Adopted by Tsunade [259-260] (Patreon)

Chapter 259: Big Cat

Hokage Building.

Yugao stood in the corridor and looked up, spotting Kurenai.

Kurenai was wearing a tight black skirt; a faint blush colored her cheeks and there was a slightly shy smile on her lips, making her look quite charming.

Noticing Yugao's gaze, Kurenai's body stiffened and she subconsciously turned her head away.

A moment later, she forced herself to smile again and greeted her.

"Yugao."

Yugao nodded. "The Hokage-sama asked me to come."

She was a little curious, but didn't ask more.

The two of them were not close enough for that.

"I see."

Kurenai smiled. "Then you'd better go. Don't let the Hokage-sama wait too long."

Yugao gave a brief acknowledgment and walked toward the Hokage's office.

"Right, Yugao."

Kurenai suddenly remembered something and called out, "How is Hayate's health?"

"Not very good."

Yugao glanced at her in slight surprise as she answered.

"Has he gone to the hospital?"

Kurenai paused, then explained, "The hospital has developed a new technique recently. I've heard that even severed limbs can be regenerated—it's really amazing."

"Hayate's illness comes from his kekkei genkai."

Yugao said calmly, "It can't be cured."

"I'm sorry."

Kurenai hurried to apologize.

"It's fine. I'm used to it."

Yugao had seen too much death under Orochimaru; it didn't shake her much anymore.

And compared to the original story, her relationship with Hayate was not that close.

She had become Orochimaru's disciple while still at the Ninja Academy.

Her interactions with Hayate had been fairly limited.

Yugao turned and knocked on the door. Only after receiving permission did she push it open.

"Hokage-sama."

She bowed deeply, very respectful.

Part of it was because Natsume had pulled her away from the dangerous Orochimaru.

The other part was the ninja instinct trained into her over the years.

No matter what she felt toward Orochimaru, she had to obey his orders.

Now that she had been handed over to Natsume, her allegiance naturally shifted to him.

"You're a contract holder of Ryuchi Cave now, right?"

Natsume looked up and asked directly.

"Yes."

Yugao replied, "It's already been several years, but I'm dull—I couldn't learn Sage Mode."

Natsume raised an eyebrow.

Her answer went far beyond what he'd asked.

Laying everything out so openly like this—she was clearly trying to show loyalty.

Thinking of Orochimaru, Natsume had to admit that guy really had a knack for leadership.

All his subordinates were utterly devoted, willing to give their lives for him.

If it were Natsume, the best he could do would be to threaten them with his power.

He could hardly reach Orochimaru's level.

So in truth, he didn't trust Yugao very much.

But from the look of it, she didn't seem particularly fond of Orochimaru either.

"I have a task for you."

Natsume took out a scroll. "I previously made a deal with the White Snake Sage to give Konoha more contract slots. I called you here so you can take them to Ryuchi Cave."

Yugao stepped forward, accepted the scroll, and nodded without even looking at it. "Yes."

Natsume had split the list into two groups.

One group was jōnin and gifted chūnin or genin.

The other was his acquaintances.

Such as Hinata, Ino, Kurenai, Naruto, and Sasuke.

He planned to escort that group personally.

In theory, a contract holder of one of the Three Great Sage Lands could summon any summoning beast from that land.

But the snakes of Ryuchi Cave all had pretty violent tempers.

Snakes like Manda were hard to handle.

Later on, Sasuke had even sought out a serpent named Aoda as his exclusive summoning beast.

Of course, times had changed.

Natsume certainly didn't fear Manda.

His goal was simple: bring Hinata and the others over, beat up the strongest snakes there, then sign contracts with them.

At the same time, he'd have the White Snake Sage test whether they had the aptitude to train in Sage Mode.

"Take my writ, gather the shinobi on that list, and go to Ryuchi Cave."

Natsume waved his hand.

Yugao bowed and left the office.

Very soon, Kurenai came in.

"Lord Natsume, they're all waiting for you on the plaza outside the Hokage Building."

"You're coming too."

Natsume stood up with a smile. "Let's go."

"What's this about?"

Kurenai asked curiously.

"I'll explain in a bit."

Natsume kept her in suspense.

The two of them arrived at the plaza.

"Natsume-sensei!"

Naruto asked excitedly, "Is there a big mission?"

He said that because there were quite a few people gathered.

Hinata and Ino thought the same.

Although they felt it was a bit of a shame—they'd lost the chance to spend time alone with Natsume.

Only Kurenai, who knew Natsume a little better, didn't think so.

Because this situation was too unusual.

"Have you heard of Ryuchi Cave?"

Natsume smiled and asked.

"One of the Three Great Holy Lands of summoning beasts, Ryuchi Cave."

Ino answered, "Orochimaru-sama's summoning beasts come from that place."

Even though the Three Great Holy Lands were hidden, most shinobi clans knew at least a bit about them.

Among those present, Kurenai was probably the only one who wasn't too familiar.

But once Orochimaru was mentioned, she more or less understood the significance of Ryuchi Cave.

After all, his deeds were widely known in Konoha—everyone knew he had a ferocious giant serpent.

"I called you here to take you to Ryuchi Cave."

Natsume didn't give them time to react before using the Flying Thunder God Technique.

When he opened his eyes again, they were already in Ryuchi Cave.

On the way to the White Snake Sage's temple, he explained Sage Mode to them.

Everyone present got excited.

After all, it was a way to grow stronger.

Sasuke was especially fired up.

He'd suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Third Raikage and had been pushing himself hard ever since.

Natsume glanced at him.

In the original story, Sasuke never had Sage Mode.

With Orochimaru's personality, there was no way he wouldn't have tried to teach him.

The only explanation was that Sasuke wasn't suited for it.

"Hokage-sama."

Before they even reached the temple, the White Snake Sage had already sensed his presence and came out to greet them.

The attitude was very amiable.

As for the Three Snake Princesses, they were still in Konoha teaching Kabuto how to use Sage Mode.

"White Snake Sage, I'd like you to see whether they can train in Sage Mode."

Natsume said casually.

"No problem."

The White Snake Sage nodded.

Normally, anyone who wished to learn Sage Mode had to pass the trial of the Three Snake Princesses.

That trial wasn't really about talent, but about temperament—with a bit of luck mixed in.

This step was now simply skipped.

"I'll inject natural energy into each of you."

The White Snake Sage looked at them and said, "Follow the method I teach you to absorb it. If you can't endure it and your body undergoes large-scale serpentine transformation, it means you lack the talent or that learning Sage Mode will be extremely difficult."

All five nodded seriously.

The White Snake Sage began the test.

In the past, anyone who turned into a snake would be swallowed alive by the serpents there.

Because of Natsume, they got to keep their lives.

In the end, only one person had the aptitude.

Naruto.

Kurenai, Hinata, and Ino were disappointed, but they took it rather well.

Sasuke, however, was trembling with anger.

His rage caused his ocular power to grow significantly again.

He'd lost to Naruto yet again.

If all of them had failed, he could have accepted it.

But why did things turn out like this?

What followed was much simpler.

Natsume led them to beat down Manda, Garaga, and all the other big snakes.

From this trip alone, he gained 130 Fate Points.

Naruto stayed behind in Ryuchi Cave.

The other four signed their contracts and returned to Konoha.

Natsume was quite calm about Naruto being the only one with talent.

This was perfectly normal.

In the original timeline, there weren't many who mastered Sage Mode either.

Not that there were no other options, though.

For instance, the Cursed Seals of Heaven and Earth.

But their side effects were still pretty severe right now.

And Orochimaru liked to tweak and tamper with things.

Natsume thought of Kabuto again.

If he let Kabuto research this for a while, it might work.

…

Daimyo's Residence, Land of Waves.

Natsume appeared in Tayuya's room.

He was a bit taken aback.

Tayuya, dressed in a yukata-style sleepwear, was lying on the sofa sleeping.

Quiet, like some girl-next-door.

Natsume couldn't help shaking his head. He walked over and pinched her nose.

"What are you doing?"

Tayuya's eyes flew open. She looked at him warily.

"With you like this, how are you ever going to kill me?"

Natsume asked with a smile.

"None of your business!"

Tayuya snorted coldly. "One day, you're going to die by my hand!"

"You're confident, I'll give you that."

Natsume casually pulled out a lollipop and held it out to her.

"What is it?"

Tayuya's face tensed. "Even if you bribe me, it won't change your fate!"

"I picked it up off the floor."

Natsume raised an eyebrow.

Tayuya almost exploded with rage and slapped the lollipop away. "What do you take me for?!"

Her hair floated up with her temper.

Natsume reached out and ruffled her hair.

Tayuya's body trembled; the anger on her face visibly melted away.

"Sign this."

Natsume took out the Ryuchi Cave contract scroll.

"What's this?"

Tayuya jumped off the sofa. "Another one of your perverted things?"

She spoke as she opened the scroll.

Once she saw the description written there, she froze.

Of course she knew of Ryuchi Cave—she'd even seen Manda a few times.

She had, after all, once served under Orochimaru.

"Y-you…"

Tayuya pointed at Natsume, at a loss for words.

She understood the value of this scroll.

This was one of the Three Great Holy Lands.

And he was just giving it to her?

"What about me?"

Natsume stretched out his hand. "If you don't want it, give it back."

"Of course I want it!"

Hands on her hips, Tayuya shouted, "If you want to die, don't blame me later."

To her, obtaining the Ryuchi Cave summoning beasts meant a massive boost in strength.

"You actually reminded me of something."

Natsume put on a look of sudden realization. "Just giving this to you for nothing seems a bit unfair, doesn't it?"

"…"

Tayuya gripped the scroll tightly. "You're not thinking of going back on your word, are you?"

"What I mean is, you should pay a price."

Natsume smiled. "That's the fair way to do it."

Tayuya froze for a moment, then simply wrote her name on the scroll.

She grinned smugly. "Too late now!"

"Not at all."

Natsume snatched the scroll away. "I can erase your name anytime."

Tayuya's face went rigid. "You bastard!"

"tsk."

Natsume sat down on the sofa. "Thanks for the compliment."

"…"

Tayuya clenched her teeth. After a while, she asked, "What do you want?"

"I want to keep a cat."

Natsume tilted his head.

"Absolutely not!"

Tayuya glared at him instantly. "Are you trying to humiliate me?!"

"Then you don't want the Ryuchi Cave summons anymore?"

Natsume patted his thigh.

"…"

Tayuya fell silent.

After a long moment, she reluctantly crawled into his lap.

"Doesn't feel as good as my black cat."

Natsume stroked her hair, then released her. "That's enough."

"How am I worse than that black cat?!"

After he left, Tayuya stamped her foot in fury.

After a while, she picked up the lollipop from the sofa, tore the wrapper off, and put it in her mouth.

"You bastard, you pervert, I'll bite you to death!"

Muttering, she crunched the lollipop to pieces.

The sweetness in her mouth mixed with the sour ache in her heart.

Sleep was out of the question.

…

Natsume opened Yugito's door.

The black cat looked up and, seeing him, hurriedly bounded over.

"Nyaa~"

Its tone sounded a little anxious.

Natsume picked up the black cat, sat on the sofa, and took one of her paws, slowly rubbing it.

The cat's paw was soft and white; it felt wonderful to the touch.

The black cat relaxed completely and enjoyed the attention, her tail quivering faintly with her mood.

Natsume stayed silent, just petting her.

The room was very quiet.

After a while, Natsume patted her head.

Her eyes flashed with shyness. Yielding to feline instinct, she began grooming her slightly ruffled fur.

A long time later, Natsume sighed. "You really are getting more and more used to this."

The black cat had no time to respond.

"But I know what you're waiting for."

Natsume smiled. "The Two-Tails is called Matatabi, right?"

The black cat flinched and bit down hard.

Natsume's body twitched—he was genuinely startled for a moment.

Then he remembered: he had a Sage Body. A mere cat couldn't possibly hurt him.

"The Two-Tails is pretty strong."

Natsume stroked her head. "But it still can't beat me—and you know that. So your plan was to use it to escape, wasn't it?"

The black cat stayed silent.

"If one day you discovered that the Two-Tails betrayed you, what would you do?"

Natsume asked.

She answered him only with a stubborn glare.

There was a hint of tears in her eyes.

She obviously didn't believe that Matatabi would betray her.

"Want to find out?"

Natsume's lips curled faintly.

A pained expression appeared on the black cat's face.

"How?"

At the mention of the Two-Tails, Yugito reverted to her human identity.

Natsume didn't mind.

He used the Flying Thunder God Technique.

The two of them appeared in the Land of Snow.

"Kaguya."

Natsume walked over and kissed her on the cheek.

Yugito froze.

Not because of their intimacy, but because she'd seen Kaguya once before.

Back then, she'd disguised herself.

Now she hadn't.

This way, Yugito could feel an indescribable aura.

A single glance told her this was no ordinary person.

Kaguya glanced indifferently at Yugito—or more precisely, at Matatabi.

Natsume leaned close to Kaguya's ear and whispered a couple of sentences, raising a finger as he did.

"Mm."

Kaguya reached out her hand.

Yugito's vision blurred. Her consciousness appeared in the seal space.

Natsume was there as well.

Yugito was stunned.

The seal space was under the joint control of her and Matatabi.

For Kaguya to come in like this—Kaguya had essentially delivered herself to them.

If she could seize control of Kaguya's consciousness, she might be able to threaten Natsume.

With that thought, she shouted, "Matatabi, take her down!"

But Matatabi didn't respond.

She finally noticed the complex expression on the Two-Tails' face.

Confusion, affection, and fear.

…

Chapter 260: Being a Cat Isn't So Bad

Matatabi had never met Kaguya.

It had come into being when Hagoromo split the Ten-Tails into nine beasts.

But it was still part of the Ten-Tails.

Kaguya had gained control of the God Tree by devouring the chakra fruit.

The instant Matatabi saw her, countless tangled emotions welled up inside it.

"Y-you… who are you?"

Matatabi forced down the instinct to throw itself to the ground in worship and asked.

"Matatabi, what are you doing?"

Yugito was baffled by its hesitation. "Now's our chance—if we take her, Natsume will have to hold back. Then we can go back to the Hidden Cloud."

Expressionless, Kaguya raised her hand and gave a light wave.

Yugito flew backward without the slightest resistance, smashed against the invisible wall of the seal, and slid down to the ground.

Her consciousness-body was beaten black and blue; blood spilled from her mouth.

Originally, Kaguya hadn't cared about her.

But Yugito had talked about threatening Natsume.

So Kaguya couldn't resist handing down a bit of punishment.

She didn't kill her, though.

She knew this was Natsume's toy.

Yugito stared at Matatabi in disbelief.

She'd been attacked, yet it hadn't stepped in to help?

What was going on?

Weren't they good friends?

"Yugito."

Matatabi spoke gravely, "Don't rush."

Kaguya's earlier attack had carried a familiar aura.

It recalled the guesses it'd made about Natsume before.

So this was the source.

"Matatabi, what's wrong with you?"

Yugito was shocked.

If she hadn't sensed any sign of genjutsu, she would have suspected that Matatabi was under illusion control—that's how strange its behavior was.

"May I ask what your relationship is to the Sage of Six Paths?"

Matatabi ignored Yugito and looked at Kaguya carefully.

"Relationship?"

Kaguya walked over and placed her hand on Matatabi's head.

Chakra flowed into it.

A few seconds later, Matatabi recoiled in horror.

Then, without a second of hesitation, it prostrated itself on all fours in a reverent posture.

"I…I didn't know it was you… Please forgive me."

Yugito felt as though she'd been struck by lightning.

The Tailed Beasts were all notoriously proud.

Back then, building a friendship with Matatabi had taken immense effort.

The Hidden Cloud had even relied on a mysterious Turtle Island to help produce perfect jinchūriki.

Now Matatabi's abject submission was unprecedented.

Since when had a Tailed Beast bowed like this?

Yugito just stared, utterly unable to grasp what was happening.

"Matatabi."

Kaguya's tone remained calm. "From today on, you are Konoha's Tailed Beast."

"Yes!"

Matatabi answered without the slightest hesitation.

Kaguya then left the seal space.

"Yugito…"

It was several seconds before Matatabi got back onto its feet. "I'm sorry. I probably can't help you anymore."

"W-why?"

Yugito turned her head stiffly. "Why betray the Hidden Cloud?"

"Because I never truly belonged to the Hidden Cloud."

Matatabi sighed.

"What about… me?"

Yugito asked again.

"I'm sorry."

Matatabi felt a pang of guilt, but it had no choice.

With Kaguya outside, what good would it do to help Yugito break the seal?

It would all be meaningless.

Completely useless.

"Honestly, being a cat isn't so bad."

Matatabi thought of something and tried to comfort her.

"…"

Yugito's face went pale.

How could words like that come from your mouth?

I'm a person, not a cat.

After a long time, Yugito dragged herself to her feet and left the seal space.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the devilish smile on Natsume's face.

"What did you do?!"

Yugito suddenly shouted.

Having lost her final hope, she no longer feared death.

"This has nothing to do with me."

Natsume cupped her cheek. "It was Matatabi's choice. I told you before—it would betray you."

Yugito's body shook. She slapped his hand away.

"Kill me," she said in despair.

"What, no more attachments holding you back?"

Natsume smiled. "What about the Hidden Cloud? Don't you care anymore?"

Yugito's eyes widened instinctively.

This damned demon!

She clenched her fists.

Matatabi's betrayal had made her forget the reason she'd been clinging to life.

Now that Natsume had reminded her, she could only laugh in misery.

"Stay alive. Maybe you'll still have a chance to save the Hidden Cloud."

Natsume said.

"W-what do you mean?"

Yugito's heart clenched. "You're planning to move against the Hidden Cloud?"

"Isn't that inevitable?"

Natsume squeezed her cheek again. "Even if I don't make a move, the Hidden Cloud will. Eventually, they won't be able to resist."

Yugito stayed where she was, not dodging this time.

She looked at Natsume, speechless.

The Hidden Cloud was steeped in a culture of martial conflict.

And the Fourth Raikage had a volcanic temper.

Sooner or later, they would stir up another shinobi war.

Suddenly, an impulse rose up in her.

She wanted to escape, return to the Hidden Cloud, and stop the Fourth Raikage.

Matatabi's complete submission had made her realize something.

Just who was Kaguya?

Even the Fourth Raikage could never force Matatabi to go this far.

At most, he could overpower it physically—not make it sincerely bow its head.

If the Hidden Cloud and Konoha went to war, who would win?

Before, Yugito's answer had always been the Hidden Cloud.

Now she truly didn't know.

"Nyaa~"

Yugito got down on all fours, swallowing her humiliation, and rubbed her head against Natsume's trouser leg.

She'd chosen to live—like a cat.

Natsume blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected her to be this decisive.

Especially with someone else watching.

Before this, Yugito had refused to take her cat form in front of other people no matter what.

Natsume instinctively glanced at Kaguya.

There was something thoughtful in her expression.

That was odd.

With her personality, she shouldn't have cared about Yugito at all.

At that moment, Kaguya spoke in a cool tone. "You like this?"

Natsume was taken aback.

He had no idea how to answer that.

Don't tell me you want to try it too?

He couldn't help picturing it—Kaguya in cat girl form.

He sucked in a cold breath.

That… sounded pretty exciting, actually.

Then he thought it over.

No, there was no need.

This was just a method of punishment.

"You don't need to."

Natsume shook his head.

"Are you staying tonight?"

Kaguya didn't press the issue and changed the subject.

"I'll come back in a couple of days."

Natsume's body trembled slightly. He hurried to decline.

After just having been tortured, he couldn't handle another round so soon.

"Mm."

Kaguya nodded. "I'm a little bored."

Natsume couldn't help looking at her.

That didn't sound like something she'd say.

As long as she had a constant influx of chakra, boredom shouldn't be an issue.

Now that he'd been cut off, she was bored.

It was practically a confession in its own way.

Natsume thought for a moment.

He really couldn't stay with her all the time.

Mainly, the way he had to keep her company was too much even for him.

If she was bored, he'd just have to find her something fun to do.

"How about playing games?"

Natsume suggested.

"Games?"

Kaguya tilted her head in puzzlement.

Natsume didn't bother explaining. He simply spent 200 Fate Points to exchange for a computer and most of the single-player games from his previous life.

"How is it?"

Using chakra, Natsume transmitted the operating methods directly to her.

Kaguya's eyes lit up. "It seems… a bit interesting."

To her, this was all completely new.

It was like a primitive person suddenly connecting to the internet—a whole new world opened up.

Seeing her like this, Natsume suspected she was going to turn into a shut-in.

Which was fine by him.

…

Daimyo's Residence, Land of Waves.

Natsume squeezed Yugito's soft cheek. "I'll come play with you again next time."

[Because of your actions, the fates of Kakashi, Kurenai, Ino, and others have changed. You have gained a total of 450 Fate Points.]

[Because of your actions, the fates of Yugito, Matatabi, and Tayuya have changed. You have gained a total of 230 Fate Points.]

The Fate Ring's prompt chimes sounded in quick succession.

The first batch came from all the shinobi who'd contracted Ryuchi Cave.

The change in their fate wasn't that significant.

Summoning beasts only went so far, after all.

The second batch was better.

Especially Yugito and Matatabi—they'd provided a generous amount of Fate Points.

Their destinies had shifted dramatically.

…

Hokage Office.

"Hokage-sama, here is the situation report."

Yugao had returned.

"Good work."

Natsume gave it a quick glance.

Nothing particularly noteworthy.

The White Snake Sage had given him face—none of the snakes had made trouble.

"How is everyone feeling?"

Natsume set the file aside and asked offhandedly.

"They're very happy."

Yugao thought for a moment. "Being able to contract Ryuchi Cave's summons, they asked me to give you their thanks."

After this, Natsume's prestige had undoubtedly risen again.

They might not be willing to die for him yet, but their loyalty was close.

What could he say?

The shinobi of this world had a very simple mindset.

Give them real, tangible benefits, and they'd gladly hand you their hearts.

"That's good."

Natsume smiled. "You can go rest."

"Yes."

Yugao bowed and left.

Soon, Kurenai came in.

"Lord Natsume, there's something."

She handed him a file. "Jiraiya-sama has returned to Konoha."

"What a rare guest."

Natsume arched a brow and opened the file with a smile.

It contained Jiraiya's movements.

The only reason the ANBU could track him so closely was because Natsume had handed the crystal ball from Mount Myoboku to Shisui.

That's right—Shisui was now the head of Anbu.

Since ANBU wore masks every day, no one would know his true identity.

The Land of Snow no longer needed Shisui.

Not with Kaguya there.

It was the safest place in the entire shinobi world.

As for the Land of Waves, Konan was there.

Nothing to worry about.

Rather than waste his talents, Natsume had made Shisui the ANBU commander.

He was quite happy with the position.

Natsume skimmed the report.

Jiraiya had met with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

So he already knew what had happened at Mount Myoboku.

Made sense—he would have sensed that something was wrong the moment he tried the summoning technique.

Not that it mattered.

He wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble.

If they had any sense of self-preservation, Natsume didn't mind letting them off the hook—for Tsunade's sake.

If they insisted on clinging to their old ways, that would be another matter.

"Leave him be."

Natsume said casually.

With Jiraiya's special status in the village, Kurenai had been right to take him seriously.

But hearing Natsume's instructions, she simply nodded.

"Clan Head Hyuga says he'd like to see you."

"Oh? Where is he?"

Natsume was a bit surprised.

It'd been a long time since he'd had a proper talk with his future father-in-law.

At most, they would exchange a few words when he came to see Hinata.

"He's right outside the door."

Kurenai bent down to retrieve the file from the desk.

Natsume suddenly reached out and gave her thigh a light smack.

"You…"

Kurenai jumped, blushing as she looked back at him.

"That's payback for stealing a kiss."

Natsume smiled.

"Pervert!"

Kurenai shot him a glare and hurried out with the file.

She wasn't actually angry.

"Kurenai."

Natsume called after her. "Your stockings have a run."

Kurenai instinctively glanced at her legs.

On her calf, her stocking had snagged on something and torn slightly.

Her ears flushed scarlet.

She all but ran away.

A short while later, the door opened again.

Hiashi walked in, looking troubled.

"Uncle Hiashi."

Natsume asked first, "What can I do for you?"

"Hokage-sama, you should know about the Caged Bird, yes?"

Hiashi hesitated. "When I asked you to take Hanabi as your adopted sister, that was to spare her from the Caged Bird, but…"

"But the clan elders of the Main House refuse?"

Natsume finished the sentence for him.

"The elders have been putting pressure on me for some time, but lately they've rallied quite a few clansmen as well."

Hiashi nodded.

"By clansmen, do you mean the Branch House too?"

Natsume asked.

"Yes."

Hiashi sighed. "From their perspective, Hanabi not being branded with the Caged Bird seal is unfair to the Branch House."

Every Branch member had been just like Hanabi, prior to receiving the seal.

Now that she alone enjoyed special treatment, resentment was natural.

"Uncle Hiashi, if you lost control over the Caged Bird, what would you do?"

Natsume's question caught Hiashi off guard.

His feelings toward the Caged Bird were complicated.

On one hand, it destroyed the bonds between siblings.

On the other, he recognized how vital it was to the Hyuga clan.

After thinking for a while, Hiashi said, "The Caged Bird is an effective way to prevent the Byakugan from leaking outside the clan."

"I'm not talking about abolishing it."

Natsume clarified. "I mean returning control of the Caged Bird to the Branch House."

"…"

Hiashi fell silent.

"The Caged Bird has taken on too many unnecessary functions."

Natsume looked him in the eye. "If its only purpose is to prevent the Byakugan from leaking, why forbid the Branch House from learning advanced Gentle Fist techniques? And why keep absolute control in the Main House's hands?"

Hiashi opened his mouth but couldn't find an answer.

"If you're willing to decide, I can help you."

Natsume continued, "But the one to act won't be me—it'll be Hinata."