Hyuga Kicho

A few days later.

Land of Fire, Hyuga Clan territory.

It lay deep within a dense forest.

There were no towering platforms or grand pavilions, only relatively simple village-style strongholds.

Overall, ninja were not a group that particularly enjoyed comfort. Their pursuit of power outweighed everything else.

Moreover, the Hyuga Clan maintained strict family traditions. With the leaders setting the example, the entire clan lived frugally, spending all acquired resources where they mattered most.

Developing a nation was the business of daimyo and nobles. Ninja only needed to wield their blades.

Even the Hyuga Clan, which outsiders considered relatively mild-tempered, followed this philosophy amid such chaotic times.

Every Hyuga clansman patrolling the forests around the village carried a heavy aura of killing intent and bloodshed.

In these troubled times, the Hyuga Clan had no choice but to adapt, resulting in the rise of a great many Radical Faction members within the clan.

Thus, there was no need for pleasure or leisure here. It was a village operating under a highly militarized system.

Ordinary clansmen raced against time to handle logistics, forge weapons, transport provisions, and manage all kinds of resources needed by ninja.

The clan's children were also centrally managed. From the age of three or four, they had to learn how to use kunai, how to channel chakra, and how to kill enemies.

At that moment, near the center of the village stood a tall wooden building that was somewhat more refined, with a sizable courtyard outside, enough for more than a dozen people to live in.

Compared with the rest of the village's houses, it was already luxurious.

This represented the fact that the Hyuga clansmen living here held core positions within the clan.

And that was indeed the case. Hyuga Hideto, an elder of the Hyuga Clan's main house, lived here.

Though he was not yet fifty, Hyuga Hideto had already become one of the main house elders of the Hyuga Clan.

Unlike those elders who leaned on their age and status, refusing to step down even when they had to attend meetings with canes, he had entered the ranks of elders through the formidable strength he had forged in battle.

The most perilous incident had occurred two years ago, when he encountered the wandering Two-Tails at the border of the Land of Fire.

Although he had been no match for the Two-Tails and had even been driven into a desperate situation by its Tailed-Beast Bomb, he had ultimately succeeded in leading his clansmen away safely.

"Kicho, after a high-level meeting, it has been decided that you will marry that puppeteer general of the Land of Night. You should possess the bearing and wisdom expected of a daughter of the Hyuga Clan's main house, shouldn't you?"

Hyuga Hideto, a middle-aged man with a somewhat cold expression, informed his daughter, Hyuga Kicho, of the highest order that the clan had fully finalized.

"Of course, Father. Kicho has no objections."

Dressed in a white kimono embroidered with red maple leaves, the girl named Hyuga Kicho sat kneeling before her father Hideto in an impeccably proper posture, smiling.

She possessed snowy-white, tender skin unlike that of ordinary female ninja, and delicate fingers without calluses—qualities that likewise did not suit a ninja's identity.

Her pure white pupils contained not a trace of impurity, revealing only an utterly innocent smile, as though they could speak and come alive.

Her glossy black hair fell past her shoulders to her waist, while her blunt-cut bangs hung along both sides of her cheeks, making her resemble a noble princess raised in seclusion.

Yet the thick scent of blood that constantly emanated from her was what told others that this girl, who resembled a beautiful princess, was already an executioner who had killed countless people.

As one of the leading figures among the Hyuga Clan's younger generation, eighteen-year-old Hyuga Kicho already had countless lives' worth of blood on her hands.

She had also trained her Byakugan to a level that many adult clansmen had never reached.

Even so, she held no dissatisfaction toward the clan's arranged marriage, merely smiling as she obeyed the clan rules.

Even if that order required her to marry and bear children for a man she had never met, who was nearly ten years older than her.

As a woman of the main house, she had long prepared herself mentally for this.

Either she would marry a powerful man within the clan, or she would become a tool for political marriage and seek new support for the clan outside.

Hearing his daughter's understanding response, the sternness on Hideto's face eased somewhat.

He had long known that his daughter Kicho was a girl with strong opinions of her own, and he had therefore worried that, upon hearing such an order, she might do something irrational that would harm the clan's growth.

Fortunately, she had not done anything foolish that went against the Hyuga Clan's traditions.

"Rest assured. Although the man you are marrying is considerably older than you, Father can guarantee that he is an outstanding man. He will not disgrace your bloodline or status."

Yes, an outstanding man—but would he be a husband capable of cherishing me?

Kicho felt neither joy nor excitement. Her smile remained that of an exquisite doll as she respectfully listened to her father Hideto's instruction.

"Not long ago, I heard that the puppeteer general subdued the Seven-Tails... That is a Tailed Beast. Even within the Hyuga Clan, I fear only the clan head could accomplish such a thing."

Hideto spoke with a sigh.

Tailed Beasts... They were beings that meant certain death to ordinary ninja.

When he had encountered the Two-Tails before, it was not as if he had lacked all ability to resist, but he knew that subduing it was beyond him.

Leading his clansmen away safely had been his limit.

He was nearing fifty. His strength had essentially reached its final form, and in a few more years, it would decline with age.

Yet his son-in-law... was only twenty-seven years old, far from a ninja's peak.

Looking at the carefully maintained smile on his daughter Kicho's face, Hideto had to admit that his daughter was exceptionally beautiful. If she had not been a ninja, she might have been a peerless beauty capable of toppling nations.

However, she was a ninja. Though beautiful, she lacked the things an ordinary woman ought to have.

The bloody aura around her proved that she had killed many people.

She could wear the kindest, gentlest smile while ruthlessly killing enemies, regardless of gender, age, or status.

Thinking of this, Hideto could not help feeling satisfied.

His daughter was precisely this cold and outstanding.

Thus, Hideto walked to the side, took out a katana with a blue hilt, and handed it to the girl.

"Father, this is..."

Kicho tilted her head, somewhat unable to understand what her father Hideto meant.

"This is a trophy I seized after destroying a samurai clan in the past—Kumokiri."

"Is it a Chakra Blade?"

Kicho accepted the blade, grasped its blue hilt, and gently drew part of it from its sheath.

The cold gleam was piercing. Merely looking at it with her eyes, she could feel an intimidating aura that made her skin sting.

She immediately realized that it differed from an ordinary Chakra Blade.

Ordinary Chakra Blades contained very little Chakra Metal, but this blade had been forged entirely from incomparably precious special Chakra Metal, supplemented by master craftsmanship.

"This is a Spirit Blade. In the Ninja World of old, besides Tailed Beasts, there were also monsters formed from resentment and chakra. The finest swordsmiths of that era forged Spirit Blades specifically to deal with those creatures. Beyond their excellent chakra-conducting properties, these Spirit Blades also suppress evil entities. The reason I was able to escape the Two-Tails unharmed back then was partly thanks to this Spirit Blade: Kumokiri."

Tailed Beasts differed from monsters, but they still possessed negative energy. With the Spirit Blade Kumokiri in hand, facing a Tailed Beast would be much easier.

"Now I am giving the Spirit Blade Kumokiri to you. If your husband loses his value in the future, use this Kumokiri to end him. Turn the Land of Night into the Hyuga Clan's backyard and replace him. So, you must make the most of your beauty, win his favor, and then..."

Hideto's words were cold. He did not continue, but his eyes revealed extreme cruelty and calculation.

"Is that so?" Kicho carefully stroked the blade of the Spirit Blade, her gaze turning unreadable for a moment as her smile became meaningful. "Perhaps one day, this blade may be pointed at Father as well."

Hideto froze, then his expression darkened in displeasure.

"Kicho, do not make such rebellious jokes. I know very well that you are not the sort of foolish woman who would throw everything away for love."

"Yes, Father. Ninja do not need things like emotions."

Kicho smiled as she put away the Spirit Blade Kumokiri.

"You may leave. Once the Land of Night's betrothal gifts arrive, the clan will arrange for you to depart for the Land of Night."

Hideto waved a hand. He felt there was nothing else he needed to explain to his daughter, so he told her to remain at home during this period and wait peacefully for the day of her marriage.

"Yes. Then I shall return to my room and rest, Father."

Kicho rose to her feet, turned, and left the room.

Both Yayoi and the Hyuga Clan were satisfied with the terms offered by the other side.

Therefore, after roughly a month of discussions, the marriage alliance met no resistance and was finalized as a matter of course.

Naturally, the Hyuga Clan would not relocate to the Land of Night. They could not abandon their ancestral holdings in the Land of Fire, nor did they wish to leave their homeland. That was the fate of losers.

Yayoi quietly breathed a sigh of relief over this.

Unlike the Aburame Clan, the Hyuga Clan possessed vast resources and influence. If they had decided to merge into the Land of Night, he would have been the one with the biggest headache.

At that point, whether he could even keep his position as general would have been a question.

He could suppress the Aburame Clan, but a great clan like the Hyuga Clan would absolutely be a danger to the current Land of Night.

Therefore, a marriage alliance was the best outcome.

The Hyuga Clan would gain access to the Land of Night's resource channels, while Yayoi would gain the Hyuga Clan's bloodline and establish an alliance with them. It was a win-win arrangement.

Although Yayoi disliked bloodline supremacy, in the world of Naruto, no matter how much one denied it, bloodline was synonymous with power in the Ninja World.

Because Kekkei Genkai could genuinely be passed down to the next generation through reproduction.

Yayoi hoped that his descendants would have a higher starting point.

For a ruler, producing excellent heirs was a top priority, not something optional.

In any case, the marriage alliance between the two powers was now unstoppable.

Besides marrying off a daughter of the main house, the Hyuga Clan also sent two daughters of the branch house to serve as attendants to the main house daughter, accompanying her to the Land of Night.

Naturally, some branch house guards and their families would also follow the main house daughter onto the soil of the Land of Night.

These people represented both the Hyuga Clan's support for the Land of Night and the force and foundation that this portion of the branch house would provide the main house daughter in the Land of Night.

This was support in manpower. Apart from that, the Hyuga Clan also provided some Ninjutsu materials, including the Yin-Yang Release that Yayoi valued most.

However, this was still only a fragmentary Yin-Yang Release scroll.

In the entire Ninja World, perhaps only the Senju and Uchiha Clan could assemble a complete Yin-Yang Release.

The fragmentary Yin-Yang Release scroll provided by the Hyuga Clan was somewhat more complete than the fragment Yayoi had obtained after destroying the Hagoromo Clan.

In return, Yayoi was not stingy. He gave the Hyuga Clan, as betrothal gifts, the Yin-Yang Release he had obtained from the Hagoromo Clan and partially improved.

He also included the original Medical Ninjutsu techniques and knowledge he had created through his special chakra.

Although these medical techniques would be difficult to fully reproduce without special chakra, they could still greatly ease the Hyuga Clan's medical burden.

Moreover, the betrothal gifts included many precious medicinal herbs.

Yayoi likewise did not skimp on large quantities of ninja tools and money.

He did not place much value on such worldly possessions. The Land of Night's economy was now taking off. He could not say it changed completely every year, but in terms of economic and resource development, it was rapidly catching up to those great nations.

Land of Fire, Hyuga Clan.

After more than ten days of waiting, the wedding escort sent by Yayoi had arrived and formed up in orderly ranks.

Kakuzu, the head of the Military Bureau's Combat Execution Division, led them. They included twenty elite ninja and two hundred elite samurai skilled in chakra swordsmanship.

Their ninja uniforms and armor were all marked with the pattern of a red spider lily.

Besides them, several ninja wearing black high-collared trench coats and sunglasses also stood among Kakuzu's party.

Their aloof, silent demeanor gave off an air of mystery and coldness that kept strangers away.

Hyuga Hideto, the leader of the Hyuga Clan's wedding party, stared at the ninja in black high-collared trench coats with some surprise.

The clan crest of a ninja clan was embroidered on their high-collared coats.

This crest resembled a simple drawing of an insect.

Every one of them possessed a deeply powerful aura, proving that they were no ordinary ninja.

Even in a great clan like the Hyuga Clan, they would qualify as elite forces.

The man in sunglasses leading them in particular gave Hideto a dangerous feeling.

Hideto knew this man. They had fought in the past, and their strength was roughly on the same level.

Aburame Yuroketsu.

The new clan head of the Aburame Clan.

Only in his early thirties, he had rapidly assumed the position after the previous clan head died in battle a year earlier, stabilizing the Aburame Clan's internal crisis.

The insects he controlled were strange and unpredictable, causing Hideto no small amount of trouble in the past.

He had not expected the man to appear in the Land of Night's wedding escort.

After thinking it over, Hideto understood what had happened.

While the Hyuga Clan and the Land of Night had been discussing the marriage, the Aburame Clan had silently joined the Land of Night.

At this moment, the Aburame Clan's territory in the Land of Fire was likely already deserted, an unoccupied area.

Hideto took a deep breath. Unexpectedly, his future son-in-law had given him such a surprise at this time.

"It has been a long time, Yuroketsu."

Hideto greeted Aburame Yuroketsu.

They had been enemies in the past, yet they were now allies. The world truly was unpredictable.

"It has been a long time."

Yuroketsu also nodded slightly.

His entire body was concealed beneath the black trench coat, revealing only the upper half of his face and the sunglasses over his eyes, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Like a snake hiding in darkness, he gave the impression that he could deliver a fatal strike at any moment.

"I never expected your Aburame Clan to leave the Land of Fire."

Hideto was filled with emotion.

The Aburame Clan was also an old ninja clan of the Land of Fire, having existed there for more than two hundred years.

Although they were not a powerful clan in the Land of Fire, they were not some small fry that anyone could provoke.

Aburame Clan ninja generally lacked exceptional standout traits, but their strength was remarkably balanced.

Once they matured, their abilities were stable, and through mutual coordination, they had caused many ninja clans to suffer greatly.

"The general offered us terms we could not refuse. Besides, the Land of Fire has become too dangerous."

Yuroketsu's tone was indifferent, but anyone could hear the gravity in his words.

Hideto nodded.

He knew that Yuroketsu meant the alliance between the Senju and the Uchiha Clan. It had indeed left many ninja clans in the Land of Fire uneasy.

The Aburame Clan was far weaker than the Hyuga Clan and lacked any worthy allies. Faced with such a situation, leaving might have been their best choice.

By comparison, the Yamanaka Clan, Nara Clan, and Akimichi Clan, three secret-technique ninja clans like the Aburame Clan, were much luckier.

The secret techniques of these three clans could complement one another, and they had maintained friendly relations ever since their founding. The three clans had already become one.

Especially after the Sarutobi Clan joined their alliance system several decades ago, they had advanced and retreated together.

Afterward, the Shimura Clan, Utatane Clan, and Mitokado Clan also began drawing closer through the Sarutobi Clan's mediation.

Faced with these ninja clans that had formed an unbreakable bloc, no ninja clan other than the Senju and Uchiha Clan could easily ignore this powerful force.

Therefore, in the face of the Land of Fire's current tense situation, these clans were not as fearful as the isolated and unsupported Aburame Clan. They could remain calmly and observe how the situation developed.