uchiha, branded a "murderer" before his death.
Punishing a Branch Family ninja for breaking the rules was now being twisted into his own crime? What a joke! Jinsuke couldn't accept it.
---
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Hyuga compound.
After negotiating with several Branch Family elders, Mito Menma approached Hyuga Hiashi again. He learned from Hiashi that Jinsuke was preparing to leave the Leaf Village temporarily, as a gesture to appease the Branch Family and avoid Uchiha Akainu's involvement. After all, if the main culprit was gone, surely Akainu wouldn't pursue the rest of the innocent Hyuga Clan, right?
"Hiashi, is this really how the Hyuga Clan handles things?" Mito Menma gave Hiashi a long look. "You know this isn't the right way to resolve this. It feels like the Hyuga Clan is just dodging reality."
Hiashi sat upright, his tone serious. "Advisor Mito, this decision was made after discussion among the three Main Family elders. It may leave many Branch Family members dissatisfied, feeling like we're brushing this off. But if we didn't do this, the Main Family would be the ones upset. Jinsuke choosing to leave the Leaf Village is essentially him stepping back from the center of power in the Hyuga Clan—a form of retirement. It's the biggest concession the Main Family could make."
Hiashi paused, his words carrying weight. "Ten or twenty years ago, the Main Family making any concessions to the Branch Family would've been unthinkable."
Mito Menma fell silent, understanding Hiashi's point. The three Main Family elders believed that having one of their own retire was already a painful compromise. If the Branch Family still wasn't satisfied, they'd be seen as ungrateful. And the only reason the Main Family even considered this was because of the pressure from Uchiha Akainu's "absolute justice" forcing them to "reason" with the Branch Family. In the past, reasoning wasn't necessary.
"Hiashi, let me say this again," Mito Menma said earnestly. "Don't let this escalate. It's not good for anyone."
"Understood," Hiashi nodded.
---
"Retirement is the Main Family's biggest concession," Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, exhaling heavily. "The Hyuga Clan's rules are so steeped in outdated, rotten traditions. You'd think we were back in the days before the Leaf Village was founded."
Mito Menma, now back in the Hokage's office, spoke up. "Hiruzen, are we just giving them a warning? Are you sure we shouldn't intervene as the Hokage?"
Hiruzen shook his head. "We can't intervene. The Hyuga Clan may seem more 'obedient' than the Uchiha and less insular, but their deep-rooted beliefs are even more stubborn. I've managed to nurture Uchiha like Shisui and Itachi, who are loyal to the Leaf, allowing us to infiltrate the Uchiha Clan. But with the Hyuga Main Family? I've never been able to cultivate someone to infiltrate their ranks. The Leaf can only reach the Branch Family, while the Main Family is like an impenetrable fortress."
He paused, then continued, "If I could influence the Main Family, I'd have forced them to change some of their illogical rules long ago. But their traditions haven't budged in all these years."
To Hiruzen, the Hyuga Clan's outdated rules, like the Caged Bird Seal, were indirectly weakening the Leaf Village. The seal limited the potential of many talented Branch Family ninjas and led to countless deaths on the battlefield due to its flaws. If he could, he'd have forced the Hyuga to reform long ago.
Mito Menma shifted topics. "Hiruzen, one more thing. The Mist Village renegade and Rain Village envoy, Biwa Juzo, left the other Rain envoys behind and departed the Leaf Village alone."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "He never even met with me, and he's already gone?"
"I suspect he came to the Leaf with an ulterior motive, not just to represent the Rain Village," Mito Menma said. "Considering he was arrested by Akainu's subordinates in the Police Force shortly after arriving, he might be targeting Akainu, though his exact goal is unclear."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "I recall Jiraiya was present during Juzo's interrogation, wasn't he?"
Mito Menma nodded.
"Summon Jiraiya. He might know something."
---
"Little Jiraiya, Uchiha Izumi is probably not the Child of Prophecy either," said Fukasaku, perched on Jiraiya's shoulder, as they watched an Uchiha girl who'd just apprehended a domestic abuser. "She has a decent sense of right and wrong, but she seems to lack her own convictions. She relies too heavily on Uchiha Akainu's 'absolute justice' as her ninja way, making her more like a puppet of that ideology than the Child of Prophecy from the Great Toad Sage's vision."
Fukasaku shook his head. "If she were new to this 'absolute justice,' there might be hope. But she's been steeped in it too long, idolizing Akainu to an extreme degree. You can't take her as a student, let alone guide her to reform the ninja world."
Pa, on Jiraiya's other shoulder, added, "Move on to the next one, Little Jiraiya."
Jiraiya sighed, shifting his gaze from Uchiha Izumi. He pulled out his list, crossed out "Uchiha Itachi," and said, "Next up, Uchiha Sasuke. He's close to Akainu, and they're both Uchiha—maybe even distantly related."
---
"Captain Kakashi, should we inform the Hokage? The Hyuga Clan's mess has dragged Uchiha Akainu into it. I'm worried something big's about to go down," whispered Yamanaka Ryoshin, an Anbu ninja hidden in the shadows, watching as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki followed Akainu toward the Hyuga compound.
This spot was the best for staying concealed, which is why both Ryoshin and Kakashi were stationed there—one tasked with monitoring the Jinchuriki, the other overseeing the mission.
Kakashi, with his usual dead-fish eyes, glanced at Ryoshin. His silence spoke volumes.
Ryoshin immediately realized his mistake. As the junior Anbu, he should've volunteered to report to the Hokage instead of trying to nudge Kakashi into doing it. "I'll go!" he said, vanishing with a Body Flicker.
"The Hyuga Clan… the Caged Bird…" Kakashi murmured, watching Akainu, Naruto, and the others fade into the distance. "If I recall correctly, that kid Neji's father was Hyuga Hizashi from the Branch Family, right? So Neji's another kid who lost his father young. I heard Hizashi died willingly for the Main Family, but Neji seems to believe the Main Family forced his father to be a scapegoat. He's probably connecting today's events to his own past, which is why he turned to 'absolute justice' for help."
Kakashi knew some of the hidden truths from back then. A shadow passed over his eyes as he sighed, lost in thought.
---
Back at the Hyuga compound.
After giving his eldest and younger sons some final instructions, Hyuga Jinsuke leaned on his cane, escorted by a Main Family Special Jonin, preparing to leave the Leaf Village temporarily. As he walked, he noticed the resentful glares from several Branch Family ninjas. He let out a soft "hmph," his mocking attitude only fueling their anger.
One Branch Family ninja, his face dark with rage, nearly ground his teeth to dust. "That old bastard! The way he looked at us was pure contempt for the Branch Family! He doesn't even see our lives as human!"
As his emotions spiraled, another Branch Family ninja stepped forward, grabbing his arm. "Calm down. He's one of the Main Family elders!"
"So what if he's an elder? Does that mean the Main Family gets to lord over us? Have they forgotten we're their kin, connected by blood? Once the Caged Bird Seal is branded on us, we're supposed to just endure their arrogance? I don't get it!"
"Nobody gets it. But the Caged Bird Seal has already decided our fate—we're just the Main Family's vassals. Still, people like Jinsuke with such a rotten personality are probably the minority."
"Stop talking. If you accidentally break a rule, that old bastard might activate the Caged Bird Seal again."
Hearing the faint murmurs of resentment behind him, Jinsuke was tempted to activate the seal once more. He could sense the killing intent from one young Branch Family ninja. In the past, he'd have taught them a lesson—that some thoughts were forbidden for the Branch Family. Their destiny was to protect the Main Family, even at the cost of their lives. That was true in the past, it was true now, and it would be true in the future.
But today, it was best not to stir up more trouble.
Just then, Jinsuke noticed the Main Family Special Jonin escorting him suddenly freeze. Frowning, he turned to look and saw the Jonin staring in horror at something ahead.
Jinsuke followed his gaze, and his breath nearly stopped. His cane clattered to the ground.
His Byakugan widened in shock as he blurted out, "Uchiha Akainu!!!"
---
"Heh, he killed Uchiha Itachi… interesting," Orochimaru mused in his underground research base in the Leaf Village, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Sensei Sarutobi, your indulgence of Uchiha Akainu makes me jealous."
His new spies in the village had relayed some intel through a special jutsu. Orochimaru also learned that both Jiraiya and Tsunade were in the Leaf, prompting a sly "tch" and a cold smirk. "Looks like the plan needs a slight delay."
He lifted his hand from a sheet of paper labeled "Leaf Village Destruction Plan, Version 2." Beneath it was another paper titled, "After Killing Sarutobi Hiruzen, How to Pressure the Leaf's Factions to Seize Control and Use the Village's Resources to Research Immortality…"
The page was filled with questions Orochimaru hadn't yet answered. He stared at it for half a second before sealing it into a scroll.
"But Jiraiya and Tsunade aren't my biggest obstacles," he muttered. "The real problem is my most prized vessel… Uchiha Akainu. You're becoming quite the thorn in my side."
His smile grew colder, laced with dangerous intent.
---
"Orochimaru doesn't get along with many in the Akatsuki," Biwa Juzo said, hefting his Decapitating Carving Knife. "I'm just a newbie in the organization, but even I can tell who the odd one out is. It's obviously Orochimaru."
Juzo's throat was dry from talking. Usually, he was the silent one in a group, but the eerie quiet from his companion was getting to him. "Why aren't you saying anything? Don't tell me you're not interested in Orochimaru. I've heard about the things he's done. In your 'absolute justice' eyes, he's gotta be on your kill list, right?"
"Your intel's useless," the Wood Clone replied flatly. "Tell me something I don't already know."
Juzo froze, embarrassed. As an Akatsuki member, he realized he knew less about the organization than Akainu did, making him feel like the outsider. "You…"
Before he could continue, Juzo's senses caught a whiff of bloodlust. His pupils shrank as he swiftly raised his blade to block.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three shuriken from an unknown direction struck the back of his knife, sparking faintly.
"Tch!" Juzo's gaze turned icy as he warned the Wood Clone, "Someone's targeting us—or more likely, me. It's not Uchiha Obito or those two humanoid things. If it was them, I'd probably already be injured."
As he spoke, thick white mist began to rise around them, enveloping the area. Juzo grinned. "Ha! I know who this is… Mist Village's Blood Mist Ninjas. Looks like they're here to take out a renegade."
"Hey!" Juzo suddenly remembered something. "You're just a Wood Clone. Don't tell me I have to protect you too?"
"No need," the Wood Clone replied curtly, drawing its ninja blade and effortlessly deflecting a kunai that shot from a tricky angle.
---
Clang!
A kunai embedded itself in the ground, less than ten centimeters from Jinsuke's feet. A little closer, and it would've pierced his foot clean through.
Jinsuke looked up at Uchiha Akainu in fear, his frail, aging body stumbling back a step. "How…?"
He had ordered all Hyuga ninjas confined to the compound, ensuring the Branch Family couldn't involve Akainu and giving Jinsuke time to slip away. So why was Akainu here, blocking his path the moment he stepped outside?
Then he saw them—Hyuga Neji and the grandson of the Branch Family elder Hyuga Yokari, who had died last night, standing behind Akainu. It clicked. Neji and Yokari's grandson had teamed up to inform Akainu.
Jinsuke's face twisted with a mix of fury at Neji and fear of Akainu. As a Main Family elder, he felt no confidence or security facing Akainu.
"Hyuga Neji, you betrayed Elder Jinsuke?!" the Main Family Special Jonin guarding Jinsuke shouted in disbelief. "Do you even know what you're doing? The Branch Family's duty is to protect the Main Family! Yet you, a mere kid, are plotting against an elder!"
"What's your status in the Hyuga Clan? Your rank? Didn't your father teach you that a Branch Family ninja's role is to selflessly protect the clan?"
Neji's usually stoic face flashed with hatred. He had once believed there was no escaping the fate imposed on the Branch Family. But witnessing Akainu's overwhelming power force the Hyuga Clan to bow had sparked a rebellious thought in him—the Main Family's imposed fate and cage could be shattered.
After learning about "absolute justice," Neji realized the Main Family's use of the Caged Bird Seal to control the Branch Family was inherently unjust. He didn't know the seal's deeper purpose, only the pain and oppression it caused Branch Family ninjas, suffocating them and stifling any thoughts of resistance.
He remembered how his father, Hizashi, had been punished with the Caged Bird Seal for merely harboring a fleeting, unacted-upon resentment toward Lady Hinata, activated without hesitation by Hyuga Hiashi.
"Is 'selfless protection' just being the Main Family's scapegoat generation after generation, trapped in a cage like a bird that can never fly free?" Neji gritted his teeth, slowly removing the bandage from his forehead to reveal the Caged Bird Seal.
"I'm not here to debate family rules with you," he said, turning to the Branch Family kid beside him. "This is the guy who killed your grandfather, right?"
"…Yeah," the kid nodded weakly.
Neji exhaled, his voice firm. "I'm here to demand justice for the Branch Family elder you killed! What right do you have to take his life? Are Branch Family lives just disposable to the Main Family?"
He paused, then declared with conviction, "I believe Uchiha's absolute justice will judge every evildoer and bring justice to the innocent, letting them rest in peace in the Pure Land."
---