Danzo Shimura arrived first, clad in full battle armor. The iron plates glinted under the moonlight as the masked ANBU of Root fanned out behind him, their presence heavy and silent.
"If you don't stop now," he warned, his voice low and cold, "we will become your opponents."
From the shadows, Utatane Koharu stepped forward to stand beside Danzo, while Homura Mitokado joined Hiruzen Sarutobi. Their ancient armor still bore scars from the First Shinobi World War, and the killing intent radiating from them eclipsed even the ANBU. These were elders forged in fire, hardened by mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
The Hyuga Branch Family stiffened. Tension wound through them like a drawn bowstring. Would the Konoha leadership side with the oppressive Main Family? If so, rebellion would be suicide.
A frail elder, who moments ago had cowered on the ground, suddenly stood tall when he spotted the Hokage and his advisors. He shouted, voice trembling but loud enough to echo across the courtyard.
"Hokage-sama! The Branch Family is attacking the Main House! They're rebelling against Konoha!"
"Silence!" Danzo's roar cracked like a whip. His icy glare silenced the man instantly. "You have no right to speak."
That single rebuke sent ripples through the Main House. They had expected Danzo's support—yet his sharp dismissal made their hearts pound with unease. Could it be that the Hokage's council was not on their side tonight?
Hope flickered among the Branch Family. At the very least, the elders of Konoha were not shielding the Main House.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice cut through the night, stern and commanding. "This is no longer a private Hyuga matter. This threatens the security of the entire village!"
His gaze locked on Hyuga Hatsume, the clan leader. "Hatsume, you disappoint me. As head of the Main House, you allowed oppression of the Branch Family to fester. You ignored the cruelty of the Caged Bird Curse Mark. That is a shame you cannot escape."
"Hokage-sama, I—" Hatsume faltered, her words dying as the Hokage's rebuke pressed down.
"You bear sole responsibility for the Hyuga Clan's state today," Hiruzen continued. "Your failure to treat all members equally lit the fuse of this conflict. Look at the anger and hatred in the Branch Family's eyes. This is your doing."
For a long moment, the Third Hokage's words hung heavy in the cold air. Hiruzen exhaled slowly, as though releasing a burden that had weighed on him for years. "We are here to resolve this conflict. If you continue down this path, you endanger Konoha itself—and that we will not allow."
Danzo's sharp gaze swept the assembled Hyuga, reading every flicker of fear and defiance. "The Branch Family will send a representative," he declared. "State your demands. Hear me well—we favor neither side. We are here only to mediate."
The message was unmistakable: the Main House could expect no special protection.
Among the Branch Family, all eyes turned toward Hyuga Mio. Taking a steadying breath, she stepped forward.
"Hokage-sama, Danzo-sama, honored Advisors," Mio said clearly, "our demand is simple. Abolish the Main and Branch system. End the Caged Bird Curse Mark. We will no longer allow the Main House to control us or limit our Byakugan under the pretext of protection."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. The Hyuga's secret jutsu, once reserved solely for the Main House, would now be shared with any member who could master it.
Hiruzen studied the faces before him, then looked to Hyuga Hatsume. "Is this your people's will? Hatsume, what is your answer?"
"…." Hatsume's silence stretched like a blade's edge. Every eye in the compound fixed on her. Could she refuse?
No.
With the Hokage and his advisors standing neutral, the old hierarchy could no longer hold. The Main House's power to subjugate the Branch through the Curse Seal was gone.
Finally, Hatsume lifted her head. Her voice was steady but heavy as stone.
"I accept Hyuga Mio's request. As of today, the Hyuga Clan's Main and Branch system is abolished."
Gasps swept through both factions. Generations of tradition and control ended in a single sentence. Hatsume knew her authority as clan leader would not survive this night. What face could she show after presiding over such collapse?
The Branch Family—no, simply the Hyuga now—erupted in relief. Centuries of quiet resentment broke into smiles and tears. They would no longer live under the shadow of the Main House or endure its condescending stares.
---
Far away, atop the Third Hokage's stone likeness on Hokage Rock, a slender figure observed the Hyuga compound. Golden eyes gleamed beneath straight black hair streaming in the wind. Unusual kikaichū insects, distinct from those of the Aburame Clan, drifted around him.
Orochimaru raised a pale hand, allowing one insect to land lightly on his finger.
"Good," he murmured, lips curling into a satisfied smile. "The plan worked."
But his amusement quickly faded into surprise. How did she know Tsunade was a shadow clone?
To avoid worrying Tsunade—or dragging Grandma Mito into late-night intrigue—Orochimaru had left a clone at the Senju residence and slipped out. Yet somehow, Tsunade had seen through it.
No matter. I'll return now.
With a flash of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he reappeared at the Senju home. He paused at Tsunade's door, then quietly turned the knob.
"Orochimaru, what were you doing out so late?" Tsunade sat cross-legged on the bed, arms folded, cheeks puffed in mild irritation.
"I went for a night walk." He gave a thumbs-up, his expression mock-serious. "I heard there's a pervert peeping at the bathhouse on Third Avenue. Thought I'd see if it was Jiraiya tonight."
Tsunade blinked. "No way. Didn't Jiraiya head to Mount Myōboku for training? He wouldn't sneak back just to peek."
She clearly believed Orochimaru's flimsy excuse, though her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"That pervert won't be caught so easily," she added with a huff. "He developed a boring jutsu—Transparent Escape—just for spying. Catching him is impossible."
Suddenly she leapt from the bed and grabbed Orochimaru's shoulders, eyes wide. "Orochimaru, you must be careful! Jiraiya's Transparent Jutsu is dangerous. Promise me you'll watch out!"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at her sudden intensity but nodded. "If he dares spy on me, he'll regret it."
A dry thought flickered in his mind: Chemical or physical castration—that is the question.
He began changing into pajamas when—slap!—a playful smack landed on his backside.
"Ahem! The light and shadow highlight such a… graceful curve," Tsunade teased with a mischievous grin.
Turning, Orochimaru sighed. "Were you peeking at my manuscript again?"
"What if I was? You left it lying around," she said, hands on hips, unapologetic.
"…Fine. I'll put it away next time."
"Oh no, don't!" she protested, grabbing his arm. "It's too interesting to hide."
"I'd rather you focus on gambling than on my writing," he replied dryly. Encouraging her vices hardly appealed to him, but if she must, the casino seemed safer than meddling with his notes.
Tsunade flopped back onto the bed, eyes bright. "By the way, I missed your cooking today."
Orochimaru glanced at her expectant face and relented. "I'll make it tomorrow."
"Deal!" she said, hugging him impulsively.
He thought wryly, A body pillow would serve you better. But he let her be. After all, it was normal for someone to want something warm to hold at night.
---
By morning, Konoha buzzed with the shocking news: the Hyuga Clan had nearly erupted into civil war. Only the timely arrival of the Hokage and his advisors prevented bloodshed.
After careful mediation, Hyuga Hatsume, clan head, had publicly abolished the centuries-old Main and Branch system. The revelation spread like wildfire, shaking the village.
The great ninja clans reacted with cautious approval. They valued their independence and resented interference. The Hokage's team had walked a delicate line—guiding peace without imposing authority—earning grudging respect from even the proudest families.
Later that day, Tsunade strode into Orochimaru's laboratory, her voice carrying down the corridor. "Orochimaru, did you hear? The Hyuga have ended the Main–Branch system!"
Orochimaru swirled a test tube of clear but deadly liquid, eyes fixed on its shimmer. "Last night's shouting seemed to come from their compound," he said evenly.
"Your reaction is so calm!" Tsunade puffed out her cheeks. This was not the excitement she expected.
"Whatever happens to the Hyuga doesn't affect us," he replied, adding a pinch of powdered reagent with precise tweezers. Instantly the clear liquid darkened to a swirling violet-black, rising as though to overflow.
Shhh!
In a blink he vanished, reappearing moments later with a faint frown. "It failed."
His voice carried only mild frustration. Chakra-draining poison proved more difficult than anticipated.
Tsunade peered at the array of vials and scrolls. "Orochimaru, what are you researching now?"
"Poison," he said simply. "A toxin that can permanently deplete a person's chakra."
Her eyes widened. "That's… horrifying. Why make something so terrible? Wouldn't that cripple anyone you used it on?"
"You'll understand in time," he answered with a small, enigmatic smile, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. "It isn't meant for ordinary shinobi."
Indeed, he mused silently, very few in the world warranted such a weapon. But for those rare foes, it would be a perfect trump card.
Tsunade studied him, curiosity burning. If not for ninja… then who?
---
Beyond Konoha, news of the Hyuga's transformation spread swiftly across the Land of Fire and into neighboring nations. The Hyuga, alongside the Uchiha, were one of the village's most celebrated bloodline clans, their Byakugan and Sharingan equally renowned throughout the ninja world.
Now the world watched, intrigued and wary, as an ancient hierarchy crumbled overnight—an ending witnessed not only by the Hyuga, but by all who would one day challenge tradition.
patreon (Obito_uchiha)