In the main family's meeting room, Hiashi convened an important meeting of the Hyuga Clan's main and branch family elders.
Before Hiashi could speak, a main family elder couldn't help but ask, "Clan Leader, Elder Danzo just visited our Hyuga Clan, for what purpose?"
The visit by Root Leader Shimura Danzo to the Hyuga Clan definitely could not be treated as an ordinary trivial matter.
As the most powerful pragmatic elder in Konoha now, Danzo's status even surpasses the two Advisors, second only to the Third Hokage.
Despite Danzo's unremarkable reputation in the village, Konoha's middle and upper echelons cannot ignore his presence. At critical moments, Danzo can significantly influence Konoha's overall decisions.
Especially due to the past incident with Hidden Cloud, which caused Danzo's influence to infiltrate the Hyuga Clan, already arousing the Third Hokage's dissatisfaction. At such a time, in this intense struggle between Root and the Hokage, most main family elders do not wish to get involved in this trouble.
Just maintaining the current interests and adhering to any decisions from the top is sufficient.
As for whether the Hokage or Root should lead Konoha, the main family's elders aren't concerned.
Hiashi glanced at the main family elder, calmly saying, "A civil war has broken out in the Land of Rain, with increasingly fierce struggles between the upper and lower echelons. Our Daimyo of the Land of Fire received a request for help from the Daimyo of the Land of Rain, formally supporting the side of the latter to suppress domestic turmoil. The support action is led by Elder Danzo's Root. Therefore, the Daimyo hopes our Hyuga Clan will assist Root, dispatching some ninjas to follow Root's command and enter the Land of Rain to quell the flames of war."
"And what about the Hokage?"
This issue concerned the main family elders.
If the Hyuga Clan continues aligning with Root, will it incur the Hokage's displeasure? This is the most crucial matter.
In comparison, the Daimyo's order and the civil war in the Land of Rain have no relation to them.
"Yes, if the Hokage disapproves, it's better to tactfully reject Elder Danzo; there's no need to court trouble."
In the main family elder's view, getting involved in the power struggle among Konoha's higher-ups is indeed courting trouble.
As long as the Hyuga Clan protects the Byakugan, this Kekkeigenkai, their share of interests will never be lacking. The Byakugan is the Hyuga Clan's foundation, physical strength is secondary.
"Rest assured, the Hokage is aware of this matter and has tacitly approved it. After all, if the Daimyo plans to intervene and use the Hyuga Clan's power, he would need the Hokage's consent, otherwise, Elder Danzo wouldn't have personally come to visit."
Hiashi spoke steadily.
"I see, in that case, follow Elder Danzo's arrangement, dispatch one Jonin and three Chunin from the branch family to assist Root's operations."
Regarding the main family's arrangements, no one from the branch family elders responded, but they tacitly approved.
The civil war in the Land of Rain carries certain dangers; therefore, ninja from the main family would surely not follow Root's actions. Although the unbound Byakugan is no longer exclusive to the Konoha Hyuga Main Family, few from the main family personally go to the battlefield, often remotely commanding from the rear.
In the Land of Demons, many free Hyuga clan members live unbound by the Caged Bird curse. They formerly belonged to the branch family of the Hyuga Clan of Konoha, standing opposed to the Konoha Hyuga Main Family.
As Hiashi listened to the main family elders' comments, although he understood their intentions and knew they considered the Hyuga Clan's stability, he couldn't help but sigh but said nothing.
After all, the recent turbulent events altering the Ninja Realm's situation indeed made these old relics more timid.
The Uchiha massacre, the rise of the Land of Demons, and Hyuga Ayane, who should have been treated as a renegade ninja, had her wanted notice revoked by the Hokage, and the Hyuga Clan in the Land of Demons was legally recognized.
This caused many main family elders to fall silent, no longer daring to comment on the matter.
Whether it was out of fear of the Hokage's power or apprehension of the branch family girl who once brought great trauma to the main family.
Or perhaps both.
"Let's end the topic of Elder Danzo here. The assistance to Root's operation will be handled by the branch family. Next, I have an important matter to discuss with the elders."
Hiashi coughed once, drawing everyone's attention.
"An important matter?"
Both main and branch family elders were puzzled. Besides Danzo's visit today, nothing major has happened in the Hyuga Clan for the last month, so what important matter is there to discuss?
Hiashi didn't beat around the bush and directly expressed his view to the main and branch family elders:
"Given that my eldest daughter Hinata has some deficiencies, I plan to designate my second daughter Hanabi as the main family's heir."
After Hiashi said this, the room's atmosphere plunged into a deathly silence.
Many elders from both the main and branch families were in shock, even Hizashi, Hiashi's brother, looked at his sibling in astonishment, unsure of Hiashi's intent with this decision.
"Cl-Clan Leader, what do you mean, you're going to remove Lady Hinata from the main family's succession?"
One main family elder wanted to confirm this.
Amid the main family elders' surprised gazes, Hiashi nodded seriously.
"But, Clan Leader, what dissatisfaction do you have with Lady Hinata? From what I understand, Lady Hinata's ninja talents are enough to qualify her for the next Clan Leader position."