Scheming

Yamato was tied up and thrown aside.

He could not even defeat Kakashi, let alone with Yuzuru Hyuga watching from the side. Though Wood Release was strange and powerful, Yamato had been shaken to the core. Lost in a momentary daze and questioning himself, he barely resisted before surrendering without a fight.

The Iburi Clan kept their distance from the group, turning into smoke and vanishing somewhere to hold a meeting. Only the girl named Yukimi Iburi silently remained at Yuzuru Hyuga and Kakashi's side, responsible for watching them and preventing any accidents.

In truth, they had most likely already believed in the goodwill Yuzuru Hyuga had shown them. Or rather, Yamato's behavior had truly earned Yuzuru Hyuga a great deal of credit.

Yamato remained silently bound on the ground. The traces of confusion and disappointment on his calm, wooden face—one that seemed perpetually devoid of emotion—slowly faded away.

After all, he was an experimental subject from Root. Even if his mind had briefly faltered, it did not prevent him from regaining his composure and temporarily suppressing his doubts.

He turned to look at Kakashi and spoke softly. "The intelligence I received never said that Orochimaru would definitely come here."

Kakashi had not experienced the events of the original story, where Yamato had once repaid a kindness by saving him. He felt only pity, but little trust, toward this young man from Root. Upon hearing that, he merely said flatly, "We have our own judgment."

Yamato fell silent for a moment before continuing, "Why did you spare me?"

He looked at Kakashi, then at Yuzuru Hyuga, who wore a mask and was currently leaning leisurely against the tree wall, relaxing his body. Confusion filled his heart.

They had clearly recognized him as the Wood Release ninja who had failed to assassinate the Third. Why had they spared him again and again?

Kakashi did not explain further, while Yuzuru Hyuga lightly jabbed Kakashi with his elbow, making it clear that he wanted Kakashi to explain it himself.

Kakashi let out a faint sigh. "The village needs a Wood Release ninja."

Yamato lowered his head. "Even someone who attacked the Third is needed?"

He left part of his meaning unsaid, unwilling to let Yukimi Iburi hear of Konoha's dirty affairs.

Kakashi merely replied indifferently, "Of course."

If the Third could tolerate even Danzo, why would he care about a small tool like him?

That only plunged Yamato into even greater inner conflict.

Yukimi Iburi, the Iburi girl who had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke up. "Um... really, no one survived?"

She was looking at Yuzuru Hyuga.

Yuzuru Hyuga tilted his head slightly and calmly told her his conclusion. "I have never seen any ninja in the village who could turn into smoke. Nor did I encounter similar enemies or hear any intelligence leak out while Orochimaru was fleeing."

"Of course, if you insist on holding onto a slim hope, perhaps Orochimaru transferred some experimental subjects in advance. That is also possible."

After Yuzuru Hyuga finished speaking, Yukimi Iburi's eyes only grew sadder. She lowered her head, and after a long while, spoke faintly. "What... should our clan do from now on?"

Yuzuru Hyuga said nothing. He only instinctively raised a hand to touch his nose, but found nothing except the cold mask. His glasses were nowhere to be found.

"If all you want is to survive, there are always more solutions than difficulties."

Yuzuru Hyuga offered a word of comfort, but he did not reveal all his intentions just yet.

Why did he want to save this clan?

On one hand, their fate was truly regrettable. On the other, there were indeed considerations of his own interests.

More precisely, it was mutual aid and mutual benefit.

With his own Caged Bird curse mark and Flying Bird Seal, Yuzuru Hyuga already understood curse marks and Sealing Techniques designed to counter them far more deeply than ordinary ninja did. He simply had not yet had the time to organize, innovate upon, and study that knowledge in greater depth.

He was not the kind of ninja who merely knew how to use something without understanding why. He did not simply use techniques without thinking. In truth, every breakthrough in ninjutsu brought more than an increase in power—the greatest benefit was that it allowed Yuzuru Hyuga to better understand the nature of ninjutsu itself, including chakra control, nature transformation, composite ninjutsu, and more.

After all, raising the level of any ninjutsu was not as simple as increasing its damage like in a game.

As his proficiency with the Flying Bird Seal grew, and as he used it to unravel the Caged Bird, Yuzuru Hyuga had also gained an increasingly profound grasp of so-called curse marks. Perhaps one day, if he truly devoted himself to studying them, he might even be able to improve upon and develop a curse mark similar to the Caged Bird himself.

This was preparation for the future—though the Caged Bird was infamous, it undeniably served some protective purpose. At the very least, it prevented the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan from being freely leaked and coveted by others.

Although he intended to abolish the Caged Bird, Yuzuru Hyuga believed that finding another Sealing Technique to protect the eyes was equally important.

The same applied to the Cursed Seal of Heaven, which Orochimaru had only recently developed. Yuzuru Hyuga was somewhat confident that, given enough time, he could unravel it.

If the Iburi Clan's mist-form bloodline limit could truly be controlled and improved like other bloodline limits, they might not be unable to become an outstanding ninja clan.

And Orochimaru had clearly already provided a preliminary answer: curse marks were a way to help them control their bloodline.

If he could help the Iburi Clan stabilize their bloodline while also gaining their gratitude and assistance, would that not be a wonderful matter of mutual benefit?

At any time, one had to make more friends and fewer enemies. Only then could one be unstoppable and achieve twice the result with half the effort. Yuzuru Hyuga firmly believed this.

The group fell silent, and no one said anything more as they quietly waited within the tree hollow.

One day? Or two?

Within the deep, secluded tree hollow, it was impossible to sense the passage of time. Yuzuru Hyuga and Kakashi each took a turn resting once, yet they still had no idea exactly how much time had passed.

Until a wisp of smoke drifted over and transformed into an Iburi clansman with a complicated expression.

"Orochimaru-sama... has arrived."

He instinctively nearly addressed Orochimaru as "Lord Orochimaru" before hurriedly correcting himself. He glanced at Yuzuru Hyuga, then involuntarily avoided meeting his eyes.

For some reason, although this fellow appeared even younger than Yukimi, no one dared to underestimate him from the bottom of their hearts.

Yuzuru Hyuga and Kakashi exchanged a glance. Kakashi's expression turned grave as his hand reached for the short sword on his back, ready to fight. But Yuzuru Hyuga reached out once more to stop him.

"And what... plan do you have this time?" Kakashi had nearly called them "dirty tricks," but caught himself in time and instead used "plan" to describe Yuzuru Hyuga's strange ideas.

Yuzuru Hyuga smiled gently and lightly tapped his mask with a finger. "I have no desire to fight Orochimaru to the death."

"Besides, if a battle broke out here, the casualties would probably be significant."

Yuzuru Hyuga's words plunged Kakashi into a brief silence. He raised his head, and in an instant, he understood Yuzuru Hyuga's plan. Startled, he blurted out, "You..."

At last, he understood why Yuzuru Hyuga had chosen to ambush Orochimaru here, why he had not allowed him to send word in advance, and why he had refused Kakashi's proposal to keep the battlefield on the outskirts, where Konoha's others could more easily rush over to support them.

From beginning to end, Yuzuru Hyuga had never intended to clash head-on with Orochimaru. The reason he had chosen to wait here for Orochimaru to come to him—what he had been plotting against was not Orochimaru at all, but his beloved Kakashi!