Naruto: From Capturing the Main Clan to Becoming the Mastermind

Chapter 6 Are you doubting Orochimaru?

"The atmosphere in the village has been strange lately."

"Who can argue with that? Even though the battle with Kumogakure has ended, there's absolutely no joy in the village."

At night, two patrolling ninjas chatted idly.

Because many Uchiha clan ninjas went to the battlefield, the security force was short-handed, so ninjas like them who had free time were temporarily transferred to the security force.

"You're the one who retired from the Cloud Hidden battlefield, right? I remember the Yellow Flash was over there."

"That's right, the Cloud Village's AB combination is really strong. If it weren't for Lord Minato, the Cloud Village battlefield would probably have collapsed."

"But things are better now. The Third Raikage was killed by Iwagakure, and the Kishimoto brothers couldn't break through Minato's defenses, so they had no choice but to lead their troops in retreat, which greatly reduces the pressure on the village."

"Will Lord Minato be supporting other battlefields next? Is the war going to end because of one person?"

"Lord Minato is just that powerful."

The middle-aged ninja who had retreated from the front lines looked on with admiration.

"You really are..."

The other ninja smiled and shook his head, when suddenly a smell wafted over, and his expression changed drastically. "The smell of blood?"

The two exchanged a glance and began their serious search.

Ultimately, the two found the body in a corner of the house.

The corpse lying in the pool of blood had long black hair, and its clothes bore the Hyuga clan crest. The eye sockets that once held Byakugan were now empty.

Because of his death, the caged bird automatically disrupted his nerves and white eyes.

"It's Hyuga Akemi, he's a Jonin from the Hyuga branch family... I'll clean up the scene, you report to the Hokage immediately!" the middle-aged ninja said solemnly.

"good!"

……

Inside the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was complex.

"Hyuga Akimi, this is the third case this month, and this time it's a Jonin..."

"Someone is using caged birds to hunt down Hyuga branch family ninjas."

Danzo, whom he had summoned, said calmly, "Although there is no evidence, the previous two attacks were by genin, so the attackers themselves may not be very strong."

"He managed to kill a Jonin so suddenly without causing a commotion... Only a caged bird could do that."

"According to the investigation, the external injuries that Hinata suffered were not fatal, were they?"

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his gaze to him.

"Is it you?"

In response, Danzo calmly stated, "Killing the Hyuga branch family has no meaning for me."

"But killing the Hyuga branch family would be meaningless for anyone."

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. "Especially for those who control the Caged Bird Seal, there's no need for that."

Among those in Konoha who currently control the Caged Bird Seal are the Hyuga clan, him, Danzo, and members of the Caged Bird Seal research team.

Among these people, is there anyone who needs to repeatedly attack members of the Hyuga branch family?

Danzo said, "The three people who were attacked were very close to the main family."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly. "You mean, someone is retaliating against the main family?"

"Perhaps it's more than just revenge."

Danzo took out a document and handed it to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi silently accepted it, but after reading only the beginning, he was enraged.

"Danzo, you actually used my name to send Hyuga ninjas to their deaths!"

"It is their duty to be loyal to Konoha."

Danzo said nonchalantly, "The two Hyuga ninjas I secretly sent to the Kirigakure battlefield were killed, not by the Caged Bird Seal."

"A Konoha ninja was plotting in the dark. He arranged that attack to make it seem like Kirigakure had captured the main clan ninja, with the aim of forcing us to break the Caged Bird Seal."

"But in reality, Kirigakure didn't obtain the Caged Bird Seal. And the one who's killing the Hyuga branch family ninja in Konoha now... is him!"

Danzo watched intently as Hiruzen Sarutobi's anger gradually subsided:

"He is a member of the branch family, and a very scheming one at that. This attack is both revenge against the main family and a way to put pressure on us."

"To outsiders, the only ones who would kill these Hyuga clansmen with the Caged Bird technique would be the ninjas who research it. This would cause controversy within Konoha and force us to break the Caged Bird technique."

Three months have passed since the main branch of the family was arrested, and Danzo had long since begun to verify the inconsistencies in some things.

"That doesn't prove anything." Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and said calmly, "Your actions may have been seen through by Kirigakure. They're creating a diversion to lure us into sending more Hyuga ninjas, then using the Caged Bird Seal to wipe them all out."

"My spy in Kirigakure is high-ranking enough, but he didn't get the ability to use the Caged Bird Seal..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes sharpened as he rebuked:

"Danzo, don't forget who's in charge of the Hidden Mist battlefield!"

If that attack was a conspiracy by the Konoha ninja, Orochimaru would have noticed something was wrong, because only a handful of people were authorized to know Hyuga Hisanoshin's whereabouts.

Therefore, it was impossible to hide the fact that it was an inside job from him.

If we follow Danzo's logic, then the first person we should suspect is Orochimaru!

Whether it was concealing information or aiding and abetting evil, Orochimaru committed at least one of these acts.

Danzo opened his mouth, but for a moment he couldn't find the words to refute it.

Would Orochimaru help a branch family member of the Hyuga clan?

Impossible. What value could the Hyuga branch family possibly have?

Orochimaru had no reason to help the Hyuga branch family break free of the Caged Bird Seal!

But if that's not the case, then who is the enemy attacking the Hyuga clan ninjas now?

……

"Their methods are too rudimentary."

Hyuga Yu secretly watched as Hyuga Miyuki attacked another Chunin, and shook his head.

Although the technique for activating the Caged Bird Seal was also taught to her, she ultimately saw herself as a tool, a girl who had lived for fourteen years.

Driven by a single-minded pursuit of power, she now only attacks opponents she can handle, absorbing their Byakugan power.

As for the Jonin... she needs to consider the possibility that she might die before she can activate the Caged Bird Seal.

But this approach will eventually make Konoha target her.

From a weak genin to a chunin, and finally to attacking a jonin, even a fool could tell that the attacker's strength was gradually increasing.

Even killing Hyuga ninjas to increase one's strength would expose the truth.

Therefore, Hyuga Yu killed Hyuga Akemi using the Caged Bird Seal in order to disrupt the direction of the investigation.

"If we define our current actions as retaliation against the Hyuga main family, we can probably draw parallels to previous events."

"However, the Third Hokage, who showed mercy even to Orochimaru when he defected, wouldn't doubt him."

"Capturing me depends on catching Orochimaru first; it's a difficult choice, isn't it?"

Hinata Yu smiled inwardly as he noticed that Hinata Miyuki's movements were much more efficient than before.

"Those three Byakugans rapidly raised her strength to the edge of Jonin, much faster than expected."

"If you can't find her soon, things could get interesting."

Besides the method he and Orochimaru discussed, there is another way to evolve the Tenseigan.

Merge a large number of white eyes!

This is the method for synthesizing a giant Tenseigan.

But what if we simply fuse eye power?

The answer will soon be revealed.

(End of this chapter)