Inside the conference room the atmosphere was stifling.
The branch-house elders barely hid their excitement, while the main-house members looked ashen; faced with the forceful and perfectly justified Hiashi Hyuga, they could find no way to block him—the so-called Bird in a Cage seal simply didn't work on him.
As for this…
At the clan head's order, Hizashi Hyuga was the first to bow: "Clan leader, I'll go at once."
After speaking,
He left the conference room without another word.
Outside the door, Hyuga Tokibi stepped in and bowed.
"Understood!"
A die-hard loyalist of Hiashi, he knew exactly what the order meant.
Ordinary branch-house Hyuga couldn't keep watch over these main-house scions.
To pull it off, his unit had to do it.
Yes!
Every Ninja clan kept hidden Ninja—shinobi not listed in the Village's forces, who never went to war or accepted missions. His squad answered directly to the clan head, and not one of them bore the Bird in a Cage seal.
The main-house elders' faces were livid.
They glared at Hiashi in fury, but with no counterargument they could only snort coldly and leave under Tokibi's watchful eye.
There was no choice!
Under Hiashi's authority they couldn't even vent their anger on the branch house.
A short while later,
When everyone had gone, the conference room fell silent.
Hiashi remained in his seat, but now he looked exhausted. After a long while he muttered to himself,
"Forgive me, ancestors."
"I don't know if this choice is right or wrong, but the Village has truly begun to rot."
"I can't watch the Hyuga Clan be buried with it; the main-house/branch-house system can't continue."
"Don't blame me."
"…"
His gaze was dim, his heart uneasy.
He himself didn't know how long he sat there; by the time the sun was setting he finally rose and walked slowly back to the clan head's residence.
Time passed, and soon it was two in the morning.
All of Konoha lay in darkness, but the Hyuga had already gathered. At Hiashi's slight wave they set out along the pre-planned route.
The journey went smoothly!
Thanks to the Byakugan Bloodline Limit—and because Old Konoha no longer housed Ninja from the great clans—they slipped past Anbu and Root patrols, outposts both overt and covert, and reached the edge of Training Ground Thirty-Seven.
"Remember, everyone,"
"In a moment we'll trigger the Village's sensory barrier. Chunin and Genin, each of you carry a Civilian on your backs and sprint for New Konoha without stopping."
"All Jonin, rally to me—I'll lead the rear guard!"
"I've calculated the distance; you only have to hold out for fifteen minutes."
"As for the main-house—do as you please."
"Go seek refuge with Hiruzen Sarutobi if you like."
"Move out!"
At Hiashi's word the whole clan sprang into action.
Chunin and Genin hoisted civilians onto their backs for the final dash; even Tokibi left off guarding the main-house and brought his men to Hiashi's side.
Hiashi's face was grave.
This was the limit of what the clan could do. The Byakugan had brought them this far, but barred from Village leadership they had no way to know the full layout of the wide-range sensory and defense barriers.
So—next,
The barrier squad would certainly detect their defection; Jiraiya and Hiruzen would give chase. The one mercy was that the distance between Old and New Konoha was short.
Even the Village's strongest would need five or six minutes to arrive.
If he and the Jonin held for ten, the bulk of the clan would reach New Konoha, and then the Hyuga Jonin could withdraw after them.
Three minutes later,
When everyone was ready, Hiashi swept his arm down.
Almost instantly,
The entire clan sprinted madly for the Village perimeter; Hiashi and the Jonin brought up the rear. Notably, even the main-house ran for New Konoha.
They weren't fools—if they couldn't keep the branch house, whom could they command in Old Konoha?
On the contrary,
With no value to the old Village they'd likely end up in Root under Danzo—after all, without the Bird in a Cage he could still find use for them.
So—on to New Konoha.
They might never command the branch house again, but at least they could live like normal people.
Bringing up the rear, Hiashi glanced back at Konoha.
A flare shot skyward; within a minute Anbu and Root patrols appeared and charged straight at them.
"Hyuga Clan—are you defecting?"
The leading Anbu's voice was icy.
To that,
Hiashi didn't bother answering; he kept the clan running.
Time was life—every extra metre gained mattered; who had breath to bandy words with Anbu?
The Anbu were furious; their leader snapped out an order.
"Kill them!"
Almost instantly,
Every Anbu and Root agent who had arrived hurled themselves at the Hyuga.
The Hyuga Jonin—main-house and branch-house alike—met them head-on.
Even Hiashi struck, each wave of his hand felling an enemy.
Yes!
An elite Jonin with the Byakugan Bloodline Limit,
These Anbu might be skilled, but most were of civilian origin—none could last a single exchange against Hiashi.
"Fight and fall back—don't waste time!"
Hiashi roared, palm-striking an Anbu aside as he pressed toward New Konoha.
The others understood at once.
No one sought kills; they ran for New Konoha, only turning to fight when pursued, then disengaging again.
Nine minutes later,
Jiraiya and Hiruzen arrived with a larger force.
There was no helping it—
They'd been caught off-guard by the Hyuga defection.
So,
Even after the barrier squad reported it, Jiraiya had needed time to assemble men.
"Hiashi Hyuga—have you lost your mind?"
"Can't we talk things over—why defect without a word?"