The conflict in the Land of Rivers had intensified. Initially, Sunagakure had slowed its offensive, but as Konoha rotated its forces, the Sand Shinobi resumed their aggressive push.
Despite having left less than a month ago, Orochimaru's absence had already been felt. Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, clashed with Minato Namikaze twice during this time. Rasa's strength, as expected of someone who rose to become a Kage, was formidable. His Magnet Release, particularly his Gold Dust, effectively countered Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique. After multiple confrontations, Rasa had already deduced Minato's combat style. Unless Minato switched to Flying Thunder God kunai made of non-metallic materials, his movements would remain hindered by Rasa's Magnet Release.
Meanwhile, Iwagakure seized the opportunity to send 300 shinobi into the Land of Grass in waves, preparing for a potential invasion of the Land of Fire.
Not long ago, Danzo confidently predicted that Iwa and Kumo would clash over the death of the Third Raikage. However, Iwa's aggressive actions now turned his earlier statement into a humiliating slap to his face.
"This is the content of the recent shinobi clan meeting called by the Third Hokage," said the Hyuga Clan Leader. "This time, the Hyuga Clan is required to deploy forty shinobi."
Seated in the center, flanked by elders from the clan's four main branches, the clan head addressed the gathered shinobi. Among them was Hyuga Mirai, seated near Hyuga Kiyo. With his expertise in medical ninjutsu and his reputation within Konoha, Mirai held a prominent position even among the branch family.
"The Main Family must also dispatch at least two leaders for the mission," the Clan Leader declared, his white Byakugan eyes sweeping over the group before pausing on the heir, Hyuga Kiyo.
Kiyo stood and addressed the Clan Leader. "Clan Leader, please allow me to join the battlefield. As a member of the Hyuga Clan, it is my duty to bring honor to our family."
The Clan Leader nodded. "Your uncle Zosuke would be proud. Your resolve is commendable, Kiyo. Very well, you shall lead one of the squads."
The Hyuga Clan's participation in the war came with expectations of reciprocity. Their contributions would be tallied by the Main Family leaders, who would then negotiate with the Hokage to secure benefits for the clan. These rewards often included prominent positions for Hyuga members within Konoha or favorable terms for the clan's businesses. Simply put, the Hyuga expected to be compensated for their efforts.
From Mirai's perspective, this arrangement was reasonable—effort should be rewarded. Even common shinobi received pay for completing missions. However, such demands from the Hyuga likely made them a thorn in the side of Konoha's leadership.
The Branch Family of the Hyuga Clan had always been regarded as protectors of the Main Family rather than Konoha shinobi. Their Byakugan, capable of seeing through objects and identifying chakra points, combined with their Gentle Fist technique, ensured that most branch members could attain the rank of Chunin. Yet, despite their numbers and strength, the Branch Family operated under the Main Family's command rather than the Hokage's. Even during wartime, their deployment required the Main Family's approval.
It was no wonder that, years later, when Kumo attempted to kidnap Hinata, Hiashi Hyuga's decisive actions led to conflict with Konoha's leadership. Despite merely defending against an invader, Hiashi was pressured to offer himself as a sacrificial lamb to maintain peace—a fate ultimately taken on by his twin brother, Hizashi. At that moment, Konoha treated the Hyuga as an external entity rather than part of their own.
After the clan meeting concluded, Mirai followed Kiyo out of the Clan Leader's courtyard. Kiyo's grandfather had stayed behind, likely to discuss further plans.
As the other clan members dispersed, Mirai broke the silence. "Kiyo-sama, you seem to enjoy the battlefield quite a bit."
"True strength can only be forged in the crucible of war," Kiyo replied, her icy demeanor giving way to a flash of determination. "As a bearer of the Hyuga name, I've long since prepared myself for this."
What kind of brainwashing is this? Mirai thought, shaking his head internally. Not wanting to comment further, he merely nodded in agreement. "You're absolutely right, Kiyo-sama."
Once the shinobi clans finalized their troop numbers, Hiruzen Sarutobi selected the commander to lead the forces against Iwagakure. His initial choice was Jiraiya, but Jiraiya declined, citing a more pressing mission. Ultimately, Danzo seized the role, hoping to use this opportunity to redeem himself after the recent debacle over false intelligence.
Hiruzen, however, was not about to let Danzo grow complacent. While he conceded the position to his old teammate, Hiruzen knew Danzo all too well.
"Danzo, you are Konoha's roots," Hiruzen thought to himself. "And roots are meant to remain buried in darkness, silently supporting the great tree that is Konoha. Roots will never see the light of day."
As the village prepared for war, the atmosphere in Konoha grew tense. News of the deployments spread quickly, especially as civilian shinobi bid farewell to their families before heading to the front lines. This surge in activity even revived the sales of previously stagnant shinobi-related goods.
Meanwhile, Kushina Uzumaki was eager to leave for the Land of Fire's capital. She had pestered Hiruzen twice in a single day before he finally assigned an escort team from the ANBU—four men and two women. This was more than sufficient for her safety, especially considering her own strength. Even without mentioning her sealing techniques, Kushina's ability to unleash the power of her Four-Tails form made her a formidable opponent. In such a state, she could even use a miniature Tailed Beast Bomb, an attack beyond the capabilities of most shinobi to counter.
"Be careful on the road, Kushina," Hiruzen advised. "If you encounter an enemy you can't handle, signal for help immediately and retreat."
"I know, Hokage-sama," Kushina replied with a smile and a wave before heading toward the village gate.
She hadn't left Konoha in a long time and was excited about visiting the bustling capital and reuniting with her clan members. Her happiness, however, didn't escape the notice of 18, the AI system monitoring her. Kushina's growing gaming addiction made her behavior at home easy for 18 to track. Unless Kushina deliberately avoided her computer and used sealing techniques to isolate sound, 18 could effortlessly gather data on her activities.
In fact, 18 categorized all data from Konoha by importance, with Kushina placed at the highest priority level.
In the capital, at the Uzumaki Trade Association, Ayaka Uzumaki was training in sealing techniques. Recently, she had begun sensing another latent ability awakening alongside her progress in these techniques.
"Ayaka Uzumaki."
18 entered the room, her beautiful yet emotionless face as calm as still water. After scanning the surroundings, she walked directly toward Ayaka.
"What's the matter, 18?" Ayaka asked, curiosity evident on her face.
"Your clanswoman left Konoha today and is en route here. Her destination is you," 18 replied calmly, extending an arm that projected a screen displaying Kushina's profile and the collected data.
After reviewing the information, Ayaka began recalling memories from her childhood.
"Kushina Uzumaki... She is indeed my clanswoman. But why did she join Konoha?"
(To Be Continued)
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