The Organization Is Called the Avengers

Mist Village Battlefield, Konoha's command post.

"Iwagakure has surrendered. Reinforcements from the village will arrive soon, and the war will be over before long."

Orochimaru looked at the assembled Jonin, his tone calm.

"At this final moment, we must not let our guard down."

The Jonin visibly relaxed and answered in unison, "Yes!"

"Good." Orochimaru nodded. "You may leave."

After the Jonin had left the tent, Orochimaru studied the map for a while. Suddenly, his expression shifted.

Poof!

Amid a cloud of white smoke, the White Viper appeared in front of Orochimaru, its tongue flicking.

It opened its mouth and spat out a scroll.

Orochimaru smiled as he picked it up and unrolled it.

It contained some of Hyuga Hane's theories about Chakra. They weren't particularly valuable, but they would certainly help with Orochimaru's research.

"I only asked him to write a letter recommending Namikaze Minato to my teacher. Hane-kun really didn't have to go out of his way."

Minato's greatest rivals for the Hokage Position were the Sannin.

They all had more experience than Minato.

But neither Tsunade nor Jiraiya wanted to become Hokage.

The only one who hadn't clearly refused the position was Orochimaru.

So when he followed Hyuga Hane's wishes and delivered the letter recommending Minato to the Third Hokage, certain things became inevitable.

"Teacher has always been considering my position, but you had already chosen Minato in your heart, hadn't you?"

"You've been building support for Minato all along, even helping him accumulate political capital. The younger generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, who have been close to Sarutobi for generations, are all Minato's comrades."

"You've gone to such lengths. But you probably don't want to give up the Hokage Position just yet. Things have simply reached a point where you have no choice."

Orochimaru shook his head and burned the scroll with a flame.

This time, the Main Branch had lost. Their secret Caged Bird technique had fallen into many hands, and they had even lost some control over the Branch Family.

The Hyuga Branch Family hadn't won either. They had failed to eliminate the Caged Bird completely.

And Teacher, though he appeared to have resolved the incident perfectly, had hastily stepped down and tarnished his own reputation, taking some of the blame upon himself. The consequences were significant.

On the surface, Minato seemed to have gained the most: the Hokage Position, and the chance to consolidate his power on the Mist Village Battlefield.

But was that really the case?

"By making Minato Hokage, what are you planning to do, Hane-kun...?"

"This world has no coincidences, only inevitabilities formed by all kinds of variables that are difficult to observe."

"Just like you don't know what I'm going to say next."

"But that's only because you don't know. I, of course, know."

Hyuga Hane rose and walked toward the front door.

"If I tell you about a variable, it becomes a constant."

"And then you'll be able to glimpse a little of the future."

As it happened, all the many variables in the Naruto world were constants as far as Hane was concerned.

In other words... the future was already set!

"The Branch Family has found hope. So what will happen when that faintly illusory hope is brutally torn to shreds?"

Hyuga Hane turned to look at Hyuga Meigoku. The shadows of the house obscured Hane's face, making it hard for the other man to see.

Was he looking forward to it? That didn't seem to be the case...

Hyuga Hane murmured inwardly.

How similar they were.

The Uchiha were living a beautiful dream now, just as the Hyuga were.

The clan leader was friends with the new Hokage, and the clan leader's wife was best friends with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

This generation of the Uchiha Clan had the foundation to break into the higher echelons!

Unfortunately, that beautiful dream would vanish and become the Uchiha's nightmare.

What would happen to the Hyuga?

Hyuga Hane turned to leave the house, then suddenly stopped and looked toward the shadows.

"What is it?"

Hyuga Yuki stepped out of the shadows and lowered his head as he made his request.

"Senior Hane... No, Lord Hane! I hope you'll help me. I need power."

Hyuga Hane studied his expression. "Come in and talk."

Without waiting for Yuki to reply, he opened the door and went inside.

Hyuga Meigoku saw it all with his Byakugan, then concealed himself.

"Yes!"

Hyuga Yuki followed him inside, excitement written all over his face.

They made their way to the living room. Only then did Hyuga Hane turn and ask, "Why did you come to me?"

"Because you're the strongest ninja in the Branch Family!"

Hyuga Hane had figured out that the Hokage was working to break the Caged Bird, and had easily infiltrated the Main Branch's inner circle. As far as Hyuga Yuki knew, no other Branch Family ninja came close to his strength.

After a pause, Hyuga Yuki added:

"Besides, I believe you can be trusted. They—the members of the Branch Family—are nothing but Caged Birds!"

As he said those last three words, Hyuga Yuki gritted his teeth.

They were slaves in their hearts. Even if the Caged Bird were removed, they would never be free.

"Oh? You think you're different from them?"

Hyuga Hane smiled. "If I hadn't told you about it, would you have wanted to remove the Caged Bird completely?"

"Probably not."

Hyuga Yuki fell silent, but soon spoke with renewed determination. "But I'll keep resisting, find a way to deal with the Caged Bird, and bring along every clan member willing to fight."

Hyuga Hane looked at his determined eyes, narrowing his own slightly as he murmured:

"Barely acceptable."

Passionate, but rational.

Courageous and willing to act.

Most importantly, he wasn't an idealist.

"Huh? Acceptable?"

Before Yuki could react, Hyuga Hane took out a scroll and tossed it to him.

"This is the power you're looking for. It can let the Branch Family stand on its own feet, and even help the Hyuga Clan break away from Konoha."

Hyuga Yuki stared at him in disbelief, then looked down at the scroll.

Break the Hyuga away from Konoha... How could that be possible?

"Don't believe me?" Hane asked calmly.

"No, no, that's not it," Yuki said quickly, shaking his head. "It just feels... a little unreal."

In his mind, Hane had been, at most, a powerhouse second only to the Hokage. Hearing him suddenly claim he could do something so outrageous naturally seemed unbelievable.

"Believe it or not, it's up to you."

Hane said, "If there's nothing else, please go home."

"Wait, Lord Hane."

Hyuga Yuki took a deep breath and bowed.

"My companions and I founded an organization. Our goal is to help the Branch Family stand on its own feet."

"Please join us!"

"..."

Silence fell over the room.

Just as Hyuga Yuki was at a loss and about to sneak a look at Hyuga Hane, Hane's voice came.

"What's the organization called?"

Hyuga Yuki's delight was plain to see. Then he scratched his head awkwardly. "We haven't decided yet, but since our original goal is to gain freedom and take revenge on the Main Branch..."

"Why not call it the Avengers..."

"You can leave now."

Hyuga Hane had heard only three words before coldly ushering Hyuga Yuki out.

Outside the door, Hyuga Yuki stood there, bewildered.

What was wrong with that name?

He scratched his head, unable to figure it out, and left with the scroll.

When he got home and read all the scroll's contents, the thirteen-year-old boy froze in place, his feelings impossibly complicated.

It was history: the history of the Hyuga's distant relatives—the Otsutsuki Main Branch—being slaughtered to the last by the Branch Family...