Naruto Birdcage

The succession ceremony was held on the third day.

The day before, the Third Hokage had announced it to the entire village and sent messages to Minato and Kakashi, who were still fighting on the frontlines.

Kakashi found it difficult to understand.

Why were he and Minato still risking their lives on the frontlines, yet the village had already undergone a change in leadership?

And on top of that, Hyuga Hiashi had turned out to be a traitor!

He wanted to return to Konoha immediately and confront the Third Hokage in person.

But the message from the Third Hokage ordered them to stay on the frontlines, stating that their presence was still needed in the current situation and urging them to focus on the battle, offering any help they might require.

All hope seemed lost!

At the Hokage succession ceremony, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, handed over the Hokage hat to his student, Orochimaru, with a complicated expression.

He felt that it was all too surreal.

The Orochimaru he remembered was not someone skilled in political maneuvering.

But when he thought back on everything that had happened, each event seemed to be interconnected, carefully planned, and the level of scheming was terrifying!

Now, he no longer had the ability to reverse the situation.

He could only hope that Orochimaru would truly be worthy of the Hokage position.

Otherwise, even if it cost him his life, he would eliminate this menace.

"Don't look so terrifying, Sarutobi-sensei," Orochimaru said with a faint smile.

"You're entrusting the future of the village to me now."

Hiruzen replied quietly, "Orochimaru, Konoha is in your hands."

Orochimaru gently put on the Hokage hat, turned, and walked to the edge of the Hokage building's rooftop.

Looking down at the cheering villagers below and hearing his name echoing in the air, he felt an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.

He could finally do as he pleased in this village.

Behind Hiruzen, stood members such as Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, Shimura Danzo, and others.

Jiraiya and Tsunade were also there.

Tsunade was surprised that Orochimaru had actually become the Fourth Hokage, but she didn't feel much resistance to the matter.

Jiraiya, on the other hand, had a very complicated feeling.

On the other side, standing with them was Uchiha Fugaku, the Uchiha clan leader.

And the newly appointed leader of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Makoto.

Fugaku was still puzzled.

Why was the Hyuga clan leader just a young boy, and without the Byakugan?

But seeing there was no Caged Bird seal on his forehead, he guessed that Makoto must be the new head of the main family.

In his eyes, the Hyuga clan was a distorted family.

It wasn't just him who found this odd—everyone present, including Danzo, found it strange and even absurd.

After the ceremony ended, Fugaku took the initiative to approach Makoto and strike up a conversation.

"Makoto-kun."

"Fugaku-senpai."

Fugaku smiled lightly and said,

"Makoto-kun, it's truly impressive that at such a young age, you've taken on the position of the Hyuga clan head."

Makoto responded,

"I often feel anxious, fearing I am not up to the task.

The Uchiha clan is one of the most prestigious in Konoha, and I will need to learn much from you, Fugaku-senpai."

"You flatter me, Makoto-kun. I wouldn't call the Uchiha the top clan.

Both the Uchiha and Hyuga are pillars of Konoha, and we must work together going forward."

"You're right, Fugaku-senpai."

"If you have time, you're welcome to visit the Uchiha clan. My wife and I would be happy to host you."

"I'll certainly visit."

The two exchanged pleasantries, with the young Makoto proving to be much more tactful than Fugaku had expected.

After parting ways, Makoto headed directly back to the Hyuga clan grounds.

Along the way, the clan members he encountered all bowed respectfully to him.

In any other family besides the Hyuga, someone in Makoto's position would never have such an intimidating presence.

Only in the Hyuga clan, with the Caged Bird seal in place, could Makoto hold such an unshakable position.

His residence had changed.

He had moved from his previous home to the clan head's courtyard, which had once belonged to Hyuga Hiashi.

It made sense, though; otherwise, when the clan members came to see him, there wouldn't even be a proper reception room.

The house also had several servants, and the person in charge was an elderly man.

Many things had been replaced with new ones, and the layout had been rearranged according to Makoto's preferences.

For instance, most of the clan's collection of books had been moved to his study.

The unfortunate part was that it was no longer as close to Ayari.

Upon returning, Hakumen was waiting for him in the courtyard.

"Lord Makoto."

"What's the matter?"

Hakumen hesitated for a moment before saying,

"Lord Hizashi said that I will be your personal guard from now on."

The Hyuga clan did indeed have this tradition.

Every head of the main family had a personal bodyguard, chosen from a young age.

Hakumen, being of a similar age to Makoto, was the most suitable candidate.

Hakumen was also among the top of his peers.

Though he couldn't compare to Kakashi, he was likely just second to him.

"I am weak and fear I won't be able to protect you well, Lord Makoto, but I will work even harder from now on, striving to be worthy of this position."

Hakumen said this with a slightly awkward expression.

Even after two days, he still hadn't fully adjusted to Makoto's new status.

"You don't need to feel that much pressure," Makoto simply said.

"Go back for now."

"Lord Makoto, I'll leave now."

The Hyuga clan had suddenly faced many challenges, and there were a lot of matters that Makoto needed to handle, including the issues left behind by Hyuga Hiashi.

Makoto carefully reviewed everything, and there were two main issues.

The first was the clan's assets.

Many people had died in the previous war, and the assets that originally belonged to the Hyuga clan had been left unmanaged.

Most of these businesses were located outside the village, and if left unchecked, they would eventually be taken over by outsiders.

Hyuga Hiashi had never come up with a good solution for this.

Just yesterday, some of the older clan members had approached Makoto, asking if he had any good solutions for the problem.

But they were essentially waiting to see him fail, asking a young boy about such a significant issue.

The second issue was the clan's reputation within the village.

Hyuga Hiashi had become a traitor.

Although he had claimed in front of the Hokage that there was no involvement with the clan, and despite the fact that Hizashi had nobly chosen to take responsibility, such matters inevitably changed when they spread to the public.

Makoto hadn't thought much about the first issue yet, but the second one was much easier to address.

The Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru, could step in and clarify things publicly, subtly guiding public opinion behind the scenes.

Soon, the Hyuga clan could be portrayed as a noble family that had endured humiliation and sacrificed for the protection of the village.

However, Makoto had other considerations before taking such a step.

Unlike before, he was now at the forefront, and there was no need to hide anything.

In the evening, Hizashi came to visit him.

"I am preparing to break off the engagement with Ayari," Hizashi said.

"Alright," Makoto replied, not surprised, and agreed without hesitation.

Hizashi continued, "I need to remind you that you should also have a fiancée. Right now, Natsu is the most suitable."

"If you still wish to marry Ayari, no one would dare to oppose, but it wouldn't look good if it spreads outside the village."

Makoto and Ayari were significantly different in age, and if such a matter were to spread outside the village, it would surely become gossip for the villagers.

In Hizashi's view, it would harm both Makoto and the Hyuga clan's reputation and image.

Makoto remained silent, as he had already anticipated this kind of situation.

He had painted a picture for the clan that could remove the Caged Bird curse mark, and as a result, the direction of the clan today would surely be different from before.

Many people believed that Natsu would be Makoto's fiancée, mainly because there were no other girls of the same age in the clan.

Natsu would also likely be the next person to have the Caged Bird mark removed, and there should have been quite a few people over the past couple of days trying to form ties with her family.

Makoto thought for a long while, then suddenly asked,

"How is Ayano doing? Have you visited her?"

Hizashi paused at the question, then looked at Makoto with a strange expression.

"So, you... like older women?"

Ayano and Ayari were still sisters. Did Makoto really have such a preference?

Such a young age...

Makoto immediately rolled his eyes.

"I was just asking casually. What are you imagining?"

Hizashi hesitated for a moment, then said,

"Not too well. She was Hiashi's fiancée, so you can probably imagine her current situation."

Makoto nodded.

"You don't need to worry about my marriage. I have my own plans."

After Hizashi left, Makoto spent a long time alone in his house, thinking deeply. Eventually, he decided to go to Ayari's place.

The door to the room next door, which had once been his, was now tightly shut.

He had been busy these past couple of days and hadn't gone to visit Ayari; Spi had been left with her.

As the night deepened, Ayari's house was also closed.

Makoto walked up and knocked on the door.

"I'm asleep!"

Ayari's voice came from inside.

Makoto found it amusing and said toward the door,

"Open the door, I'm here to pick up Spi."

"Spi's asleep too!"

"Woof?"

"…"

Makoto sighed helplessly, standing by the door, and softly called out,

"Ayari-nee."

There was a rustling sound.

The door opened slightly, and the warm yellow light from inside spilled out, casting its glow on Makoto outside.

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