Chapter 47: Return to the Village
Conflict is sothing that can't be avoided in any world.
Unless every living and dead being becos emotionless—completely abandoning their feelings—there will never be a truly peaceful and eternal kingdom.
But that's impossible. Without emotions, you can't call yourself human.
So whether it's the ninja world, a country, or a village, internal strife is inevitable.
Whenever the population of a group reaches a certain size, and there's no flawless system to govern it, disputes start popping up.
The sa applies to the major clans in Konoha.
Whether it's the Hyuga, Uchiha, Akimichi, or others—once the clan grows in numbers and each mber has their own way of thinking, different voices are bound to erge. And over ti, those voices grow louder and more extre.
It's kind of like the Hundred Schools of Thought... though not nearly as noble.
Take the Hyuga clan for example.
Even within the branch family Ryosuke belonged to, things weren't peaceful.
Tensions between the main and branch families were always on edge, but it didn't stop there. The branch family itself was split into factions.
The main family was smaller in number, and their lineage passed down narrowly through generations, so not much happened on that end.
But the branch family?
They handled most of the clan's responsibilities in the village. And with their large numbers and a complex web of authority, things were ssy.
So mbers even held deep resentnt toward the main family.
They felt like caged birds—restricted, powerless—and though they couldn't challenge the main family openly, they resorted to underhanded thods to siphon off so of their power.
These radicals hid themselves well. The main family didn't have a list of nas, and it was nearly impossible to pinpoint who was loyal and who wasn't.
Then there were the conservatives—like Souji and Hoshicai—loyal to the core, accepting the fate laid out for them since birth, living to serve the main family.
And, of course, there were the neutrals.
They weren't exactly loyalists, but they weren't rebels either. Their priority wasn't the main family—it was the future of the Hyuga clan as a whole.
All these different views and motives clashed constantly, leaving the clan divided and fragile.
Making matters worse was the fact that Hinata—heir to the Hyuga clan—wasn't particularly impressive in the eyes of the branch family.
She lacked presence, lacked command.
Without a strong leader to unify them, the internal conflict only intensified...
---
It was around noon when Ryosuke and his companions finally returned to the village.
The clan in charge of gatekeeping that month was the Mitokado family—a small household in Konoha.
They started out as a regular ninja family, but after Homura rose to beco one of the Hokage's advisors, the family gained influence, beca a clan, and even claid so land for themselves.
A Chunin from the Mitokado clan greeted them at the gate.
After a quick identity check, he smiled warmly and let the three pass without issue.
The Hyuga clan's compound was located at the center of the village, quite a walk from the gate.
As Ryosuke walked down the familiar streets of Konoha, he listened to the shouts of street vendors, saw the cheerful faces of civilians, and couldn't help but feel a wave of peace and nostalgia.
Only after being away for a month did he realize... he'd grown attached to this village.
This place had beco his ho.
Konoha's energy hadn't changed. It was still as vibrant and peaceful as ever.
When they passed the food street, Ryosuke suddenly rembered sothing.
Shit. I forgot to bring Hinata a gift.
Well, maybe he could make it up to her with so food.
But then he realized—
She's probably still in school. If I buy sothing now, it'll be cold by the ti she's ho. Better to wait and pick her up, then take her out for a al.
With that, he slowed his pace a little and fell back into a calm rhythm.
About half an hour later, they finally arrived at the gates of the Hyuga compound.
From a distance, Ryosuke spotted Hyuga Hiashi, broom in hand, sweeping the entrance.
Or at least pretending to.
It was obvious he'd been waiting for them.
"I'm back," Ryosuke called out as they got closer.
Hiashi looked up, as if only now noticing their approach.
His face remained as stern and unreadable as always, but his sharp eyes imdiately scanned Ryosuke from head to toe, checking for injuries.
"I'm ho, Father," Ryosuke greeted with a small, awkward smile.
It wasn't as warm or familiar as usual.
To be honest, he didn't know how to respond.
He could feel the warmth in Hiashi's gaze—the subtle concern of a father figure.
And it shook him.
Pretending? That he could do. Faking affection, putting on a mask—he could handle that just fine.
But this wasn't fake.
And it caught him off guard.
He just... wasn't used to it.
After a long, quiet mont, Hiashi finally nodded in approval.
"You've grown," he said. "First ti out of the village, and it's clear you've matured."
Ryosuke smiled more naturally this ti. "Let's talk inside, Father."
This was the first ti Ryosuke felt genuine pressure from Hyuga Hiashi.
His gaze... it felt like years had passed, not just a month.
Honestly, Ryosuke wasn't great at emotional, family-style reunions like this.
Hiashi didn't overthink it. He gave a brief nod and finally turned his gaze to Souji and Hoshicai.
"Thank you both for your work on this mission."
Souji and Hoshicai quickly bowed, speaking with respect.
"It was our duty, Lord Hiashi. Master Ryosuke played the biggest role in the mission's success."
Hiashi's eyes lingered on them for a mont longer than necessary.
Noted.
He didn't say anything more. Instead, he turned and led them into the compound.
They made their way through the Hyuga clan's grounds toward the inner area where the main family resided.
As they walked, other clan mbers bowed politely to Hiashi, and their eyes lingered curiously on Ryosuke.
To most of them, he was a mystery.
He'd always kept a low profile.
Sure, his grades at the Academy were decent—upper-middle—but never top of the class.
Nothing about him scread "genius."
He wasn't like Neji, the prodigy of the clan.
So naturally, people assud he was just another diocre kid—just like Hinata.
So even thought Hiashi had made a mistake choosing him as Hinata's fiancé and future partner.
But neither Hiashi nor Ryosuke paid attention to the whispers.
Hiashi believed that with the cursed seal system in place, even if internal disputes existed, they wouldn't get out of hand.
Ryosuke?
He didn't care in the slightest.
He'd seen too many stories like this in his past life.
Let them talk.
Once he had the strength to make them shut up, they'd do just that.
No point worrying about background noise when the ending's already written.
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