Naruto: The Primal Hyuga Pierces the Shinobi World

Seemingly sensing that someone was observing him, Shinichi Hyuga slightly turned his head and looked in Kushina's direction. Noticing Shinichi's gaze, Kushina's face revealed a gentle smile.

Shinichi wasn't embarrassed by being stared at. He glanced at the shallow teacup in front of Kushina, then scooped some tea from the jar and poured it for her.

"What a good child! I will definitely raise my child to be like this in the future!"

Kushina bowed slightly to Shinichi, then unconsciously took Minato's arm and leaned against him. She had some secrets she couldn't wait to share with Minato, but she forgot what the occasion was.

"Lord Kushina and Lord Minato have such a wonderful relationship!"

"How enviable!"

Hyuga Shin nodded with a smile, and Minato smiled generously in return. He then gently put his arm around his wife and comforted her, "Kushina, are you tired? We'll go back as soon as we finish talking."

Shin and Riji quickly exchanged a glance, and Riji promptly chimed in:

"Sandaime-sama, Yondaime-sama."

"Our Hyuga clan will definitely give our full support to this matter."

"This is no longer just about the safety of Lady Kushina; it concerns the safety of the village, and the Hyuga family has an inescapable responsibility."

"I wonder... how many ninjas from our Hyuga clan will be needed to assist the Hokage's direct ANBU?"

Hiashi readily agreed. Such escort missions were nothing special for the Hyuga clan's ninjas. He had great confidence in the abilities of his clan's ninjas and was sure they could greatly assist the Hokage.

On the one hand, the task was "not difficult," and on the other hand, Hiashi felt that this was a good opportunity to build a deeper friendship with the Minato couple.

Although the Hyuga clan doesn't need to cater to anyone's wishes within Konoha, maintaining a good relationship with the Hokage can still bring them many benefits.

"Thank you very much for Mr. Rizumi's help."

"Because it is a secret production, if the guard team is too large, the target will also become larger."

"Therefore, the Third Generation and I plan to keep the total number of guards under forty people and divide them into eight squads."

"If possible, we hope that the Hyuga clan can send eight elite ninjas who are skilled in using the Byakugan to assist us."

Seeing Hiashi's quick agreement, Minato Namikaze began to address him more affectionately, changing from "Chief Hiashi" to "Mr. Hiashi".

"Eight people..."

Hiashi knew very well what Minato meant by "elite ninja." To be recognized as an elite by someone like Minato, one must probably be a Jonin.

Although, due to the Byakugan, any ninja in the Hyuga clan who can awaken their Byakugan can at least become a Chunin, and a large number of clan members who can awaken their Byakugan can even obtain the title of Special Jonin.

However, even within the Hyuga clan, there are very few true Jonin.

If eight Jonin are mobilized at once, the main clan's guard force will be much weaker.

However... since he had already agreed, there was no reason to go back on his word at this point. After a moment's thought, Hiashi nodded in agreement and began to quickly select suitable candidates in his mind.

Serving as Kushina's protector during childbirth was a good thing for the clan. Not only would it give them a chance to show their faces in front of the Hokage, but if they did well, they could even leave a good impression on him.

Although the fate of the Hyuga branch family is closely tied to that of the main family, members of the branch family can still make a name for themselves in Konoha by relying on their achievements and abilities, and the main family does not restrict them in this regard.

Meanwhile, in the short time it took to discuss things with Minato Namikaze, Hiashi had already decided on several of the people to participate in this mission.

The saying goes, "Don't let the good stuff go to outsiders." Even among branches of the same family, there are still varying degrees of closeness or distance in the relationship with the main family.

"Fourth Hokage, the Hyuga clan will definitely give our full support to this mission."

"I will select the Hyuga clan ninjas to participate in this mission as soon as possible. At that time, my younger brother Hyuga Hizashi will lead the other seven Hyuga ninjas to meet you."

"They will certainly do their best to protect your wife and will not let you down."

Hyuga Hizashi, the ninja mentioned by Hiashi, was recognized by both Hokage present. He was one of the most outstanding ninjas of the middle generation of the Hyuga clan, and his name had already spread on the battlefield of the Third Shinobi World War.

During the Third Shinobi World War, the Hyuga clan experienced a major incident where their bloodline limit was leaked. In order to retrieve the Byakugan that had been taken by Kirigakure, the Hyuga clan formed an elite force to hunt down the ninja named Ao. The person who led this mission was Hyuga Hizashi.

Although the mission to retrieve the Byakugan failed, Hizashi killed many well-known Kirigakure ninja on behalf of the Hyuga clan, thus coming to the attention of the Konoha leadership.

Upon hearing that Hiashi intended for his younger brother to be in charge of the escort mission, Minato and the Third Hokage felt the Hyuga clan's sincerity and the importance they placed on the mission. After exchanging a glance, smiles appeared on both of their faces.

"Will Hyuga Hizashi lead the team?"

"Then I can rest assured."

"Mr. Hiashi, please take care of Kushina's matter. If there is anything the Hyuga family needs my help with in the future, I will do my best to assist them as long as it is within my power."

With a smile, Minato made his promise to the Hyuga clan. Although the Hokage and the Hyuga clan should have a subordinate relationship, due to the Hyuga clan's special status, Minato still gave Hiashi a level of courtesy that ordinary ninjas could hardly imagine.

The essence of intimate relationships is "you bother me, I bother you".

While Minato's individual strength was undeniable, his background meant that his foundation as Hokage was still relatively shallow. Even after he became the Fourth Hokage, the Third Hokage and the elders of Konoha still had a significant influence on his various policies.

Behind these people are the Sarutobi clan, the Shimura clan, and even the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, among other Konoha ninja clans.

Minato had a thorough understanding of Konoha's power structure, and he also needed to cultivate and win over the ninja clans that could help him. Winning over Hiashi Hyuga was also an important political tactic.

When Hiashi heard Minato say this, he was secretly pleased, but he politely replied:

"It's too formal to say such things. It's all for the village, and this is what we should do."

As they spoke, Hiashi and Minato exchanged a glance and then smiled knowingly. Sometimes, communication between intelligent people is actually very effortless.

During the tea ceremony, the Konoha leadership and the Hyuga clan reached a consensus. Afterwards, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Minato couple did not linger. After finishing their tea, they left the Hyuga clan under the pretext that Kushina was tired.

Hiashi led Shinichi Hyuga and Shinichi Hyuga to see the group off at the entrance of the clan compound. After watching them leave, he returned to the house.

................

Chapter 6: Redeeming the Promise? Target: Flying Thunder God!

After seeing off the Third and Fourth Hokage and their spouses, Hiashi, leading Shinichi Hyuga back to the house, seemed to have some thoughts of teaching them.

After returning to the house, Hiashi did not let Shinichi leave, but instead said:

"Your behavior was quite proper when you first met the Third and Fourth Hokage. You are worthy of being my son, Hiashi Hyuga."

"Tell me, what are your impressions and thoughts on these two Hokage?"

The ability to read people is a crucial skill for ninjas. When on a mission, ninjas who can read people are often able to avoid more danger and have a higher survival rate.

Moreover, Shinichi was being groomed by the Japanese as their successor, making his ability to judge character even more crucial.

"We only met once, and the information we gathered was far too little."

Shinichi shook his head in reply. Before Hiashi could show any disappointment, Shinichi changed the subject and continued:

"However, you can also see some things."

"The Third Hokage appeared mature and amiable, but during the conversation, the Fourth Hokage's words and gaze were subtly focused on the Third Hokage."

"It's hard to imagine that the Fourth Hokage is from our Konoha Village; he looks more like the Third Hokage's nephew or son?"

"However, although the Fourth Hokage was respectful to the Third Hokage in every way, he was not without his own ideas."

"The promise he made to you, Father, before he left must have been the signal he was sending."

"Although I can't analyze their personalities, I think their relationship isn't as close as it appears."

Hiashi's original intention was simply to ask his son about his first impressions of the two Hokage, but he never expected to hear such words from Shinichi.

Staring blankly at Shinichi Hyuga, Hiashi's expression froze on his face.

After a long while, Hiashi Hyuga suddenly came to his senses, squatted down abruptly, and grabbed Shinichi's arm, his emotions running high: "You just figured all of this out?!"

"Any more?"

Hyuga Shinichi's ninja talent had already deeply impressed Hiashi, but not all talents are the same. Just like the current head of the Nara clan, Nara Shikaku has political wisdom far beyond ordinary people, but his ninjutsu talent is only average.

He never imagined that his exceptionally talented son would also be so perceptive in judging people.

"Father, what else would you like to know?"

"If you ask me for my opinion on this whole matter, I think it is a rare opportunity for our Hyuga clan."

"Didn't the Fourth Hokage promise to help the Hyuga clan as much as possible?"

"In my opinion, we should take this opportunity to make some harmless requests and ask the Fourth Hokage for his help."

"In this way, our Hyuga family and the Fourth Hokage naturally established a good cooperative relationship, and our two families can visit each other more often in the future."

Upon hearing Shinichi's words, Hiashi's excitement subsided.

Well... a child is still a child. Although Shinichi has some ability to judge people, that's all he can do!

However, Hiashi felt no disappointment. Instead, he straightened up and gently patted Shinichi's head, offering some "guidance": "You are indeed smart, but you still have a lot to learn!"

"To judge a person, look at their heart; to listen to what they say, listen to the underlying meaning."

"The Fourth Hokage said he would help the Hyuga clan as much as possible, but it was just empty talk."

"Even if the Fourth Generation really does help us as much as he says, are we just going to waste such a precious opportunity like this?"

"Wouldn't it be better to ask him for help when our Hyuga clan really encounters some difficulties?"

Hiashi smiled and said to Shinichi Hyuga, secretly enjoying the pleasure of educating his son.

No matter who you are, everyone has a tendency to be a know-it-all. Some people in modern times like to "point fingers" even when they're driving or playing games. Hijikata is actually that kind of person, especially in front of his son.

"No, Father, if you understand it that way, then you are completely wrong."

Shinichi shook his head, clearly having a different opinion from Hiashi.

"Judging from the way you and the Fourth Hokage addressed each other during the tea ceremony, the personal relationship between our Hyuga family and the Fourth Hokage should not be considered very deep."