Chapter 137: The Uchiha:

"Then what about the other technique you mentioned? I trust your guarantee, but we still need to see the effects of the jutsu for ourselves so I can explain it to the clan." Hiashi was quite satisfied, but business was business. Kyohiko asked, "Should I demonstrate it?" "Let me handle it." Hizashi stepped forward. Kyohiko nodded. Then, he formed hand seals, and in an instant, strands of hair grew and lengthened. With his precise and powerful chakra control, the hairs shot toward Hyuga Hizashi, each strand infused with dense chakra. Hizashi immediately retreated. But— Before he could escape, a hair strand had already silently reached him, piercing into his body. Hizashi tried to swing his arm, intending to sever the hair with chakra, only to find that his palm couldn’t gather strong enough chakra. Pressure point strikes. Sealing. Hyuga Hizashi stared at Kyohiko in shock. Wait. You actually know how to do this? Hyuga Hiashi had been maintaining his Byakugan, so when Hizashi was overwhelmed by the flood of hair, he immediately realized his guess had been correct. Hair. Pressure points. A perfect combination. And this was with Kyohiko’s rudimentary understanding of pressure point strikes—he had only mastered a small portion. If this kid had the Byakugan and could see all the chakra points in the body... Paired with this "hair" jutsu, the effect would be absolutely terrifying. "Though it’s not very effective against enemies with strong defenses, it does solve the problem of range quite well." Kyohiko dispelled the jutsu. This artificial, budget version of "Togebari (Rabbit Hair Needle)" would definitely not let the Hyuga clan come out on the losing end. Hyuga Hiashi nodded repeatedly. He was very satisfied. Kyohiko handed over a scroll. "Normally, your clan joining the medical system would already bring you great benefits—it’s a win-win situation. I shouldn’t need to offer anything extra. But this is our sincerity. I hope the Hyuga clan will also show their sincerity." "It truly is a win-win decision. As for the matter of the chakra points, I will also push for it. I won’t let Kyohiko-kun’s efforts go to waste." Hiashi took the jutsu scroll. By joining the medical system, the Hyuga clan would undoubtedly benefit. But given their status, they could maintain their current position without contributing additional personnel or effort. Yet, he couldn’t say such things. No matter how talented Kyohiko was, he was still a child. Adults had to follow rules, but children—as long as they didn’t cross the line—could bend those rules to some extent. If things escalated to the point of flipping the table, everyone would lose. Age and talent were his leverage. Hiashi carefully examined the scroll. A Yang Release jutsu. He wasn’t proficient in it and would need time to study it, but the effects were undoubtedly genuine. Hiashi put it away. "Within two days at most, you’ll definitely receive good news." "No rush. On my end, I’m also waiting for someone to return. Before that, even if you’re ready, I won’t have time to assist you." "Very well." ... On the streets of Konoha, shinobi wearing uniforms bearing the Uchiha clan emblem patrolled back and forth, though their attention wasn’t on their surroundings. Before long, one of them hurried back. "What’s the situation?" "He went to the Hyuga compound." "The Hyuga? Damn it, what are the Hyuga up to with the village this time?" Uchiha Yashiro’s expression darkened. First, a large number of Hyuga clansmen had gone to Konoha Hospital. Then, after disappearing for several days, Kyohiko reappeared—and went straight to the Hyuga again. If anyone claimed there was no connection, he wouldn’t believe it. Konoha and the Hyuga... Were they forming a new alliance? Something to do with medical ninjutsu? In Konoha, aside from the Hokage’s faction, the clan that posed the greatest threat to the Uchiha was undoubtedly the Hyuga. And now... While the Hyuga grew stronger by the day, the Uchiha were suppressed at every turn. If this continued, the Uchiha would inevitably be squeezed out in every field by the Hyuga. "Uncle Yashiro, what should we...?" "Just keep patrolling for now. Don’t give them any excuses to criticize us." Yashiro lowered his voice. He walked forward silently. Life wasn’t easy for the Uchiha. Every move they made was scrutinized by the villagers and Konoha’s higher-ups under a magnifying glass. Especially now, during the transition of power in the village, they had to be extra cautious. And above all—Konoha was currently strong! At dusk, as the sun set behind the western mountains, the patrol team finally finished their shift and returned to their clan compound. Inside the clan head’s residence, the members had gathered. "Fugaku, those spineless Hyuga are getting closer and closer to the village." "..." Fugaku remained silent. "We have to do something. Otherwise, with the village’s current strength and development, the Uchiha will only have less and less room to maneuver." Yashiro spoke in a hushed, urgent tone. Fugaku sighed. "I thought this war would be our chance for the Uchiha to rise again. Who would’ve thought..." This crisis, involving three major villages, was no less dangerous than the Second Shinobi World War years ago. How could Konoha not use the Uchiha in such a situation? So, he had planned meticulously, intending to use this opportunity to negotiate with the village for more concessions—especially now that the Hokage was Tsunade and Danzo had left. He thought he saw a turning point. But— Who could’ve predicted that the Third Kazekage, hailed as the "strongest Kazekage," would die silently at the border of the Land of Fire? The Sand’s offensive had been effortlessly neutralized. "I heard the Fourth Kazekage is currently scouring the deserts of the Land of Wind for gold dust to make up for their losses. Tch. It’ll take years for Suna to recover from this war." One of the elders sighed. "On the eastern front, our people barely even fought. The Hokage’s faction handled everything themselves. The other clans in the village are all on their side—we have no advantage." Another elder spoke grimly. It wasn’t that they wanted Konoha to lose, but only if the village was at a disadvantage would the Uchiha have a chance to turn things around and return to the center of power. Otherwise, they saw no future. The room fell into dead silence. Fugaku maintained his silence, as if he were only there to listen and not to voice any opinions. After a while, loud crying came from outside. Uchiha Fugaku exhaled softly. "Let’s end it here. I understand how everyone feels, but now isn’t the time for action. Besides, future developments might not necessarily be unfavorable to us..." "At the very least, Tsunade and Kyohiko are far better than Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo." With that, he stood and opened the door, signaling for everyone to leave. The clansmen exchanged glances but had no choice but to rise and file out. Yashiro was the last to go. He looked at Fugaku. "Clan Head, at a time like this, you must step up and make a decision to unify the clan’s will. Otherwise, by the time the clan falls into disarray and scatters, it’ll be too late!" "I... will." Fugaku hesitated for a moment but finally agreed. Yashiro sighed and left. The room fell silent again. A few seconds later, Uchiha Mikoto entered, holding a child, her face filled with concern. "Fugaku, earlier..." "Mn. It’s fine. Thank you." Fugaku knew that Itachi, though not even a year old, was naturally quiet and rarely cried. The earlier outburst must have been Mikoto’s doing—she must have sensed something amiss and deliberately made him cry. "When I took Itachi to the hospital for a checkup today, I saw them walking around inside. It seemed like they were planning to start working there." Mikoto held Uchiha Itachi in her arms. The child was indeed well-behaved. After being made to cry earlier, he had calmed down after just a little coaxing. She recounted the situation at the time. "By the way, Yuuka was there too." "Hyuga Yuuka? That’s Hiashi’s wife, right?" Uchiha Fugaku was stunned. The wife of the clan head was actually going to work at the hospital? Had Hiashi lost his mind? No— Had the entire Hyuga clan lost their minds? He couldn’t believe it. The Hyuga clan was known for being rigid and unchanging, yet now, even they were adapting—having their clansmen train in medical ninjutsu... And to top it off, the clan head’s wife was personally leading the effort. Just how determined were they? A sense of crisis welled up in Fugaku’s heart. In this war, the Sannin were gradually rising to power, taking over the center of authority, while a new generation of geniuses was emerging one after another. At the top were names like Namikaze Minato and Kyohiko, along with others around his age. Then there were talents like Hatake Kakashi. In comparison, the Uchiha had had no chance to shine in the past, leaving them in an awkward position. It wasn’t that they lacked strength—it was that Konoha simply didn’t need them. And now, even the Hyuga clan was... Change or assimilation? Fugaku felt as though two paths had appeared before him, but for the moment, he couldn’t decide which one to take. "Fugaku, what are you thinking?" "Let’s eat first." ... The next day, at the Hyuga compound. "Clan Head, wasn’t this already decided yesterday?" "Today is to let you all see what small changes can bring to the Hyuga clan." Hiashi spoke as he handed the scroll to the elders below. The clan elders passed it around, then exchanged glances. "This jutsu..." "It can be combined with our Gentle Fist techniques to achieve an extremely powerful sealing effect." Hizashi answered. "I experienced it myself." Silence fell over the room. These elders had all trained their way up and understood the importance of the Gentle Fist to the Hyuga. That was precisely why they had opposed collaborating with Konoha on researching so-called "chakra points." To them, it was clear that the village higher-ups were coveting the Hyuga’s secret techniques. After a long pause, Hyuga Kizashi spoke up. "Hizashi, does Kyohiko really know the Gentle Fist?" "It’s true. And he’s quite skilled—he’s already mastered many of the chakra points. Not only that..." Hizashi stood as he answered, then glanced at Hiashi as if seeking permission. Hiashi gave a slight nod. Only then did Hizashi reveal more. "Elder Kizashi, he also discovered a specific chakra point. Stimulating it can grant the user a powerful burst of strength." "What?" Hyuga Kizashi couldn’t remain calm. There was actually such a secret hidden in the body’s chakra network? "Is this for real?" "Are they trying to deceive us?" "This..." The other elders murmured among themselves, all of them either unwilling to believe it or outright skeptical. The Hyuga had studied chakra points for a century without uncovering anything like this. They refused to believe that an outsider, after just a short time, could discover something they had missed. This line of thinking quickly gained traction. Though not as outwardly arrogant as the Uchiha, the Hyuga still carried a deep-seated pride and looked down on ordinary shinobi. Hiashi knew he couldn’t let these old men steer the discussion any longer. Calmly, he said, "Kyohiko has promised that once we agree and sign the contract, he will share the forbidden chakra points he’s already discovered with us." "This..." If the offer had been to share the findings only after the research was complete, most would have dismissed it as a scam. But getting the information immediately upon signing made it far more credible. Now, they had no choice but to believe. They exchanged glances, none speaking for a long while. "As clan head, I’ll take the lead." Hyuga Hiashi stood. "I support collaborating with Kyohiko to research the secrets of the chakra points." "I support it as well." Hizashi also rose. Kizashi’s gaze swept across the room. The other elders were still hesitating. He no longer wavered. "I also support it." A smile appeared on Hiashi’s face. Hyuga Kizashi held significant influence among the elders. With his agreement, the matter was as good as settled. Once Kizashi gave his approval, the other elders quickly followed. In no time, everyone had voiced their stance. Eighty percent in favor, twenty percent abstaining. Approved! ... Several days later, early morning, outside Konoha. Orochimaru looked up at the distant village gates, a faint smirk playing on his lips. He walked forward slowly. "Orochimaru-sama!" The two guards at the gate immediately stood at attention. Seeing him, their faces lit up with excitement and awe. Orochimaru smiled slightly. "Registration." "Yes!" Hagane quickly filled out the form, leaving only the name blank. After signing, Orochimaru headed straight for the Hokage’s office. As he reached the entrance, he paused, noticing something unusual. Over twenty Hyuga kunoichi were crossing Tea Street, heading toward Konoha Hospital. His eyes narrowed in confusion. The Hyuga clan... and Konoha Hospital? What was going on? Puzzled, Orochimaru quickened his pace. In the office, after exchanging pleasantries with Tsunade, he asked about the situation and learned of the current collaboration between the Hyuga, Kyohiko, and the village. Orochimaru’s eyes gleamed with interest. Working with the Hyuga? How intriguing. "Tsunade, I’ll head to the ANBU base—" "No need. Knowing you’re back, he’ll be here soon." Tsunade understood Kyohiko well. Once ANBU received word, with the Flying Thunder God, he could arrive in seconds. Orochimaru was perplexed. The next moment, he sensed a chakra fluctuation outside. Then, Kyohiko’s presence spread through the hallway. Orochimaru turned and opened the door, only to see Kyohiko standing in the corridor. He was momentarily stunned. "Flying Thunder God? Is Minato in ANBU now?" "No, Minato isn’t suited for ANBU missions and lifestyle, so he chose not to join. Currently, I’m in charge of ANBU..." Kyohiko explained. A look of surprise crossed Orochimaru’s face. Minato wasn’t in ANBU. Which meant Kyohiko had mastered the Flying Thunder God on his own? Truly... Remarkable. Orochimaru marveled inwardly. This S-rank space-time ninjutsu was something even he hadn’t mastered, and Kyohiko couldn’t have been studying it for long. After a moment of admiration, he refocused on the young man before him. Age was Kyohiko’s biggest hurdle. "Minato really isn’t cut out to be ANBU captain, but you’re still too young. You might have the ability, but can you command respect?" He chuckled. "Can you handle it?" "So far, it’s manageable. With Tsunade’s help, the Gekko clan has been brought into line, and most of the other clans are cooperative..." Kyohiko smiled as he outlined the current state of affairs. Orochimaru listened quietly. When Kyohiko finished, he nodded slightly, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Come, take me to the ANBU base. Let’s discuss some research plans!"