Hiruzen Sarutobi Borrowed Hyuga Clan Members to Hunt Down Shadian, but They Were All Undercover

Hiashi Hyuga took a deep breath and entered Hiruzen Sarutobi's temporary office.

"Third Hokage."

"You're here, Hiashi."

"Have a seat!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe and slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"I wonder why the Third Hokage summoned me. Is there something important?" Hiashi Hyuga asked, his face stern and his voice steady.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a drag, exhaled, and set down his pipe. "During this Uchiha Uprising, the entire Konoha suffered losses, yet only your Hyuga Clan did not lose a single member. Hiashi, did you hear some sort of warning beforehand?"

Hiashi Hyuga answered in a calm voice, "What warning could we have received? It was merely a coincidence. If I had received word, I would certainly have left people behind to assist Konoha in battle."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded at that. The Hyuga Clan had always obeyed him, and he did not believe they would betray him. Moreover, as one of the Land of Fire's renowned noble clans, the Hyuga Clan had always made a habit of visiting other prominent clans.

For great clans like the Hyuga Clan and Uchiha Clan, their shinobi were essentially their clans' private forces. Konoha could not deploy them directly; it had to notify their clan heads in advance and request assistance. Still, a very small number had obtained their clan heads' approval and voluntarily served under him. He could deploy those directly, such as Itachi Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha.

"After the Uchiha Uprising, Konoha has suffered severe losses. The mastermind, Uchiha Shadian, is still on the run. I need your Hyuga Clan to send several elite jonin to assist Might Guy and Itachi Uchiha in searching for Uchiha Shadian and either killing him or bringing him in alive."

Without hesitation, Hiashi Hyuga said, "Rest assured, Third Hokage. My Hyuga Clan is willing to send three elite jonin to assist in tracking Uchiha Shadian."

"Good!" Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction.

There were not many elite jonin in the entire Hyuga Clan. Hiashi Hyuga's willingness to send three of them pleased Hiruzen Sarutobi greatly.

Elite jonin possessing the Byakugan were far more formidable than ordinary elite jonin.

"Hiashi, return and arrange the personnel as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

Hiashi Hyuga bowed and withdrew.

After leaving the tent, Hiashi Hyuga's expression changed.

"Making Hyuga Clan shinobi hunt down my future cousin-in-law? Well played, Hiruzen Sarutobi," Hiashi Hyuga muttered inwardly.

He cast a profound glance at Hiruzen Sarutobi's tent before turning and leaving.

Although the Hyuga Clan had left Konoha under the pretext of making visits, following Uchiha Shadian's warning, their homes had not gone anywhere. As a result, they had all been utterly destroyed in Uchiha Shadian's indiscriminate attack.

The Hyuga clansmen were now busy rebuilding their homes.

They were already short on manpower, and sending away three elite jonin would leave them even more short-handed.

Hiashi Hyuga returned to the Hyuga Clan's temporary tent encampment.

"How did it go, Brother? Why did Hiruzen Sarutobi summon you?" Hizashi Hyuga asked as he approached, wearing a mask and cloak.

Hiashi Hyuga said, "Hiruzen Sarutobi wants Might Guy and Itachi Uchiha to lead a team out to search for and pursue our future cousin-in-law. He asked us to provide manpower to assist in the search. To avoid arousing his suspicions, I agreed to send him three elite jonin from the Hyuga Clan."

Hizashi Hyuga said, "Brother, three elite Hyuga jonin could stand against a Kage-level expert. How could you bear to lend them to him?"

Hiashi Hyuga said, "Wasn't it to avoid making him suspicious?"

"He even asked whether we had heard anything and deliberately taken the whole clan away on visits!"

"If I didn't lend him three elite jonin, could I dispel his suspicions?"

Hizashi Hyuga nodded.

Hiashi Hyuga said, "Don't worry. I'll give the three men some instructions later. They'll know what to do."

Hizashi Hyuga said, "There's no need to give them special instructions. Just let them search normally. Those people will never be able to do anything to Lord Shadian anyway."

"Once they cooperate in finding Lord Shadian, they just need to stay far away so Lord Shadian doesn't misunderstand and think the Hyuga Clan has turned against him to join Konoha in dealing with him."

"No, I should still write Lord Shadian a letter and inform him, so there won't really be a misunderstanding and Lord Shadian won't mistake the Hyuga Clan's intentions."

After thinking it over, Hizashi Hyuga felt it would be better to write Uchiha Shadian a letter. If he saw Hyuga Clan shinobi standing together with Might Guy's group and misunderstood the Hyuga Clan, that would be troublesome.

Uchiha Shadian was staying at a hot spring inn in Shukuba Town, spending every day glued to Rin Nohara, going here and there with her without leaving town. No one knew his whereabouts.

Even Tsunade, who was in Shukuba Town with Nawaki, had not run into Uchiha Shadian.

Who could have imagined that Uchiha Shadian, the man who had destroyed Konoha and killed more than two hundred thousand of its people, was living happily right under Konoha's nose every day?

"After so many days, Konoha should have already recalled and deployed its forces, right?"

"It's time to prepare for another harvest."

Uchiha Shadian sat in the hot spring with Rin Nohara in his arms, lost in thought.

"Big Brother Shadian, what are you thinking about?" Rin Nohara asked gently.

"I'm thinking about when to hit Konoha again," Uchiha Shadian said flatly.

Rin Nohara said, "Big Brother Shadian, it's enough to kill the culprits who harmed you. As for innocent people, spare them whenever you can. Too much killing isn't good for you either."

Uchiha Shadian said flatly, "Rin, you're still too young."

"Those people are all in this together. Even if I spare them today, they won't be grateful to me. Instead, they'll spend every moment plotting in secret how to take my life."

"And Rin, you don't have strength like mine. If I don't eradicate them completely, they'll find a way to capture you and use you to threaten me."

"They may even lay hands on you just to take revenge on me."

"So killing them all is not only for my revenge, but also for your safety."

"If you want to remain by my side, you must cast aside that kindness and sympathy you have for enemies."

"Being kind is certainly good, but you must know how to weigh the consequences."

Rin Nohara lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry, Big Brother Shadian. I shouldn't have tried to persuade you like that."

Uchiha Shadian stroked Rin Nohara's hair. "I like your kindness and innocence. You just need to reserve that kindness and innocence for people who are not our enemies."

"I understand, Big Brother Shadian." Rin Nohara nodded seriously.

Just then.

With a puff.

A hawk landed beside Uchiha Shadian.

"More intelligence?"

Uchiha Shadian removed the seal and opened the letter.

"Oh? So they're finally forming a team to search for and hunt me down?" After reading the letter, Uchiha Shadian sneered.

"Having the Hyuga Clan hunt me down... Hiruzen Sarutobi, you never would have imagined that I had already secretly formed an alliance with the Hyuga Clan, would you?"