"..."
After hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi speak, Hizashi Hyuga froze for a moment. Jonin? Who? Ryuji Hyuga?
"Why?" he blurted out without thinking. He realized it was improper an instant later, but when he saw that Ryuji Hyuga kept staring straight ahead and did not even glance at him, irritation pushed him to continue. "Third Hokage, he is just a piece of trash!"
"Jianwu." Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him deeply and spoke in an even tone. "In your eyes, is a young man who could protect his companions and escape a siege by nearly a hundred Kumogakure Ninja still trash?"
"I can testify." Tangdong Akimichi, who was also seated there, suddenly spoke up. "Ryuji's role during the escort mission and the ambush was indeed indispensable."
"Him? Ryuji Hyuga?" Hizashi Hyuga glanced at Ryuji Hyuga as if he had heard a joke. The anger left his face, and he even laughed. "A piece of trash who only awakened Byakugan this late? A piece of trash whose legs go soft at the sight of blood? A piece of trash who, as long as I just..."
Before he could finish, the long silent Ryuji Hyuga slowly turned his head to look at Hizashi Hyuga. The expressionless face softened, showing a smile without any warmth.
"Senior Jianwu, you do not wear this outfit often, do you?" he said slowly, his voice calm. "Before you say your next sentence, you should think again."
When he heard the first half, the interrupted Hizashi Hyuga frowned, not understanding why Ryuji Hyuga suddenly mentioned his clothes. However, Ryuji Hyuga was right.
The clothes he was wearing were not what he usually wore within the Hyuga Clan, but standard Jonin attire. Like the other Jonin present, he wore regulation Green Lamellar Armor on the outside and black mesh-lined underclothes beneath. Though Hizashi Hyuga was old, just like Hiashi Hyuga, he was still at the level of a "Jonin."
Because of his Main Family status and his seniority, Hizashi Hyuga had never taken Ryuji Hyuga seriously. "So what if I say it?" he sneered, staring into Ryuji Hyuga's eyes. "Just a dog that will crawl over as soon as I crook my finger..."
"Senior Jianwu Jonin!"
Seeing Ryuji Hyuga narrow his eyes and hearing Hizashi Hyuga speak without restraint, the dazed Hizashi Hyuga suddenly snapped back to his senses and instinctively shouted to stop him. Unfortunately, he was a step too late.
A sharp hiss cut through the air as a pressure wave whipped up Hizashi Hyuga's hair. The force rippled across his face, and though his eyes were still fixed on Ryuji Hyuga, they stiffened. His mouth remained half open, but the words "house dog" were swallowed back.
A cold draft brushed past him, and behind him a deep Lie mark was driven into the concrete wall. He felt moisture on his cheek, sliding down his jaw and soaking his collar. A burning pain spread inch by inch across his face, where an extremely thin cut had been Lie open.
At some point, Ryuji Hyuga had raised two Root fingers, which were now being held down by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Seeing this, expressions around the room changed, while Nara Clan Shikaku showed no shock, only quiet thought.
They had gotten what they asked for. They wanted to use Hizashi Hyuga to test Ryuji Hyuga, and now they had their answer. It was simply beyond what they had expected.
A seal-less Wind Release Ninjutsu? Was this still a member of the Hyuga Clan? In the instant Ryuji Hyuga moved, only a handful of people could even react. If he had truly intended to kill Hizashi Hyuga, his throat would already have been cut.
"Sigh, Ryuji, do not be so agitated." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed and gently pressed down, his voice still warm as he advised. "Jianwu is your senior after all."
"I apologize, Third Hokage. I was reckless." Ryuji Hyuga did not resist and lowered his two raised Root fingers. He spoke sincerely. "I only felt that Senior Jianwu has grown old and has forgotten who he is."
"The peaceful life bought by other comrades risking their lives has slowly eaten away at his heart. It has made him polished and arrogant, just like his clothes." As he spoke, Ryuji Hyuga looked at the others and continued softly. "Jonin clothing is never this clean. It should smell of sweat and blood, not jasmine. That is what Jonin clothing is."
"So it is necessary to remind Senior Jianwu that this is a meeting of the Konoha Jonin, not a clan gathering of the Hyuga Clan. You are a Jonin of Konoha, not an elder of the Hyuga Main Family. I am also a Jonin of Konoha, not a house dog of the Hyuga Main Family."
"I believe what you just said can be taken as a threat and provocation toward your colleagues and toward Third Hokage." He paused briefly. "However, because you are a senior, you have been given one warning."
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled with narrowed eyes, showing no sign of anger. "Enough, enough. That was a bit heavy. I believe Jianwu spoke without thinking." He then turned to Hizashi Hyuga, his narrowed eyes opening slightly as he smiled. "Is that right, Jianwu?"
"..."
Hizashi Hyuga seemed not to hear him, his face pale and dark. The paleness came from fear of what Ryuji Hyuga had done, and the darkness from anger with nowhere to go.
"Jianwu?" A voice without emotion reached his ears, and Hizashi Hyuga shuddered before coming back to himself. He looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi and lowered his head slightly. "Yes, Third Hokage. I am very sorry. I spoke out of turn."
Under Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze, which carried no smile at all, a chill crept into his heart. He finally realized his current situation. Some matters seem light when ignored, but once placed on the scale, they weigh a thousand pounds.
Unlike Genin advancing through exams, promotion from chuunin to Jonin comes from direct appointment by a village's Kage. It is based on a comprehensive evaluation, and only those who meet the standard are promoted. It is the highest rank of ninja beneath the Kage.
Jonin is divided only into "special Jonin" and "Jonin." There is no title of "elite Jonin." Every Jonin is a pillar of the village and top combat strength. Jonin are appointed directly by Third Hokage, without anyone's approval and without room for anyone's questioning.
What he had just done could be seen as targeting Ryuji Hyuga, but it could also be seen as challenging Hiruzen Sarutobi's authority. The difference lay in what Hiruzen Sarutobi, this Third Hokage, thought.
And what did Hiruzen Sarutobi think? It was already clear. Ryuji Hyuga was no longer the Branch Family member he could beat and scold at will, but a Konoha Jonin valued and favored by this Third Hokage.
But was that all?
"Alright." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and smiled. "From now on you are colleagues. Apologize to each other, and no one is to hold a grudge."
As soon as he said this, not only did Hizashi Hyuga jerk his head up in disbelief, but several others present also changed expression. What this Third Hokage wanted was not only to help Ryuji Hyuga secure his footing, but also to make an example.
The chicken was Hizashi Hyuga. The monkeys were the rest of them, the great clans. Sometimes hands can reach out, but if they reach too far, they will be cut.
"..." Hizashi Hyuga lowered his head. Resentful anger showed in his eyes as his voice trembled. "I apologize."
"Apology accepted, Senior Jianwu." Ryuji Hyuga nodded lightly. "I hope you understand that even members of the Hyuga Clan are not limited to growing strong through Byakugan and Gentle Fist."
Hearing this and recalling what Ryuji Hyuga had just revealed, the looks people gave Hizashi Hyuga became strange. The traditionally closed and conservative Hyuga Clan had actually forced out a Ninjutsu genius, and even driven him to turn away and act on his own.
That was truly something.