More than a dozen Anbu focused their gazes on Shi Xiu's eyes, which glowed with an eerie white light. Every one of them was shocked and incredulous, especially Kakashi.
Everyone knew that the Hyuga Clan kept an extremely tight hold on the Byakugan in Konoha. They valued it even more than the Uchiha Clan valued the Sharingan.
Back then, the only reason Kakashi had been able to keep his Sharingan was that Lord Hokage had overruled everyone else and barely managed to protect him under immense pressure from the Uchiha Clan.
Yet here, before their eyes, stood a young man who clearly wasn't from the Hyuga Clan, but possessed such a pure Byakugan. It was simply beyond belief.
Shi Xiu coldly swept his gaze over the dozen or so Anbu, who stood on high alert, and curled his lips into a disdainful sneer. Then he turned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing not far away, and spoke with open sarcasm.
"Monkey, oh, Monkey. I never thought you'd become so afraid of dying. You actually brought nearly half the Anbu with you to meet me. What, aren't you worried Danzo will use this chance to win people over and become the Fifth Hokage?"
Before Hiruzen could respond, one of the Anbu in the group could no longer contain his anger. He stepped forward and shouted at Shi Xiu, "Insolence! How dare you show such disrespect to Lord Hokage!"
Shi Xiu slowly turned his head, his icy gaze stabbing straight at the Anbu who had spoken out of turn like a sword.
Then, an astonishing sight unfolded. Shi Xiu's clear, white eyes began to turn bloodred. The red quickly spread until his entire eyeballs were crimson.
At the same time, the Three Tomoe in his eyes began to rotate slowly, as if drawn by some mysterious force, before merging into a strangely shaped triangular pattern.
A dull thud followed, and the Anbu fell straight to the ground like a kite with its strings cut, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The other Anbu trembled with fear at the sight, especially Kakashi.
Beneath his mask, Kakashi's eyes widened in disbelief, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
Seeing this, Shi Xiu smiled and explained, "Don't worry. He just fell asleep."
"He has both the Byakugan and the Sharingan? Th-this can't be possible!" Kakashi murmured, his voice hoarse with fear.
At that moment, Hiruzen, who had remained silent, slowly sighed and waved a hand, ordering the Anbu to retreat.
"Lord Shi Xiu..." Hiruzen began, but Shi Xiu raised a hand and cut him off without hesitation.
"Stop! Spare me the rambling and tell me what you plan to do next." Shi Xiu stared at Hiruzen, his expression blank and his gaze so cold it sent a chill through anyone who met it.
Then Shi Xiu turned his gaze toward the Anbu and said calmly, "But don't worry. I'll erase their memories of this later."
Hearing that, the Anbu took another frightened step backward, their faces full of terror. Hiruzen could only sigh again.
"Since you've asked, Lord Shi Xiu, I won't hide it from you." Hiruzen lowered his head slightly, closed his eyes, furrowed his brow, and pressed his lips together. He seemed frozen in place.
Seconds ticked by, and the air around them seemed to grow heavier.
At length, Hiruzen opened his eyes. A barely perceptible glint flashed in them, as if he had finally put his thoughts in order.
Hiruzen took a deep breath and spoke in a low, resolute voice. "After careful consideration, I've decided to take up the post of Hokage again. I also plan to secretly spread the word that the Uchiha Clan was behind the Nine-Tails Incident. At the same time, I'll transfer some authority to the Konoha Military Police Force. In addition, I'll select several exceptionally talented and capable young members of the Uchiha Clan and train them carefully to join the Anbu."
Shi Xiu listened quietly from the side, unable to help but marvel at what he'd heard.
Just as I expected! First, he'll sow discord between the Uchiha Clan and the ordinary villagers. Then he'll give the Konoha Military Police Force more power, driving a wedge between them and the villagers. Finally, he'll recruit the Uchiha Clan's promising young members into the Anbu and use them for his own ends. That way, the Uchiha Clan will be completely isolated.
Thinking of this, Shi Xiu couldn't help but marvel at Hiruzen's mastery of human nature. He had reached the pinnacle of skill.
In his previous life, Shi Xiu had heard people call Hiruzen a schemer who concealed his true nature. Now, he could see they were right.
Yet while Shi Xiu remained calm on the surface, the Anbu behind Hiruzen couldn't manage the same composure.
Kakashi in particular was in turmoil. His deep guilt over his former friend Obito left him torn when he learned that Lord Hokage was about to move against the Uchiha Clan.
Shi Xiu gave a slight nod once he'd heard everything, indicating that he understood.
Then he turned his gaze toward the line of Anbu standing behind Hiruzen.
Shi Xiu's Mangekyō Sharingan began to rotate slowly, radiating mysterious and powerful waves of energy.
In an instant, the dozen or so Anbu swayed as if struck by an invisible force, then collapsed to the ground one after another, falling into a deep unconsciousness.
However, Shi Xiu had secretly taken precautions. The others' memories of everything that had happened that day were indeed completely erased, but he had merely sealed Kakashi's memories for the time being.
Once he had finished, Shi Xiu silently thought, "Copy Kamui." As soon as the words formed in his mind, a crisp notification rang out: "Ding! Copy successful!"
Hiruzen, who had been watching anxiously, finally let out a long breath of relief.
But before Hiruzen could fully relax, Shi Xiu turned to him again and asked, "So, Monkey, what exactly do you plan to do with Minato's orphan?"
Hiruzen had already given a great deal of thought to Naruto Uzumaki's future. Konoha was far weaker than it had been, and if they rashly revealed that Naruto was both the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the village might not have the strength to protect the Nine-Tails.
Besides, the man before him had no desire to interfere in Konoha's affairs. Otherwise, Lord Tobirama wouldn't have died in battle all those years ago, nor would it have led to the devastating First Shinobi World War.
At the thought, Hiruzen felt a heavy pressure settle over him.
"I plan to conceal Naruto Uzumaki's identity as the Fourth Hokage's orphan..." Hiruzen had barely begun when Shi Xiu unleashed a surge of powerful chakra and smashed the sturdy prison door to pieces with brute force.
The next moment, Shi Xiu moved like a phantom, appearing before Hiruzen in the blink of an eye.
"Monkey! Say that again!" Shi Xiu's voice was icy as he glared at Hiruzen.
The sudden turn of events made Hiruzen jolt, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest.
Hiruzen quickly remembered that Lord Shi Xiu seemed to have had an excellent relationship with Minato and Kushina.
The realization sent a wave of fear through Hiruzen. Beads of sweat as large as beans began to roll down his forehead, one after another.
Hiruzen swallowed with difficulty and said in a slightly trembling voice, "I was only thinking of Naruto's safety..."
But Shi Xiu wasn't buying his excuse. He merely snorted, then strode up to Hiruzen and said, his voice ice-cold, "Thinking of his safety? Monkey, don't think I don't know what you're scheming! From now on, Naruto Uzumaki is in my care. And you'd better behave yourself. Don't try any tricks in front of me, or I'll send you to the Pure Land to meet Hashirama and Tobirama right now!"
A chilling aura emanated from Shi Xiu, making Hiruzen shudder.
After hearing this, Hiruzen gave a slight nod to show his agreement, discreetly putting away the schemes that had just begun to take shape in his mind.
He had originally planned to bring Naruto into the Anbu once he was grown.
That way, he could better control the Nine-Tails sealed inside Naruto, turning its immense power into a trump card for Konoha.
At that moment, Shi Xiu turned without hesitation and strode outside. But halfway there, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Hiruzen.
"The house I used to live in is still there, right?" Shi Xiu asked, his voice so calm it was impossible to tell what he was feeling.
Hiruzen's body trembled involuntarily, and he hurriedly nodded, looking terrified. "Y-yes, it is. We've kept it just as it was."
Shi Xiu nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Good. Make sure Naruto is delivered to my home later. And publicly announce Naruto's true identity to the village!"
With that, Shi Xiu didn't linger. He walked straight out of the Anbu prison and soon disappeared into the vast night.