Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 8: Reversing the Heavens

"The hatred for the Main Family isn't limited to just one person. No one dared to resist before, but things are different now."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was heavy with conflict.

"Where there's one, there will be more. Whether through imitation or collaboration, uncovering the mastermind will be incredibly difficult."

Danzo's face was dark as he responded coldly, "That doesn't mean we can abandon the Main Family. The branch family is beyond reconciliation. We've ignored their thoughts for years—it's not surprising they harbor resentment toward us!"

"But... without the branch family, does the Main Family have any value left?"

"This..."

Danzo was momentarily speechless, realizing just how troublesome the Hyuga clan's issues had become.

If his suspicions were correct and the mastermind was a branch family member, then other branch ninjas who hated the Main Family would likely try to protect him.

The resentment that had been stirred up was already a problem. If more branch family ninjas began to rebel, what would happen to the village?

Strictly speaking, this was an internal conflict within the Hyuga clan.

And according to the village's founding principles, the shinobi clans had autonomy over their internal affairs. Even the Hokage couldn't interfere.

Even if they used the wartime state as a justification to forcibly intervene, which side should the village support?

As Hiruzen had pointed out, without the branch family, what use was the Main Family?

Would they rely on the Main Family to go to the battlefield, only to hand over their Byakugan to the enemy?

"If we continue hesitating, the enemy will only grow more brazen. This requires decisive action!" Danzo closed his eyes and said, "Leave it to me. You know I have... certain methods when it comes to situations like this."

Hiruzen puffed on his pipe in silence. Ultimately, he did not give an answer.

---

"Without comrades and without strength, can you ever fly out of the cage?"

Hyuga Yuki clenched his fists as he watched Hyuga Fuji walk toward the Main Family's central compound, then turned and left.

He swore to seize the hope of breaking the Caged Bird seal from the hands of the higher-ups!

---

"The fourth pair."

The following night.

Hyuga Fuji stood over a defeated Hyuga jonin, slowly walking toward him.

He grabbed the jonin by the neck and lifted him off the ground.

"Hyuga Fuji! So it's you who's been attacking our kin!"

Forced to look directly into Fuji's eyes, the jonin gritted his teeth and growled, "You possess strength far beyond that of a jonin, yet you refuse to serve the Main Family. You're nothing but a disgraceful traitor!"

Hyuga Fuji ignored his words and formed several hand seals with one hand.

Sealing Technique – White Prison Cage!

"Arghhhh!!!"

The jonin's screams of pain echoed, muffled by a pre-placed barrier that ensured no sound would escape.

White Yin Release chakra and Byakugan ocular power formed a ribbon-like conduit between the two pairs of eyes.

The jonin could feel the Byakugan he had awakened at the age of seven beginning to regress, his ocular power draining away until his eyes returned to an unawakened state. His face twisted in terror.

"What are you doing?! What is this sealing technique?!"

"If you're curious, I'll tell you after you're dead."

Hyuga Fuji felt his own eyes pulse with newfound energy. Raising his free hand, he smiled. "Thank you for your contribution."

His palm fell. Blood splattered.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

The sound of air being cut signaled the arrival of two ANBU.

"Hyuga Fuji, you've killed your own kin. Come with us immediately!"

"Heh. Have you been working with the Hyuga clan for too long?"

Dropping the corpse, Hyuga Fuji looked at them with his sky-blue Byakugan.

"I had Byakugan, so I naturally noticed you coming. Yet I deliberately took my time finishing him off—doesn't that strike you as odd?"

The faces behind the ANBU masks stiffened.

Boom!!!

A third ANBU, wearing a fox mask, fell from a distance, slamming into the ground and leaving a massive crater.

The shocking turn of events forced the two remaining ANBU to huddle back-to-back in alertness. One of them turned to the fallen comrade and asked:

"What happened? Weren't you lying in ambush?"

The fox-masked ANBU struggled to his feet, coughing up blood, his breathing labored. "It's his accomplice. He has Byakugan but isn't listed in the Hyuga clan's records."

The ANBU had been sent by the Hokage to investigate the Hyuga attacks. Hiruzen had ultimately refused to let Danzo interfere, fearing he might seize the opportunity to gain control over the branch family.

Thus, they had reviewed all records of Hyuga clan members.

And this injured ANBU jonin was certain: no such powerful Hyuga existed in the clan!

"The enemy is at 7 o'clock. He has Byakugan and strange cracks on his body. Be careful—he might be as strong as the Hokage himself!"

"As strong as the Hokage? Are you kidding?!"

The two ANBU exclaimed in disbelief. But the next moment, they understood.

Clink. Clink.

Accompanied by the sound of clanking armor, a Hyuga shinobi clad in Warring States-era armor stepped forward, his chakra so dense it was almost tangible, exuding an aura of intimidation.

Hyuga Fuji casually walked toward the three ANBU.

"Being confined to the village, surrounded by surveillance, without even a decent Edo Tensei sacrifice to work with... It's quite frustrating for a researcher like me.

While I don't usually disturb the dead, directly questioning them about hidden secrets is much more convenient."

"Therefore, I'll have to trouble you three to become sacrifices."

As he spoke, an Eight Trigrams formation appeared beneath the feet of the reanimated shinobi.

Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!

The reanimated Hyuga moved with lightning speed, sealing the chakra points of all three ANBU before they could react.

The elegance and mastery of Gentle Fist techniques demonstrated by the reanimated shinobi were unmatched.

"Using a Main Family ninja as a sacrifice, sharing the same Kekkei Genkai and bloodline origin, allows the reanimated shinobi to retain 70% of their original strength," Hyuga Fuji observed. "But if their strength was insufficient to begin with, it's meaningless. Truly worthy of admiration, though—the former Main Family head, Hyuga Meikyoku, a Kage-level force in his era!"

"You vile branch family brat!" Hyuga Meikyoku clearly retained his consciousness. "You developed a technique that desecrates the dead—aren't you afraid of eternal torment after death?"

"Heh." Hyuga Fuji chuckled, making no effort to defend the Second Hokage's "intellectual property." "What are you so angry about? Being controlled?"

"I'm angry that someone as disgraceful as you was born into my clan!"

"Your gentle Byakugan can't hide your fury."

Hyuga Fuji shook his head and placed sealing tags on the three ANBU, storing them in a scroll.

"You're angry because you're being controlled—by a branch family member, no less. Just like how you once controlled the branch family. You can't bear the thought of sharing their fate."

Fuji smirked as he continued, his words igniting Meikyoku's rage.

"Visiting the Main Family's ancestral tomb to retrieve your personal information yesterday went surprisingly smoothly.

No obstacles, no accidents.

At first, I only wanted to strengthen my forces as a precaution. But summoning you feels like poetic justice."

"In life, you ruled over the branch family. In death, you're ruled by the branch family. Isn't that fitting?"

(End of Chapter)