(EXTRA CHAPTER: 250 Powerstone)
Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 152: Abuse Of Power
Hyuga Asahi was the current clan leader of the Hyuga Clan and the father of both Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hizashi. His own father had been the one who accepted the proposal from Hashirama and Madara to unite the clans and form a new village, a decision that had reshaped the Hyuga from a single clan to a village ninja.
Before the unification of Konoha, the Birdcage Seal had served a clear and legitimate purpose which is to protect their Kekkei Genkai from being stolen. The Hyuga were a clan defined by their Byakugan and in the chaos of constant war where clans fought each other openly and without warning, the risk of an enemy capturing a branch member and gouged out their eyes sent a real fear to every member.
So, the past patriarch invented birdcage seal to ensure that even in the worst outcome, the eyes could not be taken. But this seal come with limitation, first It would limit the range of vision of the branch member but it would protect their eyes from enemy ninja.
In the past, it was a perfect strategy and made sense.
But after they become a village ninja, they no longer needed birdcage seal as much as before.
The village had changed the role of the Hyuga clan, either in mission or a war they no longer face danger all the time. Where they had once needed to scout and fight on the frontline simultaneously, now their Byakugan was used primarily for detection and reconnaissance while the heavier combat work was distributed to the other shinobi.
The threat that had originally justified the birdcage seal had not disappeared entirely but it had diminished a lot that some within the clan, majority of them had started to hate having this ugly seal on their forehead
After Konoha was established the side branch had raised the question of whether the Birdcage Seal still needed to exist. The answer they received was always the same, which is they still need the birdcage seal, especially after the 1st great ninja war happen.
Raiken understood why the main family resisted and wanted the birdcage seal exist, if he put himself as the clan leader, his real reason had nothing to do with protecting the Byakugan.
Because birdcage seal would further empowering his status within the clan, the proof is when their clan leader discourage them to learn a new jutsu or mastering as many jutsu as they can.
If the branch members were allowed to study ninjutsu freely and if they were permitted access to medical jutsu and fuinjutsu the way other clans in Konoha were, it was only a matter of time before someone among them figured out how to construct a reverse seal on their own. The branch family wasn't stupid shinobi, they themselves are intelligence, what they had never been given was the access.
Traditionally the main family had justified restricting ninjutsu study by pointing to the Byakugan itself, arguing that the kekkei genkai already enhanced their taijutsu to a level that made additional jutsu less necessary.
It kept the branch members skilled enough to be useful as a cannon fodder, while it didn't threaten their status as a clan leader and elders.
The main family lived like royalty within their own walls and not a single person inside the clan dared openly challenge their authority because the cost of doing so was immediate and physical torture.
What made it worse was that it was not only the main family profiting from this arrangement. Seven elders who technically came from the side branch had also benefited from the existing structure that they had no interest in seeing it changed.
They held 3/4 of the internal influence within the clan and had used that influence to live comfortably. They had the seal on their foreheads the same as any branch member but they also held the ability to activate the curse on others which placed them in a position of superior than the other members.
This become worse because some people abused the seal and make the other clan member live like a slave.
So when the question of abolishing the Birdcage Seal came up, which it did from time to time, it was not just the clan leader and the main family pushing back. It was also these elders who had the most to lose from any change to the balance of power that had made their lives so comfortable and because of this the abuse had continued unchecked for years.
Some of the branch member just had to bite their tongue and listen to what ever demand from elders or clan leader.
For example, Hyuga Chiharu had grown up in the branch family alongside her childhood friend Hyuga Tsugumi. The two of them had been close since they were young and everyone around them had a feeling these two would marry each other.
But Chiharu had attracted the attention from elder son because of her beauty, and the son of one of the elders had decided he wanted her for himself.
With the elder backup her son, her friend Hyuga Tsugumi were torture by the Elder Haramu.
This forced Chiharu to accept the proposal and they would get married next week.
This was what the Birdcage Seal had become. It was not a protection for the clan but a leash held by people who abused their power.
Previously it take several weeks for the new reverse seal or altered seal, to be sealed on each of the side branch
But now, they no longer had to pretend listening to the elders and clan leader.
Chiharu was among the first to step outside with her forehead uncovered, showing the clean foreheard while walking toward the elder who had arranged her unwanted engagement with an expression that made very clear she had something to say and no longer had any reason to hold it back.
Others followed behind her, until there is more than 20 people who followed her to the elders house.
Clan Leader Asahi already got the news about what just happened earlier and his face changed, without birdcage seal his position inside the Hyuga Clan would be threatened.
.....
There is 30 advanced chapter on my patreon.
Chapter 178: Moon
Chapter 179: Welcome
Chapter 180: They Are Not Hyuga
Chapter 181: Keep Calm, Blame Danzo
Chapter 182: Convincing
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