Naruto: Starting from the time when the Six Paths of Pain was Kira Yoshikage

Chapter 94 The Sage of Six Paths is chasing me, why am I having such a strange dream? (Three-in-one chapter, 6K words)

The sun slowly slid below the horizon, its last rays struggling to dissipate into the sky. Twilight, like a thick, dark cloth, gradually enveloped the entire Hidden Leaf Village. The once bustling streets gradually quieted down, shop doors closing one by one, and dim lights going out one by one.

Except for the 24-hour ramen shop on the street corner, which was still lit with a warm yellow light, both ninjas who had been busy all day and ordinary people who were busy making a living dragged their tired bodies and prepared to fall asleep.

In a corner of Konoha Village, the Hyuga clan's mansion stands like a silent behemoth in the night. As one of the two great clans of Konoha, on par with the Uchiha clan, the Hyuga clan is renowned throughout the ninja world for its Byakugan, which allows it to see a thousand miles, and its Gentle Fist, which is invincible in close combat.

The architecture within the clan is simple and majestic, with the bluestone paths gleaming coldly in the moonlight, and the green bamboo in the courtyard rustling in the night breeze.

Unlike the Uchiha clan, which has strong internal cohesion but is indifferent to outsiders, the Hyuga clan harbors irreconcilable internal conflicts, at best maintaining a facade of harmony. This is mainly due to the Hyuga clan's system of succession between the main family and branch families.

The main family serves as the inheritors of the Hyuga clan, while the branch family serves as the guardians, responsible for protecting the members of the main Hyuga clan, even at the cost of their lives.

It doesn't seem like there's anything too wrong with it on its own.

Many ninja families have passed down their traditions in this way.

But the key point is that when the Hyuga clan members of the branch family are three years old, they are given a cursed seal called "Caged Bird". The switch of this cursed seal is controlled by the main Hyuga family. The main family members can use this cursed seal to seal the Byakugan ability of the branch family members, and can even control and destroy the brain nerves of the branch family members, causing them to die in pain.

Perhaps the original intention of establishing the "Caged Bird Seal" was to protect the Hyuga clan's bloodline from being coveted by outsiders, especially in a world like Naruto where people can simply gouge out and press their eyes back on without any rejection reaction. This approach seemed to be an effective way to prevent the Byakugan from leaking out and protect the safety of the clan members.

But they overlooked the fact that when the power of life and death is in the hands of a few, the power itself will become corrupted... even if the other party is a member of your clan with the same bloodline.

Or perhaps they didn't overlook it; it was entirely intentional.

As time went on, the rift between the main family and the branch families deepened.

Who can guarantee that the members of the Hyuga main family are all outstanding individuals who can better continue the Hyuga clan's legacy? And who can guarantee that the members of the Hyuga main family won't allow members of the branch family to do anything excessive? Won't there be bullying?

These questions have no answers.

What's even more despairing is that the identity of the main family or the branch family is predetermined from the moment of birth, like a brand engraved deep in the soul, unchangeable until death.

This makes the system even more absurd.

A gifted branch family member might have to sacrifice themselves for a mediocre main family member; a diligent branch family member might be sent to their death by a casual order from the main family. Such tragedies are commonplace in the history of the Hyuga clan.

In the relatively simple courtyard of the branch family estate, Hyuga Hizashi sat alone at a stone table, with a bottle of sake and several empty cups in front of him. Holding the bottle, he poured the spicy sake into his mouth one cup after another. The alcohol burned his throat, but it could not dispel the vexation and pain in his heart.

He is an extremely powerful Konoha Jonin who stands out among Konoha Jonin for his exceptionally high mission completion rate. He is also the younger brother of Hyuga Hiashi, the head of the Hyuga clan, or more accurately, Li Sheng's younger brother.

But he was a member of a branch family. He was classified as a member of a branch family simply because he was born a few seconds later than his brother, and at the age of three, he was mercilessly branded with the shameful Caged Bird Curse.

Although he is now the leader of the branch family and enjoys high prestige among the branch family members, he is still the "subordinate" who can be manipulated at will in front of the main family members.

What happened a few days ago was like a thorn, deeply embedded in his heart, causing him unbearable pain.

His wife, a Jonin of equal strength, tragically sacrificed herself to protect a member of the main branch of the Konoha clan. That member was merely a mediocre talent who didn't even qualify as a Chunin, while his wife was already a Jonin of Konoha.

When he received the news of his wife's sacrifice, Hizashi felt as if his whole world had collapsed. Trembling, he rushed to the scene of the mission, only to find his wife's cold body and the unharmed, indifferent member of the clan.

What chilled him even more was the Zong family's attitude towards the matter. They merely sent a servant with some so-called compensation, offered a few perfunctory compliments about his wife's "duty," and then nothing more.

His wife's funeral was extremely hasty, without any grand ceremony or mourning from her clansmen, as if she were just an insignificant ant who died quietly.

Apart from him, no one cared... no one grieved... no one offered condolences.

Countless times, Hijiri roared in his heart. He wanted to rush into the main family's mansion and question those high and mighty members of the main family: why should his wife be sacrificed for a mediocre person? Why could they be so indifferent to a vibrant life? He even thought about taking revenge and using his gentle fists to make those cold-blooded members of the main family pay for their blood debts.

But he couldn't, and dared not.

It wasn't because he was weak, but because he had children.

His gaze drifted to the room on the other side of the courtyard, where his one-year-old son, Hyuga Neji, was sleeping soundly.

Neji was the continuation of his life, the softest spot in his heart. He could disregard his own life, but he couldn't let Neji be harmed. He knew that if he acted impulsively, the main branch of the clan would never let Neji off the hook.

This is his weakness.

However, even if he endures and backs down, the main family will not let his children go.

In just over a year, Neji will turn three, at which point the "Caged Bird" curse mark will be placed on his forehead, condemning him to a life under the control of the main family and repeating his own destiny.

Hizashi seemed to have already foreseen that in the near future he would die protecting someone from the main family, and that his son Neji, when he grew up, would also fight a bloody battle on the battlefield to protect some useless member of the main family, ultimately falling in a pool of blood.

This was his fate, the fate of the Hyuga branch family.

This resentment surged within Hyuga Hizashi like a raging tide. He was unwilling to let his fate be controlled by others, unwilling to let his wife sacrifice herself in vain, and even more unwilling to let his children suffer the same fate.

Countless times he looked up at the starry sky in the dead of night, questioning the injustice of fate, but all he got in return was endless pain and helplessness.

In the end, he could only hide here alone and drink his sorrows away.

You can call him a coward, but he has no way to change and no chance to change.

As the last bottle of sake was emptied, the burning sensation in his throat gradually dissipated, and exhaustion overwhelmed Hyuga Hizashi like a tidal wave. His hands, which were supporting him on the stone table, trembled slightly, and his heavy eyelids felt as if they were weighed down with lead. Finally, he could no longer resist the drowsiness, his head tilted to the side, and he fell into a deep sleep. His cheeks were pressed against the cool stone surface, and his even breathing slowly spread through the quiet courtyard.

In his dream, Richa felt dizzy and the surrounding light and shadows seemed to reassemble like shattered glass. When he regained his footing, he was greeted by a clear world—an endless sea of ​​flowers swaying gently in the breeze, the distant sky a soft, warm gold, and the air filled with a familiar scent of gardenias, unique to his wife.

"Yu..." Hizashi's voice trembled as he staggered towards her. The figure he had been longing for stood in the middle of the sea of ​​flowers, still as gentle as he remembered, with her eyes curved and her smile as beautiful as a flower.

Like a lost child, he rushed into her arms without thinking, holding her familiar body tightly, and the tears he had suppressed for so long finally burst forth.

"You, I miss you so much... I'm so tired..." His shoulders trembled violently, and hot tears soaked her clothes. All the unspeakable pain, guilt towards the child, and resentment towards fate were now poured out in choked words.

The boy does not cry easily, but it is not when he is sad.

Hyuga Yu didn't speak, but simply reached out her slender hand and gently stroked his head, her movements as tender as a spring drizzle. Her embrace was still warm, exactly as he remembered, and Hyuga greedily absorbed this long-lost comfort.

He didn't know how much time had passed when the person in his arms gently pushed him away, her clear white eyes filled with a faint reluctance.

"It's time for me to go." Her voice was like a whisper in the wind: "Take care of Neji, and take care of yourself too. Don't end up like me..."

"No! Don't go!" Hizashi suddenly reached out, trying to grab her hand, but his fingertips passed through nothingness. Her figure, like a bubble in the sunlight, gradually became transparent and finally dissipated into the air.

The familiar scent of gardenias gradually faded away, leaving only Riza standing alone in the sea of ​​flowers, his outstretched hand frozen in mid-air. His heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and the chill of death and pain enveloped him once again, even more piercing than before.

"Don't blame her. One meeting is already the limit. The dead cannot live with the living for long." An old but dignified voice sounded from behind.

"Who are you?"

Richa suddenly turned around and saw an old man floating in mid-air behind him. He was dressed in a pure white robe and carried a nine-ringed staff on his back. What was most striking were the ancient horns on his head and his pale purple eyes, in which six black rings slowly rotated, exuding a mysterious and majestic aura.

Legend... the Rinnegan?

Hiji almost cried out in shock, as if the blood in his body had frozen at that moment.

Legend has it that only the Sage of Six Paths, who founded the Ninja Cult and pacified the chaotic world, possessed such eyes!

The other party's next words confirmed Hijiri's guess.

"I am... the Sage of Six Paths."

The old man's voice echoed between heaven and earth, carrying an undeniable authority.

"The Sage of Six Paths..."

Hizashi's body froze instantly, his mind went blank, and a buzzing sound filled his ears.

The legendary figure I'd heard about since childhood, the patriarch of the ninja world who was like a god, actually appeared right in front of me!

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat too dry to make a sound. After a long while, he stammered, "Why...why are you here? Is there...something you need?"

Perhaps because he was too emotional, Hijika spoke somewhat incoherently.

The Sage of Six Paths slowly floated down to the ground, his staff gently tapping the earth. The surrounding sea of ​​flowers seemed to be drawn by some force, parting to both sides.

"I heard your call, so I responded to you."

His gaze fell on Hizashi, whose Rinnegan seemed to see right through his soul.

Richa suddenly remembered that these past few days, whenever the night was quiet, he would question God about why He was so unfair, why He had to separate the family, why His family had to bear such a fate, and why He had to lose his beloved.

It turns out that those desperate cries were indeed heard.

"My time is also running out." The Sage of Six Paths' voice rang out again, and as his Rinnegan turned, an invisible pressure spread out: "Then I'll get straight to the point. Tonight, a great event will occur in your village of Konoha. A young Kage will fall, and an old Kage will regain power."

Hizashi's heart sank. Was the young Kage referring to the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze? A strong sense of unease welled up within him.

"Two years from now, the crisis will come again, and this time, it will be your crisis." The Sage of Six Paths' gaze deepened: "Someone will make you die in place of your comrades, using your life to exchange for the Hyuga clan and for the peace of the entire Hidden Leaf Village."

"What?!"

To die in place of one's comrades? Someone who could be called one's comrades... His mind instantly conjured up the image of his older brother, Hyuga Hiashi. Could it be him?

"Eighteen years from now... your child, Hyuga Neji... will die protecting the eldest daughter of the Hyuga main family..."

'

Rizashi shuddered, a chill running from the soles of his feet through his tailbone and straight up to the top of his head.

Neji?!

Although he had a premonition, he still couldn't quite bear it when he actually heard it.

Is this the inevitable fate of a family splitting up?

Are we only fit to be scapegoats?

Besides feeling resentful, Hishi was also filled with intense anger.

On what grounds?

"If you are unwilling to die like this, unwilling to let your children die like this, unwilling to succumb to the fate of dividing the family property..."

'

The Sage of Six Paths then changed the subject: "When you encounter someone who has the same eyes as me, seek their help. They are my successor, possessing the power to change the world, and they will surely help you."

Hizashi stared blankly at the Sage of Rokudo, his heart filled with doubt.

Who possesses the Rinnegan? In this world, besides the Sage of Six Paths, who else possesses the Rinnegan?

The sheer volume of information left Hizashi's mind a little overwhelmed.

Before Hijiri could recover, the Sage of Six Paths continued speaking.

"And all you need to do is assist him in reshaping this world." The Sage of Six Paths' voice became solemn: "Break this corrupt shackle of fate and bring true peace to the ninja world."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Sage of Six Paths' figure began to become transparent, just like Yu before.

"It's time for you to go back. Remember my words, Hyuga Hizashi... a member of the Hyuga branch family..."

The sound grew increasingly ethereal, seemingly both close at hand and far away.

"Wait a minute, Sage of Six Paths!!!" Hizashi cried out hastily upon seeing this, "I still have so many questions! Who is that person with the Rinnegan? Is the crisis two years from now truly unavoidable for me? And my child, Neji..."

But the Sage of Six Paths did not answer. His figure vanished into thin air, leaving Hizashi alone in the sea of ​​flowers, his last words echoing in his ears. The surrounding light and shadow began to distort again, and a powerful force pulled him away. Hizashi felt dizzy and lost consciousness once more.

"Ha-hu...ha-hu...ha-hu..."

The heavy breathing was especially clear in the quiet night. Hiji suddenly woke up from his dream, his back already soaked with cold sweat, his clothes clinging to his skin, bringing a chill to his bones. He propped his forehead up, his fingertips still able to feel the lingering rhythm of his heart pounding, his mind churning with images from his dream, both chaotic and vivid.

"The Sage of Six Paths? Successor? Substitute? Fate? Why would I have such a strange dream?" Hizashi muttered to himself, pressing his slightly throbbing temples, his voice filled with barely concealed fear and exhaustion.

The dream he just had was too real, far from an ordinary illusion. Every detail seemed to be etched into the depths of his soul, impossible to shake off. In particular, the blurry yet majestic figure of the Sage of Six Paths and his prophecy about the future carried a heavy sense of oppression, making Hizashi feel a tightness in his chest and a racing heart even now.

The content was just a bit too shocking.

"Whether it's true or false...we'll know the answer tonight."

Rizashi looked up at the moon, which was already high in the sky, his eyes filled with a heavy expression.

The young shadow will fall, and the old shadow will regain power.

This undoubtedly foreshadows a major crisis for Konoha, but the exact date remains unknown.

He couldn't even report this information to the Hokage... He couldn't very well say he had a dream and therefore it needed to be taken seriously, could he? No matter how vivid or real the dream was, it was still just a dream. Even if the Hokage himself had a dream, let alone a Jonin, he couldn't give orders.

Furthermore... Higasashi also wanted to confirm the reality of this dream.

Because the Sage of Six Paths said... that his and Neji's future fate was to be scapegoats... and that the Sage of Six Paths' successor could help them escape the fate of the Hyuga branch family.

Worry and anticipation... In short, Nichisho's feelings at this moment were incredibly conflicted.

No one knew that when Hyuga Hizashi woke up from his dream, an ordinary-looking villager happened to be passing by the Hyuga branch family compound.

After leaving the Hyuga clan's residence, the villager's lips curled up slightly, and a faint, almost imperceptible purple light flashed in his eyes.

Stand Summoning Beasts: Death God 13, the god in the dream.

Let alone the Sage of Six Paths, even the legendary Otsutsuki Shibakai could create something for you if the conditions were met.

Furthermore, according to the setting, experiencing Shinigami 13's dream cannot bring back the memories. However, according to Nagato's research, this is not a passive skill and is not irreversible. If desired, Shinigami 13 can actively make the other party wake up with the memories.

It could even deepen memories...like the so-called prophecy of the Sage of Six Paths in Hizashi's mind.

His wife sacrificed herself for the main family not long ago, and a few years later he will also sacrifice himself for the main family. In the future, his children will also sacrifice themselves for the main family, until the whole family is wiped out.

So... is there anyone in the entire Hidden Leaf Village who understands pain better than Hyuga Hizashi?

If Nagato can solve the "Caged Bird" problem, there is no doubt that the Hyuga branch family will be a natural prospective member of the Akatsuki organization.

It's a shame to come all the way to Konoha and only take away some ninjutsu and secret techniques.

Talent is also a very important strategic resource.

Both "skill" and "person" need to be mastered.

Subsequently, disguised as an ordinary villager, Nagato quietly left the Hyuga clan's residence. He deliberately avoided the patrolling ninjas, passed through several streets and alleys where the lights were gradually fading, and finally walked slowly toward the Uchiha residence, which was privately referred to by other clans in Konoha as the "Red-Eyed Clan".

At this time, the Uchiha clan still occupied the most central area of ​​the village, with the clan's elites controlling the Konoha Guard and occupying a prominent position on the map of Konoha.

But this glory will be completely gone after tonight.

The Fourth Hokage, who had clashed with the Kaguya clan, will perish, all his years of hard work will be in vain, and after tonight, the Kaguya clan will face unprecedented suspicion from the entire village of Konoha, and will be completely kicked out of the center of power... Oh, the Kaguya clan has never truly entered the core of Konoha's power; at most, they have been completely kicked out of the outer circle of power, and will henceforth be left isolated and helpless.

Nagato paused briefly outside the Hochiha clan's outpost before quietly turning and leaving. Just as he had given Hizashi a dream that foretold his fate at the Hijiri clan's outpost, a sleeping member of the Hochiha clan was now witnessing a similar yet slightly different scenario in his dream.

It was still the Sage of Six Paths, still the Sage's prophecy, still the words, "The young Shadow will fall, and the aged Shadow will regain power," still the heir who trusted him, still deeply imprinted in his mind.

The only difference is that there's no prophecy about the impending death of the day... but instead, there's a hint of an omen of the Chiha clan's annihilation.

This was destined to be a night that would change the fate of countless people in Konoha, but none of it had anything to do with Nagato.

He was simply like a calm chess player, moving a few pieces on the chessboard of fate, planting a seed full of uncertainty, and he was full of anticipation as to what kind of fruit it would bear in the future.

Having left the Chiha clan's residence, Nagato, feeling deeply troubled, strolled along the nearly deserted, empty road, quietly waiting... waiting for the arrival of the Nine-Tails, that peerless ferocious beast.

He wanted to experience the aura of the leader of the nine tailed beasts firsthand, and he also wanted to see who was more terrifying, him or the White Whale, one of the three great demonic beasts in the RE0 world.

Suddenly, Nagato's steps slowed to a halt, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and the air pressure around him seemed to drop instantly.

He slowly turned to the side, his gaze precisely fixed on the bushes. There seemed to be nothing there, only the branches and leaves swaying in the breeze, but with his superhuman senses, he detected a very unusual fluctuation of chakra.

Clearly, a secret has been carefully hidden here.

Nagato's hand, held up by a faint curve, lowered his head slightly, and murmured in a voice only he could hear: "The surprises tonight are truly endless."

97

The night was long, and the pavilion stretched out...