On Rengoku's side, he followed Elder Takashi to inspect the Ninja Academy.
The Ninja Academy had similarly contained the impact of the explosive talisman detonation. The rooftops of two teaching buildings had been blown off.
"Elder Rengoku, although I don't know what your intentions are, there's very little that we on the Academy's side need to do," Takashi spoke as he led Rengoku inside, "Whether it's the teaching materials, they're all fixed by the Hokage."
"As for the teachers, they're also directly appointed by the Hokage, we can't really manage anything."
At this moment, some ninjas were already tidying and organizing the school.
The damage to the school wasn't severe, and these ninjas repaired things very quickly.
It would take about two days to resume classes.
Takashi, as the principal, headed further inside, but even when people saw him, they didn't call him principal.
They just referred to him as Elder Takashi.
Which meant this principal really had no presence.
Rengoku followed Takashi into the office. This was the place where various teachers and the principal rested.
There was a sofa and a desk in the room, pretty similar to the offices from Rengoku's original world.
Takashi had a desk, but he didn't come here often.
Sitting on the sofa was a person.
Iruka.
He had become Naruto's teacher, which was naturally arranged by the Third Hokage.
After all, to raise Naruto into what he wanted, the teacher role needed someone suitable.
Iruka's parents had actually been killed by the Nine-Tails.
Right now, he also held hostility toward Naruto, but over time,
Iruka would gradually realize that Naruto was also a victim.
Although he was one of those monitoring Naruto, later on he would sincerely treat Naruto well.
"Principal, how come you have time to come here?"
After losing his parents, Iruka had gotten used to living at the school most of the time.
Even he hadn't seen Elder Takashi for a long time, showing that Takashi really didn't come much.
———
While Konoha was holding meetings.
Hyuga Sota, who had already been busy for a whole night plus the morning, returned to the branch family compound.
As he passed by Koshin's room, he noticed that people from the main house had come.
They were Hyuga Hiden and Hyuga Kenichi, and they were rummaging through everything in the room.
It didn't look like an investigation, more like looting.
"Sota, come in!"
Kenichi, after searching for a while and finding nothing of value, saw Sota enter and directly gestured for him to come in.
Sota expressionlessly walked to the doorway, "Kenichi, what do you want?"
Kenichi casually flipped through the books in his hand, "Where did Koshin usually go?"
Sota looked at the mess in the room without much reaction, just coldly said, "Koshin was usually in this room or at the training ground."
Kenichi furrowed his brows, "Who among the clansmen was he close to?"
Sota's mouth twitched slightly, "He was our branch family elder, naturally he was close to all the branch family members."
Seeing Sota's indifferent attitude, Kenichi got furious, "This is your attitude toward the main house?"
But Sota just sneered, turned around, and left.
"Damn it!", Kenichi's eyes burned with rage.
Hyuga Hiden beside him reached out to stop Kenichi. His eyes narrowed slightly, "Don't be impulsive."
Kenichi smacked away Hiden's hand, "He's just a branch family member, why are you stopping me?"
Hyuga Hiden said, "Did you forget what happened after the death of the branch family's Hizashi? It's a sensitive time now, don't stir up trouble."
Kenichi curled his lips, "Just a bunch of branch family trash."
Even though he said that, Kenichi didn't continue.
He looked around the room, "Let's go. There really isn't any valuable intel in Koshin's room. We'll go report to the elders."
Hyuga Sota returned to his own home.
Only now did the physical and mental fatigue crash down on him like a tide.
He took his change of clothes and went to the bathroom to take a bath.
After turning on the water in the tub, Sota leaned against the side.
There was a trace of emptiness and confusion in his expression.
The Hyuga branch family had erupted in rebellion years ago after Hizashi's death, resulting in many deaths.
Afterward, when the branch family adopted a non-resistance policy, though the main family no longer imposed harsh control, the branch family no longer had a backbone.
It wasn't until Koshin was appointed elder that everyone stopped feeling so lost.
'But now, Lord Koshin is dead.'
'He didn't even leave a single word behind.'
'Does the branch family… still have hope?'
Splash!
The sound of water echoed. It turned out the water had overflowed from the tub while Sota was zoning out.
Sota came back to his senses and suddenly noticed a pouch floating on top of the tub.
He was startled and quickly pulled the pouch out.
The mark on the pouch was Lord Koshin's.
It was a protective seal, only he knew how to open it. If others forcibly tried, the contents would be destroyed.
Sota quickly turned off the water and opened the pouch, pouring out the contents.
Inside were three storage scrolls.
Sota opened the first one and pulled out a letter, it was Koshin's message for him.
[...Sota, if you are reading this letter, I am already gone.]
[I have already reported the situation to the main family, but they did not report it to Konoha.]
[The main family used Neji's life and yours as leverage to force me into negotiating with the Uchiha.]
[No matter the outcome, the main family would not let me live.]
[Rather than die like Lord Hizashi, I chose a death with more value.]
[After my death, the main family will choose a new branch family elder from among those I arranged.]
[You are naturally gifted. Don't fall into traps. Don't let the main family make you a scapegoat again.]
[The branch family no longer has hope. The 'The New Bud Project' is the only way to save us.]
[Neji is still young. We must pave the way for him before he comes of age.]
[The second scroll contains the truth about Lord Hizashi's death. If possible, pass it to Neji.]
[The third scroll contains the full list of the New Bud Project. If Yuto, Motou, or Shuji becomes elder, let them continue the plan.]
Sota took a deep breath and opened the second scroll.
It recorded in detail how the Third Hokage had brought people to pressure the Hyuga family.
How Main Family's Grand Elder Sojo had forced Hizashi to die in place of Hiashi.
As for the story about Hizashi volunteering, it was pure nonsense made up by the main family.
The main family controlled the "Caged Bird." Hiashi and Sojo had pressured him to the limit.
Hizashi had no choice but to "volunteer" to die for Hiashi.
As for the excuse of Byakugan leakage, it was baseless. If someone had to die, let Hiashi die and take the Byakugan out.
Under Grand Elder Sojo's coercion, Hizashi had even written a will claiming he volunteered.
It was meant to be used one day, to shackle Neji.
After reading it, Sota once again felt the main family's despicable and disgusting nature.
Trembling, he opened the third scroll. It contained the full arrangements for the New Bud Project.
Including multiple conditional triggers for its implementation.
Who could be considered for inclusion after evaluation, and each person's assigned roles.
Most branch family members were accounted for, only he was excluded from the plan.
At the end of the letter, there was only one sentence.
[Sota, you must live well.]
Sota leaned against the edge of the tub and slowly slid down.
Feeling Lord Koshin's affection for him.
Sota's numb and cold expression was finally broken, tears poured down.
"Ugh… Lord Koshin…"
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