Naruto: Starting from the Reincarnation of the Otsutsuki.

"Hizashi, lead the team to investigate the secret vault. Make sure you find traces of the murderer!"

"Yes!"

Hyuga Hizashi accepted the order and hurriedly left with the branch family members present.

Silence returned to the meeting room, with only a few elders of the clan who knew the inside story remaining, all with solemn expressions.

"Hiashi, where is that kid Hyuga Seiran?"

Hyuga Higo suddenly spoke, stopping Hyuga Hiashi, who was about to report to the Hokage.

"Qinglan?" Hyuga Hiashi paused, a terrifying thought suddenly popping into his head, and he turned sharply to look at Hyuga Higo.

"You mean... this might have been Qinglan's doing?"

"This possibility cannot be ruled out."

Higo Hyuga said calmly, "After all, he's from a branch family and was the first person to come into contact with that scroll."

"Moreover, he might have already seen the entire scroll..."

"Unlikely."

"When Qinglan handed over the scroll, the seal was intact, and the age and material of the scroll could not be faked."

"Most importantly, if he has seen this scroll and can still hand it over to us safely..."

"That means this kid is far too cunning."

Hiashi Hyuga waved his hand and continued to explain, "Besides, Qinglan handed over the scroll a few days ago and then, under the Hokage's arrangement, went to the front lines to escort supplies..."

But as he finished speaking, his voice grew softer and softer.

After handing in the scroll, he left the village.

Immediately afterwards, Elder Tianyun died.

Hiashi Hyuga frowned more and more, but he still refused to believe that it was Hiashi Hyuga who did it.

If he were to guess, the chances of Shimura Danzo being the murderer would be higher than those of Aoran.

After all, Qinglan has been dutiful and responsible all these years, and even though she has suffered the pain of being a caged bird, she has never complained.

"Elders, let's deal with the matter at hand first..."

The group exchanged glances and nodded in unison to Hiashi Hyuga.

.......

"Phew... the situation at the front is really not good."

Ebisu wiped the sweat from his forehead, the rainwater mixing with the sweat as he wiped it away.

He looked up at Hinata Aoran walking ahead, his tone carrying a hint of relief: "Captain Aoran, shall we go for a barbecue later?"

“After all, if it weren’t for Captain Qinglan, we would have had to put in a lot more effort for this mission,” he said, turning to look at Genma Shiranui behind him, who was holding a senbon needle and looking nonchalant. “Don’t you think so, Genma?”

"Well said."

Genma Shiranui moved the senbon from the corner of his mouth in a different direction and lazily responded.

"If it weren't for the captain's Byakugan, the Iwagakure ambush team would probably have succeeded. Those guys were pretty good at hiding."

Hinata Seiran smiled slightly but did not reply.

His pace was neither fast nor slow; raindrops fell on his straw hat, sliding down the edge and weaving a hazy curtain of rain in front of him.

This mission is to escort a batch of military supplies from the capital of the Land of Fire to the front line of Iwagakure.

Originally, it was just a B-rank mission, and he was only brought in by Genma Shiranui and Ebisu to make up the numbers.

Unexpectedly, they encountered a group of Iwagakure ninja on the way, thus upgrading the B-rank mission to an A-rank mission.

However, this is exactly what Hinata Seiran meant.

"Let's be careful with the reward for the mission."

"As for the barbecue, maybe next time."

Hinata Seiran looked up at the towering gates of Konoha not far away, and the guards who were braving the rain to strictly check people coming in and out, and couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Let's go, the timing should be just right."

Chapter 5 A Life of Many Misfortunes

"Lord Hokage, you must investigate this thoroughly this time!"

"Last time on the battlefield in Kirigakure, the Byakugan was taken by Kirigakure, and my Hyuga clan, considering the bigger picture, did not pursue the matter."

"But this time, the Hyuga clan will absolutely not sit idly by!"

Hiashi Hyuga recounted the entire story of how the Byakugan was stolen, each word spoken with conviction and conviction.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, with a pipe dangling from his lips, frowned more and more deeply amidst the swirling smoke.

What does it mean that "the Hyuga clan, considering the bigger picture, did not pursue the matter"?

He remembered it clearly: the Hyuga main family, in order to gain merit in battle, disobeyed orders and took their branch family guards deep into enemy territory for reconnaissance. As a result, they fell into the Kirigakure's trap, were wiped out, and had their Byakugan stolen.

There might be someone sabotaging things here.

However, in Hiruzen Sarutobi's view, the defeat in the Hidden Mist battlefield was more a consequence of the Hyuga clan's own actions.

What he found even more unsettling was that, in order to save face for the Hyuga clan, the village argued for the return of the Byakugan, but the Hyuga clan themselves intervened and suppressed the village's decision.

If it were an Uchiha whose Sharingan was stolen...

So, is it a fight to the death?

Hiruzen Sarutobi gazed intently at Hiashi Hyuga, his eyes holding an indescribable meaning.

And now... it's the Hyuga clan causing trouble again.

During the celebration, the Elder of the Secret Treasury was killed, leading to the theft of the White Eye.

"A family that puts itself above the interests of the village..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed silently, but ultimately ordered martial law to be declared in the village.

Regardless, the Hyuga is one of the most prestigious families in Konoha.

The theft of the bloodline limit in the village, regardless of whether it was caused by Hyuga himself, the village must take it seriously.

Moreover... this incident itself demonstrates the village's current lack of defense.

"Rizu."

Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly opened his mouth, interrupting Hiashi Hyuga's impassioned speech.

"You should understand the village's current situation..."

"Isn't the Hyuga clan a bit too laid-back?"

"I..."

Hiashi Hyuga opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

He was well aware of Konoha's current predicament.

A thousand Iwagakure infiltrators invaded the Land of Fire, just after the Battle of Kannabi Bridge.

After the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were crippled by Might Guy, Kirigakure is preparing for a comeback.

Yunyin occasionally harasses the border.

Meanwhile, Sunagakure has closed itself off from the country and disappeared without a trace; no one knows what they are planning.

But what about the Hyuga clan?

All the ninjas who were removed from the front-line missions were recalled, and a grand celebration was held.

Hiashi Hyuga, of course, couldn't bring himself to say the real reason.

But in the eyes of the Third Hokage, wasn't this just blatant cowardice?

"It's good that you understand this principle."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, and looked at the drizzling rain outside.

"The village will investigate the matter of the Hyuga clan and reassign the remaining ninjas to their posts."

"But..."

“Hiashi,” Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around, his gaze as calm as a deep pool, revealing no ripples.

"As the head of one of the top clans in Konoha, staying in the village for too long... might give rise to gossip."

"Clan Chief Fugaku of the Uchiha clan has been constantly traveling between various battlefields, even taking his four-year-old son to the front lines..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't finish his sentence; he simply looked quietly at Hiashi Hyuga.

Hiashi Hyuga was jolted, clearly realizing how inappropriate his actions had been lately.

Ever since receiving Qinglan's scroll, he had been overwhelmed with excitement.

Despite repeated urging from the front lines, he kept putting it off, instead throwing a grand celebration in the village, indulging in the fantasy of the Hyuga clan's imminent rise to power.