A Sage's Pursuit of Power

In the later stages of the storyline, the Hyūga Clan didn't have much presence, aside from Neji's death scene. Aoba had little memory of their contributions in the latter parts of the narrative.

However, now living in the ninja world, Aoba realized he couldn't ignore the Hyūga Clan.

In fact, the Hyūga Clan was a critical component of his future plans.

That evening, Hiashi Hyūga hosted a family dinner for Aoba. Knowing that Aoba disliked grand banquets, Hiashi had opted for small, intimate gatherings for his invitations.

At present, the Hyūga Clan's position in Konoha had become increasingly awkward.

The Hyūga Clan's pride lay in the Byakugan's scouting capabilities. Even Aoba admitted that this ability had greater battlefield value than the Sharingan.

However, due to advancements from the Research Institute, Konoha had begun assembling a new sensory unit.

While ordinary sensory ninjas couldn't compare to the Byakugan, those equipped with the Chakra Cloak could bypass chakra consumption limits and maintain their sensory techniques indefinitely. Although not on par with the Byakugan, their abilities were not far behind.

Aoba's efforts to weaken the influence of the ninja clans were not just rhetoric.

Many of the Research Institute's breakthroughs were directly aimed at replacing the secret techniques of the clans.

The longevity of ninja clans stemmed from the irreplaceable effects of their unique techniques such as the Byakugan for scouting, the Inuzuka Clan's tracking nin-dogs, and the Yamanaka Clan's mind transfer techniques.

The Research Institute's first priority was to develop alternatives to these techniques that could be used by ordinary ninjas.

Hiashi, as a Hokage advisor, had access to most of this information and understood Konoha's current policies.

To Hiashi, it was clear that Aoba's efforts, though seemingly dormant, were steadily undermining the foundation of the clans.

If their secret techniques were successfully replaced with more accessible methods, the clans' status would naturally be greatly diminished and could eventually fade from history.

"Aoba, you and I have known each other for a long time. My Hyūga Clan is at a turning point, and I need your... help. What path should the Hyūga take?"

From the original storyline, it was evident that Hiashi wasn't a visionary leader. In clans like the Hyūga, individuals with grand ambitions rarely became leaders. What they wanted was a conservative like Hiashi.

But now, faced with the current situation, Hiashi recognized his limitations and had sought Aoba's advice multiple times.

In the past, it was just advice. But this time, he was asking for help.

"Have you thought this through, Hiashi? If I intervene in the Hyūga Clan's affairs, many things will be beyond your control."

"Heh, you might not believe it, but the clan is already beginning to spiral out of control. Konoha's reforms have significantly weakened our family's interests. Some voices within the clan are suggesting we leave Konoha for another village to preserve our status."

Aoba's expression turned serious. What Hiashi said might sound casual, but to Aoba, as a Konoha high-ranking official, this was a clear sign of potential rebellion. This was no trivial matter.

It seemed Hiashi truly had limited control over the clan's current situation.

"The Hyūga Clan's biggest problem is well-known to everyone. What I need to know is, are you ready, Hiashi?"

"...Are you saying you can solve the Caged Bird Seal?"

"Not yet, but with the current technical reserves of the Research Institute, it's not impossible to resolve the issue."

The Caged Bird Seal, at its core, was just a form of sealing technique. Even if it involved the soul, as some speculated in Aoba's previous life, the Research Institute had already made significant strides in the study of souls. Resolving a centuries-old sealing technique wasn't as difficult as imagined.

In the original storyline, the Caged Bird Seal remained unsolved because Konoha had no reason to concentrate resources on resolving it.

Now, Hiashi's request gave Konoha a legitimate reason to intervene in the Hyūga Clan's affairs.

Of course, this was also the result of Aoba's years of subtle pressure.

He had long wanted to dismantle the Hyūga Clan's oppressive traditions. Hiashi's request now gave him the official justification to step in.

"What do you need me to do?"

"First, all Hyūga children must no longer be marked with the Caged Bird Seal. Second, I need you to provide me with all the information on the seal."

"No problem."

"And one more thing: keep the clan's internal situation under control for now. Don't let anything chaotic happen."

Aoba already had enough on his plate. While the Hyūga Clan's Caged Bird Seal was important to his own goals and worth focusing on, he had no desire to deal with their internal disputes.

Hiashi understood this and assured Aoba that he could suppress dissent for the time being.

"Good. That leaves just one last matter. I need Hanabi's cooperation for my research."

Hanabi was perhaps the Hyūga Clan member with the purest Byakugan in the current generation, possibly even surpassing Hinata.

However, this didn't mean her overall potential was greater than Hinata's. Hinata's talents were more subdued, or perhaps hidden.

Her personality made her appear weaker, but Aoba saw great promise in her. If she could overcome her personality flaws, or perhaps beat Naruto to a pulp, this girl could unleash an incredible amount of energy.

Moreover, in the Naruto movie, Toneri Otsutsuki's decision to abduct Hinata and attempt to marry her was also quite peculiar.

Toneri followed some so-called ancestral will to destroy the world left by the Sage of Six Paths.

This was one of the reasons Aoba was so interested in the Hyūga Clan, particularly in Hinata.

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Currently on Chapter 306 - The Last Resort