When?
Has he been following us ever since we left training ground?
Realizing that Orochimaru had been lurking beneath his feet, hidden underground, Hizashi tensed up, his body covered in goosebumps.
He had made a mistake.
When activating his Byakugan, he was accustomed to scanning the back and sky, neglecting what lay beneath his feet... especially when it was 30 meters underground.
After all, penetrating 30 meters deep into the earth consumed far more chakra than seeing through buildings on the surface.
Being in Konoha, neither out on a mission nor on the battlefield, he had never developed the habit of expending chakra to observe underground.
Even so, his Byakugan was not just for show, and his strength as a Hyūga jonin was undeniable.
Orochimaru had followed him all the way home, moving undetected and right under his nose. If it weren't for Tanaka's warning, he would have walked through his front door completely unaware.
At this moment, Hizashi truly understood the gap between himself and one of the Sannin.
If Orochimaru had intended to harm him, he probably wouldn't have realized it until the moment of his death.
Unlike the sweat-drenched Hizashi, Tanaka stood calmly at the entrance of the clan compound. He turned around, watching as Orochimaru emerged from underground like a fish swimming up through water.
His expression remained as composed as ever.
"Welcome to my Hyūga clan, Orochimaru-sama."
Only after the Snake Sannin fully surfaced did Tanaka speak, his tone neither warm nor cold.
"Your Hyūga clan?"
Hearing this, Orochimaru's gaze flickered across the scene—first to Hizashi, then to the two Hyūga guards stationed at the gate, and finally to the three hidden Hyūga watching from the shadows.
Seeing their impassive faces, it was clear that they all genuinely acknowledged Tanaka's authority.
"Hehehehe… it seems your influence within the Hyūga clan is far greater than I had imagined."
A smirk crept onto Orochimaru's lips as he let out a low chuckle.
"Orochimaru-sama," Hizashi spoke with a trace of displeasure in his voice. "If you wished to visit the Hyūga clan as a guest, I would have welcomed you. But following me all the way here in secret—don't you think that's a bit disrespectful?"
In terms of strength, the Sannin could defeat him with one hand—that much Hizashi acknowledged. But even so, he was still the clan leader of the Hyūga clan.
Such actions, in the shinobi world, could easily lead to conflict.
If it weren't for his naturally mild temperament, his time as a branch house member in the past, and the simple fact that he couldn't win in a fight, he might have retaliated immediately.
Had it been Hiashi instead, and had Orochimaru been anyone other than himself, a Gentle Fist strike would have already been launched.
"Disrespectful? I don't think so."
"Before coming here, I already sent my visiting card ahead to Tanaka. You simply failed to notice it."
"Otherwise, do you really think he would have welcomed me so politely after I followed you all the way here?"
Orochimaru cast a glance at Hizashi. It was unusual for him to acknowledge a mere jonin, let alone offer an explanation.
But that was only because Tanaka intrigued him greatly.
Otherwise, if it were just Hizashi, even as the clan leader, he wouldn't have spared him a second glance.
To him, bloodline clans were insignificant unless they had Kage-level powerhouses.
"A visiting card?"
Hizashi frowned slightly. But as a battle-hardened jonin who had fought his way to the clan leader position, he quickly reviewed his interactions with Orochimaru from the moment he and Tanaka had entered the meeting room.
"The Kusanagi Sword."
A glint flashed in his Byakugan as the realization slipped from his lips.
"That's right. A first meeting, a formal visit—I couldn't come empty-handed."
"And since he lacked a proper weapon, the Kusanagi Sword was the perfect gift, both as a visiting card and a meeting present."
Orochimaru stared directly at Tanaka, and the more he looked, the more undisguised admiration flickered in his snake-like pupils.
He had seen many with extraordinary talent.
He had seen even more with great abilities.
But someone who possessed both the overwhelming talent to surpass an entire village's shinobi, the wisdom to strategize, keen insight, and an impeccable temperament—such individuals were exceedingly rare.
Over the years, he had only seen two.
One was Minato.
The other was Tanaka.
But Minato had already grown into his potential and was now under Hiruzen's command. Compared to Tanaka, he was slightly lacking in every aspect.
Moreover, Minato's journey had been far too smooth.
After displaying his talent at a young age, he was immediately noticed by Hiruzen, who arranged a mentor for him.
He was given an opportunity to forge a bond with the Nine-Tails jinchūriki through the classic "hero saves the maiden" scenario.
After graduation, he was assigned Jiraiya as his personal teacher, receiving guidance.
From then on, he had access to the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, the Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique, as well as countless jutsu, forbidden techniques, taijutsu, and genjutsu—everything was laid out for him.
Tanaka, on the other hand, was born into the branch house, branded with the Caged Bird, and orphaned when his parents died in battle. If fate had not intervened, he would have lived his life in obscurity.
Yet, through his own strength, with just one sword, he shattered the Caged Bird, massacred the main house, and seized control of the Hyūga clan.
In terms of talent, intelligence, methods, and temperament, he had maxed out every attribute.
Even Orochimaru, known for his discerning eye, could not find a single flaw in him.
If not for Nawaki's death, which had extinguished his desire to take on a disciple, he would have seriously considered making Tanaka his final apprentice.
"Was this intentional?"
Hizashi murmured, deep in thought.
No wonder.
At their first meeting, Orochimaru had voluntarily "dropped loot" for Tanaka—and not just any loot, but one of the legendary weapons of the shinobi world.
The Kusanagi Sword.
Rather than a mere test, it was more like the Sannin had found an excuse to form a connection with Tanaka. This arrangement conveniently developed right under the watchful eyes of the Third Hokage.
Of course, if the intelligence about space-time ninjutsu had been false and Tanaka had failed to claim the Kusanagi Sword first, Orochimaru would have taken it back without hesitation.
After all, he only befriended geniuses—he had no interest in the mediocre.
For one of the Sannin to lower himself and establish ties with a kid, even offering the Kusanagi Sword as a gift, the recipient had to be someone of extraordinary weight.
"Come inside, Orochimaru-sama."
Tanaka invited the Sannin in.
From the moment Orochimaru presented the Kusanagi Sword, he had sensed that something was amiss.
Combining that with the subsequent jonin exam and Orochimaru's subtle hints, he had pieced everything together.
Orochimaru's interest in him was genuine.
However, the immediate testing upon their first encounter, along with Hiruzen's delayed response, made it clear—this was done with Hiruzen's approval.
The purpose?
First, to create potential hostility between Orochimaru and himself.
Second, to gather intelligence on him.
The Sannin was well aware of Hiruzen's intentions, which was why he had immediately "dropped loot."
More than enough to suppress any dissatisfaction.
And, by framing it as a "snatched weapon," the method of giving the sword wasn't an act of aggression—it was practically forcing Tanaka to accept the Kusanagi Sword.
Testing and gathering information.
Presenting the Kusanagi Sword was both a welcome gift and a signal of goodwill.
As for the act of tailing him just now?
It was merely to establish a hierarchy between them.
To put it simply: I followed you all the way to your doorstep, and you didn't even notice. Do you still think you can sit as my equal?
Clearly, Hizashi could not.
But Tanaka could.