You'll Regret This, Hiruzen!

Several days later, Hyuga Hane and the ninja traveling with him stopped and slowly emerged from the forest.

Ahead, three enormous stone faces came into view. Beyond them, clusters of buildings stood neatly together.

Konoha, where it all began.

"It's been a while since I came back to the village. It feels so nostalgic."

A kunoichi relaxed, her pale eyes sweeping over her companions. She asked softly, "Um, what do you think the Main Branch will do?"

The Hyuga ninja around her exchanged glances, keeping their true thoughts to themselves.

"They'll probably consider completely removing the Cursed Seal now that it's been exposed, right?" The kunoichi touched her forehead, where her Forehead Protector covered part of it. "Honestly, this mark is kind of ugly..."

"So you hate it?"

A Hyuga Jonin suddenly appeared. He looked at the girl, whose expression had stiffened, and said coldly, "Go report to the elders and accept your punishment."

"...Yes!" The girl lowered her head.

"Don't think this accident will bring about any change. You're Branch Family today, and you'll be Branch Family for the rest of your lives!"

The Hyuga Jonin looked over the crowd. Only after they all lowered their heads did he continue, "Anyone who wants to remove the Caged Bird, come with me."

No one responded.

Seeing that, the Hyuga Jonin nodded in satisfaction.

"We need your help improving the Caged Bird Technique. Participation is voluntary. Anyone who wants to go, go ahead."

With that, he vanished from the spot.

A deathly silence settled over the Hyuga ninja left behind. No one dared be the first to enter the village that "symbolized home."

Did the Konoha High Command support the Hyuga Clan improving the technique rather than removing the Caged Bird altogether?

That made sense. If they removed the Caged Bird from the Branch Family now, it would be like setting loose a destabilizing force.

The Hyuga Branch Family were slaves to the Main Branch, and Konoha's ninja turned a blind eye to their suffering.

Companions?

True companions wouldn't stand by and watch one of their own be fitted with a slave collar.

The Hyuga Branch Family had conflicts not only with the Main Branch; Konoha had never truly accepted them, either.

Hyuga Hane noticed several ninja clenching their fists and murmured to himself.

Still, to improve the technique, the Hyuga Clan would have to hand over the Caged Bird Technique.

What would those who got their hands on it do?

As a technique for controlling others, the Caged Bird's advantages spoke for themselves.

Simply improving it would only indulge some people's ambitions.

Anyone with foresight would inevitably investigate how to break the Caged Bird.

"Danzo, what are you planning to do with the Caged Bird Technique you took from them?"

At the Hokage Office, the Third Hokage regarded the old man across from him with a stern expression.

"Root is already powerful enough. Don't expand it any further!"

Danzo replied coldly, "Hiruzen, you're too tense. I only need the Caged Bird to strengthen my control over my subordinates."

"Most of Root's members are excellent tools. They don't need the Caged Bird."

"But some of my people only want to live ordinary lives. I have to put an end to that idea completely."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression shifted. "What are you planning to do to Nonō and Kabuto?"

Danzo said meaningfully, "They're members of Root. They only need to become emotionless spies."

"No. They're members of Konoha, heirs to the Will of Fire."

"Nonō has already gathered enough intelligence for Konoha. Let her enjoy the rest of her life in peace!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke with conviction. "And Kabuto, too. Once he finishes his mission, hand him over to me."

"Hiruzen, you're too softhearted." Danzo shook his head. "If you'd let the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki join Root back then, I could've turned her into a perfect war machine and ended the Third Shinobi World War long ago."

"Instead, you've let fragile emotions restrain the Jinchuriki."

"Nonō is a perfect spy. She knows too much, and she isn't as foolish as Kushina. We must never go soft on her. Her only fate is..."

"Danzo!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen cut him off with a sharp look.

"I'm the Hokage. It's my duty to make sure everyone in the village can live a happy life."

"Kabuto is a good kid, and Nonō has long since grown tired of being a spy."

"Konoha's victory doesn't require them to make sacrifices."

Danzo stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen's aged face, which was nearing fifty. "You've grown more and more naïve."

"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"

After venting his anger, Danzo could only leave, unwillingly.

The Hokage. Always the Hokage.

Whenever Hiruzen invoked his position as Hokage, none of Danzo's reasons mattered.

In Konoha, the Hokage held the greatest power.

Whether Danzo, the Hokage Assistant and leader of Root, could keep his position depended on a single word from Hiruzen.

So if he wanted Konoha to operate according to his vision, he had to become the Kage!

The Caged Bird Technique, the most successful jutsu for controlling others in the history of the Shinobi World. I hope it won't disappoint me.

Watching Danzo leave, Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed and took a puff from his pipe. "Otsu."

"Here!"

An Anbu ninja wearing a cat mask appeared with the Body Flicker Technique.

The Caged Bird... No matter how many precautions we take, after this, it'll still fall into the hands of some of the ninja clans. Danzo won't stay quiet, either. We need a way to break it.

Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.

"Find Tsunade and ask her to return to Konoha. Tell her..."

He paused before continuing. "It's her teacher's request."

"Yes!"

The Anbu ninja accepted the order and left.

With Tsunade and me, and help from the Yamanaka, Hyuga, and other clans, we should be able to break the Caged Bird Technique.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed inwardly.

I hope you don't turn over this card before then, Danzo.

As a member of the Branch Family, life in Konoha was dull.

He carried out missions on schedule, went to the Konoha-run Caged Bird Research Group for examinations, and mechanically lived each day.

Hyuga Hane simply added Shadow Clone substitutes, training, and research to that routine.

Like ordinary members of the Hyuga Clan, Hyuga Hane rarely appeared outside the clan compound. He certainly wouldn't act like some warmhearted Uchiha and go around showing the villagers how friendly he was.

They were the Hyuga Branch Family: slaves in all but name, enduring both the "white eyes" of others and the strange looks of their own companions.

If someone like that suddenly appeared with a smile on his face, wanting to pass on the Will of Fire, people would only assume he had ulterior motives.

So Hyuga Hane had never expected to earn the trust of the Hokage or the other higher-ups. He simply played the role of a member of the Hyuga Branch Family.

"Kid, what's the relationship between your Hyuga Clan and Orochimaru?"

Inside the Caged Bird Research Group's laboratory, a kunoichi who seemed both unfamiliar and familiar asked Hyuga Hane:

"Besides my teacher, that guy specially wrote to ask me to come back, too—and it was for the Caged Bird. That doesn't sound like something he'd do."

She wore a coat with the character for "gamble" written on it, and her golden twin tails were tied behind her head. An imposing aura radiated from her.

Tsunade, princess of the Senju Clan and one of the Sannin.