The Clan Chief's Residence.
"A branch house member who can go head-to-head with a Tailed Beast... God is truly helping me!"
Hyuga Hiashi whispered, the light in his eyes growing brighter.
Hyuga Hizashi watched his older brother's fighting spirit reignite, and the worry in his heart lessened slightly.
"Brother, I will go and arrange the personnel now."
"Go then. Be extremely careful and do not let Ieyasu's people notice anything."
"I understand."
Hyuga Hizashi bowed and quickly withdrew from the room.
Inside the room, only Hyuga Hiashi remained.
He walked to the window and looked toward the Elder Council, his gaze deep.
Just then, a gentle and worried female voice came from outside the door:
"Hiashi, what happened?"
The two of them looked toward the sound and saw a graceful woman standing outside the door, her appearance very dignified and beautiful.
Her brow was slightly furrowed, and one fair, slender hand gripped her high-propped collar. Looking at the broken porcelain shards all over the floor, her face was full of concern.
The woman was Hyuga Hiashi's wife and the current Clan Chief's wife, Hyuga Ayaka.
"My lady..."
Seeing it was his wife, Hyuga Hiashi quickly restrained his Evil Qi.
He called for a servant to clean up the mess.
Stepping forward, he gently took his wife's hand and led her toward the quiet courtyard.
The courtyard led to the Hyuga Clan gardens.
A hundred-year-old black pine stood in the central courtyard of the garden.
Its trunk was rough, its branches neat, and layers of needles blocked out the sun like floating clouds.
The winding path extended deeper and deeper, and the scenery changed several times as the two of them twisted and turned through it.
The leaves rustled, and the occasional bird chirps quickly calmed one's mind.
"Hiashi." Hyuga Ayaka tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at Hyuga Hiashi, voicing her concerns:
"Did something happen when you went to the Main House Elders today? Why did you lose your temper so badly?"
"That old bastard Ieyasu keeps bypassing me again and again to represent the Family."
"This..." Hyuga Ayaka's face instantly turned pale. "How have the others reacted?"
"Hmph!" Hyuga Hiashi was filled with Killing Intent. "Before a result is reached in the struggle between me and Hyuga Ieyasu, they won't dare to openly stand on my side."
"Political struggles are inevitable; that's understandable." A trace of helplessness flashed through his anger. "It's just that bastard Hyuga Ieyasu—he grips the Family's power tightly."
"Yet he doesn't care at all about the Family's future, only about his own pleasure and squandering resources."
Speaking to this point, Hyuga Hiashi slammed his fist hard against a nearby large tree.
The tree, thick enough to require several people to embrace it, shook violently, and leaves rustled down.
Seeing this, Hyuga Ayaka hurried forward to gently embrace her husband, tenderly stroking his chest:
"Don't let that old bastard make you so angry."
"How can I not be angry?" Hyuga Hiashi gritted his teeth. "That bastard joined with the other Elders to directly bypass my authority."
"I am constrained at every turn. The orders I issue cannot be implemented at all without their consent."
"If this continues, the Hyuga Clan will be destroyed in my hands."
Hyuga Hiashi clenched his fists, his face full of resentment.
"I know, I know you feel wronged." Hyuga Ayaka pressed her cheek against his chest, her voice soft but carrying a sob:
"But since you became Clan Chief, you've lost your temper more times than all the previous times combined. I'm really worried about your health."
Seeing the misty eyes of the beauty in his arms, Hyuga Hiashi's pent-up rage turned into a long sigh.
He held Hyuga Ayaka tightly, burying his face in her fragrant, dark-purple hair.
"I'm sorry for worrying you." His voice softened. "I will control my emotions!"
Hyuga Ayaka looked up, her eyes tearful as she urged him, "You must take care of your health."
"Mhm..."
The two embraced in silence, sharing a moment of tenderness.
The faint sounds of children playing and frolicking drifted from ahead.
The two followed the sound and saw a group of children, large and small, playing in an open space.
"That's Takashi, isn't it?"
Hyuga Hiashi pointed to a cute child among the group.
"It is." A gentle smile involuntarily appeared on Hyuga Ayaka's face.
"The last time we saw him, he was still being held in Natsumi's arms. I didn't expect him to have grown so much."
"Yes, time flies truly fast. In the blink of an eye, this child can already run." Hyuga Hiashi felt a bit emotional.
He turned to look at Hyuga Ayaka and saw her staring blankly at the group of children playing, her eyes full of envy.
Seeing this, Hyuga Hiashi knew what his wife was thinking.
He sighed and once again pulled Hyuga Ayaka gently into his arms.
"We are still young. Give me a little more time."
"Once I have consolidated all the power in my hands, we will have several children just like them."
"Mhm..." Hyuga Ayaka nodded in his arms, responding softly.
Hyuga Hiashi took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"I don't want Hizashi's tragedy to happen to our children again."
"And I am even less willing..."
"To have our descendants work like beasts of burden for the descendants of those old fogies..."
...While the Family was engaged in political struggle in the rear, Aokawa was safely tucked away in the Barracks on the Front Lines, researching his Sealing Techniques.
Over the past few days, he had mostly learned the knowledge related to Sealing Techniques that Minato Namikaze had given him.
As Minato Namikaze had said, Sealing Techniques were much more complex than Ninjutsu.
No wonder the number of people in the original story who knew Sealing Techniques could be counted on one's fingers.
Some Sealing Techniques even required a specific Bloodline to perform.
Taking advantage of a gap in Minato's schedule, he approached him again to ask for other Sealing Techniques.
At first, Minato Namikaze was reluctant, fearing that Aokawa would become too greedy and cause his system of knowledge to become muddled.
It wasn't until Aokawa performed the Yin-Yang Seal and Four Symbols Seal taught to him last time right in front of him...
...that he, with a face full of surprise, gave him two more basic Seals.
But as Aokawa's research into Sealing Techniques deepened, he felt more and more...
...that the Caged Bird Seal was far, far more complex than he had originally thought...
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