Without a doubt, the strongest clans in the Land of Fire were the Uchiha and the Senju.
Even a five-year-old knew that.
So among the second tier, which clan was the strongest?
Some would point to the Sarutobi Clan, with its powerful summon beasts. Others might name the mid-sized clans who wielded extraordinary secret techniques.
But one name definitely belonged near the top of the second tier.
That was the Hyuga, a powerful clan dwelling in the eastern reaches of the Land of Fire.
The Hyuga Clan were descendants of Otsutsuki Hamura, and one of the veteran clans that had joined Konohagakure in its early days.
Its members inherited the Byakugan and possessed unique abilities in the Shinobi World, such as the Gentle Fist.
To preserve the purity of their bloodline, the Hyuga were divided into the Main Family and the Branch Family. The Main Family inherited the abilities passed down from the Otsutsuki generation after generation.
The Branch Family was responsible for expanding the clan and maintaining the flow of blood within it. When necessary, its members had to serve as tools for the Main Family to produce heirs.
If he wanted to find someone capable of matching Uzumaki Ashina, then paying a visit to the Hyuga Clan was the right move.
As for their relationship, it was as the saying went: there were no eternal enemies when interests were at stake.
Mito thought he was trying to get something for nothing, but Kyosuke had actually prepared a gift long ago.
A generous gift the Hyuga Clan absolutely couldn't refuse.
As a guest calling on them, Kyosuke naturally made no effort to hide his presence.
Not long after he entered Hyuga territory, a guard from the Branch Family appeared before him.
"Stop!" The guard assumed the Gentle Fist stance, showing no sign of letting his guard down just because of Kyosuke's age.
His physique and appearance could be misleading, but the surging Chakra inside Kyosuke was like a blazing beacon in the night.
It was impossible not to notice.
"I am Uchiha Kyosuke. I've come to see Lord Tenjin."
Hyuga Tenjin was one of the strongest shinobi of the Warring States era.
Why did later generations say the Hyuga were a powerful clan on equal footing with the Uchiha and Senju? Half the credit went to this formidable shinobi.
At his peak, Hyuga Tenjin could even suppress the two gods when they used only their ordinary powers—that is, without Susanoo or the Wood Golem Jutsu.
That alone was enough to show how terrifyingly powerful he was.
Facing someone like him, Kyosuke made no attempt at clever tricks. Honesty was the first step toward establishing communication.
"Uchiha Kyosuke." The guard's expression shifted. He had clearly heard of Kyosuke.
Matching the description in the intelligence reports, the guard quickly concluded that the boy was indeed Kyosuke himself.
For now, the Hyuga Clan stayed out of the conflict and had never openly taken a side.
They wouldn't agree to go to war, but neither would they refuse anyone who came to visit.
In the original story, despite being a powerful clan in Konoha, the Hyuga repeatedly weathered crises and survived peacefully until their son-in-law, Naruto, became Hokage.
Their unique wisdom was not to be underestimated.
The guard's reaction alone revealed quite a bit.
"So you're Legion Commander Kyosuke." The Branch Family guard bowed politely and personally led the way. "Please follow me. Clan Head Tenjin will surely be glad to meet you."
As soon as Kyosuke gave his name, someone had quietly relayed the information with a series of signals.
With the Byakugan, communicating over extremely long distances was no problem at all.
By the time he reached the central compound, a group of shinobi was already waiting for him.
At the front stood a beautiful girl in a white outfit. Unfortunately, the severity in her brows spoiled her overall beauty.
"Hello. I'm Hyuga Yayoi. Clan Head Tenjin is waiting for you in the main hall."
"Lead the way." Kyosuke turned his gaze away, sensing that someone was watching them.
He activated his Sharingan and glanced toward the mansion ahead, but found nothing unusual.
"Long-distance surveillance with the Byakugan? What an irritating ability."
He deactivated his Sharingan and followed her as if nothing had happened.
Let them look all they wanted. He wasn't some young maiden who had to worry about being watched.
Beside him, Uzumaki Mito said expressionlessly, "Are you sure you want me to come along?"
"What's there to be afraid of?" Kyosuke replied with a grin. "If we get to anything important, I'll just make sure you can't hear it."
"Ha. You really are shamelessly honest."
"Thanks. The Uchiha have always been like that. Still better than certain two-faced clans."
"You!"
Just then, the girl up ahead turned around and looked at the woman with the hair buns. "It seems she isn't your maid, sir?"
"Her?" Kyosuke waved dismissively. "Her name is Uzumaki Mito, Princess of the Land of Whirlpools."
"..." The Hyuga girl stared at him for a long moment, her pale eyes glimmering with an unusual light. "If Yayoi remembers correctly, the Uchiha are currently at war with the Land of Whirlpools."
"You remember right. We are," Kyosuke confirmed, then added, "This Princess is my prisoner."
"I see." Hyuga Yayoi looked at the woman with the hair buns again and nodded. "My apologies, Princess Mito."
"It's fine. Just pretend I'm not here." Mito pressed a hand to her forehead, wishing she could vanish on the spot.
But she was also curious about Kyosuke's plan. She wanted to hear how the damned bastard intended to deceive the Hyuga Clan.
"Hopefully, the negotiations fail and the Hyuga just kill him on the spot," she muttered, though she didn't believe it herself.
If the Hyuga Clan were so impulsive and hot-tempered, they wouldn't have stayed out of the conflict all these years.
Soon, under Hyuga Yayoi's guidance, the two of them arrived at a reception room with a distinctly Japanese atmosphere.
There, they met a refined-looking middle-aged man. He was none other than Hyuga Tenjin, one of the greatest shinobi of the Warring States era.
"Lord Tenjin." Kyosuke and Mito both greeted him respectfully.
"Welcome." Hyuga Tenjin closed his book and smiled at them. "May I ask what brings you here? Is there something you need the Hyuga to do?"
"It's like this." Kyosuke gestured toward the girl beside him. "I took a hostage and forced Uzumaki Ashina to abandon his plan to start the war. However..."
Kyosuke then described in detail how he had captured Mito and explained how he had threatened the Uzumaki Clan.
He spoke with great enthusiasm, unaware that Hyuga Tenjin's smile had begun to fade.
The Clan Head realized he might have just invited a huge problem into his home.
The boy spoke casually, but that only made Tenjin feel more strongly that Kyosuke was determined to get what he wanted.
"I should have had Yayoi stop him."
"But with his mysterious Space-Time Ninjutsu, others might not have been able to stop him."
After Kyosuke finished, they sat in silence for a while. Then the Hyuga Clan Head finally spoke. "So you want the Hyuga to intervene in the war between your clan and the Uzumaki?"
"That's right." Kyosuke nodded, then glanced at the two people beside him.
"May I speak with you alone?"
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