Ryun looked at Ao, his eyes showing neither joy nor sorrow. He understood that his goal had been achieved. The lost Byakugan of the Hyūga clan had been retrieved.
Therefore, his mission in Kirigakure was also concluded.
"I am taking this eye. Do you accept this?" Ryun said coldly.
Ao covered his eye in pain, looking at Ryun with a face full of agony. What a strange ability, what powerful eyes. So this is the Mangekyō Sharingan of the Uchiha clan.
"Hokage, since your goal has been achieved, please return now," Yagura said with a gloomy face. Anyone's mood would be foul watching their subordinate have their eye plucked out by someone else.
At this moment, Yagura no longer addressed Ryun as Lord Hokage, showing just how dissatisfied he was about this matter.
The Five Mist Swordsmen also looked at Ryun with unfriendly expressions. No one could remain calm after seeing the leader of an enemy village pluck their comrade's eye right in front of them.
"Hah, does this eye belong to you? Don't tell me the Byakugan is from Kirigakure," Ryun sneered.
"You don't need to look at me with those kinds of eyes either. If my Konoha was weak, not only would we not get this Byakugan back, but if we sent envoys here, they would probably be humiliated by you. As for returning it, don't even think about it." Ryun's words hit the mark precisely.
It made the group involuntarily lower their heads again. What Ryun wanted to tell them was that this world is just that cruel. The strong prey on the weak.
After speaking, Ryun left the scene. Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he returned to Konoha Village, leaving the Mizukage, Yagura, and the others standing motionless in place.
After a while, Yagura let out a deep breath. "First, send someone to treat Ao. We must ensure his health is fine, no problems."
"Additionally, regarding Ao's position as head of the intelligence team, the appointment is suspended. Wait until Ao has fully recovered, then we will make other arrangements." After speaking, Mizukage Yagura left Ao's house.
He turned and left, as if he had made some kind of resolution.
Fuguki Suikazan chuckled, putting an arm around Ao's shoulder. "Come on, Ao, I'll take you for treatment first."
His tone hadn't changed much, but he felt relieved inside. His potential threat was gone. Without the Byakugan, Ao was just an ordinary Chunin in Kirigakure.
Whether he could advance in the future was uncertain. Sometimes reality is just that cruel. If you lose the unique advantage that belongs only to you, the leaders will not hesitate to replace you.
"Thank you, Lord Fuguki," Ao said. He was smart. He recognized the current situation. Facing Ryun, he was powerless to resist. Facing the attitude of the higher-ups, even if he felt dissatisfied in his heart, he could only endure without showing it.
Fuguki looked at his state, patted his shoulder, and then helped him find a medical ninja within the village.
Yagura returned to his office, his face contorted. Sitting in front of the Mizukage's desk, he recalled the scene from earlier, his anger flaring up.
He swept his hands across the desk, sending the books crashing to the floor with a series of thuds.
"Ryun Uchiha, what a Ryun Uchiha. I will remember this grudge today. I refuse to believe you will never make a misstep. Once I get that chance, I will make you beg for death but find it impossible!" Yagura's face was dark, his voice icy.
Who doesn't have their moment of glory? No one is lucky forever. Even you, Ryun Uchiha, will have a day of decline or misstep.
However, Ryun did not know, nor did he want to know, about the subsequent events in Kirigakure. To him, whether it was Mizukage Yagura or Ao, they were all just insignificant minor characters.
What he cared about now was whether the Hyūga clan's Main and Branch family system could be abolished, and whether the members of the Hyūga clan could unite.
Which is stronger, a united Byakugan clan, or a Byakugan clan that is superficially united but inwardly divided? Surely anyone can understand.
It's just that some people are pretending to be asleep. On one hand, they believe this is ancestral teaching, meant to protect the Hyūga clan's Byakugan from being lost. On the other hand, they look down upon those Branch family members who create a good living environment for them on the front lines.
Moreover, at the slightest conflict, they use the Caged Bird Seal to sanction the Branch family. Perhaps using the Caged Bird Seal was initially unintentional, but once someone set this precedent, other Main family members would follow suit.
Other Branch family members would feel resentful, thus intensifying the conflict. However, faced with the restriction of the Caged Bird Seal, how could they resist? In the end, they could only meet with failure.
Just like now, on the surface the Main and Branch families are harmonious, but in reality their relationship has chilled to the extreme. If there was a chance to remove the Caged Bird Seal, the Branch family would probably exterminate the Main family!
Without a moment's hesitation. Why should I risk life and death for the clan, only to be controlled and coerced by you parasites who do nothing?
Ryun also understood this clearly. He couldn't help but sigh. Perhaps this Caged Bird was correct during the Warring States period, that era where everyone feared for their own safety.
But in this current era of peace, this Caged Bird has become important proof of class distinction and conflict.
Ryun placed the Byakugan into the culture vessel Orochimaru had given him, then headed towards the Hyūga clan compound.
At this moment, the Hyūga compound was in an uproar. "Clan Head, how can you make a decision for the entire Hyūga clan? To revoke the entire clan's seal for the sake of one lost Byakugan!" The Great Elder, Hyūga Kyo, said.
"Yes, Clan Head, have you considered why the Caged Bird Seal has been passed down for hundreds of years? It's because it can ensure our Hyūga clan's Byakugan does not get lost!" The Second Elder, Hyūga, also said.
"Hah, then why was the Byakugan still lost during this Third Great Ninja War?" Hiashi Hyūga said coldly. He looked at these elders before him, feeling immensely disappointed.
When he was young, he thought they were very kind and good to him. But now, they wanted to restrict and control him everywhere. These old fools.
Because the relationship between Hiashi and Hizashi Hyūga was still quite good, with Hiashi as the Main family head and Hizashi as the Branch family leader, there hadn't been major conflicts between the Main and Branch families recently.
But Hiashi could clearly feel his younger brother constantly distancing himself. He thought and thought, and could only ultimately place the blame on the Caged Bird Seal.
And now he had promised Ryun, his teacher. So he could borrow Ryun's influence to carry out drastic reforms in the Hyūga clan!
The more you all jump around, the worse your deaths will be later. I hope you can still act so arrogantly when my teacher arrives!
"Correct, such a major matter, how could you not discuss it with us elders? For the sake of one Byakugan, abolishing this ancestral law is clearly not worth it!" The Third Elder, Hyūga, snorted coldly.
The three elders represented three different factions within the Hyūga Main family. Originally, this was also created by Hyūga Tengan to prevent future Hyūga clan heads from acting autocratically and bringing disaster upon the clan, hence the three elder factions.
The three elder factions assess the clan head's actions, supporting or opposing. If the opponents exceed two, then the proposal is void. Otherwise, it is executed.
Now, the matter of the Caged Bird Seal and the clan head's autocratic decision to promise the Hokage to remove the Caged Bird Seal displeased the elder factions. What do you mean, Hiashi Hyūga? Do you look down on us? Or do you want to be a saint and liberate the Branch family?
The three Hyūga clan elders looked at Hiashi Hyūga with an air of forcing his hand, as if today, if Hiashi Hyūga did not change his mind and revoke the order to liberate the Caged Bird, they would never give up.
Just then, Hizashi Hyūga entered from outside, causing the three elders' expressions to change. They were about to angrily scold this Branch family dog, but then they saw someone following him.
This person was all too familiar to the ninja of Konoha Village. The newcomer had long black hair loosely draped over his shoulders, a warm smile on his face, yet an arrogance in his bones that could not be concealed.
Ryun Uchiha, Konoha's Hokage, the one holding the real power in Konoha!
The three elders' faces changed too quickly, from anger, to shock, to respect.
The three clasped their hands. "Lord Hokage." Seeing Ryun Uchiha, their voices also softened, no longer like before, facing Hiashi Hyūga with expressions of desperate admonition and loyalty.
If they really dared to give desperate admonition to Ryun Uchiha, Ryun might just smile and say, "You go ahead. Your wives and children, Konoha will take care of them." Then contact the Konoha crematorium to prepare to have the two cremated, not even leaving their bodies.
Therefore, the three elders knew how to trim their sails to the wind! Seeing Ryun had arrived, they spoke more softly and showed more respect.
"Teacher," Hiashi Hyūga said, neither subservient nor arrogant, clasping his hands towards Ryun in greeting.
Ryun nodded. "Clan Head Hyūga, are you still willing to honor the promise?" Ryun took out a culture vessel from a scroll. The liquid was emerald green, and inside floated a pure white eye.
"That is the Hyūga clan's Byakugan!" The Great Elder exclaimed first, then prepared to take it, thanking Ryun.
Ryun moved aside. "Hiashi, isn't your Hyūga clan the one that values etiquette and manners the most? I am speaking to you, the clan head. How can others interrupt and reach out?"
Ryun looked at the Great Elder with full disgust, as if looking at a clown. Was I talking to you? Why are you interrupting, why are you coming to take the Byakugan? Are you even polite?
Hiashi Hyūga stifled his laughter, but the corners of his mouth kept twitching upwards and downwards. Even Hizashi, who had brought Ryun in, was desperately restraining himself, his shoulders trembling constantly.
He had long disliked this Great Elder, who ordered his brother around and colluded with the other elders to isolate and monopolize power. He knew his brother had mentioned removing the Caged Bird Seal more than once.
But it was constantly blocked and brainwashed by these three elders, until he became suspicious and paranoid. Recently, even the way he looked at him had become somewhat different.
That look was very complex, wanting to be close, yet carrying distance; wanting to care, yet not daring to speak. Hizashi Hyūga understood that one day, his brother would also become like the Hyūga clan elders.
But he did not complain. After all, his brother was his brother.
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