Hyuga Clan territory.
Once a prestigious noble family, now its internal trust between the Main Family and Branch Family seems to have fallen into crisis.
This is only natural. Outsider ninjas may not understand what kind of crisis has erupted inside the Hyuga Clan, but those in power within the clan are well aware of the chaos plaguing their own family.
So much so that, despite months into the war, they still hesitate to dispatch ninjas to the frontlines to assist in battle.
However, the fact that the "Caged Bird" seal has been broken is not just a provocation against centuries-old customs and bottom lines of their clan, but also a disruption to the internal peace of their family.
If things continue like this, the village may also develop prejudice against the Hyuga Clan.
This time, the number of Uchiha Clan members sent to the battlefield surpasses even the previous Ninja War; even ninjas dissatisfied with the Uchiha Clan have had to keep their mouths shut, unable to fault the Uchiha over this matter.
After all, even the new Clan Leader, Uchiha Fugaku, personally went to the frontlines and fought side by side with his Konoha comrades.
The Hyuga Clan, an elite ninja clan on equal footing with the Uchiha, is unable to send ninjas to the frontlines due to a crisis of trust… Now, it seems this matter will be settled soon.
In the clan's meeting room, the current authority has shifted to the outstanding youth of the younger generation—the previous Clan Leader's eldest son, Hyuga Hiashi.
He sits at the head of the table; on his left, the Main Clan Elders; on his right, the Branch Clan Elders. Two factions, distinct and separate.
"The clan can no longer bear any further loss. Hyuga Ayane assisted Hidden Rock as a renegade ninja—this is retaliation against the Hyuga Clan."
A Main Family elder spoke up.
Losing the restraint of the Caged Bird means that she has truly flown beyond the "birdcage"; the Hyuga Clan's rules can no longer bind her body and soul.
"The Hokage wishes for us to send a certain number of personnel."
"How can we send people at a time like this? The clan is panic-stricken inside; can't we refuse?"
"The Hokage himself may not care, but if we continue to ignore this, rumors will surely spread throughout the village… Don't forget, the Konoha White Fang incident happened just 'yesterday.'"
As those words were spoken, both Main and Branch family elders became solemn, falling silent.
Perhaps the Hokage does not wish to act in that way, but as Konoha's shadow—the Root Leader, Shimura Danzo—he may well take extreme measures.
The Hyuga Clan is not like the Uchiha Clan; if they leave upper management with a bad impression, it will be hard to stand firm in the village, and all that accumulated prestige will go up in smoke.
After that defection incident, there is now increased Anbu patrol around the Hyuga Clan's grounds.
This is a dangerous signal unlike any before.
The upper management's trust in the Hyuga Clan… they have begun to suspect and doubt.
Of course, things aren't that dire yet. After all, the Hyuga are different from the Uchiha, and there is no conflict with the Senju line; relations are harmonious enough. At such a time, absolutely nothing else must go wrong.
The sudden increase in patrols by Anbu is mostly to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
In a sense, it is also a good thing for the Hyuga Clan.
"Without the Hokage's trust, the Hyuga Clan's future will be extremely difficult."
"That's right. Elder Danzo is not easy to negotiate with."
"Root has been targeting the Uchiha Clan for a long time; if we end up on Root's list, days ahead will be tough."
It was hard enough to earn their current standing in the vast Konoha Village; their territory holds some of the best land in Konoha, unlike the Uchiha Clan, who have been pushed outside the village center.
Even though the Uchiha Clan has been excluded from the center, they still possess a powerful Security Team and have Konoha's most elite ninja force—making them impossible to ignore.
But the Hyuga Clan lacks these advantages. Once they lose the trust and support of the Hokage and other upper management, their say in Konoha becomes zero.
On top of that, the night of the defection saw heavy loss of fighting strength: a Main Family elder was killed, many strong Jonin either defected or were killed by traitors, and subsequent chain effects. Some Branch Family members who stayed seem to harbor strange thoughts, leading to the Hyuga Clan's power shrinking rapidly.
"If we cannot dispatch Branch Family ninjas, then what about sending Main Family ninjas to the battlefield?"
A Branch Family elder suggested.
His words immediately drew hostility and dissatisfaction from all the Main Family elders.
"That is too risky. What if Main Family ninjas encounter accidents on the battlefield?"
"But in the current state of the Branch Family, there are too few Branch Family ninjas who can be trusted."
The Branch Family elder sighed helplessly.
"Even so, we can't have the Main Family go and take such risks. What if something happens to the Byakugan? Isn't it the Branch Family's duty to protect the Main Family?"
The Main Family elder glared coldly at him.
"But it's not just internal clan issues now; the battlefield urgently needs support from the Byakugan. Branch Family ninjas lack trust, Main Family ninjas cannot participate… If rumors start circulating in the village, it'll be too late for discussion."
"Hmph, isn't this all the fault of your Branch Family members? Fine, Branch Family ninjas can go to the frontlines, but their families must be placed under strict surveillance twenty-four hours a day, and forbidden to step outside their homes. That way, even if the Caged Bird seal is unlocked, they won't dare risk defection."