I Want Them All

A dull ache throbbed in his forehead, and a flicker of rage ignited within Hyuga Hizashi. This Caged Bird, a seal that bound his freedom, could only be undone by death.

A difference of mere seconds, yet the gap between him and his brother was as vast as heaven and earth. Despite their talents being nearly identical, was the distinction between the Main House and the Branch House truly so insurmountable?

Veins bulged around his eyes as his Byakugan, possessing a field of vision without blind spots, locked onto the figure before him. Beneath that Three-Eyed Demon Fox Mask, the figure lacked any sense of presence, causing Hyuga Hizashi's pupils to constrict.

"Which clan's ninja are you? You have no presence, no chakra, and no meridian system. What exactly are you trying to say?"

"A cage, a caged bird—all merely to die for the sake of others. What is it that you wish to become?"

"A lonely bird with broken wings, trapped in a cage, or a star that tears through the night with fangs and blood, burning with the fire of war?"

The phantom dissipated, and the hazy morning mist quietly drifted away. The first rays of the rising sun appeared on the distant horizon, dispelling the fog that had lingered around him.

The eerie figure vanished with the mist, leaving Hyuga Hizashi standing there for a long time, his mind filled with turbulent thoughts.

Genjutsu? What was this strange sensation... A lonely bird trapped in a cage, a star burning with blood and war—is it burning with blood and the flames of battle?

Does a Branch House member, bound by chains, truly have the power to ignite the flames of war that should never burn, and bring them upon the Main House?

Lost in a daze, Hyuga Hizashi remained silent. Who exactly was that child?

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Uchiha Clan, at the home of Uchiha Hanazuki.

Resting his chin on his palm, Hanazuki flipped through a book with one hand, his eyes flickering with contemplation.

"Destroying the optic nerves to seal away the light, yet even so, the Byakugan is still plundered by the Mist Village. The Main House and the Branch House—a deformed, twisted clan that cold-bloodedly exploits its own kin. Is this what the Hyuga Clan is?"

"A curse mark specifically targeting the optic nerves. If it only serves to resurrect the host after death, it ultimately fails to protect the Byakugan, doesn't it? A troublesome curse mark."

Beside the tea table lay an emergency golden-lettered wanted poster issued by the Hyuga Clan, delivered by a special Anbu operative from Konoha. Ao's name sat prominently at the top.

"To protect the purity of their bloodline, they must marry within the clan to ensure the inheritance of their Kekkei Genkai. That is the way of all the great clans with bloodline limits."

Marrying outsiders, blending bloodlines, and having children with those outside the clan—that was the practice of most prestigious families. Examples like Hinata, a member of the Hyuga Main House marrying an outsider, were rare, if not entirely unheard of.

After all, they couldn't exactly have the Seventh Hokage change his surname to Hyuga. Compared to such slave-like treatment of kin, the arrogant and prideful Uchiha Clan was miles ahead of the Hyuga in terms of unity.

As his thoughts wandered, Hanazuki examined himself, his gaze drifting toward the doorway.

"So, what brings you to me? Obito?"

Uchiha Obito, who usually wore a sunny smile and acted little better than a fool, looked over with a mischievous glint in his eyes before placing three gifts beside Hanazuki.

Each gift bore a delicate, elegant handwriting. After scanning the signatures, Hanazuki understood why Obito had rushed over so excitedly.

"This era is one of war. We might be deployed to the front lines by the village tomorrow, and we don't even know where we'll die. If you're a man, what is there to hesitate about?"

"Make your choice! Is it Kurenai? Or Anko? Or perhaps that shy girl named Yugao?"

"Damn it, I'm still so frustrated! Why do you have so many girls who like you? I couldn't even get a confession right! Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

The boomerang he had thrown came back to hit him. Hanazuki pretended to ponder for a moment, then, under Obito's expectant gaze, slowly shook his head.

"What does that mean? Didn't you say yourself, Hanazuki, that if you're a man, there's nothing to hesitate about?"

Under Obito's bewildered gaze, Hanazuki tucked away the notes and replied righteously.

"I am an attack helicopter, or perhaps a Walmart shopping bag, or even an adult... I can choose none of them, or I can have them all. But you probably wouldn't understand."

Facing Hanazuki's look of pity for the mentally challenged, Obito's expression stiffened, and he loudly scolded such immoral behavior.

"Just because you're a genius, you think you can do whatever you want? Damn it, once I awaken my eyes, I'll definitely make Rin change her mind! Damn it..."

Completely crushed, Obito stormed off to train. Hanazuki clicked his tongue, his eyes filled with lament.

It was truly hard on him. At an age where he couldn't even grasp his own destiny, he was trying to grasp a love that even adults couldn't reach. Was this a side of this cruel world?

"Lord Hanazuki, the Third Hokage has ordered that you proceed immediately to the border of the Land of Earth. The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki of the Two Scales, has mobilized."

Without him noticing when he arrived, a man in a white cloak, a member of the Hokage's direct Anbu, spoke in a low voice.

"Sho? Even you, the elite Anbu captain who guards the Third Hokage, have come. I suspect this isn't just to deliver an order, but also to oversee the battle, right?"

"You overthink it. It's just that the opponent is the Third Tsuchikage. Aside from the Sannin and Minato, the only ones in Konoha qualified to fight him are..."

Before he could finish, Sho saw a small hand stopping him.

"Spare me the pleasantries. The Flying Thunder God Technique is not a space-time ninjutsu without flaws when faced with Dust Release."

"Tell the Third Hokage that I can only delay him for a while and tie up some of his forces. As for the rest of the support, I'm afraid I'm powerless."

The presence vanished. Sho looked up again, but Uchiha Hanazuki's figure had already disappeared, along with the ninja tool pouch and kunai on the cabinet nearby.

"What an incredible Body Flicker Technique. No wonder the Third Hokage specifically assigned this guy to hold back the Third Tsuchikage. Is this the genius of the Uchiha Clan?"

The expression beneath Sho's mask shifted constantly, and he ultimately chose to leave, seemingly filled with wariness toward this unremarkable little hut.

Meanwhile, the Hyuga Clan, the Aburame Clan, the Uchiha Clan... the prominent families of Konoha were summoned by the Hokage and headed to the battlefield.

Although those gathered on the battlefield were elites, the Hidden Stone Village ultimately held the advantage in numbers, and the scales of victory were gradually tipping in their favor.

On the border of the Land of Earth, the ground was covered in yellow soil and rock, and gusts of sand swept across the desolate land. Although the Land of Earth was one of the Five Great Nations, its strength surpassed that of the Land of Wind and the Land of Water.

Yet, all of this was built upon shifting its internal conflicts to smaller, external nations, trading the prosperity of its own land for the chaos of war in others.

Onoki of the Two Scales was a name that praised the Third Tsuchikage's excellent diplomatic skills; at the same time, this name also represented the Kekkei Genkai passed down in the Land of Earth: Dust Release.

Near the border, numerous ninjas in crimson uniforms, wearing the Hidden Stone headbands, stood on high alert, awaiting the orders of the short, bulbous-nosed old man at their head.

"I never thought that an old bag of bones like me would have to head to the battlefield personally. I wonder if there will be a day when I encounter Sarutobi Hiruzen within the Land of Fire again... Who's there?"

"Even if you are aged, you are still the Third Tsuchikage, worthy of respect. But wanting to see the Third Hokage might be a bit difficult. Not everyone can have your resolve to head to the battlefield personally, can they?"