[Hyūga Shigure]

"a sit in the council". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." MEETING Shigure had been extremely busy as of late. Ever since succeeding his father as the 18th head of the Hyuuga clan, he had been pushing forward his new policies and clan reforms. That, on itself, could already be considered a full-time job, but alas that was not even close to the scope of the young clan head's responsibilities. As a new Genin Team Leader, he had a more flexible schedule than he did back when he was teaching at the academy, but he still needed to make sure he would be there for his Genin. He also had his duties with the Barrier Corps, and he was also aiding the current Chuunin Exams candidates. That all on top of the insane amount of missions the Hyuuga would take on, making him one of the craziest workaholics in the Leaf Village. Still, he wouldn't have it any other way. He had a huge sense of responsibility, and the Will of Fire burned deep inside his core. But today his duties were within the clan. Shigure's reforms were making a sizeable share of the Main House members unhappy, especially his decision to expand the number of sits in the council so that he could also include members of the branch house. To maintain the stability within the clan, however, he knew just how important it was for him to help sway more Main House members to his cause, and two of the main names against his reforms were Hyuuga Hiroshi and Nakime, the second which had resigned her position in the council. The two were the parents of Shigure's original fiancée, Hitomi. And while he knew, or at least he hoped he knew, that the woman was not of the same mind as her parents, he felt it was important to discuss some matters with her, and hopefully offer Hitomi her mother's seat in the council. On top of it, he needed to have a fully formed new council before they could proceed with the formalities of his inauguration as the leader. Shigure was already ruling the clan, but with all the reforms, respecting the formality and tradition of his succession was also important so that those who were on the fence about the changes could rest assured he wasn't just completely disregarding their roots and ceremonies. That said, the new head of the Hyuuga clan was waiting for Hitomi to meet with him at the private meeting room of the leader quarter's. For such an occasion, Shigure was wearing the white kimono with the green haori, the traditional robes of the Hyuuga clan head, sitting in seiza in the room. "She should be here any time now." he thought to himself. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hyuuga District Leader's quarters [Hyūga Hitomi] [454 words]

[Hyūga Hitomi]

Hyūga Hitomi

Recent events had certainly been unexpected, the massive upset in the clan having caught everyone unware. Despite that however, she had moved quickly after the unseating of the seventeenth head of the Hyūga. The old guard had been rather complacent under Urashi, and so the events surrounding his death had caught them off guard, but she had been waiting for openings wherever she could in the five years since she had been practically held under house arrest. When Shigure was the one who left that altercation alive, Hitomi knew time was of the essence, and her knowledge of the younger Hyūga meant she wasn't entirely blindsided by his actions once he had recovered.

Her parents hadn't been happy, but then so what? They hadn't cared much about her happiness thus far.

That said, she wasn't particularly please with Shigure either, sure, he had been busy, but he hadn't communicated with her at all since the event. He hadn't even sent her a note or anything before he started upturning the whole clan with his decisions. A bit of warning would have been nice, some collaboration before he started doing anything drastic certainly would have helped. 

So it was that she arrived to her meeting with the new clan head dressed as traditionally as she could, layered white kimono and grey obi, long hair bound with delicate jewellery that made not a sound as she walked, she was playing up the 'hime' aspect and not giving away her thoughts through appearance or action.

"Shigure-dono," she greeted him with a shallow bow as the door to the meeting room opened, her usual Branch guards standing to either side of her before stepping away at some unseen signal, allowing her to walk in and take a seat across from him. Respect without acknowledging his higher rank, and the two arm lengths distance between them added to her attire to express her current displeasure, though whether he would notice such things was hard to tell.

"You wished to meet with me?" the 'finally' was left unspoken, but weighed heavily in her tone. Years with Urashi as her primary point of conversation meant Hitomi had become rather adept at layering meaning into her words and tone.

Word Count: 371
Tags: Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"a sit in the council". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." LONG OVERDUE With his hands full and a very large clan to take care of, on top of all his other duties and responsibilities, Shigure had been unable to reach out to all members of the clan, and as of late, his efforts had been more focused on spreading the word to the Hyuuga in far away outposts, and make sure the Branch Members had recovered some of their dignity. Still, he knew that there was much more to be done, and that he needed allies who would join his cause, and with that in mind, he was rather looking forward meeting with his cousin. Hitomi arrived at the expected time, using her full traditional attire, and when she entered the room, she gave him a shallow bow. Her guards would then walk away and the woman would make her way to the seat across from him. He could notice, by her actions, that she was bothered, and he suspected he knew the reason why. "I hope she is not too upset..." he thought to himself. Despite their somewhat rocky relationship growing up, Shigure cared for Hitomi. If anything, if things hadn't changed, he would rather have her as a future wife than Hanako, but alas, that was no longer an issue. When she spoke, he could almost perceive she held her tongue enough, but did little to mask her tone. In response, Shigure took a deep breathe and nodded to the woman. "This meeting is long overdue, and for that I apologize, Hitomi-chan. I've been rather busy, but perhaps I wouldn't be as much if I had reached out sooner." despite being the leader, Shigure didn't hold the higher-than-thou attitude former leaders had; he liked to hold himself accountable for his own shortcomings. "But before we start... Are you aware of my previous meeting with your mother?" he wondered, even though he suspected Nakime wouldn't have said a word to her daughter; she never truly cared for her input in any of her decisions. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hyuuga District Leader's quarters [Hyūga Hitomi] [337 words]

[Hyūga Hitomi]

Hyūga Hitomi

"You are a busy man nowadays Shigure-dono," polite, perfect, pointed words, nothing that could be truly called out, but even with his distance in the past few years she would have expected that he would have realised her ability to assist in making things go more smoothly. She hadn't survived so well under Urashi for nothing after all, and she'd worked as the man's assistant in a number of matters (even though she hadn't been particularly interested in doing so, saying no to him had been incredibly difficult).

"A Genin team, your role in the Barrier Corps, the staggering mission load, and now clan head..." she trailed off, face impassive and poised as always. It was a silent yet clear commentary on him taking too much on himself, and acknowledgement of his admitting to the mistake. Even without her Byakugan active she could read the younger man fairly well, it came with having been around him since they were children. Shigure was almost certainly shinobi first, noble second, and while he was diplomatic enough he wasn't quite so practiced as she in such things. Which is obviously why he needed all the help he could get.

She'd give him a break, for a moment at least, and allow the change in topic while she considered how best to hammer her point home. "Okaasama keeps her own counsel," Hitomi stated neutrally, the bitterness that tainted her relationship with her mother well hidden. In Hitomi's mind, the only good thing her parents did was make sure neither of their children were given the clan's seal, and didn't try to separate her from her brother at any point. Beyond that... well, they were practically strangers at this point.

The most she had heard from either of her parents recently were their complaints and concerns about the changes that Shigure was implementing. She'd listened to a lot of those, from many members of the clan. Not just the Main family either, which might have been surprising to hear, but many felt they could at least bring concerns to her, which was better than letting them fester.

"I assume this is relevant to the conversation you wish to have, Shigure-dono?"

She wasn't going to let Snotty Shigure-chan off that easily though.

Word Count: 377
Tags: Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"a sit in the council". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." ENGAGEMENTS When Hitomi started listing his responsibilities, he couldn't help but sigh deeply. Yes, he was taking a lot on his shoulders, and that meant that he needed some help to take care of the clan, which was part of the reason why he was having this meeting with Hitomi. But before he could make a decision on that, they needed to discuss some important matters involving her immediate family. And as he revealed that he had met with her mother, Nakime, she reveal she wasn't aware of it; Nakime didn't communicate much with her, nor Hideki, from what he had heard, and in a way, that was a good sign, meaning it was more likely that the twins were not prone to be aligned with their parents. "It is." he responded to her question with a firm nod. "When I met with your mother, we had some disagreements. For starters, she proposed we resumed our former engagement. Which I assume she did so without consulting with you first." he started, pausing briefly in case she wanted to confirm or deny that. "And I explained to her that we will no longer support the practice of arranged marriages, and that on the same note, I was cancelling Asuka's engagement to Hideki." he revealed, pausing once again for a short moment. "Which... Well, she didn't take it kindly." he sighed. There was more to discuss, but he believed that it would be better to go about it in parts, so the conversation didn't get extremely packed and heavy in one go. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hyuuga District Leader's quarters [Hyūga Hitomi] [262 words]

[Hyūga Hitomi]

Hyūga Hitomi

Hitomi's lips pursed together as he spoke, only some rather strong self control stopping her from expressing herself further at the man's words. "That would certainly displease her. However, I would recommend rather than simply turning away from arranged marriages, and instead give it an opt out feature for those within the arrangement," she stated, her overall body language remaining both calm and serious, seemingly ignoring her personal concerns for a moment while focusing on the needs of the clan. "We would also need to develop a more comprehensive set of rules for marriages outside of the clan. We could see a drastic weakening of the Bykaugan in as little as two generations otherwise, or lose track of it entirely, neither of which would be ideal. It would also help quiet some concerns..."

For a moment Hitomi considered the rather convoluted family trees that the clan's matchmakers kept track of, labyrinthine documents meant to ensure that they kept their kekkai genkai strong without falling to the dangers of inbreeding. Their histories had records of both extremes to guide such practices. That said, the world was definitely moving on from the older customs and she felt nothing but pleased that her twin was no longer locked to a fourteen year old girl.

Shigure's desire to 'fix' the clan was commendable, but he did need to be careful to avoid doing so much that they ceased to be the Hyuuga, losing their identity and simply becoming 'Konohan'. He also needed to make sure not to do too much too soon, there needed to be a balancing act otherwise the pushback against him would become too great. She was sure that even the Branch family would resist if his changes became too extreme, at least a large portion of it.

Word Count: 297
Tags: Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"a sit in the counil". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." COUNCIL Hitomi's point of view was interesting indeed, and he could see how his more extreme steer, to truly shake the foundations of the clan had prevented him from considering such an option, and while the council was undergoing reforms, Shigure didn't have a solid group to currently consult with. "Indeed, that would be a more conciliatory approach to it, Hitomi. I believe we could move forward giving them the option rather than outright cancel it." he agreed with a firm nod. He was positively impressed she managed to keep her personal view completely off the discussed matter, and that was another point in her favour. Her concern about the weakening of the Byakugan was a valid point of concern, and something they could definitely be mindful of while still not restricting people's freedom. "Again a fair point. And while I want to make sure people can have the freedom they deserve as human beings, we also must ensure the Hyuuga clan and our Kekkei Genkai will continue to exist and thrive." he nodded once again, cracking a satisfied smile to his cousin. "Fortunately, our family tree indicates that your Kekkei Genkai is a dominant trace. But still, there hasn't be many cases of continuous mixing of our bloodline over many generations." he explained, as he had a good knowledge of the family's history and genealogy, as it was to be expected of a clan head. "But continuing on our previous subject. Your mother was relieved from her position in the council. And... I need a council I can trust, and whose council I can use. And I think you would be an asset. Someone who cares about our legacy, but is also aware we need to change." and the offer, with its conditions, had been laid out. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hyuuga District Leader's quarters [Hyūga Hitomi] [300 words]

[Hyūga Hitomi]

Hyūga Hitomi

Bowing her head slightly in acknowledgement of his acceptance of her counterpoint, Hitomi allowed the matter of diversifying their family tree for another time. The Byakugan might be a dominant trait, but so were other abilities out there, and who knew how it might mutate or degrade, it was definitely something to watch out for, and something that would worry clan members in both parts of the family.

That said, she wasn't about to argue against people having freedom of choice, since she'd had very little of it herself until now anyway. Rights just had to be balanced by responsibilities, otherwise they'd break down pretty quickly.

She remained quiet for a moment as his offer was put forward, impassive, unsurprised but also weighing up the situation. "It won't please her much, but I have long since stopped caring about pleasing either of my parents. You'll have a lot of the elders kicking up a fuss, putting someone so young on the council, but if it were anyone I suppose I am the best choice..." she began, already considering the reactions of the older members of the Main family and the pressures it would put on her.

"My mother especially will be displeased when she realises I have absolutely no desire to see the continuation of the Caged Birds, poor woman," her lips quirked up in a slight smirk, finally giving Shigure a bit of slack, "we do need to change, that's true, and as long as you aren't trying to throw the baby out with the bathwater Snotty Shiggy-kun then we should be able to make it as painless as possible."   

With that the overly formal tone and atmosphere broke, and he'd see the girl he'd grown up with shine through again. A pause, slight hesitation, "...can I examine you? They wouldn't let me treat you after... well, after. Apparently there was concerns of malpractice as 'revenge' from a Hyūga... considering the circumstances." It had been rather insulting, but she had taken it in the spirit it had been intended, Shigure had technically murdered the clan head, and the possibility of someone getting revenge for Urashi was not 0%.

Word Count: 359
Tags: Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"a sit in the council". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." EXAMINATION Shigure chuckled softly with her words and then he shrugged when she mentioned the elders would be kicking up a fuss with someone so young on the council. "They will already be trained in getting used to young people in charge. I'm younger than you, after all." he stated as he widened his smirk, as he felt a little bit of joy at the fact that the elders had to bite their tongue in that regard. And when Hitomi followed up to mention how much her mother would be displeased with her views on the caged bird seal and the branch, Shigure knew then that his choice had been the correct one. Then, when she called him by an old nickname she had for him, he chuckled once more shaking his head. "I haven't heart that in quite a long time." he said, feeling a good hit of nostalgia. As the two would grow more at ease now, she would then drop something he wasn't expecting: she wanted to examine him. After a brief hesitation, caused more by surprise at the request rather than anything else, he would nod. "Sure. I feel like I made a full recover, but you can still see the traces of the many bruises with your Byakugan, I'm sure." he said as he took a few steps to approach her and then removed his haori, and undressed the upper part of his kimono. And added to the many scars the man already carried there, and almost invisible to the naked eye, the circle bruises around almost every tenketsu in his body was still visible. Whoever had treated him did a good job. A rough one, but they saved him from having any sequalae from his injuries. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hyuuga District Leader's quarters [Hyūga Hitomi] [294 words]

[Hyūga Hitomi]

Hyūga Hitomi

"You do remember I don't need you to strip to examine you, right? Honestly, you finally put on some muscle and you can't wait to show it off," she teased, shaking her head at the man. Silently the veins around her eyes bulged as Hitomi took in Shigure's form, her sight scanning the man for injury and damage at such a close level that few in the clan could claim similar capabilities. She frowned slightly as she noticed areas where she might have been able to fix him more effectively, along with knots of scar tissue and bruising around his tenketsu. Really, it took a Hyūga to heal one who had been attacked by a Hyūga, few others could properly fix the injuries caused by the Gentle Fist. 

"Well, it seems that whoever put you back together did the best they could, but before you go gallavanting off into more trouble, you're going to need at least one more session with me. I don't like the way your chakra is flowing in a few spots, and couple of your tenketsu don't look so great." They weren't areas that a regular medic could really pick up on, nor were they issues that any old Hyūga could really notice, but Hitomi had been treating her kin for over a decade and been the Main family's chief medic for at least half that time. There was a reason for that, and it wasn't nepotism.

Sighing slightly, she scanned the area to make sure there were no clan members too close, but it seemed her guards were keeping their distance and making sure others were doing the same.

"Hideki and I have done as much as we can within the compound to solidify not just your position as the new head, but also the viewpoints I figured you would be pushing for. We've also had quite a few clansmen express their thoughts and concerns to us, from both sections of the family, so I have to ask, what are your plans? Obviously the abolishment of the Caged Bird and a merging of the clan into a more unified and equal structure, but beyond that, what are you thinking? I was only able to make an educated guess." Her eyes returned to normal as she gave him a serious look. She'd rather have a good picture now and them to be on the same page before ever meeting as part of the clan council. While it might actually be beneficial for them to be seen disagreeing in council meetings, she would much rather that those disagreements be planned, rather than surprise one or both of them.

It was going to be a difficult balancing act for them to manage the changes without too much turmoil, but as one of Konoha's most graceful clans... well, surely they could manage it.

Word Count: 474
Tags: Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"a sit in the council". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." PLANS Shigure laughed at her comment and then shrugged. "Well... I didn't know what you need for the examination. But... Well, I'm not a scrawny boy anymore." he teased her back, shaking his head. After assessing his situation for a bit, she would say that his immediate treatment had been decent, but not perfect. He couldn't really complain much about it; Wahei had done what he could in the short time that he had, and Shigure went back to activity as soon as his body was functional. The new head of the clan would nod when she mentioned that she needed at least one more session with her. "Just tell me when, and I will be there." he added. The woman would then continue to say that Hideki and herself had done what they could to solidify Shigure's position within the clan, and what they thought his viewpoints were. With that said, she wanted to know what his plans were, mentioning the obvious abolishment of the caged bird system and the merging with the clan. His Byakugan would then activate, so he could scan the area, and also making sure the guards were far enough, he would sigh, deactivating the doujutsu. "I suspect there is serious unrest within the clan, and that I will face some inner fighting, so I'm investigating the rumors. Once that has been pacified, I intend on focusing our efforts into learning more about the caged bird seal, and try to find a way to remove it, or weaken it." he started, pausing for a moment so she could make any comment she saw fit. "I am also working towards making sure the branch can learn our techniques, and master the Gentle Fist. With most Hyuuga members knowing how to use our kekkei genkai to the fullest, the strongest we will be as a clan. And the Village will benefit intensely from that. To show my good faith, I'm also studying and learning the Hakkyokuken." he revealed. Hakkyokuken was a special style designed for the guards of the branch house, so they could be efficient even though they didn't know most techniques of the Gentle Fist. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hyuuga District Leader's quarters [Hyūga Hitomi] [362 words]

[Hyūga Hitomi]

Hyūga Hitomi

Listening as the man outlined his current thoughts, Hitomi couldn't help but think it was either very much a skeleton of his real plans, or not fully fleshed out yet. To be fair, he had only recently recovered from an intense beating, so it wasn't too much of a surprise if he hadn't gotten too far within his 'to do list' just yet.

"I see," she began, mulling over her words for a moment, "there are a few major points of concern to consider, if you are willing to hear them now, even just in brief." Here she waited, gathering her thoughts and considering not just what she had seen and been told, but her own ideas that had been sitting and stewing for as long as she was by Urashi's side watching the man run the clan.

Assuming Shigure gave her the go ahead, she would begin, her Byakugan remaining active to ensure there were no eavesdroppers around while they spoke. "In terms of internal resistance, there will of course be those who simply do not agree with changing the status quo. The largest number of these will likely be our older members... and not just from the Main Family, the Branch Elders may have at least a few who are so accustom to the current situation that the thought of change scares them. There will be those, like my parents, who simply believe in their own superiority and cannot imagine a world where they are not special in any way."

Here she sighed, her attention turning to the house she had grown up in. Not home, not for a long time. Her mother was there, though she could not see Father anywhere, he must have been out of the village.

"Resistance will also come from those who are scared that you are going to tear down everything that makes us Hyūga, our traditions, our cultural habits and beliefs. Should you go too harshly, using a scythe where scissors would be more appropriate, you will likely find more pushback than if the changes are relatively small, gradual, and respectful of our past." That concern was a larger one amongst the wider clan, at least as far as she had heard, and could lead to a much greater conflict between clan members if it wasn't addressed.

Shifting her attention elsewhere in the compound, Hitomi paused, waiting for Shigure to either continue on these points, or permit her to continue what she was already considering to be a lengthy verbal report on her understanding of their circumstances and her suggestions for the future. He wanted her on the council, so she would give him counsel now, so that when the full group met there was no unexpected division between them.

Word Count: 459
Tags: Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"a sit in the council". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." GRADUAL CHANGES Shigure would nod to Hitomi when she asked if he was willing to hear her out. "Of course, that's why I want you in the council after all." he reassured her, and once that was said, the woman would start to lay out her points of concern. Yes, there would always be the ones who wouldn't like changes just because they were changes, and that was particularly true with the older members of the clan, and that would include some branch members, even though those were a minority among their ranks; the branch resented the seal too much, so Shigure had that going on for him. The fear of losing their identity as a Hyuuga was also a very valid concerned, and one that bothered him a lot. Yes, he wanted people to be free as human beings, but he was also proud of his bloodline and clan, and that was why he wanted it to be better for all its members. Going too harshly, however, was detrimental and he was aware of that. Her suggestion of implementing the changes more gradually was an interesting one, and Shigure nodded. "More than fair points. And I agree with you. Of course I would like to snap my fingers and have everything changes, but I know that is not realistic. So... For now, I moved on to forbid the use of the cursed seal, and I'm reforming the district to be more equal. I'm selecting some members of the branch to whom I will teach the Gentle Fist properly, but not all of them, not yet. But that is a more long term goal. Other than that... I want to make sure to weed out the ones who are fueling the flames of rebellion. But those are the steps I'm taking for now, and until we know things are more stable. What do you think?" he asked her. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hyuuga District Leader's quarters [Hyūga Hitomi] [320 words]

[Hyūga Hitomi]

Hyūga Hitomi

Hitomi listened quietly as Shigure spoke, glad that he was taking her points seriously. It was easy to get caught up on how things 'should' be and not realise that you were causing damage in an attempt to do so. "Those seem like reasonable first steps. I don't think there is anyone we wish to have on our side who will disagree with the banning of the caged bird," the older Hyūga said, her hands smoothing down over her lap, "that said, we will need to find or develop a seal that achieves the same protection for the Byakugan before we remove the current seal. As disgusting as the caged bird seal is, it still did protect the majority of the clan's eyes from being taken. We need something that can replace that, for total protection. Individuals such as the two of us would have to have such a seal applied to us in front of the clan of course, in a show of good faith."

It was a tricky situation, but if they could get something with the benefits of protecting their eyes, while removing the whole 'torture' part of it, that would be best. It would definitely require a lot of trust to get applied to the whole clan as well, for obvious reasons.

"The other thing that will need to be considered is the development of a new hierarchy, one that works on merit rather than by quirk of birth," Hitomi stated, a thoughtful look on her face, "with as many of us as there are, we will need some layers of respect and authority to replace those that were taken up by the main family. Not a high priority, but something to consider to help keep order." If the clan was smaller, they could probably manage with just a Clan head, council, and elders, but they were practically a small village themselves so they would need to consider that.

Word Count: 323
Tags: Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"a sit in the council". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." SEAL AND SITS Hitomi was not opposed to the abolishing of the caged bird seal, but she was rightfully concerned with the protection of the Byakugan. As much as they disliked it, it was effective, and that was the main reason it remained in use for so many generations. Her suggestion was something Shigure had thought about as well, and he hoped it was something possible. "I am willing to invest resources, both financial and human ones, in order to study the seal and find a way to alter it, so that it can remain as a protection of the Byakugan, but not as a tool of intimidation and control. And if we are able to accomplish that, it is something that I would like to see implemented on all of us. That way our Kekkei Genkai would be safe. Still... I'm not sure we are going to be able to come up with that. Hirohito is our fuinjutsu specialist, and he seem hesitant on giving me a good prospect." he sighed, folding his arms in front of his chest. "I don't want to seek help from other clans in this matter, but we may not have a choice. Maybe the Uzumaki could help..." Shigure mused, knowing just how good with fuinjutsu they were. The other issue Hitomi brought up was the hierarchy and Shigure nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Merit, not birth, should be the determinant factor in someone's ascension within the ranks of the clan. And that is part of the reason why I want to expand the number of sits in the council, and reserve the new spots, at least for this round, for prominent members of the branch house. This should already give them the idea that we are seriously seeking equality, and with a bigger council, we will be able to better manage the clan." he added. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." Hyuuga District Leader's quarters [Hyūga Hitomi] [313 words]