Hizashi's Murder

Konoha Year 55

Hyuga Kei spent another year continuing to refine the Ghost Blood Seizing Technique, becoming so proficient that he could activate it without hand seals. The complex rune formations had also been replaced by chakra emitted from his acupoints.

From then on, within a three-meter-radius chakra field centered on himself, Hyuga Kei could instantly cast the Ghost Blood Seizing Technique.

Hyuga Kei had also become the reliable senior Uchiha Itachi looked up to, and Uchiha Itachi would consult him about many matters.

He also found a rogue ninja from Kirigakure and traded for a Ninja Fish Summoning Scroll, preparing to search for Shisui's corpse.

Konoha Year 56, July 12

Hyuga Kei noticed that something was off about Uchiha Itachi. He was more silent and more somber than before.

Hyuga Kei immediately connected it to Shisui's death.

His heart skipped a beat. If Shisui had died last night, then he had to hurry. He couldn't let the fish gnaw the body clean.

Hyuga Kei gave everyone several days off under the excuse that he was sick, while he himself headed beneath the Naka River to search for Shisui's corpse.

Concealing himself all the way, he arrived at the downstream section of the Naka River within the Uchiha District.

Hyuga Kei formed hand seals and used the Summoning Technique to call forth numerous little fish from the Ninja Fish clan. He scattered a large handful of bait and ordered them to search for a corpse.

At last, his efforts paid off. Near nightfall, Hyuga Kei finally found and salvaged Shisui's corpse.

Hyuga Kei had no intention of taking it back for research. The Ghost Blood Seizing Technique drained every trace of Uchiha bloodline from it.

The Sharingan he had imagined did not appear. Of course... what he had absorbed was merely a corpse without a Sharingan.

Hyuga Kei truly did not want to experience the price of awakening the Sharingan, so he would wait until later to absorb some Sharingan instead.

Still, it was not as though he gained nothing. That section of Otsutsuki Gene Chain within Hyuga Kei had become more complete, though its activity remained rather low.

Hyuga Kei thought of the documents, Sealing Scrolls, and other items in Konoha's Sealing Room that he had never dared retrieve. He headed to a dense forest east of Konoha and recovered the Sealing Scrolls and sealing scrolls that had been hidden there for so long.

After briefly reviewing the materials, Hyuga Kei found an unfinished ninjutsu created by Tobirama Senju that greatly interested him.

Its purpose was to revive the dead—not Impure World Reincarnation, but true resurrection.

In the Second Hokage's view, If I can summon people back from the Pure Land, why can't I resurrect others?

However, Senju Hashirama had banned the technique midway through its development on the grounds that it desecrated the dead, strictly forbidding any further research.

Yet many of its ideas were worth exploring. There were many ninjutsu in the ninja world capable of reviving people: Kusagakure's bloodline limit, Dragon Life Reincarnation; Chiyo of Sunagakure's One's Own Life Reincarnation; and the Rinnegan's Rinne Rebirth. All of them could resurrect others.

They merely shared the same limitations: the target could not have been dead for too long, and it required one life in exchange for another.

But in Hyuga Kei's eyes, none of those were truly limitations. If the death could not have lasted too long because the soul had already gone far away, he could simply pull it back with Impure World Reincarnation. As for needing a vessel, that was easy—he could have Orochimaru clone one. Trading one life for another was nothing more than insufficient vitality and chakra. An ultimate Sage Body could solve that.

Those were all problems that could be overcome. If he continued along this line of thought, Hyuga Kei might truly be able to resurrect others. Perhaps his aunt could be brought back as well.

Hyuga Kei stored away the remaining miscellaneous documents, items, and ninjutsu.

He planned to examine them carefully when he had time in the future.

Konoha Year 57, February 3

Thirteen-year-old Hyuga Kei and Uchiha Itachi were promoted to Anbu squad captains at the same time.

Both of them had to leave their original squads. After seeing Uchiha Itachi's transfer order, Hyuga Kei understood that the Uchiha clan's extermination was drawing ever closer.

Uchiha Itachi had been transferred to Root, under Danzo. Though it was a promotion, it was essentially an empty title. Danzo's Root would certainly never allow an Uchiha to command its subordinates.

Hyuga Kei, on the other hand, received a genuine position: Captain of the Leaf Anbu Second Squad.

Hyuga Kei held a farewell banquet with his former teammates. Farewell for whom, exactly? Second Squad and Third Squad were right next door to each other; they would see one another whenever they looked up. Those people simply wanted to fleece Hyuga Kei for a meal.

In the end, Hyuga Kei could only pay the bill through tears.

Konoha Year 57, February 4

Hyuga Kei assumed office and defeated the captains of every team with overwhelming strength, securing his position as squad captain.

But a pair of eyes in the shadows closely watched Hyuga Kei's every move.

"He's already a squad captain. Then it's time to act. The Uchiha have an Anbu Captain, so the Hyuga must have one too."

Konoha Year 57, May 13

Hyuga Kei received an important mission. The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire had died of illness. He was to escort the Feudal Lord's Second Son, who had been living in Konoha, to the Capital of the Land of Fire and install him as the new ruler.

Having someone close to Konoha become feudal lord was extremely important to Konoha. Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered the Second Squad to carry out this mission. If necessary, they were permitted to kill, even assassinating the feudal lord's eldest son, who was returning from afar.

It was an extremely difficult and time-consuming mission. Hyuga Kei's Second Squad escorted the Feudal Lord's Second Son while evading the encirclement and suppression of samurai and rogue ninja.

After countless hardships, they were the first to reach the capital. Then, through bloody methods, they wiped out the opposition and ultimately installed the Feudal Lord's Second Son on the feudal lord's throne.

That was not the end. They still had to deal with the unceasing assassinations and wait for Sarutobi Hiruzen to send the new Guardians Twelve.

Still, life had become fairly leisurely. The new feudal lord treated Hyuga Kei exceptionally well and intended to win him over.

Yet this leisurely life left Hyuga Kei feeling deeply uneasy. He sensed a profound foreboding.

Once the new Guardians Twelve arrived, Hyuga Kei handed over the mission and immediately rushed back toward Konoha without stopping.

There were not many people left in this world whom Hyuga Kei cared about. Only Hizashi and Neji remained.

Hyuga Kei explained the situation to several teammates, and they continuously picked up speed as they returned to Konoha.

Meanwhile, in Konoha, Hyuga Hizashi received word from the Main House, ordering him to bring Neji to the clan head's residence.

Hizashi sensed that something was wrong as well. Why bring a child to a council meeting?

He immediately decided to have someone secretly take Hyuga Neji away and go to Hyuga Kei's home to find him.

He also wrote a farewell letter and placed it beneath Hyuga Kei's bed. If he did not return, then the Hyuga Main House had killed him. Please take good care of Neji.

He himself went to meet his elder brother. After all, he was still a member of the Hyuga clan.

Inside the residence, numerous Main House clan heads and elders sat across from Hyuga Hizashi.

Seeing that Neji had not arrived, Hiashi was the first to ask, "Why hasn't Neji come?"

"Neji went out to play with Kei." Hizashi was hinting that they should not set their sights on Neji.

"With that Hyuga disgrace? Aren't you afraid Neji will grow up to become a Hyuga disgrace too?"

The Great Elder stroked his beard. "Hizashi, after deliberation by the clan council, we have decided that Neji's upbringing will be entrusted to the Second Elder."

"This is the finest reward for your diligent service to the Main House."

Hizashi slowly shook his head. "Thank you for the kindness, three elders, but Neji will still follow the Hokage's initiative and attend the Ninja Academy."

The Third Elder barked angrily, "Hmph! Don't mistake kindness for weakness. We are not negotiating with you. This is an order!"

Hizashi's elder brother, Hyuga Hiashi of the Main House, said, "Hizashi, there is no need for this. Under the Second Elder's guidance, Neji will become an outstanding Hyuga ninja."

Resisting the pressure of all four men, Hizashi knew they wanted to use Neji to control Hyuga Kei. "That will have to wait until we ask the Hokage's opinion."

"Hizashi, has the Main House's authority become worthless?! Don't think Hyuga Kei can do whatever he pleases just because he has become one of the Hokage's Anbu."

The Great Elder activated Hizashi's Caged Bird Seal.

"Aaaahhh!!!"

Hizashi collapsed to the floor in agony, his hands clutching his head tightly. Under the effects of the seal, his brain nerves would be damaged. This was truly a splitting headache.

"This is only a lesson. If you dare talk back again, it will not be so easy next time."

The Caged Bird Seal was deactivated. Hyuga Hizashi gasped for breath, sweat soaking through his clothes.

The Great Elder said, "Tell us where Neji is now, and you will remain the head of the Hyuga Branch Family."

Hizashi no longer had the strength to speak. He merely kept shaking his head.

"It seems you still haven't given up."

As he spoke, he prepared to activate the Caged Bird again.

But he had underestimated Hizashi's love for Neji and his concern for Kei. Just as Hyuga Kei's father had done years ago, Hyuga Hizashi struck his own temple with his palm.

Hyuga Hizashi committed suicide. The three elders wore indifferent expressions. They had seen many Branch House ninjas who killed themselves because they could not bear the pain.

How could their plans end because of one person's death? After preparing for so many years, it was impossible for them not to have contingencies.

Hyuga Hiashi looked up at the sky and sighed mournfully. "Hizashi, why did it have to come to this?"