Hyuga Shin Prepares to Attack!

In the dim cave, Uchiha Madara sat on a stone bed. The faint light illuminated half his body, leaving the other half hidden in shadow.

Just like his mood at that moment—he had indeed been affected by Hyuga Shin's words.

"Madara-sama, why not kill him? If he found this place, the underground secrets probably can't be hidden from him either. Won't that affect your plan?" A White Zetsu emerged from the earth.

"It's not that I don't want to, but that I can't." Uchiha Madara's tone carried a hint of helplessness.

"Do you know what skill allowed Hyuga Shin to survive the Warring States Period and become a strongman?"

Survival!

"He's an anomaly among the Hyuga Clan. Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, Sealing Techniques, Ninja Tools, stealth, traps, swordsmanship—he's dabbled in everything except the Hyuga's hereditary techniques, and he's mastered them all."

"In his own words, 'Only the living get to deal damage.'"

"He tries every method related to survival."

"He's the strongest the Hyuga Clan has produced in generations, just like me and Hashirama are to the Uchiha and Senju."

"If not for me and Hashirama in the late Warring States Period, he would have been the most dazzling one."

"Even if he's on his last legs now, I'm not much better off."

"And his stealth techniques have grown stronger—he infiltrated this underground base before I even noticed." Madara's expression soured; he had always been confident in his perception.

"Then, Madara-sama, what if he leaks the underground secrets?" The White Zetsu asked anxiously.

"Then we can only gamble. Besides, he only saw the surface—he has no idea what my true plan is. If something changes, I'll think of a way then." Madara's face darkened, his eyes gleaming with menace.

Madara didn't know that Hyuga Shin was fully aware of his plan and dismissed it with contempt. He couldn't care less—his goal was simply to make Madara realize the problem with his own body.

"My time is running out. I need to choose a successor to carry on my plan! War is about to begin—hasten the screening of the Uchiha Clan so I can set my pieces in place during the conflict." Madara ordered the White Zetsu.

"Understood, Madara-sama! I'll go now." With that, the White Zetsu sank into the earth and vanished.

"Death is also another form of rebirth. Hyuga Shin, have you already foreseen this?" Uchiha Madara murmured to himself.

Then the light gradually dimmed, and Madara's figure faded into the darkness.

Hyuga Shin flew in bursts, pausing now and then, touring the entire Shinobi World. He contemplated heaven, earth, and nature, while continuously refining his own cultivation method. His method was already quite complete, capable of reaching the Nascent Soul level—comparable to the Sage of Six Paths—and he was only one step away.

The cultivation method he had created consisted of five realms: Qi Condensation, Meridian Opening, Qi Sea, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul.

And indeed, as Hyuga Shin had predicted, a cultivation method based on Natural Energy could greatly extend one's lifespan!

Hyuga Shin was currently at the peak of the Golden Core Realm, half a step into the Nascent Soul Realm! With a lifespan of five hundred years, he was absolutely stronger than Madara and Hashirama at their peaks, and could probably match Six Paths Madara!

Though he could take that step at any time, Hyuga Shin made no move.

It wasn't that the Sage of Six Paths had scared him.

The problem was that breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage required a massive amount of Natural Energy to nourish both body and soul, and he hadn't yet found a good way to solve that issue.

Moreover, if it caused as much commotion as he feared, getting discovered would mean dealing with more than just one Six Paths. That Toad Head, Old Loach, the Slug, and even the ancestor Hamura could all become enemies.

This place treated the Otsutsuki Clan like a field of leeks to be harvested. Better to play it safe and be prepared.

"First, I'll keep refining the cultivation method beyond the Nascent Soul stage, and then find a way to make the breakthrough quiet enough to advance unnoticed." Hyuga Shin had a clear plan in mind.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, over a month had passed.

The Third Shinobi War had also begun, and all Five Great Shinobi Villages had joined the fight within a short period.

This time, Konohagakure was like a mad dog, taking on four enemies at once—a move that baffled many ordinary shinobi.

They didn't know that the internal conflicts within each village had forced their leaders to seek war as a way to ease tensions and weaken those overly powerful clans.

The Kage of the Five Great Shinobi Villages were of one mind on this, and their actions were highly coordinated.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had endured for a long time, waiting for the right opportunity. Though he had secured his position as Hokage, the insubordination of the major clans within the village had pushed him to his limit.

The major clans only realized what was happening late in the war, and by then, they could no longer extricate themselves.

They were like the insects raised by the Sage of Six Paths, knowing only to fight for power in a narrow world, continuously feeding the Chakra system with their lives, their very souls controlled without their knowledge.

Humanity's pursuit of power and authority will ultimately become the greatest evil! So it was with Hiruzen Sarutobi, so it was with the Sage of Six Paths, and so it was with Hyuga Shin!

To achieve his great path, Hyuga Shin would not hesitate to make enemies of the entire world!

If that Old Bastard, the Sage of Six Paths, who treated the Shinobi World like his personal leek patch, could be hailed as a spiritual guide leading the child of destiny, then Hyuga Shin could be called a brave warrior leading the masses to slay the dragon.

"It's time. I'll use this identity to muddy the waters and become the Great Teacher of Virtue of the Shinobi World, planting seeds of resistance."

"And now that I think about it, the warning I gave Madara was too conservative. Next time I get a chance before he dies, I'll give him another dose of spiritual poison to cleanse his mind." Hyuga Shin secretly planned to pay Madara another visit, to water him and fertilize him.

Hyuga Shin was a man of decisive action. Once he made up his mind, he flew straight to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, where fighting had already broken out.

He would start with the easiest target: the Hyuga Clan.

At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, the Konohagakure central army camp.

The commander at the time was Shimura Danzō, the future Darkness of the Shinobi World.

He had clashed with the Sand Village several times over the past few days without achieving much, but everything was going according to Shimura Danzō's calculations.

The reason he had been appointed commander was that he had Hiruzen Sarutobi's deep trust and could effectively carry out the plan to weaken the major clans.

He needed to slowly expand the war like a frog in boiling water, dragging the major clans into the conflict to achieve his goal of weakening them.

Hyuga Shin descended near the ninja army camp, then resumed his previous decrepit appearance, shuffling slowly toward the Leaf Camp.

"Who goes there! How dare you trespass into the Leaf Camp!" the Vest Ninja on duty at the camp gate barked at the aged figure approaching from afar.

"Boy, are your eyes blind? Can't you see this old man's Byakugan!" Hyuga Shin's hoarse voice brimmed with authority, an invisible killing intent bursting from him.

"S-Senior! The camp, the camp is under lockdown—you need, need the password to enter!" The two Chunin guards were so tense, as if pinned by an ancient beast, their words stumbling and legs trembling.

"Who's in charge of the Hyuga Clan in this camp right now? Have him come see me. Tell him I am Hyuga Shin. Go deliver the message." Hyuga Shin retracted his killing intent and stood waiting in place.

The two ninjas instantly felt control of their bodies return.

"Please wait a moment, Senior. I'll report at once!" One ninja signaled his companion and immediately rushed off to inform.

"Lord Danzo! An old man calling himself Hyuga Shin has arrived outside the camp! He demands to see the Hyuga Clan's battalion commander." The guard ninja reached the command tent and first reported to Danzo.

"Hyuga Shin! The Hyuga Clan said he'd gone missing. And now he's turned up here!" Danzo was somewhat shocked. He hadn't expected Hyuga Shin to be so mobile.

After all, in his eyes, Hyuga Shin was already on his last legs, a man nearing death.

"Go notify Shota and Ooki."

"Do you want a glorious finale? The last ember of the Warring States Period." Danzo pondered briefly and made his decision.

Shota and Ooki received the notice and immediately dropped what they were doing, heading together to the camp gate.

"Greetings, Lord Shin!" Shota and Ooki confirmed Hyuga Shin's identity as soon as they reached the gate.

"So you two are leading this time, Shota, Ooki." Hyuga Shin had expected to meet a commander unfamiliar with him, but it turned out they were both quite acquainted.

Shota was a Branch Family member from the Main Family's Third Elder line, and also the guard captain for Hyuga Kurusuke. Back then, he and Kurusuke had both received instruction from Hyuga Shin. His strength was roughly at the Elite Jonin level.

Ooki was from the Second Elder's line. They'd had a few interactions before, and he had some understanding of him. His strength was a notch below Shota's.

"Lord Shin, why have you come to the battlefield? You suddenly vanished from the clan grounds earlier, and the Main Family elders were quite worried." Shota asked with some concern.

"Worried about what? Worried I'd die? Or worried about the Byakugan leaking out?" Hyuga Shin's calm tone carried a hint of mockery.

Shota didn't respond, and Ooki beside him remained silent.

"Let's go to the camp first. We'll talk back at the camp. Lead the way." Hyuga Shin's voice betrayed a note of weariness.

Then he stepped forward into the camp.

Hyuga Clan camp.

Some of the younger clan members were curious about Hyuga Shin's arrival—after all, he looked so old that few were truly familiar with him.

Inside the tent, Hyuga Shin sat opposite Shota and Ooki.

"Shota, Ooki, how has the Hyuga Clan arranged things? Why are the camp's faces all so young? And they're all Branch Family Members, aren't they!" Hyuga Shin questioned with some anger. He was a natural actor.

"Yes, Lord." Shota responded.

"Not a single person from the Main Family was sent out?"

"The Clan Leader sent out his second son, young master Hizashi, to accompany the army into battle." Ooki's voice was weak, clearly lacking confidence.

"The Hyuga Main Family has truly fallen!" Hyuga Shin sighed with a look of world-weariness.

Shota and Ooki beside him wore stern expressions, at a loss for words.

"While I still have some time, gather all the boys without assignments. I'll give them special training, try to boost their odds of surviving on the battlefield! And call Hizashi Hyuga as well." Hyuga Shin instructed the two.

"That would be wonderful! With Lord Shin's guidance, it's a tremendous stroke of fortune for these young men!" Hyuga Shota's face showed a smile for the first time.

"Indeed, even we could benefit greatly from Lord Shin's combat experience!" Ooki was also excited.

Facing war, as captains responsible for their subordinates' and clansmen's lives, the pressure on them was considerable.

"Pick a venue and go notify them. Come tell me when it's arranged." Hyuga Shin finished speaking and waved them off.

"Yes, Lord Shin. We'll see to it at once." The two replied and turned to leave the tent.

"Branch Family children, get ready for the old ancestor's loving education."