"It hasn't been easy for the Hyuga clan to maintain its position in Konoha.
It's something upheld through the joint efforts of the main house and the branch house."
"The main house develops the Hyuga clan, while the branch house protects the main house—this has always been the guiding principle of Hyuga prosperity…"
Hyuga Dema spoke earnestly, trying his best to persuade Hyuga Arin.
Meanwhile, Arin's eyes were unfocused, clearly lost in thought.
He still had over thirty thousand experience points left. He planned to keep them in reserve, just in case.
A full-state recovery from leveling up could sometimes completely turn the tide of battle.
At his current level, leveling up required more than twenty thousand experience. Two more levels and he would complete his awakening, unlocking his own Nen ability.
His plan was to save up to fifty thousand experience and jump straight to level 36.
The only unknown was how much strength that awakened Nen ability would actually give him.
Right now, he could barely qualify as jōnin-level—his main shortcomings were experience and ninjutsu variety.
Genjutsu also needed attention. He remembered that Yin Release synthesis required ten max-level genjutsu skills.
Hyuga Dema's droning voice continued in his ears, like a buzzing fly.
"Are you even listening to me?!"
Hyuga Dema slammed his palm onto the table, splashing tea out of the cup.
Hyuga Arin snapped back to attention and yawned.
"I say, Elder Dema—has the main house really ever thought about the branch house?"
Hyuga Dema's smile froze. "The branch house protects the main house—"
"You keep repeating the same line," Arin interrupted. "Can't you try something new?"
Seeing Hyuga Dema momentarily speechless, Arin continued calmly:
"That kind of talk is fine if you're brainwashing yourself. Don't use it on me."
"The main house treats the branch house well," Hyuga Dema said heavily.
As an elder of the branch house, thoroughly indoctrinated over many years, he naturally stood on the side of the main house.
"Well, maybe they do," Arin replied. "But what does that have to do with me? What kindness have I ever received from the main house?"
Hyuga Dema fell silent.
The main house arranged everything for the branch house—from daily life to marriage.
The elderly were cared for, the young were raised. In that sense, the Hyuga clan had done everything.
All the branch house had to do was fulfill their duty as obedient servants.
But Hyuga Arin was an outlier.
From childhood, he had lived off his parents' inheritance, rejecting every benefit provided by the Hyuga clan.
This open defiance of the main house had been suppressed by Hyuga Dema for years, keeping it from reaching the main house's ears.
But once Arin became a ninja, it was no longer something Dema could hide.
The only reason Dema could still sit here talking was because he'd genuinely looked after Arin in the past.
Otherwise, Arin wasn't exactly the type to respect elders.
"But—"
"There is no 'but'," Arin cut him off. "I don't owe the main house anything, and I don't need to bow my head and live as their servant."
"And if the main house and branch house share the same blood, why must one be master and the other slave?"
Arin sneered.
"Is the Caged Bird Seal really to protect the Byakugan? Or is it to ensure we can never rise up?"
"Impudent!!"
The shout didn't come from Hyuga Dema.
Figures burst out from hidden corners, one after another. Hyuga ninja surrounded Arin completely.
The man at the front glared at him furiously.
"Do you realize how treasonous what you're saying is, Hyuga Arin?!"
Hyuga Dema slowly closed his eyes.
He had done everything he could to persuade Arin—but Arin hadn't budged at all.
What came next was no longer within his control.
Arin let out a short laugh.
"Even when you come to arrest me, you send branch house members. What—are all the main house people dead?"
He looked at the leading branch house ninja.
"What exactly are you angry about? That I told the truth?"
The man took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing emotions that were part anger, part something else.
"The main house orders you to return and report."
Seeing that the man didn't refute his words, Arin already knew—this person, too, harbored dissatisfaction with the Hyuga clan.
Without even using the Byakugan, Arin could sense through Nen perception that this man was a jōnin.
A branch house jōnin was, by definition, a prodigy.
They had endured repeated oppression from the main house—yet ultimately chose to obediently remain dogs.
"Return with you?"
Surrounded by Hyuga ninja, Arin calmly lifted his teacup.
Judging his strength, he might not be able to kill them all—but leaving calmly was absolutely possible. Of course he was relaxed.
And besides—
"Did you ask them?"
The moment his words fell, masked figures appeared inside the room.
Weapons were drawn, pointed straight at the Hyuga members.
"ANBU," the Hyuga jōnin frowned.
Why was ANBU here?
"This is an internal matter of the Hyuga clan."
"Sorry," came the reply. "We have orders. Hyuga Arin must assist us. You have no authority to take him."
The Hyuga jōnin sighed helplessly. With ANBU involved, there was no way he could take Arin.
He stared deeply at Arin.
"Hyuga Arin, you can't escape."
The Caged Bird Seal existed to prevent any Hyuga from escaping.
The main house was the cage.
The branch house were birds within it—never to break free.
Arin smiled faintly at him.
The group left, taking Hyuga Dema with them.
Which raised a question in Arin's mind—
How had they entered in the first place?
This time, he had completely torn his face off with the Hyuga main house.
His previous clashes with Hyuga Hiashi could still be dismissed as childish conflict.
But openly rejecting the main house's orders like this meant tearing away the last layer of pretense.
The main house knew Arin wouldn't obediently return, which was why they'd sent people to seize him.
Hyuga Dema had volunteered to try persuading him—but it had failed completely.
What they hadn't expected was ANBU stepping in to protect Arin.
Of course, that was because they didn't know about Root.
Root now only had a handful of members left. They still existed, but without elites—so they hid themselves even more carefully.
Arin looked at the Root member leading them.
There were no obvious distinguishing features. Root members at this time weren't famous, and Arin couldn't tell who this was.
"Are you taking me to the Root base?" Arin asked.
The Root operative shook his head.
"Lord Danzō has issued orders. We are to protect you—and deliver your first assignment."
He raised his hand, and the other Root ninja vanished instantly.
"I will lead you. Your task is to eliminate Konoha's missing-nin."
He clapped his hands. Another Root ninja appeared, holding clothing and a mask.
"This is your uniform and mask. You may choose your own codename."
Arin took the mask and outfit.
The red patterns on the mask resembled a demon.
He put it on, hiding his face. From the demon mask's eye sockets, only a pair of pale Byakugan eyes were visible.
"Call me Player."
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