"Insolent!"
Hyugo looked over with a cold glare, fixing his eyes on Arata and barking sternly, "The Byakugan concerns the hundred-year foundation of the Hyuga Clan. This is a choice about the clan's fate, how dare you interrupt!"
"Well said, 'the clan's fate.'"
Arata's gaze swept across the face of each elder, his white pupils reflecting the candlelight's pale gold and the black silhouettes of figures. He sneered, "Was my father being tortured to death by you with the Caged Bird Seal also because it concerned the clan's fate?"
Several of the main house elders present shuddered almost instantly, their hands resting on their thighs, tensing slightly. Their gazes subconsciously darted towards the silent Hiruzen Sarutobi nearby.
This matter, frankly speaking, didn't reflect well on them.
Some things, when not brought to light, weigh nothing; once brought to light, even a thousand pounds can't hold them down.
After all, Hyuga Arata's father was a registered jonin of Konoha. Regarding the cause of his death, they had always publicly claimed he sacrificed himself to protect the main house. It was precisely because of this that Hyuga Arata was able to enjoy certain "welfare benefits."
Now, with Hyuga Arata suddenly bringing this up in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the elders felt a surge of anger, like being caught in a shameful secret before an outsider.
"A branch house member's duty is to protect the master; the main house is the root of the Hyuga Clan. Your father died a worthy death!"
Hyugo's expression was terrifyingly dark, feeling as if he had been challenged. The arrogance of a superior was now completely undisguised.
"A worthy death?" Hyuga Arata's voice was cold. "I, my father, Lord Hizashi, we carry the same blood in our veins as you do, yet we couldn't even obtain the clan's inherited techniques if we begged for them. Now, when you need us to sacrifice our lives, you suddenly remember we share the same roots?"
"How dare you!"
"Arrogant!"
Two hot-tempered main house elders rose in anger. If not for Hiruzen being present, they would have surely activated the Caged Bird Seal to punish him severely.
Meeting their furious rebukes, Arata stiffened his neck and refused to back down, but deep in his eyes, his gaze flickered.
The reason he was putting on this act now certainly wasn't because he had a death wish. It was because he clearly understood that if the subsequent plan proceeded smoothly, he wouldn't be able to stay in the Hyuga Clan anyway.
Even without today's performance, he would become an object of suspicion for the main house, and there was a high probability he would end up "committing suicide" inexplicably.
He could, of course, remove the Caged Bird Seal, but he couldn't reveal that ability yet.
Therefore, what he needed to do was make the Hyuga main house dare not lay a hand on him.
He needed to find himself a new backer, one stronger than the Hyuga main house. He needed to find a new springboard, one larger than the Hyuga Clan itself.
Thinking this, Arata glanced at Hiruzen, who knelt silently like a stone statue, seemingly lost in thought without uttering a word.
At that moment, a glimmer of understanding passed through Hiruzen's murky eyes. He slightly raised his gaze, sweeping it briefly over the grieving face of Hyuga Arata standing behind Hizashi.
'So, he's truly speaking out for his father and Hizashi?'
'This child is indeed a loyal and affectionate boy, just too shallow, unable to hide his emotions.'
'However, isn't this precisely the kind of subordinate that those in power prefer?'
'What a pity, though,' Hiruzen sighed inwardly. 'If only his strength were a bit greater.'
Recently, the Hyuga Clan's arrogant and overbearing attitude, coupled with the Uchiha Clan's growing dissatisfaction, had stirred a sense of wariness in the Hokage as well.
His control over these two major Konoha clans was still too weak. So, he had already conceived the idea of promoting subordinates from within them. Regardless, he needed to drive a few wedges into both clans to avoid being completely in the dark should they make any future moves.
This was the almost instinctive vigilance of a ruler.
Within the Uchiha Clan, through various intelligence investigations and analyses, he had already selected Shisui, the descendant of Kagami. However, within the Hyuga Clan, he simply couldn't find a suitable candidate.
Main house members would never submit to his orders, and branch house members dared not defy the main house.
Servility, along with the Caged Bird Seal, had long been firmly etched into their souls. Most branch members had grown accustomed to the main house's standing above them.
Now, it seemed Arata was quite suitable, but his strength still felt somewhat lacking.
"Alright, Arata, say no more."
Hizashi interjected with a moderately firm tone, his peripheral vision noticing Arata's reddened eyes and the grief-stricken, resentful expression on his face.
The reason Arata had followed them was that he had come earlier to return a scroll of techniques. Coincidentally, Hyugo was also in the guest room.
At that time, Hyugo and Hizashi had been discussing in the guest room the matter of him dying. The more combat-experienced Hizashi had sensed the hurried breathing outside the door in time.
He had made an excuse to send Hyugo away and stepped outside, only to find Arata standing there, looking as if he'd been struck by lightning.
Fortunately, he had timely stopped Arata, whose face had instantly flushed with anger. Otherwise, the emotionally charged boy would have likely barged straight in and might even have been audacious enough to furiously strike out at Hyugo.
"Ah."
Thinking back to Arata's emotional breakdown at that time, and looking now at the boy's still-unappeased, resentful expression, realizing that the other truly regarded him as "family," Hizashi couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart.
He hadn't expected that his concern for this child over the past period would make this orphaned boy so attached to him, to the point where, hearing of his impending death, he could no longer conceal his inner resentment and grief.
This child was far too loyal and emotional. It was hard to say if that was good or bad.
"Wait, wait a moment."
Hiashi, snapping back to reality as if realizing something, quickly stood up and said, "What do you mean, 'final journey'? What do you mean, 'a dead man walking'? You all…"
Hyugo forcefully suppressed the anger of being offended, no longer looking at that detestable boy he loathed, and said coldly, "We will hand over Hizashi's corpse as your substitute."
"Hizashi has already agreed."
These words made Hizashi look at Hizashi in disbelief.
'How could this be? How could Hizashi agree?'
'Didn't Hizashi feel nothing but hatred for me?'
"But, but..." In his shock and doubt, Hiashi's words became jumbled. "What the Land of Lightning and Kumogakure want is the Byakugan, isn't it? After Hizashi dies, the Byakugan will be destroyed. If that's the case, the Land of Lightning and Kumogakure won't accept it."
"Judging from Kumogakure's attempt to kidnap Hinata, that was indeed their plan." A shadow of gloom flickered in Hyugo's eyes. "However, the condition set by the Land of Lightning was for us to 'hand over the corpse of the culprit, Hyuga Hizashi.'"
"We just need to pretend to accept this condition and hand over Hizashi, who looks exactly like you. Then Kumogakure will have no legitimate reason to continue pressing us aggressively."
Upon hearing this, Hizashi opened his mouth but found no words, and subconsciously looked towards the silent Hiashi.
Hizashi's expression was very calm, as if he had completely accepted his fate.
But in reality, he was waiting.
Waiting for an answer, waiting for a choice.
He was waiting to see if his good elder brother would give the same choice and answer as that person had predicted.