Please Don't Overestimate Yourselves

Yukimi Iburi remained silent. She did not resent Yuzuru Hyuga, but she had still been used by him as a "tool" in an exchange, offered to Orochimaru so he could drink her blood. Though she knew it was the only way to resolve the current crisis, how could her heart remain completely unmoved?

Yuzuru Hyuga took out a soldier pill and handed it to Yukimi Iburi. It could replenish some chakra; perhaps restoring chakra would help heal some of her injuries caused by her bloodline limit.

She hesitantly reached out, but instinctively looked at Gota Iburi first. Only after he gave a slight nod did she take it, murmuring, "Thank you."

"On behalf of the Iburi Clan, I thank you for your help and warning."

It was Gota Iburi who finally broke the silence.

He stood up and looked at the clan members behind him, their faces dazed, confused, hateful, and despairing. He knew that even if Orochimaru had not personally taken their lives, what he had done was almost no different from killing them himself.

The Iburi Clan's bloodline limit was extremely unstable, and that instability grew more severe with age. Without the influence of the Cursed Seal of Heaven, by their thirties or forties, they would basically be unable to engage in intense combat with their bloodline limit. By their fifties or sixties, they could turn into smoke and disperse at any moment.

They had once hoped that Orochimaru's Cursed Seal of Heaven could change everything, that his promise could give the Iburi Clan a future.

But now, the children had died somewhere unknown, while the curse seals they had placed such high hopes in had become ticking bombs imprisoning them, ones Orochimaru could return to detonate at any time.

What were they supposed to do?

How were they supposed to live?

Yuzuru Hyuga had expected this long ago. Unconcerned that Kakashi was nearby, he calmly asked, "What are you planning to do from here on?"

"First... we should leave this place." Gota Iburi spoke with difficulty. This enormous tree hollow had been like a gift from heaven, easy to defend and hard to attack, sheltering them from wind and rain. But now, fearing Orochimaru might return at any time to finish them off, they could only choose to relocate the entire clan.

"And where will you go? Have you thought of a destination?"

Yuzuru Hyuga spoke softly as he watched Gota Iburi clutch his forehead in pain. The resolute-looking man now appeared haggard and lost. Even as clan head, he was finding this situation difficult to bear.

There was no hope, no future. If they fled, where could they possibly flee to?

Kakashi could not help quietly suggesting, "Konoha."

Before he could finish, Yukimi Iburi, who had remained silent at the side, gave a cold laugh, subtly expressing her hatred for Konoha. "We will never go to Konoha!"

Kakashi fell silent.

That was right.

Orochimaru was hardly the only one who had killed their loved ones and deceived them as though they were fools.

Yuzuru Hyuga was not surprised in the slightest. He merely smiled faintly and offered a suggestion. "If you have not decided yet, then remain in the Land of Fire for now."

The Iburi Clan had complicated feelings toward the person who had saved their lives, but they would no longer underestimate him just because he looked like an immature child.

Gota Iburi forced himself to pull himself together. "Could you tell us... why?"

"First, your clan's bloodline is unstable, and there is always a risk of losing control. If the journey is too long during your migration, I fear that by the time you find a place to settle down, quite a few clan members may die in accidents along the way."

"Besides, the ninja world is far from peaceful right now."

Yuzuru Hyuga first pointed out the dangers. Though he did not explicitly say where the danger lay, Gota Iburi firmly believed him.

Then, Yuzuru Hyuga began discussing the more practical issues.

"Second, as a large clan, you cannot ignore the matter of making a living. Perhaps some people were willing to provide you with supplies before, but now that Orochimaru has defected, you have not only lost your usefulness—you may also become a stain on certain people's records. That is not safe for you."

"So, considering that you still have basic survival needs, I believe you need some help."

Yuzuru Hyuga spoke indirectly, but everyone knew he was practically pointing at a certain Pot Kage from Root and telling them to watch out for that old schemer.

Gota Iburi remained silent, waiting for what he would say next.

"As an old noble clan of Konoha, the Hyuga Clan has accumulated more than one or two properties in the Land of Fire over the years. If all you need is a temporary place to stay, that would not be difficult."

"Beyond that, you could also take on some work there, support yourselves, earn money, and solve your basic survival difficulties."

"Most importantly, our status can, to a certain extent, make certain 'important figures' hesitate to openly 'erase' you."

"And, to be honest."

Yuzuru Hyuga looked at Yukimi Iburi and spoke softly. "Perhaps I have a way to remove the Cursed Seal of Heaven from your necks, and find a way to stabilize your bloodline limits, preventing your clan's tragic fate."

No one was swayed when Yuzuru Hyuga raised this point again.

Even Kakashi merely regarded his words as a kindhearted attempt at consolation.

Having been toyed with by Orochimaru once already, they had finally seen the true nature of the ninja world. There was no love without reason, and no free feast ever fell from the sky.

Even if what Yuzuru Hyuga said was true, he surely had something to gain from it.

Besides... could anyone truly solve the problem of their clan's bloodline limit?

They no longer dared hope for that. Perhaps turning into smoke and scattering away was the Iburi Clan's ultimate fate.

"What would we need to give?"

Gota Iburi watched Yuzuru Hyuga warily, but all he could see were the eyes beneath his mask, calm as white snow.

"Perhaps one day, I may need your help. Of course, perhaps I will not. So—"

"Please stop giving us false hope! If this is a transaction, then tell us what you want!" someone interrupted him harshly in a low voice, their distrustful gaze filled with vigilance and wariness.

Those words clearly voiced the feelings of most of the Iburi Clan—they truly no longer wanted to be deceived and exploited.

Yuzuru Hyuga merely looked calmly at Gota Iburi. "Please do not misunderstand. This is not a transaction. Whether you choose to appear when I need help is not compulsory; it depends on you. I have not become so weak and incompetent that I would place my hopes on a group of pitiful people who can barely ensure their survival from one day to the next."

"Please do not overestimate your own importance."

His light, almost casual words plunged the Ibury clan into silence. They stared at the boy before them, seeing only his calm, youthful face and those clear eyes untouched by any ripple of emotion.

Could he be trusted?

They wrestled with the question inwardly, and for a moment, no one spoke again.

For a time, the atmosphere inside the tree hollow was oppressively terrifying.

PS: To be fair, the Ibury clan's bloodline ability was pretty interesting. It had a bit of that Logia Devil Fruit flavor.