211 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

"Hiashi," Akira's voice turned cold as his sharp gaze fixed on Hyuga Hiashi. He spoke in a deep, commanding tone: "There's no denying that the Caged Bird Seal has objectively protected the Byakugan from being leaked. But ask yourself, has the Caged Bird Seal only served to protect the Byakugan?"

"If it's truly about protecting the Byakugan, then why does the Main House hold the ability to control the life and death of the Branch House through the Caged Bird Seal? No matter how you spin it, that doesn't make sense! The fact that the Caged Bird Seal allows the Main House to control the Branch House means one thing: the Branch House has been reduced to slaves under your Main House." Akira declared decisively.

Hyuga Hiashi opened his mouth to respond but found himself speechless. Everything Akira said was true.

No matter how beautifully they tried to justify it, within the Hyuga clan, the Branch House was always subservient to the Main House—always.

From a heritage perspective, certain jutsu, such as the Main House's exclusive Rotation, were forbidden to the Branch House.

From a status perspective, even his own younger brother was required to show him absolute deference, bowing and scraping in submission when necessary.

In truth, calling them a "Branch House" was putting it mildly—they were, effectively, slaves. Their lives and deaths were entirely at the mercy of the Main House's whims.

Staring directly at Hiashi, Akira spoke with icy determination: "Hiashi, don't forget that this isn't just an internal matter for the Hyuga clan. Members of the Branch House are also shinobi of Konoha—they are a part of this village. Turning your comrades into slaves is something I will not tolerate, regardless of what the previous Hokage thought!"

"But, Lord Hokage, this is a tradition the Hyuga clan has upheld for thousands of years. You can't just—" Hiashi began, only for Akira to cut him off sharply.

"This is not a discussion—it's an order. Your clan's responsibility is simply to comply." Akira's voice was as cold as steel.

At some point, his once-dark eyes had turned a blood-red hue, with spinning tomoe radiating a pressure so palpable it felt tangible. Staring directly into Hiashi's eyes, he continued:

"Hiashi, if you don't act, I will act in your stead as the Hokage. Consider the consequences carefully."

Hiashi's mouth went dry. Akira's words shattered his expectations, the Third Hokage had never shown interest in interfering with the Hyuga clan's internal matters.

But now, Akira had thrown everything into disarray. Hiashi was wholly unprepared for this confrontation—he had never even considered such a possibility.

Beside him, Hyuga Kaori's face lit up with unrestrained joy. For her, this was the most wonderful moment of her life.

In her heart, Akira's status skyrocketed to a level that even her own parents couldn't match. To her, Uchiha Akira was like a second father—one who had given her a new lease on life.

After a long silence, Hiashi hesitantly asked, "Lord Hokage, if we abolish the Caged Bird Seal, what will happen if the Byakugan ends up in enemy hands?"

Akira sneered.

"Hiashi, soon there will be no other enemy villages. Before long, the entire shinobi world will be unified under Konoha."

Hiashi swallowed nervously, feeling as though the air around him had grown heavier.

"Besides, if the Byakugan gets stolen, it gets stolen. There's no need to be overly anxious about it," Akira added casually.

Hiashi hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Understood, Lord Hokage. However, even within the Hyuga clan, we don't currently have a method to undo the Caged Bird Seal. Once I return, I'll provide you with the seal formula for your research."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Hiashi felt a weight lift from his shoulders—like a burden he had carried for years had finally been set down.

Akira nodded. "Hand over the formula, and I'll have the Sealing Team study it. If it's a seal, it can be undone. Even the Six Paths' Chibaku Tensei was unraveled—what's a mere Caged Bird Seal in comparison?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage." Hiashi bowed his head, then added, "If there's nothing else, I'll return to the Hyuga compound to announce this and prepare the seal formula."

"Not so fast. There's one more thing," Akira said.

Hiashi straightened. "Please, Lord Hokage, give your instructions."

"Have you heard of the Tenseigan?" Akira asked.

"The Tenseigan?" Hiashi repeated, confusion flashing across his face.

Since Akira mentioned it, it clearly had ties to the Hyuga clan. Yet, as the clan head, he was well-versed in its history and texts, and there had never been any mention of such a dojutsu.

"I'm sorry, Lord Hokage. I've never heard of the Tenseigan," Hiashi replied, shaking his head.

Akira nodded. "Does your clan keep a stockpile of Byakugan?"

Hiashi's face darkened at the question. After a long pause, he admitted, "Yes, Lord Hokage. We do keep a small reserve for emergencies."

"How many?" Akira asked.

Hiashi sighed, resigned. "Not many. Some have been used over the years. We only have ten pairs left."

"Ten pairs? That's far too few," Akira muttered, shaking his head.

Summoning his courage, Hiashi asked, "Lord Hokage, does the Byakugan have something to do with the Tenseigan?"

"It does," Akira said. "To create a Tenseigan, you need to fuse a large number of Byakugan. The Tenseigan is on the same level as the Rinnegan. Those who've stolen your clan's Byakugan are doing so to awaken it."

Hiashi's face turned pale, and his voice trembled.

"Then... could it be that our eyes were used to create a Tenseigan?"

Akira nodded. "That's correct."

Hiashi felt a cold chill run through him. If those who had taken the Byakugan were connected to the Hyuga clan, they likely understood the dojutsu better than anyone.

'If my clan could also obtain a Tenseigan...' The thought burned in his mind like a wildfire, impossible to extinguish.

Finally, Hiashi mustered his resolve and asked, "Lord Hokage, if I may ask—how many Byakugan are needed to create a Tenseigan?"

Akira thought for a moment before replying, "If you gathered every Byakugan in your clan, it would be just enough."

Then, with a shrug, he added, "But with the Caged Bird Seal in place, that's just a pipe dream."

Hiashi let out a bitter laugh. In a way, the seal they had relied on for so long had become their greatest obstacle.