The Council chamber lay silent behind them, still reeling from the storm that was Sarutobi Hiruzen and Iruka Umino.
Now, within the Hokage's office, the air was heavier—not with tension, but with truth long overdue.
Hiashi Hyuga stood before the desk, spine straight, hands clasped behind his back, expression unreadable. Iruka stood to the side, arms folded, gaze steady.
The old Hokage didn't waste a breath.
"Hiashi," he said, voice calm but cutting. "Why is the Caged Bird Seal still used in your clan?"
Hiashi didn't blink. "It is for the protection of the Byakugan, Hokage-sama. A tradition—"
CRACK.
Hiruzen's hand slammed onto the desk. The impact echoed like a firework in the still room. Even Hiashi flinched.
"Tradition," Hiruzen said, his voice edged with steel. "Do not insult me. Does anyone ever take the eyes of your Main Branch? Or is it only the Branch House that suffers under this 'protection'?"
Hiashi's jaw tightened, his gaze flickering—but he said nothing.
Iruka stepped forward. His voice wasn't angry. It was surgical.
"Your clan possesses a dojutsu that sees the chakra network itself. With proper training, you could revolutionize medical ninjutsu, sealing techniques, and coordination on the battlefield. You could develop sight-based Genjutsu detection protocols, chakra thread manipulation, and more. But instead, you shackle half your clan… and reduce the rest to elite taijutsu brawlers."
Hiashi frowned. "That is our strength."
"No," Iruka replied. "That's your comfort zone."
He took a step closer, each word landing with deliberate weight.
"You've stagnated. Tell me—has anyone in your clan surpassed your strength in the last decade? Is there a Hyuga more feared than you? Any jonin who innovated your techniques? Is there anyone who broke the mold?"
Hiashi didn't answer. He didn't need to.
The silence screamed the truth.
Hiruzen leaned back, eyes like granite. "You've become a relic," he said. "Hiding behind outdated doctrine and false superiority."
Then his voice sharpened, honed like a blade.
"I want the seal removed. It hinders potential. It breeds resentment. You have one week to present a plan to end it—safely, permanently, and without compromise."
Hiashi's fists clenched at his sides. "You would force this upon us?"
"I would save your clan from the fate of the Uchiha," Hiruzen said coldly. "Your pride is their echo, Hiashi. Let it go… before it destroys you too."
Hiashi's eyes darkened, but he bowed his head slightly. "I understand."
"Good," Hiruzen replied. "You're dismissed."
Hiashi turned on his heel and walked stiffly toward the door. As his hand touched the knob, Iruka's voice stopped him—calm, firm, resolute:
"You want to protect your clan? Start by unchaining it."
As the door closed, silence returned. But this silence felt different—focused. It carried weight.
Hiruzen stood slowly. His shoulders no longer slumped with age, but squared with renewed purpose.
He turned to Iruka, his voice filled with resolve:
"Iruka. Take a team and strike the Root base. Cut it out of this village like the tumor it is."
Before Iruka could respond, another voice spoke—cool, casual, and unwavering.
"You won't need a full team," said Kakashi, stepping out from the shadows, adjusting his mask. "Guy and I are enough."
Beside him, Might Guy struck a dramatic pose, his teeth gleaming like a second sun.
"Youth will light the darkness beneath this village!" he declared, muscles flexing under the weight of his words.
Iruka smirked faintly. "Then I'll leave the grand entrance to you."
"Leave it?" Guy gasped, eyes wide. "You'll join it!"
Hiruzen allowed a brief exhale—a fleeting crack in the wall of his focus. Then he turned, sharp again.
"Inoichi. Shikaku. Choza."
The Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clan heads straightened, alert.
"You three," Hiruzen said, "go through everything Koharu and Homura have touched. Every budget, every mission, every document. If their hands are clean, good. If not…"
His voice dropped to a quiet, lethal tone.
"…burn it all down."
Shikaku gave a low whistle. "Didn't think I'd ever hear that from you."
"I was asleep," Hiruzen said. "I'm awake now."
Choza nodded. "Then it's time to clean house."
Inoichi's voice was colder than usual. "We'll make sure Fu stays gagged while we work. No more slithering through shadows."
The old Hokage's eyes drifted to the stack of Root reports on his desk—red-sealed, bloodstained documents that stank of rot.
"This village festered from within. We looked away. No more."
Iruka's gaze hardened. "We'll hit them fast. Kakashi, Guy—we'll need a chakra suppression barrier in place as we breach."
"We've got it covered," Kakashi said with a nod. "I've been mapping the underground tunnels. I know where they sleep."
Guy punched his palm, eyes blazing. "And we know how to wake them."
Hiruzen reached into his drawer and pulled out a scroll—sealed with the Hokage's personal crest.
"Take this. Authorization for lethal force. No hesitation. Root is not above Konoha."
Iruka took it and tucked it away. "Understood."
Hiruzen looked at them all—each a symbol of a different generation.
"Konoha has rotted from the inside out. No more secrets. No more shadows."
His voice was calm, but thunder lived beneath it.
"Cleanse this village."
Elsewhere, just outside the Hyuga compound…
Neji Hyuga sat alone atop the tiled rooftop, gazing up at the night sky.
The stars shimmered dimly through the clouds, but his eyes weren't focused on them. He had seen Hiashi return—tense, brooding, silent. He had heard the murmurs. Something had changed. Something big.
And for the first time in his life… he wasn't sure what came next.
Beneath him, two Branch House elders whispered. He could barely catch the words—"orders… one week… seal"—but they were enough to light a fire in his gut.
He didn't know what exactly had happened behind the Hokage's doors.
But something had cracked.
The chains were still there.
Yet for the first time… he had heard them groan.
And that sound?
That sound was hope.
To be continued....