Naruto: Did i Just Get Reincarnated as Gojo?

"Waiter, tea!" Gojo Kaigetsu called out.

"Right away, sir!"

Gojo Kaigetsu and Hiashi Hyuga quickly excused themselves from the wedding reception and settled into a teahouse a short distance from the Uchiha compound.

Hiashi Hyuga sat stiffly. This was his first private meeting with Advisor Gojo.

He felt a knot of anxiety in his stomach.

While he'd observed that Advisor Gojo generally supported initiatives that empowered ninja, the outcome of this meeting was uncertain.

What if… Advisor Gojo was a wolf in sheep's clothing? What if, for the sake of political expediency, he betrayed Hiashi and sided with the Hyuga elders in exchange for… financial incentives?

Then the branch family ninja might never know true freedom.

But if he, as the Hyuga Clan Head, didn't fight for them, who would?

'I carry the burden of their liberation. I cannot fail.'

Hiashi Hyuga's gaze hardened with resolve. "Advisor Gojo, I have a… request."

"I…"

"Hold on a moment." Gojo Kaigetsu produced a blank sheet of paper. "Let's write down the topic we're about to discuss. If they match, you owe me a favor. If not, I owe you two."

"What? Sure." Hiashi was taken aback. He'd come here to ask for a favor, not grant one.

He wrote on the paper with tea, as did Gojo Kaigetsu. They flipped their papers simultaneously. Both read: [Branch Family].

"It seems I win. I'll remember that favor, Hiashi. Now, tell me what's on your mind." Gojo Kaigetsu poured them tea.

Hiashi Hyuga got straight to the point. "Advisor Gojo, I wish to liberate the Hyuga branch family. I want to abolish the Caged Bird Seal."

"That's… a rather delicate matter, Hiashi. As an advisor, I can't interfere in a clan's internal affairs. And I'm just a Chunin, my influence is limited."

"Besides, you're the Clan Head. Surely your clansmen can't defy your authority?"

Hiashi Hyuga smiled wryly. "Advisor Gojo, you jest. As The Hyuga Clan Head… I hold no real power. I'm merely a puppet for the elders."

"If I were to abolish the Caged Bird Seal today, my younger brother might be dead by tomorrow. And then… more branch family members. They'd pressure the village leadership to reverse my decision, and all my efforts would be wasted. Most of the main family also supports the elders. After all, the Caged Bird Seal protects their interests and ensures their safety."

Those within the system fiercely defended it, while those outside fought to break free.

But resources were finite. Liberating the branch family meant less for the main family. It wasn't that they lacked empathy, but their current privileges outweighed any such… sentiments.

The Hyuga clan… that's how they operated.

The Hyūga clan had a high floor, but a low ceiling.

Though their Byakugan and related taijutsu techniques made them formidable in the early stages, a saying circulated in the ninja world:

When you're poor, you aim for precision. When you're rich, you use overwhelming force.

The Hyuga, limited by their close-range combat style, were destined to be early-game powerhouses. Jonin, elite Jonin, Kage… the higher the rank, the less effective the Hyuga's abilities became.

During the chaotic Warring States Period, the Hyuga clan had developed the Caged Bird Seal, sacrificing a portion of their clan to protect the main family.

They poured their resources into nurturing a select few, ensuring the clan's influence within the village and the ninja world.

This strategy had made the Hyuga one of the clans with the most Jonin and elite Jonin. Even on simple missions, a main family member would be escorted by two or three branch family guards, minimizing casualties.

And during the Shinobi World Wars, it was the branch family ninja who were sent to the front lines.

Even after the transition from the Warring States Period to the Hidden Village era, this practice continued.

Hashirama Senju, in his naiveté, hadn't interfered. After all, he was practically invincible. Such trivial matters could be handled by future generations.

Tobirama Senju, more pragmatic, had seen the benefits of the system for the village. A loyal, expendable force with a valuable Kekkei Genkai that couldn't be stolen by other villages? It was… convenient.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura had simply continued their predecessors' policies.

The branch family, subjected to this system for generations, seemed to have accepted their fate. From a young age, they were indoctrinated with the concept of absolute loyalty to the main family. Freedom was a foreign concept.

Of course, there had been those who rebelled, who were swiftly eliminated by the Caged Bird Seal.

"So? You've come to me… for help?" Gojo Kaigetsu asked.

"I ask that you, in the name of the village, threaten those elders who oppose me. Even if it means using the Anbu to… eliminate branch family members. Once their leverage is gone, the Caged Bird Seal can be abolished."

Hiashi Hyuga's face was etched with pain.

Liberating the branch family would inevitably lead to bloodshed. Those stubborn elders wouldn't yield until the last branch family member was gone.

Because Konoha needed the Byakugan, they couldn't allow the bloodline to die out. As long as the village needed them, the elders were untouchable.

Even if they had to activate the Caged Bird Seal and kill every branch family member, they would survive. The price would be the loss of the seal, a less comfortable future.

Gojo Kaigetsu gasped. "Hiashi Hyuga, you're ruthless!"

To prevent hostage situations, eliminate the hostages?

He didn't immediately reveal his own plans. "Why not… target the elders directly?"

Hiashi Hyuga shook his head. "It's pointless. The elders reside in the most heavily guarded area of the compound, constantly protected by branch family ninja. And the Byakugan… you know its capabilities. No one can infiltrate undetected. The moment the Anbu arrive, they'll use the Caged Bird Seal to create a wall of flesh."

"And we can't reassign the branch family guards. Their families are also within the compound. Any unusual activity would be noticed."

Gojo Kaigetsu stroked his chin. "That does complicate things."

He wracked his brain, trying to recall similar scenarios from other stories. How had other protagonists handled this?

The elders' stance ultimately depended on the ninja world's political climate. As long as the village needed the Byakugan, they were untouchable.

After Naruto became Hokage, the ninja world's population had been decimated. And with Naruto's Talk no Jutsu… the world had entered an era of peace.

But would the elders dare? Did they have the power?

Setting aside Naruto's political power, the ninja world was at peace. The Hyuga's strategic value had diminished.

The Byakugan, though useful for intel gathering, wasn't as versatile as, say, the Ino-Shika-Cho formation. If push came to shove, the Hyuga could be eliminated without much consequence.

So, the elders had compromised.

There were no absolute principles, no inviolable traditions. Everything was negotiable.

"If it's this difficult… why should I help you, Hiashi? From the village's perspective, maintaining the status quo is the best option."

Hiashi Hyuga revealed his trump card. "The Hyuga clan possesses a collection of sealed Byakugan from past generations. If the branch family is liberated, I'm willing to donate them all to the village."

"And… Advisor Gojo, you could certainly use a group of loyal ninja."

That's what he'd been waiting for.

The Tenseigan.

The ultimate evolution of the Byakugan, achievable only by combining Ōtsutsuki chakra with a Hyuga's Byakugan. A dojutsu with the power of creation and destruction.

Its potential, in Gojo Kaigetsu's opinion, even surpassed the Rinnegan.

Creating a Tenseigan was a long and arduous process.

Countless Byakugan, fused into one, their essence combined, forming a pure, ultimate Byakugan. And then, using Ōtsutsuki chakra as the catalyst, it would evolve into the Tenseigan. Compared to the Rinnegan, which required a Sage Body, the Tenseigan's requirements were far more demanding.

Byakugan → Pure Ultimate Byakugan → Tenseigan

What did Konoha currently possess?

Gojo Kaigetsu mentally reviewed his assets. Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, Uzumaki, Kaguya… all the Ōtsutsuki descendants were present. Extracting a trace of their ancestral chakra shouldn't be impossible.

But the first step was acquiring a large number of Byakugan. And that required the Hyuga's cooperation.

If the Tenseigan Project succeeded… it would be Konoha's ultimate trump card.

"Hiashi, do you have a list of the elders who oppose you?"

"Right here." Hiashi Hyuga produced a folded piece of paper.

"Hyuga Nu, Hyuga Jun…" As Hiashi watched, Gojo Kaigetsu snapped his fingers, and the paper disintegrated into dust.

"Eleven elders… impressive." Even the Uchiha's internal conflict seemed less… one-sided. Hiashi's "liberal faction" was practically nonexistent.

"Get me pen and paper."

"Yes, Advisor Gojo!" Hiashi Hyuga, his face serious, personally fetched the requested items.

Gojo Kaigetsu accepted them, pausing for a moment as if gathering his thoughts. Then, he began to write.

The Death of a Hyuga Branch Family Ninja

Hiashi Hyuga's breath hitched.

The elegant calligraphy and the impactful title immediately captivated him.

It perfectly summarized the story's premise and hinted at its tragic nature.

Hiashi couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation. Advisor Gojo's talent for writing was legendary.

Even without reading the full article, he could sense its power.

"Continue, Advisor Gojo," he urged, unable to contain his curiosity.

"Patience. I'm… finding my muse."

After a moment, Gojo Kaigetsu continued writing:

[In the Land of Fire, the place least affected by ninja tool shortages isn't the Daimyo's estate, but Konohagakure. Over fifty years ago, the Hyuga branch family designed a modern, industrial ninja tool forging system for this then-backward village, a system so advanced it remains the most productive in the Land of Fire, even the entire ninja world, to this day.]

[Konoha's ninja tool factory, built by the Hyuga branch family, has operated efficiently for over fifty years. Recently, some parts required replacement. However, the original Hyuga craftsmen were long gone. The factory workers searched everywhere for suitable replacements. An elderly Hyuga, a branch family member, told me that according to their guidelines, spare parts should be stored within three meters of the original. Following his advice, I found a small storage room filled with perfectly preserved replacement parts, wrapped in oiled cloth.]

[This encounter sparked my interest in the Hyuga clan.]

[At the time, I was unaware of the ugliness within the clan. Now, I deliberately distinguish between the main and branch families. The reason? I heard a story from a civilian ninja with ties to the Hyuga.]

[While written from a first-person perspective, this is based on an interview.]

"Impressive." Hiashi Hyuga slapped his thigh in admiration. These few lines painted a picture of a pragmatic and meticulous branch family.

But…

'Since when did the Hyuga clan specialize in toolmaking?' He quickly understood. This was Advisor Gojo's way of hinting that after the Caged Bird Seal's abolishment, the Hyuga clan should invest in the village's ninja tool factory.

'Good thing I caught that. Advisor Gojo's… methods are truly profound.'

[January 8th, Konoha year 50. I received news of my academy classmate, Hyuga Hinata, dying on a mission. She was a bodyguard for a main family member. I was tasked with handling her belongings. Her storage scroll contained 3,700 ryō. She wore a cheap, 100 ryō uniform. Her once bright eyes, filled with a longing for freedom, seemed… extinguished. Six scars, carved by a kunai, marred her face. Her arms bore the marks of torn muscles and burns. I imagine she used the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven until her last breath.]

[Her younger sister, Hanabi, wept inconsolably. It broke my heart.]

[She was only four months away from her fifteenth birthday.]

[From the day I received the news, to deciding to share this story, to you reading these words… it's taken me half a month to process.]

[I opened my mouth five times, closed it five times. I couldn't speak.]

[But I have to.]

[To be frank, we hadn't been close since graduating from the Academy. The bonds we'd forged had faded.]

[But her death… it sent me into a deep depression. I share this not just for my own atonement, but also to express my outrage at the Hyuga main family! Her death forced me to reflect on my own life, my connection to the village, and how such a… despicable clan could exist in Konoha.]

[That day at the Academy, when we first spoke… I thought she was naive. A month later, I no longer saw her that way.]

[Our history lessons were divided into sections, each followed by a test. The questions were incredibly difficult, and we'd barely had time to process the material. We complained constantly. But from the third test onwards, Hinata consistently scored first place, a position she maintained until graduation. I still remember the pride in her eyes when the instructor mentioned the Hyuga clan's accomplishments.]

[She lived on 450 ryō a week, covering all her expenses. She had a younger sister, three years younger, also very bright, who would soon join the Academy. Her tuition was paid by her branch family relatives, who considered her their pride.]

[Every morning, we received free milk. I never drank it, always tossing it in the trash. Hinata, seeing this, was shocked. 'Don't waste it!' she said. 'Can I buy it from you?' 'But you already have some,' I replied. She smiled. 'I can give it to my sister.' 'I'll give it to you,' I said. 'Just let me win next time we practice shurikenjutsu.']

[After our first holiday break, we gathered to share stories. That's how it was in the Academy. Everyone wore new clothes, new hairstyles. Some had even traveled to other countries. Hinata, too, wore a new black shirt. But the symbol on it… it was… wrong.]

[After class, a few boys approached her, teasing, 'Nice shirt, Hinata. Did you make it yourself?' The others snickered. I pretended to read, saying nothing.]

[Later, she slipped me a note: 'What's wrong with my shirt?']

[I hesitated, then told her the truth: 'The Konoha symbol faces left. The one on your shirt faces right.']

[I assumed she wouldn't wear it again. But the next day, she did, only this time… inside out. The reversed Konoha symbol was even more noticeable. But I knew, to her, it was less embarrassing than a patch. Because I knew how much she valued Konoha, how much she believed in the Will of Fire. I wanted to ask her about it, but I couldn't bring myself to. She seemed to sense my hesitation. During morning reading, she whispered, 'This is my only shirt. It cost my family half a month's food allowance.']

[That was the first time she mentioned her family. No self-pity, no drama. Just a simple statement of fact.]

[I asked her, out of curiosity, 'Aren't the Hyuga one of Konoha's wealthiest clans? Why are you… less well-off than me, a civilian?']

[She calmly explained that as a branch family member, she had a duty to protect the main family. Her equipment costs were higher, and she had to give half her mission earnings to the main family.]

[I remember, just before graduation, Iruka-sensei's final speech: 'You are the best class I've ever taught. Most of you will become ninja. But remember, no matter how successful you become, it won't impress me. Remember your responsibilities. If this world, if this village, needs heroes, why not you? You've grown up under the Will of Fire. You all dream of changing the world. Who else will?']

[He then had us write down our dreams, or what we envisioned for ourselves in ten years.]

[We were eight, nine years old. Filled with youthful passion and dreams. Inspired by his words, we wrote carefully, as if taking a sacred oath.]

[Some wanted to make explosive tags more affordable. Some dreamt of joining the Anbu. Some wanted to be Hokage Guards. I wrote, 'I will be a reporter, honest and impartial, speaking for the villagers of Konoha.']

[Amidst all these dreams, Hinata wrote, 'I want to be Hokage.' She then crossed it out and wrote, 'I will dedicate my life to the Will of Fire, to the Hyuga clan, to repay the village and my clan's kindness.']

[…Hyuga Hinata died. She might have survived. But there had been a… disagreement between her and a main family member's child. During the enemy ambush, that main family child and the other branch family ninja retreated, leaving Hinata alone to face the enemy's assault.]

[…In that bottomless pit, clinging to the rope the Sage of Six Paths had offered, she'd been tempted countless times.]

['Just tell us the answers. We'll cover your expenses for a year.']

['Speak ill of the Hyuga main family, and we'll give you even more.']

['Just a little… adjustment to the main family's budget, and you'll have more money than you've ever dreamt of.']

[But she refused, her resolve unwavering.]

[Hyuga Hinata's loyalty to the Will of Fire, to the Hyuga clan, was absolute.]

[Ironically, she died because of a petty squabble with a main family member, abandoned and betrayed.]

[We… we take the easy path, readily swayed by temptation, and then complain about being forced into it. But Hinata, facing true adversity, never once complained. When had the ninja world ever truly forced my hand? Or was it my own desires that led me astray, and I simply blamed the world?]

[I don't know the answer.]

[This… is my final farewell.]

[After her death, I struggled to find a fitting epitaph. The First Hokage's was, 'Wherever leaves dance, fire will burn.' The Second's, 'This world is inherently evil. I will cleanse it.'… Even someone like Hinata deserved a fitting tribute. Something grand, something that captured her spirit. I couldn't find the right words. Then, I remembered Advisor Gojo's speech at our graduation: 'I hope the Academy's influence extends beyond simply training ninja. I hope you become people who truly live.']

[Perhaps… that's the most fitting epitaph for her.]

[A Konoha ninja who truly lived.]

Hiashi Hyuga's world crumbled. His ninja way, his resolve… everything turned to dust.

He was drenched in sweat, his body trembling.

His eyes locked onto Gojo Kaigetsu.

"So, Hiashi, what are your thoughts?" Gojo Kaigetsu asked, his voice gentle, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Is… is this true?" Hiashi Hyuga's eyes were bloodshot. "I want that elder's child dead!" His voice was low and dangerous, his fury barely contained.

Gojo Kaigetsu was satisfied with his reaction.

"The Death of a Hyuga Branch Family Ninja"… it was a story that resonated deeply, even in a world saturated with information and countless narratives.

He considered it a literary masterpiece, a cultural nuke.

A persecuted branch family member, a top academy student, a prodigy, a laughingstock, utterly devoted to the Will of Fire and her clan, ostracized, a true Konoha ninja… abandoned and betrayed.

Every element was carefully crafted to evoke empathy.

The "branch family prodigy" trope perfectly highlighted Konoha's hypocrisy and the inherent injustice of the clan system.

People loved underdog stories, stories of those who defied their circumstances.

And Hinata's plight… she'd had it worse than a civilian, practically a slave to the main family.

The gap between the privileged and the downtrodden, it was a classic tale of good versus evil.

And people loved stories of hope and tragedy. Gojo Kaigetsu had given them both, a potent cocktail of emotions.

And to make the story even more impactful, he'd connected it to the reader, not through some famous figure, but through an ordinary classmate.

"I have a story. Do you have tears?" The Death of a Hyuga Branch Family Ninja asked. And if you did, how could you not shed them?

If the Hyuga could manifest their emotions through their eyes like the Uchiha, Gojo Kaigetsu couldn't imagine the intensity of their reaction.

"Is it true, Hiashi? I believe you know better than I do. There shouldn't be a Hyuga ninja named… Hinata, should there?"

"There was," Hiashi Hyuga said, his voice strained. "Hyuga Hinata. She was well-respected in the branch family, a top student at the Academy. She died about a year ago, on a mission, protecting an elder's child. The details… I'm not privy to them."

"Really? There actually was a Hinata?" Gojo Kaigetsu was stunned. He'd made up the name. What a coincidence.

"This story… it's fiction. Any resemblance to actual events is purely coincidental."

"My apologies, Advisor Gojo. I lost my composure." Hiashi Hyuga closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to regain his composure.

"Tell me, Hiashi, how did the story make you feel?"

"Angry," Hiashi Hyuga admitted. "At the main family's oppression. Hinata's death… it was senseless. She should have died a hero, not abandoned by her own comrades. A ninja like her… she deserved better."

"And if this story were to spread throughout the village?"

Hiashi Hyuga shuddered, recalling the fallout from the Uchiha "Soldier Pill" article.

The streets had been filled with angry protesters.

That had been during Danzo's era, a time of political oppression. Now, Konoha was more… open. Public dissent wasn't suppressed.

If "The Death of a Hyuga Branch Family Ninja" were to spread… he couldn't imagine the consequences.

The Hyuga clan's "noble" reputation would be shattered.

Konoha belonged to the villagers, not the clans. Public opinion could crush the Hyuga.

"The Hyuga main family… their reputation would be ruined." Hiashi's voice was bitter. Perhaps this was the price for their past sins.

"Forget the reputation for now," Gojo Kaigetsu said, his expression turning serious.

"I will use this… incident to address a long-standing issue."

"What issue?"

"Whether the Hyuga branch family serves the main family, or Konoha."

<><><><>

Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters. Ahead of the rest!

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)

There is 9 Exciting Fanfics already available on my Patreon!