Naruto: Hyuga Warlord

Even though he had always suppressed his true emotions on the surface, Hyuga Soushu never forgot the fear he felt at the very beginning of his reincarnation into this absurd ninja world.

Especially after the deaths of his birth parents in this life, he still had to grit his teeth and pretend to be ignorant—an especially stubborn, headstrong, and socially insensitive persona—while feigning politeness toward the academy instructors and fellow students at the Hyuga Clan Academy who kept urging him to feel gratitude.

As for the so-called "blessings" bestowed by the Main House, mentioned by the clan leader—

[Tch!] Just thinking about it made Hyuga Soushu furious!

In both his past and present lives, vengeance for one's blood relatives had always been deeply rooted in his mind as sacred and supreme. To those who exploited Branch House members yet expected them to feel grateful for the scraps they received, Soushu could only offer three words:

"Drop dead!"

Growing angrier with every thought, when Soushu stepped out of the Main House mansion's gate, he kicked the stone flowerpot at the entrance so hard that it shattered completely before storming off in a rage.

"Father."

Hiashi Hyuga, hiding in the back hall, entered the reception hall and bowed respectfully only after Soushu had left.

He had wanted to find the right words, but didn't know where to start.

He understood very well the situation regarding Soushu's parents.

What's more, the decision to set a warning precedent years ago had been made personally by the current head of the Hyuga Clan—his own father!

Although the names and numbers of rebellious Branch House members condemned under curses were treated as top secrets within the clan, never allowed to be inquired about—it was nothing more than a self-deluding effort. Privately, anyone with eyes and ears could make a rough guess about what was going on simply from changes in the frequency of certain clan members' appearances.

This kind of cultural backdrop, along with rising resentment among the Branch House, made the Main House feel like they were sitting atop a precarious tower built entirely of explosive tags.

Furthermore, as dissatisfaction among Branch House ninjas increased, the Main House's distrust toward the Branch House—and particularly toward strong individuals within it—also grew, naturally deepening the rift between the two factions. In order to maintain their lofty status, the Main House had no choice but to impose even stricter control over the Branch House.

Moreover, fearing the emergence of someone capable of shattering the bonds of the Caged Bird seal and overturning the Branch-Main system, the Hyuga Main House deliberately restricted access to advanced Gentle Fist techniques—for instance, higher-level forms beyond the Sixty-Four Palms were nearly unattainable for mid-rank Chunin from the Branch House. While such restrictions limited the growth of Branch House ninjas, they also caused a gradual decline in the overall strength of the Hyuga Clan.

Thus, the Hyuga Clan had now essentially become trapped in a deadly loop.

[Heresy!]

The Hyuga Clan Leader remained silent for a long time before finally uttering two words.

"What do you mean by that?" Hiashi couldn't help but shudder inwardly.

"Soushu is precisely the heresy of our clan—a living explosive tag bound to detonate soon!"

The Clan Leader added solemnly.

"In that case..."

Hiashi Hyuga found himself facing a most difficult predicament.

According to the Hyuga Clan's millennia-old traditions, not only heretics but even disobedient Branch House members had no place in the clan!

Although officially Hyuga Soushu was merely a newly promoted meritorious Jonin with no external supporting forces or dependent factions; following the Sunagakure blitzkrieg victory, as Sakumo Hatake's combat report spread through the ranks, Soushu—top contributor in this round of blitzkrieg operations—rose rapidly in fame within Konoha's ninja community thanks to his achievement of personally slaying Elder Chiyo of Sunagakure, particularly being regarded by the Martial Faction as the modern-day model for Konoha's foreign military campaigns!

Unlike those past hyped-up martial prodigies whose reputations relied on exaggeration, today's Hyuga Soushu possessed genuine battle achievements. There was simply no comparison anymore.

Furthermore, attempting to act against Hyuga Soushu at such a critical moment could even provoke dissatisfaction, perhaps even mass rebellion, among the Branch House ninja!

"Don't worry!"

The Hyuga Clan Leader snorted coldly, rising to speak: "Now is precisely the time for our family to advance boldly forward—we certainly aren't so insecure as to be unable to tolerate the audacity of a single Branch House Jonin!"

"Father speaks truly,"

Hiashi Hyuga bowed respectfully, sighing inwardly.

His true stance was actually similar to the elders'—he also preferred caution and passive observation, hoping to wait until the current political struggle within Konoha became clearer before taking action accordingly. That way, whether the Hokage faction maintained its dominance or the Sakumo faction surged to power, it would prevent unnecessary losses to the Hyuga Clan.

However, ultimate authority within the Hyuga Clan still rested firmly in the hands of the clan head. Once the Clan Leader made his decision, no one could stop his will from being fully carried out throughout the family—except for this special arranged marriage incident, specially orchestrated to test Soushu's loyalty!

Moreover, Soushu himself didn't think this so-called loyalty test held much significance. After all, Mahiru Uchiha was already among the village's esteemed Jonin assembly, and being about the same age as Soushu, she made an exceptionally excellent marriage prospect; it was simply not worth the trouble to quarrel with one of the clan's rising stars over such an absurd test!

Additionally, while Hiashi had yet to become the next clan leader, he understood a simple truth very well—human nature could rarely withstand temptation and pressure!

"Make it clear to him later—if he fails to appear before the bride our family has arranged within two days, don't expect us to take drastic measures if he doesn't show!"

Before leaving, the head of the Hyuga clan threw down another harsh warning!

"As you command!"

Though deeply reluctant, Hiashi could only bow in submission.

But he had never been on good terms with Hyuga Soushu, and they had never even met alone before. Therefore, if he approached him directly to break up a loving couple, Soushu would surely refuse to listen.

Thus, Hiashi Hyuga immediately thought of his younger brother Hizashi. Hiashi believed that while the relationship between Hizashi and Soushu wasn't close, there was still a connection through Hizashi's training of Soushu in the Gentle Fist Sixty-Four Palms. Even if he couldn't change Soushu's mind, he could at least show mild support during the meeting in two days, giving everyone a graceful way out.

As for asking Soushu to abandon Uchiha Mahiru—the girl who had walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood alongside him—

Honestly speaking, if Soushu really did that, Hiashi would only think less of him.

When Soushu returned home, he carefully cleaned the altar and the offerings placed before the photos of his late parents, just as he had done when he returned to the village for rest in October. He also replaced the flowers, offerings of fresh fruits, and incense sticks. The previously empty hall once again filled with the faint scent of burning incense.

Soushu then took out a kneeling cushion, sat cross-legged before the black-and-white photo on the wall, and closed his eyes in meditation.

Endurance only bred fury; retreat only stoked his rage.

The Caged Bird (Tenketsu) Curse Seal that had bound him all along had already faded significantly under the effect of the Summoner Skill [Purify]. Facing pressure from the Main House now, Soushu no longer wished to keep swallowing his anger and humiliation.

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