Chapter 149: “neji, Have You Betrayed The Hyuga Clan?” Orochimaru’s Ambition!
“Father, the one who died was just a Branch Family Elder. The Hyuga Branch Family doesn’t have only him as an elder. Just because of his death, does Father have to temporarily go into hiding?”
Inside the Hyuga Clan Compound.
The eldest son of Main Family Elder Hyuga Jin Fu had a face full of indignant unfairness as he kept grumbling in front of Father.
He muttered incessantly: “If it were ten or twenty years ago, before there was this so-called absolute justice, would there be any need to go into hiding over something like this?”
“That old guy Hyuga Yokogari did something he shouldn’t have. Trying to crack the Caged Bird Seal is a great taboo for their Branch Family.”
“He committed a grave error and paid the due price—what’s wrong with that? Besides, he was just unlucky; his illness relapsed, that’s all.”
Beside him, Hyuga Jin Fu’s second son also said: “Father, Uchiha Ikeizumi should be reasonable, right? He claims to uphold justice, and rules are justice. In our Hyuga Clan, family rules are naturally justice too. Even if he intervenes, by the rules, he should stand on our side, isn’t that right?”
Hyuga Jin Fu rubbed his brow and said to his second son: “You’ve been handling the Hyuga Clan’s business operations outside Konoha and only returned to the village a few days ago. You don’t know that little guy Uchiha Ikeizumi well enough.”
Hyuga Jin Fu exhaled a turbid breath, his wrinkled old face etched with deep wariness.
“The stance his「absolute justice」 stands on isn’t the stance of rules from any place. His stance is only his own.”
“He’s an extremely radical Uchiha. He won’t listen to anyone’s advice, and he’s extremely stubborn and self-willed.”
“Most crucially…”
“He’s also very strong!”
This was the most important point. That Uchiha Ikeizumi possessed the power to easily take Hyuga Jin Fu’s life, which was why he heeded Hyuga Hiashi’s advice and prepared to lay low.
Even though he was already over eighty and might not have many years left to live, he still didn’t want to die early.
Besides.
What he needed was to die of old age, not to be killed by a Uchiha. And even before being killed, he might very well be pinned with the crime of “murderer.”
Punishing a Branch Family ninja who violated family rules had instead become his own fault?
What a joke!
Hyuga Jin Fu couldn’t accept it.
At the same time.
On the other side of the Hyuga Clan Compound.
After negotiating with several Branch Family Elders, Homura Mitokado found Hyuga Hiashi again and learned from him that Hyuga Jin Fu was about to leave Konoha as an account to the Branch Family.
This would also prevent Uchiha Ikeizumi from getting involved in the matter.
After all, the main culprit was leaving.
They couldn’t possibly keep holding onto other innocent Hyuga Clan members, right?
“Hiashi, is this how your Hyuga Clan handles things?” Homura Mitokado gave Hyuga Hiashi a deep look and said: “You should know this isn’t the right way to resolve it. The Hyuga Clan doing this feels more like evading reality.”
“Advisor Mitokado, this is the handling method jointly decided by us three Main Family Elders of the Hyuga Clan.”
Hyuga Hiashi sat upright and solemnly explained: “This will indeed make many Branch Family members very dissatisfied; they’ll feel like the Main Family is just brushing it off. But if we don’t do this, Main Family members will be dissatisfied.”
“Hyuga Jin Fu choosing to temporarily leave Konoha is actually like stepping away from the stage at the center of Hyuga Clan power—it’s retirement. This is the biggest concession the Main Family can make.”
Hyuga Hiashi paused, then said pointedly: “Ten or twenty years ago, it would have been impossible for the Main Family to concede to the Branch Family.”
Homura Mitokado fell silent.
He could roughly understand what Hyuga Hiashi meant—the three Main Family Elders believed that retiring one Main Family Elder was already the Main Family gritting their teeth and pinching their noses to make a concession. If the Branch Family was still dissatisfied, then those Branch Family folks were ungrateful.
And the reason the Hyuga Main Family was conceding was entirely because Uchiha Ikeizumi’s「absolute justice」 loomed over the Hyuga Clan, forcing them to “reason” with the Branch Family.
In the past…
There was no need to reason at all.
“Hiashi, I’ll say it again.” Homura Mitokado said earnestly: “Don’t let things blow up. It won’t be good for anyone.”
“Understood.”
Hyuga Hiashi nodded.
……
“Retirement is the biggest concession to the Branch Family.” Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, exhaled heavily, and murmured: “The Hyuga Clan’s rules are truly filled with decayed, outdated thinking. Those who don’t know might think we’ve gone back to before Konoha Village was founded.”
Homura Mitokado, who had somehow returned to the Hokage’s Office Building, said: “Hiruzen, are we just going to remind them? Are you sure not to intervene in the name of the Hokage?”
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head: “We can’t intervene.”
“The Hyuga Clan seems more ‘obedient’ than the Uchiha Clan and less ‘xenophobic’ than them. But their deeply rooted ideas are even more stubborn than the Uchiha Clan’s.”
“I can still cultivate Uchihas in the Uchiha Clan who are loyal to Konoha, like Shisui and Itachi. Konoha can use them to infiltrate the Uchiha Clan internally.”
“But…”
Sarutobi Hiruzen paused, then continued: “I’ve never been able to cultivate a Hyuga Main Family ninja to infiltrate the Hyuga Main Family internally. Konoha can only extend its reach to the Hyuga Branch Family, while the Hyuga Main Family is like an iron barrel—we can’t intervene no matter what.”
“If I could interfere with the Hyuga Main Family, I could force them to change some of their illogical family rules in the name of the Hokage. But after all these years, the Hyuga Clan’s family rules have never changed.”
In Sarutobi Hiruzen’s eyes, some of the Hyuga Clan’s stubborn rules were indirectly weakening Konoha’s strength.
The Caged Bird Seal restricted the growth potential of many highly talented Hyuga ninjas. And how many Hyuga Branch Family ninjas had died on the battlefield due to the Caged Bird’s flaws?
If it could be changed, he would have long ago forced the Hyuga Clan to do it.
Homura Mitokado changed the subject: “Hiruzen, one more thing. Hidden Mist rogue ninja and Rain ninja envoy Juzo Biwa abandoned the other Rain ninja envoys and seems to have left Konoha alone.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen raised an eyebrow: “He never even met with me, did he? And he’s leaving just like that?”
Homura Mitokado said: “I suspect he came to Konoha for some other purpose, not purely to represent the Rain ninjas in exchanges with Konoha.”
“And connecting it to how soon after he arrived in Konoha, he was captured by Uchiha Ikeizumi’s subordinate and taken to the Police Force.”
Homura Mitokado continued: “Maybe he came for Ikeizumi, but we don’t know his exact purpose yet.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes: “I remember Jiraiya was there when we interrogated Juzo Biwa, right?”
Homura Mitokado nodded.
“Hah! Have Jiraiya come over. He should know something.”
……
“Little Jiraiya, Uchiha Izumi probably isn’t the Child of Prophecy either.”
Looking at the Uchiha girl not far ahead who had just caught a domestic abuser, Sage Shima said from Jiraiya’s shoulder: “She has relatively correct notions of good and evil, but she seems to lack her own independent will.”
“She, who relies too much on Uchiha Ikeizumi’s「absolute justice」 as her own Ninja Way, doesn’t seem like the Child of Prophecy from Great Lord’s dream. She’s more like a puppet of「absolute justice」.”
“Moreover…”
Sage Shima shook her head: “If this child has only recently started believing in absolute justice, there’s still hope. But she’s been poisoned too deeply by this extreme justice, and her worship of Uchiha Ikeizumi has reached an irremediable level.”
“In this case, little Jiraiya, you probably can’t take her as a disciple, let alone teach her to properly change the Ninja World.”
Sage Fukasaku, standing on the other shoulder, also said: “Move on to the next one, little Jiraiya.”
Jiraiya exhaled heavily, his gaze shifting away from Uchiha Izumi.
“Next, Uchiha… uh…”
When Jiraiya took out his list of records, he paused slightly.
He took out a pen, crossed off “Uchiha Itachi” on it, and then said: “Next, Uchiha Sasuke. He’s very close to Ikeizumi, and both are clan members of the Uchiha Clan—maybe even have some blood relation.”
……
“Kakashi-senpai, should we notify the Hokage? After all, something like this happened in the Hyuga Clan, and it involves Uchiha Ikeizumi. I’m afraid the Hyuga Clan is in for trouble today.”
Yamanaka Yoshinobu, the Anbu ninja hidden in the shadows, watched the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki follow Uchiha Ikeizumi toward the Hyuga Clan, then couldn’t help whispering to Kakashi beside him.
This spot was the best place for hiding, so both Yamanaka Yoshinobu and Kakashi were standing here.
One’s mission was to monitor the Jinchuriki, the other’s to supervise the Jinchuriki.
Kakashi, with his dead fish eyes drooping, turned his gaze to Yamanaka Yoshinobu.
At this moment, silence spoke louder than words.
Yamanaka Yoshinobu: “…”
He immediately realized that as a junior Anbu, he should have taken the initiative to report to the Hokage instead of using Kakashi-senpai’s opinion as an excuse to make Kakashi-senpai run to the Hokage’s Office Building.
“I’ll go!”
He vanished with a Body Flicker.
“Hyuga Clan… Caged Bird…” Watching Uchiha Ikeizumi, Uzumaki Naruto, and others’ receding figures, Kakashi murmured: “If I remember right, that kid Neji Hyuga’s father was Hyuga Hizashi of the Branch Family, right? Meaning he’s also a child who lost his father young.”
“And I remember Hyuga Hizashi died voluntarily for the Hyuga Main Family, but the kid mistakenly thinks the Main Family forced his father to be a scapegoat. He must have associated it with today’s incident, which is why he sought help from absolute justice.”
Kakashi naturally knew some of the hidden truths from back then.
“Hah…”
For some reason, a shadow fell over his eyes.
……
Inside the Hyuga Clan Compound.
After Hyuga Jin Fu continued instructing his eldest and second sons on some important matters, he leaned on his cane and, under the guard of a Hyuga Main Family Special Jonin, prepared to temporarily leave Konoha Village.
On the road, Hyuga Jin Fu clearly noticed that many Branch Family ninjas looked at him with intense anger.
In response, he just let out a soft “heh.” This blatant mocking attitude only infuriated the Branch Family ninjas more.
Watching Hyuga Jin Fu’s retreating figure leaning on his cane, a Hyuga Branch Family ninja’s face darkened like water, his teeth nearly grinding to pieces.
“What an old bastard! That look he gave just now was clearly discriminating against us Hyuga Branch Family! He doesn’t treat our Hyuga Branch Family lives as human lives at all!”
Seeing him losing emotional control, another Branch Family ninja stepped forward and grabbed his arm.
“Calm down—he’s one of the Main Family Elders!”
“Damn it, so what if he’s a Main Family Elder? Are they the only ones allowed to lord over us? Have they forgotten we were once part of them too? Forgotten that we’re connected by blood? After getting the Caged Bird carved on us, we have to put up with the Main Family’s attitude? I don’t get it!”
“No one gets it. But… the existence of the Caged Bird dooms the Branch Family to be appendages of the Main Family. Besides, someone with a nasty personality like Hyuga Jin Fu is probably a minority in the Main Family.”
“Stop talking. If we accidentally violate family rules, that old bastard might activate the Caged Bird Seal again.”
Hearing the faint indignant discussion behind him, Hyuga Jin Fu did want to activate the Caged Bird once more.
Because he could keenly sense that a Hyuga Branch Family junior had developed killing intent toward him.
In the past, he would definitely teach the other a lesson.
Make them understand that some thoughts are ones Branch Family ninjas can’t even entertain. The Branch Family’s destiny is to protect the Main Family, even if it costs their lives. It was so in the past, is now, and will be in the future.
But.
Better not stir up extra trouble today.
But at that moment, Hyuga Jin Fu noticed the Hyuga Main Family Special Jonin protecting him beside him suddenly stopped.
He frowned and turned to look, only to see the Main Family Special Jonin staring in one direction with a face full of shock and horror.
Hyuga Jin Fu followed his gaze.
At this moment.
Hyuga Jin Fu nearly stopped breathing! The wooden cane in his hand “clattered” to the ground.
His pair of Byakugan eyes widened hugely.
A name burst uncontrollably from his mouth.
“Uchiha Ikeizumi!!!”
……
“Heh heh, killed Uchiha Itachi… interesting.” In an underground research base somewhere in Konoha, Orochimaru showed an intrigued expression, then muttered to himself: “Teacher Sarutobi, your indulgence of Uchiha Ikeizumi really makes me jealous!”
Clearly, a spy Orochimaru had newly placed in Konoha Village had passed some intelligence to him via a special technique.
Orochimaru also learned from this that both Jiraiya and Tsunade were in Konoha.
This made him click his tongue, a sinister smile curling his lips as he rasped: “Looks like the plan needs to be delayed a bit.”
He lightly moved his hand away, revealing a paper beneath it with the words “Konoha Destruction Plan Second Edition” written on it.
He crumpled the paper into a ball, and beneath it was another paper.
It read: “After killing Sarutobi Hiruzen, how to pressure Konoha’s various factions to seize control of Konoha? To borrow Konoha’s power to research the secret technique of immortality…”
Dense text was piled together, listing many questions Orochimaru hadn’t yet figured out answers to.
Orochimaru stared at it for half a second, then sealed it into a scroll.
“But Jiraiya and Tsunade aren’t my biggest obstacles.”
“The biggest obstacle is instead the container I value most.”
“Heh heh…”
“Uchiha Ikeizumi, you’re becoming more and more of a thorn in my side!”
His smile grew even colder.
And filled with dangerous killing intent.
……
“Orochimaru doesn’t get along with many in the Akatsuki organization. Though I’m just a rookie in the Akatsuki, I can occasionally tell who’s the most out-of-place among them.”
Juzo Biwa, carrying the Executioner’s Blade, said: “Obviously, Orochimaru is that out-of-place member.”
Juzo Biwa’s mouth was getting dry from talking; normally, he was the coldest one in the group.
But.
After discovering someone even colder than him, he couldn’t stand this eerily silent atmosphere anymore.
“Why won’t you say a word?” Juzo Biwa couldn’t help saying: “Don’t tell me you’re not interested in Orochimaru. I’ve heard what he’s done. In your absolute justice view, he must be on your must-kill list, right?”
“Your intel has no value.” The Wood Style Clone said indifferently: “Better say something I don’t know.”
Juzo Biwa: “…”
Embarrassingly, as an Akatsuki member, he found that the Akatsuki intel he had was indeed less than what Uchiha Ikeizumi knew, making him feel like the outsider instead.
“You…”
Just as Juzo Biwa was about to say something, he suddenly sniffed a trace of bloody killing intent, his pupils contracting sharply like pins.
Juzo Biwa quickly drew the Executioner’s Blade and blocked in front of him.
Cling!
Cling!
Cling!
Three shuriken from who-knows-where all struck the flat of the Executioner’s Blade, sparking three faint bursts of fire.
“Tch!” Juzo Biwa’s gaze turned cold as he warned the Wood Style Clone beside him: “Someone’s targeting us. Or rather, me. It shouldn’t be Uchiha Obito or those two humanoid creatures—if it were them, I might already be hurt.”
As soon as he spoke, layers of white mist suddenly rose around them, the thick fog making Juzo Biwa grin.
“Ha! I know who it is now…”
“Hidden Mist Village blood mist ninjas! Looks like they want to eliminate a rogue ninja.”
“Hey!”
Juzo Biwa suddenly thought of something important: “You’re just his Wood Style Clone—I’m not supposed to split my attention to protect you, am I?”
“No need.”
The moment the Wood Style Clone uttered those two short words, it instantly drew the ninja sword from its waist and effortlessly parried a sharp kunai flying from a tricky angle.
……
Cling—
The kunai stabbed deeply into the ground, less than ten centimeters in front of Hyuga Jin Fu’s feet. If it had shifted forward just a bit, it probably would have pierced right through his foot.
Hyuga Jin Fu looked up fearfully at Uchiha Ikeizumi ahead.
His frail, aged body couldn’t help retreating a step.
“How is this possible…”
He had clearly immediately restricted all Hyuga Clan ninjas inside the Hyuga Clan Compound, preventing Branch Family ninjas from dragging Uchiha Ikeizumi in and giving him more time to withdraw from Konoha.
But why…
Did Uchiha Ikeizumi still appear? And right at the moment he, Hyuga Jin Fu, stepped out the door!
Wait!
“Neji Hyuga!!!”
Hyuga Jin Fu suddenly spotted Neji Hyuga following behind Uchiha Ikeizumi, and beside Neji Hyuga, another Hyuga Clan Branch Family junior—this… seemed to be the grandson of Branch Family Elder Hyuga Yokogari who died last night!
He understood.
He instantly realized.
—Neji Hyuga and Hyuga Yokogari’s grandson had teamed up to inform Uchiha Ikeizumi about this!
Hyuga Jin Fu’s old face took on an extremely colorful expression.
There was anger and fury toward Neji, and shock and fear at seeing Uchiha Ikeizumi. Though he was a Hyuga Main Family Elder, facing Uchiha Ikeizumi directly left him without any confidence or sense of safety.
“Neji Hyuga, did you betray Elder Jin Fu?!”
At this time.
The Main Family Special Jonin responsible for protecting Hyuga Jin Fu incredulously scolded Neji: “Do you know what you’re doing? The Branch Family’s destiny is to guard the Main Family! But what you’re doing now is plotting against a Main Family Elder!”
“What is your status in the Hyuga Clan? What generation are you? Didn’t your father teach you before he died, as a Hyuga Branch Family ninja, how to selflessly protect the Hyuga Clan?”
Neji Hyuga, who had been expressionless, showed a flicker of hatred on his young face upon hearing this.
Neji took a deep breath.
Once, he believed that being trapped in destiny was inescapable.
Until he personally witnessed how Uchiha Ikeizumi used overwhelmingly powerful strength to make the entire Hyuga Clan bow their heads.
That very witnessing sparked a rebellious thought in the formerly sealed heart of Neji— the destiny and cage the Main Family imposed on the Branch Family could be broken!
And after he proactively learned about absolute justice, Neji realized a truth in his heart—the Hyuga Main Family binding the Branch Family with the Caged Bird was unjust in itself!
Neji didn’t know the deeper meaning of the Caged Bird; he only knew from what he’d seen and heard that Branch Family ninjas suffered oppression and pain because of it.
The Caged Bird Seal made every Branch Family ninja unable to breathe.
Not even daring to entertain thoughts of resistance.
Once.
Father had only shown a trace of dissatisfied killing intent toward Miss Hinata, and without even thinking of acting on it, Hyuga Hiashi had decisively activated the Caged Bird Seal on him.
“So-called selfless protection—does it mean generation after generation acting as scapegoats for the Main Family, generation after generation imprisoned in a cage, like a bird that can never fly out?”
Neji gritted his teeth and slowly removed the bandages from his forehead.
Boldly revealing the Caged Bird Seal.
“I’m not here to lecture your Main Family on family rules.” Neji turned to the Hyuga Branch Family junior beside him: “It was this guy who killed your grandfather, right?”
“…Yeah.”
The Hyuga Branch Family junior nodded weakly.
Neji exhaled, gritted his teeth: “I’m here to demand justice for the Branch Family Elder you killed! What right do you have to take his life? Are the lives of us Hyuga Clan Branch Family members just consumables in your Main Family’s eyes?”
He paused, then said firmly: “And I firmly believe Uchiha’s absolute justice will judge every evildoer! It will seek justice for the innocent, letting them rest in peace in the Pure Land.”
……
……
