Chapter 22: Punishment
Orochimaru standing on the riverbank treated the whole scene like a spectator sport, but inside the tent the three Main-house elders were truly being overwhelmed — the shock hit them like a wave that stole their breath.
"Daiga… Daiga—my son—my son Hyūga Daiga, is he all right?" Elder Daichi, once he came to, grabbed at Minato and demanded news of his boy.
Minato could only offer a pitying, helpless sigh. "I'm sorry."
Daichi froze. His legs trembled as if he might collapse again, but this time he forced himself upright. Flames seemed to burn behind his pale eyes; his voice, when it came, was like ice. "Clan head, return to the village at once and execute the rebels!"
"Elder Daichi, restrain yourself for now," Hiashi said, calm but urgent. "We must first ascertain the facts."
"What is there to clarify?" Daichi snapped, barely containing his fury. "Didn't Minato just tell us enough?"
Anger scorched his reason and he even called Minato by name in his heat.
Minato, broad-shouldered and patient, took the insult in stride. He understood a father's grief — and did not take Daichi's slip personally.
"Minato-jōnin," Hiashi said, collecting himself. "Please forgive his words; a father's grief has overrun his tongue. Tell us plainly—how did Masamune and the others perish? Was it an ambush? With their skill, surely they could have used the Caged-Bird seal?"
Minato met Hiashi's eyes squarely. "I did not witness the exact sequence," he said. "But this I can confirm: Ritsu has removed his own Caged-Bird seal."
"Removed… the Caged-Bird?" Hiashi's face went ashen. Daichi and Hishō mirrored that pallor.
"No wonder," Hiashi muttered, heart pounding. "If Ritsu is free of the seal's constraint, with his talents the Main House elders could well be defeated." For a moment Hiashi's thoughts spun: return to the village, punish Ritsu, restore order — that was the straightforward course. Yet the more he considered it, the more uneasy he felt. Could the three of them — himself, Daichi and Hishō — even stand against Ritsu? Even if loyal Branch jōnin accompanied them, could they trust those Branches not to be overridden by Ritsu's newfound authority over the seal?
Hiashi knew the answer in his bones: he could not be confident. The two elders at his side bore the marks of hard years and battlefield survival, but they were no Hyūga prodigy like Ritsu. Hiashi felt his own competence fray — were it not for half a year of grinding combat with the Cloud shinobi to steel him, he might doubt himself as well.
"We need to know the village's stance," Hiashi said finally, turning to Minato. "What is the Hokage's attitude on this?"
Since Minato had been sent by the Hokage to deliver the news, Hiashi hoped the village's intent might clarify their options. "Bring the Hokage's force to bear," one elder snapped, hot with indignation. "Send Minato—call the Hokage—let the village help us cut down Ritsu and his traitorous band!"
The tent erupted into cries and pleading, the raw pain of a clan whose traditions had been shattered. Minato listened, calm but grave. He understood the stakes on all sides: the Byakugan's value to Konoha, the worms of oppression that had hollowed out the Hyūga's system, and the impossible choice between blood and order.
"Of course," Hishō near him blurted, "the Hokage will never allow the Hyūga to fall into chaos. Send the Hokage's hand—let him help us strike down Ritsu the traitor!"
"Minato-jōnin! Please help our clan put down this rebellion. When the Third Hokage steps down, our clan will support you for the Fourth…"
Hyūga Hishō's words died on his lips as Hyūga Daichi clapped a hand over his mouth.
Hiashi and Daichi exchanged awkward looks. If Minato had been the only outsider present, such blunt talk might have passed; but Orochimaru — now widely discussed as one of the leading candidates for Fourth Hokage alongside Minato — stood there as well. Openly insulting someone of Orochimaru's stature would be foolish.
Orochimaru's smile didn't change a whit. Minato's brow tightened slightly; his opinion of the Main House elders had dropped further. No wonder the Hyūga always looked so easy to take advantage of: they had the largest number of jōnin in the village, yet when the Byakugan was taken they seemed more eager to point fingers at Branch members than to recover what was lost. That said, Hyūga Ritsu's slaughter of Main House members had clearly crossed a line.
"The Hokage's view is that most Hyūga are innocent," Minato said steadily. "The clan's stability is essential to the village's welfare. Therefore…" He paused, then spoke with absolute resolve: "The Hokage's order is: punish only the ringleaders."
"All right — punish only the ringleaders!" Hiashi answered without hesitation.
Beside him, Daichi released Hishō's mouth and stepped forward, fired with anger. "I will personally execute that traitor Ritsu!" he declared.
"Elder Daichi, calm yourself. Don't disgrace the clan," Hiashi snapped, stern.
Then he turned back to Minato. "When do we return to the village?"
"If you are ready, you may leave now," Minato replied.
"Then we leave at once." Hiashi looked to the two elders flanking him. "Daichi, Hishō — are you with me?"
"Yes!" Daichi responded decisively. He could not wait to avenge his son.
Hishō hesitated briefly. "Clan Head… my son Taisho's wounds—"
"The village has far better medical care," Hiashi cut in, firm. He glanced at Minato. "You will use the Flying Thunder God Technique to send us back, won't you? Is there a limit on the number of people you can transport?"
"Up to ten," Minato answered.
"Elder Hishō, bring Taisho here at once," Hiashi ordered, his voice steel. He had never liked Taisho — and now, more than ever, he resented the trouble the youth had caused at the front. If Taisho were not a Main House member, Hiashi admitted to himself, he might have had less restraint.