Chapter 70: Tearing Apart the Self, Then Seeing the Truth

However, Hyuga Hiashi immediately thought: Could he refuse?

Did he have the qualifications to refuse?

Most importantly, did the Hyuga Clan have the ability to protect its clan head?

Hyuga Hizashi suddenly stood up, his voice low and bitter as he said, "The Third Hokage's meaning is very clear; he wants us, the Hyuga, to hand over a ninja, a ninja with enough weight, to trade life for life and plug the mouths of the Cloud Ninja."

"He doesn't care who it is, he doesn't care if it's the person who did the killing, he only cares if the weight is enough."

"In all fairness, the strength of the Hyuga Clan is not as great as the Uchiha Clan, and even they have been suppressed to the point of having no way out; we have no power to resist the will of the Third Hokage."

"Things have come to this, and there is no other way; let me die in my brother's place."

"I am still the brother of the Hyuga clan head, the head of the branch family; my life has enough weight!"

Hyuga Hizashi took off his headband, revealing the Caged Bird seal on his forehead: "I am of the branch family; I was always meant to sacrifice for the main family, for the Hyuga Clan."

"As long as I can protect you, brother, and protect the interests of the Hyuga Clan, I can consider my death worthwhile."

Hyuga Hiashi stood up abruptly, his eyes reddening as he roared in a low voice: "No! I will absolutely not let you die for me!"

"It was I, Hyuga Hiashi, who killed him, and the killing was to save Hinata; it has nothing to do with Hizashi!"

"More importantly, the Cloud Ninja kidnapped Hinata in a despicable and shameless manner; killing him was only right and proper. By what right does the Third expect us, the Hyuga Clan, to use our lives to plug their mouths?"

"By what right?"

His voice carried a suppressed roar, spoken for Hyuga Hizashi to hear, and also for all the main family Elders to hear.

But the main family Elders all cowered, clearly feeling that the death of one branch family member, Hyuga Hizashi, was a very cost-effective explanation to satisfy the Third Hokage.

Hyuga Hiashi saw the reaction of the clan Elders, and his heart suddenly felt icy cold.

Is this still the Hyuga Clan?

Once mentioned alongside the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan as the strongest noble clans, how had the clansmen all degenerated into this state?

In the Hokage Building's meeting hall, the atmosphere was even colder than at the Hyuga compound.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat on the Hokage throne, his fingertips pressing against his brow, his tone incomparably disappointed: "So, Hyuga Hiashi is unwilling to sacrifice himself for the sake of the big picture in Konoha?"

"Yes, Lord Third Hokage."

The masked ninja knelt on one knee and answered sullenly.

Actually, it was useless for him to wear a mask, because there were only two white-haired people in all of Konohagakure; one was the long-haired Jiraiya, and the other was naturally the short-haired Kakashi Hatake.

The Third Hokage stood up and looked from the window toward the prosperous Konohagakure: "Ninja clans are just this selfish, always disregarding the overall interests of Konohagakure for the sake of their small family's interests."

"Orochimaru put forth tremendous effort, even the fortress at Sakurahara was destroyed by a Tailed Beast Bomb, only then holding back the offensive momentum of the Cloud Hidden Army."

"Orochimaru's student, Yamanaka Chujiu, risked his life to raid the Cloud's supply center."

"Thousands of Konoha Ninja sacrificed themselves on the battlefield, only then forcing the Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure to take the initiative to sue for peace."

"How can we let everyone's efforts be ruined because of the selfishness of the Hyuga Clan?"

"You pass all the intelligence to Shimura Danzo; he will let the Hyuga understand what the big picture is."

Kakashi, currently serving in Root, lowered his head and answered sullenly: "Yes!"

A few minutes later, Danzo heard Kakashi's report and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hiruzen, oh Hiruzen!"

"You cut off my Hokage dream with your front foot, and now you turn around and want me to continue doing things for him?"

"Hahaha, does he think I have no temper?"

"Fine, if he won't give me a glimmer of hope, then let his son go do it himself!"

Late at night, Hyuga Hiashi sat alone in the courtyard, silently weighing different choices, but what he thought about more was the current state and future of the Hyuga Clan.

He had been the clan head for quite a few years, after all, and knew deeply how deep the rift between the main family and the branch family was.

As his own younger brother, Hizashi had done an unknown amount of work in the position of branch family head to have the stability the Hyuga Clan had today.

If Hyuga Hizashi were to sacrifice himself in his place, the branch family and main family would no longer have a foundation of trust, and the situation in the future would only become increasingly difficult.

Hyuga Hiashi was willing to sacrifice himself, but the performance of the main family Elders today made him have to worry about what attitude these people would take toward the branch family ninja if they became the clan head.

The foundation of the Hyuga Clan is not the main family, but the branch family!

It is the branch family ninja who fight and kill on the battlefield, which allows the main family ninja to have their peaceful years in the village, and provides the capital for him, the clan head, to maneuver and negotiate.

If the branch family ninja collapse completely, the Hyuga Clan will not be far from division and destruction.

Just as Hyuga Hiashi was secretly struggling, Hyuga Daojian knocked on the door and reported: "Lord Clan Head, Chunin Mitarashi Anko requests an audience."

Hyuga Hiashi was stunned: "Who?"

Daojian replied: "Chunin Mitarashi Anko, she is Orochimaru's student."

Hyuga Hiashi was shocked, but a glimmer of hope inexplicably rose in his heart: "Quick, quickly invite her in."

"Someone, bring tea!"

"Bring the good tea!"

Unfortunately, Mitarashi Anko did not like tea; she only tasted it once before firmly putting down the expensive, fine tea.

"Clan Head Hiashi, I won't use polite pleasantries. I am acting on the orders of Teacher Orochimaru to bring you a pair of Communication Snakes so that my senior brother, Yamanaka Chujiu, can speak with you."

As she spoke, Anko took two small snakes from her sleeves and activated the two snakes with the Snake Style Secret Technique.

"Alright, you can speak now!"

Immediately following, one small snake opened its mouth: "Hey, is that Anko?"

Anko picked up the other small snake with a grin and said to it: "It's me, it's me, Senior Brother Chujiu, Clan Head Hyuga Hiashi is right across from me."

"Senior Hiashi, I am Yamanaka Chujiu."

Hyuga Hiashi said in a deep voice: "I am Hiashi, Chujiu... what do you want to say to me?"

Hearing Hiashi's voice, Orochimaru, thousands of kilometers away, laughed: "Haha, this guy is putting on an act."

Yamanaka Chujiu also laughed: "Senior Hiashi is a clan head; it's normal for him to care about his face."

The master and apprentice exchanged a few jokes before Yamanaka Chujiu reactivated the Communication Snake, letting it transmit his voice to Konohagakure: "Senior Hyuga Hiashi, I already know."

"Knowing that Cloud Ninja infiltrated the Hyuga clan, kidnapped your daughter Hyuga Hinata, and were then killed by you—by any logic, this is Kumogakure's fault, and the Hyuga are not at fault!"

"But I suspect the Third Hokage admits this, yet still demands the Hyuga clan bow their heads, not only to take the blame upon themselves but also to offer up a life of sufficient weight to shut the mouths of the Cloud Ninja."

"Is that right?"

Hyuga Hiashi looked at the dumbfounded Anko and replied bitterly: "Yamanaka Chujiu, your guess is incredibly accurate, so accurate that it even scares me a little."

Yamanaka Chujiu smiled.