Hyuga Hizashi watched his older brother's back, his face filled with worry, yet he could only follow helplessly.
When he arrived at the Elder Council, he happened to see Hyuga Ieyasu returning from outside.
The old man's face still carried lingering anger; he had clearly hit a wall with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Seeing Hyuga Hiashi, he merely gave a cold snort and walked straight into the courtyard without looking sideways.
It was as if the person standing before him wasn't the head of the clan, but a mere stone.
"Elder Ieyasu, please wait!"
Hyuga Hiashi's voice was like ice shards in winter, filled with suppressed rage.
Hyuga Ieyasu stopped in his tracks.
"Without my consent as Clan Chief, you took it upon yourself to represent the Hyuga Clan and pressure Hokage-sama."
Hyuga Hiashi stared at his back.
"Just where do you place me?"
"And where do you place the rules of the Hyuga Clan?"
Hyuga Ieyasu slowly turned around.
His wrinkled face carried a hint of undisguised mockery.
"Clan Chief?" he asked back leisurely.
"If it weren't for our support behind the scenes, do you think you could sit comfortably in that position?"
"The matter of Aokawa concerns the very foundation of our clan! A member of the Branch House dared to possess power that threatens the Main House and has never reported it until now. This precedent must never be set!"
"This old man is thinking of the Family's future. You are too young to understand the dangers involved!"
"Enough!" Hyuga Hiashi was thoroughly enraged by these words and rebuked him loudly.
"From dispatching Jonin to accusing the Commander, which of these matters did you ever discuss with me?"
"Do you even see me as the Clan Chief anymore!"
Hyuga Ieyasu's expression instantly darkened.
He suddenly slapped the stone table beside him!
Crack!
The hard corner of the table cracked at the sound.
"Hyuga Hiashi!"
The old man shouted sternly, his voice as loud as a bell.
He took a step forward, a powerful Aura pressing down on Hyuga Hiashi.
His white eyes were filled with contempt.
"I've been handling clan affairs alongside your grandfather since I was in my teens!"
Hyuga Ieyasu's gaze was like a sharp blade.
"Later, I assisted your father in ascending to the position of Clan Chief!"
"Now in your generation, before your wings have even fully grown, you dare to shout and scream in front of this old man?"
He stood almost nose-to-nose with Hyuga Hiashi, saying each word deliberately.
"Do you really think that in this Hyuga Clan, you are the one who has the final say?"
Hyuga Hiashi's face turned bright red.
His fists were clenched so tight that his nails almost dug into his palms.
Inside the Elder Council, there was a dead silence.
The other Elders either lowered their heads in silence or shifted their gazes.
Not a single person spoke a word for him, the Clan Chief.
The contempt in Hyuga Ieyasu's eyes was not hidden in the slightest.
It was as if he were looking at a buffoon.
Hyuga Hiashi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fire in his chest.
He slowly relaxed his fists, his voice cold.
"Elder Ieyasu."
"I hope you remember your words today."
"The Hyuga Clan is not your personal dictatorship."
After speaking, he looked at no one else and turned away resolutely.
His back was straight, his steps firm.
Hyuga Hizashi, face full of worry, quickly followed him.
Watching Hyuga Hiashi's receding back,
Hyuga Ieyasu narrowed his eyes. "Hmph! As expected, those not of my own Bloodline cannot be trusted."
"If I only had a son or daughter, how would it ever be your turn to be Clan Chief... You've only just become Chief and you already have no respect for me, an Elder. What will happen in the future?"
"Ungrateful wolves from the outside can never be tamed!"
"I still need to work harder myself."
As he thought this, several beautiful figures suddenly surfaced in his mind.
His heart immediately began to wander.
"My temper is too flared; I need to go cool down."
He immediately dismissed the rest of the personnel and walked toward the backyard alone.
The backyard was very spacious, with flowers, trees, and the sounds of insects and birds—a scene of harmony.
To one side was a row of rooms, their doors exquisitely decorated, luxurious and classical.
His gaze swept back and forth across several of the rooms, finally settling on one.
He reached out to the exquisite door and pushed it open.
"Ah!" A woman's startled cry suddenly came from inside.
A young woman dressed in a kimono with delicate features was sitting on a chair.
Confusion and despair were revealed in her white pupils, and her eyes were red.
She was startled when she saw Hyuga Ieyasu suddenly push the door open.
Immediately, her frail body trembled involuntarily.
She hurriedly stood up and knelt, prostrating herself on the ground. "Sumimasen, Ieyasu-sama."
"Get up." Hyuga Ieyasu walked over to the bed and sat down of his own accord.
He looked back at the graceful woman following him with small steps, the appreciation on his face beyond words.
He imagined that if he weren't in control of the clan's power, how could such a woman ever look at an old man like him even once?
"Power truly is a good thing!" Hyuga Ieyasu sighed with emotion.
Unfortunately, he was old and wouldn't be able to enjoy it for much longer.
The young wolf cubs below were already starting to stir, wanting to drive him, the old wolf, off the stage.
If he didn't enjoy himself now, he feared there would be no more chances.
The woman was about twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, her dark hair pinned up high, with a few strands of black hair hanging by her neck, making it look even more slender.
Her eyes held a pool of tears that were about to fall.
Her eyebrows were long and curved, slightly furrowed as if infinite worries were piled between them.
Her sorrowful and pitiable appearance made a great wave of tenderness rise in Hyuga Ieyasu's heart.
However, as the woman moved, a few strands of hair lifted to reveal a hideous symbol drawn on her fair forehead.
There was an 'X' in the middle of the rune; the pitch-black lines greatly ruined the beauty.
Hyuga Ieyasu frowned, grabbed a white cloth strip from the side, and threw it to the woman.
"Tie it around your forehead."
"Yes."
Only after the woman covered the Caged Bird Seal with the cloth strip did he nod in satisfaction.
The woman approached and crouched by his feet. Looking at the fair and smooth skin on her face, Hyuga Ieyasu couldn't help but reach out and stroke it.
The rough skin on his hand scratched the woman's face, making it sting slightly, but she still worked hard to maintain a smile.
As Hyuga Ieyasu's hand began to move away from the woman's cheek and slide toward other places, the woman's entire body suddenly stiffened.
She subconsciously wanted to pull away the hand inside her collar, but she forced herself to stop.
Bountiful and soft, warm, smooth, and full of life.
Hyuga Ieyasu felt as if the Death Qi on his body had diminished quite a bit.
"Serve this old man well and carry on the Bloodline for the Main House."
"Yes."
...
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