Shamu finished speaking with Orochimaru.
Then he headed out. Since Hizashi was going to be revived anyway,
he might as well use that to talk Neji into it.
Shamu first used the Transformation Technique, then stealthily made his way toward the Hyuga Clan compound.
Security within Konoha had temporarily been taken over by the Sarutobi Clan. On the way, Shamu even saw Asuma dealing with public security matters.
He looked fairly competent. It seemed there would be no problems in the short term.
Asuma was in particularly poor spirits, chain-smoking one cigarette after another.
After all, his father, the Third Hokage, had died just like that. He still could not accept the reality.
Shamu also heard plenty of praise for the Third Hokage along the way, most of it coming from members of the Sarutobi Clan.
It took Shamu quite some time to sneak into the Hyuga Clan compound.
The Hyuga Clan was currently clearing the ruins and counting the dead.
Besides members of the Hyuga Branch Family, there were also Anbu sent by Orochimaru.
After circling around several times, Shamu finally spotted someone he knew.
Hyuga Yuto.
Hyuga Yuto was utterly exhausted. Hizashi was dead, and Neji was blind.
Most of the capable members of the Branch Family had died, and many matters now required his attention.
He truly felt overwhelmed.
Or perhaps he himself thought he was not capable enough.
But at a time like this, capable or not, he had to be.
"Hayato."
A voice made Hayato jump. Someone had come right up beside him without him noticing.
When he looked up, he saw Shamu.
Hayato was greatly shocked.
"Lord Shamu, why have you returned?"
Shamu raised a finger, signaling for Hayato to keep quiet.
"I heard something happened to the Hyuga Clan, so I came back