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TUS Chapter 367: No Permission Needed
🕑 Added 2025-04-26 02:58:47 +0000 UTCFunan had to admit he was curious about what Hashirama would ask on Madara's behalf.
"Alright, I’ll just come out and say it!" Hashirama braced himself and said, "Funan, what exactly happened to Madara?"
"He became a sacrifice for Kaguya’s resurrection," Funan replied bluntly. "This world is fair, in a way—you can think of it like this: when a new life is born, another life must end."
"For someone of Kaguya’s level to be resurrected, there had to be a corresponding sacrifice."
"Can’t he be saved? At least... let him die with dignity, and have his body properly buried?"
Funan blinked.
A proper burial?
Since when did ninja in the Shinobi World care about that?
That was news to him.
"Big Brother!"
Hearing that, Tobirama looked angry.
You wanted to ask about Madara, and I brought you here.
But now you're making all these demands?
Funan waved a hand, signaling Tobirama to hold his tongue.
"First Hokage, I understand how you feel, and I do respect the bond you shared with Madara," Funan said calmly, "but..."
"Madara is already dead."
"In the Shinobi World, using a dead ninja’s body for other purposes is completely normal. It's just like your own body—after you died, didn’t your little brother use your corpse for experiments?"
Hashirama was stunned.
Tobirama was stunned too.
A long silence followed.
Eventually, Hashirama slowly turned to look at Tobirama and asked, "Tobirama..."
"Ahem!" Tobirama coughed awkwardly, shooting a glare at Funan before replying, "Big Brother, you have to understand—the moment you died, the Ninja World was plunged into war. To minimize casualties for Konoha... I had no other choice but to make use of your body."
"Wow!" Funan exclaimed in mock surprise. "First Hokage, you mean you didn't know about that?"
Hashirama gave Funan a long, meaningful look and said quietly, "Fifth Hokage, when you're dead, do you think you'll know what people do to your body?"
Funan: "..."
I actually got schooled by Hashirama.
And honestly... he made a lot of sense. I had no comeback.
Suddenly, Funan thought of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo.
Where was his body?
Did Asura bury it?
Or was it burned?
"That's the situation. If you two want to fight—no, I should say, First Hokage, if you want to beat up the Second Hokage, take it outside! Don’t make a mess in my office!" Funan said helplessly. "My office can’t handle the two of you brawling."
"Exactly! Big Brother, stop messing around and get out of here already," Tobirama added with a wave of his hand, his face full of impatience. "The Fifth Hokage and I have matters to discuss."
Hashirama: "..."
Funan nodded approvingly. "Good, good. Second Hokage’s survival instincts are strong."
In the end, Senju Hashirama left.
What else could he do?
Really beat up Tobirama?
What good would that do?
What was done was done.
"So, what else do you want to talk about?"
Funan looked at Senju Tobirama.
"Kaguya!"
Tobirama frowned and said, "Since you're planning to mass-produce White Zetsu, and you're also strengthening the Tailed Beasts—thus indirectly boosting Kaguya’s power—you must have a way to keep her in check, right?"
"When dealing with allies, you shouldn't always assume the worst," Funan said calmly.
Tobirama stared at Funan in silence.
This bastard—if he didn’t get a satisfactory answer, there was no way he was going to cooperate.
"Fine."
Funan thought for a moment, then said, "First, about the White Zetsu—if they can serve as Kaguya's soldiers, they can just as easily serve as ours."
Tobirama nodded.
"As for the Tailed Beasts gaining strength..." Funan smiled faintly. "Second Hokage, I’ll say it again—you need to trust me. My power will absolutely surpass Kaguya’s."
...
[Bang! Bang! Bang!]
A young boy with the Byakugan was relentlessly attacking.
His opponent—Uchiha Funan—used only a single finger.
The precise strikes of the Gentle Fist were laid bare under the scrutiny of the Sharingan.
The boy had no choice but to force his way through.
Yet as the boy’s attacks grew fiercer, a smile slowly appeared on Funan’s face.
[Bang!]
With another clash, the boy was sent flying.
"That's enough... Neji!"
"Yes, sensei!" Neji replied respectfully.
Funan waved his hand, and a fruit pulsing with ocular power appeared in his palm.
"You've made great progress recently. Take this and eat it—it’s your reward."
That same miraculous fruit again!
Neji’s eyes burned with excitement.
When he had first become Funan’s disciple, Funan had given him a fruit as a welcome gift.
After eating it, his ocular power had increased dramatically.
And now—another one!
Neji had a strong feeling that once he consumed this fruit, his Byakugan would undergo a fundamental transformation.
"Thank you, sensei!"
Funan smiled and moved to sit off to the side, where a beautiful Hyūga clan girl promptly poured him tea.
They were currently in one of the Hyūga clan’s properties.
"Neji, how are you feeling?"
"Very good, extremely good!" Neji replied respectfully, standing at attention.
"I have high hopes for you," Funan said, locking eyes with Neji. "The war is mostly over now. What remains is the reconstruction of various places. Among the Hyūga, I have chosen you, Neji."
"I hope you will lead the decaying Hyūga Clan into a new era of vitality."
"I will not let you down, sensei," Neji said firmly.
Though he didn’t quite understand why his sensei had chosen him—
This was his chance to change his destiny.
He would absolutely not let it slip away!
Watching Funan sip his tea, Neji mustered his courage and said, "Sensei, I am from the branch family."
Wouldn't it have been easier to choose someone from the main family instead?
Choosing him—a member of the branch family and a disciple of the Hokage—was bound to stir up controversy.
"That doesn’t matter."
Funan waved his hand dismissively. "The Hyūga Clan will be changed by me..."
"The Caged Bird Seal has its merits. I will not abolish it," Funan said, gazing steadily at Neji. "However, I will not allow a child's fate to be sealed at birth ever again."
"You mean..."
"I will revise the way the Hyūga Clan applies the Caged Bird Seal," Funan said lightly. "At around the age of ten, all Hyūga children will undergo an evaluation. The best among them, regardless of whether they are from the main or branch family, will become the clan heir. All others—also regardless of status—will be branded with the Caged Bird Seal."
"This—"
Neji froze.
Even the branch family girl pouring tea nearby trembled, spilling the tea.
This was outright intervention in another clan’s internal affairs!
Funan paid it no mind and continued with a smile, "Don’t you think it's unfair that a child's entire future is decided the moment they're born? It saps all ambition from the clan."
"A main family child is born noble, towering above all, while a branch family child is condemned to be a caged bird, their life and death not their own. How boring."
Let no one think that simply being born noble meant they could remain noble forever.
If even the Uchiha had to be restructured, what was the Hyūga Clan compared to that?
Neji was stunned.
Could the clan really be changed like this?
After a long moment, Neji lowered his voice and said, "The clan will never agree."
"Do I need their permission?" Funan said with a laugh. "Since when have I ever needed their approval? Whoever dares to disobey—I'll bury them."
His words were spoken calmly, yet they carried an overwhelming, undeniable dominance.
The white-eyed Hyūga girl nearby couldn't help but look at him with newfound admiration.
Their Hokage had always acted with this kind of bold, overwhelming force—from the moment he first appeared on the scene until now.
Neji bowed his head deeply and said, "On behalf of all the Hyūga branch family, I thank you, sensei."
"Save it," Funan waved his hand indifferently. "If you can't stand on your own, no one can save you."
Neji simply smiled without replying, then stood to the side and swallowed the fruit.
Something this precious had to be eaten right in front of the sensei; otherwise, who knew if someone might ambush him the moment he stepped outside?
He knew perfectly well just how much the various dōjutsu clans—especially the Uchiha—coveted these fruits.
As for the branch family...
Neji knew the Hyūga branch family all too well.
They had been suppressed for so long they were practically at a breaking point.
Now that the opportunity was right in front of them—of course they'd seize it with everything they had.
They would throw themselves into training like madmen.
Many among the branch family had already twisted under years of oppression.
Now, Funan had not only given them a chance to rise, but had also given them the possibility of stepping on the main family.
For that alone, the branch family would lose their minds.
The high and mighty main family... would soon no longer be so high and mighty.
As the ocular power from the fruit poured into Neji’s body, his eyes began to change.
The fruit Funan had given Neji was only Level 2.
If it were any stronger, Funan worried Neji’s body might not withstand it.
Everything had to proceed step by step.
As the fruit's power surged through him, Neji’s Byakugan began to transform.
A faint blue tint appeared within the pupils, and around his eyes, it was as if arcs of lightning flickered and danced.
"He really advanced!"
Funan nodded silently to himself.
It wasn't quite the Tenseigan, but calling it 'Byakugan-S' would not be an exaggeration.
