Chapter 559: The Reason for Growing Weaker and Weaker

Chapter 559: Chapter 559: The Reason for Growing Weaker and Weaker

Glancing over the list of students marked for ’special attention’ in the documents, Kagami noticed that Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuga Hinata, Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, Yamanaka Ino, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and a host of other children from prominent clans were all on the list.

"Heh..."

Kagami chuckled softly and put the documents away.

Even in the Ninja Academy, absolute equality did not exist. Students from influential families naturally received additional attention and preferential treatment. In this regard, even the Third Hokage, who had always championed the Will of Fire, was no exception.

Seeing that Kagami had finished reviewing the documents, the Third Hokage continued solemnly, "Akatsuki’s targets are the Tailed Beasts inside the Jinchuriki. Therefore, while you’re at the Ninja Academy, the three of you must ensure Naruto’s safety. We absolutely cannot allow the enemy to abduct him again!"

"Yes!"

The three responded in unison.

The Third Hokage nodded in satisfaction. "Go and make your preparations. The entrance ceremony will be held in three days. Several of the village’s advisory elders will also be attending."

Kagami assured him, "Please rest assured. I’ll make sure the entrance ceremony is properly arranged."

After leaving the Hokage Building, Kagami considered things for a moment before sending Shisui and Guy off to prepare for the entrance ceremony three days later. He himself headed to the Hyuga clan compound.

During the previous catastrophe, the Hyuga clan compound had also been completely destroyed. Fortunately, as a prestigious clan with a thousand-year history, the Hyuga possessed considerable wealth and resources, allowing them to rebuild their compound in a remarkably short time.

Passing through the newly rebuilt streets of the clan compound, Kagami exchanged greetings with his fellow clansmen as he leisurely made his way to the main family’s residence.

Before long, Kagami met with the clan head, Hiashi.

After first congratulating him on Hinata’s safe return, Kagami casually mentioned that he had just been appointed principal of the Ninja Academy.

"This is wonderful news!"

Upon learning that Kagami had become the principal of the Ninja Academy, Hiashi’s face immediately lit up with joy.

The Ninja Academy was an institution of the same administrative rank as Konoha Hospital, the Intelligence Division, the Barrier Division, and other departments. In terms of influence, however, the Ninja Academy surpassed the other departments of equal rank. Now that Kagami had become its principal, it meant that the Hyuga clan’s influence within the village would increase considerably.

Furthermore, as principal of the Ninja Academy, Kagami would be entitled to participate in Konoha’s high-level meetings in his capacity as the academy’s highest-ranking official.

With this, the Hyuga clan would have two representatives capable of speaking at the village’s high-level meetings, surpassing even the Uchiha clan, their fellow prestigious dojutsu bloodline clan.

"He’s quite a pitiful fellow, too."

Watching the overjoyed Hiashi, Kagami sighed inwardly. He could sense the tremendous pressure Hiashi bore as the head of the clan.

Both throughout the shinobi world and within the village, the Uchiha clan had grown increasingly powerful and assertive as more and more Uchiha awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.

This had placed enormous pressure on the Hyuga clan, which had always stood alongside the Uchiha as one of Konoha’s two great dojutsu clans. The pressure had become so overwhelming that the Hyuga were beginning to struggle to breathe.

Even ordinary Hyuga clansmen, let alone Hiashi himself, had begun to notice the strange looks others gave them in their daily lives. They had also heard the occasional sarcastic remarks and ridicule, with people calling the Hyuga clan ’overrated’ or saying that its reputation was nothing more than an empty facade.

In reality, as long as the Hyuga clan did not compare itself to the Uchiha clan, it would still remain a prestigious shinobi clan worthy of admiration.

The problem was that, for the past thousand years, the Hyuga clan had always been mentioned alongside the Uchiha clan. Even if their prestige and influence were somewhat inferior to the Uchiha’s, the two clans had still belonged to the same tier.

Yet now, particularly over the past century or so, the Hyuga clan had failed to produce another truly extraordinary figure. With the shinobi world growing increasingly turbulent and the Uchiha becoming more and more active, the Hyuga clan’s weakness had become all the more apparent by comparison.

After Hiashi’s excitement subsided, Kagami said, "Clan Head, I’d like to look through the clan’s historical records. Would that be possible?"

Hiashi’s gaze sharpened, and a hint of puzzlement appeared on his face.

However, given Kagami’s current standing, Hiashi had no reason to object to him examining the clan’s records, even if it were merely out of curiosity.

Thus, he replied, "Of course. I’ll arrange for someone to take you to the newly constructed secret archive right away."

Kagami smiled and nodded.

Apart from informing Hiashi of his appointment as principal of the Ninja Academy, Kagami had another purpose for visiting the main family: examining the clan’s historical records.

The actions of the Otsutsuki descendants on the Moon during the previous battle had been weighing on his mind.

According to Kagami’s vague recollection, in the original timeline, Otsutsuki Toneri had seemingly contacted Hiashi in secret before launching his world-destroying attack.

Therefore, Kagami could not rule out the possibility that the Hyuga main family knew about their close relatives living on the Moon. If that were the case, the main family’s historical records might very well contain information about that branch of the Otsutsuki clan.

At the same time, Kagami shared the same question that troubled Hiashi.

Why had the Hyuga clan, which had stood on equal footing with the Uchiha clan throughout a thousand years of history, grown progressively weaker?

After all, due to the continuous reincarnation of Otsutsuki Indra, the Uchiha clan would produce a powerhouse standing at the pinnacle of the shinobi world every few decades, such as Uchiha Madara or Uchiha Sasuke.

Yet the Hyuga clan had managed to remain in the same tier as the Uchiha for a thousand years.

That fact alone proved that, throughout history, the Hyuga clan must have produced powerful shinobi capable of rivaling Uchiha who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Moreover, such individuals should not have been particularly rare. In fact, a powerhouse of that caliber should have emerged every generation or two.

Only under those circumstances would it make logical sense for the Hyuga clan to have barely maintained its standing alongside the Uchiha clan.

Otherwise, judging by the Hyuga clan’s current capabilities, a single Uchiha capable of activating Susanoo could practically sweep through the entire Hyuga clan.

After all, the present-day Hyuga clan possessed absolutely no means of breaking through Susanoo’s defenses.

With such worrying combat strength, the Hyuga clan should have been left far behind by the Uchiha long ago over the course of their thousand-year history. There was simply no way they could have maintained the prestige necessary to be mentioned in the same breath as the Uchiha clan.

This raised an important question.

What exactly had caused the Hyuga clan to grow weaker with each successive generation?

Had some ancient technique been lost? Or was there another, deeper reason behind their decline?

With these thoughts in mind, Kagami arrived before the newly constructed secret archive within the main family’s residence.

The main family elder guarding the archive looked Kagami up and down before asking with a stern expression, "Hyuga Kagami, why do you wish to examine the clan’s historical records?"

Kagami glanced indifferently at the elder.

"Do I need a reason to examine them?"

Momentarily speechless at Kagami’s response, the main family elder furrowed his brows and said, "Go on in, then. But don’t forget your duty as a member of the branch family!"

Kagami paid no further attention to the main family elder standing at the entrance. He simply strode into the secret archive...