"Sorry, I drank quite a bit last night with a crazy woman, and my head is still splitting. I'm late," Yan explained as he entered the private room.
"..."
Crazy woman? Could he be referring to the one in the Hokage's office?
"Cough cough, actually, I just arrived a little while ago, you're not late," Hiashi coughed unnaturally, quickly changing the subject.
When it came to sensitive topics involving the Hokage, Yan couldn't speak freely.
As the Hyuga Patriarch, he had to be composed:
"I'm disappointed in Hinata's behavior yesterday; it must have been embarrassing for you."
"How could it be? Hinata is very cute. It's just that the high-pressure education has made her somewhat introverted and shy, and she's also afraid of approaching strangers."
Poor little Hinata...
If she had been born into another family, she would have been an adorable and likable girl.
But as the Hyuga heiress, she had to bear the family's burdens and could only grow under continuous high-pressure education.
Hiashi cleaned the tea set and began to brew tea.
"Do you think I, as a father, am too harsh on Hinata?"
"From a father's perspective, a bit, yes. But from the standpoint of the clan, it's nothing unusual. I suppose other main family members also undergo this kind of education, right?"
Yan nodded slightly, offering a neutral evaluation. He didn't want to cast any aspersions on the Hyuga clan's situation.
Many outsiders view the Hyuga main family as a group of nobodies, living off the branch families, and even some within the branch families share this sentiment.
In truth, setting aside the issue of exploiting the branch family, the main family's education is indeed strict, not just for Hinata. All main family members receive a similar rigorous upbringing from a young age.
It's just that Hinata's temperament isn't quite suited for such strictness.
After hearing Yan's assessment, Hiashi remained silent, focusing on the tea set in his hands.
After the tea was ready, he poured it out slowly and added more water to continue brewing.
"By the way, congratulations on the Uchiha overcoming their difficulties. I never imagined your statements would become reality."
Looking back, it still feels surreal.
The Third Hokage has truly retired, and Tsunade has become the Fifth Hokage of the village.
And the Uchiha, having cleared up misunderstandings and with Yan gaining Tsunade's trust and attention, have escaped the mire they were stuck in.
With Fugaku making tough decisions for the clan, the Uchiha have changed completely.
The internal family feuds are gone and the village's misunderstandings, and the surveillance.
At first glance, they've become an object of envy for Hyuga Hiashi.
The Uchiha are free from the troubles of family factions, while the Hyuga are still deeply entangled.
The main and branch families are like a knot that can never be untied, fighting fiercely over interests and power every time.
The village's opposition and surveillance of the Uchiha are gone. Although the Hyuga clan isn't under surveillance, opposition is... inevitable.
Balancing the issues between the Hyuga main and branch families has always been a headache for successive Hokages.
And since it involves the core of the Hyuga family's heritage, they certainly wouldn't allow the village to meddle.
On the village's side, they don't want to see Hyuga clan members needing to report back home before they can be mobilized.
"It's just that the Uchiha have been luckier, encountering a series of events that allowed them to walk away from the cliff's edge."
Yan's response was casual and dismissive, and Hiashi knew that the Uchiha didn't want to dwell on this topic.
Digging too deep might lead to suspicions of the Uchiha betraying village secrets.
In fact, there were many who doubted.
If it weren't for the Uchiha's lack of access to these core secrets.
The blame would have already been laid at the Uchiha's feet.
"You didn't summon me just for tea, right?"
Yan hinted to Hyuga Hiashi to get to the point quickly. Sitting around aimlessly and beating around the bush was truly uninteresting.
Small talk?
Yan didn't believe Fugaku would be so idle as to seek him out for a chat.
Such conversations should be reserved for peers, not for an outsider like him, sitting here bored and daydreaming.
The possibility of cooperation is slim, as the premise of cooperation is mutual benefit.
The current Uchiha have already emerged from the whirlpool and have no intention of collaborating with the Hyuga clan.
Hiashi slowly brewed tea, answering a question that was not asked:
"I've always been curious, as has the entire Hyuga clan, about what the Fifth Hokage's stance is towards ninja families."
Yan smiled and speaking truthfully:
"For families who make mistakes, punishment is inevitable. Soon, a group of family ninjas will be sent to guard the borders, paying the price for their mistakes.
They will guard the border for an entire year without leave, and during this time, there will be no salary or compensation."
A group of family ninjas!
This group of family ninjas, without needing to ask, is undoubtedly related to the Shimura, Sarutobi, and other families.
Only they are worth Tsunade's serious attention.
Aside from them, other ninja families in the village haven't made any major mistakes.
"As for those who made no mistake, things will stay as they are for now. As for the future, it's unclear, after all, I'm just an advisor to the Hokage, and there are some core secrets I'm not privy to."
Tsunade is too busy to worry about the Hyuga clan's troubles.
The issues of the Hyuga clan will have to wait until the village is stable before they can be addressed.
Yan has always said that the problems of the Hyuga clan, no matter who the Hokage is, will be addressed.
The difference lies in the character, which leads to different methods being used.
It could be a soft approach to change.
It could be a hard stance against.
"You should be prepared mentally, after all, the issue of the main and branch families of the Hyuga clan is something the village has always wanted to resolve, and it's something that will have to be faced sooner or later."
"Does it have to change?"
Hiashi's hand trembled slightly, but he quickly calmed down.
"At the moment, the likelihood is high," Yan nodded slightly:
"Everything the Hyuga clan does is for the sake of family succession, and the starting point is good. However, some strict clan rules conflict with the stability of the village."
"No matter who becomes Hokage, it's intolerable to mobilize the Hyuga clan's ninjas without the permission of the main family."
"This makes people feel that the Hyuga clan's rules are above the Hokage."
"As for the issues between the main and branch families, to be honest, as long as both sides are stable, no one would want to risk offending the Hyuga clan to trouble you, including the Fifth."
The situation of the Hyuga clan can improve, but how it improves is up to you, Hyuga Hiashi.
After all, this is an internal matter for your family, and outsiders can't meddle.
How the main house exploits, how miserable the branch house lives, these are also the family affairs of the Hyuga clan, and even the Hokage shouldn't interfere.
The premise is that any issues between the main and branch houses can be resolved properly; there must be no fuss, no incidents.
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