On the other side.
Upon learning the reasons behind the Third Hokage's actions against the Hyūga Clan, Satori Hyūga's original body felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Is this what people mean by an overactive imagination?"
As for how things had turned out, he found the whole situation frustrating.
The Third Hokage's duty was to protect Konoha, and any potential threat would inevitably be seen as a major enemy.
He paced back and forth in his room, frowning deeply as he contemplated how to respond.
As a member of the Hyūga Main House, his fate was bound to that of the entire clan—shared success, shared ruin.
If the Hyūga Clan were targeted by the Hokage like this, there would surely be no good outcome.
Look at how the Uchiha Clan ended up.
What he truly wanted was eternal life and a peaceful, happy existence—not to spend every day torn between clan loyalty and Konoha's stability like Itachi.
[Green Jumpsuit Squad]?
That thought came up, but he wasn't quite willing to let go. That was his personal faction within the Hyūga Clan.
Don't be fooled by the lofty status of Main House members—this doesn't mean they all treated Branch House members the same.
Even among Main House members, there were clear social hierarchies—distinct ranks and privileges.
For example, the Clan Leader and Elders held most of the power and prestige within the Main House.
They had authority over most ninja and could even sentence Branch House members for crimes.
This came from consolidated power and universal clan recognition.
Other Main House members didn't have that authority—they needed permission before commanding any Branch House ninja. As a result, most kept a low profile.
That was real power.
Power came from those who stood by you and supported your cause.
Satori didn't want to be constrained by others in the future, so he began cultivating his own loyal followers early on.
Once they grew stronger and stood firmly behind him, he would wield real influence within the clan.
Then, with a single raised arm to rally them, bolstered by both his Main House status and unmatched strength, he could seize control of the family, turning the entire hierarchy on its head.
Let those Clan Leaders and Elders be cast aside.
"Wait a minute… This might actually be a perfect opportunity," Satori realized suddenly.
"If I play it right, this could potentially eradicate the Caged Bird Seal from the Hyūga Clan."
Truthfully speaking, he never really liked the Caged Bird Seal either.
This hated sealing technique only seemed to protect the Byakugan while actually oppressing the Branch House—it was practically a slavery mark placed upon them.
On the surface, it sounded noble, as though it was guarding the Byakugan and protecting the Hyūga bloodline.
But in reality, it merely disguised the oppression of Branch House members under the guise of moral justification.
Talk of protecting the Byakugan and preserving the family? In Satori's eyes, it was nothing but nonsense.
The Byakugan isn't even superior to the Sharingan, yet the Uchiha never resorted to anything like this.
More than protecting the Byakugan or preserving the clan, the real source of conflict and bitterness within the Hyūga was the Caged Bird Seal itself.
Though he personally benefited from the system and enjoyed its privileges, he still struggled to accept it completely.
After all, these were fellow clan members sharing the same blood—one born master, the other born slave—it was utterly absurd.
He wouldn't allow some idiotic tradition to dictate his legacy once he had children of his own.
Should the eldest son rule the house while the younger ones serve him?
Such outdated feudal nonsense.
Although he was confident that in the future he would hold great power and attain formidable power to reform the Hyūga Clan,
for now, leveraging the Hokage's authority to push for changes to the clan's traditions was not entirely unfeasible.
Even if a full-scale reform failed, he could at least remove certain obstacles to make future reforms smoother.
"As a member of the Hyūga Main House requesting the abolition of the Caged Bird Seal, I'm sure the family will turn against me."
"But if the Hokage handles it officially, I can stay safely behind the scenes."
As this line of thought became clear, Satori Hyūga suddenly felt refreshed, his expression easing up.
A two-birds-with-one-stone situation.
He could eliminate the Caged Bird Seal while avoiding any direct danger to himself.
As for whether the Third Hokage could actually accomplish this task, Satori wasn't too worried.
The Hokage would never allow individuals capable of threatening Konoha to remain under the control of the Hyūga Main House.
Even if they couldn't completely eliminate the Caged Bird Seals, they could definitely abolish them for those green jumpsuit-wearing kids.
And once part of the Caged Bird system was abolished, it would mean a crack had formed in the foundation of the clan's rigid traditions.
From there, whether it was Satori himself or someone else, they could seize upon that as a catalyst to continue pushing for reform.
"Hahaha, I really am a genius."
He chuckled softly, then focused on considering the potential consequences.
Especially how it might affect him personally.
After some analysis, he realized it probably wouldn't impact him much at all.
Right now, he had both money and influence. Even in the worst-case scenario, without the protection of the Hyūga Clan, he'd still be fine.
With Orochimaru and the Hokage's faction as his backers, he was already one of the most influential figures in Konoha.
As for finances, the funds provided by the massage chair business weren't quite enough—but he also had Konoha Bombs, and later on, numerous other profit-making ventures.
With his previous-life knowledge, he had countless ideas for profitable schemes.
Take instant noodles, for example—he hadn't even gotten around to producing those yet.
If that didn't work, there was always the telephone, television, movies, computers, and other modern inventions.
The development of technology in the ninja world was strange, but thankfully these things hadn't appeared yet.
If he got a head start and laid the groundwork early, he was sure to profit immensely.
In that case, even if the Hyūga Clan suffered some consequences, he could still emerge unharmed.
"Tsk tsk tsk, looks like I'll become the Uchiha Clan's traitor before Itachi even does," Satori murmured quietly.
As a Main House member, doing something that harms the clan's interests would definitely earn him the hatred of the entire family.
He grabbed some paper and began writing as he thought.
"Respected Hokage-sama, I am Satori Hyūga from the Hyūga Clan..."
First, clearly state his identity and respectful attitude, especially emphasizing that he was part of the Hokage's student lineage.
Then frame it as a regrettable consequence of the Caged Bird Seal system.
Next, express willingness to improve and shift the blame toward the Caged Bird Seal placed upon the Branch House members.
Satori exaggerated the negative aspects of the Caged Bird Seal, urging the Hokage to intervene on behalf of the Branch House members.
If not for the Caged Bird Seal, such a serious conflict wouldn't have happened.
The existence of the Caged Bird Seal itself was dividing the village and was a disgrace to the Will of Fire.
After writing the letter, Satori Hyūga read through it carefully word by word, revising it several times before finally nodding in satisfaction.
"With this letter, I should be able to convince the Third Hokage to clear up any misunderstandings about the Hyūga clan."
"Even if he doesn't, they wouldn't dare target us publicly anymore."
Once finished, Satori carefully folded and put away the letter. He planned to give it to Professor Orochimaru the next time they met, asking him to personally deliver it to the Third Hokage.
That was the advantage of having high-level connections.
As a disciple of the Hokage lineage, one naturally had the privilege to voice concerns directly to the highest authority.
Besides that, a recommendation coming from Orochimaru would hold more weight than delivering the letter himself.
Not long after entrusting Orochimaru with the letter, the hidden eyes watching from the shadows vanished.
This greatly improved Satori's mood.
Looks like my letter worked as intended. I wonder how the Third Hokage will handle it.
Satori waited patiently, without much worry.
The matter wasn't huge, but it wasn't trivial either—it was just a misunderstanding.
An ordinary ninja might have been fully exterminated over such a mistake.
But the Hyūga were a prestigious family in Konoha, a dojutsu clan standing on equal footing with the Uchiha.
In fact, the Byakugan was a crucial strategic asset to Hidden Leaf Village.
No matter how bad it got, the village wouldn't go all out against them.
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