Chapter 46 - Consequences
Ryu's eyes narrowed as he finally found Nozomi's child, chained to a cold stone wall in a dimly lit underground facility. The boy was battered and bruised, his body covered in open wounds that looked like they were made by a blade—most likely a kunai.
"He's unconscious," Ryu murmured, his voice barely audible. "No matter, I'll heal him first, then deal with the rest." He concentrated, using the Transformation Jutsu to mend the boy's injuries. "All right, that should do it. Now, let's get him to Nozomi. But first, the green seals have to go." With a snap of his fingers, he set things in motion.
In an instant, the seals binding the Hyuga side branches vanished, leaving their foreheads unmarked. Confusion spread like wildfire through the Hyuga residence, as people stared at their reflections in disbelief. They turned to their neighbors, seeking confirmation that they weren't alone in experiencing this sudden change. As the crowd in the streets swelled, the reality of the situation became impossible to ignore: the seals were gone, and the side branches were free.
Anger soon replaced shock, boiling up from the depths of years of pent-up resentment. A sea of Hyuga, their eyes burning with hatred, converged on the main branch's residence, demanding justice for the generations of mistreatment they had endured. At that moment, Ryu dispelled the Transformation Jutsu he'd used to create his Shinobi, allowing the Anbu to finally enter the Hyuga residence and establish a semblance of control over the escalating chaos. The main branch was spared—for now.
As Ryu stood in the shadows, he observed the turmoil he had unleashed with satisfaction. With a pleased sigh, Ryu vanished from the Hyuga residence.
---
Ryu left the chaos of the Hyuga residence behind him, making his way back to his smithy. His thoughts lingered on the clan's future, but he knew he had other responsibilities to attend to, namely Naruto's training. With a sigh, he pushed open the door to his workshop, knowing full well that the young ninja was in for a tough day.
Upon entering, Ryu found Naruto lying on his back, gasping for air. He couldn't help but smirk as he teased the exhausted boy. "Oh, what's this? I thought you'd be finished by now?"
"I hate you..." Naruto muttered between labored breaths.
Ryu chuckled, shaking his head. "Now, that's a lie if I ever heard one. Get up—you still have a kilometer left."
"I'm dying," Naruto protested weakly.
"Don't be dramatic. I'll heal you before anything serious happens. Now, get moving!" Ryu encouraged, nudging Naruto with his foot.
"AHH!!" With a mix of frustration and determination, Naruto let out a yell before continuing his grueling training. His spirit and motivation were truly something to admire. Even if he was impatient, his drive for improvement never wavered.
As Ryu watched Naruto push himself, a hint of pride crept into his voice. "He'll make a fine Kage," he whispered, keeping a close eye on the young ninja to ensure he didn't push himself too far.
---
The following morning, after finishing Naruto's training, Ryu received a summons from the Hokage. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to face the consequences of his actions at the Hyuga residence. With a sigh, he made his way to the Hokage's office, prepared to have a less-than-pleasant conversation.
"I hear you called me?" Ryu asked as he entered Hiruzen's office. The Hokage looked as if he had aged several years overnight. He was slumped in his chair, surrounded by mountains of messy paperwork.
"You're responsible for what happened in the Hyuga residence, correct?" Hiruzen inquired, his voice strained.
"Guilty as charged. They deserved it, though. Or did you want that crap to continue?" Ryu replied nonchalantly, a hint of disrespect in his tone.
Hiruzen sighed. "I know that you meant well. My problem isn't with your intentions, it's with how you acted on them. Instead of coordinating with me and coming up with a plan to deal with the aftermath, you went on your own and plunged the Hyuga clan into anarchy!"
Ryu rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. You know very well that no situation could've prevented that. If I'd done it in collaboration with you, all that would've changed would've been the amount of time before everything would've collapsed. Besides, I did it on purpose. They deserve to reap what they sow."
Hiruzen frowned, trying to maintain his composure. "That extra time could've helped us come up with an idea, maybe one you didn't think of. Take my advice, youngling. Listening to your emotions is important, but don't let them control you!"
Ryu's eyes flashed with anger. "Don't you bring up listening to your emotions after all the crap you allowed Danzo to do only because he was your friend. Don't lecture me on advice you can't even follow yourself!" 'Who is this idiot calling youngling? I've lived ten times his lifespan!' Ryu thought in frustration.
Hiruzen sighed, relenting. "...Fine, I won't lecture you. However, we still need to address the situation."
"What is this 'we' I'm hearing? Why should I help you? I'm of the opinion that the Hyuga's main family should suffer. Or do you want to send a message that slavery is okay as long as you're of noble blood? The friction between regular civilians and the clans is already high enough; do you really want to make it worse?" Ryu retorted.
"Then what do you suggest?! If you're going to debunk my ideas, at least offer some of your own! And what do civilians have to do with this?" Hiruzen snapped, his annoyance clear.
"I suggest you do nothing. It's the best solution. As for how the civilians are related, they see themselves in the Hyuga side branches, weak, powerless, and oppressed," Ryu explained.
"Face it. If you move in favor of the Hyuga's main family, you're justifying that kind of behavior to the clans. And you know all those high-and-mighty fools are just waiting for an excuse to propel themselves forward while keeping the normal civilians in check. I bet all the high-ranking clans are suggesting supporting the main family, right?" Ryu guessed.
Hiruzen sighed, "It wasn't as cut and clear as you make it out to be, but most of the clans did support the main family."
"This is what happens when you let an infestation spread unchecked, Hokage. Now, no matter which option you choose, we'll have a civil war on our hands." Ryu sarcastically applauded Hiruzen.
"What?! It won't evolve into a civil war!" Hiruzen claimed.
"Sure it will. If you side with the clans, then the civilians will feel even more threatened by the message you'll send, and they'll act accordingly. The arrogant clans won't be able to let it go, and conflict will arise. If you side with the civilians, then the clans will most probably unite and try a coup," Ryu predicted.
Hiruzen was taken aback by Ryu's bold statements. "The clans are loyal to the Leaf! They would never!" he exclaimed, the mere idea terrifying him.
"Maybe they once were, but now those are people who support the enslavement of all those beneath them for the gain of personal power. You gave them permission to act as they will, and now they think they are above you. I'd say loyalty isn't that high on their lists," Ryu argued.
"And let's not forget that the original village was meant only for Shinobi, its purpose was to unite them and stop the warring states period. The thought of making it a place for normal people to live was an afterthought, and the clans inherited that way of thinking."
"Damn it!" Hiruzen cursed in anger, trying to think of another solution. "Oh, and if you try to meet the two sides somewhere in the middle, it will only annoy both sides and delay the inevitable by a little bit, at best," Ryu informed Hiruzen.
Ryu continued, "By the way, when things get heated, I'm taking the civilians' side. If you decide the same, my swords will be yours. For a price, of course." With that, Ryu left the Hokage's office and walked back to his smithy. He had a war to prepare for.
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Alright, the depiction of the clans is a little different, but this is what I think would happen realistically. It's not like the Hyuga hid the fact that their eye-sealing Jutsu doubled as an oppression one. I read the chapter where Neji revealed it (112) and all the grown-ups seem to know about it. As such, I assume the clans can basically do fuck all and that's a guaranteed way to make sure they go power-hungry. Hiruzen was shittier than I thought.
I'm putting it here, but I'm predicting that I'll get flamed for this. Let's see if I'm right...