Reincarnated in Naruto World with a System

Standing in the moonlight, Uchiha Tatsumi gradually let the smile fade from his face as he got serious. "Let's talk. What can I do for you, Hyuga Himeji?"

 Hyuga Himeji lowered her eyes slightly. "Do you know about the Hyuga Main House and the Hyuga Branch House?"

Sure enough, it was about that.

As a descendant of the Otsutsuki Clan, the Hyuga Clan naturally had its ancient traditions, which had evolved into complex contradictions over time. If these contradictions were not resolved, they would eventually explode.

The current conflict within the Hyuga Clan was concentrated between the Main House and the Branch House.

Uchiha Tatsumi's understanding of the Hyuga Clan was limited to the manga.

 "I'm eager to hear the details," Uchiha Tatsumi said resolutely.

 Hyuga Himeji began to speak slowly. "The Hyuga Clan is an ancient clan, and the Byakugan is known as one of the Three Great Dojutsu. But the Byakugan is different from the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan."

 "During the Warring States Period, there were many attempts to transplant the Sharingan, but all failed. If the recipient was not of Uchiha blood, it was difficult to harness the true power of the Sharingan, and severe rejection would occur, placing a great burden on the body."

 "The Byakugan is different. As long as it is a complete Byakugan, it can be transplanted without severe rejection."

 Uchiha Tatsumi remembered that the Hidden Mist Village had a ninja with a Byakugan later on.

 Hyuga Himeji continued. "So, during the war-torn Warring States era, the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan was coveted by many ninjas, like a tiger watching its prey."

 "Later, the Hyuga Clan's leader married into the Uzumaki Clan, wedding a princess from that clan."

 "To solve the problem of Byakugan theft, the Uzumaki princess developed a curse-seal based on Sealing Jutsu. This curse-seal perfectly solved the problem and was called the Caged Bird Seal."

 "In order to protect the Byakugan, the clan eventually divided into the Main House and the Branch House. Every member of the Branch House was marked with the Caged Bird Seal."

 "From then on, the Hyuga Clan's Main House became the true successors, responsible for leading and promoting the clan."

 "The Branch House, on the other hand, became the guardians of the Main House, bearing the responsibility of protecting them and living in pain."

 Uchiha Tatsumi asked, puzzled, "Then you, as the eldest of the Main House, shouldn't have this trouble. You can't possibly be marked with the Caged Bird Seal, right?"

 Hyuga Himeji nodded. "I won't be."

 "But my younger brother will be."

 "Every system creates various problems over time," Hyuga Himeji continued.

 "Branch House members marked with the Caged Bird Seal are controlled by the Main House through the curse-seal. The Main House can destroy the cranial nerves of Branch House members using the seal, thereby controlling them. The curse-seal cannot be lifted until death."

 "This curse-seal also has the ability to seal the Byakugan, protecting it from falling into enemy hands."

 "Such measures have caused extreme dissatisfaction among Branch House members. Although the curse-seal can control their lives, it cannot control the resentment in their hearts."

 "One day, the clan finally faced rebellion. Some dissatisfied Branch House members joined forces with foreign ninjas to attack the Main House."

 "Although the rebellion was quickly quelled, the Hyuga Clan was gravely injured."

 "In order to maintain the relationship between the Branch House and the Main House and ease the conflict, someone in the Hyuga Clan proposed a new system."

 "The leaders of the Main House and the Branch House must be closely related by blood, within three generations, and must grow up together."

 "Every third generation, a child from the Main House is chosen and marked with the Caged Bird Seal to inherit the position of Branch House leader."

 Hyuga Himeji's voice grew colder. "This approach has indeed calmed the anger of the Branch House to a large extent. After all, even the close relatives of the Clan Leader will be marked with the Caged Bird Seal and become members of the Branch House. If the Branch House harbours any dissatisfaction with the Main House, the Branch House Clan Leader, being a close relative of the Main House Clan Leader, will have their own considerations. They will genuinely take the Main House's interests into account, ensuring there's no rebellion."

 Uchiha Tatsumi understood. The Hyuga Clan, with its thousand years of inheritance, was truly formidable.

 Hyuga Himeji clenched her fist tightly, and her voice sounded again. "When we reach this generation, we must choose a child to inherit the position of Branch House Clan Leader. The next Clan Leader of the Hyuga Main House has already been determined to be my older brother. As the younger of the twins, it was decided by the Elder Council that my second brother would become the Branch House Clan Leader."

 "So that's how it is," Uchiha Tatsumi suddenly realised. He had never understood why Hyuga Hizashi, the younger brother, would become the Branch House Clan Leader. If only one person in each generation of the Hyuga Clan was from the Main House, and everyone else was marked with the Caged Bird Seal, there would be too few people in the Main House. Now it made sense.

 He had to admit that the people who came up with this method had a terrifying grasp of human nature. As the younger brother, Hizashi might be dissatisfied, but he would endure it for Hiashi, his older brother. This kind of blood is thicker than water; family affection cannot be easily dismissed.

 If the Branch House Clan Leader were someone separated from Hiashi's bloodline by several generations, they would never consider everything for Hiashi.

 Hyuga Himeji grew more agravated. "Why? Why must clansmen, also part of the Hyuga Clan, bear this burden?"

 "It's said part of being a ninja is being often forced to make cruel choices. Is this the choice the Branch House people have to make?" Hyuga Himeji's Byakugan had unconsciously activated.

 "The clan, the clan—they only think about the clan. But they never consider the feelings of the Branch House people. Don't Branch House members bear the Hyuga name? I feel sad for such a clan. Is this the fate of a ninja?"

 Hyuga Himeji sighed and looked at Uchiha Tatsumi. "My second brother will soon be marked with the Caged Bird Seal. What should I do to change all this?"

 "What you said to me on the stage... Uchiha Tatsumi, if it were you, what would you do?"

 Faced with Hyuga Himeji's question, Uchiha Tatsumi was silent. It wasn't just about how to act; it was also about endurance and the meaning of life.

 In the world before Uchiha Tatsumi's rebirth, such thoughts would be ridiculed. But in the Naruto world, even those who aren't usually serious, like Jiraiya or Naruto, would contemplate these things deeply. After all, this was a real and cruel world.

 "Himeji, you're too focused on the small things like the clan, and you're ignoring the truly important thing—power. You have no power now, so you're restricted by rules fuelled by fear, premonitions, or imagination."

 "Weakness is the original sin. If you want to change the future of the Hyuga Clan, you must go beyond and strengthen yourself."

 "Years from now, your older brother will definitely become the Main House Clan Leader. Your second brother will become the Branch House Clan Leader, and he might be forced to put his own life aside and sacrifice himself protect your older brother. If he's lucky, he might survive, but his children will still be marked with the Caged Bird Seal regardless. Then they, on a mission for the Main House, might die too. Isn't destiny just following the established, cruel track set by the strong?"

 "If you want to change this destiny, you must become stronger. The strongest! If you become Hokage or attain absolute strength, the Hyuga Clan would have no choice but to follow the track of destiny you set and change because of you. Isn't that right?"

 "…Hokage?"