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Miles away from Konoha, where the mountain peaks embrace the clouds in the Hidden Cloud Village, Kumogakure, the atmosphere was no less boisterous or astonished inside the Art Store there.
In the place where Kumo's high-ranking figures usually sat, the Third Raikage, A, sat with his massive, mountain-like body, holding the manga volume between his thick fingers as if he were holding a precious scroll of enemy secrets.
The silence in the place was heavy, interrupted only by the sound of turning pages and the distant rumble of thunder that characterized the village's atmosphere.
The Third Raikage, who always had his eye on Konoha's power, specifically the Hyuga clan's Byakugan, exhaled a hot breath as he read about the 'Main House and Branch House' system.
"So, this is the secret they hide behind those cold white eyes…" the Third Raikage muttered in a hoarse voice like the roar of thunder.
"A class system that turns half the clan into loyal guards and the other into absolute masters. Konoha always boasts slogans of peace and connection, but its guts are steeped in cruelty."
Beside him, his son A, destined to be the future Fourth Raikage, struck the wooden table with his fist, a table that was completely unfazed by the force of his punch. His eyes burned with a spark of both disdain and interest.
"The Branch House… this Neji possesses good strength for his age, yet he is treated as a servant? This is nonsense! In Kumogakure, strength is the only criterion that determines a man's status. To bind a talented person like this with outdated traditions is a waste of potential!"
In the same place, Killer B was shaking his head to a strange rhythm, but his tone lacked its usual cheerfulness as he improvised some lyrics:
"White eyes.. and black hearts..
The Main House system.. brings the tears to start..
Yo, this injustice has no cure, for sure..
Neji fights.. and oppression is the cloak he wore.. Bakayaro.. Konoyaro!"
Everyone who heard him rapping those lines felt a sudden urge to slap him; this decent poem had been defiled by such a terrible singing style!
That was what most readers thought, before quickly diving back into the events of the fierce battle between Neji and Hinata.
Dodai, the Raikage's loyal assistant and strategic mastermind, watched the scene with a colder, more analytical gaze.
He adjusted his single lens while staring at the drawing depicting the confrontation between Hinata and Neji.
"Raikage-sama, this revelation changes many of our calculations. We have long tried to obtain the Byakugan, but we did not know the clan was divided from within like this. This hatred held by the Branch House is a loophole…"
"A loophole that can be exploited in the future. If the Branch House feels oppressed, their loyalty to Konoha might not be as solid as we imagine."
"No, this system is not applied currently. If there were something of this sort, we would have surely heard of it… but given that Masanori has twin heirs at the moment, perhaps it will be applied soon… or…"
"Or what!?"
"It might not be applied at all, and this revelation in the manga will change the future entirely."
…
Back in Konohagakure, specifically in the Art Store, breaths were held and eyes were glued to the pages that began to depict the first moments of the confrontation.
The physical fight had not yet begun, but Neji had already started his psychological warfare, a war that was harsher than any physical blow.
[— Manga Scene —]
"Before we begin the fight."
"I would like to say something, Hinata-sama." Neji looked calmly at Hinata before saying that.
"...?"
"Withdraw now."
"You are not a good ninja!"
"…!" His words left Hinata speechless.
"You are too gentle.."
"You desire harmony and to avoid trouble…"
"You agreed with others and did not resist."
"...…"
"And.. you lack confidence in yourself… I always feel your sense toward the lower class..." He continued in his usual calm manner.
"And since the Chunin Exams is in three-man teams…"
"You couldn't refuse the request of your teammates… and you entered the exam without a desire of your own; this is the truth."
"That's why I think you should remain a Genin.."
"Am I wrong?" His question was more of an assertion, and he expected no denial from Hinata.
"N-no.. you're wrong… I …"
"I just want…"
"To change myself…"
"And to do it on my own.." But her denial, despite her stuttering, was surprising to him.
[— End Scene —]
In the Hyuga corner of the store, the silence was heavy and somewhat gloomy.
Neji's words were not just simple dialogue in a manga; they were a mirror reflecting a cruelty that the current generation of the clan had not yet grasped.
Masanori Hyuga, who was watching the scene with the veins on his forehead bulging, felt a stab to his pride.
"This boy… Neji… he isn't just analyzing Hinata's character; he is pouring generations of marginalization's anger into every word."
Hiashi, who saw in Hinata a reflection of his future daughter, felt a tight constriction in his chest.
"How can he say that? She is trying so hard!"
"Stop that and fight…"
As for Hizashi, he was trembling in silence.
Seeing Neji with such coldness and disdain toward a member of his clan, crushing his cousin's spirit before her body, made him feel a deep fear of the future that awaited them.
…
Away from the Hyuga corner, Kurenai Yuhi, still a six-year-old child watching her counterpart who is a Jonin and Hinata's sensei, stared at the pages with eyes filled with sadness.
"Hinata… don't listen to him…" Kurenai whispered, feeling a strange bond growing toward this girl she hadn't met yet. (Or in other words, who hadn't been born yet.)
Beside her, her father, Shinko Yuhi, placed his hand on her shoulder calmly.
"Kurenai, look closely. Neji isn't just a bully; he is a victim of a system much older than him. But Hinata… her last response shows she possesses something he doesn't: the desire for change. She is more composed than she appears."
"I look forward to seeing how she will fight such an enemy…"
"Me too, dad… but I fear she will lose badly."
…
In another part of the store, Kakashi was reading with focus, while his father Sakumo, the White Fang of Konoha, watched him with a look full of wisdom and curiosity toward the future.
"Kakashi, do you see?" Sakumo asked in a low voice.
"Neji believes that fate is predetermined, but Naruto, who encouraged her just now, represents the exact opposite. This conflict is the essence of what it means to be a shinobi."
"I see…" Kakashi nodded, remembering his father's words about protecting comrades and going beyond the rules.
"I understand, Dad…"
…
As for Might Dai, the eternal Genin of Konoha, he was shedding tears profusely as he read Hinata's words about her desire to change herself.
"This is youth! This is the power of will!" Dai shouted, while his son Might Gai imitated him enthusiastically, his eyes also burning with tears.
"Dad! Hinata-chan has the flame of youth inside her! She doesn't give up!" Dai hugged his son tightly, "Yes, Gai! It doesn't matter what others say about your fate, as long as you have the strength to say 'I will change'!"
The atmosphere in the store was charged with a mix of anger toward Neji, deep sympathy for Hinata, and anticipation for what would happen after this "gentle" girl, as Neji described her, dared to oppose the words of the genius who was trying to break her.
Everyone was waiting for the moment when words would turn into actions, and the moment when the Byakugan would begin to reveal the truth on the battlefield.
In the following pages of the subsequent chapters, everyone felt a dry throat due to the magnificence of the battle between the Hyuga heirs!
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 176: Toxic Words
Chapter 177: Resilience in the Face of the Storm!
Chapter 178: Gentle Fist!
Chapter 179: That's My Ninja Way Too!
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