Who Won?

"Nicely played—retreating to advance."

Hyuga Hiashi stood beneath the distant shade of a tree, watching the Third Hokage with a complicated expression.

He hadn't understood why his father had suddenly passed the clan head position to him. Now he did.

The Hokage had already taken action to deal with the Branch Family.

He'd assigned the ninja returning from the Lightning Country battlefield to various units, where they spread word of the Fourth Hokage's glory of their own accord, laying the groundwork for his retirement.

Then today, under the pretext of stepping down, he'd shown the Branch Family favor.

Could the Branch Family resent him for ignoring them before?

No!

The Second and Third Hokage hadn't changed anything, but under the Third Hokage, things had finally changed. The leader of an entire village had bowed his head and apologized to them, and was even giving up the Hokage Position. What could they possibly resent?

But the Branch Family had won this for themselves!

Some of the rebellious Branch Family members had even killed members of the Main Family. If the Hyuga Main Family didn't want to fall out with the Branch Family completely, they had to make some concessions.

But the Branch Family wouldn't know that.

So the Third Hokage could use this to earn their gratitude.

He'd only loosened the reins a little, yet many Branch Family ninja were already deeply grateful.

No one believed the Caged Bird could be broken. The Branch Family ninja, long accustomed to it, didn't believe the Main Family would remove it, either.

And what did the Main Family think?

Lately, Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't stepped up the search for the culprit. His apparent indifference might well have been meant to put pressure on the Main Family and force them to work with him.

The Branch Family respected him, and the Main Family owed him a favor.

The Third Hokage had drawn the usually low-profile Hyuga Clan onto his side!

A brilliant move.

Of course, it also meant the Third Hokage could no longer pursue the culprits without risking the Branch Family's resentment and wasting his strategy. But the Branch Family members who'd acted in secret were also now constrained.

Many in the Branch Family were already satisfied. If those rebels continued their actions, the rest might not support them. Then the Third Hokage could stop worrying about what most of the Branch Family thought and simply use force to kill them.

As the Third Hokage rose, apparently forgiven by the Branch Family, and smiled in his direction, Hiashi took a deep breath.

"Hizashi, it's our turn. From now on... we can be as close as we used to be."

Hizashi Hyuga gazed dreamily at the Hokage on the platform. "Will things really be the same?"

Hiashi didn't answer. He started walking.

His and Hizashi's rise to power represented a concession from the Main Family. It would further quell the Branch Family's centuries-old anger, but he didn't know if this was the right thing to do.

He only knew... he had no choice.

Seeing the clan head's two sons take the stage, Hyuga Miyuki closed her eyes and turned to leave.

She didn't want to listen, or see the satisfied expressions on her clanmates' faces.

The Branch Family hadn't won!

What was there to be happy about?

A hand reached out from the crowd and grabbed Hyuga Miyuki as she started to leave. She frowned and looked over.

It was Hyuga Hane.

The boy, about her age, wore the same smile as those around him, but there was no laughter in his eyes.

He listened intently to Hiashi and Hizashi's speech about "bringing a new spirit to the Hyuga," then let go of her hand.

As he did, Hyuga Hane made several subtle gestures.

They were signals from the Mist Village Battlefield!

Since the Mist Village's specialty, the Hidden Mist Technique, concealed the enemy's movements, Hyuga ninja serving as lookouts had devised several sets of signals to discreetly tell their comrades where the enemy was.

The enemy was at eight o'clock...

Hyuga Miyuki instantly understood what he meant and calmed down.

A gentle smile spread across her face.

That was right. This was the best opportunity.

A chance to find out how many in the Branch Family were deeply dissatisfied with the Main Family!

What had gotten into her lately?

Since she planned to take everything upon herself and defect, had she stopped caring, deep down, if anyone suspected her?

She'd even lost her basic vigilance!

Hyuga Miyuki silently warned herself to be more careful, then gave Hyuga Hane a look of gratitude and apology.

They might not do anything right away, but the Main Family would surely keep an eye on those who remained dissatisfied and deal with them later.

Hyuga Hane had risked a lot by warning her. Her expression and movements might already have been noticed.

Ignoring Hyuga Miyuki's look, Hyuga Hane surveyed the scene through the eyes around him, carefully studying everyone's expressions.

He quickly ruled out those who were genuinely smiling.

He took note of the others.

More than I expected. Around thirty?

Looks like I'll have to thank Orochimaru.

After a long while, Hiashi announced, "We'll begin engraving the new Caged Bird now!"

At home, Hyuga Hane wrote names on a blank scroll.

They belonged to the Branch Family members he'd noted earlier.

Hyuga Meigoku stood behind him like a guard, staring at the names with burning anger.

"Are you planning to join forces with them against Konoha and the Main Family?"

He couldn't match the names to faces, but he knew these were the people Hane had identified through his eyes as dissatisfied with the Main Family.

"They're suitable," Hyuga Hane said coolly. "Compared to those still lost in a beautiful dream, they've at least come to their senses."

There were so many ways to use Impure World Reincarnation.

It could summon the dead to fight, or it could be used for research.

It could even be used for reconnaissance!

That morning, he'd been able to gather information as he pleased thanks to Impure World Reincarnation.

The caster of Impure World Reincarnation could share vision with the Reanimated Ninja. By summoning and positioning Hyuga Meigoku, a Kage Level expert, ahead of time, Hane could enjoy the benefits of the Byakugan from his place in the crowd.

After all, the telltale sign of activating the Byakugan was far too obvious. He couldn't use it himself in a setting like that.

As for the people on the list... they were members of the Branch Family whom he personally approved of and considered useful.

If he needed expendable pawns for what came next, these people could be ruled out first.

"You're awfully calm, as if you've won. Wasn't your plan easily crushed by that little Hiruzen?" Hyuga Meigoku sneered.

He'd led the Hyuga Clan into Konoha. To him, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage whom the Second Hokage had liked to call "Monkey," was still just a junior.

"I don't even know what plan you think I had in all this," Hyuga Hane said with amusement.

"If helping a test subject cover up information while picking up some eye power counts as a plan, then I'd say I carried it out perfectly."

Hyuga Meigoku continued to sneer, as if looking at a sore loser who couldn't admit defeat.

"Getting the Branch Family to remove the Caged Bird and turn against the Main Family—that was your goal, wasn't it?"

"Although I do need the Hyuga Branch Family to remove the Caged Bird, it's not for the reason you think."

Hyuga Hane put away the scroll and took out another, filled with notes on his Chakra research. Then he formed the Summoning Jutsu hand seal.

A White Viper appeared. It glanced at the scroll he handed it, then swallowed it whole.

Watching the white snake disappear, Hyuga Hane smiled.

"I never planned to be the Branch Family's savior. I only need a group of people who can help me when necessary."

He didn't consider himself a villain who did nothing but evil, but he wasn't a good person, either.

There would naturally be a price for helping the Branch Family remove the Caged Bird.

"Besides, do you think Sarutobi Hiruzen—or Namikaze Minato—really won?"

"I'm the one who pushed him to become Hokage."

At the sight of Hyuga Meigoku's stiff expression, Hane chuckled softly.

"The Sannin are still around. How do you think the Third Hokage got around them and made Minato Hokage directly?"