Chapter 156: Naruto and Sasuke, Different Answers.
“Bro, who was that guy?”
The brief encounter at the ramen shop had ended, and Hakken was now leading his disciple and younger brother toward the training grounds.
Yūgao Uzuki had left a parting remark—“Meet me at the usual spot”—before dashing off.
On the way, Naruto suddenly asked.
That person, of course, referred to Neji Hyūga.
The courage it took to approach Aniki and say those words had piqued Naruto's curiosity. He also didn't quite understand the meaning behind their conversation.
Gaining recognition.
What comes after that recognition?
Naruto was eager to know.
Hakken looked at Naruto, thinking to himself. Indeed, teaching a younger brother had to start early. Naruto’s stubborn nature remained unchanged, but that also meant his saintly tendencies would persist. And that kind of excessive saintliness wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
“His name is Hyūga Neji. A man who defied his fate.”
After a moment's thought, Hakken sighed.
The tragedy of the Hyūga Clan—the Hyūga Hina who was fated to die in the original story still lived on. Yet, the unfair treatment between the branch and main houses, and the lingering wound of being the Caged Bird, remained a burden for the branch house.
Protecting the main house was their duty, but they were also part of Konoha, and neglecting the village while placing the burden of protection solely on the main house was fundamentally flawed.
This mindset was misguided. Even Fugaku didn't possess such narrow-mindedness.
If Konoha were attacked, could the main house really stay behind?
They would stand together!
Thus, at its core, this system was inherently contradictory.
Even without the incident where his father took the place of Hyūga Hiashi in death, Neji still yearned to defy fate.
Seeing Naruto’s bewildered expression, Hakken patted his cheek.
“Alright, let me give you an analogy.”
“After the Third Shinobi World War, when Konoha had lost all its elite combat strength, Kumogakure suddenly arrived to negotiate. They resorted to underhanded tactics, attempting to force Hyūga Hiashi, the head of the main branch, to his death.”
“But this was precisely when the mission of the Hyūga Clan’s branch became clear. To protect the main house’s bloodline, Hyūga Neji—Hiashi’s younger brother—took his Nii-san's place and died.”
“Hyūga Neji, the son of Hyūga Neji, grew up feeling utterly despairing at the unfairness of this fate.”
“If it were you, Naruto, how would you view such a situation?”
After briefly outlining the original storyline, Hakken stared into Naruto's eyes, waiting for his response.
But what he found somewhat disappointing was inevitable.
Naruto, who never delved into deeper meanings, blurted out his answer directly.
“Help Naruto change the Hyūga Clan's fate! Once I become Hokage, I’ll abolish the main house and branch house system!”
A resolute statement—the exact words Naruto uttered after defeating Neji in the original story.
But this wasn’t the answer Hakken wanted.
“One more chance. Consider this from Konoha’s perspective.”
He flicked Naruto’s forehead playfully before continuing.
Alas, Naruto still couldn’t think of any other solutions.
“I think, even hypothetically, Konoha accepting that kind of coercion is fundamentally flawed.”
“It doesn't even align with the creed our master taught us: ‘Attack Konoha, and we will pursue you to the ends of the earth.’”
Sasuke suddenly spoke up from beside him.
“From Konoha's perspective, the Hyūga Clan is part of the village. Sacrificing a comrade to buy peace—what good is such peace if it comes at that cost?”
“Protect your comrades with everything you've got, never surrender even unto death!”
Exactly. That’s the spirit Konoha possesses now!
Hakken nodded.
“But if war comes, so many will die... Plus, Aniki said Konoha’s elite combat strength is already depleted,” Naruto countered.
Both points were valid, but Hakken leaned more toward Sasuke’s response.
“Naruto, remember this.”
“If that day truly comes, think of the Hyūga Clan. Changing the Hyūga Clan's future fate may be easy, but you owe an explanation to those Hyūga who died.”
“And even if you alter their mission, sparing the branch clan from sacrificing for the main house—if the same tragedy repeats, would you sacrifice the true Clan Head of the main house?”
This was a profound question.
In the original story, Naruto did become Hokage and abolished the main and branch family system. But if the same situation happened again, what choice would he make then?
As Hokage, if he couldn’t protect the entire village’s citizens, what right did he have to keep proclaiming he wouldn’t let his comrades get hurt?
“Well, you’re still young. I hope you’ll give me a better answer someday.”
Shaking his head, Hakken sighed. After all, they weren’t Itachi. It was impossible for them to think like the Hokage at just six or seven years old. And even Itachi himself carried significant inner conflict.
He had already made his decision regarding Neji.
Since his father was still alive, changing the Hyūga Clan’s current situation required even greater resolve. The strength of that resolve lay within Neji himself.
If he possessed that fighting spirit, Hakken could lend a hand. If not, Hakken couldn’t be bothered with the clan’s traditions.
To gain, one must give.
After all, it was their clan’s affair. The Hyūga had survived this long under this system, proof enough that while the branch family system was cruel, it worked.
But if Neji truly reached that point, fully demonstrating his resolve, Hakken was confident he could change Hyūga Hiashi’s mind. Not through force, but by winning their hearts.
...
Daily training commenced. This was the routine for the two younger brothers.
Much like himself and Itachi in the past—one throwing shuriken, the other parrying with his katana.
The difference was they switched roles after a short while.
This unique training method meant these two were also the successors to Hakken and Itachi.
Time passed in the fullness of their training.
Before they knew it, night had quietly descended.
After sending the two youngsters home, Hakken arrived at a familiar spot.
It was still the swing by the entrance of the Ninja Academy. A purple-haired girl sat there in a kimono, waiting with dignified composure.
Seeing her dressed so formally for the first time, a flicker of admiration crossed Hakken’s eyes.
She had always projected an image of efficiency and carefree spirit. Yet today, the pale pink kimono paired with her violet hair grew more captivating the longer he looked.
Lifting her from the swing in his arms, her words murmured into Hakken’s ear.
“This dress...”
“It was Mother’s wedding kimono... I altered the size...”
A wedding kimono?
Hakken gently smoothed her long hair. Her straight, jet-black locks remained as captivating as ever.
“Ken...”
“Go take a bath. I’ve prepared everything...”