All of This Is Fated

"You...!"

The voice of Mukai Hyuga caught in his throat, turning into a muffled, airy wheeze.

The cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth slipped away silently, bouncing twice on the stone path.

His pupils began to lose focus, like two candle flames extinguished by a draft, the clarity fading bit by bit as his consciousness drifted away.

"Pfft..."

Hyuga Qinglan slowly withdrew his hand from Mukai's abdomen. There was no blood on his palm, only a faint, ethereal pale green glow.

He lowered his gaze to the spot where the spiritual orb had submerged, murmuring in a low voice.

"The ability to access the thoughts of others and manipulate their will and body..."

"It bears a striking resemblance to how Nagato uses black chakra rods to create the Pain Six Paths."

The Rinnegan and the Tenseigan have always had overlapping powers.

It is just that the Rinnegan leans more toward defense and versatility, while the power contained within the Tenseigan is more inclined toward offense and specialization.

With a thought, Hyuga Qinglan released his control over Mukai Hyuga.

Mukai Hyuga's pupils gradually refocused, shifting from their initial lifelessness to a dull, hollow emptiness.

"What arrangements did Danzo make for you?"

"Lord Danzo intends to invite you to become an external operative for Root, so as to monitor the Hyuga Clan..."

Mukai Hyuga recounted the ins and outs, the details of the mission, and the future contact methods, word for word.

He told Hyuga Qinglan every single detail.

After finishing, he stood straight where he was, hands hanging at his sides, waiting for the next order as quietly as a wax figure.

Hyuga Qinglan listened, silent for a moment.

An external operative for Root... to monitor the Hyuga Clan...

He narrowed his eyes slightly, pondering to himself.

"It seems Hyuga Hiashi really has been making moves in the shadows, and significant ones at that, forcing Danzo to go as far as personally planting a pawn inside the Hyuga Clan."

In his memories, this kind of treatment—being "infiltrated by internal members for surveillance"—was supposed to belong to the Uchiha Clan...

But now, it had fallen upon the Hyuga.

Hyuga Qinglan suddenly chuckled, a hint of indescribable self-mockery in his tone.

"Could it be that the Hyuga Clan really will end up rebelling in the future?"

He hadn't expected that a joke made in passing would actually align with the trajectory of reality.

As the laughter faded, his expression returned to calm, the trace of amusement in his eyes vanishing completely.

However, this was fine.

Even if there had never been a direct conflict between the Hyuga Clan and Danzo, he would slowly stir the pot, intensifying the contradictions bit by bit, allowing this cannibalistic clan to begin unraveling from within.

"In that case," Hyuga Qinglan withdrew his thoughts and instructed Mukai, "go back and report."

Live exactly as you have always lived.

Do not let anyone see anything unusual.

With a thought, he transmitted this command deep into the consciousness of Mukai Hyuga.

"Yes!"

Mukai Hyuga bowed, stooped to pick up the monkey mask that had fallen to the ground, and put it back on, covering his expressionless face.

With a swish, he vanished from the estate.

The stone path in the courtyard was fully illuminated by the moonlight, as if covered in a thin layer of silver frost.

Hyuga Qinglan stood alone in place, letting the moonlight wash over his face.

Then, he opened his eyes, his gaze returning to calm, and his hands moved rapidly through a series of seals.

"Summoning Jutsu."

Meanwhile, in the most magnificent building within the clan grounds, moonlight drifted through the window lattice on the breeze, casting light onto the long corridor, only to be swallowed by the flickering candlelight just as it was about to spill onto the desk.

Under the candlelight, Hyuga Hiashi, dressed in a plain kimono, was busy processing the backlog of clan affairs with a brush.

He flipped through official document after official document, his expression calm and focused.

That was until the letter delivered by the Hokage's office appeared before his eyes.

An irrepressible rage rose quietly from the depths of his heart.

"The front lines are struggling so bitterly, and that old thief Danzo knows full well that the Main Branch of our Hyuga Clan rarely goes to the battlefield, yet he still pushes us. Is he trying to dig up the very roots of our Hyuga Clan?"

Hyuga Hiashi grabbed the letter, wanting nothing more than to tear it to shreds.

Yet, his hand stopped in the end. Years of adhering to rules and traditions allowed him to maintain his composure.

"Taking our scroll was one thing... but now they want the Hyuga Clan to risk their lives as well. If only the Third Hokage were still here..."

He paused for a moment, then shook his head with a bitter smile.

"No. The Third Hokage is old now, too. Even if he were here, he might not necessarily favor the Hyuga Clan."

"Only by having the Fourth Hokage ascend to power... can we reverse the current decline of the Hyuga Clan."

"By then, perhaps we might even be able to retrieve the scroll..."

Hyuga Hiashi took a deep breath and pulled the letter belonging to Hizashi Hyuga from the very bottom of the stack.

He picked up his brush and urged his brother to assist Namikaze Minato in earning merit on the front lines, while simultaneously winning over the smaller families who were on good terms with the Hyuga Clan.

After finishing the letter, Hyuga Hiashi finally let out a long sigh of relief. He rubbed his weary brow and gazed at the bright, full moon outside the window.

The night breeze gently stirred the candlelight, causing light and shadow to flicker across his face.

"Hiashi, still thinking about things?"

An aged voice came from behind him.

Hyuga Hiashi turned around, his throat tightening slightly, and he called out with a complex expression:

"Great Elder... I..."

"There is no need to explain further."

The Great Elder did not rush to speak; he simply watched the clan leader before him, who had once been so full of spirit.

After a long while, he finally spoke, his tone calm yet filled with a steady weight: "I know... you are somewhat bothered by what I proposed earlier. With the fighting on the front lines being so difficult, if members of the Main Branch do not go to the battlefield, then the Branch Family must step up to fill the void."

"And Hyuga Qinglan is precisely the standout of the younger generation. Such a task should naturally be led by him. If nothing unexpected happened, in a few more years, he would surely become a pillar of the Branch Family, just like Hizashi."

He paused for a moment, his cloudy eyes gradually widening as they fixed firmly upon Hyuga Hiashi.

"But an accident occurred, and fate favored Hyuga Qinglan, granting him the hope for the Hyuga Clan's rise. Since Hyuga Qinglan has begun the path to the Hyuga Clan's revival, I believe that with his talent, he will eventually understand his ultimate destiny."

"After all... all of this is arranged by fate."

"I understand..."

Hyuga Hiashi lowered his head, humbly listening to the Great Elder's teachings.

"That is good."

The Great Elder nodded slowly, then braced himself against the chair to stand up, his movements slow and steady. He turned and walked toward the depths of the corridor, yet his voice remained clear as it drifted back.

"Many things have happened during this time, but Hiashi, you cannot fall."

"Remember, you are first the leader of the Hyuga Clan, and only then are you Hyuga Hiashi."

"These were your father's words, and they are also the lesson I leave for you."

He stopped, as if gathering his final thoughts.

"As for Danzo, deal with him for now. Since he wants people from the Hyuga Clan, send a few more children from the Branch Family... let the Tokuma Squad go."

"As for the matter of Hyuga Qinglan..."

The Great Elder's tone deepened, eventually returning to a calm state.

"You do not need to intervene; let this old man play the villain..."

"This is one of the last things these old bones can do for you."