Having obtained Orochimaru’s promise, Inaba Hyuga didn’t bother returning to the clan’s quarters and simply settled down in the town.
He was tired and only wanted to rest properly.
Unfortunately, the tree wished for quiet, but the wind would not subside.
When one was tangled in too many karmic ties, finding peace was no easy task.
Not long after returning to his lodging, Inaba heard the sound of shinobi landing outside his front door.
“Inaba Hyuga, are you in there?” Hearing the knocking and call, Inaba had no choice but to go open the door.
This time, it wasn’t Root at his doorstep, but his clan members—several members of the Hyuga Branch House.
The moment he opened the door, one of them pushed past him into the room.
Without taking off his shoes, he walked straight inside, looking around in all directions, acting as if he owned the place.
“Inaba, why are you staying here?
Why didn’t you return to the clan quarters?
Also, so many days have passed—why haven’t you gone to pay your respects to Young Master Gyoketsu?” Inaba frowned, though he held back his temper.
The information in the man’s words caught him slightly off guard.
“Young Master…
Gyoketsu?” Inaba asked back, surprised.
He had some recollection of the name Gyoketsu Hyuga.
He was a young Branch House shinobi of the same age.
In his memories, the two had been classmates back at the Ninja Academy.
Gyoketsu had been more flamboyant than him, and his official ninja rank had risen faster.
At just seventeen years old, he had already been promoted to Jonin, earning quite a bit of fame in the village.
Yet no matter how famous he was, Gyoketsu was still just a Branch House member.
On what grounds did a Branch House member call himself “Young Master”?
However, this question immediately triggered an aggressive response from the Hyuga clan members who had barged in.
“What kind of tone is that?!
Inaba, could it be that you harbor dissatisfaction toward Young Master Gyoketsu, who was just appointed to fill the position of Head House elder?!
Mind your status!” Appointed to fill the position?
That phrase instantly made everything click for Inaba.
He understood what was going on— Within the Hyuga Clan, the Head House system was strictly enforced.
There were always exactly six Head House members: one clan leader and five elders.
These six spots would never increase; even the clan leader could only pass the Head House position to a single heir per generation.
Correspondingly, these six spots would never decrease either.
If a Head House member died unexpectedly before leaving an heir, a direct relative would immediately be promoted to fill the vacancy, ensuring the number of Head House members never withered.
Inaba now remembered—Gyoketsu Hyuga’s older brother was precisely that Head House young master who had staked his shinobi career to rush forward and throw his life away not long ago.
Gyoketsu’s brother had died at nineteen, before he could leave behind an heir.
Thus, the Head House seat had fortuitously fallen onto Gyoketsu’s head.
Once he understood, Inaba let out a bitter smile.
Seeing the corners of his mouth lift, the henchmen who had entered were about to blow up again.
Inaba didn’t bother listening to them and cut them off by asking, “Demanding that I pay my respects—is that Gyoketsu Hyuga’s own idea, or yours?” “Bold!
How dare you address a Head House young master directly by his name?!” “Presumptuous!
Know your place!” “Young Master Gyoketsu remembered old times and has tolerated your rudeness for days!
Instead of being grateful, you dare speak so recklessly?!” At this point, there was no need for them to answer; Inaba already understood.
He didn’t argue or bother debating.
He just suddenly felt a wave of powerlessness, accompanied by bursts of nausea.
It wasn’t that he envied Gyoketsu for suddenly becoming a member of the Head House.
Rather, it was because in the memories he had inherited upon transmigrating, Gyoketsu Hyuga had always been a staunch anti-Head House advocate!
In his memory, Gyoketsu had been just like Neji in the story—hardworking, proud, yet filled with reluctance and resentment.
He had hated the Head House system and their arrogant demeanor so deeply.
Back at the Ninja Academy, the sentence he said to Inaba most often was: *Those Head House bastards are just a bunch of freeloading trash!
The clan head is trash!
The elders are all trash!* Yet who could have thought that the day he was promoted into the Head House himself, his actions wouldn’t be any better than those “trash” he used to curse?
From the attitudes of these henchmen, Inaba could already picture Gyoketsu’s overbearing, smug face over the past few days.
So the legend of the dragon slayer becoming the dragon was true.
This clan was disgusting to him, just as it had always been.
“I see.
I’ll pay my respects when I have time.” Inaba dismissed the henchmen with an extremely perfunctory, “maybe next time” response.
The Branch House members wanted to fly into another rage.
Unexpectedly, at that very moment, an uninvited guest appeared at the door.
An Anbu member wearing an animal mask suddenly flickered into existence at the entrance of Inaba’s lodging, leaving all the Branch House henchmen stunned.
“Anbu?” “Why is Anbu here?
What happened?” They looked at the cold, somber Anbu ninja at the door, then back at Inaba, who stood calmly inside, completely unable to grasp the situation.
Ordinary shinobi in the village rarely had the chance to meet Anbu face-to-face.
Out of awe and apprehension toward the Hokage’s direct squad, the Branch House henchmen temporarily set aside their denunciation of Inaba.
“Remember what you said.
Don’t forget that you are still a Branch House member!” Throwing down a parting threat, the group hastily retreated.
The sight left Inaba amused.
Who would have thought that carrying so many buffs would have such benefits?
Right now, there were too many people looking to cause trouble for him.
If more came in the future, they might actually have to line up.
Amusing.
As for the routine questioning from Anbu, he wasn’t worried at all.
He knew full well that no matter what he answered, it wouldn’t quell Hiruzen Sarutobi’s anger, nor did he care whether Inaba had actually done anything.
He couldn’t conjure up a replacement son for Hiruzen Sarutobi, so this predicament was unsolvable from the very beginning.
Thus, it didn’t matter how he responded.
He couldn’t return to his clan, and the Hokage’s anger wouldn’t abate.
That night, after dealing with the Anbu, Inaba lay in bed, thinking helplessly: *Maybe I should go urge Orochimaru again tomorrow?
Sigh…
I just want to quietly lie low until the finale.
Why is it so hard…?* The night passed without further incident.
The next morning, Inaba woke up to good news.
Without him needing to urge anyone, Orochimaru took the initiative to send someone to notify him.
The messenger led him to an open space at the edge of the town, which had been converted into a temporary training ground for the shinobi.
Three people were waiting early at the edge of the field.
A cool, aloof young man with short hair and a sword strapped to his back; a middle-aged man with his hands tucked into his sleeves and a senbon dangling from his mouth; and a small lolita who looked to be about ten years old.
As soon as Inaba arrived, the small lolita spoke up in a crisp voice: “What took you so long?
Is this our new teammate?
A Hyuga?
He looks pretty average.” Her tone was unfriendly, but her words neatly answered Inaba’s question.
Just as he was about to ask who these people were, she revealed her identity.
So they were his new teammates.
At the same time, inspired by this, he quickly realized who the little girl was— Unsurprisingly, this should be Anko Mitarashi, Orochimaru’s newly recruited personal disciple.