Go Pick on the Land of Snow's Ninjas

"Tokuma, why are you back?"

At the former clan head's residence, the father of Hyuga Hiashi frowned as he looked at Tokuma in the courtyard.

Tokuma was the spy Hyuga Hiashi had sent to Root. Why had he come here instead of reporting to Hiashi?

"The Third sent Tsunade to break the Caged Bird seal. Danzo found out, and the method for breaking it has now been delivered to the clan head. I'm worried Hiashi won't make the right choice, so I'd like you to decide what to do."

Hiashi's father's pupils constricted. He stared intently at Tokuma's expression, and, after confirming there was no sign he was lying, closed his eyes.

"Sir, your tea."

Just then, a maid came over. Her gaze briefly met Hyuga Tokuma's. When the former clan head irritably waved her away, she withdrew.

Hyuga Tokuma glanced at the maid as she left, then lowered his head. "Danzo has already taken control of the Anbu and reached an agreement with the two advisers. The Military Police Force and the uninformed ninja clans were stopped by Root ninja earlier. Now they've received orders from the Anbu as well, so no one is going to support Tsunade."

"Without anyone to back her up, she may leave Konoha for a while."

"And without her keeping him in check, Danzo will gain complete control over Konoha."

After hearing Tokuma's account of the situation, Hiashi's father fell into thought.

In these circumstances, directly clashing with Danzo wouldn't be wise.

"Fine. Tell Hiashi to follow Danzo's orders for now."

"Yes, sir!"

After receiving his orders, Hyuga Tokuma left the residence. Once outside, he glanced back with a cold look.

I was worried you might affect the Hyuga Clan at the end of your life. I didn't expect I'd be a step too late.

A pity I can't take action myself...

Inside the residence, Hiashi's father lay on the ground in agony, clutching his throat, unable to make a sound.

The maid who had just served him tea wore a faintly deranged smile as she quietly watched him.

"Sir, I've always wanted to carve the original Caged Bird seal into you, torment you with it, and watch you struggle in agony as you die."

"Unfortunately, you have a good son. For the sake of Clan Head Hiashi, I'll give you a dignified death."

Hiashi's father opened his eyes wide and tried to activate the Caged Bird seal, but before he could even lift a hand, the light faded from his eyes.

The maid didn't approach him. She waited a full three minutes, making sure the poison had completely ravaged his body, before removing his Byakugan and slipping away.

"Th-this is..."

Hyuga Tokuma stepped into the meeting room, and an ominous silence washed over him.

The room was dimly lit, and the air was heavy with a suffocating gloom.

As his eyes adjusted, he could make out the outlines of the tables and chairs. Irregular dark-red spots and lifeless bodies on the floor stood out starkly in the yellowish light.

Hyuga Tokuma swallowed, suppressing his elation as he looked at the only living person in the meeting room.

"Lord Hiashi, what happened?"

He didn't bother putting on an expression of concern or grief. As always, his face was impassive.

Looking at him, Hiashi thought of the Branch Family members who had just left and sighed. "Nothing. It's just the retribution they deserved."

"You came to inform me on Danzo's orders, didn't you?"

Hiashi rose to his feet. His white clothes were stained with blood, but he paid them no mind as he slowly walked toward the exit.

Hyuga Tokuma stepped aside and lowered his head. Once Hiashi had left the room, he followed.

"I'll change first. Go tell Hizashi to take over the Hyuga Clan."

Tokuma froze and looked up at Hiashi.

In the midday sun, the other man's stern face was clearly visible. It looked tired, but there was also... a hint of relief.

"This time, I'll stand with Danzo and take responsibility for everything. When the Fourth and the others return, I'll resign as clan head, and Hizashi will take over. You don't need to call me 'sir' anymore. There is no Main Branch in the Hyuga Clan now."

Hyuga Tokuma was silent for a long while before replying in a low voice, "Understood!"

Hiashi raised his head and looked into the distance.

The birds seeking freedom had been the first to break out of the cage. They could fly wherever they wished, but everything they achieved from here on would be their own. The birds that could have left but chose to remain in their cage would be treated kindly by their keeper because of this.

It was hard to say what they had gained or lost.

But since you've chosen this path, I suppose you'll walk it with smiles on your faces. I hope you fly higher and farther.

"If you hadn't come to find me, I wouldn't have known there were so many people in the clan who wanted to leave."

As they made their way through Konoha's streets, Hyuga Miyuki glanced at Hyuga Yuki and the group of more than twenty people behind them, then took a deep breath.

Hyuga Yuki used his Byakugan to watch their surroundings and sighed as well. "If it weren't for that person, I'd never have known that the Branch Family had someone as skilled as you."

"I've been meaning to ask. Who is that person?"

"You'll find out when the time is right." Hyuga Yuki only shook his head, refusing to say more.

They hadn't even left Konoha yet, but a Hyuga ninja behind them already looked relaxed, no longer wearing the gloomy expression of the past. He teased, "He keeps going on about 'that esteemed person' this and 'that esteemed person' that, but he won't tell us who it is. I'm starting to wonder if that person even exists. Maybe he wants to fight back but lacks confidence, so he's imagined some powerful figure."

Hyuga Yuki smiled. "In a way, what happened today does seem like a fantasy, doesn't it?"

At his words, everyone around them chuckled.

It really did feel like a dream.

"Then... Clan Head Yuki, where are we going now?"

A member of the Hyuga Clan glanced at the enormous scroll at his waist and asked.

It was a scroll that could store living people—something unavailable on the market. Yuki had given it to them to hold their families.

They hadn't had time to explain anything to their families, so they had simply knocked them out and brought them along.

The Sealing Jutsu that suppressed the Caged Bird seal, along with these items of unknown origin, was what had convinced them that someone was backing Yuki.

Hyuga Yuki: "The Land of Snow. The ninja there aren't strong, and there are no strange legends about the place. Because of the trouble with Danzo, Konoha won't have time to deal with us for now. We can establish ourselves there, cover our tracks, and slowly grow stronger."

Among them were six Jonin and Special Jonin. By Konoha's standards, the Land of Snow didn't have a single Jonin.

"By the way, what are you planning to do?"

Remembering that he hadn't yet discussed the future with one of them, Hyuga Yuki asked Hyuga Miyuki.

"I'll go with you for now." Hyuga Miyuki shook her head. She hadn't made up her mind yet, but the first thing she needed to do was probably stabilize the ocular power in her eyes.

After her Byakugan evolved, she had stopped absorbing ocular power because of the situation at the time. But the power in her eyes had remained active, as if something was about to be born, yet something was missing. She would probably search for whatever it was in the future.

The Shinobi World had always been ruled by the strong. With enough power, you could make your way anywhere. Now that she had left the village, she had even more reason to grow stronger.

Come to think of it, she'd wanted to thank Hane, but he'd gone to the battlefield.

If he were still in Konoha, would he have chosen to leave with them?

She wondered when they'd get the chance to meet again.

As Hyuga Miyuki pondered this, several ninja suddenly appeared and stopped them.

"What are you doing?"

The ninja guarding the Konoha Gate looked at them in confusion and shook his head, feeling that the sight of dozens of Byakugan staring at him seemed familiar.

When had he seen this before?

"The Third's orders. We've been told to head to the battlefield and provide support." Hyuga Yuki took out the token Hiashi had given him with his right hand, while secretly gathering strength in his left.

Though Hiashi had seemed trustworthy, they couldn't afford to let their guard down.

"I see."

The ninja guarding the gate nodded and moved aside.

He remembered now. He'd seen this scene more than six months ago, the time the Hyuga left the battlefield.