Several days later, Konoha.
Hyuga Clan Estate.
"Konoha's 'decapitation' operation has completely failed. Even Teacher Sakumo and Dan Katō have become prisoners of the Hidden Rain Village..."
Hyuga Yuzuru looked at the report delivered by a member of the branch family beside him and pretended not to know as he murmured to himself.
"Yes, Lord Yuzuru. The Hidden Rain Village somehow found two powerful shinobi who possessed Wood Release and the Mangekyō Sharingan. Those two alone forced Lord Orochimaru and the others to retreat. Even Lord Sakumo, known as the 'White Fang,' and Dan Katō, an elite Jonin who had mastered the Reika no Jutsu, were captured by those two shinobi. Their lives and deaths remain unknown..."
The Hyuga branch family member relayed every piece of intelligence the clan had obtained to Yuzuru.
It would have been one thing for Konoha's 'decapitation' operation to fail, but Hatake Sakumo and Dan Katō had fallen into the Hidden Rain Village's hands. This was an enormous blow to Konoha and cost it two extremely important combat forces. After all, Hatake Sakumo and Dan Katō were two of the village's top fighters!
"I am already aware of this. You may leave."
Yuzuru spoke to the branch family member.
"Yes, Lord Yuzuru."
After hearing Yuzuru's words, the Hyuga branch family member answered respectfully, withdrew from the room, and gently closed the door.
"It seems I underestimated 'A' and 'Otsu'..."
Yuzuru murmured inwardly. Ever since he had taken over Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's body, he had possessed a lifespan akin to immortality. Over those long years, he had established a core organization called Shangri-La, then created two external organizations under it. One was called The Cleaners, while the other was Kara.
Kara's members were generally elite jonin. Yinglong, the Vermilion Bird, the Soaring Serpent, the Kui Ox, G