When it came to this disgusting teacher, who had no idea what personal boundaries were, Hua Yue was at a loss for words—especially since he'd chosen to dress up as a woman to get close to him.
"Did it not work? Before, you used this face to trick the previous Eight-Tails Jinchuriki into losing control. Or do you prefer women who are a little younger, Hua Yue?"
The disguise peeled away, revealing Orochimaru's sharp, angular features. His vivid red lips returned to their usual pale purple, and his smile was full of curiosity.
"How did you please the White Snake Sage and leave Ryūchi Cave unscathed? It's a place only madmen would visit, though countless people seek the power of its sages."
"Did you perhaps obtain the power I've always wanted to master—the power of a sage?"
Under Orochimaru's curious gaze, Hua Yue smiled without answering. After a long silence, he finally replied with a pointed question.
"Ah, but wasn't Teacher Orochimaru's dream to learn every jutsu in the world? Besides, the Sage Modes of the three great hidden sanctuaries are all quite different."
"Human life is limited. Even if you spent your entire life pursuing knowledge, you'd have only a century. Even if you learned one forbidden jutsu a month, you'd master only twelve hundred in your lifetime."
"Not to mention all the ninjutsu, secret techniques, and forbidden jutsu that have vanished over the long course of history. Anyone can see what your real goal is."
The wind howled as the Immobilization Genjutsu slowly wore off. Orochimaru stared intently at the young man resting his cheek in his hand—someone who never seemed to tire and never showed an opening.
His snake-like pupils rarely showed even a trace of excitement. Those were the eyes of someone who could see through everything, unlike the eyes of the many fools around him.
This was someone who truly understood him, someone walking a similar path. His disciple had always treated him with respect, yet Orochimaru had never been able to fathom the full extent of his ambition.
"Then..."
"Don't misunderstand. Just as you wouldn't die for the village, I have no interest in becoming a stepping stone on someone else's path to immortality."
"Enough. Our little chat as teacher and student is over. What did you come here for?"
His gifted disciple was cold and merciless, leaving no room for compromise—more cold-blooded than Orochimaru himself. Orochimaru gathered his thoughts and spoke slowly.
"Konoha's defenses are badly depleted. The village's mission for you, from Teacher Sarutobi... from the Third Hokage, is to hold off Ōnoki."
This time, Hua Yue's mouth twitched. The Third Hokage really must have awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan to send him after the original user of the Imperial Release: Nine-Clan Erasure Technique. The man had some nerve.
"Bloodline Selection, Dust Release... Ōnoki of Both Scales? Should I be touched by Lord Hokage's trust in me, or pray to the gods that I don't run into him?"
"Heh heh heh. You're my most prized student. With the power you've kept so deeply concealed, even against the Third Tsuchikage, you're not without a chance. I have more faith in your strength than you can imagine."
Unusually, Orochimaru didn't leave by summoning a giant snake. It was as though he had merely come to see how Hua Yue had escaped the White Snake Sage, and to pass along the village's mission while he was at it.
The Tsuchikage has joined the battle? That means the war between Konoha and the Land of Earth is drawing to a close, and the Third Shinobi World War is nearing its end...
The malice that had kept such a close watch on Obito has disappeared without a trace. So they're finally ready to choose the heir to their will.
The night rain fell in silence. A few dim stars shone through the clouds.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the heart of Konoha, at the Hyuga Main Family's residence...
The Hyuga Main Family and Branch Family had gathered together. Everyone wore a grim expression, while the Branch Family members remained silent beneath the accusing stares.
"Why do we distinguish between the Main Family and the Branch Family? It's to prevent the Hyuga Clan's Kekkei Genkai from falling into outsiders' hands. So what happened now?"
"You Branch Family members failed to fulfill your duty, and now the Main Family's Kekkei Genkai—the Byakugan—has fallen into the hands of Kirigakure!"
Seated in the middle, the Hyuga Clan elder, Hyuga Toen, spoke gravely. The many members of the Main Family fixed the Branch Family with suspicious looks.
"Wait. That was Hyuga Monfu's own reckless decision. He acted on his own, and he even got several clan members killed on the battlefield..."
The elder slammed a hand against the floor and turned to rebuke him.
"Silence! No matter what, your Branch Family shares the blame. Why didn't you keep an eye on him? Now the Byakugan has fallen into Kirigakure's hands!"
The Hyuga Branch Family members were furious, but none dared speak up. They could only turn pleading eyes toward the current Branch Family head, Hizashi Hyuga.
"Hyuga Monfu brought his death upon himself. All seven Branch Family members assigned to protect the Main Family died in battle. The Byakugan was lost because he failed in his duty as a member of the Main Family."
"Anything can happen on a battlefield. Are you saying the entire Branch Family should have gone to protect him and ignored the mission assigned by Lord Hokage?"
Hizashi Hyuga argued his case, but the elder answered with cold, merciless words.
"If you can recover that lost Byakugan, then even if every one of you dies, it will have been worth it. That is the Branch Family's duty: to protect the precious Kekkei Genkai!"
Their pent-up resentment and hatred could only build in their hearts. The Cursed Seal etched into their foreheads, which bound their freedom and kept them in the dark, throbbed faintly. They dared not show what they felt.
"Now that things have come to this, I can only ask Lord Hokage and the other clans' elites to kill that detestable Mist Village jonin, Ao, and reclaim the precious Byakugan."
"Branch Family members, remember this: in the battles ahead, you must not lose a second Byakugan, no matter what. Even if it costs the lives of the entire Hyuga Branch Family..."
The meeting ended on a bitter note. The current Hyuga Clan head, Hyuga Hiashi, looked at his brother, who had been born only moments after him and was every bit his equal. He fell silent.
After the meeting broke up, the Branch Family members gathered in their quarters, their eyes bloodshot and their faces twisted with rage. Seven of their own had died in that battle, including a boy who hadn't yet come of age. Was that not worth mourning?
Did the death of the entire Branch Family mean nothing, all because of one reckless Main Family member who had brought his death upon himself?
In the oppressive silence, no one could find the words to speak. Hizashi kept quiet. Only after the others had left did he wander aimlessly through the streets alone.
At some point, he found himself in a training ground on the outskirts of Konoha, one used for practice. Hizashi slowly raised his head and stared at a figure dressed in black robes, whose presence was nearly impossible to sense. His brow furrowed.
"What do you want to become?"
The figure turned his head. A three-eyed fox, red and white, looked like a wandering spirit haunting Konoha, drifting without purpose.
"What do I want to become?"
"A lone bird with its wings broken, trapped in a cage—or a star that tears through the night with fangs and blood, burning with a fire of blood?"
"What do you want to become?"
Before you continue