Naruto: From Shikotsumyaku to Otsutsuki

"Lord Fugaku, we should have acted last night."

In front of the Konoha Guard's base, Uchiha Shisui hesitated for a long time before finally speaking his mind.

The two had previously been ostracized in the Hokage's office, and Danzo's mean mouth never stopped slandering the Uchiha, even though some of it was true.

Fugaku gave a wry smile and said, "Shisui, although I am the captain of the guard unit, you must understand that the clan chief cannot represent the thoughts of all the clan members."

"After the Nine-Tails' attack, the suspicion and exclusion in the village became more and more obvious. The Uchiha clan's territory was moved from the very center of the village to the outermost edge, right next to the Hyuga clan's territory. Everyone could understand the implications of this."

As they walked out of the Hokage's office, the road they followed became increasingly desolate.

The bustling city has faded, the shops have disappeared, and trees have grown in abundance. This is the outer edge of the Forest of Death, and also the current territory of the Uchiha clan.

Shisui understood Fugaku's meaning, of course. He had wanted to make a move last night, but was stopped by hawks like Uchiha Setsuna.

After thinking for a moment, he insisted, "Lord Fugaku, I know the clansmen are dissatisfied, but we are still part of Konoha. Continuing like this will only make the conflict between the village and the clansmen more acute. I don't want the clansmen to reach a point of no return."

He paused for a moment, then revealed his truest thoughts: "After all, the village is the most important thing, and we are just a part of it. Don't you agree, Lord Fugaku?"

"The Uchiha belong to Konoha, but Konoha does not belong to the Uchiha. Is this the idea you've always held, Shisui?"

Fugaku's tone was enigmatic, neither praising nor mocking, but he simply said, "You still have the same broad perspective as always."

He glanced at Shisui, whose eyes were resolute, and then looked at the remote Uchiha clan territory in the distance. Suddenly, he lost interest in communicating with him.

The Uchiha clan is known for producing mentally ill individuals, and those who have awakened the Kaleidoscope Sharingan are among the most bizarre, their obsession bordering on madness.

Once the owner of a kaleidoscope has formed a belief, it is almost impossible to correct them.

"Uchiha...sigh..."

Kaleidoscope was both its strength and its weakness.

Fugaku sighed and waved his hand helplessly, saying, "In that case, Shisui, you should protect the village well."

"Tonight, Hinata will not be at peace. Observe more, listen more, and learn more. In this world, there is never just black and white. Choices are never that simple."

After Fugaku finished speaking, he walked against the setting sun into the Uchiha clan's territory.

The crimson fan emblem on his body blended into the sea like a drop of water among the many Uchiha clan members.

With a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, Shisui stood there for a long time before finally turning away, his stubborn voice fading into the wind.

"Lord Fugaku, I firmly believe that the clansmen will be able to live in peace with the village."

"I will find the right path, starting tonight by protecting Hinata."

......

As the sun sets in the west, a deep night covers the earth.

Under the hazy moonlight, twisted shadows writhed and swayed.

Kaguya Kazama donned a black robe and a mask, and as an "audience member," she followed Danzo, Aburame Ryoma, and another Root member named "Tanuki," who carried a short sword, as they entered the gates of the Hyuga clan's territory.

He looked forward to it and prepared for it.

Tonight, Danzo Shimura, the shadow of Konoha, the Hokage's black glove, and the bloodthirsty executioner, will personally take the stage to direct.

Illuminated by the firelight lining both sides of the road, Danzo, carrying some unspoken instructions from Hiruzen Sarutobi, dismissed many Hyuga clan members and walked step by step toward the clan leader's residence.

Creak.....

The sliding door opened, revealing the silent head of the main clan, the heads of the branch clans, and the elders of the main clan.

Danzo's arrival signifies that the Third Hokage has made a decision.

The Hyuga brothers, Hiashi and Hizashi, knelt in silence, the atmosphere extremely oppressive.

The two look nine-tenths alike, and it is almost impossible to tell them apart by looking at their faces alone.

However, judging from their attire, one can immediately tell who belongs to the main family and who belongs to the branch family at a glance.

The main family members have never had the habit of wearing headbands; Hyuga Hiashi's smooth forehead is a symbol of his noble status.

In contrast, the best way to identify the head of the branch family, Hyuga Hizashi, is by the white bandages and headband wrapped around his head.

The Caged Bird Seal.

The shameful mark of a family split is something no one who splits up would want to expose.

Because of this cursed seal, members of the branch family become slaves of the main family, and any slight dissatisfaction can trigger the cursed seal to inflict pain.

In the original work, Neji was punished quite a bit by his own uncle, Hiashi Hyuga.

That attitude showed no trace of kinship; it was nothing more than a master's beating of his servant.

This extreme pain and trampling of personal dignity caused every member of the Hyuga branch family to suffer from severe depression and self-destructive tendencies.

It is common knowledge that in Konoha, people with strange eyes are all mentally ill.

Red eyes indicate madness, while white eyes indicate inferiority and depression.

Now, Kaguya Kazama has witnessed the latter.

Wearing a mask and hood, his gaunt and grotesque body hidden in a black robe, he silently followed Danzo, enjoying the grand spectacle known as "The Prince Replaced by a Tanuki."

Thump...thump...thump...

Danzo, leaning on his cane, walked step by step toward the two family heads. The sound of the wooden cane hitting the floor was unusually jarring in the oppressive room.

"Hiashi, the village needs peace. This is the Third Hokage's wish; don't make things difficult for me."

Danzo spoke coldly and concisely, showing no intention of covering up for Hiruzen Sarutobi, and even hoping to incite the Hyuga clan's hatred towards the Third Hokage.

Hiashi Hyuga clenched his fists, remained silent for a moment, and was about to speak when he was interrupted by a clan elder.

"Lord Danzo, I know the village longs for peace, but Hiashi is the head of my clan. What wrong did he do in protecting his clansmen and killing the Cloud Ninja? If we hand him over, how will my Hyuga clan maintain its standing in the village?"

The elder of the main clan spoke with a voice that was old yet powerful, filled with sorrow: "From the time the village was founded until now, the Hyuga clan has contributed its strength and shed its blood, which is evident to all. If the village cannot even protect the head of the main clan now, what are the other clans supposed to think?"

It must be said that the clan elders are indeed seasoned veterans.

This rhetoric ostensibly points out the contributions and hard work of the Hyuga clan, but in reality, it's a veiled attack on the village's higher-ups.

It's almost as if they're saying that the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, discarded his former master after he had served his purpose, which is hard to accept.

However, the clan elder had miscalculated.

If you said this to Hiruzen Sarutobi face to face, the effect would be beyond doubt.

But now it is Danzo who has come.

The King of the Ninja World and the Dark Lord of Konoha wouldn't care about such reputation issues.

He glanced at the clan elder, knowing he wouldn't be led by the nose, and simply chuckled coldly, "Heh, so the Hyuga clan is advocating war? Not bad, not bad, just what I wanted. How about this, tomorrow I'll take the lead and organize a pro-war speech for you. This way, we can both protect Hiashi and build up the Hyuga clan's prestige. What do you think, elder?"

Upon hearing this, the clan elder was instantly at a loss.

Rumors of the impending end of the war had already spread throughout the village, and civilians and lower-ranking ninjas were all eagerly anticipating it. If Hyuga were to give a speech advocating for war, it would likely incite public anger immediately, and the outcome would be no better than that of the Uchiha.

"This..." The elder stammered, his face pale, and after a long while he finally managed to utter a few words, "This, I'm afraid, is not appropriate."

"So you're deliberately making things difficult for me?"

Danzo's face darkened, and he slammed his cane heavily on the ground, intimidating everyone present.

He had been at odds with Hiruzen for many years, and his political maneuvering was already highly refined. From the very beginning, he had firmly grasped the power of discourse.

The elder's brow twitched, hesitant to reply. Finally, glancing at the two clan heads, he gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Danzo, you see that Hiashi and Hizashi look almost identical. Why not have Hizashi, the head of the branch family, replace Hiashi, the head of the main family, to quell the anger of the Cloud Ninja?"

"Are you trying to switch things out?"

Danzo's eyes flashed, and he asked the core question: "That's not impossible, but the branch family has the 'Caged Bird' curse mark on their foreheads. If you want Hizashi to impersonate Hiashi, then you should remove the curse mark first."

"Break the curse?"

The elder was astonished and subconsciously said, "But there has never been a way to break the 'Caged Bird' curse! Only when the eyes are gouged out, the curse erupts, destroying the whites of the eyes and the brain nerves, will the mark disappear."

"Is there no way to break the curse?"

Danzo narrowed his eyes: "So, you plan to gouge out Hizashi's eyes first, to erase the traces of the cursed seal, and then hand over his corpse to replace Hiashi?"

"Lord Danzo is wise."