Danzo's Doubts

After the meeting, Yichen went to the Barrier Team, and also brought Atsumi Akino along.

Yichen gave a lesson to all the B-rank and above sealing masters in the Barrier Team, introducing them to the new runes and new rune connection methods they had learned in Uzushio Village.

They also listed their speculations about the effects of runes related to Space-Time Ninjutsu.

After finishing, Yichen also gave the Barrier Team task: to have them cooperate with Atsumi Akino to add the function of sensing and restricting Space-Time Ninjutsu to the village's defense and Sensory Barrier.

This is a mission for both the Barrier Team and Atsumi Akino. By cooperating with the Barrier Team, Atsumi Akino's understanding of Space-Time Ninjutsu will definitely improve.

Furthermore, in the Barrier Team, Atsumi Akino has any questions about Sealing Jutsu, someone can answer them promptly.

Yichen's plan for Atsumi Akino was to have her perform a mission with the other two members of Team Five each day, and then complete her daily basic training. She could spend the rest of her time in the Barrier Team.

All three disciples gained something from this trip to the Land of Whirlpools. Besides Atsumi Akino finding a way to learn the basics of Space-Time Ninjutsu, Ishinose Kiyoshi has been practicing Summoning Jutsu these past few days.

On Yichen's advice, Ishinose Kiyoshi did not choose any adult sharks with good strength as her main Summoning Beast, but instead chose a small shark that had just been born and had a good physique.

During this time, Ishinose Kiyoshi would summon the little shark whenever he had the chance. Since Ishinose Kiyoshi knew Water Release to create a small pond nearby so the little shark could swim in it.

Uzumaki Riori showed the most significant progress. After learning Shadow Clone, the little girl, who could now fight two against one, felt that her strength had doubled. Now, without Yichen's supervision, she practiced the Shadow Clone Jutsu on her own.

Yichen didn't rush to teach her the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, but planned to teach her after the little girl finished practicing Water Walking.

On this day, Yichen received a report from Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, that the Five-Tails Kokuō, was finally willing to cooperate with Han in training his Kekkei Genkai.

Moreover, Kokuō not only agreed to teach Han how to cultivate the Boil Release technique, but also planned to teach Han's disciple Toda Yui, as well.

As one of Tsuchikage's best Jinchuriki, Yichen also participated in the entire process of Kenshin learning his bloodline limit.

Yichen wanted to see how far Han and Kokuō's relationship had progressed, and also wanted to know how Kokuō taught others to cultivate.

Yichen discovered that the method by Tailed Beast guide ninjas in training their Kekkei Genkai is completely different from how normal ninjas develop their bloodlines.

Unlike Yichen, Han and Toda Yui do not need to raise their proficiency in both attributes to a very high level.

Tailed Beast naturally possess the ability to transfer Chakra to other ninjas. Learners only need to receive the Chakra of the Tailed Beast and then experience and comprehend it.

This is like skipping the qualitative change from 0 to 1 and directly completing the quantitative change from 1 to 100, which significantly reduces the difficulty.

This is something Yichen greatly envies. As of now, Yichen's proficiency in Wind Release is still far from enough to unlock bloodline limits.

If only he had a Tailed Beast with both Fenghuo attributes to help him train. Ideally, it would be Tailed Beast with Flame Release. However, this was obviously wishful thinking on Yichen. Flame Release was something that Ogura Saki developed, and there was no Tailed Beast that possessed such a bloodline limit.

Yichen couldn't recall whether all nine Tailed Beasts' specific attributes were mentioned in the original work, but at least he hadn't heard of any Tailed Beast possessing Ninjutsu similar to Scorch Release or Flame Release.

However, Tailed Beast with both Fenghuo bloodlines are hard to find, but Tailed Beast with only Wind Release do exist in the Ninja World.

Putting aside other things, the Seven-Tails, who had a pleasant chat with Yichen for a few days, is Wind Release creature.

However, since the Seven-Tails is still in Konoha, we can't make any moves against it for now. Everything will have to wait until the Seven-Tails returns to Takigakure.

Yichen only read the beginning of Han and Toda Yui's study of Boil Release before stopping to pay attention, as he had many other things to attend to.

"Byakugan?" In the dark underground Root Base of Konoha, Danzo to himself with some doubt after hearing Bing's reply.

Just now, Elite Jonin Bing, Root Orochimaru sent by Danzo to contact Orochimaru, returned to Konoha.

C brought back Orochimaru's request: the Byakugan.

Danzo had assumed Orochimaru would ask for information or research funding, as their previous collaborations had involved similar requests. However, judging from Hijiri's words, Orochimaru's request this time was very clear: he only wanted the Byakugan.

This Danzo greatly.

Although the Rinnegan, Sharingan, and Byakugan are collectively known as the Three Great Dojutsu in the Ninja World, the Rinnegan is the eye of the legendary Sage of Six Paths, and its status far surpasses the other two.

The Sharingan is considered superior to the Byakugan by all ninjas because of Madara Uchiha. It is estimated that only the Hyuga Clan considers the Byakugan to be a bloodline limit on par with the Sharingan Rinnegan.

Danzo was no exception. In Danzo's eyes, the Byakugan was a great reconnaissance bloodline, but when it was said that the Byakugan was a combat-type bloodline, Danzo just laughed.

If other Great Ninja Village value the Byakugan, Danzo wouldn't be surprised; the Byakugan has strategic value, and its importance increases with the Murakoshi.

However, for missing-nin like Orochimaru, the Byakugan is really not very useful. Even if Orochimaru wanted to establish a ninja village, he wouldn't need a strategic weapon of the Byakugan's caliber.

Danzo couldn't understand it.

However, Danzo highly intelligent, and having carried the burden of Konoha's darkness for many years, he vaguely sensed that something was amiss.

Danzo looked down on Orochimaru in many ways. In Danzo's eyes, Orochimaru was the kind of person who had a good hand but ruined it.

He was clearly the most likely contender for the Hokage position, but he ended up turning himself into a missing-nin.

However, there is one Danzo had to admit Orochimaru was remarkable: scientific research.

Orochimaru's Orochimaru on Wood Release demonstrates that his research capabilities surpass those of the entire Konoha.

Since Orochimaru has taken a liking to the Byakugan, does that mean the Byakugan holds a secret that even Danzo doesn't know?

Orochimaru didn't have much contact with the Hyuga Clan when he was in the village, and he's only now paying attention to the Byakugan. Does that mean that Orochimaru only recently learned about some of the Byakugan's special functions?

After some thought, Danzo didn't immediately decide whether to make a deal with Orochimaru. Of course, even if he were to make a deal, Danzo didn't have the Byakugan.

Danzo wants most right now is to figure out why Orochimaru is interested in the Byakugan.

Danzo first went to the Hokage Building's archives. The Hokage Building's archives have existed since the First Hokage founded Konoha, and the various outdated information and secrets recorded in it are the most abundant in the entire Ninja World.

Danzo spent an entire day carefully examining various records of the Hyuga Clan, but unfortunately, he found nothing.

Searching through known history, the Hyuga Clan has never produced any powerhouse surpassing the Kage Level. Furthermore, the Hyuga Clan has never used any abilities other than those known to Byakugan Danzo, not even a suspected one.

Most of the Hyuga Clan's information is backed up in this archive room of the Hokage Building, but Danzo believed that the Hyuga Clan should have kept some confidential information.

But how do I obtain these documents?

First of all, sneaking around is definitely out of the question. Stealing from the Hyuga Clan compound is wishful thinking. Even ninjas Obito Uchiha and Minato Namikaze, who know Space-Time Ninjutsu, couldn't do it.

Even though Yichen now possesses Sealing Jutsu that can shield him from the Byakugan to some extent, he doesn't think he has any hope of stealing anything from the Yichen Hyuga Clan.

The Hyuga Clan is not strong. There are many ninjas in the Ninja World who are strong enough to force their way in, but almost none of them can sneak around undetected.

Danzo believed that even his Root didn't have that kind of power.

However, Danzo is Danzo; his relentless pursuit of his goals will not change.

Since the covert approach didn't work, they decided to take a more direct approach. Danzo decided to use his position as a high-ranking advisor to directly Hyuga Clan.

The next day, Danzo, accompanied by two Root elites, A and B, arrived at the Hyuga Clan.

Hyuga Hiashi actually wanted to get rid of Danzo. Danzo's behavior displeased these great ninja clans, and the conflict between Danzo and the Fifth Hokage Tsunade, was practically an open secret among the upper echelons of Konoha.

Even if Hyuga Hiashi were to vote with his feet, he would still choose Tsunade. Tsunade, a member of the Senju Clan, would always be more to Hyuga Hiashi's liking than Danzo.

However, since Danzo was visiting as a high-ranking advisor, he couldn't directly refuse.

In the Hyuga Main Family, his face half-covered and expressionless, didn't even take a Danzo of tea before speaking directly, "Hiashi Head Hiashi, the situation in the Ninja World is very unfavorable for the village. The Iwa ninja rising to power, Root has been tasked by the High-Level Meeting to deal with them."

"I need the Hyuga Clan's reconnaissance capabilities."

Hyuga Hiashi frowned, his anger almost bursting forth. Were the High-ranking officials going to take action against my Hyuga Clan?

Was this Danzo acting on his own initiative, or was he deliberately Danzo the higher-ups to test him?

If the Third Hokage were still in power, given the tacit understanding between the Third Hokage and Danzo, this matter would most likely have been a decision made by the higher-ups. However, the current Hokage is the Fifth Hokage, who is unlikely to give Danzo.

So, this must have been Danzo's personal act.

With this in mind, Hyuga Hiashi felt more confident and said calmly, "Advisor Danzō, rest assured, whatever the higher-ups require, they can invite my Hyuga Clan in the form of a mission. I will consider it."

Just kidding. Although my subordinates are all like Caged Bird —they won't betray their families, they won't betray me, we're all a loving family—if they joined Root, with the constraints of being Caged Bird and the control of the Cursed Tongue Eradication Jutsu, would they still obey my orders as they do now?

Danzo was enraged by Hyuga Hiashi's Konoha reply. "I, a former Hokage's assistant, current advisor, and future Hokage who has silently dedicated decades to Konoha, personally visit a junior like you, and you dare to be so disrespectful, putting on airs and saying 'you'll consider it'?"

Thinking of this, Danzo dropped a bombshell. "Heh, Hiashi probably doesn't know that someone's eyeing the Caged Bird."

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Hiashi was first surprised that someone else was trying to untie the Caged Bird. Then he flew into a rage—which branch family bastard had the audacity to plot against the Caged Bird?

In the end, Hyuga Hiashi regained his composure. Let him try to take advantage of the Caged Bird; after all these years, many branch family geniuses have thought and acted this way, yet none of them have made any progress.

This is an internal matter and can be investigated later, but right now, in front of Danzo, I cannot lose the composure of the head of the strongest clan in the Ninja World.

Hyuga Hiashi smiled at Danzo with an air of nobility, at least giving Danzo. "My Hyuga Clan is the strongest clan in the Ninja World. You, a mere outdated Hokage Assistant, are not someone I can easily subdue."

Danzo unhurried, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said calmly, "Orochimaru is the one in charge of this."

Then Hyuga Hiashi lost his composure. He couldn't stay calm. Although Hyuga Hiashi had confidence in his Caged Bird Orochimaru.

As the head of the Hyuga Clan, Hyuga Hiashi knew that the greatest power of the Caged Bird lay in its ability to seal the soul. Unlike ordinary Sealing Jutsu, the Caged Bird was Cursed Seal that combined both the soul and the body.

Even the Uzumaki Clan's ninjas, skilled in Sealing Jutsu, couldn't break the Caged Bird.

However, Orochimaru is different. Intelligence indicates that Orochimaru has researched Ninjutsu related to the soul. If Orochimaru is indeed in charge, then it is not impossible for the Caged Bird to be broken.