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TUS Chapter 368: The Silent Goddess and the Shameless Hokage
🕑 Added 2025-04-26 19:49:21 +0000 UTCWithin the Hyūga Clan, the atmosphere was heavy with tension.
Led by Hyūga Hiashi, the members of the Main Family sat together in silent conference.
They had already received the news.
Uchiha Funan had taken Neji as his disciple!
There were so many outstanding members among the Main Family—yet he ignored them all to select a lowly Branch Family member?
How could the Main Family possibly endure this humiliation?
Moreover, a Branch Family member had become the Hokage's disciple. This was simply too—
Now that Neji had become his student—who would have the final say in the Hyūga Clan from now on?
"Hiashi, we can't just let this happen!"
One of the elders looked at Hiashi with a grave expression and said, "Have you thought about what the future holds for the Hyūga Clan if Neji becomes the Hokage’s disciple?"
Hiashi’s expression remained indifferent. "Do you have any solutions?"
"I..."
The elder fell silent, unable to speak.
What solution could he possibly offer?
That Hokage was an existence even more terrifying than Senju Hashirama.
Even if the entire Hyūga Clan banded together, they wouldn't be enough to withstand a single blow from him.
"Still, we can’t just sit back and accept this!"
Another elder spoke urgently, his voice betraying his growing frustration.
If the Branch Family no longer bore the mark of subjugation, could the Main Family still maintain their superiority?
Would they even remain the Main Family?
And yet—they were utterly powerless.
In the face of Uchiha Funan, what could they possibly do?
Given the nature of the Main Family members, they didn’t even dare to voice their dissatisfaction toward Funan—not even inwardly.
When they encountered him, they didn’t even dare to meet his gaze.
All they could do was continually redirect their frustration elsewhere.
"Let’s wait and see," Hiashi said calmly. "Let’s observe what the Hokage-sama intends to do."
An elder, his hair and beard completely white, spoke slowly: "I have received a bit of insider information."
"What is it?"
"The Hokage-sama is extremely dissatisfied with the current state of the Hyūga Clan and has decided to reform us," the elder said gravely. "Taking Neji as a disciple is merely the first step in reshaping the relationship between the Main and Branch Families."
He paused, then spoke three chilling words: "Caged Bird Seal."
Everyone present felt a chill run through their bodies.
If the Caged Bird Seal were to be reformed, the ones who would suffer the greatest losses would be them—the Main Family.
As for whether the changes would lead to something better—
Was that even possible?
Right now, they were already the greatest beneficiaries of the Caged Bird system.
"Has the Hokage-sama gone mad?"
One Main Family member completely lost control, roaring furiously, "The Caged Bird Seal is the very foundation of the Hyūga Clan's standing! This is our internal affair! Even the Hokage has no right to interfere in the domestic matters of each ninja clan—that has been the rule since Konoha’s founding!"
So consumed by rage, he even forgot his fear of Funan.
Hiashi responded calmly, "And what if he does interfere?"
What if he did?
Indeed.
What if he did?
"Are we just supposed to wait helplessly?" an elder asked hoarsely. "What awaits us could very well be—"
"What do you think?" Hiashi sighed, a sense of helplessness overtaking him.
Look at the Uchiha—such an incredible concentration of talent.
Even excluding that monster Uchiha Funan, the Uchiha Clan still had a terrifying number of top-tier powerhouses.
'Perhaps... the Hyūga Clan really does need to change,' Hiashi thought silently.
The Uchiha were growing stronger by the day.
Other clans across the ninja world were also beginning to evolve.
The entire ninja world seemed to be bursting with new vitality.
Only the Hyūga remained stagnant.
Despite their natural talent, they were content with the status quo.
Perhaps that was what most displeased the Hokage-sama.
...
[Bang!]
"Huh?"
After clashing with Neji, Funan showed a rare look of surprise.
"You were able to predict my attack?"
Funan gazed at Neji’s eyes, which faintly crackled with arcs of lightning.
"I couldn’t," Neji said hesitantly. "I don’t know how to explain it... it felt like I instinctively knew how you would attack, and my body reacted on its own."
There was no doubt about it—Neji’s eyes now were the precursor to the Tenseigan.
However—
Funan’s understanding of the Tenseigan was extremely limited.
He only knew that it was an ocular power on par with the Rinnegan, and in certain aspects, even more fearsome.
As for Neji’s current eyes, although they hadn’t yet reached the level of the Rinnegan—or even the Mangekyō—they were already displaying extraordinary potential.
"The Hyūga Clan truly does possess talent comparable to the Uchiha," Funan couldn’t help but remark.
This caused many of the bystanders nearby to exchange complicated looks.
Even Neji himself was stunned.
He hadn’t expected Hokage-sama to hold the Hyūga Clan in such high regard.
"Heh, don’t be so surprised," Funan said with a laugh. "I only said their potential is comparable to the Uchiha. That doesn't necessarily mean anything."
"Take a break," Funan said, leading Neji to sit down at the side.
The likes of Yako immediately approached, beginning their reports.
Funan casually responded here and there.
Until finally—Tobirama stepped forward.
"So," Tobirama said, "you really think so highly of the Hyūga Clan?"
The Hyūga Clan’s Byakugan had always played a huge role for Konoha—especially on the battlefield. In many ways, it was not inferior to the Sharingan.
It also had significant applications in the medical field.
However—
To claim that the Hyūga Clan could rival the Uchiha? Wasn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?
Since ancient times, the only clan that could truly rival the Uchiha had been the Senju.
Even the Uzumaki and the Kaguya clans fell short by comparison.
Even though Senju Tobirama had personally dismantled the Senju Clan, no one valued the clan’s honor more deeply than he did.
Funan smiled faintly and said, "I’m not speaking nonsense. But, as I said before, talent is just talent. If it isn’t developed—or if one doesn't work hard—then it’s meaningless."
"Hyūga Neji is your choice?" Tobirama suddenly asked.
Funan wasn’t surprised that this sharpest and most politically astute Hokage could see through his intentions. He nodded lightly and replied, "If the Uchiha want to endure... no, if they want to survive for a longer time, they need a worthy rival—someone who can pressure them."
"For the sake of the Uchiha, you really do worry yourself to death," Tobirama said, with more than a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
He clearly didn’t agree with Funan’s plan.
Because in Tobirama’s eyes, the ninja clans should not exist at all.
The divide between people—between classes—was exacerbated largely by the existence of the ninja clans and their separation from the common folk.
Funan countered with a question: "Do you really think dismantling the clans would solve anything? You disbanded the Senju Clan and tried to civilianize them—did it work? Oh sure, it devastated the Senju—that much is true."
"If the Senju Clan had still been around, Nawaki might not have died."
Tobirama’s face darkened.
His greatest regret was those four treacherous disciples.
He had dismantled the Senju Clan, blending them into Konoha society—but he had never intended for them to be buried entirely.
Those four wretched traitors had been ruthless.
"Besides," Funan continued meaningfully, "the fall of the Senju only gave rise to an even stronger Sarutobi Clan. While we’re alive, we can keep things in check. But we can’t stay forever. A few hundred years from now, another powerful clan will inevitably rise. It’s a cycle—one that no one can stop."
Tobirama remained silent.
Funan clapped him on the shoulder. "People are inherently selfish. Take me, for example. Right now, I’m doing everything I can for the Uchiha. As long as strong individuals are born, their first priority will always be their own clans."
"Sarutobi Hiruzen was like that."
"Shimura Danzō was like that."
"And so am I."
"Tobirama, I truly admire you for your ideals—but your methods... they simply don't work."
"Hmph."
Tobirama snorted lightly, but didn’t argue further. Instead, he changed the subject: "The White Zetsu production line is complete. According to your instructions, after infusing them with my brother’s cells, their strength has increased significantly."
"I’ll take Kaguya to see it later," Funan said with a smile. "It’ll help put her mind at ease."
Tobirama frowned. "The energy expenditure is massive. Even Konoha, as it stands now, won’t be able to sustain it for long."
As he spoke, he handed over a list.
Funan glanced at it and couldn’t help but grimace. "It’s that bad?"
"What did you expect?" Tobirama snapped. "These new White Zetsu are almost at chūnin-level strength. Creating tens of thousands of them out of thin air—of course the resource drain is enormous!"
"What about Uchiha Madara back then—?"
"Uchiha Madara wasn’t exactly poor," Tobirama said coolly. "When he left, he already had plans for future revenge. He wasn't a fool—he must have taken a massive stockpile of resources with him."
"Besides, for someone of his caliber, gathering resources was laughably easy."
Burning, looting, plundering—
Funan thought for a moment and said, "Mobilize resources from across the entire ninja world. As long as it doesn’t interfere with the major plans, gather everything we can."
"Got it."
Tobirama wasn’t surprised at all.
Since the decision had been made, Funan would undoubtedly spare no effort in preparing for any future enemies.
And with that—
After making a few more arrangements and assigning Neji some homework, then—
Funan went to see Kaguya.
It had been several days since he last saw her.
He wondered if she had missed him.
When he finally arrived in front of Kaguya, he found her standing quietly atop a large tree, like a statue.
'Damn,' Funan thought to himself, 'when I used to read the manga and watch the anime, how come I never realized just how stunning Kaguya was? Compared to her, all the other female characters in Naruto seem so plain and unremarkable.'
"You—what are you doing here?"
Kaguya immediately noticed Funan’s presence.
After waiting a moment and seeing that he didn’t say anything, she couldn't help but speak first.
She remembered it very clearly.
The last few times Funan had visited her, she hadn't bothered to pay him much attention.
That was simply her nature.
She didn’t like talking. She preferred silence.
And the result?
That bastard Funan would just stand there, staring at her with a lecherous expression.
He would watch for a long, long time—without saying a single word— and then leave.
He would just leave!
With a face full of satisfaction, no less—
anyone who saw him would think he had gained something precious from the visit.
Kaguya felt an overwhelming surge of frustration and helplessness rising inside her.
